UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

 

FORM 10-K

 

 

Commission File Number: 000-03905

 

TRANSCAT, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

35 Vantage Point Drive, Rochester, New York 14624

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

 

(585) 352-7777

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes  o  No  o

 

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

 

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

 

(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

 

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

 

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant on September 25, 2009 (the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter) was approximately $38 million. The market value calculation was determined using the closing sale price of the registrant’s Common Stock on September 25, 2009, as reported on the NASDAQ Capital Market.

 

The number of shares of Common Stock of the registrant outstanding as of June 16, 2010 was 7,290,108.

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

The information required by Part III, Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of this report, to the extent not set forth herein, is incorporated herein by reference from the registrant’s definitive proxy statement relating to the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on September 14, 2010, which definitive proxy statement will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days of the end of the fiscal year to which this report relates.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This report and, in particular, the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations section of this report, contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include statements concerning expectations, estimates, and projections about the industry, management beliefs and assumptions of Transcat, Inc. (“Transcat”, “we”, “us”, or “our”). Words such as “anticipates”, “expects”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “seeks”, “estimates”, and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to forecast, including, among other things, the risks and uncertainties identified by us below under “Risk Factors” in Item IA of Part I of this report. Therefore, our actual results and outcomes may materially differ from those expressed or forecast in any such forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

BUSINESS OVERVIEW

 

Transcat is a leading global distributor of professional grade handheld test and measurement instruments and accredited provider of calibration, repair and weighing system services. We are primarily focused on providing our products and services to the following markets:

 

 

We conduct our business through two segments: distribution products (“distribution products” or “Product”) and calibration services (“calibration services” or “Service”).

 

Through our distribution products segment, we market and distribute national and proprietary brand instruments to approximately 14,000 global customers. Our product catalog (“Master Catalog”) offers access to more than 25,000 test and measurement instruments, including calibrators, insulation testers, multimeters, pressure and temperature devices, oscilloscopes, recorders and related accessories. These products are available from over 300 of the industry’s leading manufacturers including Fluke, GE, Emerson, and Hart Scientific. In addition, we are the exclusive worldwide distributor for Transmation and Altek products. The majority of the instrumentation we sell requires expert calibration service to ensure that it maintains the most precise measurements.

 

Through our accredited calibration services segment, we offer precise, reliable, fast calibration, repair and weighting system services. As of our fiscal year ended March 27, 2010 (“fiscal year 2010”), we operated twelve calibration laboratories (“Calibration Centers of Excellence”) strategically located across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada servicing approximately 9,200 customers. In addition, our recent acquisition of United Scale & Engineering Corporation has also provided entry into both the distribution and service segments of the industrial scales and weighing systems marketplace in the Wisconsin, Northern Illinois and Upper Michigan areas. Each of our Calibration Centers of Excellence is ISO-9001:2000 registered and our scope of accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 is believed to be one of the broadest in the industry. Our accreditation meets many international levels of quality, consistency and reliability. See “Calibration Services Segment — Quality” below in this Item 1 for more information.

CalTrak^® is our proprietary documentation and asset management system which is used to manage both the workflow at our Calibration Centers of Excellence and our clients’ assets. With CalTrak^®, we are able to provide our customers with timely calibration service while optimizing our own efficiencies. Additionally, CalTrak-Online provides our customers direct access to calibration certificates, calibration data, and access to other key documents required in the calibration process. CalTrak^® has been validated to U.S. federal regulation 21CFR 820.75, which is important to the pharmaceutical and FDA-regulated industries, where federal regulations can be particularly stringent. See the section entitled “Calibration Services Segment — CalTrak^®” below in this Item 1 for more information.

 

Our attention to quality goes beyond the products and services we deliver. Our sales, customer service and support teams stand ready to provide expert advice, application assistance and technical support wherever and whenever our customers need it. Since calibration is an intangible service, our customers rely on us to uphold high standards and trust in the integrity of our people and processes.

 

Among our customers, and representing 31% of our consolidated revenue, are Fortune 500/Global 500 companies, including Wyeth, Johnson & Johnson, DuPont, Exxon Mobil, Dow Chemical, Nestle and Duke Energy. Transcat has focused on the pharmaceutical and FDA-regulated industries, industrial manufacturing, energy and utility, chemical process and other industries since its founding in 1964. We are the leading supplier of calibrators in the markets we serve. We believe our customers do business with us because of our integrity, commitment to quality service, our CalTrak^® asset management system, and our broad range of product offerings.

 

Transcat was incorporated in Ohio in 1964. We are headquartered in Rochester, New York and employ more than 300 people. Our executive offices are located at 35 Vantage Point Drive, Rochester, New York 14624. Our telephone number is 585-352-7777.

 

OUR STRATEGY

 

Our strategy for growth is to expand both our distribution products and calibration services segments by leveraging these offerings to markets that value product breadth and availability. Our target customers are those that rely on accredited calibration services to maintain the integrity of their processes and/or operate in regulated environments. Our strategic focus is to serve a customer base that requires precise measurement capability for their manufacturing and testing processes in order to minimize risk, waste and defects. We do this by targeting customers who value superior quality, service and convenience associated with our multiple locations, broad capabilities and breadth of choice. We believe our combined offerings, experience, and integrity create a unique and compelling value proposition for our customers and prospects that is built upon trust and technical competence.

 

We strive to differentiate ourselves and build barriers to competitive entry by offering the best products, delivering high quality calibration and repair services, and integrating those products and services to benefit our customers’ operations and lower their costs.

 

ACQUISITIONS

 

On January 27, 2010, we acquired United Scale & Engineering Corporation (“United Scale”), a scale and weighing systems distributor and calibration and repair services provider based in Wisconsin. United Scale has approximately 2,000 customers located in Wisconsin, Northern Illinois and Upper Michigan and has been in business for almost 50 years meeting both ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation standards. United Scale had 26 employees as of March 27, 2010.

 

Our acquisition of United Scale broadens our calibration capabilities and expands our geographic footprint into the upper Midwest. Through this acquisition, we will also broaden our product offering to include scales and weighing systems which frequently require integration, installation and custom programming.

 

On August 14, 2008, we acquired Westcon, Inc. (“Westcon”), a test and measurement instruments distributor and calibration services provider based in Portland, Oregon.

Our acquisition of Westcon established a west coast distribution center that enables us to provide faster service to a broader base of potential customers while adding a full-service calibration operation that geographically complements and expands our nationwide network of laboratories. Westcon has and will continue to serve the wind energy industry, which we see as a high-growth target market that fits well within our energy market focus.

 

SEGMENTS

 

We service our customers through two business segments: distribution products and calibration services. Note 8 of our Consolidated Financial Statements in this report presents financial information for these segments. We serve over 18,000 customers, with no customer or controlled group of customers accounting for 10% or more of our consolidated net revenue for any of the fiscal years 2008 through 2010. We are not dependent on any single customer, the loss of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, balance sheet, or results of operations.

 

We market and sell to our customers through multiple sales channels consisting of direct catalog marketing, our website, a field sales organization, proactive outbound sales, and an inbound call center. Our field, outbound and inbound sales teams are each staffed with technically trained personnel. Our domestic and international inbound sales organization covers territories in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Our calibration and repair services are offered only in North America and Puerto Rico. We concentrate on attracting new customers and also on cross-selling to existing customers to increase our Product sales and Service revenue. Our revenue from customers in the following geographic areas during the periods indicated, expressed as a percentage of total revenue, is as follows:

 

 

DISTRIBUTION PRODUCTS SEGMENT

 

Summary.  Our customers use test and measurement instruments to ensure that their processes, and ultimately their end products, are within specification. Utilization of such diagnostic instrumentation also allows for continuous improvement processes to be in place, increasing the accuracies of their measurements. The industrial distribution products industry for test and measurement instrumentation, in those geographic markets where we predominately operate, is serviced by broad-based national distributors and niche or specialty-focused organizations such as Transcat.

 

Most industrial customers find that maintaining an in-house inventory of back-up test and measurement instruments is cost prohibitive. As a result, the distribution of test and measurement instrumentation has traditionally been characterized by frequent, small quantity orders combined with a need for rapid, reliable, and complete order fulfillment. The decision to buy is generally made by plant engineers, quality managers, or their purchasing personnel. Products are generally obtained from more than one distributor.

 

The majority of our products are not consumables, but are purchased as replacements, upgrades, or for expansion of manufacturing and research and development facilities. Our catalog and sales activities are designed to maintain a constant presence in front of the customer to ensure we receive the order when they are ready to purchase. As a result, we evaluate revenue trends over a twelve-month rolling period as any individual month’s or quarter’s revenue can be impacted by numerous factors, many of which are unpredictable and potentially non-recurring.

 

We believe that a distribution products customer chooses a distributor based on a number of different criteria including the timely delivery and accuracy of orders, consistent product quality, the technical competence of the representative serving them, value added services, as well as price. Value added services include providing

technical support to insure our customer receives the right product for their specific need through application knowledge and product compatibility. We also provide calibration of product purchases, on-line procurement, same day shipment of in-stock items, a variety of custom product offerings and training programs. Because of the breadth of products we offer and the services we provide, we are often a “one-stop shop” for our customers who gain the operational efficiency of dealing with just one distributor for most or all of their test and measurement equipment needs.

 

Our distribution products segment accounted for 66% of our consolidated revenue in fiscal year 2010. Within the distribution products segment, our routine business is comprised of customers who place orders to acquire or to replace specific instruments, which average approximately $1,560 per order. Items are regularly added to and deleted from our product lines on the basis of customer demand, market research, recommendations of suppliers, sales volumes and other factors.

 

Marketing and Sales.  Through our comprehensive Master Catalog, supplemental catalogs, website, e-newsletters, and other direct sales and marketing programs, we offer our customers a broad selection of highly recognized branded products at competitive prices. The instruments typically range in price from $250 to over $25,000.

 

During fiscal year 2010, we distributed approximately 1.1 million pieces of direct marketing materials including catalogs, brochures, supplements and other promotional materials, of which approximately 665,000 were distributed to customer contacts and approximately 450,000 were distributed to potential customer contacts. We also distributed approximately 180,000 e-newsletters to our list of customers and prospects. Some of the key factors that determine the number of catalogs and other direct marketing materials received by each customer include new product introductions, their market segments and the timing, frequency and monetary value of past purchases.

 

The majority of our product sales are derived from direct mail and on-line marketing. Our Master Catalog offers access to more than 25,000 test and measurement products and is used by customers, sales representatives and branch personnel to assist with customer product selection. During fiscal year 2010, approximately 85,000 copies of our Master Catalog were produced and distributed to existing and prospective customers in North America and Puerto Rico. The Master Catalog provides standard make/model and related product information and is also available in an electronic format upon request and on our website, transcat.com.

 

We use smaller catalog supplements that feature new products, promotions, or specific product categories to target prospects and acquire new customers. The catalog supplements are launched at varying periods throughout the year.

 

Customers can also purchase products through our website, transcat.com. Our website serves as a growing market channel for our products and services and provides product availability, detailed product information, advanced features such as product search and compare capabilities, as well as downloadable product specification sheets. We have optimized the website’s search engine, streamlined order entry and have the unique ability to supplement an order with an accredited calibration. Traffic to our website has grown more than 13% over the prior fiscal year and represented 8% of our Product segment sales in fiscal year 2010.

 

Competition.  The distribution products markets we serve are highly competitive. Competition for sales in distribution products is quite fragmented and ranges from large national distributors and manufacturers that sell directly to customers to small local distributors. Key competitive factors typically include customer service and support, quality, turn around time, inventory availability, brand recognition and price. To address our customers’ needs for technical support and product application assistance, and to differentiate ourselves from competitors, we employ a staff of highly-trained technical sales specialists. In order to maintain this competitive advantage, technical training is an integral part of developing our sales staff.

 

Suppliers and Purchasing.  We believe that effective purchasing is a key element to maintaining and enhancing our position as a provider of high quality test and measurement instruments. We frequently evaluate our purchase requirements and suppliers’ offerings to obtain products at the best possible cost. We obtain our products from nearly 400 suppliers of brand name and private-labeled equipment. In fiscal year 2010, our top 10 vendors accounted for approximately 65% of our aggregate business. Approximately 29% of our product

purchases on an annual basis are from Fluke Electronics Corporation (“Fluke”), which we believe to be consistent with Fluke’s share of the markets we service.

 

We plan our product mix and inventory stock to best serve the anticipated needs of our customers whose individual purchases vary in size. We can usually ship to our customers our top selling products the same day they are ordered. During fiscal year 2010, approximately 94% of orders for our top selling products were filled with inventory items already in stock.

 

Operations.  Our distribution operations take place within an approximate 37,000 square-foot facility located in Rochester, New York and a 12,600 square-foot facility in Portland, Oregon. The Rochester location also serves as our corporate headquarters; houses our customer service, sales and administrative functions; and has a calibration laboratory. The Portland location also serves as a calibration laboratory. In fiscal year 2010, we shipped over 33,000 product orders in aggregate from both locations. In addition, we added two additional distribution facilities in Wisconsin through our acquisition of United Scale, which fulfill orders for scales.

 

Distribution.  We distribute our products throughout North America and internationally from our distribution centers. We maintain appropriate inventory levels in order to satisfy anticipated customer demand for prompt delivery and complete order fulfillment of their product needs. These inventory levels are managed on a daily basis with the aid of our sophisticated purchasing and stock management information system. Our automated laser bar code scanning facilitates prompt and accurate order fulfillment and freight manifesting.

 

In addition to our direct end-user customers, we also sell products to resellers who then sell to end-users. Our sales to resellers are typically at a lower gross margin than sales to direct customers and therefore the percentage of reseller sales to total revenue in any given period can have an impact on our overall gross profit margin. During fiscal year 2010, 24% of our distribution product sales were to resellers compared with 25% in fiscal year 2009 and 20% in fiscal year 2008. We believe that these resellers have access, through their existing relationships, to end-user customers to whom we do not market directly.

 

Exclusivity Agreement with Fluke.  We have been the exclusive worldwide distributor of Altek and Transmation branded products since fiscal year 2002. Annually, in exchange for exclusive distribution rights, we have committed to purchase a minimum amount of Altek and Transmation products from Fluke. Each year, we have exceeded this commitment. By its terms, the most recent exclusivity agreement with Fluke expired on December 31, 2008. We continue to be the exclusive worldwide distributor of these products on terms substantially similar to the agreement that expired on December 31, 2008.

 

Backlog.  Customer product orders include orders for instruments that we routinely stock in our inventory, customized products, and other products ordered less frequently, which we do not stock. Pending product shipments are primarily backorders, but also include products that are requested to be calibrated in our laboratories prior to shipment, orders required to be shipped complete, and orders required to be shipped at a future date.

 

At March 27, 2010, the value of our pending product shipments was approximately $1.8 million, compared with approximately $1.2 million and $1.4 million at March 28, 2009 and March 29, 2008, respectively. During the first three fiscal quarters of fiscal year 2010, our pending product shipments continued to increase when compared against the ending balance of the previous fiscal year. We believe that manufacturers reduced production during the economic downturn and then were slower to respond to increased market demand as the economy began to improve, leading to increased backorders. During the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2010, we reduced the outstanding balance of pending product shipments by $0.6 million, when compared to the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2010, by early recognition of the need to accelerate purchases to make up for extended lead times from manufacturers. The net decrease is inclusive of $0.2 million in incremental pending product shipments associated with United Scale, which was acquired during our fiscal fourth quarter. Our pending product shipments and total product backorders increased during the third quarter of fiscal year 2009 as a direct result of our integration of Westcon onto our order entry system. During the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2009, pending product shipments decreased 30%, when compared to the balance at the end of the third quarter of fiscal year 2009. We attribute this to decreased orders as a result of a decline in the general economy as demand from existing customers weakened despite aggressive pricing initiatives. During fiscal year 2010, the month-end level of pending product shipments varied between a low of $1.3 million and a high of $2.6 million.

The following graph shows the quarter-end trend of pending product shipments and backorders for fiscal years 2009 and 2010.

 

 

CALIBRATION SERVICES SEGMENT

 

Summary.  Calibration is the act of comparing a unit or instrument of unknown value to a standard of known value and reporting the result in some rigorously defined form. After the calibration has been completed, a decision is made, again based on rigorously defined parameters, on what, if anything, is to be done to the unit to conform to the required standards or specifications. The decision may be to adjust, optimize or repair a unit; limit the use, range or rating of a unit; scrap the unit; or leave the unit as is. The purpose of calibration is to significantly reduce the risk of product or process failures caused by inaccurate measurements.

 

Within the calibration industry, there is a broad array of measurement disciplines making it costly and inefficient for any one provider to invest the needed capital for facilities, equipment and uniquely trained personnel necessary to address all measurement disciplines with in-house calibration capabilities. Our strategy, within our calibration services segment, has been to focus our investments in the core electrical, temperature, pressure and dimensional disciplines. We can address approximately 90% to 95% of the calibration requests we receive with our in-house capabilities. For customers’ calibration needs in less common and highly technical disciplines, we have historically subcontracted to third party vendors that can have unique or proprietary capabilities. These vendor relationships have enabled us to continue our pursuit of having the broadest calibration offerings to these targeted markets.

 

Strategy.  Our calibration services segment provides periodic calibration and repair services for our customers’ test and measurement instruments. We specifically target industries where quality calibrations are a critical operational component and believe calibration sourcing decisions are based on accreditation, reliability, trust, customer service, turn-around time, location, documentation, price and a one-source solution. Our success with customers is based on the trust they have in the integrity of our people and processes.

 

Transcat’s calibration services strategy encompasses two methods to manage a customer’s calibration and repair needs:

 

 

 

In either case, we strive to have the broadest accredited calibration offering to our targeted markets which includes certification of our technicians pursuant to the American Society for Quality (“ASQ”) standards, complete calibration management encompassing the entire metrology function, and access to our service offerings. We believe our calibration services are of the highest technical and quality levels, with broad ranges of accreditation and registration. Our quality systems are further detailed in the section entitled “Quality” below.

 

CalTrak^®.  CalTrak^® and CalTrak-Online are our proprietary metrology management systems that provide a comprehensive calibration quality program. Many of our customers have unique calibration service requirements to which we have tailored specific services. CalTrak-Online allows our customers to track calibration cycles via the Internet and provides the customer with a safe and secure off-site archive of calibration records that can be accessed 24 hours a day. Access to records data is managed through our secure password-protected website. Calibration assets are tracked with records that are automatically cross-referenced to the equipment that was used to calibrate. CalTrak^® has also been validated to meet the most stringent requirements within the industry.

 

We perform over 145,000 in-house calibrations annually. These are performed at our twelve Calibration Centers of Excellence or at the customer’s location. During fiscal year 2010, services completed by our Calibration Centers of Excellence represented 76% of our calibration services segment revenue while approximately 21% of the revenue was derived from calibration services that were subcontracted to third party vendors. Our calibration services segment accounted for 34% of our total consolidated revenue in fiscal year 2010.

 

Marketing and Sales.  Calibration improves an operation’s maximum productivity and efficiency by assuring accurate, reliable instruments and processes. Through our calibration services segment, we perform periodic calibrations on new and used instruments as well as repair services for our customers. All of our Calibration Centers of Excellence provide accredited calibration of common measurement parameters.

 

We have sales teams that seek to acquire new customers in our targeted markets and account management teams to ensure continued relationships with existing customers. In addition, we employ our Master Catalog, supplements, mailings, journal advertising, trade shows, and the Internet to market our calibration services to customers and prospective customers with a strategic focus in the highly regulated industries including pharmaceutical, FDA-regulated, energy and utilities, and chemical processing. We also target industrial manufacturing and other industries that appreciate the value of quality calibrations. Due to growth in wind energy Service revenue in fiscal year 2010, the energy/utilities industry segment’s share of our Service business increased. Our quality process and standards are designed to meet the needs of companies that must address regulatory requirements and/or have a strong commitment to quality and a comprehensive calibration program.

 

The approximate percentage of our calibration services business by industry segment for the periods indicated is as follows:

 

 

Competition.  The calibration outsource industry is highly fragmented and is composed of companies ranging from internationally recognized and accredited corporations, such as Transcat, to non-accredited, sole proprietors as well as companies that perform their own calibrations in-house, resulting in a tremendous range of service levels and capabilities. A large percentage of calibration companies are small businesses that provide only basic measurements and service markets in which quality requirements may not be as demanding

as the markets that we strategically target. Very few of these companies are structured to compete on the same scale and level of quality as us. There are also several companies with whom we compete who have national or regional operations. Certain of these competitors may have greater resources than us and some of them have accreditations that are similar to ours. We differentiate ourselves from our competitors by demonstrating our commitment to quality and by having a wide range of capabilities that are tailored to the markets we serve. Customers see the value in using our unique CalTrak-Online program to monitor their instrument’s status. We are fundamentally different from most of our competitors because we have the ability to bundle product, calibration and repair as a single source for our customers.

 

Quality.  The accreditation process is the only system currently in existence that assures measurement competence. Each of our laboratories is audited and reviewed by external accreditation bodies proficient in the technical aspects of the chemistry and physics that underlie metrology, ensuring that measurements are properly made. Accreditation also requires that all standards used for accredited measurements have a fully documented path, known as the traceability chain, either directly or through other accredited laboratories, back to the national or international standard for that measurement parameter. This ensures that our measurement process is consistent with the global metrology network that is designed to standardize measurements worldwide.

 

To ensure the quality and consistency of our calibrations for our customers, we have sought and achieved several international levels of quality and accreditation. Our calibration laboratories are ISO 9001:2000 registered through Underwriter’s Laboratories, which itself has international oversight from the ANAB-ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board. We believe our scope of accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 to be the broadest for the industries we serve. The accreditation process also ensures that our calibrations are traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology or the National Research Council (these are the National Measurement Institutes for the United States and Canada, respectively), or to other national or international standards bodies, or to measurable conditions created in our laboratory, or accepted fundamental and/or natural physical constants, ratio type of calibration, or by comparison to consensus standards. Our laboratories are accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 and ANSI/NCSL Z540-1-1994 using two of the accrediting bodies in the United States that are signatories to the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (“ILAC”). These two accrediting bodies are: National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) and American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). These accrediting bodies provide an objective, third party, internationally accepted evaluation of the quality, consistency, and competency of our calibration processes.

 

The importance of this international oversight to our customers is the assurance that our documents will be accepted worldwide, removing one of the barriers to trade that they may experience if using a non-ILAC traceable calibration service provider.

To provide the widest range of service to our customers in our target markets, our ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditations extend across many technical disciplines. The following table represents our capabilities for each of our Calibration Centers of Excellence as of March 27, 2010 (A=Accredited; N=Non-accredited):

 

WORKING-LEVEL CAPABILITIES:

 

 

 

REFERENCE-LEVEL CAPABILITIES:

 

 

 

 

CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUPPORT

 

Our breadth of distribution products and calibration services along with our strong commitment to customer sales, service and support enable us to satisfy our customer needs through convenient selection and ordering; rapid, accurate, and complete order fulfillment; and on-time delivery.

 

Key elements of our customer service approach are our technically-trained field sales team, outbound sales team, account management team, inbound sales and customer service organization. Most customer orders are placed through our customer service organization which often provides technical assistance to our customers to facilitate the purchasing decision. To ensure the quality of service provided, we frequently monitor our customer service through customer surveys, interpersonal communication, and daily statistical reports.

 

Customers may place orders via:

 

 

INFORMATION REGARDING EXPORT SALES

 

Approximately 10% of our net revenue in fiscal year 2010 resulted from sales to customers outside the United States, compared with 11% and 13% in fiscal years 2009 and 2008, respectively. Of those sales in fiscal year 2010, 42% were denominated in U.S. dollars and the remaining 58% were in Canadian dollars. Our revenue is subject to the customary risks of operating in an international environment, including the potential imposition of trade or foreign exchange restrictions, tariff and other tax increases, fluctuations in exchange rates and unstable political situations, any one or more of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, balance sheet or results of operations. See “Foreign Currency” in Item 7A of Part II of this report for further details.

 

INFORMATION SYSTEMS

 

We utilize a basic software platform, Application Plus, to manage our business and operations segments. We also utilize a turnkey enterprise software solution. This software includes a suite of fully integrated modules to manage our business functions, including customer service, warehouse management, inventory management, financial management, customer management, and business intelligence. This solution is a fully mature business package and has been subject to more than 20 years of refinement.

SEASONALITY

 

We believe that our business has certain historical seasonal factors. Historically, our fiscal first and second quarters have been generally weaker and our fiscal third and fourth quarters have been stronger due to industrial operating cycles.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS

 

We believe that compliance with federal, state, or local provisions relating to the protection of the environment will not have any material effect on our capital expenditures, earnings, or competitive position.

 

EMPLOYEES

 

At the end of fiscal year 2010, we had 303 employees, compared with 281 and 247 employees at the end of fiscal years 2009 and 2008, respectively.

 

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

 

The following table presents certain information regarding our executive officers and certain key employees as of March 27, 2010:

 

 

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

 

We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and, therefore, we file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Such reports may be read and copied at the Public Reference Room of the SEC at 100 F Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at (800) SEC-0330. Additionally, the SEC maintains a website (sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy statements and other information for registrants that file electronically.

 

We maintain an internet website at transcat.com. On our website, we make available, free of charge, documents we file with the SEC, including our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports filed with or furnished to the SEC. We make this information available as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such materials with, or furnish such information to, the SEC. Our SEC reports can be accessed in the investor relations section of our website. The other information found on our website is not part of this or any other report we file with, or furnish to, the SEC.

 

We also post on our website our board of directors’ committee charters (audit committee, compensation committee and corporate governance and nominating committee), and Code of Ethics. Copies of such charters

are available in print at no charge to any shareholder who makes a request. Such requests should be made to our corporate secretary at our corporate headquarters, 35 Vantage Point Drive, Rochester, New York 14624.

 

 

You should consider carefully the following risks and all other information included in this report. The risks and uncertainties described below and elsewhere in this report are not the only ones facing our business. If any of the following risks were to actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations would likely suffer. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could fall and you could lose all or part of your investment.

 

The Economic Recession Could Have A Negative Impact On Our Major Customers And Suppliers Which In Turn Could Materially Adversely Affect Our Results Of Operations And Liquidity.  The economic recession has had a significant negative impact on businesses around the world. Although we believe that our cash provided by operations and available borrowing capacity under our current credit facility will provide us with sufficient liquidity through current economic conditions, the impact of this recession on our major customers and suppliers cannot be predicted and may be quite severe. The inability of major manufacturers to ship our products could impair our ability to meet the delivery date requirements of our customers. A disruption in the ability of our largest customers to access liquidity could cause serious disruptions or an overall deterioration of their businesses which could lead to a significant reduction in their future orders of our products and services and the inability or failure on their part to meet their payment obligations to us, any of which could have a negative effect on our results of operations and liquidity.

 

We Depend On Manufacturers To Supply Our Inventory And Rely On One Vendor Group To Supply A Significant Amount Of Our Inventory Purchases. If They Fail To Provide Desired Products To Us, Increase Prices, Or Fail To Timely Deliver Products, Our Revenue and Gross Profit Could Suffer.  A significant amount of our inventory purchases are made from one vendor, Fluke. Our reliance on this vendor leaves us vulnerable to having an inadequate supply of required products, price increases, late deliveries, and poor product quality. Like other distributors in our industry, we occasionally experience supplier shortages and are unable to purchase our desired volume of products. If we are unable to enter into and maintain satisfactory distribution arrangements with leading manufacturers, if we are unable to maintain an adequate supply of products, or if manufacturers do not regularly invest in, introduce to us, and/or make new products available to us for distribution, our sales could suffer considerably. Finally, we cannot provide any assurance that particular products, or product lines, will be available to us, or available in quantities sufficient to meet customer demand. This is of particular significance to our business because the products we sell are often only available from one source. Any limits to product access could materially and adversely affect our business.

 

Our Future Success May Be Affected By Future Indebtedness.  Under our revolving credit facility, as of March 27, 2010, we owed $2.5 million to our secured creditor. We may borrow additional funds in the future to support our growth and working capital needs. We are required to meet financial tests on a quarterly basis and comply with other covenants customary in secured financings. Although we believe that we will continue to be in compliance with such covenants, if we do not remain in compliance with such covenants, our lender may demand immediate repayment of amounts outstanding. Changes in interest rates may have a significant effect on our payment obligations and operating results. Furthermore, we are dependent on credit from manufacturers of our products to fund our inventory purchases. If our debt burden increases to high levels, such manufacturers may restrict our credit. Our cash requirements will depend on numerous factors, including the rate of growth of our revenues, the timing and levels of products purchased, payment terms, and credit limits from manufacturers, the timing and level of our accounts receivable collections and our ability to manage our business profitably. Our ability to satisfy our existing obligations, whether or not under our secured credit facility, will depend upon our future operating performance, which may be impacted by prevailing economic conditions and financial, business, and other factors described in this report, many of which are beyond our control.

 

If Existing Shareholders Sell Large Numbers Of Shares Of Our Common Stock, Our Stock Price Could Decline.  The market price of our common stock could decline if a large number of our shares are sold in the

public market by our existing shareholders or holders of stock options or as a result of the perception that these sales could occur.

 

Our Stock Price Has Been, And May Continue To Be, Volatile.  The stock market, from time to time, has experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are both related and unrelated to the operating performance of companies. As our stock may be affected by market volatility, and by our own performance, the following factors, among others, may have a significant effect on the market price of our common stock:

 

We Expect That Our Quarterly Results Of Operations Will Fluctuate. Such Fluctuation Could Cause Our Stock Price To Decline.  A large portion of our expenses for calibration services, including expenses for facilities, equipment and personnel, are relatively fixed. Accordingly, if revenues decline or do not grow as we anticipate, we may not be able to correspondingly reduce our operating expenses in any particular quarter. Our quarterly revenues and operating results have fluctuated in the past and are likely to do so in the future. If our operating results in some quarters fail to meet the expectations of stock market analysts and investors, our stock price would likely decline. Some of the factors that could cause our revenues and operating results to fluctuate include:

 

Changes In Accounting Standards, Legal Requirements And The NASDAQ Stock Market Listing Standards, Or Our Ability To Comply With Any Existing Requirements Or Standards, Could Adversely Affect Our Operating Results.  Extensive reforms relating to public company financial reporting, corporate governance and ethics, the NASDAQ Stock Market listing standards and oversight of the accounting profession have been implemented over the past several years and continue to evolve. Compliance with these rules, regulations and standards that have resulted from such reforms has increased our accounting and legal costs and has required significant management time and attention. In the event that additional rules, regulations or standards are implemented or any of the existing rules, regulations or standards to which we are subject undergoes additional material modification, we could be forced to spend significant financial and management resources to ensure our continued compliance, which could have an adverse affect on our results of operations. In addition, although we believe we are in full compliance with all such existing rules, regulations and standards, should we be or become unable to comply with any of such rules, regulations and standards, as they presently exist or as they may exist in the future, our results of operations could be adversely effected and the market price of our common stock could decline.

 

The Distribution Products Industry Is Highly Competitive, And We May Not Be Able To Compete Successfully.  We compete with numerous companies, including several major manufacturers and distributors. Some of our competitors have greater financial and other resources than we do, which could allow them to compete more successfully. Most of our products are available from several sources and our customers tend to have relationships with several distributors. Competitors could obtain exclusive rights to market particular products, which we would then be unable to market. Manufacturers could also increase their efforts to sell directly to end-users and bypass distributors like us. Industry consolidation among product distributors, the unavailability of products, whether due to our inability to gain access to products or interruptions in supply from manufacturers, or the emergence of new competitors could also increase competition and adversely affect our business or results of operations. In the future, we may be unable to compete successfully and competitive pressures may reduce our sales.

If We Fail To Attract And Retain Qualified Personnel, We May Not Be Able To Achieve Our Stated Corporate Objectives.  Our ability to manage our anticipated growth, if realized, effectively depends on our ability to attract and retain highly qualified executive officers and technical personnel. If we fail to attract and retain qualified individuals, we will not be able to achieve our stated corporate objectives.

 

Our Revenue Depends On Retaining Capable Sales Personnel As Well As Our Relationships With Key Customers, Vendors And Manufacturers Of The Products That We Distribute.  Our future operating results depend on our ability to maintain satisfactory relationships with qualified sales personnel who appreciate the value of our services as well as key customers, vendors and manufacturers. If we fail to maintain our existing relationships with such persons or fail to acquire relationships with such key persons in the future, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected.

 

Our Future Success Is Substantially Dependent Upon Our Senior Management.  Our future success is substantially dependent upon the efforts and abilities of members of our existing senior management. Competition for senior management is intense, and we may not be successful in attracting and retaining key personnel, the inability of which could have an adverse affect on our business and results of operations.

 

Our Acquisitions Or Future Acquisition Efforts, Which Are Important To Our Growth, May Not Be Successful, Which May Limit Our Growth Or Adversely Affect Our Results Of Operations And Financial Condition.  Acquisitions have been an important part of our development to date. During the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2010, we acquired United Scale. As part of our business strategy, we may make additional acquisitions of companies that could complement or expand our business, augment our market coverage, provide us with important relationships or otherwise offer us growth opportunities. If we identify an appropriate acquisition candidate, we may not be able to negotiate successfully the terms of or finance the acquisition. In addition, we cannot assure you that we will be able to integrate the operations of our acquisitions without encountering difficulties, including unanticipated costs, possible difficulty in retaining customers and supplier or manufacturing relationships, failure to retain key employees, the diversion of our management’s attention or failure to integrate our information and accounting systems. As a result of our acquisition of United Scale and future acquisitions, we may not realize the revenues and cost savings that we expect to achieve or that would justify the investments, and we may incur costs in excess of what we anticipate. To effectively manage our expected future growth, we must continue to successfully manage our integration of the companies that we acquire and continue to improve our operational systems, internal procedures, accounts receivable and management, financial and operational controls. If we fail in any of these areas, our business growth and results of operations could be adversely affected.

 

The Financing Of Any Future Acquisitions We Make May Result In Dilution To Your Stock Ownership And/Or Could Increase Our Leverage And Our Risk Of Defaulting On Our Bank Debt.  Our business strategy includes expansion into new markets and enhancement of our position in existing markets, including through acquisitions. In order to successfully complete targeted acquisitions we may issue additional equity securities that could dilute your stock ownership. We may also incur additional debt if we acquire another company, which could significantly increase our leverage and our risk of default under our existing credit facility.

 

Tax Legislation Initiatives Could Adversely Affect The Company’s Net Earnings And Tax Liabilities.  We are subject to the tax laws and regulations of the United States federal, state and local governments, as well as foreign jurisdictions. From time to time, various legislative initiatives may be proposed that could adversely affect our tax positions. There can be no assurance that our effective tax rate will not be adversely affected by these initiatives. In addition, tax laws and regulations are extremely complex and subject to varying interpretations. Although we believe that our historical tax positions are sound and consistent with applicable laws, regulations and existing precedent, there can be no assurance that our tax positions will not be challenged by relevant tax authorities or that we would be successful in any such challenge.

 

 

Not applicable.

 

We lease the following properties:

 

 

 

 

We believe that our properties are generally in good condition, are well maintained, and are generally suitable and adequate to carry on our business in its current form.

 

 

None.

 

 

Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “TRNS.” As of June 16, 2010, we had approximately 643 shareholders of record.

PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK

 

The following table presents, on a per share basis, for the periods indicated, the high and low reported sales prices of our common stock as reported on the NASDAQ Capital Market for each quarterly period in fiscal years 2010 and 2009.

 

 

DIVIDENDS

 

We have not declared any cash dividends since our inception and do not intend to pay any dividends in the foreseeable future.

 

 

The following table provides selected financial data for fiscal year 2010 and the previous four fiscal years (in thousands, except per share data). Certain reclassifications of financial information for prior fiscal years have been made to conform to the presentation for the current fiscal year.

 

 

 

 

 

OVERVIEW

 

Operational Overview.  We are a leading global distributor of professional grade handheld test and measurement instruments and accredited provider of calibration, repair and weighing system services across a wide array of measurement disciplines.

 

We operate our business through two reportable business segments that offer different products and services to the same customer base. Those two segments are distribution products and calibration services.

 

In our Product segment, our Master Catalog is widely recognized by both original equipment manufacturers and customers as the ultimate source for test and measurement instruments. Additionally, because we specialize in handheld test and measurement instruments, as opposed to a wide array of industrial products, our sales and customer service personnel can provide value-added technical assistance to our customers to aid them in determining what product best meets their particular application requirements.

 

Sales in our Product segment can be heavily impacted by changes in the economic environment. As customers increase or decrease capital and discretionary spending, our product sales will typically be directly impacted. The majority of our products are not consumables, but are purchased as replacements, upgrades, or for expansion of manufacturing and research and development facilities. Year-over-year sales growth in any one quarter can be impacted by a number of factors including the addition of new product lines or channels of distribution.

 

Our strength in our Service segment is based upon our wide range of disciplines and our investment in the quality systems that are required in our targeted market segments. Our services range from the calibration and repair of a single unit to managing a customer’s entire calibration program. We believe our Service segment offers an opportunity for long-term growth and the potential for continuing revenue from established customers with regular calibration cycles.

 

We evaluate revenue growth in both of our business segments against a four quarter trend analysis, and not by analyzing any single quarter.

 

Financial Overview.  In evaluating our results for fiscal year 2010, the following factors should be taken into account:

 

 

 

Net revenue for fiscal year 2010 was $81.1 million, a 7.5% increase compared with net revenue of $75.4 million for fiscal year 2009. Product segment sales increased 3.2% to $53.1 million, or 65.6% of total net revenue, in fiscal year 2010. Of our Product segment sales in fiscal year 2010, 75% were sold directly to end-user customers while 24% were to resellers compared with 74% and 25%, respectively, in fiscal year 2009. Domestic sales comprised 90% of the total Product segment sales in fiscal year 2010, while 7% were to Canada and 3% were to other international markets.

 

Service segment revenue increased 16.6% to $27.9 million, or 34.4% of total net revenue, in fiscal year 2010. Of our Service segment revenue in fiscal year 2010, 76% was generated by our Calibration Centers of Excellence while 21% was generated through subcontracted third party vendors, compared with 80% and 17%, respectively, in fiscal year 2009.

 

Gross margin for fiscal year 2010 was 23.8%, a 110 basis point decline compared with gross margin of 24.9% in fiscal year 2009. Product segment gross margin was 23.4% in fiscal year 2010 compared with 25.4% in fiscal year 2009, while Service segment gross margin improved to 24.5% in fiscal year 2010 compared with 23.7% in fiscal year 2009.

 

Operating expenses were $16.9 million, or 20.9% of total net revenue, in fiscal year 2010 compared with $16.1 million, or 21.3% of total net revenue, in fiscal year 2009. Operating income was $2.4 million in fiscal year 2010 compared with $2.7 million in fiscal year 2009.

 

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

 

The following is a summary of our most critical accounting policies. See Note 1 of our Consolidated Financial Statements for a complete discussion of the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

Use of Estimates.  The preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires that we make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and the 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. Significant estimates and assumptions are used for, but not limited to, allowance for doubtful accounts and returns, depreciable lives of fixed assets, estimated lives of our major catalogs and intangible assets, and deferred tax asset valuation allowances. Future events and their effects cannot be predicted with certainty; accordingly, our accounting estimates require the exercise of judgment. The accounting estimates used in the preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements will change as new events occur, as more experience is acquired, as additional information is obtained, and as our operating environment changes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Such changes and refinements in estimation methodologies are reflected in reported results of operations in the period in which the changes are made and, if material, their effects are disclosed in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

Accounts Receivable.  Accounts receivable represent amounts due from customers in the ordinary course of business. These amounts are recorded net of the allowance for doubtful accounts and returns in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The allowance for doubtful accounts is based upon the expected collectability of accounts receivable. We apply a specific formula to our accounts receivable aging, which may be adjusted on a specific account basis where the formula may not appropriately reserve for loss exposure. After all attempts to collect a receivable have failed, the receivable is written-off against the allowance for doubtful accounts. The returns reserve is calculated based upon the historical rate of returns applied to revenues over a specific timeframe. The returns reserve will increase or decrease as a result of changes in the level of revenues and/or the historical rate of returns.

Inventory.  Inventory consists of products purchased for resale and is valued at the lower of cost or market. Costs are determined using the average cost method of inventory valuation. Inventory is reduced by a reserve for items not saleable at or above cost by applying a specific loss factor, based on historical experience, to specific categories of our inventory. We evaluate the adequacy of the reserve on a quarterly basis.

 

Property and Equipment, Depreciation and Amortization.  Property and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation and amortization are computed primarily under the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:

 

 

Property and equipment determined to have no value are written off at their then remaining net book value. We capitalize certain costs incurred in the procurement and development of computer software used for internal purposes. Leasehold improvements are amortized under the straight-line method over the estimated useful life or the lease term, whichever is shorter. Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. See Note 2 of our Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

 

Goodwill and Intangible Assets.  We estimate the fair value of our reporting units using the fair market value measurement requirement, rather than the undiscounted cash flows approach. We test goodwill and intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis, or immediately if conditions indicate that such impairment could exist. The evaluation of our reporting units on a fair value basis indicated that no impairment existed as of March 27, 2010 and March 28, 2009.

 

Catalog Costs.  We capitalize the cost of each Master Catalog mailed and amortize the cost over the respective catalog’s estimated productive life. We review response results from catalog mailings on a continuous basis; and if warranted, modify the period over which costs are recognized. We amortize the cost of each Master Catalog over an eighteen month period and amortize the cost of each catalog supplement over a three month period. Total unamortized catalog costs in prepaid expenses and other current assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets were $0.4 million as of March 27, 2010 and March 28, 2009.

 

Deferred Taxes.  We account for certain income and expense items differently for financial reporting purposes than for income tax reporting purposes. Deferred taxes are provided in recognition of these temporary differences. If necessary, a valuation allowance on deferred tax assets is provided for items for which it is more likely than not that the benefit of such items will not be realized based on an assessment of both positive and negative evidence. See “Taxes” below in this section and Note 4 of our Consolidated Financial Statements for further details.

 

Stock-Based Compensation.  We measure the cost of services received in exchange for all equity awards granted, including stock options, warrants and restricted stock, based on the fair market value of the award as of the grant date. We record compensation cost related to unvested stock awards by recognizing, on a straight line basis, the unamortized grant date fair value over the remaining service period of each award. Excess tax benefits from the exercise of stock awards are presented in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows as a financing activity. Excess tax benefits are realized benefits from tax deductions for exercised awards in excess of the deferred tax asset attributable to stock-based compensation costs for such awards. We did not capitalize any stock-based compensation costs as part of an asset. We estimate forfeiture rates based on our historical experience.

 

Options generally vest over a period of up to four years, using either a graded schedule or on a straight-line basis, and expire ten years from the date of grant. Beginning in the second quarter of fiscal year 2008, options granted to executive officers vest using a graded schedule of 0% in the first year, 20% in each of the second and third years, and 60% in the fourth year. Prior options granted to executive officers vested equally over three years. The expense relating to these executive officer options is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award.

During the first quarter of fiscal years 2010 and 2009, we granted performance-based restricted stock awards in place of options as a primary component of executive compensation. The performance-based restricted stock awards vest after three years subject to certain cumulative diluted earnings per share growth targets over the eligible three-year period. During the second quarter of fiscal year 2009 and in conjunction with the acquisition of Westcon, we modified these awards by increasing the cumulative diluted earnings per share growth performance condition. The modification did not have an impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

Compensation cost ultimately recognized for these performance-based restricted awards will equal the grant-date fair market value of the award that coincides with the actual outcome of the performance conditions. On an interim basis, we record compensation cost based on an assessment of the probability of achieving the performance conditions. At March 27, 2010, we estimated the probability of achievement for these performance-based awards granted in fiscal year 2010 and 2009 to be 75% and 0% of the target level, respectively.

 

See Note 7 of our Consolidated Financial Statements for further disclosure regarding our stock-based compensation.

 

Revenue Recognition.  Product sales are recorded when a product’s title and risk of loss transfers to the customer. We recognize the majority of our service revenue based upon when the calibration or other activity is performed and then shipped and/or delivered to the customer. Some of our service revenue is generated from managing customers’ calibration programs in which we recognize revenue in equal amounts at fixed intervals. We generally invoice our customers for freight, shipping, and handling charges. Provisions for customer returns are provided for in the period the related revenues are recorded based upon historical data.

 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements.  We do not maintain any off-balance sheet arrangements.

 

Reclassification of Amounts.  Certain reclassifications of financial information for prior fiscal years have been made to conform to the presentation for the current fiscal year. In addition, certain reclassifications of financial information for prior fiscal quarters have been made to conform to the presentation for the current fiscal quarters.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

The following table sets forth, for the prior three fiscal years, the components of our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

 

 

FISCAL YEAR ENDED MARCH 27, 2010 COMPARED TO FISCAL YEAR ENDED MARCH 28, 2009 (dollars in thousands):

 

Revenue:

 

 

Net revenue increased $5.6 million, or 7.5%, from fiscal year 2009 to fiscal year 2010.

 

Our products net sales accounted for 65.6% of our total net revenue in fiscal year 2010 and 68.3% of our total net revenue in fiscal year 2009. Year-over-year product net sales increased $1.7 million, or 3.2%. Our fiscal years 2010 and 2009 product sales in relation to prior fiscal year quarter comparisons were as follows:

 

 

Product net sales per day declined in both the first and second quarter of fiscal year 2010 when compared against the same quarter in the prior fiscal year, a direct result of the economy. As the economy began to improve in the second half of fiscal year 2010, we experienced growth in daily sales volume for both the third

and fourth quarters of fiscal year 2010 when compared against the third and fourth quarters of fiscal year 2009. Our product sales per business day for each fiscal quarter during fiscal years 2010 and 2009 were as follows:

 

 

The increase in product net sales was primarily due to increased sales in the wind energy industry. During fiscal year 2010, product sales to the wind energy industry were $4.7 million, or 8.8% of net product sales. The sales growth achieved in the wind energy industry was partially offset by a decline in sales to non-wind energy customers within our direct channel as a result of the economic climate experienced during fiscal year 2010. As economic conditions improved in the latter part of fiscal year 2010, the second half year-over-year sales growth did not fully offset the sales decline from the first half. During the first half of fiscal 2010, non-wind sales to our direct channel declined 17.3%, when compared to the first half of fiscal year 2009. During the second half of fiscal year 2010, non-wind sales to our direct channel increased 6.0%, when compared to the same period in the prior fiscal year. Sales to our reseller channel were relatively consistent from fiscal year 2009 to fiscal year 2010. The following table presents the percent of net sales for our significant product distribution channels for each fiscal quarter during fiscal years 2010 and 2009:

 

 

Customer product orders include orders for instruments that we routinely stock in our inventory, customized products, and other products ordered less frequently, which we do not stock. Pending product shipments are primarily backorders, but also include products that are requested to be calibrated in our laboratories prior to shipment, orders required to be shipped complete, and orders required to be shipped at a future date. Our total pending product shipments at the end of fiscal year 2010 increased by approximately $0.6 million, or 49.2% from the balance at the end of fiscal year 2009. The increase in pending product shipments was primarily attributable to increased backorders, as well as $0.2 million in incremental pending product shipments associated with United Scale, which was acquired during our fiscal fourth quarter. As the economy improved and customer demand in the marketplace quickly increased, manufacturers were slower to respond, thus resulting in longer lead times for many of the products we sell. The following table reflects the percentage of total pending product shipments that were backorders at the end of each fiscal quarter in 2010 and 2009 and our historical trend of total pending product shipments:

 

 

Calibration services revenue, which accounted for 34.4% of our total net revenue in fiscal year 2010 and 31.7% of our total net revenue in fiscal year 2009, increased 16.6% from fiscal year 2009 to fiscal year 2010. The growth in revenue is primarily a result of the expansion of our traditional service customer base through

new customer acquisition as well as increased in-house and outsourced services provided to the wind energy industry. Service revenue with the wind-energy industry in fiscal year 2010 was $2.1 million, or 7.6% of total service revenue. Also, within any year, while we add new customers, we also have customers from the prior year whose calibrations may not repeat for any number of factors. Among those factors are the variations in the timing of customer periodic calibrations on instruments and other services, customer capital expenditures and customer outsourcing decisions. Because of the timing of calibration orders and segment expenses can vary on a quarter-to-quarter basis, we believe a trailing twelve month trend provides a better indication of the progress of this segment. Our fiscal years 2010 and 2009 calibration service revenue in relation to prior fiscal year quarter comparisons, were as follows:

 

 

Within the calibration industry, there is a broad array of measurement disciplines making it costly and inefficient for any one provider to invest the needed capital for facilities, equipment and uniquely trained personnel necessary to address all measurement disciplines with in-house calibration capabilities. Our strategy has been to focus our investments in the core electrical, temperature, pressure and dimensional disciplines. Accordingly, we have historically outsourced 15% to 20% of Service segment revenue to third party vendors for calibration beyond our chosen scope of capabilities. During fiscal year 2010, we outsourced 21.1% of our total service revenue. The slight increase in the percentage of outsourced revenue is attributable to specific services provided to the wind energy industry, which fall outside our current scope of business. We will continue to evaluate the need for capital investments that could provide more in-house capabilities for our staff of technicians and reduce the need for third party vendors in certain instances. The following table presents the percent of Service segment revenue for the significant sources for each fiscal quarter during fiscal years 2010 and 2009:

 

 

Gross Profit:

 

 

Total gross profit dollars in fiscal year 2010 increased by $0.5 million, or 2.9%, from fiscal year 2009. As a percentage of total net revenue, total gross profit declined 110 basis points over the same time period.

 

We evaluate product gross profit from two perspectives. Channel gross profit includes net sales less the direct cost of inventory sold. Our total product gross profit includes channel gross profit as well as the impact of vendor rebates, cooperative advertising income, freight billed to customers, freight expenses and direct shipping costs. In general, our total product gross profit can vary based upon price discounting; the mix of

sales to our reseller channel, which have lower margins than our direct customer base; and the timing of periodic vendor rebates and cooperative advertising income received from suppliers.

 

Total product gross profit in fiscal year 2010 was 23.4% of total product sales and declined 200 basis points when compared with 25.4% of total product sales in fiscal year 2009. Product gross profit declined $0.6 million in fiscal year 2010 compared to fiscal year 2009. Despite increased product sale volume, an increase in price discounting drove the decrease. The gross profit percentage in our direct and reseller channels declined 140 basis points and 240 basis points, respectively, from fiscal year 2009 to fiscal year 2010. Pricing in the marketplace remained competitive during both the downturn and recovery phases of the economy, and as a result, we increased discounting accordingly. In addition, total product gross profit was negatively impacted by approximately $0.2 million less in combined vendor rebate and cooperative advertising income in fiscal year 2010, when compared to fiscal year 2009. The key driver of this decline in fiscal year 2010 was lower point-of-sale rebates achieved from Fluke. The following table reflects the quarterly historical trend of our product gross profit as a percent of total product sales:

 

 

 

 

Calibration services gross profit increased $1.2 million, or 20.7%, from fiscal year 2009 to fiscal year 2010. As a percent of service revenue, calibration services gross profit increased 80 basis points from fiscal year 2009 to fiscal year 2010. Despite this increase, margin expansion was somewhat limited during fiscal year 2010 due to the volume of revenue growth attributed to third-party vendor repairs and calibrations, primarily to wind energy customers, and incremental performance-based management bonus and profit sharing expense in fiscal year 2010. The following table reflects our calibration services gross profit growth in relation to prior fiscal year quarters:

 

 

Operating Expenses:

 

Operating expenses were $16.9 million, or 20.9% of total net revenue, in fiscal year 2010 compared with $16.1 million, or 21.3% of total net revenue, in fiscal year 2009. Increased performance-based management bonus and profit sharing expenses contributed $0.6 million, or 73.4% of the overall annual increase. Exclusive of this increase, the remaining year-over-year increase in operating expense was 1.4%, an indication of our continued commitment to control costs.

 

Other Expense:

 

 

Total other expense decreased by less than $0.1 million from fiscal year 2009 to fiscal year 2010. Lower interest expense was a result of reduced debt balances and lower interest rates, while other expense decreases were due to reductions in foreign currency losses. We have a program in place to hedge the majority of our risk from fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the Canadian dollar.

 

Taxes:

 

 

Our effective tax rates for fiscal years 2010 and 2009 were 36.4% and 38.2%, respectively.

 

FISCAL YEAR ENDED MARCH 28, 2009 COMPARED TO FISCAL YEAR ENDED MARCH 29, 2008 (dollars in thousands):

 

Revenue:

 

 

Net revenue increased $5.0 million, or 7.0%, from fiscal year 2008 to fiscal year 2009.

 

Our distribution products net sales accounted for 68.3% of our total net revenue in fiscal year 2009 and 67.5% of our total net revenue in fiscal year 2008. Year-over-year product net sales increased 8.3%, primarily due to incremental sales associated with our acquisition of Westcon and increased reseller sales to expand our market reach. We believe that the overall economic environment, specifically the conditions experienced in the second half of our fiscal year, negatively impacted our overall sales performance for the year. This belief stems, in part, from the number of notices we have received from our suppliers and customers regarding plant shut downs, closures and workforce reductions. In the first half of fiscal year 2009, we experienced 14.1% growth in product net sales compared with the first half of fiscal year 2008; while in the second half of fiscal year 2009, we grew only 3.2% compared with the second half of fiscal year 2008, including incremental sales from

Westcon. Our fiscal years 2009 and 2008 product sales in relation to prior fiscal year quarter comparisons were as follows:

 

 

 

 

Product net sales per day increased in each quarter of fiscal year 2009 as compared with the same period of fiscal year 2008, except for our fourth quarter of fiscal year 2009. We believe this was primarily due to a decline in the general economy. Our product sales per business day for each fiscal quarter during fiscal years 2009 and 2008 were as follows:

 

 

Overall product sales from fiscal year 2008 to fiscal year 2009 reflect 1.8% growth in our direct distribution channel. The direct distribution channel experienced a 5.8% growth in the first half of fiscal year 2009, due primarily to a combination of increased prices, new product introductions by strategic suppliers, increased customer response to our sales and marketing efforts, and growing sales through our website. Direct distribution channel’s sales in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal year 2009 declined 1.5% and 1.9%, respectively, compared to those in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal year 2008. We attribute this decline to the general weakness in the economy as demand from customers decreased despite aggressive pricing. For fiscal year 2009, our direct distribution channel gross profit percentage decreased 160 basis points, primarily as a result of more competitive pricing in both our U.S. and Canadian markets. While our direct distribution channel grew modestly in fiscal year 2009, our reseller distribution channel increased 34.0%, when compared to fiscal year 2008. We believe resellers continue to utilize us for our extensive availability to a broad range of new and existing products from within our inventory. While sales increased significantly, our continued use of a volume-based pricing structure allowed us to improve our reseller gross profit percentage by 70 basis points in fiscal year 2009 when compared to the fiscal year 2008. The following table presents the percent of net sales for our significant product distribution channels for each fiscal quarter during fiscal years 2009 and 2008:

 

 

Customer product orders include orders for instruments that we routinely stock in our inventory, customized products, and other products ordered less frequently, which we do not stock. Pending product shipments are primarily backorders, but also include products that are requested to be calibrated in our laboratories prior to shipment, orders required to be shipped complete, and orders required to be shipped at a future date. Our total pending product shipments at the end of fiscal year 2009 decreased by approximately $0.2 million, or 16.2% from the balance at the end of fiscal year 2008. We believe this decrease was a result of a decline in the general economy. The following table reflects the percentage of total pending product shipments that were

backorders at the end of each fiscal quarter in 2009 and 2008 and our historical trend of total pending product shipments:

 

 

Calibration services revenue, which accounted for 31.7% of our total net revenue in fiscal year 2009 and 32.5% of our total net revenue in fiscal year 2008, increased 4.5% from fiscal year 2008 to fiscal year 2009. Incremental revenue achieved through new customer acquisition, resulting from our sales and marketing efforts and our acquisition of Westcon, was partially offset by declines in our existing customer base. Within any year, while we add new customers, we also have customers from the prior year whose calibrations may not repeat for any number of factors. Among those factors are the variations in the timing of customer periodic calibrations on instruments and other services, customer capital expenditures and customer outsourcing decisions. Because of the timing of calibration orders and segment expenses can vary on a quarter-to-quarter basis, we believe a trailing twelve month trend provides a better indication of the progress of this segment. Our fiscal years 2009 and 2008 calibration service revenue in relation to prior fiscal year quarter comparisons, were as follows:

 

 

Within the calibration industry, there is a broad array of measurement disciplines making it costly and inefficient for any one provider to invest the needed capital for facilities, equipment and uniquely trained personnel necessary to address all measurement disciplines with in-house calibration capabilities. Our strategy has been to focus our investments in the core electrical, temperature, pressure and dimensional disciplines. Accordingly, 15% to 20% of Service segment revenue is generated from outsourcing customer equipment to third party vendors for calibration beyond our chosen scope of capabilities. The following table presents the percent of Service segment revenue for the significant sources for each fiscal quarter during fiscal years 2009 and 2008: