PARK AEROSPACE CORP - Annual Report: 2014 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

OR

Commission file number 1-4415

PARK ELECTROCHEMICAL CORP.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (631) 465-3600

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

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

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

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Yes ☒    No ☐

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

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

Large Accelerated Filer ☐ Accelerated Filer ☒ Non-Accelerated Filer ☐ Smaller Reporting Company ☐

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

State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was sold, or the average bid and asked prices of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Proxy Statement for Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held July 22, 2014 incorporated by reference into Part III of this Report.

PART I

ITEM 1.     BUSINESS.

General

Park Electrochemical Corp. (“Park”), through its subsidiaries (unless the context otherwise requires, Park and its subsidiaries are hereinafter called the “Company”), is a global advanced materials company which develops, manufactures, markets and sells high-technology digital and radio frequency (“RF”)/microwave printed circuit materials products principally for the telecommunications and internet infrastructure and high-end computing markets and advanced composite materials, parts and assemblies products for the aerospace markets. Park’s core capabilities are in the areas of polymer chemistry formulation and coating technology.

Park operates through fully integrated business units in Asia, Europe and North America. The Company's manufacturing facilities are located in Singapore, France, Kansas, Arizona and California. The Company also maintains research and development facilities in Arizona, Kansas and Singapore.

Sales of Park’s printed circuit materials products were 82%, 85% and 86% of the Company’s total net sales worldwide in the 2014, 2013 and 2012 fiscal years, respectively, and sales of Park’s advanced composite materials, parts and assemblies products were 18%, 15% and 14% of the Company’s total net sales worldwide in the 2014, 2013 and 2012 fiscal years, respectively.

Park was founded in 1954 by Jerry Shore, who was the Company’s Chairman of the Board until July 14, 2004.

The sales and long-lived assets of the Company’s operations by geographic area for the last three fiscal years are set forth in Note 14 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of Part II of this Report. The Company’s foreign operations are conducted principally by the Company’s subsidiaries in Singapore and France. The Company’s foreign operations are subject to the impact of foreign currency fluctuations. See Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of Part II of this Report.

The Company makes available free of charge on its Internet website, www.parkelectro.com, its annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. None of the information on the Company's website shall be deemed to be a part of this Report.

AEROGLIDE®, COREFIX®, EASYCURE E-710®, EF®, LD®, MERCURYWAVE®, METEORWAVE®, NELCO®, RTFOIL® and SI® are registered trademarks of Park Electrochemical Corp., and ALPHASTRUT™, ELECTROGLIDE™, ELECTROVUE™, EP™, PEELCOTE™, POWERBOND™, SIGMASTRUT™ and TIN CITY AIRCRAFT WORKS™ are common law trademarks of Park Electrochemical Corp.

Printed Circuit Materials

Printed Circuit Materials - Operations

The Company is a leading global designer and manufacturer of advanced printed circuit materials used to fabricate complex multilayer printed circuit boards and other electronic interconnection systems, such as multilayer back-planes, wireless packages, high-speed/low-loss multilayers and high density interconnects (“HDIs”). The Company’s multilayer printed circuit materials consist of copper-clad laminates and prepregs, which is an acronym for pre-impregnated material. The Company has long-term relationships with its major customers, which include leading independent printed circuit board fabricators, electronic manufacturing service companies, electronic contract manufacturers and major electronic original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs"). Multilayer printed circuit boards and interconnect systems are used in virtually all advanced electronic equipment to direct, sequence and control electronic signals between semiconductor devices (such as microprocessors and memory and logic devices), passive components (such as resistors and capacitors) and connection devices (such as infra-red couplings, fiber optics, compliant pin and surface mount connectors). Examples of end uses of the Company’s digital printed circuit materials include high speed routers and servers, storage area networks, supercomputers, satellite switching equipment, and wireless local area networks ("LANs"). The Company's RF/microwave printed circuit materials are used primarily for military avionics, antennas for cellular telephone base stations, automotive adaptive cruise control systems and avionic communications equipment. The Company has developed long-term relationships with major customers as a result of its leading edge products, extensive technical and engineering service support and responsive manufacturing capabilities.

Park believes it founded the modern day printed circuit industry in 1957 by inventing a composite material consisting of an epoxy resin substrate reinforced with fiberglass cloth which was laminated together with sheets of thin copper foil. This epoxy-glass copper-clad laminate system is still used to construct the large majority of today’s advanced printed circuit products. The Company also believes that in 1962 it invented the first multilayer printed circuit materials system used to construct multilayer printed circuit boards. The Company also pioneered vacuum lamination and many other manufacturing technologies used in the industry today. The Company believes it is one of the industry’s technological leaders.

The Company believes that it is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of advanced multilayer printed circuit materials. It also believes that it is one of only a few significant independent manufacturers of high performance multilayer printed circuit materials in the world. The Company was the first manufacturer in the printed circuit materials industry to establish manufacturing presences in the three major global markets of North America, Europe and Asia, with facilities established in Europe in 1969 and Asia in 1986.

Printed Circuit Materials – Industry Background

The printed circuit materials manufactured by the Company and its competitors are used primarily to construct and fabricate complex multilayer printed circuit boards and other advanced electronic interconnection systems. Multilayer printed circuit materials consist of prepregs and copper-clad laminates. Prepregs are chemically and electrically engineered thermosettingor thermoplastic resin systems which are impregnated into and reinforced by a specially manufactured fiberglass cloth product or other woven or non-woven reinforcing fiber. This insulating dielectric substrate generally is 0.030 inch to 0.002 inch in thickness or less in some cases. While these resin systems historically have been based on epoxy resin chemistry, in recent years, increasingly demanding OEM requirements have driven the industry to utilize proprietary enhanced epoxies as well as other higher performance resins, such as phenolic, bismalimide triazine ("BT"), cyanate ester, enhanced polyimide, non-Methylene Dianiline (“MDA”) polyimide, allylated polyphenylene ether (“APPE”) or polytetrafluoroethylene ("PTFE"). One or more plies of prepreg are laminated together to form an insulating dielectric substrate to support the copper circuitry patterns of a multilayer printed circuit board. Copper-clad laminates consist of one or more plies of prepreg with each ply laminated on the top and bottom with specialty thin copper foil. Copper foil is specially formed in thin sheets which may vary from 0.0056 inch to 0.0002 inch in thickness and normally have a thickness of 0.0014 inch or 0.0007 inch. The Company supplies both copper-clad laminates and prepregs to its customers, which use these products as a system to construct multilayer printed circuit boards.

The printed circuit board fabricator processes copper-clad laminates to form the inner layers of a multilayer printed circuit board. The fabricator photo images these laminates with a dry film or liquid photoresist. After development of the photoresist, the copper surfaces of the laminate are etched to form the circuit pattern. The fabricator then assembles these etched laminates by inserting one or more plies of dielectric prepreg between each of the inner layer etched laminates and also between an inner layer etched laminate and the outer layer copper plane, and then laminating the entire assembly in a press. Prepreg serves as the insulator and bond between the multiple layers of copper circuitry patterns found in the multilayer circuit board. When the multilayer configuration is laminated, these plies of prepreg form an insulating dielectric substrate supporting and separating the multiple inner and outer planes of copper circuitry. The fabricator drills vertical through-holes or vias in the multilayer assembly and then plates the through-holes or vias to form vertical conductors between the multiple layers of circuitry patterns. These through-holes or vias combine with the conductor paths on the horizontal circuitry planes to create a three-dimensional electronic interconnect system. In specialized applications, an additional set of microvia layers (2 or 4, typically) may be added through a secondary lamination process to provide increased density and functionality to the design. The outer two layers of copper foil are then imaged and etched to form the finished multilayer printed circuit board. The completed multilayer board is a three-dimensional interconnect system with electronic signals traveling in the horizontal planes of multiple layers of copper circuitry patterns, as well as in the vertical planes through the plated holes or vias.

Semiconductor manufacturers have introduced successive generations of more powerful microprocessors and memory and logic devices. Electronic equipment manufacturers have designed these advanced semiconductors into more compact products. High performance computing devices in these smaller platforms require greater reliability, faster signal speeds, closer tolerances, higher component and circuit density and increased overall complexity. As a result, the interconnect industry has developed smaller, lighter, faster and more cost-effective interconnect systems, including advanced multilayer printed circuit boards.

Advanced interconnect systems require higher technology printed circuit materials to ensure the performance and reliability of the electronic system and to improve the manufacturability of the interconnect platform. Printed circuit board fabricators and electronic equipment manufacturers require advanced printed circuit materials that have increasingly higher temperature tolerances and more advanced and stable electrical properties in order to support high-speed computing in a miniaturized and often portable environment. Temperature tolerance has been further emphasized by the advent of lead-free assemblies.

With the very high density circuit demands of miniaturized high performance interconnect systems, the uniformity, purity, consistency, performance predictability, dimensional stability and production tolerances of printed circuit materials have become successively more critical. High density printed circuit boards and interconnect systems often involve higher layer count multilayer circuit boards where the multiple planes of circuitry and dielectric insulating substrates are very thin (dielectric insulating substrate layers may be 0.002 inch or less) and the circuit line and space geometries in the circuitry plane are very narrow (0.002 inch or less). In addition, advanced surface mount interconnect systems are typically designed with very small pad sizes and very small plated through-holes or vias which electrically connect the multiple layers of circuitry planes, and these interconnect systems frequently make use of multiple lamination cycles and/or laser drilled vias. High density interconnect systems must utilize printed circuit materials whose dimensional characteristics and purity are consistently manufactured to very high tolerance levels in order for the printed circuit board fabricator to attain and sustain acceptable product yields.

Shorter product life cycles and competitive pressures have induced electronic equipment manufacturers to bring new products to market and increase production volume to commercial levels more quickly. These trends have highlighted the importance of front-end engineering of electronic products and have increased the level of collaboration among system designers, fabricators and printed circuit materials suppliers. As the complexity of electronic products increases, materials suppliers must provide greater technical support to interconnect systems fabricators on a timely basis regarding manufacturability and performance of new materials systems.

Printed Circuit Materials – Products and Services

The Company produces a broad line of advanced printed circuit materials used to fabricate complex multilayer printed circuit boards and other electronic interconnect systems, including backplanes, high speed/low loss multilayers and high density interconnects (“HDIs”). The Company’s diverse advanced printed circuit materials product line is designed to address a wide array of end-use applications and performance requirements.

The Company’s printed circuit materials products have been developed internally and through long-term development projects with its principal suppliers and, to a lesser extent, through licensing arrangements. The Company focuses its research and development efforts on developing industry leading product technology to meet the most demanding product requirements and has designed its product line with a focus on the higher performance, higher technology end of the materials spectrum.

The Company’s products utilize, among other things, high-speed, low-loss, engineered formulations, high-temperature modified epoxies, phenolics, BT epoxies, MDA polyimides, enhanced polyimides, APPE, SI® (Signal Integrity) products, cyanate esters and PTFE formulations for RF/microwave applications.

The Company’s high performance printed circuit materials consist of high-speed, low-loss Cathodic Anodic Filament (“CAF”) resistant materials for digital and RF/microwave applications requiring lead-free compatibility and high bandwidth signal integrity, BT materials, polyimides for applications that demand extremely high thermal performance, cyanate esters, quartz reinforced materials, and PTFE and modified epoxy materials for RF/microwave systems that operate at frequencies up to 77 GHz.

The Company has developed long-term relationships with select customers through broad-based technical support and service, as well as manufacturing proximity and responsiveness at multiple levels of the customer’s organization. The Company focuses on developing a thorough understanding of its customer’s business, product lines, processes and technological challenges. The Company seeks customers which are industry leaders committed to maintaining and improving their industry leadership positions and which are committed to long-term relationships with their suppliers. The Company also seeks business opportunities with the more advanced printed circuit fabricators and electronic equipment manufacturers which are interested in the full value of products and services provided by their suppliers. The Company believes its proactive and timely support in assisting its customers with the integration of advanced materials technology into new product designs further strengthens its relationships with its customers.

The Company’s emphasis on service and close relationships with its customers is reflected in its short lead times. The Company has developed its manufacturing processes and customer service organizations to provide its customers with printed circuit materials products on a just-in-time basis. The Company believes that its ability to meet its customers' customized manufacturing and quick-turn-around ("QTA") requirements is one of its unique strengths.

Printed Circuit Materials – Customers and End Markets

The Company’s customers for its advanced printed circuit materials include the leading independent printed circuit board fabricators, electronic manufacturing service (“EMS”) companies, electronic contract manufacturers (“ECMs”) and major electronic original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs") in the computer, networking, telecommunications, wireless communications, transportation, aerospace, military and instrumentation industries located throughout North America, Europe and Asia. The Company seeks to align itself with the larger, more technologically-advanced and better capitalized independent printed circuit board fabricators and major electronic equipment manufacturers which are industry leaders committed to maintaining and improving their industry leadership positions and to building long-term relationships with their suppliers. The Company’s selling effort typically involves several stages and relies on the talents of Company personnel at different levels, from management to sales personnel and quality engineers. In recent years, the Company has augmented its traditional sales personnel with an OEM marketing team and process and product technology specialists.

During the Company’s 2014 fiscal year, approximately 15.8% of the Company's total worldwide sales were to TTM Technologies, Inc., a leading manufacturer of printed circuit boards. During the Company’s 2013 fiscal year, approximately 16.1% of the Company's total worldwide sales were to TTM Technologies, Inc., and approximately 10.1% of the Company's total worldwide sales were to Sanmina-SCI Corporation, a leading electronics contract manufacturer and manufacturer of printed circuit boards. During the Company’s 2012 fiscal year, approximately 15.7% of the Company’s total worldwide sales were to TTM Technologies, Inc., approximately 11.5% of the Company’s total worldwide sales were to Sanmina-SCI Corporation and approximately 10.0% of the Company’s total worldwide sales were to subsidiaries of Flextronics International Ltd. which are manufacturers of multilayer printed circuit boards. During the Company’s 2014, 2013 and 2012 fiscal years, sales to no other customer of the Company equaled or exceeded 10% of the Company’s total worldwide sales.

Although the Company’s printed circuit materials business is not dependent on any single customer, the loss of a major customer or of a group of customers could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business or its consolidated results of operations or financial position.

The Company’s printed circuit materials products are marketed primarily by sales personnel and, to a lesser extent, by independent distributors and manufacturers’ representatives in industrial centers in Europe and Asia.

Printed Circuit Materials – Manufacturing

The process for manufacturing multilayer printed circuit materials is capital intensive and requires sophisticated equipment as well as clean-room environments. The key steps in the Company’s manufacturing process include: the impregnation of specially designed fiberglass cloth with a specially designed resin system and the partial curing of that resin system; the assembling of laminates consisting of single or multiple plies of prepreg and copper foil in a clean-room environment; the vacuum lamination of the copper-clad assemblies under simultaneous exposure to heat, pressure and vacuum; and the finishing of the laminates to customer specifications.

Prepreg is manufactured in a treater. A treater is a roll-to-roll continuous machine which sequences specially designed fiberglass cloth or other reinforcement fabric into a resin tank and then sequences the resin-coated cloth through a series of ovens which partially cure the resin system into the cloth. This partially cured product or prepreg is then sheeted or paneled and packaged by the Company for sale to customers, or used by the Company to construct its copper-clad laminates.

The Company manufactures copper-clad laminates by first setting up in a clean room an assembly of one or more plies of prepreg stacked together with a sheet of specially manufactured copper foil on the top and bottom of the assembly. This assembly, together with a large quantity of other laminate assemblies, is then inserted into a large, multiple opening vacuum lamination press. The laminate assemblies are then laminated under simultaneous exposure to heat, pressure and vacuum. After the press cycle is complete, the laminates are removed from the press and sheeted, paneled and finished to customer specifications. The product is then inspected and packaged for shipment to the customer.

The Company manufactures multilayer printed circuit materials at four fully integrated facilities located in the United States, Europe and Southeast Asia. The Company opened its California facility in 1965, its Arizona facility in 1984, its Singapore facility in 1986 and its France facility in 1992. The Company services the North American market principally through its United States manufacturing facilities, the European market principally through its manufacturing facilities in the United States and in France, and the Asian market principally through its Singapore manufacturing facility. During the 2011 fiscal year, the Company modified certain of the equipment in its printed circuit materials manufacturing facility in Singapore so that it can treat PTFE based circuitry material in Asia; and during the 2014 fiscal year, the Company modified certain of the equipment in its facility in Singapore to support the production of PTFE laminates and other laminates requiring elevated process temperatures. In addition, during the 2012 fiscal year, the Company completed an expansion of its printed circuit materials treating operation in Singapore with the installation of an additional advanced, high-speed treater. By maintaining technical and engineering staffs at each of its manufacturing facilities, the Company is able to deliver fully-integrated products and services on a timely basis.

Printed Circuit Materials – Materials and Sources of Supply

The principal materials used in the manufacture of the Company’s printed circuit materials products are specially manufactured copper foil, fiberglass and quartz cloth and synthetic reinforcements, and specially formulated resins and chemicals. The Company develops and maintains close working relationships with suppliers of these materials who have dedicated themselves to complying with the Company’s stringent specifications and technical requirements. While the Company’s philosophy is to work with a limited number of suppliers, the Company has identified alternate sources of supply for many, but not all, of these materials. However, there are a limited number of qualified suppliers of these materials, in some cases substitutes for these materials are not always readily available, and, in the past, the industry has experienced shortages in the market for certain of these materials. While the Company considers its relationships with its suppliers to be strong, a shortage of these materials or a disruption of the supply of materials caused by a natural disaster, such as the temporary disruption caused by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March 2011, or otherwise, could materially increase the Company’s cost of operations and could materially adversely affect the business and results of operations of the Company.

Significant increases in the cost of materials purchased by the Company could also have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and results of operations if the Company were unable to pass such increases through to its customers. During the 2014, 2013 and 2012 fiscal years, the Company experienced significant volatility in the cost of copper foil, one of the Company’s primary raw materials, and the Company passed substantial portions of such increases through to its customers.

Printed Circuit Materials – Competition

The multilayer printed circuit materials industry is characterized by intense competition and ongoing consolidation. The Company’s competitors are primarily divisions or subsidiaries of very large, diversified multinational manufacturers which are substantially larger and have greater financial resources than the Company and, to a lesser degree, smaller regional producers. Because the Company focuses on the higher technology segment of the printed circuit materials market, technological innovation, quality and service, as well as price, are significant competitive factors.

The Company believes that there are several significant multilayer printed circuit materials manufacturers in the world and many of these competitors have significant presences in the three major global markets of North America, Europe and Asia. The Company believes that it is currently one of the world’s largest advanced multilayer printed circuit materials manufacturers. The Company further believes it is one of only a few significant independent manufacturers of multilayer printed circuit materials in the world today.

The markets in which the Company’s printed circuit materials operations compete are characterized by rapid technological advances, and the Company’s position in these markets depends largely on its continued ability to develop technologically advanced and highly specialized products. Although the Company believes it is an industry technology leader and directs a significant amount of its time and resources toward maintaining its technological competitive advantage, there is no assurance that the Company will be technologically competitive in the future, or that the Company will continue to develop new products that are technologically competitive.

Advanced Composite Materials, Parts and Assemblies

Advanced Composite Materials, Parts and Assemblies - Operations

The Company also develops and manufactures engineered, advanced composite materials and advanced composite parts and assemblies for the aerospace markets and prototype tooling for such parts and assemblies.

The Company’s advanced composite materials are developed and manufactured by the Company’s Park Aerospace Technologies Corp. (“PATC”) business unit located at the Newton, Kansas Airport, by the Company’s Nelco Products Pte. Ltd. business unit in Singapore and until it closed in the 2013 fiscal year third quarter, by the Company’s Park Advanced Composite Materials, Inc. (“PACM”) business unit located in Waterbury, Connecticut, which was named Nelcote, Inc. from May 2006 to March 2008 and which was named FiberCote Industries, Inc. prior to May 2006. The Company’s advanced composite parts and assemblies are also developed and manufactured by the Company’s PATC business unit.

In the 2012 fiscal year third quarter, the Company completed a major expansion of its PATC aerospace composite materials development and manufacturing facility in Kansas in order to manufacture aerospace composite parts and assemblies in the same facility as advanced composite materials, which are used in the manufacture of such parts and assemblies. The expansion consisted of approximately 37,000 square feet of manufacturing and storage space and included both oven and autoclave composite parts curing equipment and capability, and the Company spent approximately $5 million on the facility expansion and equipment.

Following the expansion of PATC’s facility, the Company transferred the aerospace composite parts and assemblies manufacturing activities of its Park Aerospace Structures Corp. (“PASC”) business unit in Lynnwood, Washington to PATC and closed PASC in the 2012 fiscal year fourth quarter, and the Company transferred PACM’s aerospace composite materials manufacturing activities to PATC and closed PACM in the 2013 fiscal year third quarter. The activities of PASC which were transferred to PATC included the assets and business of Nova Composites, Inc., which PASC acquired in April 2008.

Such transfer of aerospace composite materials manufacturing activities from PACM to PATC and the transfer of aerospace composite parts and assemblies manufacturing activities from PASC to PATC completed the Company’s plan to concentrate and consolidate all of its North American aerospace composite materials, parts and assemblies manufacturing, development and design activities at PATC.

As a result of the PATC facility expansion and the transfer of manufacturing activities from PACM and PASC to PATC, PATC is able to offer a full range of advanced composite materials manufacturing capability, as well as composite parts design, assembly and production capability, all in its Newton facility. PATC offers composite aircraft and space vehicle parts design and assembly services, in addition to “build-to-print” services. The Company believes that the ability of its PATC facility to offer such a wide and comprehensive array of composite materials and parts manufacturing and development technology and capability to the aircraft and space vehicle industries provides attractive benefits and advantages to those industries.

Advanced Composite Materials, Parts and Assemblies – Industry Background

The advanced composite materials manufactured by the Company and its competitors are used primarily to fabricate light-weight, high-strength structures with specifically designed performance characteristics. Composite materials are typically highly specified combinations of resin formulations and reinforcements. Reinforcements can be unidirectional fibers, woven fabrics, or non-woven goods such as mats or felts. Reinforcement materials are constructed of E-glass (fiberglass), carbon fiber, S2 glass, aramids, such as Kevlar® ("Kevlar" is a registered trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.) and Twaron® (“Twaron” is a registered trademark of Teijin Twaron B.V. LLC), quartz, polyester and other synthetic materials. Resin formulations are typically highly proprietary, and include various chemical and physical mixtures. The Company produces resin formulations using various epoxies, polyesters, phenolics, cyanate esters, polyimides and other complex matrices. The reinforcement combined with the resin is referred to as a “prepreg”, which is an acronym for pre-impregnated material. Advanced composite materials can be broadly categorized as either a thermoset or a thermoplastic. While both material types require the addition of heat to form a consolidated laminate, thermoplastics can be reformed using additional heat. Once fully cured, thermoset materials can not be further reshaped. The Company believes that the demand for thermoset advanced materials is greater than that for thermoplastics due to the fact that fabrication processes for thermoplastics require much higher temperatures and pressures and are, therefore, typically more capital intensive than the fabrication processes for thermoset materials.

The advanced composite materials industry suppliers have historically been large chemical corporations. During the past ten years, considerable consolidation has occurred in the industry, resulting in three relatively large composite materials suppliers and a number of smaller suppliers.

The Company works with aerospace original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”), such as general aviation aircraft manufacturers, and certain tier I suppliers to qualify its advanced composite materials or parts and assemblies for use on current and upcoming programs. The Company’s customers typically design and specify a material specifically to meet the needs of the part’s end use and the customers’ processing methods. Such customers sometimes work with a supplier to develop the specific resin system and reinforcement combination to match the application. The Company’s customers’ processing, or the Company’s processing, may include hand lay-up, resin infusion or more advanced automated lay-up processes. Automated lay-up processes include automated tape lay-up, automated fiber placement and filament winding. These fabrication processes significantly alter the material form purchased. After the lay-up process is completed, the material is cured by the addition of heat and pressure. Cure processes typically include vacuum bag oven curing, high pressure autoclave, press forming and before-press curing. After the part has been cured, final finishing and trimming, and assembly of the structure, is performed by the fabricator or the Company.

Advanced Composite Materials, Parts and Assemblies – Products

The advanced composite materials products manufactured by the Company are primarily thermoset curing prepregs. By analyzing the needs of the markets in which it participates, and working with its customers, the Company has developed proprietary resin formulations to suit the needs of its markets. The complex process of developing resin formulations and selecting the proper reinforcement is accomplished through a collaborative effort of the Company’s research and development and technical sales and marketing resources working with the customers’ technical staff. The Company focuses on developing a thorough understanding of its customers’ businesses, product lines, processes and technical challenges. The Company believes that it develops innovative solutions which utilize technologically advanced materials and concepts for its customers.

The Company’s advanced composite materials products include prepregs manufactured from proprietary formulations using modified epoxies, phenolics, polyesters, cyanate esters and polyimides combined with woven, non-woven and unidirectional reinforcements. Reinforcement materials used to produce the Company’s products include polyacrylonitrile (“PAN”) based carbons, E-glass, S2 glass, polyester, quartz, carbonized rayon, carbon fiber, aramids, such as Kevlar® (“Kevlar” is a registered trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.), Twaron® (“Twaron” is a registered trademark of Teijin Twaron B.V. LLC), polyester and other synthetic materials. The Company also sells certain specialty fabrics, such as Raycarb C2, a carbonized rayon fabric produced by Herakles (formerly Snecma Propulsion Solide) and used mainly in the rocket motor industry.

The Company’s composite parts and assemblies are manufactured with carbon, fiberglass and other reinforcements impregnated with formulated resins. Certain of these impregnated reinforcements, or prepregs, are also manufactured by PATC.

Advanced Composite Materials, Parts and Assemblies – Customers and End Markets

The Company’s advanced composite materials, parts and assemblies customers include manufacturers in the aerospace, fixed and rotary wing aircraft, rocket motor, electronics, RF and specialty industrial markets. The Company’s materials are marketed primarily by sales personnel and, to a lesser extent, by independent sales representatives.

While no single advanced composite materials, parts and assemblies customer accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s total sales during either of the last two fiscal years, the loss of a major customer or of a group of some of the largest customers of the Company’s advanced composite materials, parts and assemblies product line could have a material adverse effect on such product line.

The Company’s aerospace customers include fabricators of aircraft composite parts and assemblies. The Company’s advanced composite materials are used by such fabricators and by the Company to produce primary and secondary structures, aircraft interiors and various other aircraft components. The Company’s customers for aerospace materials, and the Company itself, produce parts and assemblies for commercial aircraft and for the general aviation and business aviation, kit aircraft and military markets. Many of the Company’s composite materials are used in the manufacture of aircraft certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (the “FAA”).

Customers for the Company’s rocket motor materials include United States defense prime contractors and subcontractors. These customers fabricate rocket motors for heavy lift space launchers, strategic defense weapons, tactical motors and various other applications. The Company’s materials are used to produce heat shields, exhaust gas management devices and insulative and ablative nozzle components. Rocket motors are primarily used for commercial and military space launch, and for tactical and strategic weapons. The Company also has customers for these materials outside of the United States.

The Company also sells composite materials for use in RF electrical applications. Customers buying these materials typically fabricate antennas and radomes engineered to preserve electrical signal integrity. A radome is a protective cover over an electrical antenna or signal generator. The radome is designed to minimize signal loss and distortion.

Advanced Composite Materials, Parts and Assemblies – Manufacturing

The Company’s manufacturing facilities for advanced composite materials are currently located in Newton, Kansas and in Singapore, and its manufacturing facility for composite parts and assemblies is also located in Newton, Kansas. See “Advanced Composite Materials, Parts and Assemblies - Operations” elsewhere in this Report.

The process for manufacturing composite materials, parts and assemblies is capital intensive and requires sophisticated equipment, significant technical know-how and very tight process controls. The key steps used in the manufacturing process include resin mixing, reinforcement impregnation, resin film casting and solvent drying processes.

Prepreg is manufactured by the Company using either solvent (solution) coating methods on a treater or by hot melt impregnation. A solution treater is a roll-to-roll continuous process machine which sequences reinforcement through tension controllers and combines solvated resin with the reinforcement. The reinforcement is dipped in resin, passed through a drying oven which removes the solvent and advances (or partially cures) the resin. The prepreg material is interleafed with a carrier and cut to the roll lengths desired by the customer. The Company also manufactures prepreg using hot melt impregnation methods which use no solvent. Hot melt prepreg manufacturing is achieved by mixing a resin formulation in a heated resin vessel, casting a thin film on a carrier paper, and laminating the reinforcement with the resin film.

The Company also completes additional processing services, such as slitting, sheeting, biasing, sewing and cutting, if needed by the customer. Many of the products manufactured by the Company also undergo extensive testing of the chemical, physical and mechanical properties of the product. These testing requirements are completed in the laboratories and facilities located at the Company’s manufacturing facilities. The Company’s laboratories have been approved by several aerospace OEMs, and the Company has achieved certification pursuant to the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (“NADCAP”) for both non-metallic materials manufacturing and testing and composites fabrication. After all the processing has been completed, the product is inspected and packaged for shipment to the customer. The Company typically supplies final product to the customer in roll or sheet form. The Company’s PATC facility has received accreditation by NADCAP for composite parts manufacturing and for composite materials manufacturing, and the Company believes that the PATC facility is one of the few facilities in the world with NADCAP accreditation for manufacturing both composite materials and composite parts.

Advanced Composite Materials, Parts and Assemblies – Materials and Sources of Supply

The Company designs and manufactures its advanced composite materials to its own specifications and to the specifications of its customers. Product development efforts are focused on developing prepreg materials that meet the specifications of the customers. The materials used in the manufacture of these engineered materials include graphite and carbon fibers and fabrics, aramids, such as Kevlar® (“Kevlar” is a registered trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.) and Twaron® (“Twaron” is a registered trademark of Teijin Twaron B.V. LLC), quartz, fiberglass, polyester, specialty chemicals, resins, films, plastics, adhesives and certain other synthetic materials. The Company purchases these materials from several suppliers. Substitutes for many of these materials are not readily available. The qualification and certification of advanced composite materials for certain FAA certified aircraft typically include specific requirements for raw material supply and may restrict the Company’s flexibility in qualifying alternative sources of supply for certain key raw materials. The Company continues to work to determine acceptable alternatives for several raw materials.

The Company manufactures composite parts and assemblies primarily to its customers’ specifications using its own composite materials or composite materials supplied by third parties, based on the specific requirements of the Company’s customers.

Advanced Composite Materials, Parts and Assemblies – Competition

The Company has many competitors in the advanced composite materials, parts and assemblies markets, ranging in size from large international corporations to small regional producers. Several of the Company’s largest competitors are vertically integrated, producing raw materials, such as carbon fiber and cloth, as well as composite parts and assemblies. Some of the Company’s competitors may also serve as a supplier to the Company. The Company competes for business on the basis of responsiveness, product performance, product qualification, FAA data base design allowables, innovative new product development and price.

Backlog

The Company considers an item as backlog when it receives a purchase order specifying the number of units to be purchased, the purchase price, specifications and other customary terms and conditions. At April 27, 2014, the unfilled portion of all purchase orders received by the Company and believed by it to be firm was approximately $33,755,000, compared to $9,174,000 at April 28, 2013.

Various factors contribute to the size of the Company’s backlog. Accordingly, the foregoing information may not be indicative of the Company’s results of operations for any period subsequent to the fiscal year ended March 2, 2014.

Patents and Trademarks

The Company holds several patents and trademarks or licenses thereto. In the Company’s opinion, some of these patents and trademarks are important to its products. Generally, however, the Company does not believe that an inability to obtain new; or to defend existing, patents and trademarks would have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Employees

At March 2, 2014, the Company had 523 employees. Of these employees, 457 were engaged in the Company’s manufacturing operations, and 66 consisted of executive, sales and marketing and research and development personnel and general administrative staff.

Environmental Matters

The Company is subject to stringent environmental regulation of its use, storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous materials and the release of emissions into the environment. The Company believes that it currently is in substantial compliance with the applicable Federal, state and local and foreign environmental laws and regulations to which it is subject and that continuing compliance therewith will not have a material effect on its capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position. The Company does not currently anticipate making material capital expenditures for environmental control facilities for its existing manufacturing operations during the remainder of its current fiscal year or its succeeding fiscal year. However, developments, such as the enactment or adoption of even more stringent environmental laws and regulations, could conceivably result in substantial additional costs to the Company.

The Company and certain of its subsidiaries have been named by the Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”) or a comparable state agency under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (the “Superfund Act”) or similar state law as potentially responsible parties in connection with alleged releases of hazardous substances at four sites. In addition, a subsidiary of the Company has received a cost recovery claim under a state law similar to the Superfund Act from a private party involving one other site.

Under the Superfund Act and similar state laws, all parties who may have contributed any waste to a hazardous waste disposal site or contaminated area identified by the EPA orcomparable state agency may be jointly and severally liable for the cost of cleanup. Generally, these sites are locations at which numerous persons disposed of hazardous waste. In the case of the Company’s subsidiaries, generally the waste was removed from their manufacturing facilities and disposed at the waste sites by various companies which contracted with the subsidiaries to provide waste disposal services. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been accused of or charged with any wrongdoing or illegal acts in connection with any such sites. The Company believes it maintains an effective and comprehensive environmental compliance program. Management believes the ultimate disposition of known environmental matters will not have a material adverse effect on the liquidity, capital resources, business, consolidated results of operations or financial position of the Company.

See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Environmental Matters” included in Item 7 of Part II of this Report and Note 13 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this Report.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.

The business of the Company faces numerous risks, including those set forth below or those described elsewhere in this Form 10-K Annual Report or in the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The risks described below are not the only risks that the Company faces, nor are they necessarily listed in order of significance. Other risks and uncertainties may also affect the Company’s business. Any of these risks may have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flow.

The industries in which the Company operates are undergoing technological changes, and the Company's business could suffer if the Company is unable to adjust to these changes.

The Company's operating results could be negatively affected by the Company's inability to maintain and increase its technological and manufacturing capability and expertise. Rapid technological advances in semiconductors and electronic equipment have placed rigorous demands on the printed circuit materials manufactured by the Company and used in printed circuit board production.

The industries in which the Company operates are very competitive.

Certain of the Company's principal competitors are substantially larger and have greater financial resources than the Company, and the Company's operating results will be affected by its ability to maintain its competitive positions in these industries. The printed circuit materials, advanced composite materials and composite parts and assemblies industries are intensely competitive and the Company competes worldwide in the markets for such products.

The Company is vulnerable to an increase in the cost of gas or electricity.

Changes in the cost or availability of gas or electricity could materially increase the Company's cost of operations. The Company's production processes require the use of substantial amounts of gas and electricity, the cost and available supply of which are beyond the control of the Company.

The Company’s cost of sales and results of operations were affected by increases in utility costs in the Company’s fiscal year ended February 26, 2012. See “Management’sDiscussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Item 7 of Part II of this Report.

The Company is vulnerable to disruptions and shortages in the supply of, and increases in the prices of, certain raw materials.

There are a limited number of qualified suppliers of the principal materials used by the Company in its manufacture of printed circuit materials, advanced composite materials and composite parts and assemblies. The Company has qualified alternate sources of supply for many, but not all, of its raw materials, but certain raw materials are produced by only one supplier. In some cases, substitutes for certain raw materials are not always readily available, and in the past there have been shortages in the market for certain of these materials. Raw material substitutions for certain aircraft related products may require governmental (such as Federal Aviation Administration) approval. While the Company considers its relationships with its suppliers to be strong, a shortage of these materials or a disruption of the supply of these materials caused by a natural disaster, such as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March 2011, or otherwise could materially increase the Company’s cost of operations and could materially adversely affect the business and results of operations of the Company. Likewise, significant increases in the cost of materials purchased by the Company could also materially increase the Company’s cost of operations and could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and results of operations if the Company were unable to pass such increases through to its customers. The Company experienced a supply chain issue as a result of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March 2011. Such issue was resolved during the 2012 fiscal year third quarter.

During the 2012, 2013 and 2014 fiscal years, the Company experienced significant volatility in the cost of copper foil, one of the Company’s primary raw materials, and the Company passed substantial portions of such increases through to its customers. See “Business—Printed Circuit Materials—Materials and Sources of Supply” in Item 1 of Part I of this Report and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Item 7 of Part II of this Report.

The Company's customer base is highly concentrated, and the loss of one or more customers could adversely affect the Company's business.

A loss of one or more key customers could adversely affect the Company's profitability. The Company's customer base is concentrated, in part, because the Company's business strategy has been to develop long-term relationships with a select group of customers. During the Company's fiscal years ended March 2, 2014, March 3, 2013 and February 26, 2012, the Company's ten largest customers accounted for approximately 59%, 63% and 64%, respectively, of net sales. The Company expects that sales to a relatively small number of customers will continue to account for a significant portion of its net sales for the foreseeable future. See "Business—Printed Circuit Materials—Customers and End Markets” and “Business—Advanced Composite Materials, Parts and Assemblies—Customers and End Markets” in Item 1 of Part I of this Report.

The Company's business is dependent on the electronics and aerospace industries, which are cyclical in nature.

The electronics and aerospace industries are cyclical and have experienced recurring cycles. The downturns, such as occurred in the electronics industry during the first quarter of the Company's fiscal year ended March 3, 2002 and in the general aviation industry in the fourth quarter of the Company’s 2009 fiscal year, can be unexpected and have often reduced demand for, and prices of, printed circuit materials and advanced composite materials, parts and assemblies. This potential reduction in demand and prices could have a negative impact on the Company’s business.

In addition, the Company is subject to the effects of general regional and global economic and financial conditions, such as the worldwide economic and financial crises that commenced in the second half of the Company’s fiscal year ended March 1, 2009.

The Company relies on short-term orders from its customers.

A variety of conditions, both specific to the individual customer and generally affecting the customer’s industry, can cause a customer to reduce or delay orders previously anticipated by the Company, which could negatively impact the Company’s business. In the printed circuit materials market, the Company typically does not obtain long-term purchase orders or commitments. Instead, it relies primarily on continual communication with its customers to anticipate the future volume of purchase orders.

The Company’s customers may require the Company to undergo a lengthy and expensive qualification process with respect to its products, with no assurance of sales. Any delay or failure in such qualification process could negatively affect the Company’s business and operating results.

The Company’s customers frequently require that the Company’s products undergo an extensive qualification process, which may include testing for performance, structural integrity and reliability. This qualification process may be lengthy and does not assure any sales of the product to that customer. The Company devotes substantial resources, including design, engineering, sales, marketing and management efforts, and often substantial expense, to qualifying the Company’s products with customers in anticipation of sales. Any delay or failure in qualifying any of its products with a customer may preclude or delay sales of those products to the customer, which may impede the Company’s growth and cause its business to suffer.

In addition, the Company engages in product development efforts with OEMs. The Company will not recover the cost of this product development directly even if the Company actually produces and sells any resulting product. There can be no guarantee that such efforts will result in any sales.

Consolidation among the Company’s customers could negatively impact the Company’s business.

A number of the Company’s customers have combined in recent years and consolidation of other customers may occur. If an existing customer is not the controlling entity following a combination, the Company may not be retained as a supplier. While there is potential for increasing the Company’s position with the combined customer, the Company’s revenues may decrease if the Company is not retained as a supplier.

The Company faces extensive capital expenditure costs.

The Company’s business is capital intensive and, in addition, the introduction of new technologies could substantially increase the Company’s capital expenditures. In order to remain competitive the Company must continue to make significant investments in capital equipment and expansion of operations, which could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations.

The Company’s international operations are subject to different and additional risks than the Company’s domestic operations.

The Company’s international operations are subject to various risks, including unexpected changes in regulatory requirements, foreign currency exchange rates, tariffs and other barriers, political and economic instability, potentially adverse tax consequences, and any impact on economic and financial conditions around the world resulting from geopolitical conflicts or acts of terrorism, all of which could negatively impact the Company’s business. A portion of the sales and costs of the Company’s international operations are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates.

The Company is subject to a variety of environmental regulations.

The Company’s production processes require the use, storage, treatment and disposal of certain materials which are considered hazardous under applicable environmental laws, and the Company is subject to a variety of regulatory requirements relating to the handling of such materials and the release of emissions and effluents into the environment, non-compliance with which could have a negative impact on the Company’s business or consolidated results of operations. Other possible developments, such as the enactment or adoption of additional environmental laws, could result in substantial costs to the Company.

If the Company’s efforts to protect its trade secrets are not sufficient, the Company may be adversely affected.

The Company’s business relies upon proprietary information, trade secrets and know-how in its product formulations and its manufacturing and research and development activities. The Company takes steps to protect its proprietary rights and information, including the use of confidentiality and other agreements with employees and consultants and in commercial relationships, including with distributors and customers. If these steps prove to be inadequate or are violated, the Company’s competitors might gain access to the Company’s trade secrets, and there may be no adequate remedy available to the Company

The Company depends upon the experience and expertise of its senior management team and key technical employees, and the loss of any key employee may impair the Company’s ability to operate effectively.

The Company’s success depends, to a certain extent, on the continued availability of its senior management team and key technical employees. Each of the Company’s executive officers, key technical personnel and other employees could terminate his or her employment at any time. The loss of any member of the Company’s senior management team might significantly delay or prevent the achievement of the Company’s business objectives and could materially harm the Company’s business and customer relationships. In addition, because of the highly technical nature of the Company’s business, the loss of any significant number of the Company’s key technical personnel could have a material adverse effect on the Company.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.

None.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES.

Set forth below are the locations of the significant properties owned and leased by the Company, the businesses which use the properties and the size of each such property. All of such properties, except for the Melville, New York property, are used principally as manufacturing and warehouse facilities.

The Company believes its facilities and equipment to be in good condition and reasonably suited and adequate for its current needs. Most of the Company’s manufacturing facilities have the capacity to substantially increase their production levels.

In the 2013 fiscal year third quarter, the Company closed its PACM facility, located in Waterbury, Connecticut, after the completion of the transfer of PACM’s aerospace composite materials manufacturing activities to PATC. In the 2013 fiscal year second quarter, the Company closed its Nelco Technology (Zhuhai FTZ) Ltd. facility located in the Free Trade Zone in Zhuhai, China and transferred the manufacturing activities conducted by such business unit to the Company’s Nelco Products Pte. Ltd. business unit located in Singapore.

In the third quarter of the Company’s 2012 fiscal year, the Company completed a major expansion of its aerospace composite materials development and manufacturing facility in Newton, Kansas in order to manufacture aerospace composite parts and assemblies in the same facility as advanced composite materials, which are used in the manufacture of such parts and assemblies. The expansion consisted of approximately 37,000 square feet of manufacturing and storage space, and the Company spent approximately $5 million on the facility expansion and equipment. See “Advanced Composite Materials, Parts and Assemblies” elsewhere in this Report.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

None.     

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.

None.

Executive Officers of the Registrant.