Item 1. Business.
General
NCI Building Systems, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, unless the context requires otherwise, the “Company,” “NCI,” “we,” “us” or “our”) is one of North America’s largest integrated manufacturers and marketers of metal products for the nonresidential construction industry. Of the approximate $275 billion nonresidential construction industry, we primarily serve the low-rise nonresidential construction market (five stories or less) which, according to Dodge Data & Analytics (“Dodge”), represented approximately 86% of the total nonresidential construction industry during our fiscal year 2017. Our broad range of products are used primarily in new construction and in repair and retrofit activities, mostly in North America.
We design, engineer, manufacture and market what we believe is one of the most comprehensive lines of metal components and engineered building systems in the industry, with a reputation for high quality and superior engineering and design. We go to market with well-recognized brands, which allow us to compete effectively within a broad range of end-user markets including industrial, commercial, institutional and agricultural. Our service versatility allows us to support the varying needs of our diverse customer base, which includes general contractors and sub-contractors, developers, manufacturers, distributors and a current network of approximately 3,200 authorized builders across North America in our Engineered Building Systems segment, over 1,000 dealer partners for our insulated metal panel (“IMP”) products and approximately 5,500 architects. We also provide metal coil coating services for commercial and construction applications, servicing both internal and external customers.
As of October 29, 2017, we operated 38 manufacturing facilities located in the United States, Mexico, Canada and China, with additional sales and distribution offices throughout the United States and Canada. Our broad geographic footprint, along with our hub-and-spoke distribution system, allows us to efficiently supply a broad range of customers with high-quality customer service and reliable deliveries.
The Company was founded in 1984 and reincorporated in Delaware in 1991. In 1998, we acquired Metal Building Components, Inc. (“MBCI”) and doubled our revenue base. As a result of the acquisition of MBCI, we became the largest domestic manufacturer of nonresidential metal components. In 2006, we acquired Robertson-Ceco II Corporation (“RCC”) which operates the Ceco Building Systems, Star Building Systems and Robertson Building Systems divisions and is a leader in the metal buildings industry. The RCC acquisition created an organization with greater product and geographic diversification, a stronger customer base and a more extensive distribution network than either company had individually, prior to the acquisition.
Since 2011, we have executed on a strategy to become the leading provider of IMP products in North America through our acquisitions of Metl-Span LLC (‘‘Metl-Span’’) in 2012 and CENTRIA, a Pennsylvania general partnership (‘‘CENTRIA’’), in 2015. We believe the IMP market remains underpenetrated in North America. IMP products possess several physical and cost-effective attributes, such as energy efficiency, that make them compelling alternatives to competing building materials, in particular due to the adoption of stricter standards and codes by numerous states in the United States that are expected to increase the use of IMP products in construction projects. Given these factors, we believe that growth within the IMP market will continue to outpace the broader metal building sector and the nonresidential construction industry as a whole.
The engineered building systems, metal components and metal coil coating businesses, and the construction industry in general, are seasonal in nature. Sales normally are lower in the first half of each fiscal year compared to the second half of each fiscal year because of unfavorable weather conditions for construction and typical business planning cycles affecting construction.
The nonresidential construction industry is highly sensitive to national and regional macroeconomic conditions. One of the primary challenges we face is that the United States economy is slowly recovering from a recession and a period of relatively low nonresidential construction activity, which began in the third quarter of 2008 and reduced demand for our products and adversely affected our business. In addition, the tightening of credit in financial markets over the same period adversely affected the ability of our customers to obtain financing for construction projects. As a result, we experienced a decrease in orders and cancellations of orders for our products. While economic growth has either resumed or remained flat, the nonresidential construction industry continues to be below previous cyclical troughs.
Current market estimates continue to show uneven activity across the nonresidential construction markets. According to Dodge, low-rise nonresidential construction starts, as measured in square feet and comprising buildings of up to five stories, were down as much as approximately 2% in our fiscal 2017 as compared to our fiscal 2016. However, Dodge typically revises initial reported figures, and we expect this metric will be revised upwards over time. Leading indicators for low-rise, nonresidential construction activity indicate positive momentum into fiscal 2018.
The leading indicators that we follow and that typically have the most meaningful correlation to nonresidential low-rise construction starts are the American Institute of Architects’ (“AIA”) Architecture Mixed Use Index, Dodge residential single family starts and the Conference Board Leading Economic Index (“LEI”). Historically, there has been a very high correlation
to the Dodge low-rise nonresidential starts when the three leading indicators are combined and then seasonally adjusted. The combined forward projection of these metrics, based on a 9 to 14-month historical lag for each metric, indicates low single digit growth for new low-rise nonresidential construction starts in fiscal 2018.
On October 20, 2009, we completed a financial restructuring that resulted in a change of control of the Company. As part of the restructuring, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Fund VIII, L.P. and CD&R Friends & Family Fund VIII, L.P. (together, the “CD&R Funds”), purchased an aggregate of 250,000 shares of a newly created class of our convertible preferred stock, designated the Series B Cumulative Convertible Participating Preferred Stock (the “Convertible Preferred Stock,” and shares thereof, the “Preferred Shares”), then representing approximately 68.4% of the voting power and Common Stock of the Company on an as-converted basis (the “Equity Investment”). On May 14, 2013, the CD&R Funds delivered a formal notice requesting the conversion of all of their Preferred Shares into shares of our Common Stock (the “Conversion”). In connection with the Conversion request, we issued the CD&R Funds 54,136,817 shares of our Common Stock, representing 72.4% of the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding. Under the terms of the Preferred Shares, no consideration was required to be paid by the CD&R Funds to the Company in connection with the Conversion of the Preferred Shares. As a result of the Conversion, the CD&R Funds no longer have rights to dividends or default dividends as specified in the Certificate of Designations for the Convertible Preferred Stock. The Conversion eliminated all the outstanding Convertible Preferred Stock and increased stockholders’ equity by nearly $620.0 million, returning our stockholders’ equity to a positive balance during fiscal 2013.
On June 22, 2012, we completed the acquisition of Metl-Span (the “Metl-Span Acquisition”) acquiring all of its outstanding membership interests for approximately $145.7 million in cash, which included $4.7 million of cash acquired. Upon the closing of the Metl-Span Acquisition, Metl-Span became a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of NCI Group, Inc. Metl-Span’s operations are conducted through NCI Group, Inc. and its results are included in the results of our Metal Components Segment. The Metl-Span Acquisition strengthened our position as a leading fully integrated supplier to the nonresidential building products industry in North America, providing our customers a comprehensive suite of building products.
On November 7, 2014, the Company, Steelbuilding.com, LLC (together with the Company, the “Guarantors”) and the Company’s subsidiaries NCI Group, Inc. and Robertson-Ceco II Corporation (each a “Borrower” and collectively, the “Borrowers”) entered into Amendment No. 3 to the Loan and Security Agreement (the “ABL Loan and Security Agreement”) among the Borrowers, the Guarantors, Wells Fargo Capital Finance, LLC, as administrative agent and co-collateral agent, Bank of America, N.A., as co-collateral agent and syndication agent, and certain other lenders under the ABL Loan and Security Agreement, in order to amend the ABL Loan and Security Agreement to (i) permit the acquisition of CENTRIA (“CENTRIA Acquisition”), (ii) permit the entry by the Company into documentation with respect to certain debt financing to be incurred in connection with the CENTRIA Acquisition and the incurrence of debt with respect thereto, (iii) extend the maturity date to June 24, 2019, (iv) decrease the applicable margin with respect to borrowings thereunder and (v) make certain other amendments and modifications to provide greater operational and financial flexibility.
On January 16, 2015, the Company issued $250.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 8.25% senior notes due 2023 (the “Notes”) to fund the CENTRIA Acquisition. Interest on the Notes accrues at the rate of 8.25% per annum and is payable semi-annually in arrears on January 15 and July 15. The Notes are guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by all of the Company’s existing and future domestic subsidiaries that guarantee the Company’s obligations (including by reason of being a borrower under the senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility on a joint and several basis with the Company or a guarantor subsidiary) under the senior secured credit facilities. The Notes are unsecured senior indebtedness and rank equally in right of payment with all of the Company’s existing and future senior indebtedness and senior in right of payment to all of its future subordinated obligations. In addition, the Notes and guarantees are structurally subordinated to all existing and future indebtedness and other liabilities of the Company’s non-guarantor subsidiaries.
The Company may redeem the Notes at any time prior to January 15, 2018, at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date, plus the applicable make-whole premium. On or after January 15, 2018, the Company may redeem all or a part of the Notes at redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal amount thereof) equal to 106.188% for the twelve-month period beginning on January 15, 2018, 104.125% for the twelve-month period beginning on January 15, 2019, 102.063% for the twelve-month period beginning on January 15, 2020 and 100.000% for the twelve-month period beginning on January 15, 2021 and at any time thereafter, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the applicable redemption date of the Notes. In addition, prior to January 15, 2018, the Company may redeem the Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to up to 40.0% of the original aggregate principal amount of the Notes with funds in an equal aggregate amount not exceeding the aggregate proceeds of one or more equity offerings, at a redemption price of 108.250%, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the applicable redemption date of the Notes.
On July 18, 2016, the Company entered into an agreement with the CD&R Funds to repurchase 2.9 million shares of our Common Stock at a price per share equal to the price per share paid by the underwriters to the CD&R Funds in the underwritten offering (the “2016 Stock Repurchase”). The 2016 Stock Repurchase, which was completed concurrently with the 2016 Secondary Offering (as defined below), represented a private, non-underwritten transaction between the Company and the CD&R Funds
that was approved and recommended by the Affiliate Transactions Committee of our board of directors. Following completion of the 2016 Stock Repurchase, the Company canceled the shares repurchased from the CD&R Funds, resulting in a $45.0 million decrease in both additional paid in capital and treasury stock. The 2016 Stock Repurchase was funded by the Company’s cash on hand.
On July 25, 2016, the CD&R Funds completed a registered underwritten offering, in which the CD&R Funds offered 9.0 million shares of our Common Stock at a price to the public of $16.15 per share (the “2016 Secondary Offering”). The underwriters also exercised their option to purchase 1.35 million additional shares of our Common Stock from the CD&R Funds. The aggregate offering price for the 10.35 million shares sold in the 2016 Secondary Offering was approximately $160.1 million, net of underwriting discounts and commissions. The CD&R Funds received all of the proceeds from the 2016 Secondary Offering and no shares in the 2016 Secondary Offering were sold by the Company or any of its officers or directors (although certain of our directors are affiliated with the CD&R Funds).
On May 2, 2017, the Company entered into Amendment No. 2 (the “Amendment”) to its existing Credit Agreement, dated as of June 22, 2012, between NCI Building Systems, Inc., as borrower, and Credit Suisse AG, Cayman Islands Branch, as administrative agent and collateral agent and the other financial institutions party thereto from time ti time (as previously amended by Amendment No. 1, dated as of June 24, 2013, the “Existing Term Loan Facility” and, as amended, the “Term Loan Facility”), primarily to extend the maturity date and reduce the interest rate applicable to all of the outstanding term loans under the Term Loan Facility.
On December 11, 2017, the CD&R funds completed a registered underwritten offering, in which the CD&R Funds sold 7.15 million shares of the Company’s Common Stock at a price to the public of $19.36 per share (the “2017 Secondary Offering”). Pursuant to the underwriting agreement, at the CD&R Funds request, the Company purchased 1.15 million of the 7.15 million shares of the Common Stock from the underwriters in the 2017 Secondary Offering at a price per share equal to the price at which the underwriters purchased the shares from the CD&R Funds. The total amount the Company spent on these repurchases was $22.3 million. Following the closing of the 2017 Stock Repurchase, the CD&R Funds own approximately 34.7%.
Our principal offices are located at 10943 North Sam Houston Parkway West, Houston, Texas 77064, and our telephone number is (281) 897-7788.
We file annual, quarterly and current reports and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, along with any amendments to those reports, are available free of charge at our corporate website at http://www.ncibuildingsystems.com as soon as practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. In addition, our website includes other items related to corporate governance matters, including our corporate governance guidelines, charters of various committees of our board of directors and the code of business conduct and ethics applicable to our employees, officers and directors. You may obtain copies of these documents, free of charge, from our corporate website. However, the information on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K.
Operating Segments
We have three operating segments: Engineered Building Systems; Metal Components; and Metal Coil Coating. All operating segments operate primarily in the nonresidential construction market. Sales and earnings are influenced by general economic conditions, the level of nonresidential construction activity, metal roof repair and retrofit demand and the availability and terms of financing available for construction. Our operating segments are vertically integrated and benefit from using similar basic raw materials. The manufacturing and distribution activities of our segments are effectively coupled through the use of our nationwide hub-and-spoke manufacturing and distribution system, which supports and enhances our vertical integration.
Engineered Building Systems.
Products. Engineered building systems consist of engineered structural members and panels that are fabricated and roll-formed in a factory. These systems are custom designed and engineered to meet project requirements and then shipped to a construction site complete and ready for assembly with no additional field welding required. Engineered building systems manufacturers design an integrated system that meets applicable building code and designated end use requirements. These systems consist of primary structural framing, secondary structural members (purlins and girts) and metal roof and wall systems or conventional wall materials manufactured by others, such as masonry and concrete tilt-up panels.
Engineered building systems typically consist of three systems:
Primary structural framing. Primary structural framing, fabricated from heavy-gauge plate steel, supports the secondary structural framing, roof, walls and all externally applied loads. Through the primary framing, the force of all applied loads is structurally transferred to the foundation.
Secondary structural framing. Secondary structural framing is designed to strengthen the primary structural framing and efficiently transfer applied loads from the roof and walls to the primary structural framing. Secondary structural framing consists of medium-gauge, roll-formed steel components called purlins and girts. Purlins are attached to the primary frame to support the roof. Girts are attached to the primary frame to support the walls.
Metal roof and wall systems. Metal roof and wall systems not only lock out the weather but may also contribute to the structural integrity of the overall building system. Roof and wall panels are fabricated from light-gauge, roll-formed steel in many architectural configurations.
Accessory components complete the engineered building system. These components include doors, windows, specialty trims, gutters and interior partitions.
The following characteristics of engineered building systems distinguish them from other methods of construction:
Shorter construction time. In many instances, it takes less time to construct an engineered building than other building types. In addition, because most of the work is done in the factory, the likelihood of weather interruptions is reduced.
More efficient material utilization. The larger engineered building systems manufacturers use computer-aided analysis and design to fabricate structural members with high strength-to-weight ratios, minimizing raw materials costs.
Lower construction costs. The in-plant manufacture of engineered building systems, coupled with automation, allows the substitution of less expensive factory labor for much of the skilled on-site construction labor otherwise required for traditional building methods.
Greater ease of expansion. Engineered building systems can be modified quickly and economically before, during or after the building is completed to accommodate all types of expansion. Typically, an engineered building system can be expanded by removing the end or side walls, erecting new framework and adding matching wall and roof panels.
Lower maintenance costs. Unlike wood, metal is not susceptible to deterioration from cracking, rotting or insect damage. Furthermore, factory-applied roof and siding panel coatings resist cracking, peeling, chipping, chalking and fading.
Environmentally friendly. Our buildings utilize between 30% and 60% recycled content and our roofing and siding utilize painted surfaces with high reflectance and emissivity, which help conserve energy and operating costs.
Manufacturing. As of October 29, 2017, we operated seven facilities for manufacturing and distributing engineered building systems throughout the United States and in Monterrey, Mexico.
After we receive an order, our engineers design the engineered building system to meet the customer’s requirements and to satisfy applicable building codes and zoning requirements. To expedite this process, we use computer-aided design and engineering systems to generate engineering and erection drawings and a bill of materials for the manufacture of the engineered building system. From time to time, depending on our volume, we outsource portions of our drafting requirements to third parties.
Once the specifications and designs of the customer’s project have been finalized, the manufacturing of frames and other building systems begins at one of our frame manufacturing facilities. Fabrication of the primary structural framing consists of a process in which steel plates are punched and sheared and then routed through an automatic welding machine and sent through further fitting and welding processes. The secondary structural framing and the covering system are roll-formed steel products that are manufactured at our full manufacturing facilities as well as our components plants.
Upon completion of the manufacturing process, structural framing members and metal roof and wall systems are shipped to the job site for assembly. Since on-site construction is performed by an unaffiliated, independent general contractor, usually one of our authorized builders, we generally are not responsible for claims by end users or owners attributable to faulty on-site construction. The time elapsed between our receipt of an order and shipment of a completed building system has typically ranged from six to twelve weeks, although delivery varies depending on engineering and drafting requirements and the length of the permitting process.
Sales, Marketing and Customers. We are one of the largest domestic suppliers of engineered building systems. We design, engineer, manufacture and market engineered building systems and self-storage building systems for all nonresidential markets including commercial, industrial, agricultural, governmental and community.
Throughout the twentieth century, the applications of metal buildings have significantly evolved from small, portable structures that prospered during World War II into fully customizable building solutions spanning virtually every commercial low-rise end-use market.
We believe the cost of an engineered building system, excluding the cost of the land, generally represents approximately 15% to 20% of the total cost of constructing a building, which includes such elements as labor, plumbing, electricity, heating
and air conditioning systems, installation and interior finish. Technological advances in products and materials, as well as significant improvements in engineering and design techniques, have led to the development of structural systems that are compatible with more traditional construction materials. Architects and designers now often combine an engineered building system with masonry, concrete, glass and wood exterior facades to meet the aesthetic requirements of end users while preserving the inherent characteristics of engineered building systems. As a result, the uses for engineered building systems now include office buildings, showrooms, retail shopping centers, banks, schools, places of worship, warehouses, factories, distribution centers, government buildings and community centers for which aesthetics and architectural features are important considerations of the end users. In addition, advances in our products such as insulated steel panel systems for roof and wall applications give buildings the desired balance of strength, thermal efficiency and aesthetic attractiveness.
We sell engineered building systems to builders, general contractors, developers and end users nationwide under the brand names “Metallic,” “Mid-West Steel,” “A & S,” “All American,” “Mesco,” “Star,” “Ceco,” “Robertson,” “Garco,” “Heritage” and “SteelBuilding.com.” We market engineered building systems through an in-house sales force to authorized builder networks of approximately 3,200 builders. We also sell engineered building systems via direct sale to owners and end users as well as through private label companies. In addition to a traditional business-to-business channel, we sell small custom-engineered metal buildings through two other consumer-oriented marketing channels targeting end-use purchasers and small general contractors. We sell through Heritage Building Systems (“Heritage”), which is a direct-response, phone-based sales organization, and Steelbuilding.com, which allows customers to design, price and buy small metal buildings online. During fiscal 2017, our largest customer for Engineered Building Systems accounted for less than 2% of our total consolidated sales and external sales of our engineered building systems segment accounted for 37.3% of total consolidated sales for the fiscal year.
The majority of our sales of engineered building systems are made through our authorized builder networks. We enter into an authorized builder agreement with independent general contractors that market our products and services to users. These agreements generally grant the builder the non-exclusive right to market our products in a specified territory. Generally, the agreement is cancelable by either party with between 30 and 60 days’ notice. The agreement does not prohibit the builder from marketing engineered building systems of other manufacturers. In some cases, we may defray a portion of the builder’s advertising costs and provide volume purchasing and other pricing incentives to encourage those businesses to deal exclusively or principally with us. The builder is required to maintain a place of business in its designated territory, provide a sales organization, conduct periodic advertising programs and perform construction, warranty and other services for customers and potential customers. An authorized builder usually is hired by an end-user to erect an engineered building system on the customer’s site and provide general contracting, subcontracting and/or other services related to the completion of the project. We sell our products to the builder, which generally includes the price of the building as a part of its overall construction contract with its customer. We rely upon maintaining a satisfactory business relationship for continuing job orders from our authorized builders.
Metal Components.
Products. Metal components include metal roof and wall systems, metal partitions, metal trim, doors and other related accessories. These products are used in new construction and in repair and retrofit applications for industrial, commercial, institutional, agricultural and rural uses. Metal components are used in a wide variety of construction applications, including purlins and girts, roofing, standing seam roofing, walls, doors, trim and other parts of traditional buildings, as well as in architectural applications and engineered building systems. Although precise market data is limited, we estimate the metal components market, including roofing applications, to be a multi-billion dollar market. We believe that metal products have gained and continue to gain a greater share of new construction and repair and retrofit markets due to increasing acceptance and recognition of the benefits of metal products in building applications.
Our metal components consist of individual components, including secondary structural framing, metal roof and wall systems and associated metal trims. We sell directly to contractors or end users for use in the building industry, including the construction of metal buildings. We also stock and market metal component parts for use in the maintenance and repair of existing buildings. Specific component products we manufacture include metal roof and wall systems, purlins, girts, partitions, header panels and related trim and screws. We are continually developing and marketing new products such as our Soundwall™, Nu-Roof™ system and Energy Star cool roofing. We believe we offer the widest selection of metal components in the building industry. We custom produce purlins and girts for our customers and offer one of the widest selections of sizes and profiles in the United States. Metal roof and wall systems protect the rest of the structure and the contents of the building from the weather. They may also contribute to the structural integrity of the building.
Metal roofing systems have several advantages over conventional roofing systems, including the following:
Lower life cycle cost. The total cost over the life of metal roofing systems is lower than that of conventional roofing systems for both new construction and retrofit roofing. For new construction, the cost of installing metal roofing is greater than the cost of conventional roofing. However, the longer life and lower maintenance costs of metal roofing make the cost more attractive. For retrofit roofing, although installation costs are higher for metal roofing due to the need for a sloping support system, over time the lower ongoing costs more than offset the initial cost.
Increased longevity. Metal roofing systems generally last for a minimum of 20 years without requiring major maintenance or replacement. This compares to five to ten years for conventional roofs. The cost of leaks and roof failures associated with conventional roofing can be very high, including damage to building interiors and disruption of the functional usefulness of the building. Metal roofing prolongs the intervals between costly and time-consuming repair work.
Attractive aesthetics and design flexibility. Metal roofing systems allow architects and builders to integrate colors and geometric design into the roofing of new and existing buildings, providing an increasingly fashionable means of enhancing a building’s aesthetics. Conventional roofing material is generally tar paper or a gravel surface, and building designers tend to conceal roofs made with these materials.
Our metal roofing products are attractive and durable. We use standing seam roof technology to replace traditional built-up and single-ply roofs as well as to provide a distinctive look to new construction.
Manufacturing. As of October 29, 2017, we operated 26 facilities (24 in the United States, one in Canada and one in China) to manufacture metal components for the nonresidential construction industry, including three facilities for our door operations and nine facilities for our IMP products.
Metal component products are roll-formed or fabricated at each plant using roll-formers and other metal working equipment. In roll-forming, pre-finished coils of steel are unwound and passed through a series of progressive forming rolls that form the steel into various profiles of medium-gauge structural shapes and light-gauge roof and wall panels.
Sales, Marketing and Customers. We are one of the largest domestic suppliers of metal components to the nonresidential building industry. We design, manufacture, sell and distribute one of the widest selections of components for a variety of new construction applications as well as for repair and retrofit uses.
We manufacture and design metal roofing systems for sales to regional metal building manufacturers, general contractors and subcontractors. We believe we have the broadest line of standing seam roofing products in the building industry. In addition, we have granted 21 non-exclusive, on-going license agreements to 18 companies, both domestic and international, relating to our standing seam roof technology.
These licenses, for a fee, are provided with MBCI’s technical know-how relating to the marketing, sales, testing, engineering, estimating, manufacture and installation of the licensed product. The licensees buy their own roll forming equipment to manufacture the roof panels and typically buy accessories for the licensed roof system from MBCI.
We estimate that metal roofing currently accounts for less than 10% of total roofing material volume. However, metal roofing accounts for a significant portion of the overall metal components market. As a result, we believe that significant opportunities exist for metal roofing, with its advantages over conventional roofing materials, to increase its overall share of this market.
One of our strategic objectives and a major part of our “green” initiative is to expand our IMP product lines, which are increasingly desirable because of their energy efficiency, noise reduction and aesthetic qualities. Our IMP product line manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada and China provide the nonresidential building products market with cost-effective and energy efficient insulated metal wall and roof panels.
Our “green” initiative enables us to capitalize on increasing consumer preferences for environmentally-friendly construction. We believe this will allow us to further service the needs of our existing customer base and to gain new customers.
We sell metal components directly to regional manufacturers, contractors, subcontractors, distributors, lumberyards, cooperative buying groups and other customers under the brand names “MBCI”, “American Building Components” (“ABC”), “Eco-ficient”, “Metl-Span”, “CENTRIA” and “Metal Depots.” In addition to metal roofing systems, we manufacture roll-up doors and sell interior and exterior walk doors for use in the self-storage industry and metal and other buildings. Roll-up doors, interior and exterior doors, interior partitions and walls, header panels and trim are sold directly to contractors and other customers under the brand “Doors and Buildings Components” (“DBCI”). These components also are produced for integration into self-storage and engineered building systems sold by us. In addition to a traditional business-to-business channel, we sell components through Metal Depots, which has eight retail stores throughout the United States and specifically targets end-use consumers and small general contractors.
We market our components products primarily within six market segments: commercial/industrial, architectural, standing seam roof systems, agricultural, residential and cold storage. In addition, our IMP product lines service each of our six market segments. Customers include small, medium and large contractors, specialty roofers, regional fabricators, regional engineered building fabricators, post frame contractors, material resellers and end users. Commercial and industrial businesses, including self-storage, are heavy users of metal components and metal buildings systems. Standing seam roof and architectural customers have emerged as an important part of our customer base. As metal buildings become a more acceptable building alternative and aesthetics become an increasingly important consideration for end users of metal buildings, we believe that architects will
participate more in the design and purchase decisions and will use metal components to a greater extent. Wood frame builders also purchase our metal components through distributors, lumberyards, cooperative buying groups and chain stores for various uses, including agricultural buildings.
Our metal components sales operations are organized into geographic regions. Each region is headed by a general sales manager supported by individual regional sales managers. Each local sales office is staffed by a direct sales force responsible for contacting customers and architects and a sales coordinator who supervises the sales process from the time the order is received until it is shipped and invoiced. The regional and local focus of our customers requires extensive knowledge of local business conditions. During fiscal 2017, our largest customer for Metal Components accounted for less than 1% of our total consolidated sales and external sales of our metal components segment accounted for 56.4% of total consolidated sales for the fiscal year.
Metal Coil Coating.
Products. Metal coil coating consists of cleaning, treating and painting various flat-rolled metals, in coil form, as well as slitting and/or embossing the metal, before the metal is fabricated for use by various industrial users. Light gauge and heavy gauge metal coils that are painted, either for decorative or corrosion protection purposes, are utilized in the building industry by manufacturers of metal components and engineered building systems. In addition, these painted metal coils are utilized by manufacturers of other products, such as water heaters, lighting fixtures, ceiling grids, HVAC and appliances. We clean, treat and coat both heavy gauge (hot-rolled) and light gauge metal coils for our other operating segments and for third party customers, who utilize them in a variety of applications, including construction products, heating and air conditioning systems, water heaters, lighting fixtures, ceiling grids, office furniture, appliances and other products. We provide toll coating services under which the customer provides the metal coil and we provide only the coil coating process. We also provide a painted metal package under which we sell both the metal coil and the coil coating service together.
We believe that pre-painted metal coils provide manufacturers with a higher quality, environmentally cleaner and more cost-effective solution to operating their own in-house painting operations. Pre-painted metal coils also offer manufacturers the opportunity to produce a broader and more aesthetically pleasing range of products.
Manufacturing. As of October 29, 2017, we operated five metal coil coating facilities located in the United States. Two of our facilities coat hot-rolled, heavy gauge metal coils and three of our facilities coat light gauge metal coils.
Our coil coating processes have multiple stages. In the first stage, the metal surface is cleaned and a chemical pretreatment is applied. The pretreatment is designed to promote adhesion of the paint system and enhance the corrosion resistance of the metal. After the pretreatment stage, a paint system is roll-applied to the metal surface, then baked at a high temperature to cure the coating and achieve a set of physical properties that not only make the metal more attractive, but also allows it to be formed into a manufactured product, all while maintaining the integrity of the paint system so that it can endure the final end use requirements. After the coating system has been cured, the metal substrate is rewound into a finished metal coil and packaged for shipment. Slitting and embossing processes can also be performed on the finished coil in accordance with customer specifications, prior to shipment.
Sales, Marketing and Customers. We process metal coils to supply substantially all the coating requirements of our own metal components and engineered building systems operating segments. We also process metal coils to supply external customers in a number of different industries.
We market our metal coil coating products and processes under the brand names “Metal Coaters” and “Metal Prep”. Each of our metal coil coating facilities has an independent sales staff.
We sell our products and processes principally to original equipment manufacturer customers who utilize pre-painted metal, including other manufacturers of engineered building systems and metal components. Our customer base also includes steel mills, metal service centers and painted coil distributors who in-turn supply various manufacturers of engineered building systems, metal components, lighting fixtures, ceiling grids, water heaters, appliances and other manufactured products. During fiscal 2017, the largest customer of our Metal Coil Coating segment accounted for less than 2% of our total consolidated sales and external sales of our metal coil coating segment represented 6.3% of total consolidated sales for the fiscal year.
Business Strategy
We intend to expand our business, enhance our market position and increase our sales and profitability by focusing on the implementation of a number of key initiatives that we believe will help us grow and reduce costs. Our current strategy focuses primarily on organic initiatives, but also considers the use of opportunistic acquisitions to achieve our growth objectives:
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Corporate-Wide Initiatives. We will continue our focus on leveraging technology, automation and supply chain efficiencies to be one of the lowest cost producers, reduce engineering, selling, general and administrative (“ESG&A”) expenses and improve plant utilization through expanded use of our integrated business model and facility re-alignment.
To further distinguish the value of our products and services, our manufacturing platform has been reorganized into a single, integrated organization, to rapidly incorporate the benefits of lean manufacturing best practices and efficiencies across all of our facilities.
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Engineered Building Systems Segment. We intend to enhance the performance of our differentiated brands by aligning our operations to achieve the best total value building solution, delivered complete and on-time, every time. We are focused on providing industry leading cycle times, service and quality, while improving customer satisfaction.
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Metal Components Segment. We intend to maintain our leading positions in these markets and seek opportunities to profitably expand our customer base by providing industry leading customer service. In addition, we intend to drive increased IMP sales through all commercial channels.
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Metal Coil Coating Segment. Through diversification of our external customer base and national footprint, we plan to grow non-construction sales as a supply chain partner to national manufacturers. We will continue to leverage efficiency improvements to be one of the lowest cost producers.
Restructuring
We continue to execute on our plans to improve cost efficiency through the optimization of our combined manufacturing plant footprint and the elimination of certain fixed and indirect ESG&A costs. During the fiscal year ended October 29, 2017, we incurred restructuring charges, primarily consisting of severance related costs of $4.7 million, including $3.2 million and $1.2 million in the Engineered Building Systems segment and Metal Components segment, respectively,
As a result of the successful execution of these plans, the Company has eliminated approximately $23.0 million of costs through fiscal 2017 with an additional $8.5 million expected to be realized in fiscal 2018. The Company further expects to achieve aggregate cost savings and efficiency improvements ranging between $40 million and $50 million in phases by the end of 2020. We are currently unable to make a good faith determination of cost estimates, or range of cost estimates, for actions associated with implementation of these plans. Restructuring charges will be recorded for these plans as they become estimable and probable. See Note 5 - Restructuring in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for additional information.
Raw Materials
The principal raw material used in manufacturing of our metal components and engineered building systems is steel which we purchase from multiple steel producers. Our various products are fabricated from steel produced by mills including bars, plates, structural shapes, hot-rolled coils and galvanized or Galvalume®-coated coils (Galvalume® is a registered trademark of BIEC International, Inc.).
Our raw materials on hand increased to $150.9 million at October 29, 2017 from $145.1 million at October 30, 2016 due to rising input costs and to support higher levels of business activity in fiscal 2017.
The price and supply of steel impacts our business. The steel industry is highly cyclical in nature, and steel prices have been volatile in recent years and may remain volatile in the future. Steel prices are influenced by numerous factors beyond our control, including general economic conditions domestically and internationally, currency fluctuations, the availability of raw materials, competition, labor costs, freight and transportation costs, production costs, import duties and other trade restrictions. We believe the CRU North American Steel Price Index, published by the CRU Group since 1994, reasonably depicts the volatility we have experienced in steel prices. See “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk - Steel Prices.” During fiscal 2017 and 2016, steel prices fluctuated due to market conditions ranging from a low point of 145 to a high point of 181 on the CRU Index in fiscal 2017 and from a low point of 113 to a high point of 174 on the CRU Index in fiscal 2016. Based on the cyclical nature of the steel industry, we expect steel prices will continue to be volatile.
Although we have the ability to purchase steel from a number of suppliers, a production cutback by one or more of our current suppliers could create challenges in meeting delivery schedules to our customers. Because we have periodically adjusted our contract prices, particularly in the engineered building systems segment, we have generally been able to pass increases in our raw material costs through to our customers. We normally do not maintain an inventory of steel in excess of our current production requirements. However, from time to time, we may purchase steel in advance of announced steel price increases. For additional information about the risks of our raw material supply and pricing, see “Item 1A.
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Our industry is cyclical and highly sensitive to macroeconomic conditions. Our industry is currently experiencing a prolonged downturn which, if sustained, will materially and adversely affect the outlook for our business, liquidity and results of operations.
The nonresidential construction industry is highly sensitive to national and regional macroeconomic conditions. The United States and global economies are currently undergoing a period of unprecedented volatility, which is having an adverse effect on our business.
Current market estimates continue to show uneven activity across the nonresidential construction markets. According to Dodge, low-rise nonresidential construction starts, as measured in square feet and comprising buildings of up to five stories, were down as much as approximately 2% in our fiscal 2017 as compared to our fiscal 2016. However, Dodge typically revises initial reported figures, and we expect this metric may be revised upwards over time. Leading indicators for low-rise, nonresidential construction activity indicate positive momentum into fiscal 2018.
The leading indicators that we follow and that typically have the most meaningful correlation to nonresidential low-rise construction starts are the AIA Architecture Mixed Use Index, Dodge Residential single family starts and the LEI. Historically, there has been a very high correlation to the Dodge low-rise nonresidential starts when the three leading indicators are combined and then seasonally adjusted. The combined forward projection of these metrics, based on a 9 to 14-month historical lag for each metric, indicates low single digit growth for new low-rise nonresidential construction starts in fiscal 2018, with the majority of that growth occurring in the second half of our fiscal year.
However, continued uncertainty about current economic conditions has had a negative effect on our business, and will continue to pose a risk to our business as our customers may postpone spending in response to tighter credit, negative financial news and/or declines in income or asset values, which could have a material negative effect on the demand for our products. Other factors that could influence demand include fuel and other energy costs, conditions in the nonresidential real estate markets, labor and healthcare costs, access to credit and other macroeconomic factors. From time to time, our industry has also been adversely affected in various parts of the country by declines in nonresidential construction starts, including but not limited to, high vacancy rates, changes in tax laws affecting the real estate industry, high interest rates and the unavailability of financing. Sales of our products may be adversely affected by continued weakness in demand for our products within particular customer groups, or a continued decline in the general construction industry or particular geographic regions. These and other economic factors could have a material adverse effect on demand for our products and on our financial condition and operating results.
We cannot predict the timing or severity of any future economic or industry downturns. A prolonged economic downturn, particularly in states where many of our sales are made, would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition, including potential asset impairments.
The ongoing uncertainty and volatility in the financial markets and the state of the worldwide economic recovery may adversely affect our operating results.
The markets in which we compete are sensitive to general business and economic conditions in the United States and worldwide, including availability of credit, interest rates, fluctuations in capital, credit and mortgage markets and business and consumer confidence. Additionally, political issues in the United States resulting in discord, conflict or lack of compromise between the legislative and executive branches of the U.S. government may affect the national debt, debt ceiling limit, tax reform or federal government budget, which could in turn adversely affect our results of operations. Adverse developments in global financial markets and general business and economic conditions, including through recession, downturn or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, including our ability and the ability of our customers and suppliers to access capital. There was a significant decline in economic growth, both in the United States and worldwide, that began in the second half of 2007 and continued through 2009. In addition, volatility and disruption in the capital markets during that period reached unprecedented levels, with stock markets falling dramatically and credit becoming very expensive or unavailable to many companies without regard to those companies’ underlying financial strength. Although there have been some indications of stabilization in the general economy and certain industries and markets in which we operate, there can be no guarantee that any improvement in these areas will continue or be sustained.
Global financial markets continue to experience disruptions, including increased volatility, and diminished liquidity and credit availability. If global economic and market conditions, or economic conditions in Europe, the U.S. or other key markets, remain uncertain, persist, or deteriorate further, our customers may respond by suspending, delaying or reducing their purchases of our metal products, which may adversely affect our cash flows and results of operations.
Regulation from the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) could adversely affect our business or financial results.
Changes in regulatory requirements, such as the reporting requirements relating to conflict minerals originating in the Democratic Republic of Congo or adjoining countries included in the Dodd-Frank Act, or evolving interpretations of existing regulatory requirements, may result in increased compliance cost, capital expenditures and other financial obligations that could adversely affect our business or financial results.
Changes in legislation, regulation and government policy as a result of the 2016 U.S. presidential and congressional elections may have a material effect on the Company’s business in the future.
The recent presidential and congressional elections in the United States could result in significant changes in, and uncertainty with respect to, legislation, regulation and government policy. While it is not possible to predict whether and when any such changes will occur, changes at the local, state or federal level could significantly impact the Company’s business. For example, the Company’s business activity levels are heavily influenced by the U.S. domestic economy and changes in administration policies may result in changes in tax rates and/or prevailing interest rates, which could either stimulate or contract activity levels in the domestic economy. More specifically, the Company has had a production facility in Mexico for approximately 20 years and purchases a material amount of manufactured products from this subsidiary. For example, in fiscal 2017, the Company imported approximately $56 million of metal building products from the Company’s Mexican subsidiary. Specific legislative and regulatory proposals discussed during and after the election that could have a material impact on us include, but are not limited to, reform of the U.S. federal tax code, and modifications to international trade policy. Any such changes, if unmitigated by changes in our supply chain or tax organization structures, may make it more difficult and/or more expensive for us and, thus, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations and limit our growth.
Comprehensive tax reform legislation is currently under consideration by the U.S. Congress.
The U.S. Congress is considering comprehensive tax reform legislation that includes significant changes to taxation of business entities. These changes include, among others, (i) a permanent reduction to the corporate income tax rate, (ii) a partial limitation on the deductibility of business interest expense, (iii) elimination of deduction for income attributable to domestic production activities and (iv) a partial shift of the U.S. taxation of multinational corporations from a tax on worldwide income to a territorial system (along with a transitional rule that taxes certain historic foreign accumulated earnings and certain rules that aim to prevent erosion of U.S. income tax base). It is unclear whether the tax reform legislation will be enacted into law or, if enacted, what form it would take. The impact of any potential tax reform on us is uncertain.
Our business may be impacted by external factors that we may not be able to control.
War, civil conflict, terrorism, natural disasters and public health issues including domestic or international pandemic have caused and could cause damage or disruption to domestic or international commerce by creating economic or political uncertainties. Additionally, any volatility in the financial markets could negatively impact our business. These events could result in a decrease in demand for our products, make it difficult or impossible to deliver orders to customers or receive materials from suppliers, affect the availability or pricing of energy sources or result in other severe consequences that may or may not be predictable. As a result, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
We have substantial debt and may incur substantial additional debt, which could adversely affect our financial health, reduce our profitability, limit our ability to obtain financing in the future and pursue certain business opportunities and make payments on our indebtedness.
We have substantial indebtedness. As of October 29, 2017, we had total indebtedness of approximately $394.1 million.
The amount of our debt or other similar obligations could have important consequences for us, including, but not limited to:
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a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations must be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on our indebtedness, thereby reducing the funds available to us for other purposes;
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our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements or general corporate purposes and our ability to satisfy our obligations with respect to our outstanding indebtedness may be impaired in the future;
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we are exposed to the risk of increased interest rates because a portion of our borrowings is at variable rates of interest;
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we may be at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors with less debt or with comparable debt at more favorable interest rates and that, as a result, may be better positioned to withstand economic downturns;
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our ability to refinance indebtedness may be limited or the associated costs may increase;
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our ability to engage in acquisitions without raising additional equity or obtaining additional debt financing may be impaired in the future;
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it may be more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations to our creditors, resulting in possible defaults on and acceleration of such indebtedness;
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we may be more vulnerable to general adverse economic and industry conditions; and
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our flexibility to adjust to changing market conditions and our ability to withstand competitive pressures could be limited, or we may be prevented from making capital investments that are necessary or important to our operations in general, growth strategy and efforts to improve operating margins of our business units.
If we cannot service our debt, we will be forced to take actions such as reducing or delaying acquisitions and/or capital expenditures, selling assets, restructuring or refinancing our debt or seeking additional equity capital. We can give you no assurance that we can do any of these things on satisfactory terms or at all.
The Amended ABL Facility, the Term Loan Facility and the indenture governing the Notes contain restrictions and limitations that could significantly impact our ability and the ability of most of our subsidiaries to engage in certain business and financial transactions.
Indenture Governing the Notes.
The indenture governing the Notes contains restrictive covenants that, among other things, limit our ability and the ability of our restricted subsidiaries to:
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incur additional indebtedness or issue certain preferred shares;
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pay dividends, redeem stock or make other distributions;
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voluntarily repurchase, prepay or redeem subordinated indebtedness;
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make investments;
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create liens;
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transfer or sell assets;
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create restrictions on the ability of our restricted subsidiaries to pay dividends to us or make other intercompany transfers;
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consolidate, merge, sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets;
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enter into certain transactions with our affiliates; and
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designate subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries.
Term Loan Facility and Amended ABL Facility.
The Term Loan Facility and the Amended ABL Facility contain a number of covenants that limit our ability and the ability of our restricted subsidiaries (in the case of the Term Loan Facility) or subsidiaries (in the case of the ABL Facility) to:
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incur additional indebtedness or issue certain preferred shares;
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pay dividends, redeem stock or make other distributions;
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voluntarily repurchase, prepay or redeem subordinated indebtedness or, in the case of the Amended ABL Facility, any indebtedness;
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make investments;
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create liens;
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transfer or sell assets;
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create restrictions on the ability of our subsidiaries (in the case of the Amended ABL Facility) and our restricted subsidiaries (in the case of the Term Loan Facility) to pay dividends to us or make other intercompany transfers;
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make negative pledges;
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consolidate, merge, sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets;
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enter into certain transactions with affiliates; and
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in the case of the Term Loan Facility, designate subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries.
We are required to make mandatory pre-payments under the Term Loan Facility upon the occurrence of certain events including the sale of assets and the issuance of debt, in each case subject to certain limitations and conditions set forth in our Term Loan Facility.
Under the Amended ABL Facility, a “Dominion Event” occurs if either an event of default is continuing or excess availability falls below certain levels, during which period, and for certain periods thereafter, the administrative agent may apply all amounts in NCI’s concentration account to the repayment of the loans outstanding under the Amended ABL Facility, subject to an intercreditor agreement between the lenders under the Term Loan Facility and the Amended ABL Facility. In addition, during a Dominion Event, we are required to make mandatory repayments on the Amended ABL Facility upon the occurrence of certain events, including the sale of assets and the issuance of debt, in each case subject to certain limitations and conditions set forth in the Amended ABL Facility and the intercreditor agreement. If excess availability under the Amended ABL Facility falls below certain levels, our asset-based loan facility also requires us to satisfy set financial tests relating to our fixed charge coverage ratio.
These restrictions could limit our ability to plan for or react to market conditions or meet extraordinary capital needs or otherwise could restrict our activities. In addition, under certain circumstances and subject to the limitations set forth in the Term Loan Facility, the Term Loan Facility requires us to pay down our term loan to the extent we generate excess positive cash flow each fiscal year. These restrictions could also adversely affect our ability to finance our future operations or capital needs or to engage in other business activities that would be in our interest.
Our failure to comply with obligations under the indenture governing the Notes, the Amended ABL Facility or the Term Loan Facility would result in an event of default under the indenture, the Amended ABL Facility or the Term Loan Facility, as applicable. A default, if not cured or waived, may permit acceleration of our indebtedness. If our indebtedness is accelerated, we cannot be certain that we will have sufficient funds available to pay the accelerated indebtedness or that we will have the ability to refinance the accelerated indebtedness on terms favorable to us or at all.
Despite our indebtedness levels, we and our subsidiaries may be able to incur substantially more indebtedness, which may increase the risks to our financial condition created by our substantial indebtedness.
The terms of the Amended ABL Facility, the Term Loan Facility and the indenture governing the Notes provide us and our subsidiaries with the flexibility to incur a substantial amount of indebtedness in the future, which indebtedness may be secured or unsecured. As of October 29, 2017, we had total indebtedness of approximately $394.1 million. In particular, if we or our subsidiaries are in compliance with certain incurrence ratios set forth in the Amended ABL Facility, the Term Loan Facility and the indenture governing the Notes, we may be able to incur substantial additional indebtedness. Any such incurrence of additional indebtedness may increase the risks created by our current substantial indebtedness. As of October 29, 2017, we were able to borrow up to approximately $140.0 million under the Amended ABL Facility. All of these borrowings under the Amended ABL Facility would be secured.
We may not be able to repurchase the Notes upon a change of control.
Upon the occurrence of a change of control event specified in the indenture governing the Notes, we will be required to offer to repurchase all outstanding Notes (unless otherwise redeemed) at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest and additional interest, if any, to the date of repurchase. It is possible, however, that we will not have sufficient funds available at the time of the change of control to make the required repurchase of Notes. We may be unable to repay all of that indebtedness or to obtain such consent. Any requirement to offer to repurchase outstanding Notes may therefore require us to refinance our other outstanding debt, which we may not be able to do on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. A change of control may constitute an event of default under the Term Loan Facility and the Amended ABL Facility. In addition, our failure to repurchase the Notes after a change of control in accordance with the terms of the indenture governing the Notes would constitute an event of default under such indenture, which in turn would result in a default under the Amended ABL Facility and the Term Loan Facility, and could ultimately result in the acceleration of the indebtedness represented by the Notes and under the Term Loan Facility and the Amended ABL Facility.
An increase in interest rates would increase the cost of servicing our debt and could reduce our profitability, decrease our liquidity and impact our solvency.
Our indebtedness under the Amended ABL Facility will bear interest at variable rates and, to the extent LIBOR exceeds 1.00%, our indebtedness under the Term Loan Facility will bear interest at variable rates. As a result, increases in interest rates could increase the cost of servicing such debt and materially reduce our profitability and cash flows. As of October 29, 2017, assuming all Amended ABL Facility revolving loans were fully drawn and LIBOR exceeded 1.00%, each one percent change in interest rates would result in approximately a $2.8 million change in annual interest expense on the Term Loan Facility and the Amended ABL Facility. The impact of such an increase would be more significant for us than it would be for some other companies because of our substantial debt.
A downgrade, suspension or withdrawal of the rating assigned by a rating agency to us or the Notes, if any, could cause the liquidity or market value of the Notes to decline.
The Notes have been rated by nationally recognized rating agencies and may in the future be rated by additional rating agencies. In determining our credit ratings, the rating agencies consider a number of both quantitative and qualitative factors. These factors include earnings, fixed charges such as interest, cash flows, total debt outstanding, total secured debt, off balance sheet obligations and other commitments, total capitalization and various ratios calculated from these factors. Our debt securities, including the Notes, and our debt facilities may in the future be rated by additional rating agencies. We cannot assure you that any rating so assigned will remain for any given period of time or that a rating will not be lowered or withdrawn entirely by a rating agency if, in that rating agency’s judgment, circumstances relating to the basis of the rating, such as an adverse change to our business, so warrant. The interest rates and other terms within our current credit agreements are not impacted by rating agency actions. Any downgrade, suspension or withdrawal of a rating by a rating agency (or any anticipated downgrade, suspension or withdrawal) could reduce the liquidity or market value of our outstanding Notes and make our ability to raise new funds or renew maturing debt more difficult.
We may have future capital needs and may not be able to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms.
Although we believe that our current cash position and the additional committed funding available under our Amended ABL Facility is sufficient for our current operations, any reductions in our available borrowing capacity, or our inability to renew or replace our debt facilities, when required or when business conditions warrant, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The economic conditions, credit market conditions and economic climate affecting our industry, as well as other factors, may constrain our financing abilities. Our ability to secure additional financing, if available, and to satisfy our financial obligations under indebtedness outstanding from time to time will depend upon our future operating performance, the availability of credit generally, economic conditions and financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. The market conditions and the macroeconomic conditions that affect our industry could have a material adverse effect on our ability to secure financing on favorable terms, if at all.
We may be unable to secure additional financing or financing on favorable terms or our operating cash flow may be insufficient to satisfy our financial obligations under the indebtedness outstanding from time to time. Furthermore, if financing is not available when needed, or is available on unfavorable terms, we may be unable to take advantage of business opportunities or respond to competitive pressures, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we raise additional funds through further issuances of equity, convertible debt securities or other securities convertible into equity, our existing stockholders could suffer significant dilution.
Our ability to access future financing also may be dependent on regulatory restrictions applicable to banks and other institutions subject to U.S. federal banking regulations, even if the market would otherwise be willing to provide such financing.
We have obligations incident to being a public company, including with respect to the requirements of and related rules under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Fulfilling these obligations is expensive and time-consuming, and any delays or difficulties in satisfying these obligations could have a material adverse effect on our future results of operations.
We completed our initial public offering in fiscal 1992. As a public company, we are subject to the reporting and corporate governance requirements, New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) listing standards and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that apply to issuers of listed equity, which imposes certain compliance costs and obligations upon us. Being a public company entails higher auditing, accounting and legal fees and expenses, investor relations expenses, directors’ fees and director and officer liability insurance costs, registrar and transfer agent fees and listing fees, as well as other expenses, than for a non-public company.
We have, in the past, discovered, and may in the future, discover material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting. If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud.
As disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 30, 2016, filed on January 10, 2017, we previously identified material weaknesses as of October 30, 2016 in our internal control over financial reporting resulting from (1) our failure to maintain an effective control environment at CENTRIA, which we acquired in January 2015, and (2) gaps in the design of controls, including general IT and other IT related controls, over the monitoring and review of the estimated selling price that was allocated to each separate unit of accounting for revenue arrangements within our Engineered Building Systems segment. In fiscal 2017, we devoted significant resources toward remediation and improvement of our internal controls over financial reporting.
Failure to have effective internal control over financial reporting could result in a misstatement of our financial statements. If, as a result of deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting, we cannot provide reliable financial statements, our business decision processes may be adversely affected, our business and results of operations could be harmed, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information, our stock price may decline and our ability to obtain additional financing,
or additional financing on favorable terms, could be adversely affected. In addition, failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could result in investigations or sanctions by the SEC or other regulatory authorities. In addition, because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues or instances of fraud, if any, within the Company have been detected.
During fiscal 2017 we concluded that the material weaknesses were remediated. Additional details regarding the remediation of material weaknesses are disclosed under “Controls and Procedures” in Part II, Item 9A of this Report.
We may recognize goodwill or other intangible asset impairment charges.
Future triggering events, such as declines in our cash flow projections, may cause impairments of our goodwill or intangible assets based on factors such as our stock price, projected cash flows, assumptions used, control premiums or other variables.
For example, we completed our annual impairment assessment of goodwill and indefinite lived intangibles in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 and recorded a $6.0 million impairment charge related to the goodwill associated with a reporting unit within the Metal Components segment.
Our businesses are seasonal, and our results of operations during our first two fiscal quarters may be adversely affected by weather conditions.
The engineered building systems, metal components and metal coil coating businesses, and the construction industry in general, are seasonal in nature. Sales normally are lower in the first half of each fiscal year compared to the second half of the fiscal year because of unfavorable weather conditions for construction and typical business planning cycles affecting construction. This seasonality adversely affects our results of operations for the first two fiscal quarters. Prolonged severe weather conditions can delay construction projects and otherwise adversely affect our business.
Price volatility and supply constraints in the steel market could prevent us from meeting delivery schedules to our customers or reduce our profit margins.
Our business is heavily dependent on the price and supply of steel. The steel industry is highly cyclical in nature, and steel prices have been volatile in recent years and may remain volatile in the future. Steel prices are influenced by numerous factors beyond our control, including general economic conditions domestically and internationally, currency fluctuations, the availability of raw materials, competition, labor costs, freight and transportation costs, production costs, import duties and other trade restrictions. Given the level of steel industry consolidation, the anticipated additional domestic market capacity, generally low inventories in the industry and slow economic recovery, a sudden increase in demand could affect our ability to purchase steel and result in rapidly increasing steel prices.
We normally do not maintain an inventory of steel in excess of our current production requirements. However, from time to time, we may purchase steel in advance of announced steel price increases. In addition, it is our current practice to purchase all steel inventory that has been ordered but is not in our possession. If demand for our products declines, our inventory may increase. We can give you no assurance that steel will remain available, that prices will not continue to be volatile or that we will be able to purchase steel on favorable or commercially reasonable terms. While most of our sales contracts have escalation clauses that allow us, under certain circumstances, to pass along all or a portion of increases in the price of steel after the date of the contract but prior to delivery, we may, for competitive or other reasons, not be able to pass such price increases along. If the available supply of steel declines, we could experience price increases that we are not able to pass on to our customers, a deterioration of service from our suppliers or interruptions or delays that may cause us not to meet delivery schedules to our customers. Any of these problems could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. For more information about steel pricing trends in recent years, see “Item 1. Business - Raw Materials” and “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk - Steel Prices.”
We rely on third-party suppliers for materials in addition to steel, and if we fail to identify and develop relationships with a sufficient number of qualified suppliers, or if there is a significant interruption in our supply chains, our business and results of operations could be adversely affected.
In addition to steel, our operations require other raw materials from third-party suppliers. We generally have multiple sources of supply for our raw materials, however, in some cases, materials are provided by a single supplier. The loss of, or substantial decrease in the availability of, products from our suppliers, or the loss of a key supplier, could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, supply interruptions could arise from shortages of raw materials, labor disputes or weather conditions affecting products or shipments or other factors beyond our control. Short- and long-term disruptions in our supply chain would result in a need to maintain higher inventory levels as we replace similar product, a higher cost of product and ultimately a decrease in our revenues and profitability. To the extent our suppliers experience disruptions, there is a risk for delivery delays, production delays, production issues or delivery of non-conforming products by our suppliers. Even where these risks do not materialize, we may incur costs as we prepare contingency plans to address such risks. In addition, disruptions in transportation lines could delay our receipt of raw materials. If our supply of raw materials is disrupted or our delivery times
extended, our results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. Furthermore, some of our third-party suppliers may not be able to handle commodity cost volatility or changing volumes while still performing up to our specifications. Short-term changes in the cost of these materials, some of which are subject to significant fluctuations, are sometimes, but not always passed on to our customers. Our inability to pass on material price increases to our customers could adversely impact our financial condition, operating results and cash flows.
Failure to retain or replace key personnel could hurt our operations.
Our success depends to a significant degree upon the efforts, contributions and abilities of our senior management, plant managers and other highly skilled personnel, including our sales executives. These executives and managers have many accumulated years of experience in our industry and have developed personal relationships with our customers that are important to our business. If we do not retain the services of our key personnel or if we fail to adequately plan for the succession of such individuals, our customer relationships, results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected.
If we are unable to enforce our intellectual property rights, or if such intellectual property rights become obsolete, our competitive position could be adversely affected.
We utilize a variety of intellectual property rights in our services. We have a number of United States copyrights, patents, foreign patents, pending patent and copyright applications and other proprietary rights, including those relating to metal roofing systems, metal overhead doors, our pier and header system, our Long Bay® System and our building estimating and design system. CENTRIA also has a number of U.S. patents, including for its composite joinery apparatus. We and CENTRIA also have a number of registered trademarks and pending registrations in the United States. In addition, CENTRIA has exclusively licensed certain metal building cladding technology from Proclad Enterprises Ltd., which, under certain circumstances, may be converted to a non-exclusive license. We view this portfolio of owned and licensed process and design technologies as one of our competitive strengths. We may not be able to successfully preserve these intellectual property rights in the future and these rights could be invalidated, circumvented, or challenged.
There can be no assurance that the efforts we have taken to protect our proprietary rights will be sufficient or effective, that any pending or future patent and trademark applications will lead to issued patents and registered trademarks in all instances, that others will not develop or patent similar or superior technologies, products or services, or that our patents, trademarks and other intellectual property will not be challenged, invalidated, misappropriated or infringed by others. If we are unable to protect and maintain our intellectual property rights including those acquired from CENTRIA, or if there are any successful intellectual property challenges or infringement proceedings against us, including in connection with intellectual property of CENTRIA, our business and revenue could be materially and adversely affected.
We may also be subject to future claims and legal proceedings regarding alleged infringement by us of the patents, trademarks and other intellectual property rights of third parties. If there is a claim against us for infringement, misappropriation, misuse or other violation of third party intellectual property rights, and we are unable to obtain sufficient rights or develop non-infringing intellectual property or otherwise alter our business practices on a timely or cost-efficient basis, our business and competitive position may be adversely affected.
We incur costs to comply with environmental laws and have liabilities for environmental investigations, cleanups and claims.
Because we emit and discharge pollutants into the environment, own and operate real property that has historically been used for industrial purposes and generate and handle hazardous substances and industrial wastes, we incur costs and liabilities to comply with environmental laws and regulations. We may incur significant additional costs as those laws and regulations or their enforcement change in the future if we discover a release of hazardous substances into the environment, or if a historical release of hazardous substances, industrial wastes or other contamination is identified.
The operations of our manufacturing facilities are subject to stringent and complex federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations. These include, for example, (i) the federal Clean Air Act and comparable state laws and regulations that impose obligations related to air emissions; (ii) the federal Clean Water Act and comparable state laws and regulations that impose obligations related to wastewater and storm water discharges; (iii) the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and comparable state laws that impose requirements for the storage, treatment, handling and disposal of industrial wastes from our facilities; and (iv) the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 and comparable state laws that impose liability for the investigation and cleanup of hazardous substances or industrial wastes that may have been released at properties currently or previously owned or operated by us, or at locations to which we have sent industrial waste for disposal.
Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may trigger a variety of administrative, civil and criminal enforcement measures, including the assessment of monetary penalties; the imposition of investigative or remedial requirements; personal injury, property or natural resource damages claims; and the issuance of orders enjoining current or future operations, or the
denial or revocation of permits or other legal authorizations. For more information about the effect of environmental laws and regulations on our business, see “Item 1. Business - Environmental Matters.”
The industries in which we operate are highly competitive.
We compete with all other alternative methods of building construction, which may be viewed as more traditional, more aesthetically pleasing or having other advantages over our products. In addition, competition in the metal components and metal buildings markets of the building industry and in the metal coil coating segment is intense. It is based primarily on:
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quality;
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service;
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on-time delivery;
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ability to provide added value in the design and engineering of buildings;
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price;
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speed of construction in buildings and components; and
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personal relationships with customers.
We compete with a number of other manufacturers of metal components and engineered building systems and providers of coil coating services ranging from small local firms to large national firms. In addition, we and other manufacturers of metal components and engineered building systems compete with alternative methods of building construction. If these alternative building methods compete successfully against us, such competition could adversely affect us.
In addition, several of our competitors have been acquired by steel producers. Competitors owned by steel producers may have a competitive advantage on raw materials that we do not enjoy. Steel producers may prioritize deliveries of raw materials to such competitors or provide them with more favorable pricing, both of which could enable them to offer products to customers at lower prices or accelerated delivery schedules.
Our stock price has been and may continue to be volatile.
The trading price of our Common Stock has fluctuated in the past and is subject to significant fluctuations in response to the following factors, some of which are beyond our control:
•
variations in quarterly operating results;
•
deviations in our earnings from publicly disclosed forward-looking guidance;
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variability in our revenues;
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changes in earnings estimates by analysts;
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our announcements of significant contracts, acquisitions, strategic partnerships or joint ventures;
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general conditions in the metal components and engineered building systems industries;
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uncertainty about current global economic conditions;
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sales of our Common Stock by our sponsor;
•
fluctuations in stock market price and volume; and
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other general economic conditions.
During fiscal 2017, our stock price on the NYSE ranged from a high of $18.60 per share to a low of $13.05 per share. In recent years, the stock market in general has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected the market price for many companies in industries similar to ours. Some of these fluctuations have been unrelated to the operating performance of the affected companies. These market fluctuations may decrease the market price of our Common Stock in the future.
Acquisitions may be unsuccessful if we incorrectly predict operating results or are unable to identify and complete future acquisitions and integrate acquired assets or businesses.
We have a history of expansion through acquisitions, and we believe that if our industry continues to consolidate, our future success may depend, in part, on our ability to successfully complete acquisitions. Growing through acquisitions and managing that growth will require us to continue to invest in operational, financial and management information systems and to attract,
retain, motivate and effectively manage our employees. Pursuing and integrating acquisitions involves a number of risks, including:
•
the risk of incorrect assumptions or estimates regarding the future results of the acquired business or expected cost reductions or other synergies expected to be realized as a result of acquiring the business;
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diversion of management’s attention from existing operations;
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unexpected losses of key employees, customers and suppliers of the acquired business;
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integrating the financial, technological and management standards, processes, procedures and controls of the acquired business with those of our existing operations; and
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increasing the scope, geographic diversity and complexity of our operations.
Although the majority of our growth strategy is organic in nature, if we do pursue opportunistic acquisitions, we can provide no assurance that we will be successful in identifying or completing any acquisitions or that any businesses or assets that we are able to acquire will be successfully integrated into our existing business. We cannot predict the effect, if any, that any announcement or consummation of an acquisition would have on the trading prices of our common stock.
Acquisitions subject us to numerous risks that could adversely affect our results of operations.
If we pursue further acquisitions, depending on conditions in the acquisition market, it may be difficult or impossible for us to identify businesses or operations for acquisition, or we may not be able to make acquisitions on terms that we consider economically acceptable. Even if we are able to identify suitable acquisition opportunities, our acquisition strategy depends upon, among other things, our ability to obtain financing and, in some cases, regulatory approvals, including under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.
Our incurrence of additional debt, contingent liabilities and expenses in connection with any future acquisitions could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, our financial position and results of operations may fluctuate significantly from period to period based on whether significant acquisitions are completed in particular periods. Competition for acquisitions is intense and may increase the cost of, or cause us to refrain from, completing acquisitions. In addition, we may be unable to consummate any acquisition once announced and may be liable for termination fees.
Restructuring our operations may harm our profitability, financial condition and results of operations. Our ability to fully achieve the estimated cost savings is uncertain.
We have developed plans to improve cost efficiency and optimize our combined manufacturing plant footprint considering our recent acquisitions and restructuring efforts. Future charges related to the plans may harm our profitability in the periods incurred. Additionally, if we were to incur unexpected charges related to the plans, our financial condition and results of operations may suffer.
Implementation of these plans carry significant risks, including:
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actual or perceived disruption of service or reduction in service levels to our customers;
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failure to preserve supplier relationships and distribution, sales and other important relationships and to resolve conflicts that may arise
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potential adverse effects on our internal control environment and an inability to preserve adequate internal controls;
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diversion of management attention from ongoing business activities and other strategic objectives; and
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failure to maintain employee morale and retain key employees.
Because of these and other factors, we cannot predict whether we will fully realize the cost savings from these plans. If we do not fully realize the expected cost savings from these plans, our business and results of operations may be negatively affected. Also, if we were to experience any adverse changes to our business, additional restructuring activities may be required in the future.
In connection with the Equity Investment, we entered into a stockholders agreement with the CD&R Funds pursuant to which the CD&R Funds have substantial governance and other rights and setting forth certain terms and conditions regarding the Equity Investment and the ownership of the CD&R Funds’ shares of Common Stock.
Pursuant to the stockholders agreement with the CD&R Funds, subject to certain ownership and other requirements and conditions, the CD&R Funds have the right to appoint directors to our board of directors proportionate to their ownership, including the “Lead Director” or Chairman of the Executive Committee of our board of directors, and have consent rights over a variety of significant corporate and financing matters, including, subject to certain customary exceptions and specified baskets,
sales and acquisitions of assets, issuances and redemptions of equity, incurrence of debt, the declaration or payment of extraordinary distributions or dividends and changes to the Company’s line of business. In addition, the CD&R Funds are granted subscription rights under the terms and conditions of the stockholders agreement.
Transactions engaged in by the CD&R Funds or our directors or executives involving our Common Stock may have an adverse effect on the price of our stock.
As of October 29, 2017, our officers, directors and the CD&R Funds collectively own approximately 45.3% of our issued and outstanding Common Stock. On April 8, 2016, the SEC declared effective our shelf registration statement on Form S-3 which registered the resale of the shares of our Common Stock held by CD&R Funds. On December 11, 2017, the CD&R funds completed the 2017 Offering of 7,150,000 million shares of our Common Stock. Pursuant to the underwriting agreement, at the CD&R Funds request, we purchased 1,150,000 shares of our Common Stock from the underwriters in the 2017 Secondary Offering at a price per share equal to the price at which the underwriters purchased the shares from the CD&R Funds (the “2017 Stock Repurchase”). Following the closing of the 2017 Stock Repurchase, the CD&R Funds own approximately 34.7%. See Note 23 - Subsequent Events in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for more information on the 2017 Secondary Offering and Stock Repurchase. Future sales of our shares by these stockholders could have the effect of lowering our stock price. The perceived risk associated with the possible sale of a large number of shares by these stockholders could cause some of our stockholders to sell their stock, thus causing the price of our stock to decline. In addition, actual or anticipated downward pressure on our stock price due to actual or anticipated sales of stock by our directors or officers could cause other institutions or individuals to engage in short sales of our Common Stock, which may further cause the price of our stock to decline.
From time to time our directors, executive officers, or the CD&R Funds may sell shares of our Common Stock on the open market or otherwise, for a variety of reasons, which may be related or unrelated to the performance of our business. These sales will be publicly disclosed in filings made with the SEC. Our stockholders may perceive these sales as a reflection on management’s view of the business which may result in a drop in the price of our stock or cause some stockholders to sell their shares of our Common Stock.
Volatility in energy prices may impact our operating costs, and we may be unable to pass any resulting increases to our customers in the form of higher prices for our products.
Volatility in energy prices may increase our operating costs and may reduce our profitability and cash flows if we are unable to pass any resulting increases to our customers. We use energy in the manufacture and transport of our products. In particular, our manufacturing plants use considerable amounts of electricity and natural gas. Consequently, our operating costs typically increase if energy costs rise. During periods of higher energy costs, we may not be able to recover our operating cost increases through price increases without reducing demand for our products. To the extent we are not able to recover these cost increases through price increases or otherwise, our profitability and cash flow will be adversely impacted. We partially hedge our exposure to higher prices via fixed forward positions.
The adoption of climate change legislation or regulations restricting emissions of greenhouse gases could increase our operating costs or reduce demand for our products.
More stringent laws and regulations relating to climate change and greenhouse gases, or GHGs, may be adopted in the future and could cause us to incur additional operating costs or reduced demand for our products. On December 15, 2009, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, published its findings that emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other GHGs present an endangerment to public health, the economy and the environment because emissions of such gases, according to the EPA, contribute to the warming of the earth’s atmosphere and other climate changes. These findings allowed the EPA to adopt and implement regulations that would restrict emissions of GHGs under existing provisions of the federal CAA.
Several North American state and multi-state climate change initiatives are either actively studying, or have already implemented, measures to reduce GHG emissions, primarily through the development of emission source performance standards, GHG tracking systems and GHG emission cap-and-trade programs. These programs typically require major sources of GHGs to acquire and surrender emission allowances and offsets, with the number of allowances available for purchase reduced each year until an overall GHG emission reduction goal is achieved.
In October 2011, the California Air Resources Board adopted a cap-and-trade program that will require the state to reduce GHG emissions to 1990-levels by 2020. This program, along with mandatory GHG reporting and other complementary measures, was authorized by the California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) of 2006. Effective January 1, 2013, cap-and-trade regulations apply to all major industrial sources and electricity generators, and expanded in 2015 to cover the distributors of transportation fuels, natural gas and other fuels. The amount of allowances available to these sources is set to decline by about three percent each year through 2020 as the cap is lowered and emissions are reduced.
Although it is not possible to accurately predict how new GHG legislation or regulations would impact our business, any new federal, regional or state restrictions on emissions of carbon dioxide or other GHGs that may be imposed in areas where
we conduct business could result in increased compliance costs or additional operating restrictions on our facilities, raw material suppliers, the transportation and distribution of our products and our customers. Such restrictions could potentially make our products more expensive and thus reduce their demand, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Breaches of our information system security measures could disrupt our internal operations.
We are dependent upon information technology for the distribution of information internally and also to our customers and suppliers. This information technology is subject to theft, damage or interruption from a variety of sources, including but not limited to malicious computer viruses, security breaches and defects in design. Various measures have been implemented to manage our risks related to information system and network disruptions, but a system failure or breach of these measures could negatively impact our operations and financial results.
Damage to our computer infrastructure and software systems could harm our business.
The unavailability of any of our primary information management systems for any significant period of time could have an adverse effect on our operations. In particular, our ability to deliver products to our customers when needed, collect our receivables and manage inventory levels successfully largely depend on the efficient operation of our computer hardware and software systems. Through information management systems, we provide inventory availability to our sales and operating personnel, improve customer service through better order and product reference data and monitor operating results. Difficulties associated with upgrades, installations of major software or hardware, and integration with new systems could lead to business interruptions that could harm our reputation, increase our operating costs and decrease our profitability. In addition, these systems are vulnerable to, among other things, damage or interruption from power loss, computer system and network failures, loss of telecommunications services, operator negligence, physical and electronic loss of data, or security breaches and computer viruses.
We have contracted with third-party service providers that provide us with redundant data center services in the event that our major information management systems are damaged. The backup data centers and other protective measures we take could prove to be inadequate. Our inability to restore data completely and accurately could lead to inaccurate and/or untimely filings of our periodic reports with the SEC, tax filings with the IRS or other required filings, all of which could have a significant negative impact on our corporate reputation and could negatively impact our stock price or result in fines or penalties that could impact our financial results.
Our enterprise resource planning technologies will require maintenance or replacement in order to allow us to continue to operate and manage critical aspects of our business.
We rely heavily on enterprise resource planning technologies (“ERP Systems”) from third parties in order to operate and manage critical internal functions of our business, including accounting, order management, procurement, and transactional entry and approval. Certain of our ERP Systems are no longer supported by their vendor, are reaching the end of their useful life or are in need of significant updates to adequately perform the functions we require. We have limited access to support for older software versions and may be unable to repair the hardware required to run certain ERP Systems on a timely basis due to the unavailability of replacement parts. In addition, we face operational vulnerabilities due to limited access to software patches and software updates on any software that is no longer supported by their vendor. We are planning hardware and software upgrades to our ERP Systems and are in discussions with third party vendors regarding system updates.
If our ERP Systems become unavailable due to extended outages or interruptions, or because they are no longer available on commercially reasonable terms, our operational efficiency could be harmed and we may face increased replacement costs. We may also face extended recovery time in the event of a system failure due to lack of resources to troubleshoot and resolve such issues. Our ability to manage our operations could be interrupted and our order management processes and customer support functions could be impaired until equivalent services are identified, obtained and implemented on commercially reasonable terms, all of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our operations are subject to hazards that may cause personal injury or property damage, thereby subjecting us to liabilities and possible losses, which may not be covered by insurance.
Our workers are subject to the usual hazards associated with work in manufacturing environments. Operating hazards can cause personal injury and loss of life, as well as damage to or destruction of business personal property, and possible environmental impairment. We are subject to either deductible or self-insured retention (SIR) amounts, per claim or occurrence, under our Property/Casualty insurance programs, as well as an individual stop-loss limit per claim under our group medical insurance plan. We maintain insurance coverage to transfer risk, with aggregate and per-occurrence limits and deductible or retention levels that we believe are consistent with industry practice. The transfer of risk through insurance cannot guarantee that coverage will be available for every loss or liability that we may incur in our operations.
Exposures that could create insured (or uninsured) liabilities are difficult to assess and quantify due to unknown factors, including but not limited to injury frequency and severity, natural disasters, terrorism threats, third-party liability, and claims that are incurred but not reported (“IBNR”). Although we engage third-party actuarial professionals to assist us in determining
our probable future loss exposure, it is possible that claims or costs could exceed our estimates or our insurance limits, or could be uninsurable. In such instances we might be required to use working capital to satisfy these losses rather than to maintain or expand our operations, which could materially and adversely affect our operating results and our financial condition.
Due to the international nature of our business, we could be adversely affected by violations of certain laws.
In addition to the United States, we operate our business in Canada, Mexico and China, and make sales in certain other jurisdictions. The policies of our business mandate compliance with certain U.S. and international laws, such as import/export laws and regulations, anti-boycott laws, economic sanctions, laws and regulations, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar anti-bribery laws. We operate in parts of the world that have experienced governmental corruption to some degree and, in certain circumstances, strict compliance with anti-bribery laws may conflict with local customs and practices. We cannot provide assurance that our internal controls and procedures will always prevent reckless or criminal acts by our employees or agents, or that the operations of acquired businesses will have been conducted in accordance with our policies and applicable regulations. If we are found to be liable for violations of these laws (either due to our own acts, out of inadvertence or due to the acts or inadvertence of others), we could suffer criminal or civil penalties or other sanctions, including limitations on our ability to conduct our business, which could have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Item 1B.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
There are no unresolved staff comments outstanding with the Securities and Exchange Commission at this time.
Item 2.
Item 2. Properties.
As of October 29, 2017, we conducted manufacturing operations at the following facilities:
(1)
Secondary structures and metal roof and wall systems.
(2)
End walls, secondary structures and metal roof and wall systems for components and engineered building systems.
(3)
Full components product range.
(4)
Primary structures, secondary structures and metal roof and wall systems for engineered building systems.
(5)
Metal roof and wall systems.
(6)
Primary structures for engineered building systems.
(7)
Structural steel.
(8)
Insulated panel systems.
(9)
Polystyrene.
We also operate eight Metal Depots facilities in our metal components segment that sell our products directly to the public. We also maintain several drafting office facilities in various states. We have short-term leases for these additional facilities. We believe that our present facilities are adequate for our current and projected operations.
Additionally, we own approximately seven acres of land in Houston, Texas and have a 60,000 square foot facility that is used as our principal executive and administrative offices. We also own approximately ten acres of land at another location in Houston adjacent to one of our manufacturing facilities. We own approximately 14 acres of undeveloped land located in Spokane, Washington.
Item 3.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
As a manufacturer of products primarily for use in nonresidential building construction, we are inherently exposed to various types of contingent claims, both asserted and unasserted, in the ordinary course of business. As a result, from time to time, we and/or our subsidiaries become involved in various legal proceedings or other contingent matters arising from claims, or potential claims. We insure against these risks to the extent deemed prudent by our management and to the extent insurance is available. Many of these insurance policies contain deductibles or self-insured retentions in amounts we deem prudent and for which we are responsible for payment. In determining the amount of self-insurance, it is our policy to self-insure those losses that are predictable, measurable and recurring in nature, such as claims for automobile liability and general liability. The Company regularly reviews the status of on-going proceedings and other contingent matters along with legal counsel. Liabilities for such items are recorded when it is probable that the liability has been incurred and when the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated. Liabilities are adjusted when additional information becomes available. Management believes that the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or cash flows. However, such matters are subject to many uncertainties and outcomes are not predictable with assurance.
PART II
Item 5.
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK
Our Common Stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “NCS.” As of December 11, 2017, there were 29 holders of record and an estimated 6,822 beneficial owners of our Common Stock. The following table sets forth the quarterly high and low sale prices of our Common Stock, as reported by the NYSE, for the prior two fiscal years. We have never paid dividends on our Common Stock and the terms of our Credit Agreement, Amended ABL Facility and Notes either limit or restrict our ability to do so.
ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
The following table shows our purchases of our Common Stock during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017:
(1)
The total number of shares purchased includes our Common Stock repurchased under the programs described below as well as shares of restricted stock that were withheld to satisfy minimum tax withholding obligations arising in connection with the vesting of awards of restricted stock. The required withholding is calculated using the closing sales price on the previous business day prior to the vesting date as reported by the NYSE.
(2)
On September 8, 2016, the Company announced that its board of directors authorized a stock repurchase program for the repurchase of up to an aggregate of $50.0 million of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock. On October 10, 2017, the Company announced that its board of directors authorized a new stock repurchase program for the repurchase of up to an aggregate of $50.0 million of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock. Under these repurchase programs, the Company is authorized to repurchase shares, if at all, at times and in amounts that we deem appropriate in accordance with all applicable securities laws and regulations. Shares repurchased are usually retired. There is no time limit on the duration of these programs. As of October 29, 2017, approximately $52.2 million remained available for stock repurchases under these programs.
STOCK PERFORMANCE CHART
The following chart compares the yearly percentage change in the cumulative stockholder return on our Common Stock from October 31, 2012 to the end of the fiscal year ended October 29, 2017 with the cumulative total return on the (i) S&P SmallCap 600 Index and (ii) S&P Smallcap Building Products peer group. The comparison assumes $100 was invested on October 31, 2012 in our Common Stock and in each of the foregoing indices and assumes reinvestment of dividends.
In accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC, the above stock performance chart shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulations 14A or 14C of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Exchange Act, except to the extent we specifically incorporate it by reference into such filing.
Item 6.
Item 6. Selected Financial Data.
The selected financial data for each of the three fiscal years ended October 29, 2017, October 30, 2016 and November 1, 2015 has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere herein. The selected financial data for the fiscal years ended November 2, 2014 and November 3, 2013 and certain consolidated balance sheet data as of November 1, 2015 and November 2, 2014 have been derived from audited consolidated financial statements not included herein. The following data should be read in conjunction with “Item 7.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
OVERVIEW
We are one of North America’s largest integrated manufacturers and marketers of metal products for the nonresidential construction industry. We provide metal coil coating services and design, engineer, manufacture and market metal components and engineered building systems primarily for nonresidential construction use. We manufacture and distribute extensive lines of metal products for the nonresidential construction market under multiple brand names through a nationwide network of plants and distribution centers. We sell our products for both new construction and repair and retrofit applications.
Metal components offer builders, designers, architects and end-users several advantages, including lower long-term costs, longer life, attractive aesthetics and design flexibility. Similarly, engineered building systems offer a number of advantages over traditional construction alternatives, including shorter construction time, more efficient use of materials, lower construction costs, greater ease of expansion and lower maintenance costs.
We use a 52/53 week year with our fiscal year end on the Sunday closest to October 31.
We assess performance across our operating segments by analyzing and evaluating, among other indicators, gross profit, operating income and whether or not each segment has achieved its projected sales goals. In assessing our overall financial performance, we regard return on adjusted operating assets, as well as growth in earnings, as key indicators of shareholder value.
Fiscal 2017 Overview
Our fiscal 2017 financial performance showed year-over-year improvement in revenue, net income and Adjusted EBITDA, while gross margins declined over the same period. This improved financial performance was achieved despite challenging market conditions, including a series of disruptive hurricanes during the fourth quarter. The lower gross margins were the result of lower volumes in the Engineered Building Systems segment, uneven production flow and increased transportation costs, largely related to hurricane disruptions. We continue to focus on growing and integrating IMP products into our building and components businesses. We realized the benefits of focused and integrated execution across our commercial, manufacturing, and supply chain activities, and our investments to improve our manufacturing productivity and overall cost efficiency. We also maintained commercial pricing discipline in an environment of volatile steel prices.
Consolidated revenues increased by approximately 5.1% from the prior fiscal year. The year-over-year improvement was primarily driven by commercial discipline in the pass-through of higher costs in a rising steel price environment predominantly in the Engineered Building Systems and Metal Components segments, despite lower tonnage volumes.
Consolidated gross margin in fiscal 2017 decreased by 190 basis points from the prior fiscal year to 23.5%. Lower margins in the current period were driven primarily by lower tonnage volumes in our Engineered Building Systems segment, leading to lower manufacturing cost leverage, offset by favorable product mix, particularly in IMP products. Engineering, selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues decreased by 140 basis points to 16.6% compared to the prior fiscal year, as we executed on our strategic initiatives.
Net income increased by $3.7 million to $54.7 million for fiscal 2017, compared to $51.0 million in the prior year. Diluted earnings per share was $0.77, while adjusted net income per diluted common share was $0.80. Adjusted EBITDA increased to $167.5 million, representing an approximately 0.8% increase over the prior year. Net income was impacted by certain special items including a $6.0 million ($3.7 million after tax) impairment of goodwill associated with a reporting unit within the Metal Components segment, offset by a $9.7 million ($5.9 million) gain on insurance recovery.
Due to the strong operating cash flow and focused management of our working capital, we made voluntary prepayments on our existing term loan facility of approximately $10.0 million and we used $43.6 million to repurchase shares of our Common Stock in fiscal 2017. Our net debt leverage ratio (net debt/EBITDA) at the end of the fourth quarter was 2.0x, consistent with prior year.
Overall, we delivered net income, Adjusted EBITDA, diluted earnings per share and adjusted diluted earnings per share in fiscal 2017 that exceeded the prior year’s results. We remain focused on increasing our operating leverage and manufacturing efficiency by continuing to pursue our cost and efficiency initiatives. Our objective is to continue to execute on our strategic initiatives in order to increase market penetration and deliver top-line growth above nonresidential market growth during fiscal 2018 in both our legacy businesses and our IMP products through our multiple sales channels.
Industry Conditions
Our sales and earnings are subject to both seasonal and cyclical trends and are influenced by general economic conditions, interest rates, the price of steel relative to other building materials, the level of nonresidential construction activity, roof repair and retrofit demand and the availability and cost of financing for construction projects. Our sales normally are lower in the first
half of each fiscal year compared to the second half because of unfavorable weather conditions for construction and typical business planning cycles affecting construction.
The nonresidential construction industry is highly sensitive to national and regional macroeconomic conditions. Following a significant downturn in 2008 and 2009, the current recovery of low-rise construction has been uneven and slow. The annual volume of new construction starts remains below previous cyclical trough levels of activity from the last 50 years. However, we believe that the economy is recovering and that the nonresidential construction industry will return to mid-cycle levels of activity over the next several years.
The graph below shows the annual nonresidential new construction starts, measured in square feet, since 1968 as compiled and reported by Dodge:
Current market estimates continue to show uneven activity across the nonresidential construction markets. According to Dodge, low-rise nonresidential construction starts, as measured in square feet and comprising buildings of up to five stories, were down as much as approximately 2% in our fiscal 2017 as compared to our fiscal 2016. However, Dodge typically revises initial reported figures, and we expect this metric will be revised upwards over time. Leading indicators for low-rise, nonresidential construction activity indicate positive momentum into fiscal 2018.
The leading indicators that we follow and that typically have the most meaningful correlation to nonresidential low-rise construction starts are the American Institute of Architects’ (“AIA”) Architecture Mixed Use Index, Dodge Residential single family starts and the Conference Board Leading Economic Index (“LEI”). Historically, there has been a very high correlation to the Dodge low-rise nonresidential starts when the three leading indicators are combined and then seasonally adjusted. The combined forward projection of these metrics, based on a 9 to 14-month historical lag for each metric, indicates low single digit growth for low-rise new construction starts in fiscal 2018.
We normally do not maintain an inventory of steel in excess of our current production requirements. However, from time to time, we may purchase steel in advance of announced steel price increases. We can give no assurance that steel will be readily available or that prices will not continue to be volatile. While most of our sales contracts have escalation clauses that allow us, under certain circumstances, to pass along all or a portion of increases in the price of steel after the date of the contract but prior to delivery, for competitive or other reasons we may not be able to pass such price increases along. If the available supply of steel declines, we could experience price increases that we are not able to pass on to the end users, a deterioration of service from our suppliers or interruptions or delays that may cause us not to meet delivery schedules to our customers. Any of these problems could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. For additional discussion, please see “Item 7A.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
Steel Prices
We are subject to market risk exposure related to volatility in the price of steel. For the fiscal year ended October 29, 2017, material costs (predominantly steel costs) constituted approximately 68% of our cost of sales. Our business is heavily dependent on the price and supply of steel. Our various products are fabricated from steel produced by mills to forms including bars, plates, structural shapes, sheets, hot-rolled coils and galvanized or Galvalume®-coated coils (Galvalume® is a registered trademark of BIEC International, Inc.). The steel industry is highly cyclical in nature, and steel prices have been volatile in recent years and may remain volatile in the future. Steel prices are influenced by numerous factors beyond our control, including general economic conditions domestically and internationally, the availability of raw materials, competition, labor costs, freight and transportation costs, production costs, import duties and other trade restrictions. Based on the cyclical nature of the steel industry, we expect steel prices will continue to be volatile.
Although we have the ability to purchase steel from a number of suppliers, a production cutback by one or more of our current suppliers could create challenges in meeting delivery schedules to our customers. Because we have periodically adjusted our contract prices, particularly in the engineered building systems segment, we have generally been able to pass increases in our raw material costs through to our customers. The graph below shows the monthly CRU Index data for the North American Steel Price Index over the historical five-year period. The CRU North American Steel Price Index has been published by the CRU Group since 1994 and we believe this index appropriately depicts the volatility we have experienced in steel prices. The index, based on a CRU survey of industry participants, is now commonly used in the settlement of physical and financial contracts in the steel industry. The prices surveyed are purchases for forward delivery, according to lead time, which will vary. For example, the October index would pertain to our fiscal December steel purchase deliveries based on current lead-times. The volatility in this steel price index is comparable to the volatility we experienced in our average cost of steel.
We normally do not maintain an inventory of steel in excess of our current production requirements. However, from time to time, we may purchase steel in advance of announced steel price increases. In addition, it is our current practice to purchase all steel inventory that has been ordered but is not in our possession. Therefore, our inventory may increase if demand for our products declines. We can give no assurance that steel will remain available or that prices will not continue to be volatile.
With material costs (predominantly steel costs) accounting for approximately 68% of our cost of sales for fiscal 2017, a one percent change in the cost of steel could have resulted in a pre-tax impact on cost of sales of approximately $9.3 million for our fiscal year ended October 29, 2017. The impact to our financial results of operations would be significantly dependent on the competitive environment and the costs of other alternative building products, which could impact our ability to pass on these higher costs.
Other Commodity Risks
In addition to market risk exposure related to the volatility in the price of steel, we are subject to market risk exposure related to volatility in the price of natural gas. As a result, we occasionally enter into both index-priced and fixed-price contracts for the purchase of natural gas. We have evaluated these contracts to determine whether the contracts are derivative instruments. Certain contracts that meet the criteria for characterization as a derivative instrument may be exempted from hedge accounting treatment as normal purchases and normal sales and, therefore, these forward contracts are not marked to market. At October 29, 2017, all our contracts for the purchase of natural gas met the scope exemption for normal purchases and normal sales.
Interest Rates
We are subject to market risk exposure related to changes in interest rates on our Credit Agreement and Amended ABL Facility. These instruments bear interest at an agreed upon percentage point spread from either the prime interest rate or LIBOR. Under our Credit Agreement, we may, at our option, fix the interest rate for certain borrowings based on a spread over LIBOR for 30 days to six months. At October 29, 2017, we had $144.1 million outstanding under our Credit Agreement. Based on this balance, an immediate change of one percent in the interest rate would cause a change in interest expense of approximately $1.4 million on an annual basis. The fair value of our Credit Agreement, due June 2022, at October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016 was approximately $144.1 million and $154.1 million, respectively, compared to the face value of $144.1 million and $154.1 million, respectively.
See Note 11 - Long-Term Debt and Note Payable in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for more information on the material terms of our long-term debt.
The table below presents scheduled debt maturities and related weighted average interest rates for each of the fiscal years relating to debt obligations as of October 29, 2017. Weighted average variable rates are based on LIBOR rates assuming a 1.00% LIBOR floor at October 29, 2017, plus applicable margins.
(1)
Expected maturity date amounts are based on the face value of debt and do not reflect fair market value of the debt.
(2)
Based on recent trading activities of comparable market instruments.
Foreign Currency Exchange Rates
We are exposed to the effect of exchange rate fluctuations on the U.S. dollar value of foreign currency denominated operating revenue and expenses. The functional currency for our Mexico operations is the U.S. dollar. Adjustments resulting from the re-measurement of the local currency financial statements into the U.S. dollar functional currency, which uses a combination of current and historical exchange rates, are included in net income in the current period. Net foreign currency re-measurement gains (losses) were $(0.3) million, $(0.8) million and $(1.8) million for the fiscal years ended October 29, 2017, October 30, 2016 and November 1, 2015, respectively.
The functional currency for our Canadian operations is the Canadian dollar. Translation adjustments resulting from translating the functional currency financial statements into U.S. dollar equivalents are reported separately in accumulated other comprehensive income in stockholders’ equity. The net foreign currency exchange gains (losses) included in net income for the fiscal years ended October 29, 2017, October 30, 2016 and November 1, 2015 was $0.8 million, $(0.6) million and $(0.4) million, respectively. Net foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax, and included in other comprehensive income was $0.2 million, $(0.3) million and $0.1 million for the fiscal years ended October 29, 2017, October 30, 2016 and November 1, 2015, respectively.
As a result of the CENTRIA Acquisition, we have operations in China and are exposed to fluctuations in the foreign currency exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and Chinese yuan. The functional currency for our China operations is the Chinese yuan. The net foreign currency translation adjustment was insignificant for the fiscal years ended October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016.
Item 8.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
Management of NCI Building Systems, Inc. (the “Company” or “our”) is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the Company as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Company’s internal control system was designed to provide reasonable assurance to the Company’s management and board of directors regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Internal control over financial reporting includes the controls themselves, monitoring (including internal auditing practices), and actions taken to correct deficiencies as identified.
Internal control over financial reporting has inherent limitations and may not prevent or detect misstatements. The design of an internal control system is also based in part upon assumptions and judgments made by management about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that an internal control will be effective under all potential future conditions. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance with respect to the financial statement preparation and presentation. Further, because of changes in conditions, the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting may vary over time.
Management assessed the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of October 29, 2017. In making this assessment, management used the criteria for internal control over financial reporting described in Internal Control - Integrated Framework by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework). Management’s assessment included an evaluation of the design of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and testing of the operating effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting. Management reviewed the results of its assessment with the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors. Based on this assessment, management has concluded that, as of October 29, 2017, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective.
Ernst & Young LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm that has audited the Company’s consolidated financial statements, has audited the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of October 29, 2017, as stated in their report included elsewhere herein.
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
The Board of Directors and Shareholders of NCI Building Systems, Inc.
We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of NCI Building Systems, Inc. (the “Company”) as of October 29, 2017, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the “COSO criteria”). NCI Building Systems, Inc.’s management is responsible 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 the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.
We conducted our audit 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 effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit 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, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed 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 its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
In our opinion, NCI Building Systems, Inc. maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of October 29, 2017, based on the COSO criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets of NCI Building Systems, Inc., as of October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016 and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended October 29, 2017 and our report dated December 18, 2017 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Houston, Texas
December 18, 2017
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
The Board of Directors and Shareholders of NCI Building Systems, Inc.
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of NCI Building Systems, Inc. (the “Company”) as of October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended October 29, 2017. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements 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. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of NCI Building Systems, Inc. as of October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended October 29, 2017, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed its method of measuring the goodwill impairment as a result of the adoption of the amendments to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification resulting from Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-04, “Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment.”
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), NCI Building Systems, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of October 29, 2017, based on criteria established in Internal Control--Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) and our report dated December 18, 2017 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Houston, Texas
December 18, 2017
`CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
1. NATURE OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
Nature of Business
NCI Building Systems, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated, the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”) is one of North America’s largest integrated manufacturers and marketers of metal products for the nonresidential construction industry. We provide metal coil coating services and design, engineer, manufacture and market metal components and engineered building systems primarily used in nonresidential construction. We manufacture and distribute extensive lines of metal products for the nonresidential construction market under multiple brand names through a broad network of manufacturing facilities and distribution centers. We sell our products primarily for use in new construction activities and also in repair and retrofit activities, mostly in North America.
We have three operating segments: Engineered Building Systems, Metal Components and Metal Coil Coating. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise that engage in business activities and for which discrete financial information is available that is evaluated on a regular basis by the chief operating decision maker to make decisions about how to allocate resources to the segment and assess the performance of the segment. We market the products in each of our operating segments nationwide primarily through a direct sales force and, in the case of our Engineered Building Systems segment, through authorized builder networks.
Basis of Presentation
Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and all majority-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts, transactions and profits arising from consolidated entities have been eliminated in consolidation.
Fiscal Year
We use a 52/53 week fiscal year ending on the Sunday closest to October 31. The year end for fiscal 2017 is October 29, 2017. Fiscal years 2017, 2016, and 2015 were 52-week fiscal years.
2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
(a) Use of Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, 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. Examples include provisions for bad debts and inventory reserves, accounting for business combinations, valuation of reporting units for purposes of assessing goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment, valuation of asset groups for impairment testing, accruals for employee benefits, general liability insurance, warranties and certain contingencies. We base our estimates on historical experience, market participant fair value considerations, projected future cash flows, and various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
(b) Cash and Cash Equivalents. Cash equivalents are stated at cost plus accrued interest, which approximates fair value. Cash equivalents are highly liquid debt instruments with an original maturity of three months or less and may consist of time deposits with a number of commercial banks with high credit ratings, money market instruments, certificates of deposit and commercial paper. Our policy allows us to also invest excess funds in no-load, open-end, management investment trusts (“mutual funds”). The mutual funds invest exclusively in high quality money market instruments. As of October 29, 2017, our cash and cash equivalents were only invested in cash.
(c) Accounts Receivable and Related Allowance. We report accounts receivable net of the allowance for doubtful accounts. Trade accounts receivable are the result of sales of building systems, components and coating services to customers throughout the United States and Canada and affiliated territories, including international builders who resell to end users. Sales are primarily denominated in U.S. dollars. Credit sales do not normally require a pledge of collateral; however, various types of liens may be filed to enhance the collection process.
We establish reserves for doubtful accounts on a customer by customer basis when we believe the required payment of specific amounts owed is unlikely to occur. In establishing these reserves, we consider changes in the financial position of a customer, availability of security, lien rights and bond rights as well as disputes, if any, with our customers. Our allowance for doubtful accounts reflects reserves for customer receivables to reduce receivables to amounts expected to be collected. We determine past due status as of the contractual payment date. Interest on delinquent accounts receivable is included in the trade
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
accounts receivable balance and recognized as interest income when earned and collectability is reasonably assured. Uncollectible accounts are written off when a settlement is reached for an amount that is less than the outstanding historical balance or we have exhausted all collection efforts. The following table represents the rollforward of our uncollectible accounts for the fiscal years ended October 29, 2017, October 30, 2016 and November 1, 2015 (in thousands):
(d) Inventories. Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market value less allowance for inventory obsolescence, using First-In, First-Out Method (FIFO) for steel coils and other raw materials.
The components of inventory are as follows (in thousands):
The following table represents the rollforward of reserve for obsolete materials and supplies activity for the fiscal years ended October 29, 2017, October 30, 2016 and November 1, 2015 (in thousands):
The principal raw material used in the manufacturing of our Metal Components and Engineered Building Systems segments is steel which we purchase from multiple steel producers.
(e) Assets Held for Sale. We record assets held for sale at the lower of the carrying value or fair value less costs to sell. The following criteria are used to determine if property is held for sale: (i) management has the authority and commits to a plan to sell the property; (ii) the property is available for immediate sale in its present condition; (iii) there is an active program to locate a buyer and the plan to sell the property has been initiated; (iv) the sale of the property is probable within one year; (v) the property is being actively marketed at a reasonable sale price relative to its current fair value; and (vi) it is unlikely that the plan to sell will be withdrawn or that significant changes to the plan will be made.
In determining the fair value of the assets less cost to sell, we consider factors including current sales prices for comparable assets in the area, recent market analysis studies, appraisals and any recent legitimate offers. If the estimated fair value less cost to sell of an asset is less than its current carrying value, the asset is written down to its estimated fair value less cost to sell. During fiscal 2017 and 2016, we reclassified $4.7 million and $2.9 million from property, plant and equipment to assets held for sale for idled facilities in our Metal Components and Engineering Building Systems segments, respectively, that met the held for sale criteria. The total carrying value of assets held for sale (primarily representing idled facilities in our Engineered Building Systems segment) is $5.6 million and $4.3 million at October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, respectively. All of these assets continue to be actively marketed for sale or are under contract at October 29, 2017.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
During fiscal 2017 and 2016, we sold certain idled facilities in our Engineered Building Systems segment, along with related equipment, which previously had been classified as held for sale. In connection with the sales of these assets, during fiscal 2017 and 2016, we received net cash proceeds of $3.2 million and $5.4 million, respectively, and recognized a net (loss) gain of $(0.2) million and $1.6 million, respectively, which is included in (loss) gain on sale of assets and asset recovery in the consolidated statements of operations. Certain assets held for sale are valued at fair value and are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis. Assets held for sale are reported at fair value, if, on an individual basis, the fair value of the asset is less than cost. The fair value of assets held for sale is estimated using Level 3 inputs, such as broker quotes for like-kind assets or other market indications of a potential selling value that approximates fair value. Assets held for sale, reported at fair value less cost to sell totaled $0.5 million as of October 29, 2017.
Due to uncertainties in the estimation process, it is reasonably possible that actual results could differ from the estimates used in our historical analysis. Our assumptions about property sales prices require significant judgment because the current market is highly sensitive to changes in economic conditions. We determined the estimated fair values of assets held for sale based on current market conditions and assumptions made by management, which may differ from actual results and may result in impairments if market conditions deteriorate.
(f) Property, Plant and Equipment and Leases. Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives. Leasehold improvements are capitalized and amortized using the straight-line method over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the term of the underlying lease. Computer software developed or purchased for internal use is depreciated using the straight-line method over its estimated useful life. Depreciation and amortization are recognized in cost of sales and engineering, selling, general and administrative expenses based on the nature and use of the underlying asset(s). Operating leases are expensed using the straight-line method over the term of the underlying lease.
Depreciation expense for fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $31.7 million, $32.3 million and $34.5 million, respectively. Of this depreciation expense, $5.8 million, $6.4 million and $7.5 million was related to computer software and equipment depreciation for fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015.
Property, plant and equipment consists of the following (in thousands):
Estimated useful lives for depreciation are:
We capitalize interest on capital invested in projects in accordance with ASC Topic 835, Interest. For fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, the total amount of interest capitalized was $0.2 million, $0.2 million and $0.3 million, respectively. Upon commencement of operations, capitalized interest, as a component of the total cost of the asset, is amortized over the estimated useful life of the asset.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
Involuntary conversions result from the loss of an asset because of an unforeseen event (e.g., destruction due to fire). Some of these events are insurable and result in property damage insurance recovery. Amounts the Company receives from insurance carriers are net of any deductibles related to the covered event. The Company records a receivable from insurance to the extent it recognizes a loss from an involuntary conversion event and the likelihood of recovering such loss is deemed probable at the balance sheet date. To the extent that any of the Company’s insurance claim receivables are later determined not probable of recovery (e.g., due to new information), such amounts are expensed. The Company recognizes gains on involuntary conversions when the amount received from insurers exceeds the net book value of the impaired asset(s). In addition, the Company does not recognize a gain related to insurance recoveries until the contingency related to such proceeds has been resolved, through either receipt of a non-refundable cash payment from the insurers or by execution of a binding settlement agreement with the insurers that clearly states that a non-refundable payment will be made. To the extent that an asset is rebuilt or new assets are acquired, the associated expenditures are capitalized, as appropriate, in the consolidated balance sheets and presented as capital expenditures in the Company’s consolidated statements of cash flows. With respect to business interruption insurance claims, the Company recognizes income only when non-refundable cash proceeds are received from insurers, which are presented in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations as a component of gross profit or operating income and in the consolidated statements of cash flows as an operating activity.
In June 2016, the Company experienced a fire at a facility in the Metal Components segment. We estimated that fixed assets with a net book value of approximately $6.7 million were impaired as a result of the fire. During the second quarter of fiscal 2017, the Company settled the property damage claims with the insurers for actual cash value of $18.0 million. Of this amount, the Company received proceeds of $10.0 million from our insurers during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016. The remaining $8.0 million was received in May 2017.
Approximately $8.8 million was previously recognized to offset the loss on involuntary conversion and other amounts incurred related to the incident. The remaining $9.2 million was recognized as a gain on insurance recovery in the consolidated statement of operations during the quarter ended April 30, 2017 as all contingencies were resolved.
(g) Internally Developed Software. Internally developed software is stated at cost less accumulated amortization and is amortized using the straight-line method over its estimated useful life ranging from 3 to 7 years. Software assets are reviewed for impairment when events or circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable over the remaining lives of the assets. During the software application development stage, capitalized costs include external consulting costs, cost of software licenses and internal payroll and payroll related costs for employees who are directly associated with a software project. Upgrades and enhancements are capitalized if they result in added functionality which enable the software to perform tasks it was previously incapable of performing. Software maintenance, training, data conversion and business process reengineering costs are expensed in the period in which they are incurred.
(h) Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets. We review the carrying values of goodwill and identifiable intangibles whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that such carrying values may not be recoverable and annually for goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets as required by ASC Topic 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other. This guidance provides the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If, based on a review of qualitative factors, it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, we perform a quantitative analysis. Prior to July 31, 2017, the test for impairment was a two-step process that involved comparing the estimated fair value of each reporting unit to the reporting unit’s carrying value, including goodwill. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeded its carrying amount, the goodwill of the reporting unit was not considered impaired; therefore the second step of the impairment test would not be deemed necessary. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeded its fair value, we would then perform the second step to the goodwill impairment test, which involved the determination of the fair value of a reporting unit’s assets and liabilities as if those assets and liabilities had been acquired/assumed in a business combination at the impairment testing date, to measure the amount of goodwill impairment loss to be recorded. However, with the adoption of FASB Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-04, we prospectively adopted a new accounting principle that eliminated the second step of the goodwill impairment test. Therefore, beginning with the annual goodwill impairment tests occurring on the first day of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017, if the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, we measure any goodwill impairment losses as the amount by which the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit.
Unforeseen events, changes in circumstances, market conditions and material differences in the value of intangible assets due to changes in estimates of future cash flows could negatively affect the fair value of our assets and result in a non-cash impairment charge. Some factors considered important that could trigger an impairment review include the following: significant underperformance relative to expected historical or projected future operating results, significant changes in the manner of our
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
use of acquired assets or the strategy for our overall business and significant negative industry or economic trends. We recorded a non-cash loss on goodwill impairment of $6.0 million in fiscal 2017, which is included in goodwill impairment in the consolidated statements of operations. See Note 6 - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets.
(i) Revenue Recognition. We recognize revenues when the following conditions are met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, the price is fixed or determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured. Generally, these criteria are met at the time product is shipped or services are complete. A portion of our revenue, exclusively within our Engineered Building Systems segment, includes multiple-element revenue arrangements due to multiple deliverables. Each deliverable is generally determined based on customer-specific manufacturing and delivery requirements.
Because the separate deliverables have value to the customer on a stand-alone basis, they are typically considered separate units of accounting. A portion of the entire job order value is allocated to each unit of accounting. Revenue allocated to each deliverable is recognized upon shipment. We use estimated selling price (“ESP”) based on underlying cost plus a reasonable margin to determine how to separate multiple-element revenue arrangements into separate units of accounting, and how to allocate the arrangement consideration among those separate units of accounting. We determine ESP based on our normal pricing and discounting practices.
Our sales arrangements do not include a general right of return of the delivered product(s). In certain cases, the cancellation terms of a job order provide us with the opportunity to bill for certain incurred costs. In those instances, revenue is not recognized until all revenue recognition criteria are met, including reasonable assurance of collectability.
In our Metal Coil Coating segment, our revenue activities broadly consist of cleaning, treating, painting and packaging various flat rolled metals as well as slitting and/or embossing the metal. We enter into two types of sales arrangements with our customers: toll processing sales and package sales. The primary distinction between these two arrangements relates to ownership of the underlying metal coil during treatment. In toll processing arrangements, we do not maintain ownership of the underlying metal coil during treatment and only recognize revenue for the toll processing activities, typically, cleaning, painting, slitting, embossing and packaging. In package sales arrangements, we have ownership of the metal coil during treatment and recognize revenue on both the toll processing activities and the sale of the underlying metal coil. Under either arrangement, revenue and the related direct and indirect costs are recognized when all of the recognition criteria are met, which is generally when the products are shipped to the customer.
(j) Equity Raising and Deferred Financing Costs. Equity raising costs are recorded as a reduction to additional paid in capital upon the execution of an equity transaction. Deferred financing costs are capitalized as incurred and amortized using the straight-line method, which approximates the effective interest method, over the expected life of the associated debt. See Note 11 - Long-Term Debt and Note Payable.
(k) Cost of Sales. Cost of sales includes the cost of inventory sold during the period, including costs for manufacturing, inbound freight, receiving, inspection, warehousing, and internal transfers less vendor rebates. Costs associated with shipping and handling our products are included in cost of sales. Cost of sales is exclusive of fair value adjustment of acquired inventory, gain on sale of assets and asset recovery, net and gain on insurance recovery because these items are shown below cost of sales on our consolidated statement of operations. Purchasing costs and engineering and drafting costs are included in engineering, selling, general and administrative expense. Purchasing costs were $3.9 million, $5.3 million and $4.6 million and engineering and drafting costs were $43.1 million, $44.2 million and $46.9 million in each of fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Approximately $2.6 million and $2.6 million of these engineering, selling, general and administrative costs were capitalized and remained in inventory at the end of fiscal 2017 and 2016, respectively.
(l) Warranty. We sell weathertightness warranties to our customers for protection from leaks in our roofing systems related to weather. These warranties range from two years to twenty years. We sell two types of warranties, standard and Single Source™, and three grades of coverage for each. The type and grade of coverage determines the price to the customer. For standard warranties, our responsibility for leaks in a roofing system begins after 24 consecutive leak-free months. For Single Source™ warranties, the roofing system must pass our inspection before warranty coverage will be issued. Inspections are typically performed at three stages of the roofing project: (i) at the project start-up; (ii) at the project mid-point; and (iii) at the project completion. These inspections are included in the cost of the warranty. If the project requires or the customer requests additional inspections, those inspections are billed to the customer. Upon the sale of a warranty, we record the resulting revenue as deferred revenue, which is included in other accrued expenses in our consolidated balance sheets. See Note 10 - Warranty.
(m) Insurance. Group medical insurance is purchased through Blue Cross Blue Shield (“BCBS”). The plans include a Preferred Provider Organization Plan (“PPO”) and a Consumer Driven Health Plan (“CDHP”). These plans are managed-care
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
plans utilizing networks to achieve discounts through negotiated rates with the providers within these networks. The claims incurred under these plans are self-funded for the first $355,000 of each claim. We purchase individual stop loss reinsurance to limit our claims liability to $355,000 per claim. BCBS administers all claims, including claims processing, utilization review and network access charges.
Insurance is purchased for workers compensation and employer liability, general liability, property and auto liability/auto physical damage. We utilize either deductibles or self-insurance retentions (“SIR”) to limit our exposure to catastrophic loss. The workers compensation insurance has a $250,000 per-occurrence deductible. The property and auto liability insurances have per-occurrence deductibles of $500,000 and $250,000, respectively. The general liability insurance has a $1,000,000 SIR. Umbrella insurance coverage is purchased to protect us against claims that exceed our per-occurrence or aggregate limits set forth in our respective policies. All claims are adjusted utilizing a third-party claims administrator and insurance carrier claims adjusters.
Each reporting period, we record the costs of our health insurance plan, including paid claims, an estimate of the change in incurred but not reported (“IBNR”) claims, taxes and administrative fees, when applicable, (collectively the “Plan Costs”) as general and administrative expenses on our consolidated statements of operations. The estimated IBNR claims are based upon (i) a recent average level of paid claims under the plan, (ii) an estimated lag factor and (iii) an estimated growth factor to provide for those claims that have been incurred but not yet reported and paid. We use an actuary to determine the claims lag and estimated liability for IBNR claims.
For workers’ compensation costs, we monitor the number of accidents and the severity of such accidents to develop appropriate estimates for expected costs to provide both medical care and indemnity benefits, when applicable, for the period of time that an employee is incapacitated and unable to work. These accruals are developed using independent third-party actuarial estimates of the expected cost for medical treatment, and length of time an employee will be unable to work based on industry statistics for the cost of similar disabilities, to include statutory impairment ratings. For general liability and automobile claims, accruals are developed based on independent third-party actuarial estimates of the expected cost to resolve each claim, including damages and defense costs, based on legal and industry trends and the nature and severity of the claim. Accruals also include estimates for IBNR claims, and taxes and administrative fees, when applicable. Each reporting period, we record the costs of our workers’ compensation, general liability and automobile claims, including paid claims, an estimate of the change in IBNR claims, taxes and administrative fees as general and administrative expenses on our consolidated statements of operations.
(n) Advertising Costs. Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising expense was $7.1 million, $7.1 million and $8.6 million in fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
(o) Impairment of Long-Lived Assets. We assess impairment of property, plant and equipment at an asset group level in accordance with the provisions of ASC Topic 360, Property, Plant and Equipment. We assess the recoverability of the carrying amount of property, plant and equipment if certain events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of such asset groups may not be recoverable, such as a significant decrease in market value of the asset groups or a significant change in our business conditions. If we determine that the carrying value of an asset group is not recoverable based on expected undiscounted future cash flows, excluding interest charges, we record an impairment loss equal to the excess of the carrying amount of the asset group over its fair value. The fair value of an asset group is determined based on prices of similar assets adjusted for their remaining useful life. We recorded asset impairment charges of $5.8 million in fiscal 2015, which is included in restructuring and impairment charges in the consolidated statements of operations. See Note 5 - Restructuring.
(p) Share-Based Compensation. Compensation expense is recorded for restricted stock awards under the fair value method. Compensation expense for performance stock units (“PSUs”) granted to our senior executives and Performance Share Awards granted to our key employees is recorded based on the probable outcome of the performance conditions associated with the respective shares, as determined by management. We recorded pre-tax compensation expense relating to restricted stock awards, Performance Share Awards, stock options and performance share unit awards of $10.2 million, $10.9 million and $9.4 million for fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. See Note 7 - Share-Based Compensation.
(q) Foreign Currency Re-measurement and Translation. The functional currency for our Mexico operations is the U.S. dollar. Adjustments resulting from the re-measurement of the local currency financial statements into the U.S. dollar functional currency, which uses a combination of current and historical exchange rates, are included in other income in the current period. Net foreign currency re-measurement gains (losses) were $(0.3) million, $(0.8) million and $(1.8) million for the fiscal years ended October 29, 2017, October 30, 2016 and November 1, 2015, respectively.
The functional currency for our Canadian operations is the Canadian dollar. Translation adjustments resulting from translating the functional currency financial statements into U.S. dollar equivalents are reported separately in accumulated other
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
comprehensive income in stockholders’ equity. The net foreign currency gains (losses) included in other income for the fiscal years ended October 29, 2017, October 30, 2016 and November 1, 2015 were $0.8 million, $(0.6) million and $(0.4) million, respectively. Net foreign currency translation adjustments, net of tax, and included in other comprehensive income were $0.2 million, $(0.3) million and $0.1 million for the fiscal years ended October 29, 2017, October 30, 2016 and November 1, 2015, respectively.
(r) Contingencies. We establish reserves for estimated loss contingencies and unasserted claims when we believe a loss is probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Our contingent liability reserves are related primarily to litigation and environmental matters. Revisions to contingent liability reserves are reflected in income in the period in which there are changes in facts and circumstances that affect our previous assumptions with respect to the likelihood or amount of loss. Reserves for contingent liabilities are based upon our assumptions and estimates regarding the probable outcome of the matter. We estimate the probable cost by evaluating historical precedent as well as the specific facts relating to each particular contingency (including the opinion of outside advisors, professionals and experts). Should the outcome differ from our assumptions and estimates or other events result in a material adjustment to the accrued estimated reserves, revisions to the estimated reserves for contingent liabilities would be required and would be recognized in the period the new information becomes known.
(s) Income taxes. The determination of our provision for income taxes requires significant judgment, the use of estimates and the interpretation and application of complex tax laws. Our provision for income taxes reflects a combination of income earned and taxed in the various U.S. federal and state, Canadian federal and provincial, Mexican federal and other jurisdictions. Jurisdictional tax law changes, increases or decreases in permanent differences between book and tax items, accruals or adjustments of accruals for tax contingencies or valuation allowances, and the change in the mix of earnings from these taxing jurisdictions all affect the overall effective tax rate.
In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, we must consider whether it is more likely than not that some portion, or all, of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. We consider all available evidence, both positive and negative, in determining whether a valuation allowance is required. Such evidence includes the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies in making this assessment, and judgment is required in considering the relative weight of negative and positive evidence.
(t) Reclassifications. Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior period amounts in our consolidated balance sheets, consolidated cash flows and notes to the consolidated financial statements to conform to the current presentation. The net effect of these reclassifications was not material to our consolidated financial statements.
3. ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In June 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-12, Accounting for Share-Based Payments When the Terms of an Award Provide That a Performance Target Could Be Achieved after the Requisite Service Period. ASU 2014-12 requires that a performance target that affects vesting and could be achieved after the requisite service period be treated as a performance condition. A reporting entity should apply existing guidance in ASC Topic 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation, as it relates to such awards. We adopted this guidance in our first quarter in fiscal 2017 on a prospective basis. The adoption of this guidance did not have any impact on our financial position or results of operations.
In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-04, Practical Expedient for the Measurement Date of an Employer’s Defined Benefit Obligation and Plan Assets. This ASU provides a practical expedient option to entities that have defined benefit plans and have a fiscal year end that does not coincide with a calendar month end. This ASU allows an entity to elect to measure defined benefit plan assets and obligations using the calendar month-end that is closest to its fiscal year end. We adopted ASU 2015-04 prospectively in our first quarter in fiscal 2017. The adoption of this standard did not have any impact on our consolidated financial statements as presented; however, the future impact of ASU 2015-04 will be dependent upon the nature of future significant events, if any, impacting the Company’s pension plans.
In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-05, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement. ASU 2015-05 provides guidance to customers about whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, the guidance specifies that the customer should account for the software license element of the arrangement consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. ASU 2015-05 further specifies that the customer should account for a cloud computing arrangement as a service contract if the arrangement does not include a software license. We adopted ASU 2015-05
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NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
in our first quarter in fiscal 2017 on a prospective basis and, the adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. ASU 2015-03 requires debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented on the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability instead of being presented as a separate asset. The retrospective adoption of this guidance in the first quarter of our fiscal 2017 resulted in a reclassification of approximately $8.1 million in deferred financing costs as of October 30, 2016 associated with our Notes and Credit Agreement (as defined in Note 11-Long-Term Debt and Note Payable) from other assets to long-term debt on our consolidated balance sheets.
In August 2015, FASB issued ASU 2015-15, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30) - Presentation and Subsequent Measurement of Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Line-of-Credit Arrangements (Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to Staff Announcement at June 18, 2015 EITF Meeting), to provide further clarification to ASU 2015-03 as it relates to the presentation and subsequent measurement of debt issuance costs associated with line of credit arrangements. Under this guidance, these costs may be presented as an asset and amortized ratably over the term of the line-of-credit arrangement, regardless of whether there are outstanding borrowings on the arrangement. We adopted this guidance in our first quarter in fiscal 2017 on a retrospective basis. The adoption of this guidance did not have any impact on our financial position as the deferred financing costs associated with our Amended ABL Facility (as defined herein) remain classified in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets.
In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. This ASU eliminates Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test and requires an entity to perform its goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. Under this guidance, an entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. We early adopted this guidance in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017, as permitted. See Note 6 - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for discussion of our annual goodwill impairment test.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). ASU 2014-09 supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in ASC Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, and most industry-specific guidance. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. During 2016, the FASB also issued ASU 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net); ASU 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing; ASU 2016-11, Rescission of SEC Guidance Because of Accounting Standards Updates 2014-09 and 2014-16 Pursuant to Staff Announcements at the March 3, 2016 EITF Meeting; and ASU 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients; and ASU 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, all of which were issued to improve and clarify the guidance in ASU 2014-09. These ASUs are effective for our fiscal year ending November 3, 2019, including interim periods within that fiscal year, and will be adopted using either a full or modified retrospective approach. We are currently assessing the potential effects of these changes to our consolidated financial statements.
In July 2015, the FASB issues ASU 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory. ASU 2015-11 requires that inventory that has historically been measured using first-in, first-out (FIFO) or average cost method should now be measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value. The update requires prospective application and is effective for our fiscal year ending October 28, 2018, including interim periods within that fiscal year. We do not expect that the adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. ASU 2015-17 requires all deferred tax assets and liabilities to be presented on the balance sheet as noncurrent. ASU 2015-17 is effective for our fiscal year ending October 28, 2018, including interim periods within that fiscal year. Upon adoption, we will present the net deferred tax assets as noncurrent and reclassify any current deferred tax assets and liabilities in our consolidated balance sheet on a retrospective basis.
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, which will require lessees to record most leases on the balance sheet and modifies the classification criteria and accounting for sales-type leases and direct financing leases for lessors. ASU 2016-02 is effective for our fiscal year ending November 1, 2020, including interim periods within that fiscal year. The guidance
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NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
requires entities to use a modified retrospective approach for leases that exist or are entered into after the beginning of the earliest comparative period in the financial statements. We are evaluating the impact that the adoption of this guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements.
In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which is intended to simplify certain aspects of the accounting for share-based payment award transactions, including income tax effects when awards vest or settle, repurchase of employees’ shares to satisfy statutory tax withholding obligations, an option to account for forfeitures as they occur, and classification of certain amounts on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 is effective for our fiscal year ending October 28, 2018, including interim periods within that fiscal year. We are evaluating the impact that the adoption of this ASU will have on our consolidated financial statements.
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. This ASU requires an entity to measure all expected credit losses for financial assets, including trade receivables, held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Entities will now incorporate forward-looking information based on expected losses to estimate credit losses. ASU 2016-13 is effective for our fiscal year ending October 31, 2021, including interim periods within that fiscal year. We are evaluating the impact that the adoption of this ASU will have on our consolidated financial position, result of operations and cash flows.
In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which provides guidance on eight cash flow classification issues with the objective of reducing differences in practice. We will be required to adopt the amendments in this ASU in annual and interim periods for our fiscal year ending November 3, 2019, with early adoption permitted. Adoption is required to be on a retrospective basis, unless impracticable for any of the amendments, in which case a prospective application is permitted. We are evaluating the impact that ASU 2016-15 will have on our consolidated financial statements.
In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other than Inventory, which eliminates the exception that prohibits the recognition of current and deferred income tax effects for intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory until the asset has been sold to an outside party. We will be required to adopt the amendments in this ASU in the annual and interim periods for our fiscal year ending November 3, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The application of the amendments will require the use of a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. We are evaluating the standard and the impact it will have on our consolidated financial statements.
In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force), which clarifies how entities should present restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. Entities will no longer present transfers between cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. An entity with a material balance of restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents must disclose information about the nature of the restrictions. We will be required to adopt this guidance on a retrospective basis in the annual and interim periods for our fiscal year ending November 3, 2019, with early adoption permitted. We are evaluating the impact ASU 2016-18 will have on our consolidated financial statements.
In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business. This ASU adds guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. Under the new guidance, if a single asset or group of similar identifiable assets comprise substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) in a transaction, the assets and related activities are not a business. Also, a minimum of an input process and a substantive process must be present and significantly contribute to the ability to create outputs in order to be considered a business. We will be required to adopt this guidance on a prospective basis in the annual and interim periods for our fiscal year ending November 3, 2019, with early adoption permitted. We are evaluating the impact ASU 2017-01 will have on our consolidated financial statements.
In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, Compensation-Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost, which amends the requirements related to the income statement presentation of the components of net periodic benefit cost for employer sponsored defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans. Under the new guidance, an entity must disaggregate and present the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost in the same income statement line items as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period, and only the service cost component will be eligible for capitalization. Other components of net periodic benefit cost will be presented separately from the line items that include the service cost. We will
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NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
be required to adopt this guidance on a prospective basis in the annual and interim periods for our fiscal year ending November 3, 2019, with early adoption permitted. Entities must use a retrospective transition method to adopt the requirement for separate presentation of the income statement service cost and other components, and a prospective transition method to adopt the requirement to limit the capitalization of benefit cost to the service component. We are evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance.
In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting, which provides clarity on the accounting for modifications of stock-based awards. We will be required to adopt this guidance on a prospective basis in the annual and interim periods for our fiscal year ending November 3, 2019 for share-based payment awards modified on or after the adoption date. We are evaluating the impact ASU 2017-09 will have on our consolidated financial statements.
4. ACQUISITIONS
Fiscal 2016 acquisition
On November 3, 2015, we acquired manufacturing operations in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada for cash consideration of $2.2 million, net of post-closing working capital adjustments. This business allows us to service customers more competitively within the Canadian and Northeastern United States insulated metal panel (“IMP”) markets. Because the business was acquired from a seller in connection with a divestment required by a regulatory authority, the fair value of the net assets acquired exceeded the purchase consideration by $1.9 million, which was recorded as a non-taxable gain from bargain purchase in the consolidated statements of operations during the first quarter of fiscal 2016.
The fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as part of this acquisition as of November 3, 2015, as determined in accordance with ASC Topic 805, were as follows (in thousands):
The results of operations for this business are included in our Metal Components segment. Pro forma financial information and other disclosures for this acquisition have not been presented as such is not material to the Company’s financial position or operating results.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
5. RESTRUCTURING
As part of the plans developed in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 to improve engineering, selling, general and administrative (“ESG&A”) and manufacturing cost efficiency and optimize our combined manufacturing footprint, we incurred restructuring charges, primarily consisting of severance related costs of $4.7 million, including $3.2 million, $1.2 million and $0.3 million in the Engineered Building Systems segment, Metal Components segment and Corporate, respectively, for the fiscal year ended October 29, 2017.
For the fiscal year ended October 30, 2016, we incurred restructuring charges, primarily consisting of severance related costs of $3.6 million, including $1.0 million and $1.7 million in the Engineered Building Systems segment and Metal Components segment, respectively, and the remaining amount of $0.9 million at Corporate. These charges include severance related costs associated with the consolidation and closing of two manufacturing facilities in our Metal Components segment during fiscal 2016. We also incurred approximately $0.6 million of other costs associated with the restructuring actions during fiscal 2016.
For the fiscal year ended November 1, 2015, we incurred severance and facility closure costs of $1.6 million in connection with the closing of a facility and other severance related costs of $1.2 million in our Engineered Building Systems segment. We recorded asset impairment charges of $5.8 million for asset groups for which the fair values were below their carrying amounts in our Metal Components segment. These charges are presented in restructuring and impairment charges in our consolidated statements of operations. We measured the fair value of the asset groups using Level 3 inputs, including values of like-kind assets or other market indications of a potential selling value which approximates fair value. We also incurred severance related costs of $2.0 million and $0.3 million within the Metal Components segment and Metal Coil Coating segment, respectively, primarily in an effort to streamline our management and manufacturing structure to better serve our customers. The remaining amount of costs in fiscal 2015 were incurred at corporate.
The following table summarizes our restructuring plan costs and charges related to the restructuring plans during the fiscal year ended October 29, 2017 and since inception, which are recorded in restructuring and impairment charges in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations (in thousands):
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
The following table summarizes our severance liability and cash payments made pursuant to the restructuring plans from inception through October 29, 2017 (in thousands):
(1)
During the second and fourth quarters of fiscal 2015, we entered into transition and separation agreements with certain executive officers. Each terminated executive officer was entitled to severance benefit payments issuable in two installments. The termination benefits were measured initially at the separation dates based on the fair value of the liability as of the termination date and were recognized ratably over the future service period. Costs incurred during fiscal 2016 exclude $0.7 million of amortization expense associated with these termination benefits.
We expect to fully execute our plans in phases over the next 18 months and estimate that we will incur future additional restructuring charges associated with these plans. We are unable at this time to make a good faith determination of cost estimates, or ranges of cost estimates, associated with future phases of the plans or the total costs we may incur in connection with these plans.
6. GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS
Our goodwill balance and changes in the carrying amount of goodwill by operating segment are as follows (in thousands):
(1)
Includes immaterial error corrections related to the balance sheet and statement of operations as of and for the year ended November 1, 2015. These corrections related to the fair value of liabilities assumed in the acquisition of CENTRIA and resulted in a decrease in goodwill and current liabilities of $3.8 million and $3.0 million, respectively. The impact of these error corrections on net income for the fiscal year ended October 30, 2016 was a decrease of $0.5 million ($0.8 million, before tax). Management has assessed both quantitative and qualitative factors discussed in ASC Topic 250, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections, and Staff Accounting Bulletin 1.M, Materiality (SAB Topic 1.M) to determine that the correction of these misstatements qualifies as an immaterial error correction.
In accordance with ASC Topic 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other, goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually at the reporting unit level, which is defined as an operating segment or a component of an operating segment that constitutes a business for which financial information is available and is regularly reviewed by management. Management has determined that we have six reporting units for the purpose of allocating goodwill and the subsequent testing of goodwill for impairment.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
Our Metal Components segment has five reporting units and our Engineered Building Systems segment has one reporting unit with goodwill.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter of each fiscal year, we perform an annual impairment assessment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets. Additionally, we assess goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the fair value may be below the carrying value. We completed our annual impairment assessment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets as of July 31, 2017 and we elected to apply the qualitative assessment for the goodwill in certain of our reporting units within the Metal Components segment and the Engineered Building Systems segment as of July 31, 2017. Under the qualitative assessment, various events and circumstances (or factors) that would affect the estimated fair value of a reporting unit are identified (similar to impairment indicators above). These factors are then classified by the type of impact they would have on the estimated fair value using positive, neutral, and negative categories based on current business conditions. Additionally, an assessment of the level of impact that a particular factor would have on the estimated fair value is determined using relative weightings. Additionally, the Company considers the results of the most recent quantitative impairment test completed for a reporting unit and compares the weighted average cost of capital (WACC), publicly traded company multiples and observable and recent transaction multiples between the current and prior years for a reporting unit. Based on our assessment of these tests, we do not believe it is more likely than not that the fair value of these reporting units or the indefinite-lived intangible assets are less than their respective carrying amounts.
We performed a quantitative test for three reporting units within the Metal Components segment as of July 31, 2017. We estimated the fair value of each reporting unit using projected discounted cash flows and publicly traded company multiples. To develop the projected cash flows associated with the reporting unit, we considered key factors that include assumptions regarding sales volume and prices, operating margins, capital expenditures, working capital needs and discount rates. We discounted the projected cash flows using a long-term, risk-adjusted weighted average cost of capital, which was based on our estimate of the investment returns that market participants would require for the reporting unit. We considered publicly traded company multiples for companies with operations similar to the reporting unit. Based on our completion of this test, we determined that the fair value of two of the reporting units exceeded the carrying amount and goodwill was not considered to be impaired. The July 31, 2017 goodwill impairment test indicated impairment as the carrying value of CENTRIA’s coil coating operations, included in our Metal Components segment, exceeded its fair value. As a result we recorded a non-cash charge of $6.0 million in goodwill impairment on our consolidated statements of operations for the year ended October 29, 2017. The remaining balance of goodwill on the CENTRIA coil coating reporting unit of $5.4 million is supported by future cash flows and expected synergies with our NCI coil coating operations. Further declines in estimated volume and margins of CENTRIA’s coil coating operations could result in additional goodwill impairments in future periods. The fair value of the reporting unit is a “Level 3” measurement as defined in Note 14.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
The following table represents all our intangible assets activity for the fiscal years ended October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016 (in thousands):
The Star and Ceco trade name assets within the Engineered Building Systems segment have an indefinite life and are not amortized, but are reviewed annually and tested for impairment. These trade names were determined to have indefinite lives due to the length of time the trade names have been in place, with some having been in place for decades. Our intention is to maintain these trade names indefinitely. We performed a quantitative assessment for the Star and Ceco trade names as of July 31, 2017. We estimated the fair value of each trade name using the relief-from-royalty method, which applies a royalty rate to projected revenue streams attributable to the trade names. To develop the respective revenue projections we considered key factors that include assumptions regarding sales volume and prices. Based on our completion of this test, we determined that the fair value of the Star and Ceco trade names exceeded the carrying amount and the intangible assets were not considered to be impaired.
All other intangible assets are amortized on a straight-line basis or a basis consistent with the expected future cash flows over their expected useful lives. As of October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, the weighted average amortization period for all our intangible assets was 15.0 years. Amortization expense of intangibles was $9.6 million, $9.6 million and $16.9 million for 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. We expect to recognize amortization expense over the next five fiscal years as follows (in thousands):
In accordance with ASC Topic 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other, we evaluate the remaining useful life of intangible assets on an annual basis. We also review finite-lived intangible assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying values may not be recoverable in accordance with ASC Topic 360, Property, Plant and Equipment.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
7. SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION
Our 2003 Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan (“Incentive Plan”) is an equity-based compensation plan that allows for the grant of a variety of awards, including stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, performance share units (“PSUs”), phantom stock awards, long-term incentive awards with performance conditions (“Performance Share Awards”) and cash awards. Awards are generally granted once per year, with the amounts and types of awards determined by the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors (the “Committee”). As a general rule, option awards terminate on the earlier of (i) 10 years from the date of grant, (ii) 30 days after termination of employment or service for a reason other than death, disability or retirement, (iii) one year after death or (iv) one year for incentive stock options or five years for other awards after disability or retirement. Awards are non-transferable except by disposition on death or to certain family members, trusts and other family entities as the the Committee may approve. Awards may be paid in cash, shares of our Common Stock or a combination, in lump sum or installments and currently or by deferred payment, all as determined by the Committee.
As of October 29, 2017, and for all periods presented, our share-based awards under this plan have consisted of restricted stock grants, PSUs and stock option grants, none of which can be settled through cash payments, and Performance Share Awards. Both our stock options and restricted stock awards are subject only to vesting requirements based on continued employment at the end of a specified time period and typically vest over three to four years or earlier upon death, disability or a change in control. However, our annual restricted stock awards issued prior to December 15, 2013 also vest upon attainment of age 65 and, only in the case of certain special one-time restricted stock awards, a portion vest on termination without cause or for good reason, as defined by the agreements governing such awards. Restricted stock awards issued after December 15, 2013 do not vest upon attainment of age 65, as provided by the agreements governing such awards. The vesting of our Performance Share Awards is described below.
A total of approximately 2,287,000 and 3,000,000 shares were available at October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, respectively, under the Incentive Plan for the further grants of awards.
Our option awards and time-based restricted stock awards are typically subject to graded vesting over a service period, which is typically three or four years. Our performance-based and market-based restricted stock awards are typically subject to cliff vesting at the end of the service period, which is typically three years. We recognize compensation cost for these awards on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for each annual award grant. In addition, certain of our awards provide for accelerated vesting upon qualified retirement, after a change of control or upon termination without cause or for good reason. We recognize compensation cost for such awards over the period from grant date to the date the employee first becomes eligible for retirement.
Stock Option Awards
The fair value of each option award is estimated as of the date of grant using a Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing formula. Expected volatility is based on normalized historical volatility of our stock over a preceding period commensurate with the expected term of the option. The risk-free rate for the expected term of the option is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant. Expected dividend yield was not considered in the option pricing formula since we do not currently pay dividends on our Common Stock and have no current plans to do so in the future.
There were 182,923, 1,418,219 and 40,000 options exercised during fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Cash received from the option exercises was $1.7 million, $12.6 million and $0.4 million during fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The total intrinsic value of options exercised in fiscal 2017 and 2016 was $1.4 million and $9.9 million, respectively, and was insignificant for fiscal 2015.
The weighted average assumptions for the option awards granted on December 15, 2016, December 15, 2015 and December 15, 2014 are as follows:
During fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, we granted 10,424, 28,535 and 10,543 stock options, respectively, and the weighted average grant-date fair value of options granted during fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $6.59, $5.38 and $7.91, respectively.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
The following is a summary of stock option transactions during fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands, except weighted average exercise prices and weighted average remaining life):
The following summarizes additional information concerning outstanding options at October 29, 2017 (in thousands, except weighted average remaining life and weighted average exercise prices):
The following summarizes additional information concerning options exercisable at October 29, 2017 (in thousands, except weighted average exercise prices):
Restricted stock and performance awards
Long-term incentive awards granted to our senior executives generally have a three-year performance period. Long-term incentive awards include restricted stock units and PSUs representing 40% and 60% of the total value, respectively. The restricted stock units vest upon continued employment. Vesting of the PSUs is contingent upon continued employment and the achievement of targets with respect to the following metrics, as defined by management: (1) cumulative free cash flow (weighted 40%); (2) cumulative earnings per share (weighted 40%); and (3) total shareholder return (weighted 20%), in each case during the performance period. At the end of the performance period, the number of actual shares to be awarded varies between 0% and 200% of target amounts. The PSUs vest pro rata if an executive’s employment terminates prior to the end of the performance period due to death, disability, or termination by the Company without cause or by the executive for good reason. If an executive’s employment terminates for any other reason prior to the end of the performance period, all outstanding unvested PSUs, whether earned or unearned, will be forfeited and cancelled. If a change in control occurs prior to the end of the performance period, the PSU payout will be calculated and paid assuming that the maximum benefit had been achieved. If an executive’s employment terminates due to death or disability while any of the restricted stock is unvested, then all of the unvested restricted stock will
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
become vested. If an executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause or after reaching normal retirement age, the unvested restricted stock will be forfeited. If a change in control occurs prior to the end of the performance period, the restricted stock will fully vest. The fair value of the awards is based on the Company’s stock price as of the date of grant. During the fiscal years 2017, 2016 and 2015, we granted PSUs with fair values of approximately $4.6 million, $4.7 million and $3.6 million, respectively, to the Company’s senior executives.
The restricted stock units granted in December 2016 and 2015 to our senior executives vest one-third annually. For the restricted stock units granted in December 2014 to our senior executives, two-thirds vested on December 15, 2016 and one-third vested on December 15, 2017. The PSUs granted in December 2016 and 2015 to our senior executives cliff vest at the end of the three-year performance period. For the PSUs granted in December 2014 to our senior executives, one-half vested on December 15, 2016 and one-half vested on December 15, 2017.
Performance Share Awards granted to our key employees are paid 50% in cash and 50% in stock. Vesting of Performance Share Awards is contingent upon continued employment and the achievement of free cash flow and earnings per share targets, as defined by management, over a three-year period. At the end of the performance period, the number of actual shares to be awarded varies between 0% and 150% of target amounts. However, a minimum of 50% of the awards will vest upon continued employment over the three-year period if the minimum targets are not met. The Performance Share Awards vest earlier upon death, disability or a change of control. A portion of the awards also vests upon termination without cause or after reaching normal retirement age prior to the vesting date, as defined by the agreements governing such awards. The fair value of Performance Share Awards is based on the Company’s stock price as of the date of grant. The fair value and cash value of Performance Share Awards granted in fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015 are as follows (in millions):
On December 15, 2016, the performance period ended for certain PSUs granted to senior executives in December 2014 and the Performance Share Awards granted to key employees in December 2013. The PSUs vested at 149.3%, and resulted in the issuance of 0.1 million shares, net of shares withheld for taxes. The Performance Share Awards vested at 50.0%, and resulted in the issuance of less than 0.1 million shares, net of shares withheld for taxes.
During fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, we granted time-based restricted stock awards with a fair value of $4.5 million, $4.2 million and $6.8 million, respectively.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
Restricted stock and performance award transactions during fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands, except weighted average grant prices):
(1)
The number of restricted stock shown reflects the shares that would be granted if the target level of performance is achieved. The number of shares actually issued may vary.
Share-Based Compensation Expense
Share-based compensation expense is recorded over the requisite service or performance period. For awards with performance conditions, the amount of share-based compensation expense recognized is based upon the probable outcome of the performance conditions, as defined and determined by management. We estimated a forfeiture rate of 5.0% for our non-officers and 0% for our officers in our calculation of share-based compensation expense for the fiscal years ended October 29, 2017, October 30, 2016 and November 1, 2015. These estimates are based on historical forfeiture behavior exhibited by our employees.
Share-based compensation expense as well as the unrecognized share-based compensation expense and weighted average period over which expense attributable to unvested awards will be recognized are as follows (in millions, except weighted average remaining years):
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
As of October 29, 2017, we do not have any amounts capitalized for share-based compensation cost in inventory or similar assets. The total income tax benefit recognized in results of operations for share-based compensation arrangements was $4.0 million, $4.2 million and $3.7 million for the fiscal years ended October 29, 2017, October 30, 2016 and November 1, 2015, respectively.
8. EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE
Basic earnings per common share is computed by dividing net income allocated to common shares by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted income per common share, if applicable, considers the dilutive effect of common stock equivalents. The reconciliation of the numerator and denominator used for the computation of basic and diluted income per common share is as follows (in thousands, except per share data):
(1)
Represents securities not included in the computation of diluted earnings per common share because their effect would have been anti-dilutive.
We calculate earnings per share using the “two-class” method, whereby unvested share-based payment awards that contain nonforfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents are “participating securities” and, therefore, these participating securities are treated as a separate class in computing earnings per share. The calculation of earnings per share presented here excludes the income attributable to unvested restricted stock units related to our Incentive Plan from the numerator and excludes the dilutive impact of those shares from the denominator.
9. OTHER ACCRUED EXPENSES
Other accrued expenses are comprised of the following (in thousands):
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
10. WARRANTY
The following table represents the rollforward of our accrued warranty obligation and deferred warranty revenue activity for the fiscal years ended October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016 (in thousands):
11. LONG-TERM DEBT AND NOTE PAYABLE
Debt is comprised of the following (in thousands):
(1)
Includes the unamortized deferred financing costs associated with the Notes and Credit Agreement. The unamortized deferred financing costs associated with the Amended ABL Facility of $0.7 million and $1.1 million as of October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, respectively, are classified in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets.
The scheduled maturity of our debt is as follows (in thousands):
8.25% Senior Notes Due January 2023
The Company’s $250.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 8.25% senior notes due 2023 (the “Notes”) bear interest at 8.25% per annum and will mature on January 15, 2023. Interest is payable semi-annually in arrears on January 15 and July 15.
The Notes are guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by all of the Company’s existing and future domestic subsidiaries that guarantee the Company’s obligations (including by reason of being a borrower under the senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility on a joint and several basis with the Company or a guarantor subsidiary) under the senior secured credit facilities. The Notes are unsecured senior indebtedness and rank equally in right of payment with all of the Company’s existing and future senior indebtedness and senior in right of payment to all of its future subordinated obligations. In addition, the Notes and guarantees are structurally subordinated to all existing and future indebtedness and other liabilities of the Company’s non-guarantor subsidiaries.
The Company may redeem the Notes at any time prior to January 15, 2018, at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date, plus the applicable make-whole premium. In addition,
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
prior to January 15, 2018, the Company may redeem the Notes in an aggregate principal amount of up to 40.0% of the original aggregate principal amount of the Notes with funds in an equal aggregate amount not exceeding the aggregate proceeds of one or more equity offerings, at a redemption price of 108.250%, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the applicable redemption date of the Notes.
On or after January 15, 2018, the Company may redeem all or a part of the Notes at redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal amount thereof) set forth below, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the applicable redemption date of the Notes, if redeemed during the 12-month period beginning on January 15 of the year as follows:
Credit Agreement
The Company’s Credit Agreement provided for a term loan credit facility (“Term Loan”) in an original aggregate principal amount of $250.0 million. The Term Loan amortizes in nominal quarterly installments equal to one percent of the aggregate initial principal amount thereof per annum.
On May 2, 2017, the Company entered into Amendment No. 2 (the “Amendment”) to its existing Credit Agreement, dated as of June 22, 2012, between NCI Building Systems, Inc., as borrower, and Credit Suisse AG, Cayman Islands Branch, as administrative agent and collateral agent and the other financial institutions party thereto from time to time (as previously amended by Amendment No. 1, dated as of June 24, 2013, the “Existing Term Loan Facility” and, as amended, the “Term Loan Facility”), primarily to extend the maturity date and reduce the interest rate applicable to all of the outstanding term loans under the Term Loan Facility.
Prior to the Amendment, approximately $144.1 million of term loans (the “Existing Term Loans”) were outstanding under the Existing Term Loan Facility. Pursuant to the Amendment, certain lenders under the Existing Term Loan Facility extended their Existing Term Loans, in an aggregate amount, along with new term loans advanced by certain new lenders of approximately $144.1 million (the “New Term Loans”). The proceeds of the New Term Loans advanced by the new lenders were used to prepay in full all of the Existing Term Loans that were not extended as New Term Loans. Pursuant to the Amendment, the maturity date of the New Term Loans was extended to June 24, 2022.
Pursuant to the Amendment, the New Term Loans bear interest at a floating rate measured by reference to, at the Company’s option, either (i) an adjusted LIBOR not less than 1.00% plus a borrowing margin of 3.00% per annum or (ii) an alternate base rate plus a borrowing margin of 2.00% per annum. At October 29, 2017, the interest rate on the term loan under the Credit Agreement was 4.24%. Overdue amounts will bear interest at a rate that is 2% higher than the rate otherwise applicable.
The New Term Loans are secured by the same collateral and guaranteed by the same guarantors as the Existing Term Loans under the Existing Term Loan Facility. Voluntary prepayments under the New Term Loans are permitted at any time, in minimum principal amounts, without premium or penalty, subject to a 1.00% premium payable in connection with certain repricing transactions within the first six months. The Amendment also includes certain other changes to the Term Loan Facility.
During fiscal 2017 and 2016, the Company made voluntary prepayments of $10.0 million and $40.0 million, respectively, on the outstanding principal amount of the Term Loan. As a result of the voluntary prepayments made during the prior two fiscal periods, which were applied to the one percent per annum amortization, we are not required to make any quarterly installment payments until June 24, 2019.
Subject to certain exceptions, the Term Loan will be subject to mandatory prepayment in an amount equal to:
•
the net cash proceeds of (1) certain asset sales, (2) certain debt offerings, and (3) certain insurance recovery and condemnation events; and
•
50% of annual excess cash flow (as defined in the Credit Agreement), subject to reduction to 0% if specified leverage ratio targets are met.
The Credit Agreement contains a number of covenants that, among other things, will limit or restrict the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to dispose of assets, incur additional indebtedness, make dividends and other restricted payments,
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
create liens securing indebtedness, engage in mergers and other fundamental transactions, enter into restrictive agreements, amend certain documents in respect of other indebtedness, change the nature of their business and engage in certain transactions with affiliates.
Amended ABL Facility
The Company’s Asset-Based Lending Facility, as amended, (“Amended ABL Facility”) provides for revolving loans of up to $150 million (subject to a borrowing base), letters of credit of up to $30 million and up to $10 million for swingline borrowings. All borrowings under the Amended ABL Facility mature on June 24, 2019.
Borrowing availability under the Amended ABL Facility is determined by a monthly borrowing base collateral calculation that is based on specified percentages of the value of qualified cash, eligible inventory and eligible accounts receivable, less certain reserves and subject to certain other adjustments. At October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, the Company’s excess availability under the Amended ABL Facility was $140.0 million and $140.9 million, respectively. At October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, the Company had no revolving loans outstanding under the Amended ABL Facility. In addition, at October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, standby letters of credit related to certain insurance policies totaling approximately $10.0 million and $9.1 million, respectively.
The Amended ABL Facility contains a number of covenants that, among other things, limit or restrict the Company’s ability to dispose of assets, incur additional indebtedness, incur guarantee obligations, engage in sale and leaseback transactions, prepay other indebtedness, modify organizational documents and certain other agreements, create restrictions affecting subsidiaries, make dividends and other restricted payments, create liens, make investments, make acquisitions, engage in mergers, change the nature of their business and engage in certain transactions with affiliates.
The Amended ABL Facility includes a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of one to one, which will apply if the Company fails to maintain a specified minimum borrowing capacity. The minimum level of borrowing capacity as of October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016 was $21.0 million and $21.1 million, respectively. Although the Amended ABL Facility did not require any financial covenant compliance, at October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, the Company’s fixed charge coverage ratio as of those dates, which is calculated on a trailing twelve month basis, was 3.85:1.00 and 2.86:1.00, respectively.
Loans under the Amended ABL Facility bear interest, at our option, as follows:
(1)
Base Rate loans at the Base Rate plus a margin. The margin ranges from 0.75% to 1.25% depending on the quarterly average excess availability under such facility, and
(2)
LIBOR loans at LIBOR plus a margin. The margin ranges from 1.75% to 2.25% depending on the quarterly average excess availability under such facility.
“Base rate” is defined as the higher of the Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. prime rate or the overnight Federal Funds rate plus 0.5% and “LIBOR” is defined as the applicable London interbank offered rate adjusted for reserves.
During an event of default, loans under the Amended ABL Facility will bear interest at a rate that is 2% higher than the rate otherwise applicable.
Insurance Note Payable
As of October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, the Company had an outstanding note payable in the amount of $0.4 million and $0.5 million, respectively, related to financed insurance premiums. Insurance premium financings are generally secured by the unearned premiums under such policies.
12. CD&R FUNDS
On August 14, 2009, the Company entered into an Investment Agreement (as amended, the “Investment Agreement”), by and between the Company and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Fund VIII L.P. (“CD&R Fund VIII”). In connection with the Investment Agreement and the Stockholders Agreement dated October 20, 2009 (the “Stockholders Agreement”), the CD&R Fund VIII and the Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Friends & Family Fund VIII, L.P. (collectively, the “CD&R Funds”) purchased convertible preferred stock, which was later converted to shares of our Common Stock on May 14, 2013.
On January 15, 2014, the CD&R Funds completed a registered underwritten offering, in which the CD&R Funds offered 8.5 million shares of Common Stock at a price to the public of $18.00 per share (the “2014 Secondary Offering”). The underwriters also exercised their option to purchase 1.275 million additional shares of Common Stock. The aggregate offering price for the 9.775 million shares sold in the 2014 Secondary Offering was approximately $167.6 million, net of underwriting discounts and
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
commissions. The CD&R Funds received all of the proceeds from the 2014 Secondary Offering and no shares in the 2014 Secondary Offering were sold by NCI or any of its officers or directors (although certain of our directors are affiliated with the CD&R Funds).
On January 6, 2014, the Company entered into an agreement with the CD&R Funds to repurchase 1.15 million shares of its Common Stock at a price per share equal to the price per share paid by the underwriters to the CD&R Funds in the underwritten offering (the “2014 Stock Repurchase”). The 2014 Stock Repurchase, which was completed at the same time as the 2014 Secondary Offering, represented a private, non-underwritten transaction between NCI and the CD&R Funds that was approved and recommended by the Affiliate Transactions Committee of our board of directors. Following completion of the 2014 Stock Repurchase, NCI canceled the shares repurchased from the CD&R Funds, resulting in a $19.7 million decrease in both additional paid-in capital and treasury stock during the fiscal year ended November 2, 2014.
On July 25, 2016, the CD&R Funds completed a registered underwritten offering, in which the CD&R Funds offered 9.0 million shares of our Common Stock at a price to the public of $16.15 per share (the “2016 Secondary Offering”). The underwriters also exercised their option to purchase 1.35 million additional shares of our Common Stock from the CD&R Funds. The aggregate offering price for the 10.35 million shares sold in the 2016 Secondary Offering was approximately $160.1 million, net of underwriting discounts and commissions. The CD&R Funds received all of the proceeds from the 2016 Secondary Offering and no shares in the 2016 Secondary Offering were sold by the Company or any of its officers or directors (although certain of our directors are affiliated with the CD&R Funds). In connection with the 2016 Secondary Offering and the 2016 Stock Repurchase (as defined below), we incurred approximately $0.7 million in expenses, which were included in engineering, selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations for the fiscal year ended October 30, 2016.
On July 18, 2016, the Company entered into an agreement with the CD&R Funds to repurchase approximately 2.9 million shares of our Common Stock at the price per share equal to the price per share paid by the underwriters to the CD&R Funds in the underwritten offering (the “2016 Stock Repurchase”). The 2016 Stock Repurchase, which was completed concurrently with the 2016 Secondary Offering, represented a private, non-underwritten transaction between the Company and the CD&R Funds that was approved and recommended by the Affiliate Transactions Committee of our board of directors. See Note 18 - Stock Repurchase Program.
At October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, the CD&R Funds owned approximately 43.8% and 42.3%, respectively, of the outstanding shares of our Common Stock.
13. RELATED PARTIES
Pursuant to the Investment Agreement and the Stockholders Agreement, the CD&R Funds have the right to designate a number of directors to NCI’s board of directors that is equivalent to the CD&R Funds’ percentage interest in the Company. Among other directors appointed by the CD&R Funds, our board of directors appointed to the board of directors James G. Berges, Nathan K. Sleeper and Jonathan L. Zrebiec. Messrs. Berges, Sleeper and Zrebiec are partners of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC, (“CD&R, LLC”), an affiliate of the CD&R Funds.
As a result of their respective positions with CD&R, LLC and its affiliates, one or more of Messrs. Berges, Sleeper and Zrebiec may be deemed to have an indirect material interest in certain agreements executed in connection with the Equity Investment. Messrs. Berges, Sleeper and Zrebiec may be deemed to have an indirect material interest in the following agreements:
•
the Investment Agreement, pursuant to which the CD&R Funds acquired a 68.4% interest in the Company, CD&R Fund VIII’s transaction expenses were reimbursed and a deal fee of $8.25 million was paid to CD&R, Inc., the predecessor to the investment management business of CD&R, LLC, on October 20, 2009;
•
the Stockholders Agreement, which sets forth certain terms and conditions regarding the Equity Investment and on certain actions of the CD&R Funds and their controlled affiliates with respect to the Company, and to provide for, among other things, subscription rights, corporate governance rights and consent rights as well as other obligations and rights;
•
a Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of October 20, 2009 (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), between the Company and the CD&R Funds, pursuant to which the Company granted to the CD&R Funds, together with any other stockholder of the Company that may become a party to the Registration Rights Agreement in accordance with its terms, certain customary registration rights with respect to the shares of our Common Stock held by the CD&R Funds; and
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
•
an Indemnification Agreement, dated as of October 20, 2009 between the Company, NCI Group, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, Robertson-Ceco II Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, the CD&R Funds and CD&R, Inc., pursuant to which the Company, NCI Group, Inc. and Robertson-Ceco II Corporation agreed to indemnify CD&R, Inc., the CD&R Funds and their general partners, the special limited partner of CD&R Fund VIII and any other investment vehicle that is a stockholder of the Company and is managed by CD&R, Inc. or any of its affiliates, their respective affiliates and successors and assigns and the respective directors, officers, partners, members, employees, agents, representatives and controlling persons of each of them, or of their respective partners, members and controlling persons, against certain liabilities arising out of the Equity Investment and transactions in connection with the Equity Investment, including, but not limited to, the Credit Agreement, the Amended ABL Facility, the Exchange Offer, and certain other liabilities and claims.
14. FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, trade accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate fair value as of October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016 because of the relatively short maturity of these instruments. The fair values of the remaining financial instruments not currently recognized at fair value on our consolidated balance sheets at the respective fiscal year ends were (in thousands):
The fair values of the Credit Agreement and the Notes were based on recent trading activities of comparable market instruments, which are level 2 inputs.
Fair Value Measurements
ASC Subtopic 820-10, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, requires us to use valuation techniques to measure fair value that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. These inputs are prioritized as follows:
Level 1: Observable inputs such as quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.
Level 2: Other inputs that are observable directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities or market-corroborated inputs.
Level 3: Unobservable inputs for which there is little or no market data and which require us to develop our own assumptions about how market participants would price the assets or liabilities.
The following is a description of the valuation methodologies used for assets and liabilities measured at fair value. There have been no changes in the methodologies used at October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016.
Money market: Money market funds have original maturities of three months or less. The original cost of these assets approximates fair value due to their short-term maturity.
Mutual funds: Mutual funds are valued at the closing price reported in the active market in which the mutual fund is traded.
Assets held for sale: Assets held for sale are valued based on current market conditions, prices of similar assets in similar condition and expected proceeds from the sale of the assets.
Deferred compensation plan liability: Deferred compensation plan liability is comprised of phantom investments in the deferred compensation plan and is valued at the closing price reported in the active markets in which the money market and mutual funds are traded.
The following tables summarize information regarding our financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, segregated by level of the valuation inputs within the fair value hierarchy utilized to measure fair value (in thousands):
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
(1)
The unrealized holding gain (loss) was insignificant for fiscal years ended October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016.
15. INCOME TAXES
Income tax expense is based on pretax financial accounting income. Deferred income taxes are recognized for the temporary differences between the recorded amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and such amounts for income tax purposes.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
The income tax provision for the fiscal years ended 2017, 2016 and 2015, consisted of the following (in thousands):
The reconciliation of income tax computed at the United States federal statutory tax rate to the effective income tax rate is as follows:
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
Deferred income taxes reflect the net impact of temporary differences between the amounts of assets and liabilities recognized for financial reporting purposes and such amounts recognized for income tax purposes. The tax effects of the temporary differences for fiscal 2017 and 2016 are as follows (in thousands):
We carry out our business operations through legal entities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and China. These operations require that we file corporate income tax returns that are subject to U.S., state and foreign tax laws. We are subject to income tax audits in these multiple jurisdictions.
As of October 29, 2017, the $3.6 million net operating loss and tax credit carryforward included $0.5 million for U.S. state loss carryforwards. The state net operating loss carryforwards will expire in 2018 to 2028, if unused. As of October 29, 2017, our foreign operations have a net operating loss carryforward of approximately $11.6 million, representing $3.1 million of the $3.6 million deferred tax asset related to net operating loss and tax credit carryovers, that will start to expire in fiscal 2026, if unused.
The following table represents the rollforward of the valuation allowance on deferred taxes activity for the fiscal years ended October 29, 2017, October 30, 2016 and November 1, 2015 (in thousands):
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
Uncertain tax positions
There were no unrecognized tax benefits at October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016. We do not anticipate any material change in the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits to occur within the next twelve months.
The following table summarizes the activity related to the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits during fiscal 2016 (in thousands):
We recognize interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense. To the extent accrued interest and penalties do not ultimately become payable, amounts accrued will be reduced and reflected as a reduction of the overall income tax provision in the period that such determination is made. We did not have any accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as of October 29, 2017.
We file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and multiple state and foreign jurisdictions. Our tax years are closed with the IRS through the year ended October 28, 2013, as the statute of limitations related to these tax years has closed. In addition, open tax years related to state and foreign jurisdictions remain subject to examination but are not considered material.
16. ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
Accumulated other comprehensive loss consists of the following (in thousands):
17. OPERATING LEASE COMMITMENTS
We have operating lease commitments expiring at various dates, principally for real estate, office space, office equipment and transportation equipment. Certain of these operating leases have purchase options that entitle us to purchase the respective equipment at fair value at the end of the lease. In addition, many of our leases contain renewal options at rates similar to the current arrangements. As of October 29, 2017, future minimum rental payments related to noncancellable operating leases are as follows (in thousands):
Rental expense incurred from operating leases, including leases with terms of less than one year, for 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $19.4 million, $17.8 million and $15.2 million, respectively.
18. STOCK REPURCHASE PROGRAM
Our board of directors authorized two stock repurchase programs during the fiscal year ended October 30, 2016, which were publicly announced on January 20, 2016 and September 8, 2016. Together, these stock repurchase programs authorized for up to an aggregate of $106.3 million of the Company’s Common Stock.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
On July 18, 2016, the Company entered into an agreement with the CD&R Funds to repurchase approximately 2.9 million shares of our Common Stock for $45.0 million based on the price per share paid by the underwriters to the CD&R Funds in the 2016 Secondary Offering. The 2016 Stock Repurchase (as defined in Item 1. Business) represented a private, non-underwritten transaction between the Company and the CD&R Funds that was approved and recommended by the Affiliate Transactions Committee of our board of directors. The closing of the 2016 Stock Repurchase occurred on July 25, 2016 concurrently with the closing of the 2016 Secondary Offering. The 2016 Stock Repurchase was funded by the Company’s cash on hand.
On October 10, 2017, the Company announced that that its board of directors authorized a new stock repurchase program for up to an aggregate of $50.0 million of the Company’s Common Stock.
In addition to the 2016 Stock Repurchase, the Company repurchased 1.6 million shares of its Common Stock for $17.9 million during fiscal 2016 and 2.8 million shares of its Common Stock for $41.2 million during fiscal 2017 through open-market purchases under the authorized stock repurchase programs. As of October 29, 2017, approximately $52.2 million remains available for stock repurchases under the programs authorized in September 2016 and October 2017. The authorized programs have no time limit on their duration, but our Credit Agreement, Amended ABL Facility, and Notes apply certain limitations on our repurchase of shares of our Common Stock. The timing and method of any repurchases, which will depend on a variety of factors, including market conditions, are subject to results of operations, financial conditions, cash requirements and other factors, and may be suspended or discontinued at any time.
In addition to the Common Stock repurchases, the Company also withheld shares of restricted stock to satisfy minimum tax withholding obligations arising in connection with the vesting of restricted stock units, which are included in treasury stock purchases in the consolidated statements of stockholders’ equity.
The Company canceled 4.0 million of the total shares repurchased during fiscal 2016 as well as 0.4 million shares repurchased in prior fiscal years that had been held in treasury stock, resulting in a $62.3 million decrease in both additional paid in capital and treasury stock during the fiscal year ended October 30, 2016. During the fiscal year ended October 29, 2017, the Company canceled 3.0 million of the total shares repurchased during fiscal 2017 as well as 0.4 million shares repurchased in the prior fiscal year that had been held in treasury stock, resulting in a $50.6 million decrease in both additional paid in capital and treasury stock. Changes in treasury stock, at cost, were as follows (in thousands):
19. EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
Defined Contribution Plan - We have a 401(k) profit sharing plan (the “Savings Plan”) that allows participation for all eligible employees. The Savings Plan allows us to match between 50% and 100% of the participant’s contributions up to 6% of a participant’s pre-tax deferrals, based on a calculation of the Company’s annual return-on-assets. Contributions expense for the fiscal years ended October 29, 2017, October 30, 2016 and November 1, 2015 was $6.1 million, $5.7 million and $5.1 million, respectively, for matching contributions to the Savings Plan.
Deferred Compensation Plan - We have an Amended and Restated Deferred Compensation Plan (as amended and restated, the “Deferred Compensation Plan”) that allows our officers and key employees to defer up to 80% of their annual salary and
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
up to 90% of their bonus on a pre-tax basis until a specified date in the future, including at or after retirement. Additionally, the Deferred Compensation Plan allows our directors to defer up to 100% of their annual fees and meeting attendance fees until a specified date in the future, including at or after retirement. The Deferred Compensation Plan also permits us to make contributions on behalf of our key employees who are impacted by the federal tax compensation limits under the NCI 401(k) plan, and to receive a restoration matching amount which, under the current NCI 401(k) terms, mirrors our 401(k) profit sharing plan matching levels based on our Company’s performance. The Deferred Compensation Plan provides for us to make discretionary contributions to employees who have elected to defer compensation under the plan. Deferred Compensation Plan participants will vest in our discretionary contributions ratably over three years from the date of each of our discretionary contributions.
On February 26, 2016, the Company amended its Deferred Compensation Plan, with an effective date of January 31, 2016, to require that amounts deferred into the Company Stock Fund remain invested in the Company Stock Fund until distribution. In accordance with the terms of the Deferred Compensation Plan, the deferred compensation obligation related to the Company’s stock may only be settled by the delivery of a fixed number of the Company’s common shares held on the participant’s behalf. The deferred compensation obligation related to the Company Stock Fund recorded within equity in additional paid-in capital on the consolidated balance sheet was $1.3 million and $1.4 million as of October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, respectively. Subsequent changes in the fair value of the deferred compensation obligation classified within equity are not recognized. Additionally, the Company currently holds 291,128 shares in treasury shares, relating to deferred, vested awards, until participants are eligible to receive benefits under the terms of the Deferred Compensation Plan.
As of October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, the liability balance of the Deferred Compensation Plan was $4.9 million and $3.8 million, respectively, and was included in accrued compensation and benefits on the consolidated balance sheets. We have not made any discretionary contributions to the Deferred Compensation Plan.
A rabbi trust is used to fund the Deferred Compensation Plan and an administrative committee manages the Deferred Compensation Plan and its assets. The investments in the rabbi trust were $6.5 million and $5.7 million as of October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, respectively. The rabbi trust investments include debt and equity securities as well as cash equivalents and are accounted for as trading securities.
Defined Benefit Plans - With the acquisition of RCC on April 7, 2006, we assumed a defined benefit plan (the “RCC Pension Plan”). Benefits under the RCC Pension Plan are primarily based on years of service and the employee’s compensation. The RCC Pension Plan is frozen and, therefore, employees do not accrue additional service benefits. Plan assets of the RCC Pension Plan are invested in broadly diversified portfolios of government obligations, mutual funds, stocks, bonds, fixed income securities, master limited partnerships and hedge funds. In accordance with ASC Topic 805, we quantified the projected benefit obligation and fair value of the plan assets of the RCC Pension Plan and recorded the difference between these two amounts as an assumed liability.
As a result of the CENTRIA Acquisition on January 16, 2015, we assumed noncontributory defined benefit plans covering certain hourly employees (the “CENTRIA Benefit Plans”). Benefits under the CENTRIA Benefit Plans are calculated based on fixed amounts for each year of service rendered. CENTRIA also sponsors postretirement medical and life insurance plans that cover certain of its employees and their spouses (the “OPEB Plans”). The contributions to the OPEB Plans by retirees vary from none to 25% of the total premiums paid. Plan assets of the CENTRIA Benefit Plans are invested in broadly diversified portfolios of equity mutual funds, international equity mutual funds, bonds, mortgages and other funds. Currently, our policy is to fund the CENTRIA Benefit Plans as required by minimum funding standards of the Internal Revenue Code. In accordance with ASC Topic 805, we remeasured the projected benefit obligation and fair value of the plan assets of the CENTRIA Benefits Plans and OPEB Plans. The difference between the two amounts was recorded as an assumed liability.
In addition to the CENTRIA Benefit Plans, CENTRIA contributes to a multi-employer plan, the Steelworkers Pension Trust. The minimum required annual contribution to this plan is $0.3 million. The current contract expires on June 1, 2019. If we were to withdraw our participation from this multi-employer plan, CENTRIA may be required to pay a withdrawal liability representing an amount based on the underfunded status of the plan. The plan is not significant to the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
We refer to the RCC Pension Plan and the CENTRIA Benefit Plans collectively as the “Defined Benefit Plans” in this Note.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
Assumptions-Weighted average actuarial assumptions used to determine benefit obligations were as follows:
Weighted average actuarial assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost (income) were as follows:
The basis used to determine the overall expected long-term asset return assumption for the Defined Benefit Plans for fiscal 2016 was a 10-year forecast of expected return based on the target asset allocation for the plans. The weighted average expected return for the portfolio over the forecast period is 6.18%, net of investment related expenses, and taking into consideration historical experience, anticipated asset allocations, investment strategies and the views of various investment professionals.
The health care cost trend rate for the OPEB Plans was assumed at 6.5% beginning in fiscal 2018, 6.0% for years 2019 to 2024, 5.5% for years 2025 to 2035, 5.0% for years 2036 to 2051 and approximately 4.0% per year thereafter.
Funded status-The changes in the projected benefit obligation, plan assets and funded status, and the amounts recognized on our consolidated balance sheets were as follows (in thousands):
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
Benefit obligations in excess of fair value of assets of $14.5 million and $20.7 million as of October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, respectively, are included in other long-term liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.
Plan assets-The investment policy is to maximize the expected return for an acceptable level of risk. Our expected long-term rate of return on plan assets is based on a target allocation of assets, which is based on our goal of earning the highest rate of return while maintaining risk at acceptable levels.
As of October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, the weighted average asset allocations by asset category for the Defined Benefit Plans were as follows (in thousands):
The principal investment objectives are to ensure the availability of funds to pay pension and postretirement benefits as they become due under a broad range of future economic scenarios, to maximize long-term investment return with an acceptable level of risk based on our pension and postretirement obligations, and to be sufficiently diversified across and within the capital markets to mitigate the risk of adverse or unexpected results from one security class will not have an unduly detrimental. Each asset class has broadly diversified characteristics. Decisions regarding investment policy are made with an understanding of the effect of asset allocation on funded status, future contributions and projected expenses.
The plans strive to have assets sufficiently diversified so that adverse or unexpected results from one security class will not have an unduly detrimental impact on the entire portfolio. We regularly review our actual asset allocation and the investments are periodically rebalanced to our target allocation when considered appropriate. We have set the target asset allocation for the RCC Pension Plan as follows: 45% US bonds, 17% large cap US equities, 13% foreign equity, 5% master limited partnerships, 2% commodity futures, 4% real estate investment trusts, 8% emerging markets and 6% small cap US equities. The CENTRIA Benefit Plans have a target asset allocation of approximately 50%-80% equities and 20%-50% fixed income.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
The fair values of the assets of the Defined Benefit Plans at October 29, 2017 and October 30, 2016, by asset category and by levels of fair value, as further defined in Note 14 - Fair Value of Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements were as follows (in thousands):
Net periodic benefit cost (income)-The components of the net periodic benefit cost (income) were as follows (in thousands):
The amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income that have not yet been recognized as components of net periodic benefit income are as follows (in thousands):
Unrecognized actuarial losses (gains), net of income tax, of $(2.8) million and $1.9 million during fiscal 2017 and 2016, respectively, are included in other comprehensive income (loss) in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss).
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
The changes in plan assets and benefit obligation recognized in other comprehensive income are as follows (in thousands):
The estimated amortization for the next fiscal year for amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into the consolidated income statement is as follows (in thousands):
Actuarial gains and losses are amortized using the corridor method based on 10% of the greater of the projected benefit obligation or the market related value of assets over the average remaining service period of active employees.
We expect to contribute $2.6 million to the Defined Benefit Plans in fiscal 2018. We expect the following benefit payments to be made (in thousands):
20. OPERATING SEGMENTS
Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise that engage in business activities and by which discrete financial information is available that is evaluated on a regular basis by the chief operating decision maker to make decisions about how to allocate resources to the segment and assess the performance of the segment. We have three operating segments: engineered building systems; metal components; and metal coil coating. All operating segments operate primarily in the nonresidential construction market. Sales and earnings are influenced by general economic conditions, the level of nonresidential construction activity, metal roof repair and retrofit demand and the availability and terms of financing available for construction. Products of our operating segments use similar basic raw materials. The Metal Coil Coating segment consists of cleaning, treating, painting and slitting continuous steel coils before the steel is fabricated for use by construction and industrial users. The Metal Components segment products include metal roof and wall panels, doors, metal partitions, metal trim, insulated metal panels and other related accessories. The Engineered Building Systems segment includes the manufacturing of main frames, Long Bay® Systems and value-added engineering and drafting, which are typically not part of metal components or metal coil
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
coating products or services. The operating segments follow the same accounting policies used for our consolidated financial statements.
We evaluate a segment’s performance based primarily upon operating income before corporate expenses. Intersegment sales are recorded based on standard material costs plus a standard markup to cover labor and overhead and consist of (i) hot-rolled, light gauge painted and slit material and other services provided by the Metal Coil Coating segment to both the Metal Components and Engineered Building Systems segments; (ii) building components provided by the Metal Components segment to the Engineered Building Systems segment; and (iii) structural framing provided by the Engineered Building Systems segment to the Metal Components Segment.
Corporate assets consist primarily of cash but also include deferred financing costs, deferred taxes and property, plant and equipment associated with our headquarters in Houston, Texas. These items (and income and expenses related to these items) are not allocated to the operating segments. Corporate unallocated expenses include share-based compensation expenses, and executive, legal, finance, tax, treasury, human resources, information technology, purchasing, marketing and corporate travel expenses. Additional unallocated amounts include interest income, interest expense and other (expense) income.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
The following table represents summary financial data attributable to these operating segments for the periods indicated (in thousands):
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
The following table represents summary financial data attributable to various geographic regions for the periods indicated (in thousands):
Sales are determined based on customers’ requested shipment location.
21. CONTINGENCIES
As a manufacturer of products primarily for use in nonresidential building construction, the Company is inherently exposed to various types of contingent claims, both asserted and unasserted, in the ordinary course of business. As a result, from time to time, the Company and/or its subsidiaries become involved in various legal proceedings or other contingent matters arising from claims, or potential claims. The Company insures against these risks to the extent deemed prudent by its management and to the extent insurance is available. Many of these insurance policies contain deductibles or self-insured retentions in amounts the
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
Company deems prudent and for which the Company is responsible for payment. In determining the amount of self-insurance, it is the Company’s policy to self-insure those losses that are predictable, measurable and recurring in nature, such as claims for automobile liability and general liability. The Company regularly reviews the status of on-going proceedings and other contingent matters along with legal counsel. Liabilities for such items are recorded when it is probable that the liability has been incurred and when the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated. Liabilities are adjusted when additional information becomes available. Management believes that the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or cash flows. However, such matters are subject to many uncertainties and outcomes are not predictable with assurance.
22. QUARTERLY RESULTS (Unaudited)
Shown below are selected unaudited quarterly data (in thousands, except per share data):
(1)
The sum of the quarterly income per share amounts may not equal the annual amount reported, as per share amounts are computed independently for each quarter and for the full year based on the respective weighted average common shares outstanding.
(2)
Excludes net income allocated to participating securities. The participating securities are treated as a separate class in computing earnings per share (see Note 8 - Earnings per Common Share).
(3)
The fourth quarter of fiscal 2016 includes the correction of a prior period accounting error of $0.5 million ($0.8 million, before tax). See Note 6 - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets.
(4)
The second quarter of fiscal 2017 includes the gain on insurance recovery of $5.9 million ($9.6 million before tax). See Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.
(5)
The fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 includes a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $3.7 million ($6.0 million before tax). See Note 6 - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
The quarterly income before income taxes were impacted by the following special income (expense) items:
23. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
On December 11, 2017, the CD&R funds completed a registered underwritten offering of 7,150,000.00 shares of the Company’s Common Stock at a price to the public of $19.36 per share (the “2017 Secondary Offering”). Pursuant to the underwriting agreement, at the CD&R Funds request, the Company purchased 1.15 million of the 7.15 million shares of the Common Stock from the underwriters in the 2017 Secondary Offering at a price per share equal to the price at which the underwriters purchased the shares from the CD&R Funds. The total amount the Company spent on these repurchases was $22.3 million. Following the closing of the 2017 Stock Repurchase, the CD&R Funds own approximately 34.7%.
In addition to the shares the Company purchased in connection with the 2017 Secondary Offering, during fiscal 2018 through December 18, 2017, the Company has repurchased 1.5 million shares of its Common Stock for $24.4 million through open-market purchases under the authorized stock repurchase program. As of December 18, 2017, approximately $5.6 million remains available for stock repurchases under the program authorized in October 2017.
Item 9.
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
None.
Item 9A.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of October 29, 2017. The term “disclosure controls and procedures,” as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act, means controls and other procedures of a company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the company’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding the required disclosure. Management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Management believes that our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives. Based on the evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of October 29, 2017, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer concluded that, as of such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at such reasonable assurance level.
Management’s report on internal control over financial reporting is included in Item 8 and is incorporated herein by reference.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016, management identified and disclosed that the presence of control deficiencies within CENTRIA’s processes and gaps in the design of controls over the allocation of total contract consideration in multiple element revenue arrangements within the Engineered Building Systems segment rose to the level of material weaknesses in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of October 30, 2016 based on the criteria set forth by COSO in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013 framework).
CENTRIA control environment. The material weakness identified at CENTRIA specifically related to i) the lack of effective control procedures to support the preparation, analysis and review of certain significant account reconciliations required to assess the appropriateness of account balances at period end and ii) limitations in the ability of the accounting system to produce complete and accurate reports to support the timely performance of key controls and the analysis of changes, or lack thereof, in certain account balances. To remediate the material weakness described above, we implemented changes to the design of controls over the affected processes as follows:
•
Modified and strengthened accounting personnel structure at CENTRIA to bolster the execution and oversight of internal control policies and procedures
•
Completed supplemental training regarding the performance of key controls, including the retention of adequate supporting documentation for such controls
•
Implemented system enhancements to provide complete and accurate information in support of periodic control requirements and to reduce the reliance on manual processes
During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017, we successfully completed the testing necessary to conclude that the material weakness has been remediated.
Design of internal controls over the allocation of total contract consideration for multiple element revenue arrangements within the Company’s engineered building systems segment. This material weakness resulted from gaps in the design of controls, including general IT and other IT-related controls, over the monitoring and review of the estimated selling price that was allocated to each separate unit of accounting for revenue arrangements within the Company’s engineered building systems segment. Although corporate finance management review controls were in place to address the risk of an improper allocation of total contract consideration to the multiple revenue elements, they were not designed and documented at a sufficient level of precision to mitigate the risk of a material error. To remediate the material weakness described above, we implemented changes to the design of controls over the affected processes as follows:
•
Modified, formalized, and implemented procedures and controls over allocation of total contract consideration for multiple element revenue arrangements
•
Completed supplemental training regarding the performance of key controls, including the retention of adequate supporting documentation for such controls
•
Implemented system enhancements to provide complete and accurate information in support of periodic control requirements and to reduce the reliance on manual processes
•
Enhanced finance management review controls over multiple element revenue arrangements
During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017, we successfully completed the testing necessary to conclude that the material weakness has been remediated.
Except as noted above, there has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the fiscal quarter ended October 29, 2017 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B.
Item 9B. Other Information.
None.
PART III
Item 10.
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, a copy of which is available on our internet website at www.ncibuildingsystems.com under the heading “About NCI - Committees and Charters.” Any amendments to or waivers from the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that apply to our executive officers and directors will be posted to our website in the same section as the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics as noted above. However, the information on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K.
The information under the captions “Election of Directors,” “Management,” “Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance,” “Board of Directors” and “Corporate Governance” in our definitive proxy statement for our annual meeting of shareholders to be held on February 28, 2018 is incorporated by reference herein.
Item 11.
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
The information under the captions “Compensation Discussion & Analysis,” “Compensation Committee Report” and “Executive Compensation” in our definitive proxy statement for our annual meeting of shareholders to be held on February 28, 2018 is incorporated by reference herein.
Item 12.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
The information under the caption “Outstanding Capital Stock” in our definitive proxy statement for our annual meeting of shareholders to be held on February 28, 2018 is incorporated by reference herein.
Item 13.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
The information under the captions “Board of Directors” and “Transactions with Related Persons” in our definitive proxy statement for our annual meeting of shareholders to be held on February 28, 2018 is incorporated by reference herein.
Item 14.
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services.
The information under the caption “Audit Committee and Auditors - Our Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and Audit Fees” in our definitive proxy statement for our annual meeting of shareholders to be held on February 28, 2018 is incorporated by reference herein.
PART IV
Item 15.
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.
(a)
The following documents are filed as a part of this report:
1.
consolidated financial statements (see Item 8).
2.
consolidated financial statement schedules.
All schedules have been omitted because they are inapplicable, not required, or the information is included elsewhere in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto.
3.
Exhibits
Those exhibits required to be filed by Item 601 of Regulation S-K are listed in the Index to Exhibits immediately preceding the exhibits filed herewith and such listing is incorporated herein by reference.
Index to Exhibits
*
Filed herewith
**
Furnished herewith
†
Management contracts or compensatory plans or arrangements
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary.
None.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
NCI BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.
By:
/s/ Donald R. Riley
Donald R. Riley, Chief Executive Officer and President
Date: December 18, 2017
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 per Form 10-K.
*By:
/s/ Donald R. Riley
Donald R. Riley,
Attorney-in-Fact