BEL FUSE INC /NJ - Annual Report: 2007 (Form 10-K)
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-K
(Mark
One)
x |
ANNUAL
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF
1934
|
For
the
fiscal year ended December
31, 2007
or
o |
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: 0-11676
BEL
FUSE INC.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
NEW
JERSEY
|
22-1463699
|
|
(State
of other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
|
(I.R.S.
Employer Identification
No.)
|
206
Van Vorst Street
Jersey City, New Jersey
|
07302
|
||
(Address
of principal executive
offices)
|
(Zip
Code)
|
(201)
432-0463
(Registrant's
telephone number, including area code)
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: Class
A
Common Stock, $0.10 par value; Class B Common Stock, $0.10 par
value
Indicate
by checkmark if the registrant is a well-known issuer, as defined in Rule
405 of
the Securities
Act.
o
Yes x
No
Indicate
by checkmark if the registrant is not required to file reports to Section
13 or
15(d) f
the Act.
o Yes x
No
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. x
Yes o
No
Indicate
by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of
Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not
be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy
or
information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form
10-K
or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o
Indicate
by checkmark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated
filer, a non-accelerated filer or a small reporting company. See definition
of
“large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer” and “small reporting company” in
Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Large
accelerated filer o
|
Accelerated
filer x
|
Non-accelerated
filer o
|
Small reporting company o
|
(Do
not check if a small
reporting
company)
|
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
o
Yes x No
The
aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity of the
registrant held by non-affiliates (for this purpose, persons and entities
other
than executive officers and directors) of the registrant, as of the last
business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter
(June 30, 2007), was $377.9 million.
Number
of
shares of Common Stock outstanding as of March 10, 2008: 2,533,437 Class
A
Common Stock; 9,284,127 Class B Common Stock
Documents
incorporated by reference:
Bel
Fuse
Inc.'s Definitive Proxy Statement for the 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders
is
incorporated by reference into Part III.
BEL
FUSE INC.
|
||
INDEX
|
Forward Looking Information |
Page
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Part
I
|
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||
Item
1.
|
Business
|
1
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Item
1A.
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Risk
Factors
|
9
|
|
Item
1B.
|
Unresolved
Staff Comments
|
14
|
|
Item
2.
|
Properties
|
14
|
|
Item
3.
|
Legal
Proceedings
|
16
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Item
4.
|
Submission
of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
|
18
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Part
II
|
|
||
Item
5.
|
Market
for Registrant's Common Equity, Related
Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity
Securities
|
19
|
|
Item
6.
|
Selected
Financial Data
|
22
|
|
Item
7.
|
Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of Operations
|
24
|
|
Item
7A.
|
Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
|
45
|
|
Item
8.
|
Financial
Statements and Supplementary Data
|
45
|
|
Item
9.
|
Changes
in and Disagreements With Accountants on
Accounting and Financial Disclosure
|
46
|
|
Item
9A.
|
Controls
and Procedures
|
46
|
|
Item
9B.
|
Other
Information
|
48
|
|
Part
III
|
|
||
Item
10.
|
Directors,
Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
|
48
|
|
Item
11.
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Executive
Compensation
|
48
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|
Item
12.
|
Security
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and
Management and Related Stockholder Matters
|
48
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BEL
FUSE INC.
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INDEX
(Con't)
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|||
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Page
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Part
III (Con't)
|
|||
Item
13.
|
Certain
Relationships and Related Transactions, and
Director Independence
|
48
|
|
Item
14.
|
Principal
Accounting Fees and Services
|
48
|
|
Part
IV
|
|
||
Item
15.
|
Exhibits,
Financial Statement Schedules
|
49
|
|
Signatures |
52
|
*
Page
F-1 follows page 45
FORWARD
LOOKING INFORMATION
The
Company’s quarterly and annual operating results are affected by a wide variety
of factors that could materially and adversely affect revenues and
profitability, including the risk factors described in Item 1A of the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K. As a result of these and other factors, the Company
may experience material fluctuations in future operating results on a quarterly
or annual basis, which could materially and adversely affect its business,
financial condition, operating results, and stock prices. Furthermore, this
document and other documents filed by the Company with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) contain certain forward-looking statements under
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (“Forward-Looking
Statements”) with respect to the business of the Company. These Forward-Looking
Statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including those
mentioned above, and those detailed in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form
10-K, which could cause actual results to differ materially from these
Forward-Looking Statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly
release the results of any revisions to these Forward-Looking Statements
which
may be necessary to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof
or to
reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. An investment in the Company
involves various risks, including those mentioned above and those which are
detailed from time to time in the Company’s SEC filings.
PART
I
Item
1.
Business
General
Bel
Fuse
Inc. ("Bel" or the "Company") is a leading producer of electronic products
that
help make global connectivity a reality. The Company is primarily engaged
in the
design, manufacture and sale of products used in networking, telecommunications,
high speed data transmission and consumer electronics. Products include
magnetics (discrete components, power transformers and MagJack®s),
modules (DC-DC converters, integrated analog front-end modules and custom
designs, circuit protection (miniature, micro and surface mount fuses) and
interconnect devices (passive jacks, plugs and cable assemblies).
While
these products are deployed primarily in the computer, networking and
telecommunication industries, Bel’s portfolio of products also finds application
in the automotive, medical and consumer electronics markets. These products
are
designed to protect, regulate, connect, isolate or manage a variety of
electronic circuits.
With
over
58 years in the electronics industry, Bel has reliably demonstrated the ability
to succeed in a variety of product areas across multiple industries. Founded
in
1949, the Company has a strong track record of technical innovation working
with
the engineering communities of market leaders. Bel has consistently proven
itself a valuable supplier to the foremost companies in its chosen industries
by
developing cost-effective solutions for the challenges of new product
development. By combining our strength in product design with our own
specially-designed manufacturing facilities, Bel has established itself as
a
formidable competitor on a global basis.
-1-
The
Company, which is organized under New Jersey law, operates in one industry
with
three geographic reporting segments as defined in Statement of Financial
Accounting Standards No. 131, "Disclosures about Segments of an Enterprise
and
Related Information". Bel’s principal executive offices are located at 206 Van
Vorst Street, Jersey City, New Jersey 07302; (201) 432-0463. The Company
operates other facilities in North America, Europe and Asia and trades on
the
NASDAQ Global Select Market (BELFA and BELFB). For information regarding
Bel's
three geographic reporting units, see Note
11
of the
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
The
terms
“Company” and “Bel” as used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K refers to Bel
Fuse Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise
specified.
Product
Groups
Magnetics
·
|
Discrete
components
|
·
|
Power
transformers
|
·
|
MagJack®
integrated connector modules
|
The
Company, a leading producer of discrete magnetics, markets an extensive line
of
products (transformers, diplex filters and common mode chokes) used in
networking, telecommunications and broadband applications. These magnetic
devices condition, filter and isolate the signal as it travels through network
equipment helping to ensure accurate data/voice/video transmission. Bel’s
magnetic components are also used in the consumer electronics
marketplace.
Power
transformer products include standard and custom designs produced by the
Company’s Signal Transformer division. Manufactured for use in alarm, security
and medical products, these devices are designed to comply with the
international safety standards governing transformers including UL, CSA,
IEC,
TUV and VDE.
Marketed
under the MagJack®
brand,
Bel’s connectors with integrated magnetics provide the signal conditioning,
electromagnetic interference suppression and signal isolation previously
performed by multiple discrete magnetics.
Modules
·
|
Power
conversion modules
|
·
|
Integrated
modules
|
Bel’s
Power conversion products include standard and custom isolated and non-isolated
DC-DC converters designed specifically to power low voltage silicon devices.
The
need for converting one DC voltage to another is growing rapidly as developers
of integrated circuits commonly adjust the supply voltage as a means of
optimizing device performance. The DC-DC converters are used in data networking
equipment, distributed power architecture and telecommunication devices,
as well
as computers and peripherals.
-2-
The
Company develops highly integrated, IC-compatible modules for broadband,
home
networking and telecommunication applications. These modules eliminate the
need
for several discrete components by providing enhanced functionality in a
single,
compact device.
The
Company continues to pursue market opportunities where it can supply customized,
value-added modules that capitalize on the Company’s manufacturing capabilities
in surface mount assembly, automatic winding, hybrid fabrication and component
encapsulation.
Circuit
Protection
·
|
Miniature
fuses
|
·
|
Surface
mount PTC devices and fuses
|
·
|
Radial
PTC devices and micro fuses
|
The
Company's circuit protection products include board level fuses (miniature,
micro and surface mount) and Polymeric PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient)
devices, designed for the global electronic and telecommunication markets.
Fuses
and PTC devices prevent currents in an electrical circuit from exceeding
certain
predetermined levels, acting as a safety valve to protect expensive components
from damage by cutting off high currents before they can generate enough
heat to
cause smoke or fire. Additionally, PTC devices are resettable and do not
have to
be replaced before normal operation of the end product can resume.
While
the
Company continues to manufacture traditional fuse types, its surface mount
chip
fuses are used in space-critical applications such as mobile phones and
computers. Like all of Bel's fuse products, the chip fuses comply with RoHS6
standards for the elimination of lead and other hazardous materials.
The
Company's circuit protection devices are used extensively in products such
as
televisions, consumer electronics, power supplies, computers, telephones
and
networking equipment.
Interconnect
·
|
Passive
jacks
|
·
|
Plugs
|
·
|
Cable
assemblies
|
The
Company has a comprehensive line of modular connectors including RJ45 and
RJ11
passive jacks, plugs and cable assemblies. Passive jacks serve primarily
as the
connectivity device in networking equipment such as routers, hubs, switches
and
patch panels. Modular plugs and cable assemblies are utilized within the
structured cabling system, often referred to as premise wiring. The Company’s
connector products are designed to meet all major performance standards for
Category 5e, 6, 6a and Category 7a compliant devices used within Gigabit
Ethernet and 10Gigabit Ethernet networks.
-3-
The
following table describes, for each of Bel's product groups, the principal
functions and applications associated with such product groups.
Product
Group
|
Function
|
Applications
|
||
Magnetics
|
||||
Discrete
Components
|
Condition,
filter and isolate the electronic signal to ensure accurate
data/voice/video transmission.
|
Network
switches, routers, hubs and PCs used in 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet,
Power over Ethernet (PoE), home networking and cable modem
applications.
|
||
Power
Transformers
|
Safety
isolation and distribution.
|
Power
supplies, alarm, fire detection and security systems, HVAC, lighting
and
medical equipment.
|
||
MagJack®
Integrated Connectors
|
Condition,
filter and isolate the electronic signal to ensure accurate
data/voice/video transmission and provide RJ45 and USB
connectivity.
|
Network
switches, routers, hubs and PCs used in 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet,
Power over Ethernet (PoE), home networking and cable modem
applications.
|
||
Modules
|
||||
Power
Conversion Modules (DC-DC Converters)
|
Convert
DC voltage level to other DC level as required to meet the power
needs of
low voltage silicon devices.
|
Networking
equipment, distributed power architecture, telecom devices, computers
and
peripherals.
|
||
Integrated
Modules
|
Condition,
filter and isolate the electronic signal to ensure accurate
data/voice/video transmission.
|
Broadband,
home networking and telecom equipment supporting ISDN, T1E1 and
DSL
technologies.
|
||
Circuit
Protection
|
||||
Miniature
Fuses
|
Protects
devices by preventing current in an electrical circuit from exceeding
acceptable levels.
|
Power
supplies, electronic ballasts and consumer electronics.
|
||
Surface
mount PTC devices and fuses
|
Protects
devices by preventing current in an electrical circuit from exceeding
acceptable levels. PTC devices can be reset to resume
functionality.
|
Cell
phone chargers, consumer electronics, power supplies and set
top
boxes.
|
||
Radial
PTC devices and micro fuses
|
Protects
devices by preventing current in an electrical circuit from exceeding
acceptable levels. PTC devices can be reset to resume
functionality.
|
Cell
phones, mobile computers, IC and battery protection, power supplies
and
telecom line cards.
|
||
Interconnect
|
||||
Passive
Jacks
|
RJ45
and RJ11 connectivity for data/voice/video transmission.
|
Network
routers, hubs, switches and patch panels deployed in Category
5e, 6, 6a
and 7a cable systems.
|
||
Plugs
|
RJ45
and RJ11 connectivity for data/voice/video transmission.
|
Network
routers, hubs, switches and patch panels deployed in Category
5e, 6, 6a
and 7a cable systems.
|
||
Cable
Assemblies
|
RJ45
and RJ11 connectivity for data/voice/video transmission.
|
Structured
Category 5e, 6, 6a and 7a cable systems (premise
wiring).
|
-4-
Acquisitions
Acquisitions
have played a critical role in the growth of Bel and the expansion of both
its
product portfolio and its customer base. Furthermore, acquisitions continue
to
be a key element in the Company’s growth strategy. As part of the Company’s
acquisition strategy, it may,
from
time to time, purchase equity positions in companies that are potential merger
candidates. The Company frequently evaluates possible merger candidates that
would provide an expanded product and technology base that will allow the
Company to further penetrate its strategic customers and/or an opportunity
to
reduce overall operating expense as a percentage of revenue. Bel also looks
at
whether the merger candidates are positioned to take advantage of the Company's
low cost manufacturing facilities; and whether a cultural fit will allow
the
acquired company to be integrated smoothly and efficiently.
For
information regarding the Company’s acquisitions of Netwatch s.r.o. and Galaxy
Power Inc. (“Galaxy”) in 2005, see the Liquidity and Capital Resources section
in Item 7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
As
of
December 31, 2007, the Company owned a total of 1,840,919 shares, or
approximately 1.9%
of the
outstanding shares,
of the
common stock of Toko, Inc. (“Toko”) at a total cost of $5.6 million. Toko had a
market capitalization of approximately $172.9 million as of December 31,
2007.
These shares are reflected on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as
marketable securities. These marketable securities are considered to be
available for sale under Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”)
No. 115, “Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities”.
Thus, as of December 31, 2007, the Company has recorded an unrealized loss,
net
of income tax benefit, of approximately $1.5 million which is included in
accumulated other comprehensive loss in stockholders’ equity. The Company’s
investment in Toko has been in an unrealized loss position for less than
twelve
months. In accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Staff
Position Nos. FAS 115-1 and FAS 124-1 “The Meaning of Other-Than-Temporary
Impairment and Its Application to Certain Investments”, the Company periodically
reviews its marketable securities and determines whether the investments
are
other-than-temporarily impaired. The Company reviewed various factors in
making
its determination, including volatility of the Toko share price over the
last
year, Toko’s recent financial results and the Company’s intention and ability to
hold the investment. The Toko share price has been extremely volatile over
the
last year, ranging from $1.22 - $4.20 (the Company’s cost basis in its remaining
shares of Toko stock is $3.07 per share). As discussed below, in the second
quarter of 2007, a gain was recognized on the disposition of the majority
of the
Company’s holdings of Toko stock. Toko recently issued its financial results for
the quarter ended December 31, 2007 and it showed a quarter over quarter
increase in sales of 5.6% as compared to the fourth quarter of 2006 and
increased profitability. The Company has the intention and the ability to
hold
the investment until it is in a gain position. As a result of these factors,
management believes that the investment in Toko is not other-than-temporarily
impaired.
-5-
During
April 2007, the Company sold 4,034,000 shares of common stock of Toko on
the
open market which resulted in a gain of approximately $2.5 million, net of
investment banker fees and other expenses in the amount of $0.8 million.
The
Company accrued bonuses of $0.5 million in connection with this gain which
were
paid in January 2008. For financial statement purposes approximately $0.4
million and $0.1 million has been classified within cost of sales and selling,
general and administrative expenses, respectively.
During
2004, the Company acquired a total of 2,037,500 shares of the common stock
of
Artesyn Technologies, Inc. (“Artesyn”) at a total purchase price of $16.3
million. On April 28, 2006, Artesyn was acquired by Emerson Network Power
for
$11.00 per share in cash. During the second quarter of 2006, in connection
with
the Company's sale of its Artesyn common stock, the Company recognized a
gain of
approximately $5.2 million, net of investment banker advisory fees of $0.9
million. The Company accrued bonuses of $1.0 million in connection with the
gain. For financial statement purposes approximately $0.3 million and $0.7
million was classified within cost of sales and selling, general and
administrative expenses, respectively, and was paid to key employees in January
2007.
On
February 25, 2008, the Company announced that it had acquired 4,370,052 shares
of Power-One, Inc. (“Power-One”) common stock representing, to the Company’s
knowledge, 5% of Power-One’s outstanding common stock, at a total purchase price
of $10.1 million. Power-One’s common stock is quoted on the NASDAQ Global
Market. Power-One is a designer and manufacturer of power conversion and
power
management products.
Sales
and
Marketing
The
Company sells its products to customers throughout North America, Western
Europe
and Asia. Sales are made through one of three channels: direct strategic
account
managers, regional sales managers working with independent sales representative
organizations or authorized distributors. Bel's strategic account managers
are
assigned to handle major accounts requiring global coordination.
Independent
sales representatives and authorized distributors are overseen by the Company's
sales management personnel located throughout the world. As of December 31,
2007, the Company had a sales and support staff of 50 persons that supported
a
network of 82 sales representative organizations and non-exclusive distributors.
The Company has written agreements with all of its sales representative
organizations
and
major distributors. These written agreements, terminable on short notice
by
either party, are standard in the industry.
Sales
support functions have also been established and located in Bel international
facilities to provide timely, efficient support for customers. This supplemental
level of service, in addition to first-line sales support, enables the Company
to be more responsive to customers’
needs on
a global level. The Company’s marketing capabilities include product management
which drives new product development, application engineering for technical
support and marketing communications. Product marketing managers facilitate
technical partnerships for engineering development of IC-compatible components
and modules.
-6-
Research
and Development
The
Company’s engineering groups are strategically located around the world to
facilitate communication with and access to customers’ engineering personnel.
This collaborative approach enables partnerships with customers for technical
development efforts. On occasion, Bel executes non-disclosure agreements
with
customers to help develop proprietary, next generation products destined
for
rapid deployment.
The
Company also sponsors membership in technical organizations that allow Bel’s
engineers to participate in developing standards for emerging technologies.
It
is management’s opinion that this participation is critical in establishing
credibility and a reputable level of expertise in the marketplace, as well
as
positioning the Company as an industry leader in new product
development.
Research
and development costs are expensed as incurred, and are included in cost
of
sales. Generally, research and development is performed internally for the
benefit of the Company. Research and development costs include salaries,
building maintenance and utilities, rents, materials, administration costs
and
miscellaneous other items. Research and development expenses for the years
ended
December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005 amounted to $7.2 million, $6.6 million and
$7.3
million, respectively. The increase in 2007 compared to 2006 was attributable
to
various factors including an increase in headcount at the Hangzhou research
and
development facility related to the DC-DC power products, an unfavorable
change
in associated exchange rates for research and development expenses in the
PRC
and United Kingdom, and general wage increases at the various research and
development facilities. The decrease from 2005 to 2006 is principally attributed
to less research and development costs in the United States due to the
consolidation of the Bel Power and Galaxy facilities in Massachusetts. This
was
offset in part by increased expenses at the Company’s PRC research and
development facility which has a lower cost structure.
Competition
The
Company operates in a variety of markets all of which are highly competitive.
There are numerous independent companies and divisions of major companies
that
manufacture products that are competitive with one or more of Bel’s products.
The
Company's ability to compete is dependent upon several factors including
product
performance, quality, reliability, depth of product line, customer service,
technological innovation, design, delivery time and price. Overall financial
stability and global presence also play a role and give Bel a favorable position
in relation to many of its competitors. Management intends to maintain a
strong
competitive posture in the Company's markets by continued expansion of the
Company’s product lines and ongoing investment in research, development and
manufacturing resources.
-7-
Associates
As
of
December 31, 2007, the Company had 1,948 full-time associates. The Company
employed 697 people at its North American facilities, 1,175 people at its
Asian
facilities and 76 people at its European facilities, excluding workers supplied
by independent contractors. The Company's manufacturing facility in New York
is
represented by a labor union and all factory workers in the PRC are represented
by unions. At December 31, 2007, 36 of our workers in the New York facility
were
covered by a collective bargaining agreement, which expires on March 31,
2009.
The Company believes that its relations with its associates are
satisfactory.
Suppliers
The
Company has multiple suppliers for most of the raw materials that it purchases.
Where possible, the Company has contractual agreements with suppliers to
assure
a continuing supply of critical components.
With
respect to those items which are purchased from single sources, the Company
believes that comparable items would be available in the event that there
was a
termination of the Company's existing business relationships with any such
supplier. While such a termination could produce a disruption in production,
the
Company believes that the termination of business with any one of its suppliers
would not have a material adverse effect on its long-term operations. Actual
experience could differ materially from this belief as a result of a number
of
factors, including the time required to locate an alternative supplier, and
the
nature of the demand for the Company’s products. In the past, the Company has
experienced shortages in certain raw materials, such as capacitors, ferrites
and
integrated circuits (“IC’s”), when these materials were in great demand. Even
though the Company may have more than one supplier for certain materials,
it is
possible that these materials may not be available to the Company in sufficient
quantities or at the times desired by the Company.
Backlog
The
Company typically manufactures products against firm orders and projected
usage
by customers. Cancellation and return arrangements are either negotiated
by the
Company on a transactional basis or contractually determined. The Company's
backlog of orders as of February 29, 2008 was approximately $73.7 million,
as
compared with a backlog of $47.1 million as of February 28, 2007. Management
expects that all of the Company's backlog as of February 29, 2008 will be
shipped by December 31, 2008. Such expectation constitutes a Forward-Looking
Statement. Factors that could cause the Company to fail to ship all such
orders
by year-end include unanticipated supply difficulties, changes in customer
demand and new customer designs. The Company's major customers have negotiated
reduced lead times on purchase orders with the goal of reducing their
inventories. Accordingly, backlog may not
be a
reliable indicator of the timing of future sales. See Item 1A of this Annual
Report- "Risk Factors - Our backlog figures may not be reliable indicators."
-8-
Intellectual
Property
The
Company has been granted a number of patents in the U.S., Europe and Asia
and
has additional patent applications pending relating to its products. While
the
Company believes that the issued patents are defendable and that the pending
patent applications relate to patentable inventions, there can be no assurance
that a patent will be obtained from the applications or that its existing
patents can be successfully defended. It is management's opinion that the
successful continuation and operation of the Company's business does not
depend
upon the ownership of patents or the granting of pending patent applications,
but upon the innovative skills, technical competence and marketing and
managerial abilities of its personnel. The patents have a life of seventeen
years from the date of issue or twenty years from filing of patent applications.
The Company's existing patents expire on various dates from August 25, 2009
to
February 15, 2021.
The
Company utilizes registered trademarks in the U.S., Europe and Asia to identify
various products that it manufactures. The trademarks survive as long as
they
are in use and the registrations of these trademarks are renewed.
Available
Information
The
Company maintains a website at www.belfuse.com
where it
makes available the proxy statements, press releases and reports on Form
4, 8-K,
10-K and 10-Q that it and its insiders file with the SEC. These forms are
made
available as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is
electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. Press releases are also
issued via electronic transmission to provide access to the Company’s financial
and product news. In addition, the Company provides notification of and access
to voice and Internet broadcasts of its quarterly and annual results.
Item
1A. Risk Factors
An
investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Investors
should
carefully consider the risks described below, together with all other
information contained in this Annual Report before making investment decisions
with respect to our common stock.
We
do business in a highly competitive industry
Our
business is highly competitive worldwide, with relatively low barriers to
competitive entry. We compete principally on the basis of product performance,
quality, reliability, depth of product line, customer service, technological
innovation, design, delivery time and price. The electronic components industry
has become increasingly concentrated and globalized in recent years and our
major competitors, some of which are larger than us, have significant financial
resources and technological capabilities.
-9-
Our
backlog figures may not be reliable indicators.
Many
of
the orders that comprise our backlog may be canceled by customers without
penalty. Customers may on occasion double order from multiple sources to
ensure
timely delivery when backlog is particularly long. Customers often cancel
orders
when business is weak and inventories are excessive. Therefore, we cannot
be
certain that the amount of our backlog equals or exceeds the level of orders
that will ultimately be delivered. Our results of operations could be adversely
impacted if customers cancel a material portion of orders in our
backlog.
There
are several factors which can cause us to lower our
prices.
a)
The
average selling prices for our products tend to decrease rapidly over their
life
cycle, and customers are increasingly putting pressure on suppliers to lower
prices. Our profits suffer if we are not able to reduce our costs of production
or induce technological innovations as sales prices decline.
b)
Any
drop
in demand or increase in supply of our products due to the overcapacity of
our
competitors could cause a dramatic drop in our average sales prices causing
a
decrease in our gross margins.
c)
Increased
competition from low cost suppliers around the world has put further pressures
on pricing. We
continually strive
to lower
our
costs,
negotiate better pricing for components and raw materials and improve our
operating efficiencies. Profit margins will be materially and adversely impacted
if we are not able to reduce our costs of production or introduce technological
innovations as sales prices decline.
We
are dependent on our ability to develop new products.
Our
future operating results are dependent, in part, on our ability to develop,
produce and market new and more technologically advanced products. There
are
numerous risks inherent in this process, including the risks that we will
be
unable to anticipate the direction of technological change or that we will
be
unable to timely develop and bring to market new products and applications
to
meet customers’ changing needs.
Our
acquisitions may not produce the anticipated results.
A
significant portion of our growth is from acquisitions. We cannot assure
you
that we will identify or successfully complete transactions with suitable
acquisition candidates in the future. If an acquired business fails to operate
as anticipated or cannot be successfully integrated with our other businesses,
our results of operations, enterprise value, market value and prospects could
all be materially and adversely affected.
If
our
acquisitions fail to perform up to our expectations, or as the value of goodwill
decreases, we could be required to record a loss from the impairment of assets.
Integration of new acquisitions into our consolidated operations may result
in
lower average operating results for the group as a whole.
-10-
Our
strategy also focuses on the reduction of selling, general and administrative
expenses through the integration or elimination of redundant sales facilities
and administrative functions at acquired companies. Our inability to achieve
these goals could have a material and adverse effect on our results of
operations.
If
we
were to undertake a substantial acquisition for cash, the acquisition would
likely need to be financed in part through bank borrowings or the issuance
of
public or private debt or equity. If we borrow money to finance acquisitions,
this would likely decrease our ratio of earnings to fixed charges and adversely
affect other leverage criteria and could result in the imposition of material
restrictive covenants. Under our existing credit facility, we are required
to
obtain our lenders’ consent for certain additional debt financing, to comply
with other covenants including the application of specific financial ratios,
and
may be restricted from paying cash dividends on our capital stock. We cannot
assure you that the necessary acquisition financing would be available to
us on
acceptable terms, or at all, when required. If we issue a substantial amount
of
stock either as consideration in an acquisition or to finance an acquisition,
such issuance may dilute existing stockholders and may take the form of capital
stock having preferences over our existing common stock.
We
are exposed to weaknesses in international markets and other risks inherent
in
foreign trade.
We
have
operations in six countries around the world outside the United States, and
approximately 70% of our revenues during 2007 were derived from sales to
customers outside the United States. Some of the countries in which we operate
have in the past experienced and may continue to experience political, economic,
medical epidemic and military instability or unrest. These conditions could
have
a material and adverse impact on our ability to operate in these regions
and,
depending on the extent and severity of these conditions, could materially
and
adversely affect our overall financial condition and operating results.
Although
our operations have traditionally been largely transacted in U.S. dollars
or
U.S. dollar linked currencies, recent world financial instability may cause
additional foreign currency risks in the countries we operate in. The decoupling
of the Chinese Yuan from the U.S. dollar has and will continue to increase
financial risk.
Other
risks inherent in doing trade internationally include: expropriation and
nationalization, trade restrictions, transportation delays, and changes in
United States laws that may inhibit or restrict our ability to manufacture
in or
sell to any particular country. For information regarding risks associated
with
our presence in Hong Kong and Macao, see "Item 2 - Properties" of this Annual
Report on Form 10-K.
While
we
have benefited from favorable tax treatment in many of the countries where
we
operate, the benefits we currently enjoy could change if laws or rules in
the
United States or those foreign jurisdictions change, incentives are changed
or
revoked, or we are unable to renew current incentives.
-11-
We
may experience labor unrest.
As
we
implement transfers of certain of our operations, we may experience strikes
or
other types of labor unrest as a result of lay-offs or termination of employees
in higher labor cost countries.
Our
manufacturing facility in New York is represented by a labor union
and all
factory workers in the PRC are represented by unions.
We
may experience labor shortages.
Government
economic, social and labor policies in the PRC may cause shortages of factory
labor in areas where we have our products manufactured.
Our
results of operations may be materially and adversely impacted by environmental
and other regulations.
Our
manufacturing operations, products and/or product packaging are subject to
environmental laws and regulations governing air emissions, wastewater
discharges, the handling, disposal and remediation of hazardous substances,
wastes and certain chemicals used or generated in our manufacturing processes,
employee health and safety labeling or other notifications with respect to
the
content or other aspects of our processes, products or packaging, restrictions
on the use of certain materials in or on design aspects of our products or
product packaging and responsibility for disposal of products or product
packaging. More stringent environmental regulations may be enacted in the
future, and we cannot presently determine the modifications, if any, in our
operations that any such future regulations might require, or the cost of
compliance with these regulations.
Our
results may vary substantially from period to period.
Our
revenues and expenses may vary significantly from one accounting period to
another accounting period due to a variety of factors, including customers'
buying decisions, our product mix and general market and economic conditions.
Such variations could significantly impact our stock price.
A
shortage of availability or an increase in the cost of raw materials and
components and our ability to procure high quality raw materials at cost
effective prices may negatively impact profit
margins.
Our
results of operations may be adversely impacted by difficulties in obtaining
raw
materials, supplies, power, labor, natural resources and any other items
needed
for the production of our products, as well as by the effects of quality
deviations in raw
materials and the effects of significant fluctuations in the prices on existing
inventories and purchase commitments for these
materials. Many of these materials and components are produced by a limited
number of suppliers and may be constrained by supplier capacity.
As
product life cycles shorten and during periods of market slowdowns, the risk
of
materials obsolescence
increases and this may materially
and
adversely impact our financial results.
-12-
Rapid
shifts in demand for various products may cause some of our inventory of
raw
materials, components or finished goods to become obsolete.
The
life
cycles and demand for our products are directly linked to the life cycles
and
demand for the end products into which they are designed. Rapid shifts in
the
life cycles or demand for these end products due to technological shifts,
economic conditions or other market trends may result in material amounts
of
inventory of either raw materials or finished goods becoming obsolete. While
the
Company works diligently to manage inventory levels, rapid shifts in demand
may
result in obsolete or excess inventory and materially
impact
financial results.
A
loss of the services of the Company’s executive officers or other skilled
associates could negatively impact our operations and
results.
The
success of the Company’s operations is largely dependent upon the performance of
its executive officers, managers, engineers and sales people. Many of these
individuals have a significant number of years of experience within the Company
and/or the industry in which we compete and would be extremely difficult
to
replace. The loss of the services of any of these associates may materially
and
adversely impact our results of operations if we are unable to replace them
in a
timely manner.
Our
stock price, like that of many technology companies, has been and may continue
to be volatile.
The
market price of our common stock may fluctuate as a result of variations
in our
quarterly operating results and other factors beyond our control. These
fluctuations may be exaggerated if the trading volume of our common stock
is
low. In addition, the market price of our common stock may rise and fall
in
response to a variety of factors, including:
·
|
announcements
of technological or competitive
developments;
|
·
|
acquisitions
or strategic alliances by us or our
competitors;
|
·
|
the
gain or loss of a significant customer or
order;
|
·
|
changes
in estimates of our financial performance or changes in recommendations
by
securities analysts regarding us or our industry;
or
|
·
|
general
market or economic conditions.
|
In
addition, equity securities of many technology companies have experienced
significant price and volume fluctuations. These price and volume fluctuations
often have been unrelated to the operating performance of the affected
companies.
Our
intellectual property rights may not be adequately protected under the current
state of the law.
We
cannot
assure you we will be successful in protecting our intellectual property
through
patent or other laws. As a result, other companies may be able to develop
and
market similar products which could materially and adversely
affect our business.
-13-
We
may be
sued by third parties for alleged infringement of their proprietary rights
and
we may incur defense costs and possibly royalty obligations or lose the right
to
use technology important to our business.
From
time
to time, we receive claims by third parties asserting that our products violate
their intellectual property rights. Any intellectual property claims, with
or
without merit, could be time consuming and expensive to litigate or settle
and
could divert management attention from administering our business. A third
party
asserting infringement claims against us or our customers with respect to
our
current or future products may materially and
adversely affect us by, for example, causing us to enter into costly royalty
arrangements or forcing us to incur settlement or litigation costs.
Our
investments in marketable securities could have a negative impact on our
profitability.
As
part
of our acquisition strategy, we have, from time to time, acquired equity
positions in companies that could be attractive acquisition candidates or
could
otherwise be potential co-venturers in potential business transactions with
us.
As a result of market declines occurring subsequent to our investments, our
profitability could suffer as a result of losses that we may be required
to
recognize. We currently are monitoring our investments in Toko and in the
Columbia Strategic Cash Portfolio as a result of recent market declines.
See
Item 7A - “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market
Risk”.
Item
1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments
Not
applicable.
Item
2. Properties
The
Company is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey where it currently owns
53,000
square
feet of office and warehouse space. During
May 2007, the Company sold a parcel of land located in Jersey City, New Jersey
for $6.0 million. The Company had previously estimated that approximately
$0.8
million of the proceeds would be payable to the State of New Jersey as a
portion
of the property is subject to tideland claims. In December 2007, the Tidelands
Resource Council voted to approve the Bureau of Tideland’s Management’s
recommendation for a Statement of No Interest. As final approval of the
Statement of No Interest is still pending, the Company has continued to defer
the estimated gain on sale of the land, in the amount of $4.6 million. The
Company anticipates resolution of this sale, release of the escrow and
corresponding guarantees and recognition of the gain during fiscal 2008.
Of the
$6.0 million sales price, the Company received cash of $1.5 million before
closing costs, and $4.6 million (including interest) is being held in escrow
pending final resolution of the State of New Jersey tideland claim and certain
environmental costs the Company is liable for in the maximum amount of
approximately $0.4 million. As the timing of the release of the escrow of
$4.6
million
is not under the Company’s control, it has been classified in non-current assets
as restricted cash and the deferred gain of $4.6 million has been classified
in
deferred gain on the sale of property in the Consolidated Balance Sheet as
of
December 31, 2007. Additionally, the Company realized a $5.5 million pre-tax
gain from the sale of property, plant and equipment in Hong Kong and Macao
during the year ended December 31, 2007.
-14-
The
Company operated 12 manufacturing facilities in 6 countries as of December
31,
2007. An additional 117,000 square foot manufacturing facility has been
constructed in the PRC to meet customer demand. This manufacturing facility
was
completed during November 2006 and was operational by December 31, 2006.
The
following is a list of the locations of the Company's principal manufacturing
facilities at December 31, 2007.
Location
|
Approximate
Square
Feet
|
Owned/
Leased
|
Percentage
Used
for
Manufacturing
|
|||||||
Dongguan,
People's
|
||||||||||
Republic
of China
|
346,000
|
Leased
|
61
|
%
|
||||||
Zhongshan,
People's
|
||||||||||
Republic
of China
|
365,000
|
Leased
|
67
|
%
|
||||||
Zhongshan,
People's
|
||||||||||
Republic
of China
|
117,000
|
Owned
|
100
|
%
|
||||||
Zhongshan,
People's
|
||||||||||
Republic
of China
|
78,000
|
Owned
|
100
|
%
|
||||||
Hong
Kong
|
43,000
|
Owned
|
7
|
%
|
||||||
Praha,
Czech Republic
|
4,800
|
Leased
|
11
|
%
|
||||||
Louny,
Czech Republic
|
11,000
|
Owned
|
75
|
%
|
||||||
Dominican
Republic
|
41,000
|
Leased
|
85
|
%
|
||||||
Cananea,
Mexico
|
28,000
|
Leased
|
65
|
%
|
||||||
Inwood,
New York
|
39,000
|
Owned
|
40
|
%
|
||||||
Glen
Rock, Pennsylvania
|
74,000
|
Owned
|
60
|
%
|
||||||
Westboro,
MA
|
22,000
|
Leased
|
85
|
%
|
||||||
1,168,800
|
Of
the
space described above, 125,000 square feet is used for engineering, warehousing,
sales and administrative support functions at various locations and 250,000
square feet is used for dormitories, canteen and other employee related
facilities in the PRC.
-15-
The
Territory of Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region (“SAR”) of the PRC
during 1997. The territory of Macao became a SAR of the PRC at the end of
1999.
Management cannot presently predict what future impact, if any, this will
have
on the Company or how the political climate in the PRC and the Dominican
Republic will affect its contractual arrangements in the PRC or labor
relationships in the Dominican Republic. A significant portion of the Company's
manufacturing operations and approximately 42% of its identifiable assets
are
located in Asia. Accordingly, events resulting from any change in the "Most
Favored Nation" status granted to the PRC by the U.S. could have a
material
and
adverse
effect on the Company.
Approximately
32% of the 1.3 million square feet the Company occupies is owned while the
remainder is leased. See Note
15
of the
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information pertaining
to leases.
Item
3. Legal
Proceedings
The
Company is a defendant in a lawsuit captioned Synqor, Inc. v. Artesyn
Technologies, Inc., Astec America, Inc., Emerson Network Power, Inc., Emerson
Electric Co., Bel Fuse Inc., Cherokee International Corp., Delta Electronics,
Inc., Delta Products Corp., Murata Electronics North America, Inc., Murata
Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Power-One, Inc., Tyco Electronics Corp. and Tyco
Electronics Ltd. brought in the United States District Court, Eastern District
of Texas in November 2007. Plaintiff claims the Company infringed its patents
covering certain power products. Synqor is seeking unspecified damages. The
Company filed an Answer to Synqor’s complaint, denying the allegations of
infringement and asserting invalidity of the patents.
The
Company is a defendant in a lawsuit captioned Halo Electronics, Inc. (“Halo”) v.
Bel Fuse Inc., Pulse Engineering, Inc. and Technitrol, Inc. brought in Nevada
Federal District Court. Plaintiff claims that the Company has infringed its
patents covering certain surface mount discrete magnetic products made by
the
Company. Halo is seeking unspecified damages, which it claims should be trebled.
In December 2007, this case was dismissed by the Nevada Federal District
Court
for lack of personal jurisdiction. Halo then re-filed this suit in the Northern
California Federal District Court, captioned Halo Electronics, Inc. v. Bel
Fuse
Inc., Elec & Eltek (USA) Corporation, Wurth Electronics Midcom, Inc., and
Xfmrs, Inc.
The
Company is a plaintiff in a lawsuit captioned Bel Fuse Inc. v. Halo Electronics,
Inc. brought in the United States District Court of New Jersey during May
2007.
The Company claims that Halo has infringed a patent covering certain integrated
connector modules made by Halo. The Company is seeking unspecified damages
plus
interest, costs and attorney fees.
The
Company and two of its officers were defendants in a wrongful termination
lawsuit brought in the District Court of Frankfurt am Main, Germany by a
former
employee at a foreign subsidiary of the Company. During July 2007, this lawsuit
was settled for approximately $0.5 million. The Company had provided for
this
liability in its financial statements prior to the settlement.
-16-
The
Company is a plaintiff in a lawsuit captioned Bel Fuse Inc. and Bel Power,
Inc.
v. Andrew Ferencz, Gregory Zvonar, Bernhard Schroter, EE2GO, Inc., Howard
E.
Kaepplein and William Ng, brought in the Superior Court of the Commonwealth
of
Massachusetts. The Company was granted injunctive relief and is seeking damages
against the former stockholders of Galaxy Power, Inc., key employees of Galaxy
and a corporation formed by some or all of the individual defendants. The
Company has alleged that the defendants violated their written non-competition,
non-disclosure and non-solicitation agreements, diverted business and usurped
substantial business opportunities with key customers, misappropriated
confidential information and trade secrets, and harmed the Company’s business.
In
a
related matter, the Company is a defendant in a lawsuit captioned Robert
Chimielnski, P.C. on behalf of the stockholder representatives and the former
stockholders of Galaxy Power, Inc. v. Bel Fuse Inc. et al. brought in the
Superior Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This complaint for damages
and injunctive relief is based on an alleged breach of contract and other
allegedly illegal acts in a corporate context arising out of the Company’s
objection to the release of nearly $2.0 million held in escrow under the
terms
of the stock purchase agreement between Galaxy and the Company.
The
Company is a defendant in a lawsuit captioned Murata Manufacturing Company,
Ltd.
v. Bel Fuse Inc. et al, brought in Illinois Federal District Court. Plaintiff
claims that its patent covers all of the Company's modular jack products.
That
party had previously advised the Company that it was willing to grant a
non-exclusive license to the Company under the patent for a 3% royalty on
all
future gross sales of ICM products; payment of a lump sum of 3% of past sales
including sales of applicable Insilco products; an annual minimum royalty
of
$.05 million; payment of all attorney fees; and marking of all licensed ICM's
with the third party's patent number. The Company is also a defendant in
a
lawsuit, captioned Regal Electronics, Inc. v. Bel Fuse Inc., brought in
California Federal District Court. Plaintiff claims that its patent covers
certain of the Company's modular jack products. That party had previously
advised the Company that it was willing to grant a non-transferable license
to
the Company for an up front fee of $0.5 million plus a 6% royalty on future
sales. The District Court has granted summary judgment in the Company's favor
dismissing Regal Electronics' infringement claims, while at the
same
time dismissing the Company's invalidity counterclaim against Regal Electronics.
Regal has appealed the Court's rejection of its infringement claims to the
U.S.
Court of Appeals. The case was heard on February 6, 2007 and the U.S. Court
of
Appeals upheld the District Court’s ruling in favor of the Company.
The
Company cannot predict the outcome of the unresolved matters; however,
management believes that the ultimate resolution of these matters will not
have
a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial condition or results
of operations. As of December 31, 2007, no amounts have been accrued in
connection with these lawsuits, as the amounts are not determinable.
The
Company is not a party to any other legal proceeding, the adverse outcome
of
which is likely
to
have a
material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial condition
or
results of operations.
-17-
Item 4. |
Submission
of Matters to a Vote of Security
Holders
|
No
matters were submitted to a vote of the Company's shareholders during the
fourth
quarter of 2007.
-18-
PART
II
Item 5. |
Market
for Registrant's Common Equity and Related Stockholder
Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity
Securities
|
(a)
Market
Information
The
Company’s voting Class A Common Stock, par value $0.10 per share, and non-voting
Class B Common Stock, par value $0.10 per share ("Class A" and "Class B,"
respectively), are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. The following
table sets forth the high and low closing sales price range (as reported
by The
Nasdaq Stock Market Inc.) for the Common Stock on NASDAQ for each quarter
during
the past two years.
Class
A
|
Class
A
|
Class
B
|
Class
B
|
||||||||||
High
|
Low
|
High
|
Low
|
||||||||||
Year
Ended December 31, 2006
|
|
||||||||||||
First
Quarter
|
$
|
34.50
|
$
|
24.59
|
$
|
40.16
|
$
|
31.83
|
|||||
Second
Quarter
|
29.00
|
25.75
|
34.85
|
29.24
|
|||||||||
Third
Quarter
|
31.25
|
24.95
|
37.61
|
29.49
|
|||||||||
Fourth
Quarter
|
32.95
|
25.99
|
37.92
|
30.90
|
|||||||||
Year
Ended December 31, 2007
|
|||||||||||||
First
Quarter
|
38.11
|
27.36
|
38.71
|
31.22
|
|||||||||
Second
Quarter
|
39.47
|
34.10
|
39.88
|
33.42
|
|||||||||
Third
Quarter
|
38.17
|
32.60
|
36.59
|
29.55
|
|||||||||
Fourth
Quarter
|
38.08
|
31.81
|
36.19
|
27.19
|
The
Common Stock is reported under the symbols BELFA and BELFB in the NASDAQ
Global
Select Market. Effective April 7, 2008, the NASDAQ will be converting the
format
of all 5-character trading symbols. As such, the Company’s Common Stock will be
reported under the symbols BELF.A and BELF.B after such date.
-19-
(b) Holders
As
of
February 29, 2008 there were 81 registered shareholders of the Company's
Class A
Common Stock and 334 registered shareholders of the Company’s Class B Common
Stock. The Company estimates that there were 1,037 beneficial shareholders
of
the Company’s Class A Common Stock and 2,480 beneficial shareholders of the
Company’s Class B Common Stock as of February 29, 2008.
(c)
Dividends
There
are
no contractual restrictions on the Company's ability to pay dividends provided
the Company is not in default immediately before such payment and after giving
effect to such payment. On February 1, 2007, May 1, 2007 and August 1, 2007
the
Company paid a $0.05 per share dividend to all shareholders of record of
Class B
Common Stock in the total amount of $0.5 million, $0.5 million and $0.5 million,
respectively. On February 1, 2007, May 1, 2007 and August 1, 2007 the Company
paid a $0.04 per share dividend to all shareholders of record of Class A
Common
Stock in the total amount of $0.1 million, $0.1 million and $0.1 million,
respectively. During July 2007 the Board of Directors of the Company authorized
an increase in the dividends by $.02 per share per quarter for both Class
A and
B common shares effective with the November 2007 dividend payment. As a result,
on November 1, 2007, the Company paid a $0.06 and $0.07 per share dividend
to
all shareholders of record at October 15, 2007 of Class A and Class B Common
Stock, respectively,
in
the
total
amount
of $0.2 million and $0.6 million, respectively. On February 1, 2006, May
1,
2006, August 1, 2006 and November 1, 2006 the Company paid a $0.05 per share
dividend to all shareholders of record of Class B Common Stock in the total
amount of $0.4 million, $0.4 million, $0.4 million and $0.5
million, respectively. On February 1, 2006, May 1, 2006, August 1, 2006 and
November 1, 2006 the Company paid a $0.04 per share dividend to all shareholders
of record of Class A Common Stock in the total amount of $0.1 million, $0.1
million, $0.1 million and $0.1 million, respectively.
On
February 1, 2008 the Company paid a $0.06 and $0.07 per share dividend to
all
shareholders of record at January 15, 2008 of Class A and Class B Common
Stock, respectively,
in
the
total
amount
of $0.2 million and $0.6 million, respectively. The Company currently
anticipates paying these dividends in the future.
-20-
(d)
|
Securities
authorized for issuance under the Equity Compensation
Plans
|
Equity
Compensation Plan Information
Plan
Category
|
Number
of Securities to be
Issued
Upon Exercise of
Outstanding
Options,
Warrants
and Rights
|
Weighted
Average Exercise
Price
of Outstanding Options,
Warrants
and Rights
|
Number
of Securities Remaining
Available
for Future Issuance
Under
Equity Compensation
Plans
(Excluding Securities
Reflected
in Column (a))
|
|||||||
(a)
|
(b)
|
(c)
|
||||||||
Equity
compensation plans approved by
security holders
|
70,000
|
$
|
28.42
|
816,285
|
||||||
Equity
compensation plans not approved
by security holders
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||
Totals
|
70,000
|
$
|
28.42
|
816,285
|
(e)
|
Issuer
Purchases of Equity Securities
|
Issuer
purchases of shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock were as follows for
the three month period ended December 31, 2007:
Period
|
Total
Number of Shares Purchased
|
|
Average
Price Paid per Share
|
|
Total
Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans
or Programs
(a)
|
|
Maximum
Number of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or
Programs
|
||||||
October
1, 2007 - October 31, 2007
|
21,071
|
$
|
36.18
|
21,071
|
121,880
|
||||||||
November
1, 2007 - November 30, 2007
|
10,595
|
34.31
|
10,595
|
110,225
|
|||||||||
December
1, 2007 - December 31, 2007
|
14,267
|
33.81
|
14,267
|
94,531
|
|||||||||
Totals
|
45,933
|
$
|
35.01
|
45,933
|
94,531
|
(a) |
These
share repurchases were made as part of a plan authorized by the
Board of
Directors during 2000 whereby
the Company is authorized to purchase up to 10% of the Company's
outstanding common shares.
|
As
of
December 31, 2007, the Company had cumulatively purchased and retired 23,600
shares of the Company’s Class B Common Stock. No shares of Class B common stock
were repurchased during the year ended December 31, 2007. The maximum number
of
shares that may yet be purchased under the plan as of October 31, 2007, November
30, 2007 and December 31, 2007 were 905,198, 905,063 and 905,063,
respectively.
-21-
Item
6.
Selected Financial Data
Years
Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||||||||
2007
|
|
2006
|
|
2005
(a)
|
|
2004
|
|
2003
(a)
|
||||||||
(In
thousands of dollars, except per share data)
|
||||||||||||||||
Selected
Statements of Operations Data:
|
||||||||||||||||
Net
sales
|
$
|
259,137
|
$
|
254,933
|
$
|
215,916
|
$
|
190,022
|
$
|
158,498
|
||||||
Cost
of sales
|
203,007
|
192,985
|
156,147
|
132,776
|
113,813
|
|||||||||||
Selling,
general and
|
||||||||||||||||
administrative
expenses
|
36,117
|
37,800
|
33,152
|
31,302
|
26,757
|
|||||||||||
Gain
on sale of property, plant and equipment
|
(5,499
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||
Casualty
loss/fixed asset impairment (c) (d)
|
-
|
1,030
|
-
|
1,033
|
-
|
|||||||||||
Interest
income - net
|
4,046
|
2,780
|
1,098
|
525
|
249
|
|||||||||||
Gain
on sale of marketable securities, net of
|
||||||||||||||||
impairment
|
2,146
|
5,150
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||
Lawsuit
proceeds (b)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2,935
|
-
|
|||||||||||
Earnings
before provision
|
||||||||||||||||
for
income taxes
|
31,704
|
31,048
|
27,715
|
28,371
|
18,177
|
|||||||||||
Income
tax provision
|
5,368
|
5,845
|
7,482
|
3,649
|
4,413
|
|||||||||||
Net
earnings
|
26,336
|
25,203
|
20,233
|
24,722
|
13,764
|
|||||||||||
Earnings
per Class A common
|
||||||||||||||||
share
- basic
|
2.11
|
2.03
|
1.67
|
2.10
|
1.15
|
|||||||||||
Earnings
per Class A common
|
||||||||||||||||
share
- diluted
|
2.11
|
2.03
|
1.67
|
2.10
|
1.15
|
|||||||||||
Earnings
per Class B common
|
||||||||||||||||
share
- basic
|
2.25
|
2.16
|
1.79
|
2.22
|
1.28
|
|||||||||||
Earnings
per Class B common
|
||||||||||||||||
share
- diluted
|
2.24
|
2.15
|
1.77
|
2.16
|
1.27
|
|||||||||||
Cash
dividends declared per
|
||||||||||||||||
Class
A common share
|
0.20
|
0.16
|
0.16
|
0.16
|
0.08
|
|||||||||||
Cash
dividends declared per
|
||||||||||||||||
Class
B common share
|
0.24
|
0.20
|
0.20
|
0.20
|
0.20
|
As
of December 31,
|
||||||||||||||||
2007
|
|
2006
|
|
2005
|
|
2004
|
|
2003
|
||||||||
(In
thousands of dollars, except per share data and
percentages)
|
||||||||||||||||
Selected
Balance Sheet Data and Ratios:
|
||||||||||||||||
Working
capital
|
$
|
173,171
|
$
|
144,677
|
$
|
128,203
|
$
|
127,624
|
$
|
102,370
|
||||||
Total
assets
|
293,860
|
268,497
|
242,056
|
217,777
|
181,817
|
|||||||||||
Long
term debt
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
6,500
|
8,500
|
|||||||||||
Stockholders'
equity
|
244,527
|
222,150
|
201,577
|
178,461
|
146,855
|
|||||||||||
Return
on average
|
||||||||||||||||
total
assets (e)
|
9.34
|
%
|
9.65
|
%
|
8.83
|
%
|
12.37
|
%
|
7.95
|
%
|
||||||
Return
on average
|
||||||||||||||||
stockholders'
|
||||||||||||||||
equity
(e)
|
11.30
|
%
|
11.81
|
%
|
10.75
|
%
|
15.20
|
%
|
9.93
|
%
|
(a)
|
See
Item 1 for information regarding the acquisitions during 2005 of
Galaxy
and Netwatch.
Further, during
2003, the
Company acquired Advanced
Power Components plc (“APC”) and
the Passive Components Group of Insilco
Technologies, Inc.
These transactions were accounted for using the purchase method of
accounting and, accordingly, the results of operations of Galaxy,
Netwatch, the Passive Components Group of Insilco and APC have been
included in the Company's financial statements since their respective
dates of acquisition.
|
-22-
(b) |
The
Company was a party to an arbitration proceeding related to the
acquisition of its Telecom Components business in 1998. The Company
asserted that the seller breached the terms of a related Global
Procurement Agreement dated October 2, 1998 and sought damages related
thereto. During December 2004, the Company and the seller settled
this
matter. The settlement resulted in a payment to the Company and an
unconditional release by the seller of all counterclaims against
the
Company. The net gain of $2.9 million from the settlement is included
in
the Company’s consolidated statement of operations for the year ended
December 31, 2004.
|
(c)
|
During
2006, the Company
incurred a loss of $1.0 million as a result of a fire at its leased
manufacturing facility in the Dominican Republic.
The loss was
for raw materials and equipment in excess of estimated insurance
proceeds.
The production at this facility was substantially restored during
July
2006.
|
(d)
|
During
the year ended December 31, 2004 the Company wrote down fixed assets,
principally machinery and equipment, with a net book value of
$1.0
million,
at
its Asia manufacturing facilities. The Company considered these fixed
assets to be surplus equipment which was replaced by equipment with
more
advanced technology.
|
(e)
|
Returns
on average total assets and stockholders’ equity are computed for any year
by dividing net income for such year by the average balances of total
assets or stockholders’ equity on the last day of each quarter during such
year and on the last day of the immediately preceding
year.
|
-23-
Item
7.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
of Operations
The
following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the
Company’s consolidated financial statements and the notes related thereto. The
discussion of results, causes and trends should not be construed to imply
any
conclusion that such results, causes or trends will necessarily continue in
the
future.
Critical
Accounting Policies
The
Company’s discussion and analysis of its financial condition and results of
operations are based upon the Company’s consolidated financial statements, which
have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted
in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements
requires the Company to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported
amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure
of
contingent assets and liabilities. On an on-going basis, the Company evaluates
its estimates, including those related to product returns, bad debts,
inventories, intangible assets, investments, SERP expense, income taxes and
contingencies and litigation. The Company bases its estimates on historical
experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable
under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making
judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not
readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these
estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
The
Company believes the following critical accounting policies affect its more
significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of its consolidated
financial statements.
Allowance
for Doubtful Accounts
The
Company maintains allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses from
the
inability of its customers to make required payments. The Company determines
its
reserves by both specific identification of customer accounts where appropriate
and the application of historical loss experience to non-specific accounts.
If
the financial condition of the Company's customers were to deteriorate,
resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional
allowances may be required.
-24-
Inventory
The
Company makes purchasing and manufacturing decisions principally based upon
firm
sales orders from customers, projected customer requirements and the
availability and pricing of raw materials. Future events that could adversely
affect these decisions and result in significant charges to the Company’s
operations include miscalculating customer requirements, technology changes
which render certain raw materials and finished goods obsolete, loss of
customers and/or cancellation of sales orders, stock rotation with distributors
and termination of distribution agreements. The Company writes down its
inventory for estimated obsolescence or unmarketable inventory equal to the
difference between the cost of inventory and the estimated market value based
upon the aforementioned assumptions. If actual market conditions are less
favorable than those projected by management, additional inventory write-downs
may be required.
When
inventory is written-off, it is never written back up; the cost remains at
zero
or the level to which it has been written-down. When inventory that has been
written-off is subsequently used in the manufacturing process, the lower
adjusted cost of the material is charged to cost of sales. Should any of this
inventory be used in the manufacturing process for customer orders, the improved
gross profit will be recognized at the time the completed product is shipped
and
the sale is recorded.
Goodwill
and Intangible Assets
The
assets and liabilities of acquired businesses are recorded under the purchase
method of accounting at their estimated fair values at the dates of acquisition.
Goodwill represents costs in excess of fair values assigned to the underlying
net assets of acquired businesses.
Goodwill
and intangible assets deemed to have indefinite lives are not amortized, but
are
subject to annual impairment testing. The identification and measurement of
goodwill impairment involves the estimation of the fair value of geographic
reporting units. The estimates of fair value of geographic reporting units
are
based on the best information available as of the date of the assessment, which
primarily incorporate management assumptions about expected future cash flows
and contemplate other valuation techniques. Future cash flows can be affected
by
changes in industry or market conditions or the rate and extent to which
anticipated synergies or cost savings are realized with newly acquired entities.
There can be no assurances that goodwill impairments will not occur in the
future. See Note
3
to the
Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.
Income
Taxes
Income
taxes are accounted for under Statement of Financial Accounting Standards
(“SFAS”) No. 109, “Accounting for Income Taxes.” In accordance with SFAS No.
109, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax
consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement
carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax
bases, as measured by enacted tax rates that are expected to
be in
effect in the periods when the deferred tax assets and liabilities are expected
to be settled or realized. Significant judgment is required in determining
the
worldwide provisions for income taxes. Valuation allowances are provided for
deferred tax assets where it is considered more likely than not that the Company
will not realize the benefit of such asset. In the ordinary course of a global
business, the ultimate tax outcome is uncertain for many transactions. Effective
January 1, 2007, uncertain tax positions are accounted for in accordance with
FASB Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes” (“FIN
48”). It is the Company’s policy to establish provisions for taxes that may
become payable in future years as a result of an examination by tax authorities.
The Company establishes the provisions based upon management’s assessment of
exposure associated with permanent tax differences and tax credits applied
to
temporary difference adjustments. The tax provisions are analyzed periodically
(at least quarterly) and adjustments are made as events occur that warrant
adjustments to those provisions.
FIN 48
requires significant judgment in determining what constitutes an individual
tax
position as well as assessing the outcome of each tax position. Changes in
judgment as to recognition or measurement of tax positions can materially affect
the estimate of the effective tax rate and, consequently, affect our operating
results.
-25-
Revenue
Recognition
The
Company recognizes revenue in accordance with the guidance contained in SEC
Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 104, “Revenue Recognition in Financial Statements”
and other relevant accounting literature. Revenue is recognized when the product
has been delivered and title and risk of loss have passed to the customer,
collection of the resulting receivable is deemed reasonably assured by
management, persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists and the sale price
is
fixed and determinable.
Historically
the Company has been successful in mitigating the risks associated with its
revenue. Some issues relate to product warranty, credit worthiness of its
customers and concentration of sales among a few major customers.
The
Company is not contractually obligated to accept returns from non-distributor
customers except for defective product or in instances where the product does
not meet the Company’s quality specifications. If these conditions existed, the
Company would be obligated to repair or replace the defective product or make
a
cash settlement with the customer. Distributors generally have the right to
return up to 5% of their purchases over the previous three to six months and
are
obligated to purchase an amount at least equal to the return. If the Company
terminates a distributor, the Company is obligated to accept as a return all
of
the distributor’s inventory from the Company. The Company accrues an estimate
for anticipated returns based on historical experience at the time revenue
is
recognized and adjusts such estimate as specific anticipated returns are
identified. If a distributor terminates its relationship with the Company,
the
Company is not obligated to accept any inventory returns.
The
Company has a significant amount of sales with several customers, including
one
major customer with sales of $40.3 million (15.6%) in 2007. The loss of any
one
of these customers could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s
consolidated results of operations and financial position.
-26-
Overview
Bel
is a
leading producer of electronic products that help make global connectivity
a
reality. The Company designs, manufactures and markets a broad array of
magnetics, modules, circuit protection devices and interconnect products. While
these products are deployed primarily in the computer, networking and
telecommunication industries, Bel’s expanding portfolio of products also finds
application in the automotive, medical and consumer electronics markets. Bel's
products are designed to protect, regulate, connect, isolate or manage a variety
of electronic circuits.
Our
revenues are primarily driven by the designs of our products for customer
applications and by working closely with our customer’s engineering staffs and
aligning them with the industry standards committees and various integrated
circuit (IC) manufacturers.
Our
expenses are driven principally by the cost of the materials that we use and
the
cost of labor where our factories are located. In recent years, the increasing
cost of copper, steel and petroleum-based products and an
increased wage structure in Asia have contributed to increases in manufacturing
costs.
Effective September 1, 2006, local PRC authorities implemented a new revised
standard work week, and new minimum wages and overtime rates, for areas where
our factories are located.
The
Company’s sales increased by $4.2 million or 1.6% from 2006 to 2007. The
increase in sales is primarily due to an increase in the Company’s power
products revenue by $16.3 million from 2006 to 2007. The Company’s power
products used mainly in data storage and super computer applications that had
been in the design phase for the past two years went into production at large
OEM customers in 2007, driving this increase in sales from 2006. This was offset
by a decrease in ICM sales of $12.3 million from 2006 to 2007 as a result of
the
Company’s de-emphasizing certain lower margin business.
Gross
profit margins were lower during 2007 compared to 2006, principally due to
a
change in the mix of product sales. Sales of the Company’s module products have
increased by $20.7 million in 2007 as compared to 2006. While
these products are strategic to Bel’s growth and important to total earnings,
they return lower gross profit percentage margins as a larger percentage of
their bills of material are purchased components. As these sales continue to
increase, the Company’s average gross profit percentage will likely decrease
unless offset by increased sales of higher margin products.
On
January 1, 2007, the Company implemented FASB Interpretation No. 48 “Accounting
for Uncertainty in Income Taxes”, (“FIN 48”) which resulted in no adjustment in
the liability for uncertain tax positions. During the year ended December 31,
2007, the expense for uncertain tax positions, including penalties and interest,
was $0.6 million.
-27-
During
2007, the Company incurred severance and related expenses of approximately
$0.8
million; wrote off approximately $0.1 million in deferred financing fees related
to a credit facility no longer available because of a change in the Company’s
banking relationship; incurred stock based compensation expense of $1.5 million;
accrued $0.5 million of interest and penalties in connection with uncertain
tax
positions; and experienced a $1.0 million reduction in amortization of
intangibles compared to 2006 due to certain intangibles becoming fully
amortized. Additionally, the Company realized a pretax gain from the sale of
real estate in the amount of $5.5 million and a pretax gain from the sale of
Toko common shares in the amount of $2.5 million.
Results
of Operations
The
following table sets forth, for the past three years, the percentage
relationship to net sales of certain items included in the Company’s
consolidated statements of operations.
Percentage
of Net Sales
|
||||||||||
Years
Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||
Net
sales
|
100.0
|
%
|
100.0
|
%
|
100.0
|
%
|
||||
Cost
of sales
|
78.3
|
75.7
|
72.3
|
|||||||
Selling,
general and
|
||||||||||
administrative
expenses
|
13.9
|
14.8
|
15.4
|
|||||||
Gain
on sale of property, plant
|
||||||||||
and
equipment
|
(2.1
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
||||||
Casualty
loss
|
-
|
0.4
|
-
|
|||||||
Interest
expense and other costs
|
||||||||||
(interest
income)
|
(1.6
|
)
|
(1.1
|
)
|
(0.5
|
)
|
||||
Gain
on sale of marketable
|
||||||||||
securities,
net of impairment charge
|
(0.8
|
)
|
(2.0
|
)
|
-
|
|||||
Earnings
before provision for
|
||||||||||
income
taxes
|
12.2
|
12.2
|
12.8
|
|||||||
Income
tax provision
|
2.1
|
2.3
|
3.5
|
|||||||
Net
earnings
|
10.2
|
9.9
|
9.4
|
-28-
The
following table sets forth the year over year percentage increases or decreases
of certain items included in the Company's consolidated statements of
operations.
Increase
(Decrease) from
Prior
Period
|
|||||||
2007
compared
with
2006
|
|
2006
compared
with
2005
|
|||||
Net
sales
|
1.6
|
%
|
18.1
|
%
|
|||
Cost
of sales
|
5.2
|
23.6
|
|||||
Selling,
general and administrative expenses
|
(4.5
|
)
|
14.0
|
||||
Net
earnings
|
4.5
|
24.6
|
Sales
Net
sales
increased by $4.2 million or 1.6% from $254.9 million during 2006 to $259.1
million during 2007. The
increase in sales is primarily due to an increase in the Company’s power
products revenue by $16.3 million from 2006 to 2007. The Company’s power
products used mainly in data storage and super computer applications that had
been in the design phase for the past two years went into production at large
OEM customers in 2007, driving this increase in sales from 2006. This was offset
by a decrease in ICM sales of $12.3 million from 2006 to 2007 as a result of
the
Company’s de-emphasizing certain lower margin business.
The
significant components of the Company's revenues for 2007 were magnetic products
of $125.5 million (as compared with $141.5 million during 2006), interconnect
products of $44.3 million (as compared with $44.5 million during 2006), module
products of $70.2 million (as compared with $49.5 million during 2006), and
circuit protection products of $19.1 million (as compared with $19.4 million
during 2006.)
Based
in
part on conflicting opinions the Company received from customers and competitors
in the electronics industry pertaining to revenue growth during 2007, the
Company cannot predict with any degree of certainty sales revenue for 2008.
Although the Company's backlog has been stable, the Company feels that such
backlog is not a good indicator of revenues. The Company continues to have
limited visibility as to future customer requirements. The
Company had one customer with sales in excess of 10% (15.6%) of total sales
during the year ended December 31, 2007. The loss of this customer could have
a
material adverse effect on the Company's results of operations, financial
position and cash flows.
-29-
The
Company cannot quantify the extent of sales growth arising from unit sales
mix
and/or price changes. Given the change in the nature of the products purchased
by customers from period to period, the Company believes that neither unit
changes nor price changes are meaningful. Over the past year, newer and more
sophisticated products with higher unit selling prices have been introduced.
Through the Company's engineering and research effort, the Company has been
successful in adding additional value to existing product lines, which tends
to
increase sales prices initially until that generation of products becomes mature
and sales prices experience price degradation. In general, as products become
mature, average selling prices decrease.
Net
sales
increased by 18.1% from $215.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2005
to $254.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2006. The Company
attributes the increase to increased module sales of $21.3 million of which
$3.4
million is attributable to the acquisition of Galaxy, which was included in
our
sales for a full year in 2006 as compared with nine months in 2005, strong
demand for interconnect products resulting in an increase of $3.8 million in
such sales, of which $1.2 million is attributable to the acquisition of
Netwatch,
and
strong demand for magnetic sales resulting in an increase of $14.3 million
in
such sales, while circuit protection sales decreased by $0.4 million. Bel had
an
organic sales increase of 16.0% for the year.
The
significant components of the Company's revenues for the year ended December
31,
2006 were magnetic products of $141.5 million (as compared with $127.2 million
during the year ended December 31, 2005), interconnect products of $44.5 million
(as compared with $40.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2005), module
products of $49.5 million (as compared with $28.2 million during the year ended
December 31, 2005) and circuit protection products of $19.4 million (as compared
with $19.8 million during the year ended December 31, 2005).
During
the fourth quarter of 2006, the Company experienced a decrease in sales compared
to the third quarter of 2006 of approximately $12.7 million across almost all
product lines. The Company attributes the decrease in sales to increased
customer inventories and uncertainty by customers relating to inventory
management practices related to the annual first quarter of 2007 Lunar New
Year
factory closedowns.
Cost
of Sales
Bel
generally enters into processing arrangements with five independent third party
contractors in Asia. Costs are recorded as incurred for all products
manufactured either at third party facilities or at the Company's own
manufacturing facilities. Such amounts are determined based upon the estimated
stage of production and include labor cost and fringes and related allocations
of factory overhead. The Company manufactures finished goods at its own
manufacturing facilities in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania, Inwood, New York, the
Dominican Republic, Mexico and the Czech Republic.
-30-
Cost
of
sales as a percentage of net sales increased from 75.7% during the year ended
December 31, 2006 to 78.3% during the year ended December 31, 2007. The increase
in the cost of sales percentage is primarily attributable to the
following:
·
|
The
Company established a $1.2 million warranty accrual for a defective
part,
including a $0.4 million inventory write-off of materials on hand
related
to this matter which are deemed to be
unusable.
|
·
|
The
Company incurred a 4.5% increase in material costs as a percentage
of net
sales. The increase in raw material costs is principally related
to
increased manufacturing of value-added products, which have a higher
raw
material content than the Company’s other products, increased costs for
raw materials such as copper, gold and plastic resin and increased
transportation costs. Since the majority of the manufacturing is
conducted
in Asia, the increased material costs negatively impact the Company’s
operating profits in Asia.
|
·
|
The
Company is currently paying higher wage rates and benefits to its
production workers in the PRC than it paid in prior periods. These
higher
rates and benefits are reflected in the Company’s cost of sales and result
from new labor regulations and a continuing tightening of the labor
market.
|
·
|
Sales
of the Company’s DC-DC power products have increased by $16.3 million in
2007 compared to 2006. While these products are strategic to Bel’s growth
and important to total earnings, they return lower gross profit percentage
margins as a larger percentage of their bills of materials are purchased
components. As these sales continue to increase, the Company’s average
gross profit percentage will likely decrease.
|
Included
in cost of sales are research and development expenses of $7.2 million and
$6.6
million for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively. The
increase in 2007 compared to 2006 was attributable to various factors including
an increase in headcount at the Hangzhou research and development facility
related to the DC-DC power products, an unfavorable change in associated
exchange rates for research and development expenses in the PRC and United
Kingdom, and general wage increases at the various research and development
facilities.
Cost
of
sales as a percentage of net sales increased from 72.3% during the year ended
December 31, 2005 to 75.7% during the year ended December 31, 2006. The increase
in the cost of sales percentage is primarily attributable to the same factors
that led to the increase in the cost of sales as a percentage of net sales
from
2006 to 2007, with the exception of the 2007 warranty accrual.
Included
in cost of sales are research and development expenses of $6.6 million and
$7.3
million for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005, respectively.
The
principal reason for the decrease is less research and development in the United
States due to the consolidation of the Bel Power and the Galaxy facilities
in
Massachusetts. This
was
offset in part by increased expenses at the Company’s PRC research and
development facility which has a lower cost structure.
-31-
Selling,
General and Administrative Expenses
The
percentage relationship of selling, general and administrative expenses to
net
sales decreased from 14.8% during the year ended December 31, 2006 to 13.9%
during the year ended December 31, 2007. The decrease in selling, general and
administrative expense for the year ended December 31, 2007 compared to the
year
ended December 31, 2006 was approximately $1.7 million. The decrease is
principally attributed to the following:
·
|
Legal
and professional fees decreased by $1.0 million from 2006 principally
due
to the implementation of an internal audit and SOX function which
reduced
audit and external consultant fees
significantly.
|
·
|
A
reduction in depreciation and amortization expense of $0.7 million
was
primarily due to lower amortization of intangibles due to certain
intangibles becoming fully
amortized.
|
·
|
Sales
commissions decreased by $0.3 million during 2007, due to higher
sales
volume in house accounts during 2007 as compared to 2006. In addition,
there was a $0.2 million reduction in travel and tradeshow expenses
in
2007.
|
·
|
Offsetting
these factors in part, administrative salaries and related benefits
increased by $0.5 million as a result of increased bonus expense
in 2007.
During the fourth quarter of 2007, the Company modified its bonus
structure for 2008 such that bonuses are now earned based on performance
and service during the fourth quarter of the previous calendar year
and
the first three quarters of the current calendar year, as opposed
to the
prior structure whereby it was based on performance and service of
the
four calendar quarters of the current year. This resulted in the
Company
recording bonus expense in 2007 for the 2007 calendar year, plus
an
additional accrual for the first quarter of the 2008 bonus period.
Such
additional accrual amounted to approximately $0.5 million in the
fourth
quarter of 2007.
|
The
percentage relationship of selling, general and administrative expenses to
net
sales decreased from 15.4% during the year ended December 31, 2005 to 14.8%
during the year ended December 31, 2006, in part as a result of the Company's
ability to leverage general and administrative expenses over a larger revenue
base. The $4.6
million increase in the dollar amount of such expenses included
increased selling expenses of approximately $1.4 million, including $.2 million
in Bel Power related expenses. The
$3.2
million increase in general and administrative expenses
included $1.0
million related to Bel Power, additional salaries, wages and bonuses of $2.3
million,
principally attributable to the $1.0 million bonus approved by the Board of
Directors in connection with the gain from the sale of Artesyn stock, additional
stock compensation expense of $.8 million, partially arising from the Company’s
implementation of SFAS No. 123 (R)
during
2006 (See below and Notes 1 and 10 of the Notes to the Company’s Consolidated
Financial Statements), and additional professional fees of $1.0 million
principally related to Sarbanes-Oxley
compliance and legal expenses in connection with various lawsuits in
which
the
Company is involved.
These
increases were offset in part by other net decreases in several expense accounts
totaling $1.9 million.
-32-
Interest
Income
Interest
income earned on cash and cash equivalents increased by approximately $1.3
million during the year ended December 31, 2007, as compared to the year ended
December 31, 2006. Interest
income earned on cash and cash equivalents increased by approximately $1.4
million during the year ended December 31, 2006 as compared to the year ended
December 31, 2005. The
increases in both 2007 and 2006 were due primarily to increased balances of
cash
and cash equivalent balances and marketable securities and increased yields
on
such balances.
Interest
Expense and Other Costs
Interest
expense and other costs amounted to $0.1 million during the year ended December
31, 2007 related primarily to the write off of financing expenses incurred
in
connection with the Company’s credit facility. During
the year ended December 31, 2006, interest expense amounted to $0.1 million,
representing financing expenses related to the Company's credit facility in
the
United States.
During
the year ended December 31, 2005, the interest expense of $0.3 million related
to a $10 million term loan for the acquisition of Insilco's Passive Components
Group. The loan bore interest at LIBOR plus 1.50%,
payable
quarterly,
and was
completely paid off by June 30, 2005.
Gain
on Sale of Property, Plant and Equipment
During
the year ended December 31, 2007, the Company realized gains from the sale
of
property, plant and equipment in Hong Kong and Macao in the amount of $5.5
million. The sale of the Company's real estate in Macao reflects the Company's
decision to cease manufacturing in Macao and to consolidate manufacturing in
larger more efficient facilities. During the fourth quarter of 2007 the Company
ceased manufacturing in a small plant in the PRC.
Gain
on Sale of Marketable Securities, net of Impairment Charge
During
the year ended December 31, 2007, the Company realized gains from the sale
of
Toko common stock in the amount of $2.5 million, offset by an
other-than-temporary impairment charge of $0.3 million related to its investment
in the Columbia Strategic Cash Portfolio. See the Liquidity and Capital
Resources section of Item 7. During the year ended December 31, 2006, the
Company realized a gain principally from the sale of Artesyn common stock in
the
amount of $5.2 million.
-33-
Casualty
Loss
During
2006, the
Company
incurred a $1.0 million pre-tax casualty loss as a result of a fire at its
leased manufacturing facility in the Dominican Republic.
The
loss was
for raw
materials and equipment in excess of estimated insurance proceeds. The
production at this facility was substantially restored during July 2006.
Provision
for Income
Taxes
The
provision for income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2007 was $5.4 million
compared to a $5.8 million provision for the year ended December 31, 2006.
The
Company's earnings before income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2007
are
approximately $0.7 million higher than in 2006. The Company’s effective tax
rate, the income tax provision as a percentage of earnings before provision
for
income taxes, was 16.9% and 18.8% for the years ended December 31, 2007 and
December 31, 2006, respectively. During 2007 certain statutes of limitations
expired, which resulted in a reversal of certain liabilities for uncertain
tax
positions in the amount of $1.4 million. During 2007 a tax assessment was paid
to the Inland Revenue Department (“IRD”) in Hong Kong in the amount of $3.8
million, which resulted in a reduction in the Company’s liability for uncertain
tax positions in the amount of $3.8 million. The payment of this Hong Kong
IRD
assessment resulted in higher foreign tax credits being available for U.S.
tax
purposes. This resulted in a $0.7 million reduction in the Company’s liability
for uncertain tax positions during the year ended December 31, 2007.
Additionally, there were certain changes in estimates for prior year taxes,
upon
finalization of 2006 tax returns.
The
provision for income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2006 was $5.8 million
compared to $7.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2005. The Company's
earnings before income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2006 were
approximately $3.3 million higher than in 2005. During the year ended December
31, 2006, the Company incurred lower taxes of approximately $1.7 million
principally as a result of lower foreign taxes in Asia due to the implementation
by the Company of its Macao Commercial Offshore Company (“MCO”), which is not
subject to Macao corporate income taxes. This was offset in part by higher
United States taxes resulting principally from the gain from the sale of
marketable securities (Artesyn). This had an impact of reducing the effective
tax rate from 27.0% for the year ended December 31, 2005 to 18.8% for the year
ended December 31, 2006 (measured by reflecting the tax provision as a
percentage of earnings before provision for income taxes). Additionally, during
the year ended December 31, 2005, the Company repatriated $70.6 million of
foreign earnings which resulted in higher taxes of $3.1 million during the
year
ended December 31, 2005.
The
Company has the majority of its products manufactured on the mainland of the
People’s Republic of China (“PRC”), and has not been subject to corporate income
tax on manufacturing services provided by third parties in the PRC. The Company
no longer conducts manufacturing activities in Hong Kong or Macau. Hong Kong
imposes corporate income tax at a rate of 17.5 percent solely on income sourced
to Hong Kong. That is, its tax system is a territorial one which only seeks
to
tax activities conducted in Hong Kong.
-34-
Macao
currently has a statutory maximum corporate income tax rate of 12 percent.
Since
most of the Company's operations are conducted in Asia, the majority of its
profits are sourced in these three jurisdictions in Asia. Accordingly, the
profits earned in the U.S. are comparatively small in relation to its profits
earned in Asia. Therefore, there is generally a significant difference between
the statutory U.S. tax rate and the Company's effective tax rate.
During
2005, the Company was granted an offshore operating license from the government
of Macao to set up an MCO named Bel Fuse (Macao Commercial Offshore) Limited
with the intent to handle all of the Company’s sales to third party customers in
Asia. Sales to third party customers commenced during the first quarter of
2006.
Sales consist of products manufactured in the PRC. The MCO is not subject to
Macao corporate income taxes.
The
Company has historically followed a practice of reinvesting a portion of the
earnings of foreign subsidiaries in the expansion of its foreign operations.
If
the unrepatriated earnings were distributed to the parent corporation rather
than reinvested in Asia, such funds would be subject to United States Federal
income taxes. During the year ended December 31, 2005, management repatriated
foreign earnings of approximately $70.6 million which were
eligible
for the reduced tax rate of 5.25% under the American Jobs Creations Act of
2004.
See
Note
8 of
Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements.
The
Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to uncertain tax
positions as a component of the current provision for income taxes. During
the
year ended December 31, 2007, the Company recognized approximately $0.5 million
in interest and penalties in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. The
Company has approximately $1.8 million accrued for the payment of interest
and
penalties at December 31, 2007, which is included in both income taxes payable
and liability for uncertain tax positions in the consolidated balance
sheet.
The
Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) commenced an examination of the Company’s U.S.
income tax returns for 2004 and reviewed 2003 and 2005 during the fourth quarter
of 2006. During April 2007, the IRS wrote a preliminary letter to the Company
accepting the tax return as originally filed for 2004.
The
Company is currently being audited by the State of New Jersey, Department of
the
Treasury, Division of Taxation (“New Jersey”) for the years ended December 31,
2003 through 2006. This examination is in its early stages and to date no
adjustments have been proposed by New Jersey.
During
February 2008, the Company received correspondence from the State of California
Franchise Tax Board. They are requesting copies of U.S. federal income tax
returns for the years 2005 and 2006 for further analysis to determine if the
tax
returns will be selected for audit.
-35-
Inflation
and Foreign Currency Exchange
During
the past two years, the effect of inflation on the Company's profitability
was
not material. Historically, fluctuations of the U.S. Dollar against other major
currencies have not significantly affected the Company's foreign operations
as
most sales have been denominated in U.S. Dollars or currencies directly or
indirectly linked to the U.S. Dollar. Most significant expenses, including
raw
materials, labor and manufacturing expenses, are either incurred in U.S. Dollars
or the currencies of the Hong Kong Dollar, the Macao Pataca or the Chinese
Renminbi. However, the Chinese Renminbi has appreciated in value significantly
during 2007 and 2006. Further appreciation of the Renminbi would result in
the
Company’s incurring higher costs for all expenses incurred in the PRC.
Commencing with the Company’s acquisition of its Passive Components Group in
2005, the Company's European entity has sales transactions which are denominated
principally in Euros and British Pounds.
Conversion of these transactions into U.S. dollars has resulted in a currency
exchange loss of ($0.2) million for the year ended December 31, 2006,
which
was
charged to expense, and approximately $1.0 million, $0.4 million and ($0.7)
million for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively,
in
unrealized exchange gains (losses) relating to the translation of foreign
subsidiary financial statements which are included in accumulated other
comprehensive income. Realized currency gains (losses) during the years ended
December 31, 2007 or 2005 were not material. Any change in the linkage of the
U.S. Dollar and the Hong Kong Dollar or the Macao Pataca could have a material
effect on the Company's consolidated financial position or results of
operations.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
Historically,
the Company has financed its capital expenditures primarily through cash flows
from operating activities
and has
financed acquisitions both through cash flows from operating activities and
borrowings.
Management believes that the cash flow from operations after payments of
dividends combined with its existing capital base and the Company's available
lines of credit, will be sufficient to fund its operations for at least the
next
twelve months. Such statement constitutes a Forward Looking Statement. Factors
which could cause the Company to require additional capital include, among
other
things, a softening in the demand for the Company’s existing products, an
inability to respond to customer demand for new products, potential acquisitions
requiring substantial capital, future expansion of the Company's operations
and
net losses that would result in net cash being used in operating, investing
and/or financing activities which result in net decreases in cash and cash
equivalents. Net losses may result in the loss of domestic and foreign credit
facilities and preclude the Company from raising debt or equity financing in
the
capital markets
on
affordable terms or otherwise.
-36-
As
of
December 31, 2006, a $20 million line of credit was available to the Company
to
borrow. The loan was
collateralized
with a first
priority security interest in 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of
the
capital stock of the Company's material domestic subsidiaries and 65% of all
the
issued and outstanding shares of the capital stock of certain of the foreign
subsidiaries of the Company. During February 2007, the Company entered into
a
new unsecured credit agreement in the amount of $20 million, which expires
on
July 21, 2008. There was no balance outstanding as of December 31, 2007. At
that
date, the entire $20 million line of credit was available to the Company to
borrow. The loan bears interest at LIBOR plus 0.75% to 1.25% based on certain
financial statement ratios maintained by the Company.
The
Company's Hong Kong subsidiary had an unsecured line of credit of approximately
$2 million,
which
was unused at December 31, 2007. The
line
of credit expires during July 2008. Borrowing on the line of credit was
guaranteed by the U.S. parent. The line of credit bears interest at a rate
determined by the bank as the financing is extended.
For
the
years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, the
Company recorded interest expense of approximately $0.1 million, $0.1 million
and $0.3 million, respectively.
For
information regarding further commitments under the Company’s operating leases,
see Note 15 of the Notes
to the
Company’s consolidated financial statements.
The
Company completed construction of a 117,000 square foot manufacturing facility,
during November 2006, in Zhongshan City, PRC for approximately $1.3 million.
During
May 2007, the Company sold a parcel of land located in Jersey City, New Jersey
for $6.0 million. The Company had previously estimated that approximately $0.8
million of the proceeds would be payable to the State of New Jersey as a portion
of the property is subject to tideland claims. In December 2007, the Tidelands
Resource Council voted to approve the Bureau of Tideland’s Management’s
recommendation for a Statement of No Interest. As final approval of the
Statement of No Interest is still pending, the Company has continued to defer
the estimated gain on sale of the land, in the amount of $4.6 million. Of the
$6.0 million sales price, the Company received cash of $1.5 million before
closing costs, and $4.6 million (including interest) is being held in escrow
pending final resolution of the State of New Jersey tideland claim and certain
environmental costs the Company is liable for in the maximum amount of $0.4
million. The Company anticipates resolution of this sale, release of the escrow
and corresponding guarantees and recognition of the gain during fiscal 2008.
As
the timing of the release of the escrow of $4.6 million is not under the
Company’s control, it has been classified in non-current assets as restricted
cash and the deferred gain of $4.6 million has been classified in deferred
gain
on the sale of property in the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31,
2007. Additionally, the Company realized a $5.5 million pre-tax gain from the
sale of property, plant and equipment in Hong Kong and Macao during the year
ended December 31, 2007.
-37-
At
December 31, 2007, the Company has an investment consisting of a private
placement of units of beneficial interest in the Columbia Strategic Cash
Portfolio (the “Columbia Portfolio”), which is an enhanced cash fund sold as an
alternative to money-market funds. Since June 2007, the Company has invested
a
portion of its cash balances on hand in this fund; during the second and third
quarters of 2007, the amounts were appropriately classified as cash equivalents
in the consolidated balance sheet as the fund was considered both short-term
and
highly liquid in nature. These investments are subject to credit, liquidity,
market and interest rate risk. For example, the Columbia Portfolio includes
investments in certain asset backed securities and structured investment
vehicles that are collateralized by sub-prime mortgage securities or related
to
mortgage securities, among other assets. As a result of adverse market
conditions that have unfavorably affected the fair value and liquidity
availability of collateral underlying the Columbia Portfolio, the Columbia
Portfolio was overwhelmed with withdrawal requests from investors and it was
closed with a restriction placed upon the cash redemption ability of its holders
in the fourth quarter of 2007. At
that
time, the Company had $25.7 million invested in this fund, including $0.7
million of reinvested interest. As
such,
the Company redesignated the Columbia Portfolio units from cash equivalents
to
short-term investments or long-term investments based upon the liquidation
schedule provided by the fund in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet
as
of December 31, 2007.
On
December 21, 2007, the Company received a cash payment of $2.3 million as
redemption for 2,311,635 shares (9%). A realized loss of less than $0.1 million
was recorded and is included in Gain on Sale of Marketable Securities, net
in
the accompanying Statement of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2007.
At December 31, 2007, the closing net asset value (“NAV”) of the Columbia
Portfolio was $0.9874. Subsequent to the Company’s December 31, 2007 year end
and through February 29, 2008, the Company has received additional cash
redemptions of $7.8 million at approximately $.9857 per unit.
As
a
result of these circumstances, the Company deemed a portion of its carrying
value in the Columbia Portfolio to be other-than-temporarily impaired at
December 31, 2007. Accordingly, the Company wrote down the carrying value of
the
investments to their then current market value at December 31, 2007 and the
reduction in value of $0.3 million was recorded as an impairment charge during
the fourth quarter of 2007. This is included in the accompanying Consolidated
Statement of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2007. Information and
the markets relating to these investment remain dynamic, and there may be
further declines in the value of these investments, the value of the collateral
held by these entities, and the liquidity of the Company’s investments. To the
extent the Company determines there is a further decline in fair value, the
Company may recognize additional impairment charges in future periods up to
the
aggregate amount of these investments.
-38-
As
of
December 31, 2007, the Company owned a total of 1,840,919 shares, or
approximately 1.9%
of the
outstanding shares,
of the
common stock of Toko, Inc. (“Toko”) at a total cost of $5.6 million. Toko had a
market capitalization of approximately $172.9 million as of December 31, 2007.
These shares are reflected on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as
marketable securities. These marketable securities are considered to be
available for sale under SFAS No. 115, “Accounting for Certain Investments in
Debt and Equity Securities”. Thus, as of December 31, 2007, the Company has
recorded an unrealized loss, net of income tax benefit, of approximately $1.5
million which is included in accumulated other comprehensive loss in
stockholders’ equity. The Company’s investment in Toko has been in an unrealized
loss position for less than twelve months. In accordance with FASB Staff
Position Nos. FAS 115-1 and FAS 124-1 “The Meaning of Other-Than-Temporary
Impairment and Its Application to Certain Investments”, the Company periodically
reviews its marketable securities and determines whether the investments are
other-than-temporarily impaired. The Company reviewed various factors in making
its determination, including volatility of the Toko share price over the last
year, Toko’s recent financial results and the Company’s intention and ability to
hold the investment. The Toko share price has been extremely volatile over
the
last year, ranging from $1.22 - $4.20 (the Company’s cost basis in its remaining
shares of Toko stock is $3.07 per share). As discussed below, in the second
quarter of 2007, a gain was recognized on the disposition of the majority of
the
Company’s holdings of Toko stock. Toko recently issued its financial results for
the quarter ended December 31, 2007 and it showed a quarter over quarter
increase in sales of 5.6% as compared to the fourth quarter of 2006 and
increased profitability. The Company has the intention and the ability to hold
the investment until it is in a gain position. As a result of these factors,
management believes that the investment in Toko is not other-than-temporarily
impaired.
During
April 2007, the Company sold 4,034,000 shares of common stock of Toko on the
open market which resulted in a gain of approximately $2.5 million, net of
investment banker fees and other expenses in the amount of $0.8 million. The
Company accrued bonuses of $0.5 million in connection with this gain which
were
paid in January 2008. For financial statement purposes approximately $0.4
million and $0.1 million has been classified within cost of sales and selling,
general and administrative expenses, respectively.
During
2004, the Company acquired a total of 2,037,500 shares of the common stock
of
Artesyn Technologies, Inc. (“Artesyn”) at a total purchase price of $16.3
million. On April 28, 2006, Artesyn was acquired by Emerson Network Power for
$11.00 per share in cash. During the second quarter of 2006, in connection
with
the Company's sale of its Artesyn common stock, the Company recognized a gain
of
approximately $5.2 million, net of investment banker advisory fees of $0.9
million. The Company accrued bonuses of $1.0 million in connection with the
gain. For financial statement purposes approximately $0.3 million and $0.7
million was classified within cost of sales and selling, general and
administrative expenses, respectively, and was paid to key employees in January
2007.
-39-
On
February 25, 2008, the Company announced that it had acquired 4,370,052 shares
of Power-One, Inc. (“Power-One”) common stock representing, to the Company’s
knowledge, 5% of Power-One’s outstanding common stock, at a total purchase price
of $10.1 million. Power-One’s common stock is quoted on the NASDAQ Global
Market. Power-One is a designer and manufacturer of power conversion and power
management products.
During
2000, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized the purchase of up to
ten
percent of the Company’s outstanding common shares. As of December 31, 2007, the
Company had purchased and retired 23,600 Class B common shares at a cost of
approximately $.8 million and had purchased and retired 160,033 Class A common
shares at a cost of approximately $5.7 million. No shares of Class B common
stock were repurchased during the year ended December 31, 2007 and 160,033
Class
A shares were repurchased during the year ended December 31, 2007. During
January 2008, the Company purchased an additional 12,207 Class A common shares
at a cost of $0.4 million.
During
July 2007 the Board of Directors of the Company authorized an increase in the
dividends by $.02 per share per quarter for both Class A and B common shares
effective with the November 2007 dividend payment. As such, on November 1,
2007,
the Company paid a $0.06 and $0.07 per share dividend to all shareholders of
record at October 15, 2007 of Class A and Class B Common Stock, respectively,
in
the
total
amount
of $0.2 million and $0.6 million, respectively.
During
the year ended December 31, 2007, the Company's cash and cash equivalents
increased by $7.1 million, reflecting approximately $19.8 million provided
by
operating activities (principally as a result of net income of $26.3 million
and
depreciation and amortization expense of $7.9 million offset principally by
$7.6
million from gains on sale of marketable securities and property, plant and
equipment and changes in deferred income taxes of $2.0 million), offset by
approximately $6.5 million used in investing activities (primarily as a result
of the redesignation of the Columbia Portfolio funds of $25.7 million from
a
cash equivalent to an investment, $11.8 million used for purchases of marketable
securities and $9.2 million for the purchase of property, plant and equipment
offset, in part, by $26.7 million from the sale of marketable securities and
$11.3 million from the sale of property, plant and equipment) and approximately
$6.6 million used in financing activities (principally reflecting $5.7 million
for the repurchase of the Company’s common stock and $2.5 million for payments
of dividends, partially offset by $1.5 million from the exercise of stock
options).
During
the year ended December 31, 2006, the Company's cash and cash equivalents
increased by approximately $24.8 million, reflecting approximately
$19.0
million provided by operating activities (principally as a result of net income
of $25.2 million and depreciation and amortization expense of $9.0 million
offset in part by a gain on the sale of marketable securities of $5.1 million),
proceeds of $24.5
million
from the
sale of marketable securities
and
proceeds of $3.2 million from the exercise of stock options,
offset
in part by expenditures
of $9.4
million for the purchase of property, plant and equipment, $7.0
million used principally for acquisitions, $3.6
million for the purchase of marketable securities
and $2.2
million for payments of dividends.
-40-
During
the year ended December 31, 2005, the Company's cash and cash equivalents
decreased by approximately $19.2 million, reflecting approximately $20.8 million
used principally for acquisitions, $19.4 million for loan repayments,
$18.0
million for the purchase of marketable securities, $7.7
million
for the purchase of property, plant and equipment, and $2.2 million for payments
of dividends,
offset,
in part, by $31.3 million provided by operating activities (principally as
a
result of net income of $20.2 million and depreciation and amortization expense
of $10.1 million), borrowings of $12.0 million, proceeds of $4.1 million from
the exercise of stock options and $1.6 million in proceeds from the sale of
marketable securities.
Cash
and
cash equivalents, marketable securities, short-term investments and accounts
receivable comprised approximately 54.4% and 50.7%
of the
Company's total assets at December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, respectively.
The Company's current ratio (i.e., the ratio of current assets to current
liabilities) was 6.2 to 1 and 4.5 to 1 at December 31, 2007 and December 31,
2006, respectively.
Accounts
receivable, net of allowances, were $52.2 million at December 31, 2007, as
compared with $43.8 million at December 31, 2006. The increase in accounts
receivable is primarily due to a 14.5% increase in fourth quarter sales for
2007
as compared to 2006. The Company’s days sales outstanding (DSO) has remained
consistent from last year. Inventories were $39.0 million at December 31, 2007,
as compared with $46.3 million at December 31, 2006. Inventory levels at
December 31, 2007 were lower due to high demand leading up to the Lunar New
Year
holidays in the PRC. Short-term investments were $20.5 million at December
31,
2007 as compared with $0 at December 31, 2006. This increase relates to the
redesignation of the Company’s investment in the Columbia Portfolio from a cash
equivalent to an investment as previously discussed in this section. Income
taxes payable was $4.0 million at December 31, 2007 as compared with $11.1
million at December 31, 2006. With the adoption of FIN 48, a portion of the
income taxes payable which related to the liability for uncertain tax positions
was reclassified to a long-term liability.
-41-
The
following table sets forth at December 31, 2007 the amounts of payments due
under specific types of contractual obligations, aggregated by category of
contractual obligation, for the time periods described below. This table
excludes liabilities recorded relative to uncertain income tax positions under
FIN 48, amounting to $2.3 million included in income taxes payable and $6.9
million included in liability for uncertain tax positions, as of December 31,
2007, due to the uncertain timing of the resolution of such
matters.
Payments
due by period
|
||||||||||||||||
Contractual
Obligations
|
Total
|
|
Less
than 1 year
|
|
1-3
years
|
|
3-5
years
|
|
More
than
5
years
|
|||||||
Capital
expenditure obligations
|
$
|
4,546
|
$
|
4,546
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
||||||
Operating
leases
|
5,255
|
1,595
|
1,899
|
1,317
|
444
|
|||||||||||
Raw
material purchase obligations
|
22,309
|
22,309
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||
Total
|
$
|
32,110
|
$
|
28,450
|
$
|
1,899
|
$
|
1,317
|
$
|
444
|
The
Company is required to pay SERP obligations at the occurrence of certain events.
As of December 31, 2007, the SERP had an unfunded benefit obligation of
approximately $1.2 million, net of deferred income tax benefit. The gross
minimum pension obligation and unfunded benefit obligation in the amount of
$4.7
million is included in long-term liabilities as an unfunded pension obligation
on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. Included in other assets at
December 31, 2007 are marketable securities with an estimated value of $4.9
million, which have been designated by the Company to be utilized to fund the
Company’s SERP obligations.
Other
Matters
The
Company believes that it has sufficient cash reserves to fund its foreseeable
working capital needs. It may, however, seek to expand such resources through
bank borrowings, at favorable lending rates, from time to time. If the Company
were to undertake a substantial acquisition for cash, the acquisition would
likely need to be financed in part through bank borrowings or the issuance
of
public or private debt or equity. If the Company borrows money to finance
acquisitions, this would likely decrease the Company’s ratio of earnings to
fixed charges and adversely affect other leverage criteria and could result
in
the imposition of material restrictive covenants. Under its existing credit
facility, the Company is required to obtain its lender’s consent for certain
additional debt financing, to comply with other covenants including the
application of specific financial ratios, and may be restricted from paying
cash
dividends on its common stock. The Company cannot assure that the necessary
acquisition financing would be available to it on acceptable terms, or at all,
when required. If the Company issues a substantial amount of stock either as
consideration in an acquisition or to finance an acquisition, such issuance
may
dilute existing stockholders and may take the form of capital stock having
preferences over its existing common stock.
-42-
New
Financial Accounting Standards
In
July
2006, the FASB issued Interpretation No. 48 “Accounting for Uncertainty in
Income Taxes” ("FIN 48"). The interpretation requires a two step approach for
recognizing and measuring tax benefits based on a recognition threshold of
“more
likely than not”. The FASB also requires explicit disclosures about
uncertainties in tax positions including a detailed rollforward of tax benefits
that do not qualify for financial statement recognition. The adoption of FIN
48
is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2006. On January
1,
2007, the Company implemented FIN 48. At that date, the Company’s liability for
uncertain tax positions amounted to $12.4 million, of which $7.2 million was
classified as a noncurrent liability and the remainder was classified as a
current liability as a component of income tax payable. There was no charge
to
equity upon adoption. For additional information regarding the accounting
treatment and effect of FIN 48, see Note 8 of Notes to the Consolidated
Financial Statements.
In
September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS No. 158, “Employers’ Accounting for Defined
Benefit Pension and Other Post Retirement Plans”, an amendment of FASB
Statements No. 87, 88, 106 and 132(R). SFAS 158 requires employers to recognize
their defined benefit plans’ overfunded or underfunded status in their balance
sheets, requires employers to measure plan assets and plan obligations as of
the
balance sheet date, immediately recognize any remaining transition obligation
currently being deferred, and recognize actuarial gains and losses through
other
comprehensive income. The statement is effective for fiscal years ending after
December 15, 2006. For additional information regarding the accounting treatment
and effect on the Consolidated Balance Sheet of SFAS No.
158,
see
Note
12
of Notes
to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
In
September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements”, which
enhances existing guidance for measuring assets and liabilities using fair
value. This Standard provides a single definition of fair value, together with
a
framework for measuring it, and requires additional disclosure about the use
of
fair value to measure assets and liabilities. SFAS No. 157, as amended by FASB
Staff Position 157-2, is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal
years beginning after November 15, 2008, and interim periods within those fiscal
years. The Company does not believe that SFAS No. 157 will have a material
impact on its financial statements.
In
February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159 (“SFAS 159”) “The Fair Value Option
for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities”, providing companies with an
option to report selected financial assets and liabilities at fair value. The
Standard’s objective is to reduce both complexity in accounting for financial
instruments and the volatility in earnings caused by measuring related assets
and liabilities differently. It also requires entities to display the fair
value
of those assets and liabilities for which the Company has chosen to use fair
value on the face of the balance sheet. SFAS 159 is effective for fiscal years
beginning after November 15, 2007. The Company does not believe that SFAS 159
will have a material impact on its financial statements.
-43-
In
June
2007, the Emerging Issues Task Force of the FASB issued EITF Issue No. 07-3,
"Accounting for Nonrefundable Advance Payments for Goods or Services Received
for Use in Future Research and Development Activities," which is effective
for
calendar year companies on January 1, 2008. The Task Force concluded that
nonrefundable advance payments for goods or services that will be used or
rendered for future research and development activities should be deferred
and
capitalized. Such amounts should be recognized as an expense as the related
goods are delivered or the services are performed, or when the goods or services
are no longer expected to be provided. The Company is currently assessing the
potential impact of implementing this standard.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS 141(R), which replaces SFAS 141 “Business
Combinations”. This Statement is intended to improve the relevance, completeness
and representational faithfulness of the information provided in financial
reports about the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed in a business
combination. This Statement requires an acquirer to recognize the assets
acquired, the liabilities assumed, and any noncontrolling interest in the
acquiree at the acquisition date, measured at their fair values as of that
date,
with limited exceptions specified in the Statement. Under SFAS 141(R),
acquisition-related costs, including restructuring costs, must be recognized
separately from the acquisition and will generally be expensed as incurred.
That
replaces SFAS 141’s cost-allocation process, which required the cost of an
acquisition to be allocated to the individual assets acquired and liabilities
assumed based on their estimated fair values. SFAS 141(R) shall be applied
prospectively to business combinations for which the acquisition date is on
or
after the beginning of the first annual report period beginning on or after
December 15, 2008. The Company will implement this Statement in
2009.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 160 (“SFAS 160”) “Noncontrolling
Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements”, which is effective on January
1, 2009 for calendar year companies. SFAS 160 amends ARB 51 to establish
accounting and reporting standards for the noncontrolling interest in a
subsidiary and for the deconsolidation of a subsidiary. It also amends certain
of ARB 51’s consolidation procedures for consistency with the requirements of
SFAS 141(R).
The
Company does not believe that SFAS 160 will have a material impact on its
financial statements.
-44-
Item
7A.
Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Fair
Value of Financial Instruments — The estimated fair values of financial
instruments have been determined by the Company using available market
information and appropriate valuation methodologies.
The
Company has not entered into, and does not expect to enter into, financial
instruments for trading or hedging purposes. The Company does not currently
anticipate entering into interest rate swaps and/or similar
instruments.
The
Company's carrying values of cash, marketable securities, accounts receivable,
accounts payable and accrued expenses are a reasonable approximation of their
fair value. At
December 31, 2007, two of the Company’s investments - the Company’s investment
in Toko stock and the Company’s investment in the Columbia Strategic Cash
Portfolio (the “Columbia Portfolio”) have been subject to recent market declines
and if this trend continues, it could have a negative impact on the Company’s
results of operations. If the per share fair market value of the remaining
1.8
million shares of Toko stock were to decrease by $0.18 per share (10% of the
December 31, 2007 Toko stock price), this would result in an additional
unrealized loss of $0.3 million. This investment has been in a loss position
since April 2007. While the Company has the ability and intent to hold the
stock
for an indefinite period of time, if the stock price does not regain a positive
position within the next three to six months, this investment may be deemed
other-than-temporarily impaired. This would result in recognition of a realized
loss on the Toko investment (the associated pre-tax unrealized loss at December
31, 2007 is $2.4 million). The Company’s investment in the Columbia portfolio
has also been sensitive to the recent market decline. In December 2007, the
Company was notified that its $25.7 million investment in the Columbia Portfolio
was being liquidated and that the fund was converting from a fixed net asset
value (“NAV”) to a floating NAV, which resulted in the Company’s recording a
$0.3 million impairment charge. See Note 4 of the Notes to the Company’s
Consolidated Financial Statements. As of December 31, 2007, the Company has
a
total of $23.1 million invested in the Columbia portfolio. If the NAV were
to
decline by 0.0987 (10% of the NAV of $0.9874 at December 31, 2007), the net
impact to the Company’s results of operations and cash flows would be a decrease
of income before provision for income taxes and cash flows from operating
activities of approximately $2.3 million.
The
Company enters into transactions denominated in U.S. Dollars, Hong Kong Dollars,
the Macao Pataca, the Chinese Renminbi, Euros, British Pounds and the Czech
Koruna. Fluctuations in the U.S. dollar exchange rate against these currencies
could significantly impact the Company's consolidated results of
operations.
The
Company believes that a change in interest rates of 1% or 2% would not have
a
material effect on the Company's consolidated statement of operations or balance
sheet.
Item
8.
Financial
Statements and Supplementary Data
See
the
consolidated financial statements listed in the accompanying Index to
Consolidated Financial Statements for the information required by this
item.
-45-
BEL
FUSE INC.
|
||
INDEX
|
||
Financial
Statements
|
Page
|
|
Report
of Independent Registered
|
||
Public
Accounting Firm
|
F-1
- F-2
|
|
Consolidated
Balance Sheets as of
|
||
December
31, 2007 and 2006
|
F-3
- F-4
|
|
Consolidated
Statements of Operations for Each
|
||
of
the Three Years in the Period Ended
|
||
December
31, 2007
|
F-5
|
|
Consolidated
Statements of Stockholders' Equity
|
||
for
Each of the Three Years in the Period Ended
|
||
December
31, 2007
|
F-6
- F-7
|
|
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows for
|
||
Each
of the Three Years in the Period Ended
|
||
December
31, 2007
|
F-8
- F-10
|
|
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
|
F-11
- F-44
|
|
Condensed
Selected Quarterly Financial Data -
|
||
Years
Ended December 31, 2007 and 2006
|
||
(Unaudited)
|
F-45
|
REPORT
OF
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To
the
Board of Directors and Stockholders of Bel Fuse Inc.
Jersey
City, New Jersey
We
have
audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Bel Fuse Inc. and
subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2007 and 2006, and the related
consolidated statements of operations, stockholders' equity and cash flows
for
each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2007. Our audits also
included the financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15. We
also have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of
December 31, 2007, based on criteria established in Internal
Control—Integrated Framework issued
by
the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway
Commission.
The
Company's management is responsible for these financial statements and financial
statement schedule, for maintaining effective internal control over financial
reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control
over
financial reporting included in the accompanying management’s report on internal
control over financial reporting. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion on these financial statements and financial statement schedule, and
an
opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on
our
audits.
We
conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that
we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether
the
financial statements are free of material misstatement and whether effective
internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material
respects. Our audits of the financial statements included examining, on a
test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial
statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates
made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement
presentation.
Our
audit
of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding
of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material
weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness
of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included
performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the
circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for
our opinions.
A
company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed by,
or
under the supervision of, the company's principal executive and principal
financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, and effected by
the
company's board of directors, management, and other personnel to provide
reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the
preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles. A company's internal control
over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain
to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly
reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2)
provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to
permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are
being made only in accordance with
authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide
reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized
acquisition, use, or disposition of the company's assets that could have a
material effect on the financial statements.
Because
of the inherent limitations of internal control over financial reporting,
including the possibility of collusion or improper management override of
controls, material misstatements due to error or fraud may not be prevented
or
detected on a timely basis. Also, projections of any evaluation of the
effectiveness of the internal control over financial reporting to future periods
are subject to the risk that the controls may become inadequate because of
changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or
procedures may deteriorate.
F-1
In
our
opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of Bel Fuse Inc. and
subsidiaries as of December 31, 2007 and 2006, and the results of their
operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended
December 31, 2007, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted
in the United States of America. Also, in our opinion, such financial
statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic consolidated
financial statements taken as a whole, present fairly, in all material respects,
the information set forth therein. Also, in our opinion, the Company maintained,
in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting
as
of December 31, 2007, based on the criteria established in Internal
Control—Integrated Framework issued
by
the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
As
discussed in Note 1 and Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements, the
Company adopted FASB Interpretation No. 48 “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income
Taxes” effective January 1, 2007. In addition, as discussed in Note 1 to the
consolidated financial statements, the Company adopted Statement of Financial
Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 158, “Employers’ Accounting for Defined
Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans - an amendment of FASB Statements
No. 87, 88, 106 and 132(R),” effective December 31, 2006 and SFAS No. 123(R),
“Share-Based Payment,” effective January 1, 2006.
DELOITTE
& TOUCHE LLP
New
York,
New York
March
14,
2008
F-2
BEL
FUSE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
(dollars
in thousands)
December
31,
|
|||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
ASSETS
|
|||||||
Current
Assets:
|
|||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$
|
83,875
|
$
|
76,761
|
|||
Marketable
securities
|
3,273
|
15,576
|
|||||
Short-term
investment
|
20,542
|
-
|
|||||
Accounts
receivable - less allowance for doubtful
|
|||||||
accounts
of $977 and $1,087 at December 31,
|
|||||||
2007
and 2006, respectively
|
52,217
|
43,766
|
|||||
Inventories
|
39,049
|
46,297
|
|||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current
|
|||||||
assets
|
1,446
|
1,382
|
|||||
Refundable
income taxes
|
3,168
|
-
|
|||||
Deferred
income taxes
|
2,661
|
1,666
|
|||||
Assets
held for sale
|
-
|
848
|
|||||
Total
Current Assets
|
206,231
|
186,296
|
|||||
Property,
plant and equipment - net
|
41,113
|
44,289
|
|||||
Restricted
cash
|
4,553
|
-
|
|||||
Long-term
investment
|
2,536
|
-
|
|||||
Deferred
income taxes
|
4,364
|
3,425
|
|||||
Intangible
assets - net
|
1,181
|
1,892
|
|||||
Goodwill
|
28,447
|
28,117
|
|||||
Other
assets
|
5,435
|
4,478
|
|||||
TOTAL
ASSETS
|
$
|
293,860
|
$
|
268,497
|
|||
See
notes to consolidated financial
statements.
|
F-3
BEL
FUSE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
|
|||||||
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
|
|||||||
(dollars
in thousands, except share and per share data)
|
|||||||
December
31,
|
|||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
LIABILITIES
AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
|||||||
Current
Liabilities:
|
|||||||
Accounts
payable
|
$
|
16,145
|
$
|
17,245
|
|||
Accrued
expenses
|
12,113
|
12,713
|
|||||
Income
taxes payable
|
4,007
|
11,094
|
|||||
Dividends
payable
|
795
|
567
|
|||||
Total
Current Liabilities
|
33,060
|
41,619
|
|||||
Long-term
Liabilities:
|
|||||||
Deferred
gain on sale of property
|
4,645
|
-
|
|||||
Liability
for uncertain tax positions
|
6,930
|
-
|
|||||
Minimum
pension obligation and
|
|||||||
unfunded
pension liability
|
4,698
|
4,728
|
|||||
Total
Long-term Liabilities
|
16,273
|
4,728
|
|||||
Total
Liabilities
|
49,333
|
46,347
|
|||||
Commitments
and Contingencies
|
|||||||
Stockholders'
Equity:
|
|||||||
Preferred
stock, no par value, authorized 1,000,000
|
|||||||
shares;
none issued
|
-
|
-
|
|||||
Class
A common stock, par value $.10 per share -
|
|||||||
authorized
10,000,000 shares; outstanding
|
|||||||
2,545,644
and 2,702,677 shares, respectively
|
|||||||
(net
of 1,072,770 treasury shares)
|
255
|
270
|
|||||
Class
B common stock, par value $.10 per share -
|
|||||||
authorized
30,000,000 shares; outstanding
|
|||||||
9,286,627
and 9,167,665 shares, respectively
|
|||||||
(net
of 3,218,310 treasury shares)
|
929
|
917
|
|||||
Additional
paid-in capital
|
29,107
|
31,826
|
|||||
Retained
earnings
|
214,580
|
190,953
|
|||||
Accumulated
other comprehensive loss
|
(344
|
)
|
(1,816
|
)
|
|||
Total
Stockholders' Equity
|
244,527
|
222,150
|
|||||
TOTAL
LIABILITIES AND
|
|||||||
STOCKHOLDERS'
EQUITY
|
$
|
293,860
|
$
|
268,497
|
|||
See
notes to consolidated financial
statements.
|
F-4
BEL
FUSE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
|
||||||||||
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
|
||||||||||
(dollars
in thousands, except share and per share data)
|
||||||||||
Years
Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||
2007
|
|
2006
|
|
2005
|
||||||
|
||||||||||
Net
Sales
|
$
|
259,137
|
$
|
254,933
|
$
|
215,916
|
||||
Costs
and expenses:
|
||||||||||
Cost
of sales
|
203,007
|
192,985
|
156,147
|
|||||||
Selling,
general and administrative
|
36,117
|
37,800
|
33,152
|
|||||||
Gain
on sale of property, plant and equipment
|
(5,499
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
||||||
Casualty
loss
|
-
|
1,030
|
-
|
|||||||
233,625
|
231,815
|
189,299
|
||||||||
Income
from operations
|
25,512
|
23,118
|
26,617
|
|||||||
Interest
expense and other costs
|
(123
|
)
|
(71
|
)
|
(325
|
)
|
||||
Gain
on sale of marketable securities, net of impairment
|
2,146
|
5,150
|
-
|
|||||||
Interest
income
|
4,169
|
2,851
|
1,423
|
|||||||
Earnings
before provision for income taxes
|
31,704
|
31,048
|
27,715
|
|||||||
Income
tax provision
|
5,368
|
5,845
|
7,482
|
|||||||
Net
earnings
|
$
|
26,336
|
$
|
25,203
|
$
|
20,233
|
||||
Earnings
per share
|
||||||||||
Earnings
per Class A common share
|
||||||||||
Basic
|
$
|
2.11
|
$
|
2.03
|
$
|
1.67
|
||||
Diluted
|
$
|
2.11
|
$
|
2.03
|
$
|
1.67
|
||||
Weighted
average Class A common shares
|
||||||||||
outstanding
- basic
|
2,637,409
|
2,702,677
|
2,702,677
|
|||||||
Weighted
average Class A common shares
|
||||||||||
outstanding
- diluted
|
2,637,409
|
2,702,677
|
2,702,677
|
|||||||
Earnings
per Class B common share
|
||||||||||
Basic
|
$
|
2.25
|
$
|
2.16
|
$
|
1.79
|
||||
Diluted
|
$
|
2.24
|
$
|
2.15
|
$
|
1.77
|
||||
Weighted
average Class B common shares
|
||||||||||
outstanding
- basic
|
9,244,198
|
9,104,897
|
8,807,498
|
|||||||
Weighted
average Class B common shares
|
||||||||||
outstanding
- diluted
|
9,266,016
|
9,149,445
|
8,890,581
|
|||||||
See
notes to consolidated financial
statements.
|
F-5
BEL
FUSE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
(dollars
in thousands)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Accumulated
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
Compre-
|
|
|
|
Other
|
|
Class
A
|
|
Class
B
|
|
Additional
|
|
Stock-
|
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|
hensive
|
|
Retained
|
|
Comprehensive
|
|
Common
|
|
Common
|
|
Paid-In
|
|
Based
|
|
||||||||
|
|
Total
|
|
Income
|
|
Earnings
|
|
Income
(loss)
|
|
Stock
|
|
Stock
|
|
Capital
|
|
Compensation
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance,
January 1, 2005
|
$
|
178,461
|
$
|
149,949
|
$
|
5,387
|
$
|
270
|
$
|
866
|
$
|
21,989
|
-
|
||||||||||||
Exercise
of stock options
|
4,116
|
20
|
4,096
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Tax
benefits arising from the disposition of non-qualified incentive
stock
options
|
430
|
430
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Cash
dividends declared on Class A common stock
|
(431
|
)
|
(431
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Cash
dividends declared on Class B common stock
|
(1,760
|
)
|
(1,760
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Issuance
of restricted common stock
|
5,214
|
15
|
5,199
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Deferred
stock-based compensation
|
(3,742
|
)
|
$
|
(3,742
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Currency
translation adjustment
|
(669
|
)
|
$
|
(669
|
)
|
(669
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||||
Change
in unrealized gain or loss on marketable securities - net of
taxes
|
(454
|
)
|
(454
|
)
|
(454
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Stock-based
compensation expense
|
179
|
179
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Net
earnings
|
20,233
|
20,233
|
20,233
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Comprehensive
income
|
$
|
19,110
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance,
December 31, 2005
|
201,577
|
167,991
|
4,264
|
270
|
901
|
31,714
|
(3,563
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||
Exercise
of stock options
|
3,187
|
14
|
3,173
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Tax
benefits arising from the disposition of non-qualified incentive
stock
options
|
336
|
336
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Cash
dividends declared on Class A common stock
|
(431
|
)
|
(431
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Cash
dividends declared on Class B common stock
|
(1,810
|
)
|
(1,810
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Issuance
of restricted common stock
|
-
|
2
|
(2
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Deferred
stock-based compensation
|
(1,403
|
)
|
(1,403
|
)
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Currency
translation adjustment
|
387
|
$
|
387
|
387
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Change
in unrealized gain or loss on marketable securities - net of
taxes
|
(4,820
|
)
|
(4,820
|
)
|
(4,820
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Stock-based
compensation expense
|
1,571
|
1,571
|
-
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Adoption
of SFAS No. 123 (R)
|
-
|
(3,563
|
)
|
3,563
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Unfunded
SERP liability-net of taxes upon adoption of SFAS No.
158
|
(1,647
|
)
|
(1,647
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Net
earnings
|
25,203
|
25,203
|
25,203
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Comprehensive
income
|
$
|
20,770
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Balance,
December 31, 2006
|
222,150
|
190,953
|
(1,816
|
)
|
270
|
917
|
31,826
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||||
See
notes to consolidated financial
statements.
|
F-6
BEL
FUSE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
(dollars
in thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
Accumulated
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|
|
Compre-
|
|
|
|
Other
|
|
Class
A
|
|
Class
B
|
|
Additional
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
hensive
|
|
Retained
|
|
Comprehensive
|
|
Common
|
|
Common
|
|
Paid-In
|
|
|||||||
|
|
Total
|
|
Income
|
|
Earnings
|
|
Income
(loss)
|
|
Stock
|
|
Stock
|
|
Capital
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
Balance,
December 31, 2006
|
$
|
222,150
|
$
|
190,953
|
$
|
(1,816
|
)
|
$
|
270
|
$
|
917
|
$
|
31,826
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Exercise
of stock options
|
1,452
|
6
|
1,446
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Tax
benefits arising from the disposition of
non-qualified incentive stock options
|
149
|
149
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Cash
dividends declared on Class A common
stock
|
(534
|
)
|
(534
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||||
Cash
dividends declared on Class B common
stock
|
(2,175
|
)
|
(2,175
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||||
Issuance
of restricted common stock
|
-
|
7
|
(7
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||||
Termination
of restricted common stock
|
-
|
(1
|
)
|
1
|
||||||||||||||||||
Repurchase/retirement
of Class A common
stock
|
(5,733
|
)
|
(15
|
)
|
(5,718
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Currency
translation adjustment
|
960
|
960
|
960
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Unrealized
holding gains on marketable securites
arising during the year, net of taxes
|
2,077
|
2,077
|
2,077
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Reclassification
adjustment for gains included
in net earnings, net of taxes
|
(2,058
|
)
|
(2,058
|
)
|
(2,058
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Stock-based
compensation expense
|
1,410
|
1,410
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Change
in unfunded SERP liability, net
of taxes
|
493
|
493
|
493
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Net
earnings
|
26,336
|
26,336
|
26,336
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Comprehensive
income
|
$
|
27,808
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||
Balance,
December 31, 2007
|
$
|
244,527
|
$
|
214,580
|
$
|
(344
|
)
|
$
|
255
|
$
|
929
|
$
|
29,107
|
See
notes to consolidated financial
statements.
|
F-7
BEL
FUSE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
|
||||||||||
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
|
||||||||||
(dollars
in thousands)
|
||||||||||
Years
Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||
2007
|
|
2006
|
|
2005
|
||||||
Cash
flows from operating activities:
|
||||||||||
Net
earnings
|
$
|
26,336
|
$
|
25,203
|
$
|
20,233
|
||||
Adjustments
to reconcile net income to net
|
||||||||||
cash
provided by operating activities:
|
||||||||||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
7,921
|
9,027
|
10,104
|
|||||||
Casualty
loss
|
-
|
1,030
|
-
|
|||||||
Stock-based
compensation
|
1,465
|
1,571
|
248
|
|||||||
Excess
tax benefits from share-based
|
||||||||||
payment
arrangements
|
(149
|
)
|
(336
|
)
|
-
|
|||||
Gain
on sale of marketable securities, net of
|
||||||||||
impairment
charge in 2007 of $294
|
(2,146
|
)
|
(5,150
|
)
|
-
|
|||||
Gain
on sale of property, plant and equipment
|
(5,499
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
||||||
Other,
net
|
207
|
678
|
1,464
|
|||||||
Deferred
income taxes
|
(2,039
|
)
|
(988
|
)
|
(3,602
|
)
|
||||
Changes
in operating assets
|
||||||||||
and
liabilities (net of acquisitions)
|
(6,250
|
)
|
(12,003
|
)
|
2,825
|
|||||
Net
Cash Provided by
|
||||||||||
Operating
Activities
|
19,846
|
19,032
|
31,272
|
|||||||
Cash
flows from investing activities:
|
||||||||||
Purchase
of property, plant and equipment
|
(9,169
|
)
|
(9,364
|
)
|
(7,746
|
)
|
||||
Purchase
of intangible asset
|
(100
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
||||||
Purchase
of marketable securities
|
(11,801
|
)
|
(3,634
|
)
|
(17,999
|
)
|
||||
Redesignation
of cash equivalent to
|
||||||||||
investment
(Note 4)
|
(25,684
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
||||||
Redemption
of investment
|
2,284
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||
Payment
of investment banking advisory fee
|
-
|
(300
|
)
|
-
|
||||||
Payment
for acquisitions - net of cash acquired
|
-
|
(6,961
|
)
|
(20,807
|
)
|
|||||
Proceeds
from sale of marketable securities
|
26,647
|
24,490
|
1,622
|
|||||||
Proceeds
from sale of property, plant and equipment
|
11,332
|
-
|
253
|
|||||||
Net
Cash (Used in) Provided by
|
||||||||||
Investing
Activities
|
(6,491
|
)
|
4,231
|
(44,677
|
)
|
|||||
See
notes to consolidated financial
statements.
|
F-8
BEL
FUSE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
|
||||||||||
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Continued)
|
||||||||||
(dollars
in thousands)
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
Years
Ended December 31,
|
|||||||||
|
2007
|
|
2006
|
|
2005
|
|||||
Cash
flows from financing activities:
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Proceeds
from borrowings
|
-
|
-
|
12,000
|
|||||||
Loan
repayments
|
-
|
-
|
(19,361
|
)
|
||||||
Proceeds
from exercise of stock options
|
1,452
|
3,187
|
4,116
|
|||||||
Dividends
paid to common shareholders
|
(2,473
|
)
|
(2,223
|
)
|
(2,183
|
)
|
||||
Purchase
and retirement of Class A
|
||||||||||
common
stock
|
(5,733
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
||||||
Excess
tax benefits from share-based
|
||||||||||
payment
arrangements
|
149
|
336
|
-
|
|||||||
Net
Cash (Used In) Provided by
|
||||||||||
Financing
Activities
|
(6,605
|
)
|
1,300
|
(5,428
|
)
|
|||||
|
||||||||||
Effect
of exchange rate changes on cash
|
364
|
200
|
(367
|
)
|
||||||
|
||||||||||
Net
Increase (decrease) in
|
||||||||||
Cash
and Cash Equivalents
|
7,114
|
24,763
|
(19,200
|
)
|
||||||
Cash
and Cash Equivalents
|
||||||||||
-
beginning of year
|
76,761
|
51,998
|
71,198
|
|||||||
Cash
and Cash Equivalents
|
||||||||||
-
end of year
|
$
|
83,875
|
$
|
76,761
|
$
|
51,998
|
||||
|
||||||||||
Changes
in operating assets
|
||||||||||
and
liabilities (net of acquisitions) consist of:
|
||||||||||
Increase
in accounts
|
||||||||||
receivable
|
$
|
(7,934
|
)
|
$
|
(4,280
|
)
|
$
|
(2,638
|
)
|
|
Decrease
(increase) in inventories
|
7,482
|
(13,501
|
)
|
(1,145
|
)
|
|||||
(Increase)
decrease in prepaid expenses
|
||||||||||
and
other current assets
|
(1
|
)
|
288
|
809
|
||||||
Increase
in other assets
|
(1,135
|
)
|
(499
|
)
|
(384
|
)
|
||||
(Decrease)
increase in accounts payable
|
(1,184
|
)
|
2,658
|
3,630
|
||||||
(Decrease)
increase in income taxes
|
(3,194
|
)
|
1,590
|
3,072
|
||||||
(Decrease)
increase in
|
||||||||||
accrued
expenses
|
(284
|
)
|
1,741
|
(519
|
)
|
|||||
|
||||||||||
|
$
|
(6,250
|
)
|
$
|
(12,003
|
)
|
$
|
2,825
|
||
|
||||||||||
See
notes to consolidated financial
statements.
|
F-9
BEL
FUSE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
|
||||||||||
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Concluded)
|
||||||||||
(dollars
in thousands)
|
||||||||||
Year
Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||
2007
|
|
2006
|
|
2005
|
||||||
Supplementary
information:
|
||||||||||
Cash
paid during the year for:
|
||||||||||
Income
taxes
|
$
|
10,809
|
$
|
4,451
|
$
|
6,578
|
||||
Interest
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
71
|
$
|
325
|
||||
Details
of acquisitions:
|
||||||||||
Fair
value of assets acquired (excluding
|
||||||||||
cash
acquired of $312 in 2005)
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
6,077
|
||||
Intangibles
|
-
|
447
|
2,658
|
|||||||
Goodwill
|
-
|
6,000
|
12,546
|
|||||||
|
- |
6,447
|
21,281
|
|||||||
Amounts
paid (held back) on
|
||||||||||
acquisition
payment
|
-
|
514
|
(474
|
)
|
||||||
Cash
paid for acquisitions
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
6,961
|
$
|
20,807
|
||||
See
notes to consolidated financial
statements.
|
F-10
BEL
FUSE
INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AS
OF AND
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005
1. DESCRIPTION
OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Bel
Fuse
Inc. and subsidiaries operate in one industry with three geographic reporting
segments and are engaged in the design, manufacture and sale of products used
in
local area networking, telecommunication, business equipment and consumer
electronic applications. The Company manages its operations geographically
through its three reporting units: North America, Asia and Europe. Sales are
predominantly in North America, Europe and Asia.
PRINCIPLES
OF CONSOLIDATION
-
The
consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its
wholly owned subsidiaries, including businesses acquired since their respective
dates of acquisition. All intercompany transactions and balances have been
eliminated.
USE
OF
ESTIMATES
-
The
preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America
requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported
amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and
liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts
of
revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ
from those estimates.
CASH
EQUIVALENTS
- Cash
equivalents include short-term investments in U.S. treasury bills and commercial
paper with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased. At
December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, cash equivalents approximated $33.4
million and $35.8 million, respectively.
MARKETABLE
SECURITIES
-
The
Company generally classifies its equity securities as "available for sale",
and
accordingly, reflects unrealized gains and losses, net of deferred income taxes,
as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income. In
accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Staff Position
Nos. FAS 115-1 and FAS 124-1 “The Meaning of Other-Than-Temporary Impairment and
Its Application to Certain Investments” (“FSP 115-1”), the Company periodically
reviews its marketable securities and determines whether the investments are
other-than-temporarily impaired. If the investments are deemed to be
other-than-temporarily impaired, the investments are written down to their
then
current fair market value. See Note 4 for further discussion regarding an
impairment charge taken in the fourth quarter of 2007.
The
fair
values of marketable securities are based on quoted market prices. Realized
gains or losses from the sale of marketable securities are based on the specific
identification method.
F-11
ACQUISITION
EXPENSES
-
The
Company currently capitalizes all direct costs associated with proposed
acquisitions. If the proposed acquisition is consummated, such costs will be
included as a component of the overall cost of the acquisition. Such costs
are
expensed at such time as the Company deems the consummation of a proposed
acquisition to be unsuccessful.
Effective January 1, 2009, acquisition-related costs, including restructuring
costs, will be recognized separately from the acquisition and will generally
be
expensed as incurred in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards (“SFAS”) No. 141(R), “Business Combinations”.
FOREIGN
CURRENCY TRANSLATION
-
The
functional currency for some foreign operations is the local currency. Assets
and liabilities of foreign operations are translated at exchange rates as of
the
balance sheet date, and income, expense and cash flow items are translated
at
the average exchange rate for the applicable period. Translation adjustments
are
recorded in Other Comprehensive Income. The U.S. Dollar is used as the
functional currency for certain foreign operations that conduct their business
in U.S. Dollars. Realized
foreign currency losses were ($0.2) million for the year ended December 31,
2006, and have been expensed as a component of selling, general and
administrative expense in the consolidated statement of operations. Realized
foreign currency gains (losses) for the years ended December 31, 2007 or 2005
were not material.
CONCENTRATION
OF CREDIT RISK
-
Financial
instruments which potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit
risk consist principally of accounts receivable and temporary cash investments.
The Company grants credit to customers that are primarily original equipment
manufacturers and to subcontractors of original equipment manufacturers based
on
an evaluation of the customer's financial condition, without requiring
collateral. Exposure to losses on receivables is principally dependent on each
customer's financial condition. The Company controls its exposure to credit
risk
through credit approvals, credit limits and monitoring procedures and
establishes allowances for anticipated losses.
The
Company places its temporary cash investments with quality financial
institutions and commercial issuers of short-term paper and, by policy, limits
the amount of credit exposure in any one financial instrument. In December
2007,
the Company was notified that a $25.7 million investment in the Columbia
Strategic Cash Portfolio was being liquidated and the fund was converting from
a
fixed net asset value (NAV) to a floating NAV. As a result, the Company recorded
a $0.3 million impairment charge in the fourth quarter of 2007. See Note 4
for
additional information regarding this liquidation.
INVENTORIES
-
Inventories are stated at the lower of weighted average cost or
market.
F-12
REVENUE
RECOGNITION
-
The
Company recognizes revenue in accordance with the guidance contained in SEC
Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 104, "Revenue Recognition in Financial
Statements". Revenue is recognized when the product has been delivered and
title
and risk of loss has passed to the customer, collection of the resulting
receivable is deemed reasonably assured by management, persuasive evidence
of an
arrangement exists and the sales price is fixed and determinable. Substantially
all of the Company's shipments are FCA (free carrier) which provides for title
to pass upon delivery to the customer's freight carrier. Some product is shipped
DDP/DDU with title passing when the product arrives at the customer's dock.
DDP
is defined as Delivered Duty Paid by the Company and DDU is Delivered Duty
Unpaid by the Company.
For
certain customers, the Company provides consigned inventory, either at the
customer’s facility or at a third party warehouse. Sales of consigned inventory
are recorded when the customer withdraws inventory from consignment.
During
all periods in 2007, 2006 and 2005, inventory on consignment was
immaterial.
The
Company typically has a twelve-month warranty policy for workmanship defects.
During June 2007, the Company established a warranty accrual related to certain
defective parts sold to a customer primarily within the same quarter, which
the
Company is replacing, in the amount of approximately $1.2 million, which
included a $0.4 million inventory write off of inventory on hand. Such accrual
has been classified within cost of sales. As of December 31, 2007, the Company
has a remaining warranty accrual related to these defective parts in the amount
of $0.9 million. The Company believes that this liability will be utilized
in
2008. As the Company has not historically had significant warranty claims,
no
general reserves for warranties have been established.
The
Company is not contractually obligated to accept returns except for defective
product or in instances where the product does not meet the customer's quality
specifications. However, the Company may permit its customers to return product
for other reasons. In these instances, the Company would generally require
a
significant cancellation penalty payment by the customer. The Company estimates
such returns, where applicable, based upon management's evaluation of historical
experience, market acceptance of products produced and known negotiations with
customers. Such estimates are deducted from sales and provided for at the time
revenue is recognized.
GOODWILL
- The
Company tests goodwill for impairment annually during the fourth quarter, using
a fair value approach at the reporting unit level. A reporting unit is an
operating segment or one level below an operating segment for which discrete
financial information is available and reviewed regularly by management. Assets
and liabilities of the Company have been assigned to the reporting units to
the
extent that they are employed in or are considered a liability related to the
operations of the reporting unit and were considered in determining the fair
value of the reporting unit.
DEPRECIATION
-
Property,
plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and
amortization. Depreciation and amortization are calculated primarily using
the
declining-balance method for machinery and equipment and the straight-line
method for buildings and improvements over their estimated useful lives.
F-13
INCOME
TAXES
-
The
Company accounts for income taxes using an asset and liability approach under
which deferred income taxes are recognized by applying enacted tax rates
applicable to future years to the differences between the financial statement
carrying amounts and the tax bases of reported assets and
liabilities.
For
that
portion of foreign earnings that have not been repatriated, an income tax
provision has not been recorded for U.S. federal income taxes on the
undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries as such earnings are intended
to
be permanently reinvested in those operations. Such earnings would become
taxable upon the sale or liquidation of these foreign subsidiaries or upon
the
repatriation of earnings. See
Note
8
of Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements.
The
principal items giving rise to deferred taxes are deferred gains on property
sales, unrealized gains/losses on marketable securities available for sale,
foreign tax credits, the use of accelerated depreciation methods for machinery
and equipment, timing differences between book and tax amortization of
intangible assets and goodwill and certain expenses including the SERP which
have been deducted for financial reporting purposes which are not currently
deductible for income tax purposes.
Effective
January 1, 2007, uncertain tax positions are accounted for in accordance with
FASB Interpretation No. 48 “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes.” See
Note 8 for further discussion.
EARNINGS
PER SHARE
- The
Company utilizes the two-class method to report its earnings per share. The
two-class method is an earnings allocation formula that determines earnings
per
share for each class of common stock according to dividends declared and
participation rights in undistributed earnings. The Company’s Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended, states that Class B common shares are entitled to
dividends at least 5% greater than dividends paid to Class A common shares,
resulting in the two-class method of computing earnings per share. In computing
earnings per share, the Company has allocated dividends declared to Class A
and
Class B based on amounts actually declared for each class of stock and 5% more
of the undistributed earnings have been allocated to Class B shares than to
the
Class A shares on a per share basis. Basic earnings per common share are
computed by dividing net earnings by the weighted average number of common
shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per common share, for
each class of common stock, are computed by dividing net earnings by the
weighted average number of common shares and potential common shares outstanding
during the period. Potential common shares used in computing diluted earnings
per share relate to stock options for Class A and B common shares which, if
exercised, would have a dilutive effect on earnings per share.
F-14
The
earnings and weighted average shares outstanding used in the computation of
basic and diluted earnings per share are as follows (dollars in thousands,
except share and per share data):
2007
|
|
2006
|
|
2005
|
||||||
Numerator:
|
||||||||||
Net
earnings
|
$
|
26,336
|
$
|
25,203
|
$
|
20,233
|
||||
Less
Dividends declared:
|
||||||||||
Class
A
|
534
|
431
|
431
|
|||||||
Class
B (1)
|
2,217
|
1,810
|
1,760
|
|||||||
Undistributed
earnings
|
$
|
23,585
|
$
|
22,962
|
$
|
18,042
|
||||
Undistributed
earnings allocation - basic:
|
||||||||||
Class
A undistributed earnings
|
$
|
5,039
|
$
|
5,061
|
$
|
4,080
|
||||
Class
B undistributed earnings
|
18,546
|
17,901
|
13,962
|
|||||||
Total
undistributed earnings
|
$
|
23,585
|
$
|
22,962
|
$
|
18,042
|
||||
Undistributed
earnings allocation - diluted:
|
||||||||||
Class
A undistributed earnings
|
$
|
5,030
|
$
|
5,041
|
$
|
4,051
|
||||
Class
B undistributed earnings
|
18,555
|
17,921
|
13,991
|
|||||||
Total
undistributed earnings
|
$
|
23,585
|
$
|
22,962
|
$
|
18,042
|
||||
Net
earnings allocation - basic:
|
||||||||||
Class
A undistributed earnings
|
$
|
5,573
|
$
|
5,492
|
$
|
4,511
|
||||
Class
B undistributed earnings
|
20,763
|
19,711
|
15,722
|
|||||||
Net
earnings
|
$
|
26,336
|
$
|
25,203
|
$
|
20,233
|
||||
Net
earnings allocation - diluted:
|
||||||||||
Class
A undistributed earnings
|
$
|
5,564
|
$
|
5,472
|
$
|
4,482
|
||||
Class
B undistributed earnings
|
20,772
|
19,731
|
15,751
|
|||||||
Net
earnings
|
$
|
26,336
|
$
|
25,203
|
$
|
20,233
|
||||
Denominator:
|
||||||||||
Weighted
average shares outstanding:
|
||||||||||
Class
A - basic and diluted
|
2,637,409
|
2,702,677
|
2,702,677
|
|||||||
Class
B - basic
|
9,244,198
|
9,104,897
|
8,807,498
|
|||||||
Dilutive
impact of stock options and
|
||||||||||
unvested
restricted stock awards
|
21,818
|
44,548
|
83,083
|
|||||||
Class
B - diluted
|
9,266,016
|
9,149,445
|
8,890,581
|
|||||||
Earnings
per share:
|
||||||||||
Class
A - basic
|
$
|
2.11
|
$
|
2.03
|
$
|
1.67
|
||||
Class
A - diluted
|
$
|
2.11
|
$
|
2.03
|
$
|
1.67
|
||||
Class
B - basic
|
$
|
2.25
|
$
|
2.16
|
$
|
1.79
|
||||
Class
B - diluted
|
$
|
2.24
|
$
|
2.15
|
$
|
1.77
|
(1) |
Includes
dividends on restricted shares which were expensed in the fourth
quarter
of 2007
|
During
the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively, 14,000, 14,000,
and 20,000 outstanding options were not included in the foregoing computations
for Class B common shares because they were antidilutive.
F-15
STOCK-BASED
COMPENSATION
- The
Company has one stock-based compensation plan under which both incentive
stock-options and restricted stock awards are granted to employees and
directors. Effective January 1, 2006, the Company accounts for stock-based
compensation under SFAS No. 123 (R), "Share-Based Payment". The Company adopted
SFAS 123(R) using the modified prospective method. Under modified prospective
application, SFAS 123(R) applies to new awards and to awards modified,
repurchased, or cancelled after the required effective date. Additionally,
compensation costs for the portion of the awards for which the requisite service
has not been rendered that are outstanding as of the required effective date
are
being recognized as the requisite service is rendered after the required
effective date. The compensation cost for the portion of awards is based on
the
grant-date fair value of those awards as calculated for either recognition
or
pro forma disclosures under SFAS 123. Changes to the grant-date fair value
of
equity awards granted before the required effective date of this Statement
are
precluded. The compensation cost for those earlier awards is attributed to
periods beginning on or after the required effective date of SFAS 123(R) using
the attribution method that was used under SFAS 123, except that the method
of
recognizing forfeitures only as they occur was not continued.
During
the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, the Company issued 74,200,
21,600 and 152,400 class B common shares, respectively, under a restricted
stock
plan to various employees and directors. For additional information regarding
the accounting treatment and effect on the Consolidated Financial Statements
see
Note 13 of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
F-16
Prior
to
January 1, 2006, the Company accounted for stock option grants issued to
employees in accordance with Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25
"Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees", and had adopted the disclosure
only
requirements of SFAS No. 123, "Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation", as
amended by SFAS No. 148, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation-Transition and
Disclosure, an amendment of FASB Statement No. 123”. As such, for periods prior
to January 1, 2006, the Company presents pro forma net earnings and earnings
per
share as if the fair-value-based method of accounting had been applied under
SFAS No. 123 (dollars in thousands, except per share data).
Year
Ended
|
||||
|
December
31, 2005
|
|||
Net
earnings - as reported
|
$
|
20,233
|
||
Add:
Stock-based compensation
|
||||
expense
included in net earnings,
|
||||
net
of taxes, as reported
|
179
|
|||
Deduct:
Total stock-based
|
||||
employee
compensation expense
|
||||
determined
under fair value based
|
||||
method
for all awards,
|
||||
net
of taxes
|
(643
|
)
|
||
Net
earnings- pro forma
|
$
|
19,769
|
||
Earnings
per Class A common share -
|
||||
basic-as
reported
|
$
|
1.67
|
||
Earnings
per Class A common share -
|
||||
basic-pro
forma
|
$
|
1.63
|
||
Earnings
per Class A common share -
|
||||
diluted-as
reported
|
$
|
1.67
|
||
Earnings
per Class A common share -
|
||||
diluted-pro
forma
|
$
|
1.63
|
||
Earnings
per Class B common share -
|
||||
basic-as
reported
|
$
|
1.79
|
||
Earnings
per Class B common share -
|
||||
basic-pro
forma
|
$
|
1.74
|
||
Earnings
per Class B common share -
|
||||
diluted-as
reported
|
$
|
1.77
|
||
Earnings
per Class B common share -
|
||||
diluted-pro
forma
|
$
|
1.73
|
No
options were granted during the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and
2005.
RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT
-
Research
and development costs are expensed as incurred, and are included in cost of
sales. Generally all research and development is performed internally for the
benefit of the Company. The Company does not perform such activities for others.
Research and development costs include salaries, building maintenance and
utilities, rents, materials, administration costs and miscellaneous other items.
Research and development expenses for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006
and 2005 amounted to $7.2 million, $6.6 million and $7.3 million, respectively.
F-17
EVALUATION
OF LONG-LIVED ASSETS
-
The
Company reviews property and equipment and finite-lived intangible assets for
impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying
value may not be recoverable in accordance with guidance in SFAS No. 144,
“Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets.” If the
carrying value of the long-lived asset exceeds the present value of the related
estimated future cash flows, the asset would be adjusted to its fair value
and
an impairment loss would be charged to operations in the period
identified.
FAIR
VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
-
For
financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, marketable
securities, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses, the
carrying amount approximates fair value because of the short maturities of
such
instruments.
RECLASSIFICATIONS
-
Certain reclassifications have been made to prior period amounts to conform
to
the current year presentation, principally in
the
detailed disclosures within the footnote pertaining to Property, Plant and
Equipment.
NEW
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS
In
July
2006, the FASB issued Interpretation No. 48 “Accounting for Uncertainty in
Income Taxes” ("FIN 48"). The interpretation requires a two step approach for
recognizing and measuring tax benefits based on a recognition threshold of
“more
likely than not”. The FASB also requires explicit disclosures about
uncertainties in tax positions including a detailed rollforward of tax benefits
that do not qualify for financial statement recognition. The adoption of FIN
48
is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2006. On January
1,
2007, the Company implemented FIN 48. At that date, the Company’s liability for
uncertain tax positions amounted to $12.4 million, of which $7.2 million was
classified as a noncurrent liability and the remainder was classified as a
current liability as a component of income tax payable. There was no charge
to
equity upon adoption. For additional information regarding the accounting
treatment and effect of FIN 48, see Note 8 of Notes to the Consolidated
Financial Statements.
In
September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS No. 158, “Employers’ Accounting for Defined
Benefit Pension and Other Post Retirement Plans”, an amendment of FASB
Statements No. 87, 88, 106 and 132(R). SFAS 158 requires employers to recognize
their defined benefit plans’ overfunded or underfunded status in their balance
sheets, requires employers to measure plan assets and plan obligations as of
the
balance sheet date, immediately recognize any remaining transition obligation
currently being deferred, and recognize actuarial gains and losses through
other
comprehensive income. The statement is effective for fiscal years ending after
December 15, 2006. For additional information regarding the accounting treatment
and effect on the Consolidated Balance Sheet of SFAS No. 158,
see Note
12 of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
In
September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements”, which
enhances existing guidance for measuring assets and liabilities using fair
value. This Standard provides a single definition of fair value, together with
a
framework for measuring it, and requires additional disclosure about the use
of
fair value to measure assets and liabilities.
F-18
SFAS
No.
157, as amended by FASB Staff Position 157-2, is effective for financial
statements issued for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2008, and
interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company does not believe that
SFAS No. 157 will have a material impact on its financial
statements.
In
February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159 (“SFAS 159”) “The Fair Value Option
for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities”, providing companies with an
option to report selected financial assets and liabilities at fair value. The
Standard’s objective is to reduce both complexity in accounting for financial
instruments and the volatility in earnings caused by measuring related assets
and liabilities differently. It also requires entities to display the fair
value
of those assets and liabilities for which the Company has chosen to use fair
value on the face of the balance sheet. SFAS 159 is effective for fiscal years
beginning after November 15, 2007. The Company does not believe that SFAS No.
159 will have a material impact on its financial statements.
In
June
2007, the Emerging Issues Task Force of the FASB issued EITF Issue No. 07-3,
"Accounting for Nonrefundable Advance Payments for Goods or Services Received
for Use in Future Research and Development Activities," which is effective
for
calendar year companies on January 1, 2008. The Task Force concluded that
nonrefundable advance payments for goods or services that will be used or
rendered for future research and development activities should be deferred
and
capitalized. Such amounts should be recognized as an expense as the related
goods are delivered or the services are performed, or when the goods or services
are no longer expected to be provided. The Company is currently assessing the
potential impact of implementing this standard.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS 141(R), which replaces SFAS 141 “Business
Combinations”. This statement is intended to improve the relevance, completeness
and representational faithfulness of the information provided in financial
reports about the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed in a business
combination. This Statement requires an acquiror to recognize the assets
acquired, the liabilities assumed, and any noncontrolling interest in the
acquiree at the acquisition date, measured at their fair values as of that
date,
with limited exceptions specified in the Statement. Under SFAS 141(R),
acquisition-related costs, including restructuring costs, must be recognized
separately from the acquisition and will generally be expensed as incurred.
That
replaces SFAS 141’s cost-allocation process, which required the cost of an
acquisition to be allocated to the individual assets acquired and liabilities
assumed based on their estimated fair values. SFAS 141(R) shall be applied
prospectively to business combinations for which the acquisition date is on
or
after the beginning of the first annual report period beginning on or after
December 15, 2008. The Company will implement this statement in
2009.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 160 (“SFAS 160”) “Noncontrolling
Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements”, which is effective on January
1, 2009 for calendar year companies. SFAS 160 amends ARB 51 to establish
accounting and reporting standards for the noncontrolling interest in a
subsidiary and for the deconsolidation of a subsidiary. It also amends certain
of ARB 51’s consolidation procedures for consistency with the requirements of
SFAS 141(R). The
Company does not believe that SFAS 160 will have a material impact on its
financial statements.
F-19
2.
ACQUISITIONS
On
June
30, 2005, the Company acquired the common stock of Netwatch s.r.o., located
in
Prague, the Czech Republic, for approximately $1.9 million in cash,
of
which
$0.5
million was due to the sellers and was paid by the Company during June 2006.
Netwatch s.r.o. is a designer and manufacturer of high-performance fiber optic
and copper cable assemblies for data and telecommunication applications.
Approximately $1.0 million of goodwill arose from the transaction which
goodwill
is
included in the Company’s European reporting unit.
The
acquisition has been accounted for using the purchase method of accounting
and,
accordingly, the results of operation of Netwatch s.r.o. have been included
in
the Company’s consolidated financial statements from June 30, 2005.
There
was
no in process research and development acquired as part of this
acquisition.
On
March
22, 2005, the Company acquired the common stock of Galaxy Power Inc. ("Galaxy"),
located in Westborough, Massachusetts, for approximately $19.0 million in cash
including transaction costs of approximately $0.4 million. Galaxy is a designer
and manufacturer of high-density DC-DC converters for distributed power and
telecommunication applications. The purchase price has been allocated to both
tangible and intangible assets and liabilities based on estimated fair values
after considering an independent formal appraisal. Approximately $11.5 million
of goodwill and $2.6 million of identifiable intangible assets arose from the
transaction and are included in the Company’s North American reporting unit. The
identifiable intangible assets and related deferred tax liabilities are being
amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives.
The
acquisition has been accounted for using the purchase method of accounting
and,
accordingly, the results of operations of Galaxy have been included in the
Company's consolidated financial statements from March 22, 2005.
There
was
no in process research and development acquired as part of this
acquisition.
The
following unaudited pro forma summary results of operations assume that Galaxy
and Netwatch s.r.o. had been acquired as of January 1, 2005 (dollars in
thousands, except per share data):
Year
Ended
|
|
|||
|
|
December
31, 2005
|
||
Net
sales
|
$
|
221,227
|
||
Net
earnings
|
20,026
|
|||
Earnings
per share - diluted
|
||||
Class
A
|
1.65
|
|||
Class
B
|
1.75
|
The
information above is not necessarily indicative of the results of operations
that would have occurred if the acquisitions had been consummated as of January
1, 2005.
Such
information should not be construed as a representation of the future results
of
operations of the Company.
F-20
3.
GOODWILL
AND OTHER INTANGIBLES
Goodwill
represents the excess of the purchase price and related acquisition costs over
the value assigned to the net tangible and other intangible assets with finite
lives acquired in a business acquisition.
Other
intangibles include patents, product information, covenants not-to-compete
and
supply agreements. Amounts assigned to these intangibles have been determined
by
management. Management considered a number of factors in determining the
allocations, including valuations and independent appraisals. Other intangibles
are being amortized over 1 to 10 years. Amortization expense was $0.8 million,
$1.8 million and $2.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and
2005, respectively.
Under
the
terms of the E-Power LTD (“E-Power”) and Current Concepts, Inc. (“Current
Concepts”) acquisition agreements of May 11, 2001, the Company was required to
make contingent purchase price payments up to an aggregate of $7.6 million
should the acquired companies attain specified related sales levels. E-Power
was
to
be paid
$2.0 million in contingent purchase price payments if sales reached
$15.0
million and an additional $4.0 million if sales reached
$25.0
million on a cumulative basis through May 2007. During January 2006, the $2.0
million of contingent purchase price consideration was earned by
E-Power and
during
February
2006, E-Power was paid $2.0 million in contingent purchase price
payments. During
September 2006, an
additional $4.0 million was
earned
when
sales reached $25.0 million on a cumulative basis
and,
as
a
result, $4.0 million was paid in November 2006, and accounted for as additional
purchase price and as an increase to goodwill. No additional payments will
be
made under the E-Power agreement.
Current
Concepts was
to
be
paid 16%
of the first $10.0 million in sales through May 2007. This $10.0 million
benchmark was reached during the second quarter of 2006.
During
the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005, the Company paid approximately
$0.4
million and $0.5 million, respectively, in contingent purchase price payments
to
Current Concepts. The contingent purchase price payments for Current Concepts
were accounted for as additional purchase price and as an increase to covenants
not to compete within intangible assets when such payment obligations were
incurred. No additional payments will be made under the Current Concepts
agreement.
F-21
The
changes in the carrying value of goodwill classified by geographic reporting
units, net of accumulated amortization, for the years ended December 31, 2007
and 2006 are as follows (dollars in thousands):
Total
|
|
Asia
|
|
North
America
|
|
Europe
|
|||||||
Balance,
January 1, 2006
|
$
|
22,428
|
$
|
6,407
|
$
|
14,413
|
$
|
1,608
|
|||||
Goodwill
related to contingent
|
|||||||||||||
purchase
price payments
|
6,000
|
6,000
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||
Purchase
price adjustment -
|
|||||||||||||
reclassification
to intangible assets
|
(670
|
)
|
-
|
(670
|
)
|
-
|
|||||||
Other
purchase price and foreign
|
|||||||||||||
exchange
adjustments
|
359
|
-
|
323
|
36
|
|||||||||
Balance,
December 31, 2006
|
28,117
|
12,407
|
14,066
|
1,644
|
|||||||||
Foreign
exchange
|
330
|
-
|
-
|
330
|
|||||||||
Balance,
December 31, 2007
|
$
|
28,447
|
$
|
12,407
|
$
|
14,066
|
$
|
1,974
|
The
components of intangible assets other than goodwill by geographic reporting
unit
are as follows (dollars in thousands):
December
31, 2007
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Total
|
|
Asia
|
|
North
America
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
Gross
Carrying
|
|
Accumulated
|
|
Gross
Carrying
|
|
Accumulated
|
|
Gross
Carrying
|
|
Accumulated
|
|
||||||
|
|
Amount
|
|
Amortization
|
|
Amount
|
|
Amortization
|
|
Amount
|
|
Amortization
|
|||||||
Patents
and Product
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Information
|
$
|
2,750
|
$
|
2,385
|
$
|
2,468
|
$
|
2,150
|
$
|
282
|
$
|
235
|
|||||||
Customer
relationships
|
1,830
|
1,014
|
-
|
-
|
1,830
|
1,014
|
|||||||||||||
$
|
4,580
|
$
|
3,399
|
$
|
2,468
|
$
|
2,150
|
$
|
2,112
|
$
|
1,249
|
December
31, 2006
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Total
|
|
Asia
|
|
North
America
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
Gross
Carrying
|
|
Accumulated
|
|
Gross
Carrying
|
|
Accumulated
|
|
Gross
Carrying
|
|
Accumulated
|
|
||||||
|
|
Amount
|
|
Amortization
|
|
Amount
|
|
Amortization
|
|
Amount
|
|
Amortization
|
|||||||
Patents
and Product
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Information
|
$
|
2,935
|
$
|
2,251
|
$
|
2,653
|
$
|
2,044
|
$
|
282
|
$
|
207
|
|||||||
Customer
relationships
|
1,830
|
648
|
-
|
-
|
1,830
|
648
|
|||||||||||||
Covenants
not-to-compete
|
5,300
|
5,274
|
4,500
|
4,500
|
800
|
774
|
|||||||||||||
$
|
10,065
|
$
|
8,173
|
$
|
7,153
|
$
|
6,544
|
$
|
2,912
|
$
|
1,629
|
F-22
Estimated
amortization expense for intangible assets for the next five years is as follows
(dollars in thousands):
Year
Ending
|
Amortization
|
|||
December
31,
|
Expense
|
|||
2008
|
$
|
536
|
||
2009
|
432
|
|||
2010
|
131
|
|||
2011
|
24
|
|||
2012
|
10
|
The
weighted-average estimated life of each major intangible asset class as of
December 31, 2007 is as follows:
Weighted-Average
|
||
Intangible
Asset
|
Estimated
Life
|
|
Patents
and product information
|
1.3
years
|
|
Customer
relationships
|
2.2
years
|
The
weighted-average amortization period of the Company’s intangible assets at
December 31, 2007 is 1.7 years.
4. MARKETABLE
SECURITIES
At
December 31, 2007, the Company has an investment consisting of a private
placement of units of beneficial interest in the Columbia Strategic Cash
Portfolio (the “Columbia Portfolio”), which is an enhanced cash fund sold as an
alternative to money-market funds. Since June 2007, the Company has invested
a
portion of its cash balances on hand in this fund; during the second and third
quarters of 2007, the amounts were appropriately classified as cash equivalents
in the consolidated balance sheet as the fund was considered both short-term
and
highly liquid in nature. These investments are subject to credit, liquidity,
market and interest rate risk. For example, the Columbia Portfolio includes
investments in certain asset backed securities and structured investment
vehicles that are collateralized by sub-prime mortgage securities or related
to
mortgage securities, among other assets. As a result of adverse market
conditions that have unfavorably affected the fair value and liquidity
availability of collateral underlying the Columbia Portfolio, the Columbia
Portfolio was overwhelmed with withdrawal requests from investors and it was
closed with a restriction placed upon the cash redemption ability of its holders
in the fourth quarter of 2007. At
that
time, the Company had $25.7 million invested in this fund, including $0.7
million of reinvested interest. As
such,
the Company redesignated the Columbia Portfolio units from cash equivalents
to
short-term investments or long-term investments based upon the liquidation
schedule provided by the fund.
F-23
On
December 21, 2007, the Company received a cash payment of $2.3 million as
redemption for 2,311,635 shares (9%). A realized loss of less than $0.1 million
was recorded and is included in Gain on Sale of Marketable Securities, net
in
the accompanying Statement of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2007.
At December 31, 2007, the closing net asset value (“NAV”) of the Columbia
Portfolio was $0.9874. Subsequent to the Company’s December 31, 2007 year end
and through February 29, 2008, the Company has received additional cash
redemptions of $7.8 million at approximately $.9857 per unit.
As
a
result of these circumstances, the Company deemed a portion of its carrying
value in the Columbia Portfolio to be other-than-temporarily impaired at
December 31, 2007. Accordingly, the Company wrote down the carrying value of
the
investments to their then current market value at December 31, 2007 and the
reduction in value of $0.3 million was recorded as an impairment charge during
the fourth quarter of 2007. This is included in the accompanying Consolidated
Statement of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2007. Information and
the markets relating to these investment remain dynamic, and there may be
further declines in the value of these investments, the value of the collateral
held by these entities, and the liquidity of the Company’s investments. To the
extent the Company determines there is a further decline in fair value, the
Company may recognize additional impairment charges in future periods up to
the
aggregate amount of these investments.
As
of
December 31, 2007, the Company owned a total of 1,840,919 shares, or
approximately 1.9%
of the
outstanding shares,
of the
common stock of Toko, Inc. (“Toko”) at a total cost of $5.6 million. Toko had a
market capitalization of approximately $172.9 million as of December 31, 2007.
These shares are reflected on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as
marketable securities. These marketable securities are considered to be
available for sale under SFAS No. 115, “Accounting for Certain Investments in
Debt and Equity Securities”. Thus, as of December 31, 2007, the Company has
recorded an unrealized loss, net of income tax benefit, of approximately $1.5
million which is included in accumulated other comprehensive loss in
stockholders’ equity. The Company’s investment in Toko has been in an unrealized
loss position for less than twelve months. In accordance with FSP 115-1, the
Company periodically reviews its marketable securities and determines whether
the investments are other-than-temporarily impaired. The Company reviewed
various factors in making its determination, including volatility of the Toko
share price over the last year, Toko’s recent financial results and the
Company’s intention and ability to hold the investment. The Toko share price has
been extremely volatile over the last year, ranging from $1.22 - $4.20 (the
Company’s cost basis in its remaining shares of Toko stock is $3.07 per share).
As discussed below, in the second quarter of 2007, a gain was recognized on
the
disposition of the majority of the Company’s holdings of Toko stock. Toko
recently issued its financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2007
and it showed a quarter over quarter increase in sales of 5.6% as compared
to
the fourth quarter of 2006 and increased profitability. The Company has the
intention and the ability to hold the investment until it is in a gain position.
As a result of these factors, management believes that the investment in Toko
is
not other-than-temporarily impaired.
F-24
During
April 2007, the Company sold 4.0 million shares of common stock of Toko on
the
open market which resulted in a gain of approximately $2.5 million, net of
investment banker fees and other expenses in the amount of $0.8 million. The
Company accrued bonuses of $0.5 million in connection with this gain which
were
paid in January 2008. For financial statement purposes approximately $0.4
million and $0.1 million has been classified within cost of sales and selling,
general and administrative expenses, respectively.
During
2004, the Company acquired a total of 2,037,500 shares of the common stock
of
Artesyn Technologies, Inc. (“Artesyn”) at a total purchase price of $16.3
million. On April 28, 2006, Artesyn was acquired by Emerson Network Power for
$11.00 per share in cash. During the second quarter of 2006, in connection
with
the Company's sale of its Artesyn common stock, the Company recognized a gain
of
approximately $5.2 million, net of investment banker advisory fees of $0.9
million. The Company accrued bonuses of $1.0 million in connection with the
gain. For financial statement purposes approximately $0.3 million and $0.7
million was classified within cost of sales and selling, general and
administrative expenses, respectively, and was paid to key employees in January
2007.
At
December 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively, marketable securities had a cost
of
approximately $5.6 million and $18.0 million, an estimated fair value of
approximately $3.3 million and $15.6 million and gross unrealized losses of
approximately $(2.3) million and $(2.4) million. Such unrealized losses are
included, net of tax, in accumulated other comprehensive loss. The Company
had
no realized losses for the year ended December 31, 2007, 2006 or 2005. Included
in other assets at December 31, 2007 and 2006 are marketable securities
designated for utilization in accordance with the Company’s SERP plan with a
cost of approximately $4.6 million and $3.8 million, respectively, and an
estimated fair value of approximately $4.9 million and $4.1 million,
respectively. The unrealized net gains of $0.3 million in each of 2007 and
2006
are included, net of tax, in accumulated other comprehensive loss.
5.
INVENTORIES
The
components of inventories are as follows (dollars in
thousands):
December
31,
|
|||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Raw
materials
|
$
|
24,089
|
$
|
24,374
|
|||
Work
in progress
|
2,434
|
3,531
|
|||||
Finished
goods
|
12,526
|
18,392
|
|||||
$
|
39,049
|
$
|
46,297
|
6.
CASUALTY
LOSS
During
2006, the Company incurred a $1.0 million pre-tax casualty loss as a result
of a
fire at its leased manufacturing facility in the Dominican Republic for raw
materials and equipment in excess of estimated insurance proceeds. The
production at this facility was substantially restored during July
2006.
F-25
7. PROPERTY,
PLANT AND EQUIPMENT
Property,
plant and equipment consist of the following (dollars in
thousands):
December
31,
|
|||||||
2007
|
|
2006
|
|||||
Land
|
$
|
3,239
|
$
|
3,585
|
|||
Buildings
and improvements
|
27,035
|
25,167
|
|||||
Machinery
and equipment
|
55,425
|
59,083
|
|||||
Construction
in progress
|
3,431
|
1,881
|
|||||
89,130
|
89,716
|
||||||
Less
accumulated depreciation
|
48,017
|
45,427
|
|||||
$
|
41,113
|
$
|
44,289
|
Depreciation
expense for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005 was $7.1 million,
$7.2 million and $7.5 million, respectively.
During
May 2007, the Company sold a parcel of land located in Jersey City, New Jersey
for $6.0 million. The Company had previously estimated that approximately $0.8
million of the proceeds would be payable to the State of New Jersey as a portion
of the property is subject to tideland claims. In December 2007, the Tidelands
Resource Council voted to approve the Bureau of Tideland’s Management’s
recommendation for a Statement of No Interest. As final approval of the
Statement of No Interest is still pending, the Company has continued to defer
the estimated gain on sale of the land, in the amount of $4.6 million. Of the
$6.0 million sales price, the Company received cash of $1.5 million before
closing costs, and $4.6 million (including interest) is being held in escrow
pending final resolution of the State of New Jersey tideland claim and certain
environmental costs the Company is liable for in the maximum amount of $0.4
million. The Company anticipates resolution of this sale, release of the escrow
and corresponding guarantees and recognition of the gain during fiscal 2008.
As
the timing of the release of the escrow of $4.6 million is not under the
Company’s control, it has been classified in non-current assets as restricted
cash and the deferred gain of $4.6 million has been classified in deferred
gain
on the sale of property in the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31,
2007. Additionally, the Company realized a $5.5 million pre-tax gain from the
sale of property, plant and equipment in Hong Kong and Macao during the year
ended December 31, 2007.
8. INCOME
TAXES
The
Company adopted the provisions of FASB Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for
Uncertainties in Income Taxes (“FIN 48”), on January 1, 2007. Although the
implementation of FIN 48 did not impact the total amount of the Company’s
liabilities for uncertain tax positions, which amounted to $12.4 million at
January 1, 2007, the Company separately recognizes the liability for uncertain
tax positions on its balance sheet. Included in the liabilities for uncertain
tax positions at the date of adoption is $1.4 million for interest and
penalties.
F-26
At
December 31, 2007, the Company has approximately $9.2 million of liabilities
for
uncertain tax positions ($2.3 million included in income tax payable and $6.9
million included in liability for uncertain tax positions) all of which, if
recognized, would reduce the Company’s effective tax rate.
The
Company and its subsidiaries file income tax returns in the U.S. federal
jurisdiction and various states and foreign jurisdictions. The Company is no
longer subject to U.S. federal examinations by tax authorities for years before
2004 and for state examinations before 2003. Regarding foreign subsidiaries,
the
Company is no longer subject to examination by tax authorities for years before
2000. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) commenced an examination of the
Company’s U.S. income tax returns for 2004 and reviewed 2003 and 2005 during the
fourth quarter of 2006. During April 2007, the IRS wrote a preliminary letter
to
the Company accepting the tax return as originally filed for 2004.
The
Company is currently being audited by the State of New Jersey, Department of
the
Treasury, Division of Taxation (“New Jersey”) for the years ended December 31,
2003 through 2006. This examination is in its early stages and to date no
adjustments have been proposed by New Jersey.
During
February 2008, the Company received correspondence from the State of California
Franchise Tax Board. They are requesting copies of U.S. federal income tax
returns for the years 2005 and 2006 for further analysis to determine if the
tax
returns will be selected for audit.
The
Inland Revenue Department (“IRD”) of Hong Kong commenced an examination of one
of the Company’s Hong Kong subsidiaries’ income tax returns for the years 2000
through 2005 and issued a notice of additional assessment during 2007 and demand
for tax in the amount of $3.8 million. This was paid in May and August 2007.
There is no interest or penalties in connection with this assessment. The IRD
proposed certain adjustments to the Company’s offshore income tax claim position
which Company management agreed with.
Based
on
possible outcomes of the examinations mentioned above, or as a result of the
expiration of the statute of limitations for specific jurisdictions, it is
reasonably possible that the related unrecognized benefits for tax positions
taken regarding previously filed tax returns may change materially from those
recorded as liabilities for uncertain tax positions in the Company’s
consolidated financial statements at December 31, 2007. Based on the number
of
tax years currently under audit by the relevant tax authorities, the Company
anticipates that several of these audits may be finalized in the next twelve
months. It is not possible to estimate the effect of changes, if any that will
occur to previously recorded uncertain tax positions over the next
year.
F-27
A
reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits
is as follows (dollars
in thousands):
Balance
January 1, 2007
|
$
|
12,396
|
||
Additions
based on tax positions
|
||||
related
to the current year
|
1,669
|
|||
Additions
for tax positions of prior years
|
1,000
|
|||
Expiration
of statutes of limitations
|
(1,382
|
)
|
||
Reductions
for tax positions of prior years
|
(699
|
)
|
||
Settlements
|
(3,793
|
)
|
||
Balance
December 31, 2007
|
$
|
9,191
|
The
Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to uncertain tax
positions as a component of the current provision for income taxes. During
the
year ended December 31, 2007, the Company recognized approximately $0.5 million
in interest and penalties in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. This
amount is included in the $1.7 million noted above, related to additions based
on tax provisions related to the current year. The Company has approximately
$1.8 million accrued for the payment of interest and penalties at December
31,
2007, which is included in both income taxes payable and liability for uncertain
tax positions in the consolidated balance sheet.
The
provision for income taxes consists of the following (dollars in
thousands):
Years
Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||
2007
|
|
2006
|
|
2005
|
||||||
Current:
|
||||||||||
Federal
|
$
|
4,294
|
$
|
4,784
|
$
|
4,590
|
||||
Foreign
|
2,598
|
1,619
|
6,250
|
|||||||
State
|
515
|
430
|
244
|
|||||||
7,407
|
6,833
|
11,084
|
||||||||
Deferred:
|
||||||||||
Federal
and state
|
(2,119
|
)
|
(928
|
)
|
(1,420
|
)
|
||||
Foreign
|
80
|
(60
|
)
|
(2,182
|
)
|
|||||
(2,039
|
)
|
(988
|
)
|
(3,602
|
)
|
|||||
$
|
5,368
|
$
|
5,845
|
$
|
7,482
|
F-28
A
reconciliation of taxes on income computed at the federal statutory rate to
amounts provided is as follows (dollars in thousands).
Years
Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||
2007
|
|
2006
|
|
2005
|
||||||
Tax
provision
|
||||||||||
computed
at the Federal
|
||||||||||
statutory
rate of 35%, 34% and 34%
|
$
|
11,096
|
$
|
10,556
|
$
|
9,423
|
||||
Increase
(decrease) in taxes resulting from:
|
||||||||||
Repatriation
of foreign earnings
|
||||||||||
net
of foreign tax credit of $520 (1)
|
-
|
-
|
3,100
|
|||||||
Different
tax rates and permanent differences
|
||||||||||
applicable
to foreign operations
|
(4,992
|
)
|
(4,816
|
)
|
(5,128
|
)
|
||||
Utilization
of net operating loss carryforward
|
-
|
(66
|
)
|
(122
|
)
|
|||||
Utilization
of research and development tax credits
|
(365
|
)
|
(409
|
)
|
(630
|
)
|
||||
State
taxes, net of federal benefit
|
335
|
279
|
161
|
|||||||
Other,
including qualified production activity credits,
|
||||||||||
non-qualified
disposition of incentive stock options,
|
||||||||||
fair
value of vested stock awards over accruals and
|
||||||||||
amortization
of purchase accounting intangibles
|
(706
|
)
|
301
|
678
|
||||||
$
|
5,368
|
$
|
5,845
|
$
|
7,482
|
(1)
Under
the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (the "Act"), the Company has repatriated
earnings from controlled foreign corporations ("CFC's") in the amount of $70.6
million in order to take advantage of the temporary 85 percent dividends
received deduction for cash dividends in excess of the historical "base-period"
average. This results in an effective federal tax rate of approximately 5.0%.
The election to repatriate these CFC earnings expired on December 31, 2005
and
the dividend proceeds must meet a number of criteria as outlined in the Act
to
be eligible for the favorable tax rate.
Prior
to
the enactment of the Act, it was management’s intention to permanently reinvest
the majority of the earnings of foreign subsidiaries in the expansion of its
foreign operations. Unrepatriated earnings, upon which U.S. income taxes have
not been accrued, are approximately $100.0 million at December 31, 2007.
Such
unrepatriated earnings are deemed by management to be permanently
reinvested.
Estimated income taxes (net of estimated foreign tax credits) related to
unrepatriated foreign earnings are $25.8 million under the current tax law
as
the Act has expired.
F-29
Components
of deferred income tax assets are as follows (dollars in thousands).
December
31,
|
|||||||
2007
|
|
2006
|
|
||||
|
|
Tax
Effect
|
|
Tax
Effect
|
|||
Deferred
Tax Assets - current:
|
|||||||
Unrealized
depreciation in
|
|||||||
marketable
securities
|
$
|
1,007
|
$
|
801
|
|||
United
States net operating loss
|
|||||||
carryforward
|
241
|
-
|
|||||
Foreign
tax credits carryforward
|
564
|
-
|
|||||
Reserves
and accruals
|
849
|
865
|
|||||
$
|
2,661
|
$
|
1,666
|
||||
Deferred
Tax Assets - noncurrent:
|
|||||||
Deferred
gain on sale of property,
|
|||||||
plant
and equipment
|
$
|
1,765
|
$
|
-
|
|||
United
States net operating loss
|
|||||||
carryforward
|
-
|
887
|
|||||
Unfunded
pension liability
|
481
|
686
|
|||||
Depreciation
|
222
|
188
|
|||||
Amortization
|
773
|
519
|
|||||
State
net operating loss and
|
|||||||
credits
carryforward
|
331
|
338
|
|||||
Other
accruals
|
1,123
|
1,145
|
|||||
Valuation
allowances
|
(331
|
)
|
(338
|
)
|
|||
$
|
4,364
|
$
|
3,425
|
The
tax
rate in Macao for the year ended December 31, 2007 is 12%. During the year
ended
December 31, 2005, the Company used a $0.8 million net operating loss which
resulted in a tax savings of approximately $0.1 million.
Galaxy,
at the time of the acquisition, had a net operating loss carry forward of
approximately $5.4 million. The remaining net operating loss carry forward
of
approximately $0.2 million at December 31, 2007, arose principally from the
non-qualified dispositions of stock options and warrants and expires during
2024. The use of the operating loss is limited, due to the change of ownership,
but the Company expects to use the $0.2 million over the next year. The Company
has set up a valuation allowance for losses for certain state carryforwards
that
it believes will not be realized.
During
2005, the Company was granted an offshore operating license from the government
of Macao to set up a Commercial Offshore Company ("MCO") named Bel Fuse (Macao
Commercial Offshore) Limited. Sales to third party customers commenced during
the first quarter of 2006. Sales consist of products manufactured in the PRC.
The MCO is not subject to Macao corporation income taxes.
F-30
9. DEBT
Short-term
debt
As
of
December 31, 2006, a $20 million line of credit was available to the Company
to
borrow. The loan was
collateralized
with a first
priority security interest in 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of
the
capital stock of the Company's material domestic subsidiaries and 65% of all
the
issued and outstanding shares of the capital stock of certain of the foreign
subsidiaries of the Company. During February 2007, the Company entered into
a
new unsecured credit agreement in the amount of $20 million, which expires
on
July 21, 2008. There were no borrowings under the credit agreement during 2007
and as such, there was no balance outstanding as of December 31, 2007. At that
date, the entire $20 million line of credit was available to the Company to
borrow. Loans under the new credit agreement will bear interest at LIBOR plus
0.75% to 1.25% based on certain financial statement ratios maintained by the
Company.
The
Company’s Hong Kong subsidiary has an unsecured line of credit of approximately
$2.0 million which was unused as of December 31, 2007. The line of credit
expires on July 21, 2008. Borrowing on the line of credit is guaranteed by
the
U.S. parent. The line of credit bears interest at a rate determined by the
bank
as the financing is extended.
For
the
years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, the Company recorded interest
expense and other costs of $0.1 million, $0.1 million and $0.3 million,
respectively. Included
in interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2007 is the write-off of
approximately $0.1 million of previously unamortized deferred financing charges
in connection with a credit facility that has been superseded.
10 ACCRUED
EXPENSES
Accrued
expenses consist of the following (dollars in thousands):
Year
Ended December 31,
|
|||||||
2007
|
|
2006
|
|||||
Sales
commissions
|
$
|
2,930
|
$
|
1,716
|
|||
Subcontracting
labor
|
1,723
|
2,033
|
|||||
Salaries,
bonuses and
|
|||||||
related
benefits
|
4,208
|
4,147
|
|||||
Other
|
3,252
|
4,817
|
|||||
$
|
12,113
|
$
|
12,713
|
F-31
11. BUSINESS
SEGMENT INFORMATION
The
Company operates in one industry with three reportable segments. The segments
are geographic and include North America, Asia and Europe. The primary criteria
by which financial performance is evaluated and resources are allocated are
revenues and operating income. The following is a summary of key financial
data
(dollars in thousands):
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||
Net
sales from unrelated
|
||||||||||
entities
and country
|
||||||||||
of
Company's domicile:
|
||||||||||
North
America
|
$
|
78,091
|
$
|
73,241
|
$
|
69,089
|
||||
Asia
|
151,550
|
153,037
|
131,104
|
|||||||
Europe
|
29,496
|
28,655
|
15,723
|
|||||||
$
|
259,137
|
$
|
254,933
|
$
|
215,916
|
|||||
Net
sales:
|
||||||||||
North
America
|
$
|
90,939
|
$
|
80,860
|
$
|
80,836
|
||||
Asia
|
182,301
|
182,808
|
151,992
|
|||||||
Europe
|
30,680
|
30,105
|
16,967
|
|||||||
Less
intergeographic
|
||||||||||
revenues
|
(44,783
|
)
|
(38,840
|
)
|
(33,879
|
)
|
||||
$
|
259,137
|
$
|
254,933
|
$
|
215,916
|
|||||
Income
from Operations:
|
||||||||||
North
America
|
$
|
6,515
|
$
|
2,658
|
$
|
4,020
|
||||
Asia
|
17,488
|
19,622
|
22,391
|
|||||||
Europe
|
1,509
|
838
|
206
|
|||||||
$
|
25,512
|
$
|
23,118
|
$
|
26,617
|
|||||
Long
Lived Assets:
|
||||||||||
North
America
|
$
|
18,786
|
$
|
18,026
|
||||||
Asia
|
26,757
|
30,050
|
||||||||
Europe
|
1,005
|
690
|
||||||||
$
|
46,548
|
$
|
48,766
|
|||||||
Capital
Expenditures:
|
||||||||||
North
America
|
$
|
1,453
|
$
|
2,823
|
$
|
1,328
|
||||
Asia
|
7,069
|
6,783
|
6,322
|
|||||||
Europe
|
196
|
227
|
96
|
|||||||
$
|
8,718
|
$
|
9,833
|
$
|
7,746
|
|||||
Depreciation
and Amortization
|
||||||||||
expense:
|
||||||||||
North
America
|
$
|
1,841
|
$
|
2,314
|
$
|
2,526
|
||||
Asia
|
5,887
|
6,476
|
7,364
|
|||||||
Europe
|
193
|
237
|
214
|
|||||||
$
|
7,921
|
$
|
9,027
|
$
|
10,104
|
F-32
Net
sales
from external customers are attributed to individual segments based on the
geographic source of the billing for such customer sales. Transfers between
geographic areas include finished products manufactured in foreign countries
which are then transferred to the United States and Europe for sale; finished
goods manufactured in the United States which are transferred to Europe and
Asia
for sale; and semi-finished components manufactured in the United States
which
are
sold
to Asia for further processing. Income from operations represents gross profit
less operating expenses.
Long
lived assets consist of property, plant and equipment, net and other assets
of
the Company that are identified with the operations of each geographic
area.
The
territory of Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region (“SAR”) of the PRC
in the middle of 1997. The territory of Macao became a SAR of the PRC at the
end
of 1999. Management cannot presently predict what future impact this will have
on the Company, if any, or how the political climate in the PRC will affect
the
Company's contractual arrangements in the PRC. Substantially all of the
Company's manufacturing operations and approximately 42% of its identifiable
assets are located in Asia. Accordingly, events resulting from any change in
the
"Most Favored Nation" status granted to the PRC by the U.S., could have a
material adverse effect on the Company.
The
Company had sales to one customer in excess of ten percent of consolidated
net
sales in 2007, 2006 and 2005. The amount and percentages of the Company's sales
to this customer in each
year
was $40.3 million (15.6%) in 2007, $42.2 million (16.5%) in 2006 and $32.8
million (15.2%) in 2005 and were derived primarily in Asia. Management believes
that the loss of such customer could
have a
material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated results of operations,
financial position and cash flows.
The
Company realized a $5.5 million pre-tax gain from the sale of property, plant
and equipment in Asia related to the sale of facilities in Hong Kong and Macao
during the year ended December 31, 2007.
12. RETIREMENT
FUND AND PROFIT SHARING PLAN
The
Company maintains a domestic profit sharing plan and a contributory stock
ownership and savings 401(K) plan, which combines stock ownership and individual
voluntary savings provisions to provide retirement benefits for plan
participants. The plan provides for participants to voluntarily contribute
a
portion of their compensation, subject to certain legal maximums. The Company
will match, based on a sliding scale, up to $350 for the first $600 contributed
by each participant. Matching contributions plus additional discretionary
contributions are made with Company stock purchased in the open market.
The
expense for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005 amounted to
approximately $0.5 million, $0.5 million and $0.4 million, respectively. As
of
December 31, 2007, the plans owned 17,136 and 149,450 shares of Bel Fuse Inc.
Class A and Class B common stock, respectively.
F-33
The
Company's subsidiaries in Asia have a retirement fund covering substantially
all
of their Hong Kong based full-time employees. Eligible employees contribute
up
to 5% of salary to the fund. In addition, the Company must contribute a minimum
of 5% of eligible salary, as determined by Hong Kong government regulations.
The
Company currently contributes 7% of eligible salary, in cash or Company stock.
The
expense for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005 amounted to
approximately $0.4 million, $0.4 million and $0.5 million, respectively. As
of
December 31, 2007, the plan owned 3,323 and 17,342 shares of Bel Fuse Inc.
Class
A and Class B common stock, respectively.
The
Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (the "SERP" or the “Plan”) is designed to
provide a limited group of key management and highly compensated employees
of
the Company with
supplemental
retirement and death benefits. Participants
in the SERP are selected by the Compensation Committee of the Board of
Directors.
The
SERP initially became effective in 2002
and
was amended and restated in April 2007 to conform with applicable requirements
of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code and to modify the provisions
regarding benefits payable in connection with a change in control of the
Company. The
Plan
is unfunded. Benefits under the SERP are payable from the general assets of
the
Company, but the Company has certain life insurance policies in effect on
participants to partially cover the Company’s obligations under the Plan. The
Plan also allows the Company to establish a grantor trust to provide for the
payment of Plan benefits. The benefits available under the Plan vary according
to when and how the participant terminates employment with the Company. If
a
participant retires (with the prior written consent of the Company) on his
normal retirement date (65 years old, 20 years of service, and 5 years of Plan
participation), his normal retirement benefit under the Plan would be annual
payments equal to 40% of his average base compensation (calculated using
compensation from the highest 5 consecutive calendar years of Plan
participation), payable in monthly installments for the remainder of his life.
If a participant retires early from the Company (55 years old, 20 years of
service, and 5 years of Plan participation), his early retirement benefit under
the Plan would be an amount (i) calculated as if his early retirement date
were
in fact his normal retirement date, (ii) multiplied by a fraction, with the
numerator being the actual years of service the participant has with the Company
and the denominator being the years of service the participant would have had
if
he had retired at age 65, and (iii) actuarially reduced to reflect the early
retirement date. If a participant dies prior to receiving 120 monthly payments
under the Plan, his beneficiary would be entitled to continue receiving benefits
for the shorter of (i) the time necessary to complete 120 monthly payments
or
(ii) 60 months. If a participant dies while employed by the Company, his
beneficiary would receive, as a survivor benefit, an annual amount equal to
(i)
100% of the participant’s annual base salary at date of death for one year, and
(ii) 50% of the participant’s annual base salary at date of death for each of
the following 4 years, each payable in monthly installments. The Plan also
provides for disability benefits, and a forfeiture of
benefits if a participant terminates employment for reasons other than those
contemplated under the Plan. The expense for the years ended December 31, 2007,
2006 and 2005 amounted to approximately $0.7 million, $0.7 million and $0.7
million, respectively.
F-34
The
following provides a reconciliation of benefit obligations, the funded status
of
the SERP and a summary of significant assumptions (dollars in
thousands):
December
31,
|
2007
|
|
2006
|
|
2005
|
|||||
Change
in benefit obligation:
|
||||||||||
Projected
benefit obligation at beginning of year
|
$
|
4,728
|
$
|
4,476
|
$
|
2,890
|
||||
Service
cost
|
313
|
325
|
332
|
|||||||
Interest
cost
|
282
|
243
|
212
|
|||||||
Plan
amendments
|
-
|
-
|
445
|
|||||||
Benefits
paid
|
(75
|
)
|
(131
|
)
|
(38
|
)
|
||||
Actuarial
(gains) losses
|
(550
|
)
|
(185
|
)
|
635
|
|||||
Minimum
pension obligation and
|
||||||||||
unfunded
pension liability
|
$
|
4,698
|
$
|
4,728
|
$
|
4,476
|
||||
Funded
status of plan:
|
||||||||||
Under
funded status
|
$
|
(4,698
|
)
|
$
|
(4,728
|
)
|
$
|
(4,476
|
)
|
|
Unrecognized
net loss
|
-
|
-
|
870
|
|||||||
Unrecognized
prior service costs
|
-
|
-
|
1,811
|
|||||||
Accrued
pension cost
|
$
|
(4,698
|
)
|
$
|
(4,728
|
)
|
$
|
(1,795
|
)
|
|
Change
in plan assets:
|
||||||||||
Fair
value of plan assets, beginning of year
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
||||
Company
contributions
|
75
|
131
|
38
|
|||||||
Benefit
paid
|
(75
|
)
|
(131
|
)
|
(38
|
)
|
||||
Fair
value of plan assets, end of year
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
||||
Balance
sheet amounts:
|
||||||||||
Minimum
pension obligation and
|
||||||||||
unfunded
pension liability
|
$
|
4,698
|
$
|
4,728
|
||||||
Accumulated
other comprehensive loss
|
$
|
(1,154
|
)
|
$
|
(1,647
|
)
|
The
components of SERP expense are as
follows:
|
Year
Ended December 31,
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|||
Service
cost
|
$
|
313
|
$
|
325
|
$
|
332
|
||||
Interest
cost
|
282
|
243
|
212
|
|||||||
Net
amortization and deferral
|
146
|
161
|
155
|
|||||||
Total
SERP expense
|
$
|
741
|
$
|
729
|
$
|
699
|
||||
Assumption
percentages:
|
||||||||||
Discount
rate
|
6.50
|
%
|
6.00
|
%
|
5.50
|
%
|
||||
Rate
of compensation increase
|
3.00
|
%
|
3.00
|
%
|
3.00
|
%
|
The
accumulated benefit obligation for the SERP was $3.6 million and $3.5 million
as
of December 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively.
F-35
In
September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued SFAS
No. 158, “Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Post
Retirement Plans”, (“SFAS No. 158”). This statement is effective for fiscal
years ending after December 15, 2006 and is applicable for the Company’s SERP
Plan.
The
amount of net gain and prior service cost on a pretax basis included in Other
Comprehensive Income was $0 and $0.1 million, respectively, during the year
ended December 31, 2007 and $0.7 million and $1.7 million, respectively,
during
the year ended
December 31, 2006.
The
estimated portion of net periodic gain and prior service cost that will be
recognized as a component of net periodic benefit cost over the next fiscal
year
is $0 and $0.1 million, respectively. The Company expects to contribute $0.8
million to the SERP in 2008.
The
Company had no net transition assets or obligations recognized as an adjustment
to Other Comprehensive Income and does not anticipate any plan assets being
returned to the Company during 2008, as the plan has no assets.
The
following benefit payments, which reflect expected future service, as
appropriate, are expected to be paid (dollars in thousands):
Years
Ending
|
||||
December
31,
|
||||
2008
|
$
|
75
|
||
2009
|
75
|
|||
2010
|
130
|
|||
2011
|
74
|
|||
2012
|
74
|
|||
2013
- 2017
|
1,168
|
13.
SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION
On
January 1, 2006, the Company adopted SFAS No. 123 (R)
"Share-Based Payment" requiring the recognition of compensation expense in
the
Consolidated Statements of Operations related to the fair value of its employee
stock-based options and awards. SFAS No. 123 (R)
revises SFAS No. 123 "Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation" and supercedes
APB Opinion No. 25 "Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees." SFAS No. 123(R)
is supplemented by SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin ("SAB") No. 107 "Share-Based
Payment." SAB No. 107 expresses the SEC staff's views regarding the interaction
between SFAS No. 123(R) and certain SEC rules and regulations including the
valuation of stock-based payment arrangements.
F-36
The
Company recognizes the cost of all employee stock options on a straight-line
attribution basis over their respective vesting periods, net of estimated
forfeitures. The Company has selected the modified prospective method of
transition; accordingly, prior periods have not been restated. Prior to adopting
SFAS No. 123(R), the Company applied APB Opinion No. 25
and
related interpretations in accounting for its stock-based compensation plans.
All employee stock options were granted at or above the grant date market price.
Accordingly, prior to 2006 no compensation cost was recognized for fixed stock
option grants.
On
December 31, 2007, the Company has one stock-based compensation plan, which
is
described below. During the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, the adoption
of SFAS No. 123(R) resulted in incremental stock-based compensation expense
of
approximately $0.1 million and $0.5 million, respectively. The incremental
stock-based compensation expense caused both the basic and diluted earnings
per
common share to each
decrease
by $.04 and $.04 per share for Class A common stock and $.03 and $.03 per share
for Class B common stock, respectively, for
the
year
ended December 31, 2006
and
by $.01 and $.01 per share for Class A common stock and $.01 and $.01 per share
for Class B common stock, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2007.
In
addition, in connection with the adoption of SFAS No. 123 (R),
net
cash provided by operating activities decreased and net cash provided by
financing activities increased during the years ended December 31, 2007 and
2006
by $0.1 million and $0.3 million, respectively, related to excess tax benefits
from stock-based payment arrangements.
The
aggregate pretax compensation cost recognized in net earnings for stock-based
compensation (including incentive stock options, restricted stock and dividends
on restricted stock, as further discussed below) amounted to approximately
$1.5
million, $1.6 million and $0.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2007,
2006 and 2005, respectively.
The
Company did not use any cash to settle any equity instruments granted under
share based arrangements during the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006.
Under
the
provisions of SFAS 123(R), the recognition of deferred compensation,
representing the amount of unrecognized restricted stock expense that is reduced
as expense is recognized, at the date restricted stock is granted, is no longer
required. Therefore, at January 1, 2006, the amount that had been in "Deferred
compensation" in the Consolidated Balance Sheet was reversed to zero and is
currently included in additional paid in capital.
Stock
Options
The
Company has an
equity
compensation program
(the
"Program")
which
provides for the granting of "Incentive Stock Options" within
the meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended,
non-qualified stock options and restricted stock awards.
The
Company believes that such awards better align the interest of its employees
with those of its shareholders. The Plan provides for the issuance of 2.4
million common shares. Unless
otherwise provided at the date of grant or unless subsequently accelerated,
options granted under the Program become
exercisable twenty-five percent (25%) one
year
from the date of grant and twenty-five percent (25%) for each year of the three
years thereafter. Upon exercise the Company will issue new shares. The exercise
price of incentive
stock
options
granted pursuant to the Plan is not to be less than 100 percent of the fair
market value of the shares on the date of grant. In
general,
no option will be exercisable after ten
years
from the date granted.
F-37
No
incentive stock options were granted in 2007, 2006 or 2005. Expected lives
of
options previously granted were estimated using the historical exercise behavior
of employees. Expected volatilities were based on implied volatilities from
historical volatility of the Company’s stock. The Company uses historical data
to estimate employee forfeitures. The risk free rate is based on the U.S.
Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant.
Information
regarding the Company’s stock
options
for the
year ended December 31, 2007 is as follows. All of the stock options noted
below
relate to options to purchase shares of the Company’s Class B common
stock.
Stock
Options
|
Shares
|
Weighted-
Average Exercise Price
|
Weighted-
Average Remaining Contractual Term
|
Aggregate
Intrinsic Value (in 000's)
|
|||||||||
Outstanding
at January 1, 2007
|
137,813
|
$
|
25.59
|
||||||||||
Exercised
|
(63,313
|
)
|
22.94
|
||||||||||
Granted
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||
Cancelled
|
(4,500
|
)
|
18.89
|
||||||||||
Outstanding
at December 31, 2007
|
70,000
|
$
|
28.42
|
1.8
years
|
$
|
177
|
|||||||
Exercisable
at December 31, 2007
|
36,500
|
$
|
26.72
|
1.2
years
|
$
|
177
|
During
the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006 the Company received $1.5 million
and
$3.2 million from the exercise of stock options and realized tax benefits of
approximately $0.1 million and $0.3 million, respectively. The total intrinsic
value of options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and
2005 was $0.9 million, $1.5 million and $2.9 million, respectively. Stock
compensation expense applicable to stock options for the years ended December
31, 2007, 2006 and 2005 was approximately $0.1 million, $0.5 million and $0,
respectively.
A
summary
of the status of the Company’s non-vested options as of December 31, 2007 and
2006 and changes during the year ended December 31, 2007 is presented
below:
Nonvested
options
|
Options
|
Weighted-Average
Grant-Date Fair Value
|
|||||
Nonvested
at December 31, 2006
|
91,000
|
$
|
25.78
|
||||
Granted
|
-
|
-
|
|||||
Vested
|
(53,000
|
)
|
$
|
23.09
|
|||
Forfeited
|
(4,500
|
)
|
$
|
18.89
|
|||
Nonvested
at December 31, 2007
|
33,500
|
$
|
30.28
|
F-38
At
December 31, 2007 there was less than $0.1 million of total unrecognized cost
related to nonvested stock-based compensation arrangements under the Program.
The
cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of one year.
The fair value of options that vested during the years ended December 31, 2007
and 2006 was $1.6 million and $1.5 million, respectively. The aggregate
intrinsic value of options vested during 2007 was $0.4 million. Currently,
the
Company believes that substantially all options will vest.
Restricted
Stock Awards
The
Company provides common stock awards to certain officers and key employees.
The
Company grants these awards, at its discretion, from the shares available under
the Program.
Unless otherwise provided at the date of grant or unless subsequently
accelerated, the
shares
awarded are earned in 25% increments on the second,
third, fourth and fifth anniversaries of the award,
respectively, and are distributed provided the employee has remained employed
by
the Company through such anniversary dates; otherwise the unearned shares are
forfeited. The market value of these shares at the date of award is recorded
as
compensation expense on the straight-line method over the five year
periods from the respective award dates, as adjusted for forfeitures of unvested
awards. During 2007, 2006 and 2005, the Company issued 74,200, 21,600 and
152,400 class B common shares, respectively, under a restricted stock plan
to
various officers and employees. The shares vest 25% after two years of
employment with an additional 25% vesting in each of years three through five.
This resulted in pre-tax compensation expense of $1.3 million, $1.1 million
and
$0.2 million ($0.9 million, $0.8 million and $0.2 million, after tax benefit)
for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively.
A
summary
of the activity under the Restricted Stock Awards Plan as of December 31, 2007
is presented below:
Restricted
Stock Awards
|
Shares
|
Weighted
Average Award Price
|
Weighted
Average Remaining Contractual Term
|
|||||||
Outstanding
at January 1, 2007
|
167,000
|
$
|
34.93
|
|||||||
Granted
|
74,200
|
$
|
36.40
|
|||||||
Vested
|
(34,250
|
)
|
$
|
35.49
|
||||||
Forfeited
|
(11,550
|
)
|
$
|
36.95
|
||||||
Outstanding
at December 31, 2007
|
195,400
|
$
|
35.31
|
3.43
|
As
of
December 31, 2007, there was $5.4 million of total pre-tax unrecognized
compensation cost included within additional paid-in-capital related to
non-vested stock based compensation arrangements granted under the restricted
stock award plan; that cost is expected to be recognized over a period of 4.4
years.
The
Company's policy is to issue new shares to satisfy Restricted Stock Awards
and stock
option exercises. Currently the Company believes that substantially all
restricted stock awards will vest.
F-39
14.
COMMON STOCK
During
2000, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized the purchase of up to
ten
percent of the Company’s outstanding common shares. As of December 31, 2007, the
Company had purchased and retired 23,600 Class B common shares at a cost of
approximately $0.8 million and had purchased and retired 160,033 Class A common
shares at a cost of approximately $5.7 million. No shares of Class B common
stock were repurchased during the year ended December 31, 2007 and 160,033
shares of Class A common stock were repurchased during the year ended December
31, 2007.
There
are
no contractual restrictions on the Company's ability to pay dividends provided
the Company is not in default immediately before such payment and after giving
effect to such payment. On February 1, 2007, May 1, 2007 and August 1, 2007
the
Company paid a $0.05 per share dividend to all shareholders of record of Class
B
Common Stock in the total amount of $0.5 million, $0.5 million and $0.5 million,
respectively. On February 1, 2007, May 1, 2007 and August 1, 2007 the Company
paid a $0.04 per share dividend to all shareholders of record of Class A Common
Stock in the total amount of $0.1 million, $0.1 million and $0.1 million,
respectively. During July 2007 the Board of Directors of the Company authorized
an increase in the dividends by $.02 per share per quarter for both Class A
and
B common shares effective with the November 2007 dividend payment. As a result,
on November 1, 2007, the Company paid a $0.06 and $0.07 per share dividend
to
all shareholders of record at October 15, 2007 of Class A and Class B Common
Stock, respectively,
in
the
total
amount
of $0.2 million and $0.6 million, respectively. On February 1, 2006, May 1,
2006, August 1, 2006 and November 1, 2006 the Company paid a $0.05 per share
dividend to all shareholders of record of Class B Common Stock in the total
amount of $0.4 million, $0.4 million, $0.4 million and $0.5 million,
respectively. On February 1, 2006, May 1, 2006, August 1, 2006 and November
1,
2006 the Company paid a $0.04 per share dividend to all shareholders of record
of Class A Common Stock in the total amount of $0.1 million, $0.1 million,
$0.1
million and $0.1 million, respectively.
F-40
15. COMMITMENTS
AND CONTINGENCIES
Leases
The
Company leases various facilities. Some of these leases require the Company
to
pay certain executory costs (such as insurance and maintenance).
Future
minimum lease payments for operating leases are approximately as follows
(dollars in thousands):
Years
Ending
|
||||
December
31,
|
||||
2008
|
$
|
1,595
|
||
2009
|
1,107
|
|||
2010
|
792
|
|||
2011
|
695
|
|||
2012
|
622
|
|||
Thereafter
|
444
|
|||
$
|
5,255
|
Rental
expense was approximately $2.0 million, $1.7 million and $1.6 million for the
years ended December 31, 2007, 2006, and 2005, respectively.
Other
Commitments
The
Company submits purchase orders for raw materials to various vendors throughout
the year for current production requirements, as well as forecasted
requirements. Certain of these purchase orders relate to special purpose
material, and as such, the Company may incur penalties if the order is
cancelled. At December 31, 2007, the Company has outstanding purchase orders
related to the purchase
of raw
materials in the aggregate amount of $22.3 million.
Legal
Proceedings
The
Company is a defendant in a lawsuit captioned Synqor, Inc. v. Artesyn
Technologies, Inc., Astec America, Inc., Emerson Network Power, Inc., Emerson
Electric Co., Bel Fuse Inc., Cherokee International Corp., Delta Electronics,
Inc., Delta Products Corp., Murata Electronics North America, Inc., Murata
Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Power-One, Inc., Tyco Electronics Corp. and Tyco
Electronics Ltd. brought in the United States District Court, Eastern District
of Texas in November 2007. Plaintiff claims the Company infringed its patents
covering certain power products. Synqor is seeking unspecified damages. The
Company filed an Answer to Synqor’s complaint, denying the allegations of
infringement and asserting invalidity of the patents.
F-41
The
Company is a defendant in a lawsuit captioned Halo Electronics, Inc. (“Halo”) v.
Bel Fuse Inc., Pulse Engineering, Inc. and Technitrol, Inc. brought in Nevada
Federal District Court. Plaintiff claims that the Company has infringed its
patents covering certain surface mount discrete magnetic products made by the
Company. Halo is seeking unspecified damages, which it claims should be trebled.
In December 2007, this case was dismissed by the Nevada Federal District Court
for lack of personal jurisdiction. Halo then re-filed this suit in the Northern
California Federal District Court, captioned Halo Electronics, Inc. v. Bel
Fuse
Inc., Elec & Eltek (USA) Corporation, Wurth Electronics Midcom, Inc., and
Xfmrs, Inc.
The
Company is a plaintiff in a lawsuit captioned Bel Fuse Inc. v. Halo Electronics,
Inc. brought in the United States District Court of New Jersey during May 2007.
The Company claims that Halo has infringed a patent covering certain integrated
connector modules made by Halo. The Company is seeking unspecified damages
plus
interest, costs and attorney fees.
The
Company and two of its officers were defendants in a wrongful termination
lawsuit brought in the District Court of Frankfurt am Main, Germany by a former
employee at a foreign subsidiary of the Company. During July 2007, this lawsuit
was settled for approximately $0.5 million. The Company had provided for this
liability in its financial statements prior to the settlement.
The
Company is a plaintiff in a lawsuit captioned Bel Fuse Inc. and Bel Power,
Inc.
v. Andrew Ferencz, Gregory Zvonar, Bernhard Schroter, EE2GO, Inc., Howard E.
Kaepplein and William Ng, brought in the Superior Court of the Commonwealth
of
Massachusetts. The Company was granted injunctive relief and is seeking damages
against the former stockholders of Galaxy Power, Inc., key employees of Galaxy
and a corporation formed by some or all of the individual defendants. The
Company has alleged that the defendants violated their written non-competition,
non-disclosure and non-solicitation agreements, diverted business and usurped
substantial business opportunities with key customers, misappropriated
confidential information and trade secrets, and harmed the Company’s business.
In
a
related matter, the Company is a defendant in a lawsuit captioned Robert
Chimielnski, P.C. on behalf of the stockholder representatives and the former
stockholders of Galaxy Power, Inc. v. Bel Fuse Inc. et al. brought in the
Superior Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This complaint for damages
and injunctive relief is based on an alleged breach of contract and other
allegedly illegal acts in a corporate context arising out of the Company’s
objection to the release of nearly $2.0 million held in escrow under the terms
of the stock purchase agreement between Galaxy and the Company.
The
Company is a defendant in a lawsuit captioned Murata Manufacturing Company,
Ltd.
v. Bel Fuse Inc. et al, brought in Illinois Federal District Court. Plaintiff
claims that its patent covers all of the Company's modular jack products. That
party had previously advised the Company that it was willing to grant a
non-exclusive license to the Company under the patent for a 3% royalty on all
future gross sales of ICM products; payment of a lump sum of 3% of past sales
including sales of applicable Insilco products; an annual minimum royalty of
$0.5 million; payment of all attorney fees; and marking of all licensed ICM's
with the third party's patent
number. The Company is also a defendant in a lawsuit, captioned Regal
Electronics, Inc. v. Bel Fuse Inc., brought in California Federal District
Court. Plaintiff claims that its patent covers certain of the Company's modular
jack products. That party had previously advised the Company that it was willing
to grant a non-transferable license to the Company for an up front fee of $0.5
million plus a 6% royalty on future sales. The District Court has granted
summary judgment in the Company's favor dismissing Regal Electronics'
infringement claims, while at the same time dismissing the Company's invalidity
counterclaim against Regal Electronics. Regal has appealed the Court's rejection
of its infringement claims to the U.S. Court of Appeals. The case was heard on
February 6, 2007 and the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the District Court’s
ruling in favor of the Company.
F-42
The
Company cannot predict the outcome of the unresolved matters; however,
management believes that the ultimate resolution of these matters will not
have
a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial condition or results
of operations. As of December 31, 2007, no amounts have been accrued in
connection with these lawsuits, as the amounts are not determinable.
The
Company is not a party to any other legal proceeding, the adverse outcome of
which is likely
to
have a
material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial condition or
results of operations.
16. ACCUMULATED
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
The
components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) as of December
31,
2007 and 2006 are summarized below (dollars in thousands)
2007
|
|
2006
|
|||||
Foreign
currency translation adjustment
|
$
|
2,101
|
$
|
1,141
|
|||
Unrealized
holding loss on available-for-sale
|
|||||||
securities
under SFAS No. 115, net of
|
|||||||
taxes
of $(789) and $(801) as of
|
|||||||
December
31, 2007 and 2006
|
(1,291
|
)
|
(1,310
|
)
|
|||
Unfunded
SERP liability related to SFAS
|
|||||||
No.
158, net of taxes of $(483) and $(686)
|
|||||||
as
of December 31, 2007 and 2006
|
(1,154
|
)
|
(1,647
|
)
|
|||
Accumulated
other comprehensive loss
|
$
|
(344
|
)
|
$
|
(1,816
|
)
|
F-43
17. SUBSEQUENT
EVENT
On
February 25, 2008, the Company announced that it had acquired 4,370,052 shares
of Power-One, Inc. (“Power-One”) common stock representing, to the Company’s
knowledge, 5% of Power-One’s outstanding common stock, at a total purchase price
of $10.1 million. Power-One’s common stock is quoted on the NASDAQ Global
Market. Power-One is a designer and manufacturer of power conversion and power
management products.
F-44
CONDENSED
SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA
|
||||||||||
(Unaudited)
|
||||||||||
(In
thousands, except per share
data)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
Year
|
|
|||||||
|
|
Quarter
Ended
|
|
Ended
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
March
31,
|
|
June
30,
|
|
September
30,
|
|
December
31,
|
|
December
31,
|
|
|||||
|
|
2007
|
|
2007
|
|
2007
|
|
2007
|
|
2007
(1)
|
|
|||||
Net
sales
|
$
|
61,807
|
$
|
61,612
|
$
|
66,379
|
$
|
69,339
|
$
|
259,137
|
||||||
Gross
profit
|
13,916
|
13,014
|
14,091
|
15,109
|
56,130
|
|||||||||||
Net
earnings
|
4,009
|
6,158
|
5,914
|
10,255
|
26,336
|
|||||||||||
Earnings
per Class A common share:
|
||||||||||||||||
Basic
|
$
|
0.32
|
$
|
0.49
|
$
|
0.47
|
$
|
0.83
|
$
|
2.11
|
||||||
Diluted
|
$
|
0.32
|
$
|
0.49
|
$
|
0.47
|
$
|
0.83
|
$
|
2.11
|
||||||
Earnings
per Class B common share:
|
||||||||||||||||
Basic
|
$
|
0.34
|
$
|
0.52
|
$
|
0.50
|
$
|
0.88
|
$
|
2.25
|
||||||
Diluted
|
$
|
0.34
|
$
|
0.52
|
$
|
0.50
|
$
|
0.88
|
$
|
2.24
|
|
Total
Year
|
|||||||||||||||
|
Quarter
Ended
|
Ended
|
||||||||||||||
|
March
31,
|
June
30,
|
September
30,
|
December
31,
|
December
31,
|
|||||||||||
2006
|
2006
|
2006
|
2006
|
2006
|
||||||||||||
Net
sales
|
$
|
54,626
|
$
|
66,474
|
$
|
73,260
|
$
|
60,573
|
$
|
254,933
|
||||||
Gross
profit
|
14,639
|
16,212
|
17,450
|
13,647
|
61,948
|
|||||||||||
Net
earnings
|
3,997
|
8,763
|
7,745
|
4,698
|
25,203
|
|||||||||||
Earnings
per Class A common share:
|
||||||||||||||||
Basic
|
$
|
0.32
|
$
|
0.71
|
$
|
0.62
|
$
|
0.38
|
$
|
2.03
|
||||||
Diluted
|
$
|
0.32
|
$
|
0.71
|
$
|
0.62
|
$
|
0.38
|
$
|
2.03
|
||||||
Earnings
per Class B common share:
|
||||||||||||||||
Basic
|
$
|
0.35
|
$
|
0.75
|
$
|
0.66
|
$
|
0.40
|
$
|
2.16
|
||||||
Diluted
|
$
|
0.34
|
$
|
0.75
|
$
|
0.66
|
$
|
0.40
|
$
|
2.15
|
(1) |
Quarterly
amounts of earnings per share may not agree to the total for the
year due
to rounding.
|
F-45
BEL
FUSE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
|
||||||||||
SCHEDULE
II - VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS
|
||||||||||
(Amounts
in thousands)
|
Column
A
|
Column
B
|
|
Column
C
|
|
Column
D
|
|
Column
E
|
|
Column
F
|
|||||||
|
|
Charged
|
|
Additions
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
Balance
at
|
|
to
profit
|
|
Charged
|
|
Deductions
|
|
Balance
|
|
|||||
|
|
beginning
|
|
and
loss
|
|
to
other
|
|
(describe)
|
|
at
close
|
|
|||||
Description
|
|
of
period
|
|
or
income
|
|
accounts
(b)
|
|
(a)
|
|
of
period
|
||||||
Year
ended December 31, 2007
|
||||||||||||||||
Allowance
for doubtful
|
||||||||||||||||
accounts
|
$
|
1,087
|
$
|
(50
|
)
|
$
|
48
|
|
$
|
108
|
$
|
977
|
||||
Allowance
for excess and
|
||||||||||||||||
obsolete
inventory
|
$
|
5,004
|
$
|
(1,134
|
)
|
$
|
17
|
$
|
621
|
$
|
3,266
|
|||||
Year
ended December 31, 2006
|
||||||||||||||||
Allowance
for doubtful
|
||||||||||||||||
accounts
|
$
|
1,107
|
$
|
707
|
$
|
109
|
|
$
|
836
|
$
|
1,087
|
|||||
Allowance
for excess and
|
||||||||||||||||
obsolete
inventory
|
$
|
5,017
|
$
|
1,470
|
$
|
(65
|
)
|
$
|
1,418
|
$
|
5,004
|
|||||
Year
ended December 31, 2005
|
||||||||||||||||
Allowance
for doubtful
|
||||||||||||||||
accounts
|
$
|
1,610
|
$
|
275
|
$
|
25
|
|
$
|
803
|
$
|
1,107
|
|||||
Allowance
for excess and
|
||||||||||||||||
obsolete
inventory
|
$
|
5,471
|
$
|
867
|
$
|
475
|
$
|
1,796
|
$
|
5,017
|
(a) |
Write
offs
|
(b) |
Includes
foreign currency translation
adjustments
|
S-1
Item
9.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial
Disclosures.
Not
applicable
Item
9A Controls
and Procedures
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
During
the fourth quarter of 2007, the Company’s management, including the principal
executive officer and principal financial officer, evaluated the Company’s
disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) related to the recording, processing,
summarization, and reporting of information in the Company’s periodic reports
that the Company files with the SEC. These disclosure controls and procedures
have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company,
including its subsidiaries, is made known to the Company’s management, including
these officers, by other of the Company’s employees, and that this information
is recorded, processed, summarized, evaluated, and reported, as applicable,
within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. The Company’s
controls and procedures can only provide reasonable, not absolute, assurance
that the above objectives have been met. Notwithstanding these limitations,
the
Company believes that its disclosure controls and procedures are designed to
provide reasonable assurances of achieving their objectives.
Based
on
their evaluation as of December 31, 2007, the Company’s principal executive
officer and principal financial officer have concluded that the Company’s
disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) are effective to ensure that the
information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that the
Company files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is recorded,
processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC
rules and forms.
-46-
Management’s
Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
The
Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate
internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange
Act Rules 13a-15(f). Under the supervision and with the participation of the
Company’s management, including the Company’s principal executive officer and
principal financial officer, the Company conducted an evaluation of the
effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based
on the framework in Internal
Control - Integrated Framework
issued
by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based
on the Company’s evaluation under the framework in Internal
Control
-
Integrated
Framework,
the
Company’s management concluded that the Company’s internal control over
financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2007.
The
Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche
LLP, has audited the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over
financial reporting as of December 31, 2007 and has expressed an unqualified
opinion in their report which is included herein.
-47-
Changes
in Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting
There
have been no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting
that occurred during the last fiscal quarter to which this Annual Report on
Form
10-K relates that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to
materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial
reporting.
Item
9b.
Other
Information
Not
applicable.
Item
10.
Directors,
Executive Officers and
Corporate Governance
The
Registrant incorporates by reference herein information to be set forth in
its
definitive proxy statement for its 2008 annual meeting of shareholders that
is
responsive to the information required with respect to this item.
The
Registrant has adopted a code of ethics for its directors, executive officers
and all other senior financial personnel. The Registrant will make copies of
its
code of ethics available to investors upon request. Any such request should
be
sent by mail to Bel Fuse Inc., 206 Van Vorst Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302
Attn:
Colin Dunn or should be made by telephone by calling Colin Dunn at 201-432-0463.
Item
11.
Executive
Compensation
The
Registrant incorporates by reference herein information to be set forth in
its
definitive proxy statement for its 2008 annual meeting of shareholders that
is
responsive to the information required with respect to this Item.
Item
12.
Security
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related
Stockholder Matters
The
Registrant incorporates by reference herein information to be set forth in
its
definitive proxy statement for its 2008 annual meeting of shareholders that
is
responsive to the information required with respect to this Item.
Item
13.
Certain
Relationships and Related Transactions,
and
Director Independence
The
Registrant incorporates by reference herein information to be set forth in
its
definitive proxy statement for its 2008 annual meeting of shareholders that
is
responsive to the information required with respect to this Item.
Item
14.
Principal
Accounting Fees and Services
The
Registrant incorporates by reference herein information to be set forth in
its
definitive proxy statement for its 2008 annual meeting of shareholders that
is
responsive to the information required with respect to this Item.
-48-
PART
IV
Item
15.
|
Exhibits,
Financial Statement Schedules
|
Page
|
||||
(a)
|
Financial
Statements
|
|||
1.
|
Financial
statements filed as a part of this
|
|||
Annual
Report on Form 10-K:
|
||||
Report
of Independent Registered
|
||||
Public
Accounting Firm
|
F-1
- F-2
|
|||
Consolidated
Balance Sheets as of December 31,
|
|
|||
2007
and 2006
|
F-3
- F-4
|
|||
Consolidated
Statements of Operations for Each
|
||||
of
the Three Years in the Period Ended
|
|
|||
December
31, 2007
|
F-5
|
|||
Consolidated
Statements of Stockholders' Equity
|
||||
for
Each of the Three Years in the Period
|
||||
Ended
December 31, 2007
|
F-6
- F-7
|
|||
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows for Each
|
||||
of
the Three Years in the Period Ended
|
||||
December
31, 2007
|
F-8
- F-10
|
|||
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
|
F-
11 - F-44
|
|||
Condensed
Selected Quarterly Financial Data - Years
|
||||
Ended
December 31, 2007 and 2006 (Unaudited)
|
F-45
|
|||
2.
|
Financial
statement schedules filed as part of
|
|||
this
report:
|
||||
Schedule
II: Valuation and Qualifying Accounts
|
S-1
|
|||
All
other schedules are omitted because they are
|
||||
inapplicable,
not required or the information is
|
||||
included
in the consolidated financial statements or notes
|
||||
thereto.
|
-49-
(b) Exhibits
Exhibit
No.:
3.1
|
Certificate
of Incorporation, as amended, is incorporated by reference to Exhibit
3.1
of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 1999.
|
3.2
|
By-laws,
as amended, are incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of the Company's
Registration Statement on Form S-2 (Registration No. 33-16703) filed
with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 25,
1987.
|
10.1
|
Agency
agreement dated October 1, 1988 between Bel Fuse Ltd. and Rush Profit
Ltd.
Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company's annual
report
on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
1994.
|
10.2
|
2002
Equity Compensation Program.
Incorporated by reference to the
Registrant’s proxy statement for its 2002 annual meeting of
shareholders.
|
10.3
|
Credit
and Guaranty Agreement, dated as of February 12, 2007, by and among
Bel
Fuse, Inc., as Borrower, the Subsidiary Guarantors party thereto
and the
Bank of America, N.A., as Lender. Filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 16, 2007 and incorporated
herein by reference.
|
10.4
|
Amended
and Restated Bel Fuse Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan, dated
as of
April 17, 2007. Filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on
Form 8-K filed on April 23, 2007 and incorporated herein by
reference.
|
10.5
|
Contract
for Purchase and Sale of Real Estate dated July 15, 2004 between
Bel Fuse
Inc. and Fields Development Group Co. Incorporated by reference to
Exhibit
10.9 of the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2004.
|
11.1
|
A
statement regarding the computation of earnings per share is omitted
because such computation can be clearly determined from the material
contained in this Annual Report on Form
10-K.
|
14.1
|
Bel
Fuse Inc. Code of Ethics, adopted February 11,
2004
|
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Item15. |
Exhibits,
Financial Statement Schedules and Reports on Form
8-K
(continued)
|
Exhibit
No.:
21.1
|
Subsidiaries
of the Registrant.
|
23.1
|
Consent
of Independent Registered Public Accounting
Firm.
|
24.1 |
Power
of attorney (included on the signature
page)
|
31.1
|
Certification
of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
|
31.2
|
Certification
of the Vice President of Finance pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
32.1
|
Certification
of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes
-
Oxley Act of 2002.
|
32.2 |
Certification
of the Vice-President of Finance pursuant to Section 906 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf
of
the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
BEL
FUSE
INC.
BY: | /s/ Daniel Bernstein | |||
Daniel Bernstein, President, Chief Executive |
||||
Officer and Director |
Dated:
March 17, 2008
KNOW
ALL
MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below
constitutes and appoints Daniel Bernstein and Colin Dunn as his/her
attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution,
for him/her and in his/her name, place, and stead, in any and all capacities,
to
sign and file any and all amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, with
all exhibits thereto and hereto, and other documents with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent, and each
of
them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite or necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all
intents and purposes as he/she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying
and
confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their
or his substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has
been
signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
||
/S/
Daniel Bernstein
|
President,
Chief
|
March
17, 2008
|
||
Daniel
Bernstein
|
Executive
Officer and
Director
|
|||
/s/
Howard Bernstein
|
Director
|
March
17, 2008
|
||
Howard
B. Bernstein
|
||||
/s/
Robert H. Simandl
|
Director
|
March
17, 2008
|
||
Robert
H. Simandl
|
||||
/s/
Peter Gilbert
|
Director
|
March
17, 2008
|
||
Peter
Gilbert
|
||||
/s/
John Tweedy
|
Director
|
March
17, 2008
|
||
John
Tweedy
|
||||
/s/
John Johnson
|
Director
|
March
17, 2008
|
||
John
Johnson
|
-52-
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
||
/s/
Avi Eden
|
Director
|
March
17, 2008
|
||
Avi
Eden
|
||||
/s/
Colin Dunn
|
Vice-President
-
|
|||
Colin
Dunn
|
Finance
and Secretary
|
March
17, 2008
|
-53-