Global Industrial Company - 10-K annual report

 (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (516) 608-7000

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

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

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

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

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 x No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes ¨ No ¨

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

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):

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

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2010, which is the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $158,673,326. For purposes of this computation, all executive officers and directors of the Registrant and all parties to the Stockholders Agreement dated as of June 15, 1995 have been deemed to be affiliates. Such determination should not be deemed to be an admission that such persons are, in fact, affiliates of the Registrant.

The number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock as of March 4, 2011 was 36,791,488 shares.

Documents incorporated by reference: Portions of the Proxy Statement of Systemax Inc. relating to the 2011 annual meeting of stockholders are incorporated by reference in Part III hereof.

 

  

Unless otherwise indicated, all references herein to Systemax Inc. (sometimes referred to as “Systemax,” the “Company” or “we”) include its subsidiaries.

Forward Looking Statements

This report contains forward looking statements within the meaning of that term in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934).  Additional written or oral forward looking statements may be made by the Company from time to time in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission or otherwise.  Statements contained in this report that are not historical facts are forward looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Forward looking statements may include, but are not limited to, projections of revenue, income or loss and capital expenditures, statements regarding future operations, financing needs, compliance with financial covenants in loan agreements, plans for acquisition or sale of assets or businesses and consolidation of operations of newly acquired businesses, and plans relating to products or services of the Company, assessments of materiality, predictions of future events and the effects of pending and possible litigation, as well as assumptions relating to the foregoing.  In addition, when used in this report, the words “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” and “plans” and variations thereof and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements.

Forward looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified based on current expectations.  Consequently, future events and results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward looking statements contained in this report.  Statements in this report, particularly in “Item 1. Business,” “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” “Item 3. Legal Proceedings,” “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements describe certain factors, among others, that could contribute to or cause such differences.

Other factors that may affect our future results of operations and financial condition include, but are not limited to, unanticipated developments in any one or more of the following areas, as well as other factors which may be detailed from time to time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings:

 

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward looking statements contained in this report, which speak only as of the date of this report.  We undertake no obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions to these forward looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unexpected events.

Systemax is primarily a direct marketer of brand name and private label products. Our operations are organized in two reportable business segments — Technology Products and Industrial Products.

Our Technology Products segment sells computers, computer supplies and consumer electronics which are marketed in North America and Europe. Most of these products are manufactured by other companies. Some products are manufactured for us to our own design and marketed on a private label basis. Technology Products accounted for 93%, 94% and 92% of our net sales in 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

Our Industrial Products segment sells a wide array of industrial products and supplies which are marketed in North America. Most of these products are manufactured by other companies. Some products are manufactured for us to our own design and marketed on a private label basis. Industrial products accounted for 7%, 6% and 8% of our net sales in 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

The Company announced plans to exit its Software Solutions segment in June 2009 as the result of economic conditions and difficulties in marketing the segment’s products successfully (See Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K.).  The Software Solutions segment participated in the emerging market for on-demand, web-based business software applications through the marketing of its PCS ProfitCenter Software™ application. Substantially all of the third party business activities of the Software Solutions segment have ended. Current and prior year results of Software Solutions are now included in “Corporate and other”.

See Note 11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional financial information about our business segments as well as information about our geographic operations.

The Company was incorporated in Delaware in 1995. Certain predecessor businesses which now constitute part of the Company have been in business since 1949. Our headquarters office is located at 11 Harbor Park Drive, Port Washington, New York.

We offer hundreds of thousands of brand name and private label products. We endeavor to expand and keep current the breadth of our product offerings in order to fulfill the increasingly wide range of product needs of our customers.

Products offered by our Technology Products segment include individual technology products in the following categories:  computers; computer parts; TV and video; audio; cameras and camcorders; car and GPS; cellphones; software; video games; home and office; and other products.

We assemble our private label PCs in our ISO-9001:2008 certified facility in Fletcher, Ohio. We purchase components and subassemblies from suppliers in the United States as well as overseas. Certain parts and components for our PCs are obtained from a limited group of suppliers.  We also utilize licensed technology and computer software in the assembly of our PCs. For a discussion of risks associated with these licenses and suppliers, see Item 1A, Risk Factors.

Products offered by our Industrial  Products segment include individual industrial products in the following categories:  material handling; storage and shelving; workbench & shop desks; packaging and supplies; furniture and office; foodservice and appliances; janitorial and maintenance; tools and instruments; fasteners and hardware; motors and power transmission; HVAC/R and fans; electrical and bulbs; plumbing supplies; and safety and medical items.

We market our products to both individual consumers and business customers. Our business customers include for-profit businesses, educational organizations and government entities. We have developed numerous proprietary customer and prospect databases.

To reach our individual consumer customers, we use online methods such as website campaigns, banner ads and e-mail campaigns. We are able to monitor and evaluate the results of our various advertising campaigns to enable us to execute them in the most cost-effective manner. We combine our use of e-commerce initiatives with catalog mailings, which generate online orders and calls to inbound sales representatives. These sales representatives use our information and distribution systems to fulfill orders and explore additional customer product needs. Sales to individual consumers are generally fulfilled from our own stock, requiring us to carry more inventory than we would for our business customers. We also periodically take advantage of attractive product pricing by making opportunistic bulk inventory purchases with the objective of turning them quickly into sales. We have also successfully increased our sales to individual consumers by using retail outlet stores. Over the past several years, the Company has expanded its brick and mortar retail operations through the CompUSA acquisition and by opening new stores.

 

We have established a multi-faceted direct marketing system to business customers, consisting primarily of our relationship marketers, catalog mailings and proprietary internet websites, the combination of which is designed to maximize sales. Our relationship marketers focus their efforts on our business customers by establishing a personal relationship between such customers and a Systemax account manager. The goal of the relationship marketing sales force is to increase the purchasing productivity of current customers and to actively solicit newly targeted prospects to become customers. With access to the records we maintain, our relationship marketers are prompted with product suggestions to expand customer order values. In certain countries, we also have the ability to provide such customers with electronic data interchange (“EDI”) ordering and customized billing services, customer savings reports and stocking of specialty items specifically requested by these customers. Our relationship marketers’ efforts are supported by frequent catalog mailings and e-mail campaigns, both of which are designed to generate inbound telephone sales, and our interactive websites, which allow customers to purchase products directly over the Internet. We believe that the integration of our multiple marketing methods enables us to more thoroughly penetrate our business, educational and government customer base. We believe increased internet exposure leads to more internet-related sales and also generates more inbound telephone sales; just as we believe catalog mailings and email campaigns which feature our websites results in greater internet-related sales.

E-commerce

The worldwide growth in active internet users has made e-commerce a significant opportunity for sales growth.

The increase in our internet-related sales enables us to leverage our advertising spending. We currently operate multiple e-commerce sites, including:

We are continually upgrading the capabilities and performance of these websites. Our internet sites feature on-line catalogs of hundreds of thousands of products, allowing us to offer a wider variety of computer and industrial products than our printed catalogs.  Our customers have around-the-clock, on-line access to purchase products and we have the ability to create targeted promotions for our customers’ interests. Many of our internet sites also permit customers to purchase “build to order” PCs configured to their own specifications.

In addition to our own e-commerce websites, we have partnering agreements with several of the largest internet shopping and search engine providers who feature our products on their websites or provide “click-throughs” from their sites directly to ours. These arrangements allow us to expand our customer base at an economical cost.

Catalogs

We currently produce a total of 16 full-line or direct mail publications in North America and Europe under distinct titles. Our portfolio of catalogs includes such established brand names as TigerDirect.com™, Global Computer Supplies™, TigerDirect.ca™, Misco®, Global Industrial™, Nexel™ and Inmac WStore®.  We mail catalogs to both businesses and individual consumers. In the case of business mailings, we mail our catalogs to many individuals at a single business location, providing us with multiple points-of-entry. Our in-house staff designs all of our catalogs, which reduces overall catalog expense and shortens catalog production time. Our catalogs are printed by third parties under fixed pricing arrangements. The commonality of certain core pages of our catalogs also allows for economies of scale in catalog production.

Continuing our focus on internet advertising, the distribution of our catalogs decreased to 33 million in 2010, which was 28.3% less than in the prior year. In 2010, we mailed approximately 26 million catalogs in North America, a 32.1% decrease from last year and approximately 7 million catalogs in Europe, or 9.7% fewer than mailed in 2009.

 

We receive orders through the internet, by telephone, electronic data interchange and by fax. We generally provide toll-free telephone number access for our customers in countries where it is customary. Certain domestic call centers are linked to provide telephone backup in the event of a disruption in phone service.

Certain of our products are carried in stock, and orders for such products are fulfilled on a timely basis directly from our distribution centers, typically within one day of the order. We utilize numerous sales and distribution facilities in North America and Europe. Orders are generally shipped by third-party delivery services. We maintain relationships with a number of large distributors in North America and Europe that also deliver products directly to our customers.

We provide extensive technical telephone support to our private label PC customers.  We maintain a database of commonly asked questions for our technical support representatives, enabling them to respond quickly to similar questions. We conduct regular on-site training seminars for our sales representatives to help ensure that they are well trained and informed regarding our latest product offerings.

We purchase substantially all of our products and components directly from manufacturers and large wholesale distributors. In 2010, one vendor accounted for 10.0% of our purchases. One vendor accounted for 12.0% and another vendor accounted for 11.3% of our purchases in 2009 and one vendor accounted for 12.0% in 2008. The loss of these vendors, or any other key vendors, could have a material adverse effect on us.

Certain private label products are manufactured by third parties to our specifications.

Technology Products

The North American and European technology product markets are highly competitive, with many U.S., Asian and European companies vying for market share.  There are few barriers to entry, with these products being sold through multiple channels of distribution, including direct marketers, local and national retail computer stores, computer resellers, mass merchants, over the internet and by computer and office supply superstores.

Timely introduction of new products or product features are critical elements to remaining competitive. Other competitive factors include product performance, quality and reliability, technical support and customer service, marketing and distribution and price. Some of our competitors have stronger brand-recognition, broader product lines and greater financial, marketing, manufacturing and technological resources than us.

Conditions in the market for technology products remaining highly competitive, characterized by prevalent discounting of product sales price as well as free or highly discounted freight offerings to our customers.  These actions have and may continue to adversely affect our revenues and profits. Additionally, we rely in part upon the introduction of new technologies and products by other manufacturers in order to sustain long-term sales growth and profitability. There is no assurance that the rapid rate of such technological advances and product development will continue.

Current economic conditions raise additional factors as the loss of consumer confidence in the Company’s markets could result in a decrease of spending in the categories of products we sell.  It is also possible that as manufacturers react to the marketplace they may reduce manufacturing capacity and create shortages of product.

Industrial Products

The market for the sale of industrial products in North America is highly fragmented and is characterized by multiple distribution channels such as small dealerships, direct mail distribution, internet-based resellers, large warehouse stores and retail outlets. We also face competition from manufacturers’ own sales representatives, who sell industrial equipment directly to customers, and from regional or local distributors. Many high volume purchasers, however, utilize catalog distributors as their first source of product. In the industrial products market, customer purchasing decisions are primarily based on price, product selection, product availability, level of service and convenience.  We believe that direct marketing via sales representatives, catalog and the internet are effective and convenient distribution methods to reach mid-sized facilities that place many small orders and require a wide selection of products. In addition, because the industrial products market is highly fragmented and generally less brand oriented, it is well suited to private label products.

 

Software Solutions

In June 2009, the Company announced plans to exit the Software Solutions segment as the result of economic conditions and difficulties in marketing the segment’s products successfully (See Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K). The Software Solutions segment participated in the emerging market for on-demand, web-based business software applications through the marketing of its PCS ProfitCenter Software™ application. Substantially all of the third party business activities of the Software Solutions segments ended as of December 31, 2009. Current and prior year results of Software Solutions are now included in ‘Corporate and other”.

As of December 31, 2010, we employed a total of approximately 5,600 employees, of whom 4,200 were in North America and 1,400 were in Europe.

As the Company’s consumer channel sales have grown significantly in the past few years, the fourth quarter has represented a greater portion of annual sales than historically. Net sales have historically been modestly weaker during the second and third quarters as a result of lower business activity during those months.  See Item 7, Management’s Discussions and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations; Seasonality.

Under various national, state and local environmental laws and regulations in North America and Western Europe, a current or previous owner or operator (including the lessee) of real property may become liable for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous substances at such real property. Such laws and regulations often impose liability without regard to fault. We lease most of our facilities. In connection with such leases, we could be held liable for the costs of removal or remedial actions with respect to hazardous substances. Although we have not been notified of, and are not otherwise aware of, any material real property environmental liability, claim or non-compliance, there can be no assurance that we will not be required to incur remediation or other costs in connection with real property environmental matters in the future.

We conduct our business in North America (the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada) and Europe.  Approximately 35.9%, 33.5% and 37.9% of our net sales during 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively were made by subsidiaries located outside of the United States. For information pertaining to our international operations, see Note 11, “Segment and Related Information,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K. The following sets forth selected information with respect to our operations in those two geographic markets (in thousands):

See Item 7, Management’s Discussions and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, for further information with respect to our operations.

 

We maintain an internet website at www.systemax.com. We file reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission and make available free of charge on or through this website our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, including all amendments to those reports.  These are available as soon as is reasonably practicable after they are filed with the SEC.  All reports mentioned above are also available from the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov). The information on our website is not part of this or any other report we file with, or furnish to, the SEC.

Our Board of Directors has adopted the following corporate governance documents with respect to the Company (the “Corporate Governance Documents”):

In accordance with the listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange, each of the Corporate Governance Documents is available on our Company website (www.systemax.com).

There are a number of factors and variables described below that may affect our future results of operations and financial condition. Other factors of which we are currently not aware or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our results of operations and financial position.

Current economic conditions may cause the loss of consumer confidence in the Company’s markets which may result in a decrease of spending in the categories of products we sell. With conditions in the market for technology products remaining highly competitive, reductions in our selling prices, as we experienced in 2010 and 2009, would adversely affect our revenues and profits.  It is also possible that as manufacturers react to the marketplace they may reduce manufacturing capacity or allocations to their customers creating shortages of product. Both we and our customers are subject to global political, economic and market conditions, including inflation, interest rates, energy costs, the impact of natural disasters, military action and the threat of terrorism. Our consolidated results of operations are directly affected by economic conditions in North America and Europe. We may experience a decline in sales as a result of poor economic conditions and the lack of visibility relating to future orders. Our results of operations depend upon, among other things, our ability to maintain and increase sales volumes with existing customers, our ability to limit price reductions and maintain our margins, our ability to attract new customers and the financial condition of our customers. A decline in the economy that adversely affects our customers, causing them to limit or defer their spending, would likely adversely affect our sales, prices and profitability as well. We cannot predict with any certainty whether we will be able to maintain or improve upon historical sales volumes with existing customers, or whether we will be able to attract new customers.

In response to economic and market conditions, from time to time we have undertaken initiatives to reduce our cost structure where appropriate. These initiatives, as well as any future workforce and facilities reductions, may not be sufficient to meet current and future changes in economic and market conditions and allow us to continue to achieve the growth rates and levels of profitability we have recently experienced. In addition, costs actually incurred in connection with our restructuring actions may be higher than our estimates of such costs and/or may not lead to the anticipated cost savings.

We may not be able to compete effectively with current or future competitors. The markets for our products and services are intensely competitive and subject to constant technological change. We expect this competition to further intensify in the future. Competitive factors include price, availability, service and support. We compete with a wide variety of other resellers and retailers, including internet marketers, as well as manufacturers. Many of our competitors are larger companies with greater financial, marketing and product development resources than ours. The market for the sale of industrial products in North America is highly fragmented and is characterized by multiple distribution channels such as small dealerships, direct mail distribution, internet-based resellers, large warehouse stores and retail outlets. We also face competition from manufacturers’ own sales representatives, who sell industrial equipment directly to customers, and from regional or local distributors. In addition, new competitors may enter our markets. This may place us at a disadvantage in responding to competitors’ pricing strategies, technological advances and other initiatives, resulting in our inability to increase our revenues or maintain our gross margins in the future.

 

In most cases our products compete directly with those offered by other manufacturers and distributors. If any of our competitors were to develop products or services that are more cost-effective or technically superior, demand for our product offerings could decrease.

Our gross margins are also dependent on the mix of products we sell and could be adversely affected by a continuation of our customers’ shift to lower-priced products.

Our United States subsidiaries collect and remit sales tax in states in which the subsidiaries have physical presence or in which we believe nexus exists which obligates us to collect sales tax. Other states may, from time to time, claim that we have state-related activities constituting a sufficient nexus to require such collection. Additionally, many other states seek to impose sales tax collection or reporting obligations on companies that sell goods to customers in their state, or directly to the state and its political subdivisions, even without a physical presence. Such efforts by states have increased recently, as states seek to raise revenues without increasing the tax burden on residents. We rely on United States Supreme Court decisions which hold that, without Congressional authority, a state may not enforce a sales tax collection obligation on a company that has no physical presence in the state and whose only contacts with the state are through the use of interstate commerce such as the mailing of catalogs into the state and the delivery of goods by mail or common carrier. We cannot predict whether the nature or level of contacts we have with a particular state will be deemed enough to require us to collect sales tax in that state nor can we be assured that Congress or individual states will not approve legislation authorizing states to impose tax collection or reporting obligations on all e-commerce and/or direct mail transactions. A successful assertion by one or more states that we should collect sales tax on the sale of merchandise could result in substantial tax liabilities related to past sales and would result in considerable administrative burdens and costs for us and may reduce demand for our products from customers in such states when we charge customers for such taxes.

We insure for certain property and casualty risks consisting primarily of physical loss to property, business interruptions resulting from property losses, worker’s compensation, comprehensive general liability, and auto liability. Insurance coverage is obtained for catastrophic property and casualty exposures as well as those risks required to be insured by law or contract. Although we believe that our insurance coverage is reasonable, significant events such as acts of war and terrorism, economic conditions, judicial decisions, legislation, natural disasters and large losses could materially affect our insurance obligations and future expense.

A change in accounting standards or practices can have a significant effect on our reported results of operations. New accounting pronouncements and interpretations of existing accounting rules and practices have occurred and may occur in the future. Changes to existing rules may adversely affect our reported financial results.

 

We rely on a variety of information and telecommunications systems in our operations. Our success is dependent in large part on the accuracy and proper use of our information systems, including our telecommunications systems. To manage our growth, we continually evaluate the adequacy of our existing systems and procedures. We anticipate that we will regularly need to make capital expenditures to upgrade and modify our management information systems, including software and hardware, as we grow and the needs of our business change.  In particular, our primary financial system is being replaced currently. The occurrence of a significant system failure, electrical or telecommunications outages or our failure to expand or successfully implement new systems could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Our information systems networks, including our websites, and applications could be adversely affected by viruses or worms and may be vulnerable to malicious acts such as hacking. The availability and efficiency of sales via our websites could also be adversely affected by “denial of service” attacks and other unfair competitive practices. Although we take preventive measures, these procedures may not be sufficient to avoid harm to our operations, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

We purchase substantially all of our technology products from major distributors and directly from large manufacturers who may deliver those products directly to our customers. These relationships enable us to make available to our customers a wide selection of products without having to maintain large amounts of inventory. The termination or interruption of our relationships with any of these suppliers could materially adversely affect our business.

We purchase a number of our products from vendors outside of the United States. Difficulties encountered by one or several of these suppliers could halt or disrupt production and delay completion or cause the cancellation of our orders. Delays or interruptions in the transportation network could result in loss or delay of timely receipt of product required to fulfill customer orders. Our ability to find qualified vendors who meet our standards and supply products in a timely and efficient manner is a significant challenge, especially with respect to goods sourced from outside the U.S.  Political or financial instability, merchandise quality issues, product safety concerns, trade restrictions, work stoppages, tariffs, foreign currency exchange rates, transportation capacity and costs, inflation, civil unrest, outbreaks of pandemics and other factors relating to foreign trade are beyond our control.  These and other issues affecting our vendors could materially adversely affect our revenue and gross profit.

Our PC products contain electronic components, subassemblies and software that in some cases are supplied through sole or limited source third-party suppliers, some of which are located outside of the U.S. Although we do not anticipate any problems procuring supplies in the near-term, there is no assurance that parts and supplies will be available in a timely manner and at reasonable prices. Any loss of, or interruption of, supply from key suppliers may require us to find new suppliers. This could result in production or development delays while new suppliers are located, which could substantially impair operating results. If the availability of these or other components used in the manufacture of our products was to decrease, or if the prices for these components were to increase significantly, operating costs and expenses could be adversely affected.

Many product suppliers provide us with co-op advertising support in exchange for featuring their products in our catalogs and on our internet sites. Certain suppliers provide us with other incentives such as rebates, reimbursements, payment discounts, price protection and other similar arrangements. These incentives are offset against cost of goods sold or selling, general and administrative expenses, as applicable. The level of co-op advertising support and other incentives received from suppliers may decline in the future, which could increase our cost of goods sold or selling, general and administrative expenses and have an adverse effect on results of operations and cash flows.

The acquisition of certain assets of CompUSA, CircuitCity and the purchase of the stock of WStore Europe SA resulted in the recording of significant intangible assets and or goodwill. We are required to test goodwill and intangible assets annually to determine if the carrying values of these assets are impaired or on a more frequent basis if indicators of impairment exist. If any of our goodwill or intangible assets are determined to be impaired we may be required to record a significant charge to earnings in the period during which the impairment is discovered.

We operate internationally and as a result, we are subject to risks associated with doing business globally. Risks inherent to operating overseas include:

 

For example, we currently have operations located in numerous countries outside the United States, and non-U.S. sales (Europe, Canada and Puerto Rico) accounted for approximately 35.9% of our revenue during 2010.  To the extent the U.S. dollar strengthens against foreign currencies, our foreign revenues and profits will be reduced when translated into U.S. dollars.

Our inventory is subject to risk due to technological change and changes in market demand for particular products. If we fail to manage our inventory of older products we may have excess or obsolete inventory. We may have limited rights to return purchases to certain suppliers and we may not be able to obtain price protection on these items. The elimination of purchase return privileges and lack of availability of price protection could lower our gross margin or result in inventory write-downs.

We also take advantage of attractive product pricing by making opportunistic bulk inventory purchases; any resulting excess and/or obsolete inventory that we are not able to re-sell could have an adverse impact on our results of operations. Any inability to make such bulk inventory purchases may significantly impact our sales and profitability.

Our United States/United Kingdom combined revolving credit agreement contains covenants restricting or limiting our ability to, among other things:

If we fail to comply with the covenants and other requirements set forth in the credit agreement, we would be in default and would need to negotiate a waiver agreement with the lenders. Failure to agree on such a waiver could result in the lenders terminating the credit agreement and demanding repayment of any outstanding borrowings, which could adversely affect our cash position and adversely affect the availability of financing to us, which could materially impact our operations.

We require significant levels of capital in our business to finance accounts receivable and inventory. We maintain credit facilities in the United States and in Europe to finance increases in our working capital if available cash is insufficient.  The amount of credit available to us at any point in time may be adversely affected by the quality or value of the assets collateralizing these credit lines. In addition, in recent years global financial markets have experienced diminished liquidity and lending constraints. Our ability to obtain future and/or increased financing to satisfy our requirements as our business expands could be adversely affected by economic and market conditions, credit availability and lender perception of our Company and industry.. However, we currently have no reason to believe that we will not be able to renew or replace our facilities when they reach maturity.

We have 41 retail stores in North America at December 31, 2010. The Company needs to effectively manage its cost structure in order to maintain profitability including the additional inventory needs, retail point of sales IT systems, retail personnel and leased facilities. Future growth in retail will also be dependent on the ability to attract customers and build brand loyalty. The retail computer and consumer electronics business is highly competitive and has narrow gross margins. If we fail to manage our growth and cost structure while maintaining high levels of service and meeting competitive pressures adequately, our business plan  may not be achieved and may lead to reduced profitability.

Similar to other companies in the technology products industry, we advertise manufacturers’ mail-in rebates on many products we sell and, in some cases, offer our own rebates. These rebates are processed through third party vendors and in house. If these rebates are not processed in a timely and satisfactory manner by either third party vendors or our in house operations, our reputation in the marketplace could be negatively impacted.

The computer and consumer electronics industry is highly price competitive and gross profit margins are narrow and variable. The Company’s ability to further reduce prices in reaction to competitive pressure is limited. Additionally, gross margins and operating margins are affected by changes in factors such as vendor pricing, vendor rebate and or price protection programs, product return rights, and product mix. Pricing pressure continued to be prevalent in 2010 as a result of the significant decline in economic activity in the markets we serve and we expect this to continue during this or any period of sustained economic decline. We may not be able to mitigate these pricing pressures and resultant declines in sales and gross profit margin with cost reductions in other areas or expansion into new product lines. If we are unable to proportionately mitigate these conditions our operating results and financial condition may suffer.

In processing our sales orders we often collect personal information and credit card information from our customers. The Company has privacy and data security policies in place which are designed to prevent security breaches, however, if a third party or a rogue employee or employees are able to bypass our network security or otherwise compromise our customers’ personal information or credit card information, we could be subject to liability. This liability may include claims for identity theft, unauthorized purchases and claims alleging misrepresentation of our privacy and data security practices or other related claims. Further, the Company has not yet achieved full compliance with the Payment Card Industry (“PCI”) security standards. Without full compliance, any breach involving the loss of credit card information may lead to PCI related fines of up to $500,000. In the event of a severe breach credit card providers may prevent the accepting of credit cards. Any such liability related to the aforementioned risks could lead to reduced profitability and damage our brand(s) and or reputation.

Failure to adequately control fraudulent credit card transactions could increase our expenses. Increased sales to individual consumers, which are more likely to be paid for using a credit card, increases our exposure to fraud. We employ technology solutions to help us detect the fraudulent use of credit card information. However, if we are unable to detect or control credit card fraud, we may suffer losses as a result of orders placed with fraudulent credit card data, which could adversely affect our business.

  

We operate our business from numerous facilities in North America and Europe.  These facilities include our headquarters location, administrative offices, telephone call centers, distribution centers, computer assembly and retail stores.  Certain facilities handle multiple functions.  Most of our facilities are leased; certain are owned by the Company.

As of December 31, 2010 we have seven distribution centers in North America which aggregate approximately 1.7 million square feet, all of which are leased.  Our headquarters, administrative offices and call centers aggregate approximately 340,000 square feet, all of which are leased.  Our computer assembly facility is approximately 300,000 square feet and is owned by the Company.

The following table summarizes the geographic location of our North America stores at the end of 2010:

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2010, we have seven distribution centers in Europe which aggregate approximately 295,000 square feet.  Six of these, aggregating approximately 219,000 square feet, are leased; one distribution center of approximately 76,000 square feet is owned by the Company.  Our administrative offices and call centers aggregate approximately 270,000 square feet, of which 192,000 square feet are leased and 78,000 square feet are owned by the Company.

Please refer to Note 10 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information about leased properties.

The Company and its subsidiaries are involved in various lawsuits, claims, investigations and proceedings including commercial, employment, consumer, personal injury and health and safety law matters, which are being handled and defended in the ordinary course of business. In addition, the Company is subject to various assertions, claims, proceedings and requests for indemnification concerning intellectual property, including patent infringement suits involving technologies that are incorporated in a broad spectrum of products the Company sells. The Company is also audited by (or has initiated voluntary disclosure agreements with) numerous governmental agencies in various countries, including U.S. Federal and state authorities, concerning potential income tax, sales tax and unclaimed property liabilities. These matters are in various stages of investigation, negotiation and/or litigation, and are being vigorously defended.  Although the Company does not expect, based on currently available information, that the outcome in any of these matters, individually or collectively, will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operations, the ultimate outcome is inherently unpredictable. Therefore, judgments could be rendered or settlements entered, that could adversely affect the Company’s operating results or cash flows in a particular period.  Additionally, our Audit Committee, with the assistance of independent counsel, is conducting an independent investigation into certain anonymous whistleblower allegations concerning our Miami, Florida operations. While the investigation is not yet complete, it does not appear that there is any material impact on our reported consolidated financial statements. The Company routinely assesses all of its litigation and threatened litigation as to the probability of ultimately incurring a liability, and records its best estimate of the ultimate loss in situations where it assesses the likelihood of loss as probable and estimable.

None.

Systemax common stock is traded on the NYSE Euronext Exchange under the symbol “SYX.”  The following table sets forth the high and low closing sales price of our common stock as reported on the New York Stock Exchange for the periods indicated.

On January 1, 2011, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the New York Stock Exchange was $14.10 per share.  As of January 1, 2011, we had 207 shareholders of record.

On November 16, 2009, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a special dividend of $.75 per share payable on December 15, 2009 to shareholders of record on December 1, 2009. This special dividend is the third dividend we have paid since our initial public offering. Depending in part upon profitability, the strength of our balance sheet, our cash position and the need to retain cash for the development and expansion of our business, we may decide to declare another special dividend in the future.

In May 2008, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to 2,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. The Company repurchased a total 574,235 shares under this plan which expired in December 2009.

Information regarding securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans and a performance graph relating to the Company’s common stock is set forth in the Company’s Proxy Statement relating to the 2011 annual meeting of shareholders and is incorporated by reference herein.

  

The following selected financial information is qualified by reference to, and should be read in conjunction with, the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and the notes thereto, and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” contained elsewhere in this report. The selected statement of operations data for fiscal years 2010, 2009 and 2008 and the selected balance sheet data as of December 2010 and 2009 are derived from the audited consolidated financial statements which are included elsewhere in this report. The selected balance sheet data as of December 2008, 2007 and 2006 and the selected statement of operations data for fiscal years 2007 and 2006 are derived from the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company which are not included in this report.

 

Systemax is primarily a direct marketer of brand name and private label products. Our operations are organized in two reportable business segments — Technology Products and Industrial Products.

Our Technology Products segment sells computers, computer supplies and consumer electronics which are marketed in North America, Puerto Rico and Europe. Most of these products are manufactured by other companies. Some products are manufactured for us to our own design and marketed on a private label basis.  Technology products accounted for 93%, 94% and 92% of our net sales in 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

Our Industrial Products segment sells a wide array of industrial products and supplies which are marketed in North America. Most of these products are manufactured by other companies. Some products are manufactured for us to our own design and marketed under the trademarks Global™, GlobalIndustrial.com™ and Nexel™. Industrial products accounted for 7%, 6% and 8%, of our net sales in 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively. In both of these product groups, we offer our customers a broad selection of products, prompt order fulfillment and extensive customer service.

We announced plans to exit the Software Solutions segment during the second quarter of 2009. (See Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K). Substantially all of the third party business activities of ProfitCenter Software have ended. Current and prior year results for Software Solutions are now included in “Corporate and other”. See Note 11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional financial information about our business segments as well as information about our geographic operations.

The market for computer products and consumer electronics is subject to intense price competition and is characterized by narrow gross profit margins. The North American industrial products market is highly fragmented and we compete against companies utilizing multiple distribution channels. Distribution is working capital intensive, requiring us to incur significant costs associated with the warehousing of many products, including the costs of leasing warehouse space, maintaining inventory and inventory management systems, and employing personnel to perform the associated tasks. We supplement our on-hand product availability by maintaining relationships with major distributors and manufacturers, utilizing a combination of stocking and drop-shipment fulfillment.

The primary component of our operating expenses historically has been employee related costs, which includes items such as wages, commissions, bonuses, employee benefits and stock option expenses. We continually assess our operations to ensure that they are efficient, aligned with market conditions and responsive to customer needs.

 

In the discussion of our results of operations we refer to business to business sales, consumer channel sales and period to period constant currency comparisons. Business to business sales are sales made direct to other businesses through managed business relationships, outbound call centers and extranets. Sales in the Industrial Products segment and Corporate and other are considered to be business to business sales. Consumer channel sales are sales from retail stores, consumer websites, inbound call centers and television shopping channels. Constant currency refers to the adjustment of the results of our foreign operations to exclude the effects of period to period fluctuations in currency exchange rates.

Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K. Certain accounting policies require the application of significant judgment by management in selecting the appropriate assumptions for calculating financial estimates. By their nature, these judgments are subject to an inherent degree of uncertainty, and as a result, actual results could differ from those estimates. These judgments are based on historical experience, observation of trends in the industry, information provided by customers and information available from other outside sources, as appropriate. Management believes that full consideration has been given to all relevant circumstances that we may be subject to, and the consolidated financial statements of the Company accurately reflect management’s best estimate of the consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows of the Company for the years presented. We identify below a number of policies that entail significant judgments or estimates. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different conditions or assumptions.

Revenue Recognition. We recognize product sales when persuasive evidence of an order arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the sales price is fixed or determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. Generally, these criteria are met at the time of receipt by customers when title and risk of loss both are transferred. Sales are shown net of returns and allowances, rebates and sales incentives.  Reserves for estimated returns and allowances are provided when sales are recorded, based on historical experience and current trends.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable. We record an allowance for doubtful accounts to reflect our estimate of the collectability of our trade accounts receivable. We evaluate the collectability of accounts receivable based on a combination of factors, including an analysis of the age of customer accounts and our historical experience with accounts receivable write-offs. The analysis also includes the financial condition of a specific customer or industry, and general economic conditions.  In circumstances where we are aware of customer charge-backs or a specific customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations, a specific reserve for bad debts applicable to amounts due to reduce the net recognized receivable to the amount management reasonably believes will be collected is recorded. In those situations with ongoing discussions, the amount of bad debt recognized is based on the status of the discussions. While bad debt allowances have been within expectations and the provisions established, there can be no guarantee that we will continue to experience the same allowance rate we have in the past.

Inventory valuation.  We value our inventories at the lower of cost or market, cost being determined on the first-in, first-out method except in Europe and retail locations where an average cost is used. Excess and obsolete or unmarketable merchandise are written down based on historical experience, assumptions about future product demand and market conditions. If market conditions are less favorable than projected or if technological developments result in accelerated obsolescence, additional write-downs may be required. While obsolescence and resultant markdowns have been within expectations, there can be no guarantee that we will continue to experience the same level of markdowns we have in the past.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets. We apply the provisions of relevant accounting guidance in our valuation of goodwill, trademarks, domain names, client lists and other intangible assets. Relevant accounting guidance requires that goodwill and indefinite lived intangibles be reviewed at least annually for impairment or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. The amount of an impairment loss would be recognized as the excess of the asset’s carrying value over its fair value.

Long-lived Assets. Management exercises judgment in evaluating our long-lived assets for impairment and in their depreciation and amortization methods and lives. We believe we will generate sufficient undiscounted cash flow to more than recover the investments made in property, plant and equipment. Our estimates of future cash flows involve assumptions concerning future operating performance and economic conditions. While we believe that our estimates of future cash flows are reasonable, different assumptions regarding such cash flows could materially affect our evaluations.

Accruals. Management exercises judgment in estimating various period end liabilities such as costs related to vendor drop shipments, sales returns and allowances, cooperative advertising and customer rebate reserves, and other vendor and employee related costs. While we believe that these estimates are reasonable, any significant deviation of actual costs as compared to these estimates could have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Income Taxes. We are subject to taxation from federal, state and foreign jurisdictions and the determination of our tax provision is complex and requires significant management judgment. Management judgment is also applied in the determination of deferred tax assets and liabilities and any valuation allowances that might be required in connection with our ability to realize deferred tax assets.

 

 

Since we conduct operations in numerous US states and internationally, our effective tax rate depends upon the geographic distribution of our pre-tax income or losses among locations with varying tax rates and rules. As the geographic mix of our pre-tax results among various tax jurisdictions changes, the effective tax rate may vary from period to period. We are also subject to periodic examination from domestic and foreign tax authorities regarding the amount of taxes due. These examinations include questions regarding the timing and amount of deductions and the allocation of income among various tax jurisdictions. We have established, and periodically reevaluate, an estimated income tax reserve on our consolidated balance sheet to provide for the possibility of adverse outcomes in income tax proceedings. While management believes that we have identified all reasonably identifiable exposures and that the reserve we have established for identifiable exposures is appropriate under the circumstances, it is possible that additional exposures exist and that exposures may be settled at amounts different than the amounts reserved.

We recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities for the effect of temporary differences between the book and tax bases of recorded assets and liabilities and for tax loss carry forwards. The realization of net deferred tax assets is dependent upon our ability to generate sufficient future taxable income. Where it is more likely than not that some portion or the entire deferred tax asset will not be realized, we have provided a valuation allowance. If the realization of those deferred tax assets in the future is considered more likely than not, an adjustment to the deferred tax assets would increase net income in the period such determination is made. In the event that actual results differ from these estimates or we adjust these estimates in future periods, an adjustment to the valuation allowance may be required, which could materially affect our consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Reorganization and other charges.  We have taken restructuring actions in the past and could in the future commence further restructuring activities which result in recognition of restructuring charges if events make it necessary. These actions require management to make judgments and utilize significant estimates regarding the nature, timing and amounts of costs associated with the activity. When we incur a liability related to a restructuring action, we estimate and record all appropriate expenses, including expenses for severance and other employee separation costs, facility consolidation costs (including estimates of sublease income), lease cancellations, asset impairments and any other exit costs. Should the actual amounts differ from our estimates, the amount of the restructuring charges could be impacted, which could materially affect our consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Public companies in the United States are subject to the accounting and reporting requirements of various authorities, including the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). These authorities issue numerous pronouncements, most of which are not applicable to the Company’s current or reasonably foreseeable operating structure. Below are the new authoritative pronouncements that management believes are relevant to the Company’s current operations.

In October 2009, the FASB issued revised guidance related to multiple-element arrangements which requires an entity to allocate arrangement consideration at the inception of an arrangement to all deliverables based on relative selling prices. This update eliminates the use of the residual method of allocation and requires the relative-selling-price method in all circumstances. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning on or after September 15, 2010. Companies may use either prospective application for revenue arrangements entered into, or materially modified, after the effective date or through retrospective application to all revenue arrangements for all periods presented. The Company does not believe this amended guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

The discussion of our results of operations and financial condition that follows will provide information that will assist in understanding our financial statements and information about how certain accounting principles and estimates affect the consolidated financial statements. This discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements included herein.

Key Performance Indicators (in thousands):

 

NET SALES

SEGMENTS:

The Technology Products net sales increase is attributable to increased business to business and consumer channel sales worldwide as a result of improved global economic conditions, the expansion of the number of retail stores in the United States and Canada and the continuing sales contribution from our Circuit City and WStore Europe SA (“WStore”) acquisitions in 2009. On a constant currency basis, translating 2010 foreign results at 2009 exchange rates, and excluding the impact of the WStore acquisition on results, sales would have grown 7.9% or $230.6 million.

Industrial Products sales, primarily business to business, increased 27.5% as compared to last year. The sales increase, the majority of which was driven by web sales, is attributable to improved economic conditions in North America in 2010 resulting in increased demand for the segment’s various products as well as an increase in the number of products offered on its websites and in its catalogs.

The Company announced plans to exit its Software solutions segment during the second quarter of 2009. Substantially all of the third party business activities of ProfitCenter Software have ended. Current and prior year results for this segment are now included in Corporate and other.

GEOGRAPHIES:

North American sales benefited from increased retail and internet sales in the consumer channel, the result of opening seven retail stores in 2010, the Circuit City acquisition in 2009, and the increased sales from the Industrial Products segment.  On a constant currency basis, North American sales would have grown 8.9%. The movement in the exchange rates positively impacted sales by approximately $19.9 million.

European sales grew primarily from an increase in business to business sales. On a constant currency basis, European sales would have increased 29.6%. Movement in foreign exchange rates negatively impacted sales by approximately $52.9 million.

CHANNEL SALES:

Worldwide consumer-channel revenue, defined as revenues from retail stores, consumer websites, inbound call centers and shopping channels, grew primarily from volume increases in computers, including laptops and netbooks and consumer electronics, including televisions, reflecting improved global economic conditions. On a constant currency basis and excluding the WStore acquisition, worldwide consumer channel sales increased 2.4%.

Worldwide business to business channel sales grew primarily from an improvement in global economic conditions and the WStore acquisition in 2009. On a constant currency basis and excluding the WStore acquisition, worldwide business to business channel sales grew 18.1%.

2009 versus 2008:

The growth in Technology products sales in 2009 compared to 2008 was driven by increased retail and internet sales, opening of five retail stores and the two acquisitions completed in 2009. The Circuit City acquisition and the WStore acquisition contributed $67.3 million and $63.8 million in sales, respectively. On a constant currency basis, translating 2009 foreign results at 2008 exchange rates, Technology product sales would have grown 10.5% or $120.9 million. Adjusting for the impact of the number of weeks, Technology products sales increased 8.3% for the year. North American technology sales increased 14.3% in 2009 compared to 2008 benefiting from the opening of five retail stores and the Circuit City acquisition. On a constant currency basis, translating 2009 Other North America results at 2008 exchange rates, North American technology products sales would have grown to 15.2%. The movement in exchange rates negatively impacted sales by approximately $17.3 million. Adjusting for the impact of the number of weeks, North American technology sales would have increased 16.7%. European technology products sales declined 9.8% to $848.5 million as the result of slower business to business sales. Sales attributable to the WStore acquisition totaled $63.8 million for the year. On a constant currency basis, European sales would have increased 1.2%. Movement in foreign exchange rates accounted for $103.6 million of the sales decline in Europe for the year. Adjusting for the impact of the number of weeks, European sales would have declined 8.3%. As in the United States, sales slowed in the second half of 2008 in Europe and Canada for both consumer and business to business sales as the result of a slowdown in economic activity Industrial products sales decline was attributable to the slowdown in business to business economic activity. The Company announced plans to exit its Software solutions segment during the second quarter of 2009. Substantially all of the third party business activities of ProfitCenter Software had ended as of December 31, 2009. Current and prior year results for this segment are now included in Corporate and other.

GROSS MARGIN

Consolidated gross margin declined by 70 basis points in 2010 versus 2009 as the Company continued to lower certain product prices, offered freight discounts on the Company’s North American websites and incurred start up costs related to the new distribution center in North America partially offset by improvement in gross margin in Europe and in Industrial Products. Gross margin is dependent on variables such as product mix, vendor price protection and other sales incentives, competition, pricing strategy, cooperative advertising funds required to be classified as a reduction to cost of sales, freight discounting and other variables, any or all of which may result in fluctuations in gross margin.

 

 

SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES/REORGANIZATION AND OTHER CHARGES

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased in 2010 over 2009 primarily as a result of the increased sales volume, increases in facility and other operating costs related to opening additional retail stores and reorganization costs related to the WStore acquisition. Selling, general and administrative costs as a percent of sales declined 30 basis points as sales grew at a faster rate than costs. Retail expansion in the United States and the inclusion of WStore results for a full year were primary drivers of the cost increases in 2010. Significant expense increases include approximately $28.1 million of increased payroll, severance and related costs of which $3.0 million related to reorganization charges related to the merger of the Company’s Misco and WStore operations in Europe, other exit costs related to the merger of $1.0 million, $8.5 million of increased internet advertising expenses, $5.6 million of increased rent and related expenses primarily related to retail stores, $2.8 million of increased credit card fees, $2.5 million of additional depreciation and amortization expense offset by approximately $9.7 million of increased vendor consideration related to advertising expenses. Also included in 2009 is a gain of approximately $1.8 million from a lawsuit that was settled favorably.

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased in 2009 over 2008 primarily as a result of the increase in sales volume, facility and other operating costs related to opening additional retail stores, costs related to winding down the Software Solutions segment and costs related to the WStore acquisition.  Selling, general and administrative costs as a percent of sales declined 20 basis points as sales grew at a faster rate than costs. Significant expense increases include approximately $7.8 million in charges for severance costs, litigation and contractual lease terminations of which approximately $2.9 million related to winding down costs related to Software Solutions segment. Also included in 2009 is a gain of approximately $1.8 million from a lawsuit that was settled favorably.

OPERATING MARGIN

Technology products operating margin decreased 100 basis points in 2010 versus 2009 due to price promotions, freight discounts offered during the year, start up costs related to the new distribution center in North America and reorganization costs related to the WStore integration which could not be fully offset by cost reduction initiatives. Technology products operating margin decreased 40 basis points in 2009 versus 2008 due to the global economic slowdown, price promotions, freight discounts and other cost increases which were not fully offset by cost reduction initiatives.

Industrial products operating margin increased by 20 basis points in 2010 versus 2009 due to improved economic conditions in North America, resulting in increased demand for the segment’s various products and prudent cost management. Industrial products operating margin decreased 30 basis points in 2009 versus 2008 due to the slowdown in sales coupled with additional information technology staffing and other costs for the support of the new products added and the newly launched e-commerce website.

Corporate and other expenses operating costs decreased 30.4% during 2010 due to cost savings from winding down the ProfitCenter Software segment in 2009, reduced consulting and outside services for the software implementation which began in 2009 and significantly less legal and professional fees incurred in 2010 compared to 2009. Corporate and other expenses decreased 6.5% due to winding down the ProfitCenter Software segment in 2009 offset by expenses for new software implementation, acquisition related costs and additional staffing and overhead costs to support the growth in the Company’s business.

INTEREST EXPENSE

Interest expense was $1.8 million, $1.4 million, and $0.8 million in 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively. The interest expense increase in 2010 compared to 2009 is primarily attributable to a full year of interest expense related to the debt assumed in the WStore acquisition, higher average outstanding balances under the Company’s revolving credit agreement and interest on the Recovery Zone Bond entered into to finance the equipment for the new distribution center opened in 2010. Interest expense increased in 2009 over 2008 primarily as a result of the short term debt assumed in the WStore acquisition and interest on capital lease obligations. Interest and other income, net was $0.8 million, $1.0 million, and $2.2 million in 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively. The changes are a result of the Company’s investable cash fluctuations due to cash sources and uses for operating, investing and financing activities.

INCOME TAXES

The Company’s effective tax rate was 35.6% in 2010 as compared to 36.8% in 2009. The lower tax rate in 2010 is primarily attributed to reversals of valuation allowances of approximately $0.5 million. If excluded, the Company’s effective tax rate would have been 36.3%. The lower tax rate in 2010 is primarily attributed to a higher percentage of taxable income in countries that have lower corporate tax rates. The Company’s effective tax rate will vary as the mix of pretax income from the countries the Company does business in varies.

The effective tax rate in 2009 was flat compared to 2008. Included in the 2009 rate was a reversal of tax reserves of approximately $0.9 million, as a result of statute expirations. If excluded, the Company’s effective tax rate would have been 38.4%. The higher tax rate in 2009 is primarily attributed to a higher percentage of taxable income in countries that have higher corporate tax rates.

As the Company’s consumer channel sales have grown significantly in the past few years, the fourth quarter has represented a greater portion of annual sales than historically.  Net sales have historically been modestly weaker during the second and third quarters as a result of lower business activity during those months. The following table sets forth the net sales seasonality for each of the quarters since January 1, 2008 (amounts in millions).

 

Selected liquidity data (in thousands):

Our primary liquidity needs are to support working capital requirements in our business, including working capital for new retail stores, to fund capital expenditures, including the second North American distribution center for the Technology Products segment, to fund the payment of interest on outstanding debt, to fund special dividends declared by our Board of Directors and for acquisitions. We rely principally upon operating cash flows to meet these needs. We believe that cash flows from operations and our availability under credit facilities will be sufficient to fund our working capital and other cash requirements for the next twelve months.

Our working capital increased in 2010 as the result of increased cash, accounts receivable and inventory balances as a result of growth in the business offset partially by an increase in accounts payable, accrued expenses and the current portion of long term debt. The increase in inventory is the result of increased retail store inventory in 2010 and the opening of a new distribution facility for Technology Products in the third quarter of 2010. Accounts receivable balances increased as the result of growth in open account business to business customers, the WStore acquisition and slight growth in accounts receivable days outstanding. Accounts payable and accrued expense balances increased due to inventory growth and the WStore acquisition. Accounts receivable days outstanding were at 25 in 2010 up from 23 in 2009. We expect that future accounts receivable and inventory balances will fluctuate with growth in net sales and the mix of our net sales between consumer and business customers.

Net cash provided by operating activities was $64.9 million, $4.8 million, and $82.4 million during 2010, 2009, and 2008. The increase in cash provided by operating activities in 2010 over 2009 resulted from a $5.0 million decrease in net income adjusted by other non-cash items, such as depreciation expense, and an increase of $65.1 million in cash used for changes in our working capital accounts. The decrease in cash provided by operating activities in 2009 compared to 2008 resulted from a $3.0 million decrease in net income adjusted by other non-cash items, such as depreciation expense, and a decrease of $74.6 million in cash used for changes in working capital accounts.

 

Net cash used in investing activities was $24.7 million during 2010, primarily for capital expenditures including expenditures for the second North American distribution center for the Technology Products segment. Cash flows used in investing activities during 2009 totaled $32.3 million primarily for the CircuitCity.com acquisition and for capital expenditures. Net cash used in investing activities was $45.5 million during 2008, primarily for the CompUSA acquisition and for capital expenditures. Capital expenditures in 2010, 2009 and 2008 included upgrades and enhancements to our information and communications systems hardware and software and expenditures in retail stores in North America.

Net cash used in financing activities was $4.7 million during 2010. We borrowed and repaid approximately $261.7 million against our credit facilities. We repaid approximately $13.2 million in short term debt and approximately $1.5 million in capital lease obligations and received proceeds of approximately $7.9 million from the Recovery Zone Facility Bond. Proceeds and excess tax benefits from stock option exercises provided approximately $2.1 million of cash. Net cash used in financing activities was $31.5 million during 2009. We repaid approximately $3.6 million in short-term debt and approximately $0.8 million in capital lease obligations, paid a special dividend of $27.6 million, and repurchased Company stock of approximately $1.2 million. Proceeds and excess tax benefits from stock option exercises provided approximately $1.7 million of cash. Net cash used in financing activities was $45.0 million during 2008, attributable to dividends paid of $37.1 million, repayment of short term debt of $3.9 million, repayment of $0.7 million in capital lease obligations, repurchase of common stock of approximately $5.8 million, offset by proceeds of stock option exercises and related excess tax benefits of $2.5 million.

We have a $125.0 million secured revolving credit agreement (which may be increased to $200.0 million, subject to certain conditions). The facility has a five year term expiring in October 2015. The borrowings under the agreement are subject to borrowing base limitations of up to 85% of eligible accounts receivable and up to 40% of qualified inventories. Borrowings are secured by substantially all of the Company’s assets, including accounts receivable, inventory and certain other assets, subject to limited exceptions, including the exclusion of certain foreign assets from the collateral. The amended and restated credit agreement contains certain operating, financial and other covenants, including limits on annual levels of capital expenditures, availability tests related to payments of dividends and stock repurchases and fixed charge coverage tests related to acquisitions. The revolving credit agreement requires that we maintain a minimum level of availability. If such availability is not maintained, we will then be required to maintain a fixed charge coverage ratio (as defined). As of December 31, 2010, the Company was in compliance with all of the covenants under the credit facility. Eligible collateral under the facility was $125.0 million, total availability was $115.9 million, outstanding letters of credit of were $9.1 million and there were no outstanding advances.

The Company’s Inmac WStore subsidiary maintains a secured revolving credit agreement with a financial institution in France which is secured by WStore Europe SA accounts receivable balances. Available amounts for borrowing under this facility includes all accounts receivable balances not over 60 days past due reduced by the greater of €4.0 million or 10% of the eligible accounts receivable. As of December 31, 2010, there was availability under this credit facility of approximately €15.6 million ($20.9 million) and there were no outstanding borrowings. The credit facility duration is indefinite; however either party may cancel the agreement with ninety days notice. Under this agreement the Company is subject to certain non-financial covenants which it was in compliance with at December 31, 2010.

The Company’s WStore UK subsidiary maintained a £2 million secured revolving credit agreement with a financial institution in the United Kingdom. The Company terminated this facility in July 2010.

On September 23, 2010, the Company (through a subsidiary) completed tax exempt Recovery Zone Facility Bond (the “Bonds”) financing for up to $15 million with the Development Authority of Jefferson, Georgia (the “Authority”). The Bonds were issued by the Authority and initially purchased by GE Government Finance Inc., and mature on October 1, 2018.  Interest on the Bonds is calculated at the rate of 4.15% per annum and principal and interest payments are due monthly. The proceeds of the Bonds are   used to finance or repay the costs of capital equipment purchased for the Company’s distribution facility located in Jefferson, Georgia.  The purchase and installation of all the equipment for the facility is expected to be completed by December 31, 2011. Pursuant to the transaction, the Company will transfer to the Authority for consideration consisting of the Bond proceeds ownership of the equipment to be used at the distribution facility and the Authority in turn will lease the equipment to the Company’s subsidiary pursuant to a capital equipment lease expiring October 1, 2018. Under the capital equipment lease the Company has the right to acquire ownership of the equipment at any time for a purchase price sufficient to pay off all principal and interest on the Bonds, plus $1.00.

Our earnings and cash flows are seasonal in nature, with the fourth quarter of the fiscal year generating higher earnings and cash flows than the other quarters. Levels of earnings and cash flows are dependent on factors such as consolidated gross margin and selling, general and administrative costs as a percentage of sales, product mix and relative levels of domestic and foreign sales. Unusual expense items, such as one time charges and settlements, may impact earnings and are separately disclosed. We expect that past performance may not be indicative of future performance due to the competitive nature of our Technology Products segment where the need to adjust prices to gain or hold market share is prevalent.

Macroeconomic conditions, such as business and consumer sentiment, may affect our revenues, cash flows or financial condition.  However, we do not believe that there is a direct correlation between any specific macroeconomic indicator and our revenues, cash flows or financial condition.  We are not currently interest rate sensitive, as we have significant cash balances and minimal debt.

 

We anticipate cash needs to support our growth and expansion plans, continued investment in upgrading and expanding our technological capabilities and information technology infrastructure, opening of new retail stores, and in building out and expanding our distribution center facilities and inventory systems.

These expenses and capital expenditures will require significant levels of liquidity, which we believe can be adequately funded from our currently available cash resources. We have recently engaged in several opportunistic acquisitions, choosing to pay the purchase price in cash, and may do so in the future as favorable situations arise.  However, a deep and prolonged period of reduced consumer and/or business to business spending could adversely impact our cash resources and force us to either forego future acquisition opportunities or to pay the purchase price in shares of our common stock, which could have a dilutive effect on  our earnings per share. In addition we anticipate cash needs for implementation of the financial systems. We believe that our cash balances, future cash flows from operations and our availability under credit facilities will be sufficient to fund our working capital and other cash requirements for at least the next twelve months.

We maintain our cash and cash equivalents primarily in money market funds or their equivalent. As of December 31, 2010, all of our investments had maturities of less than three months.  Accordingly, we do not believe that our investments have significant exposure to interest rate risk.

We are obligated under non-cancelable operating leases for the rental of most of our facilities and certain of our equipment which expire at various dates through 2026. We have sublease agreements for unused space we lease in Uniondale, New York. In the event the sub lessee is unable to fulfill its obligations, we would be responsible for rents due under the leases.

Following is a summary of our contractual obligations for future principal payments on our debt, minimum rental payments on our non-cancelable operating leases and minimum payments on our other purchase obligations as of December 2010 (in thousands):

Our purchase and other obligations consist primarily of certain employment agreements and service agreements.

In addition to the contractual obligations noted above, we had $9.1 million of standby letters of credit outstanding as of December 2010.

We are party to certain litigation, the outcome of which we believe, based on discussions with legal counsel, will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements.

We have not created, and are not party to, any special-purpose or off-balance sheet entities for the purpose of raising capital, incurring debt or operating our business. We do not have any arrangements or relationships with entities that are not consolidated into the financial statements that are reasonably likely to materially affect our liquidity or the availability of capital resources.

The translation of the financial statements of our operations located outside of the United States is impacted by movements in foreign currency exchange rates. Changes in currency exchange rates as measured against the U.S. dollar may positively or negatively affect income statement, balance sheet and cash flows as expressed in U.S. dollars. Sales would have fluctuated by approximately $123.2 million and pretax income would have fluctuated by approximately $2.1 million if average foreign exchange rates changed by 10% in 2010. We have limited involvement with derivative financial instruments and do not use them for trading purposes. We may enter into foreign currency options or forward exchange contracts aimed at limiting in part the impact of certain currency fluctuations, but as of December 31, 2010 we had no outstanding forward exchange contracts.

Our exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates relates primarily to our variable rate debt. Our variable rate debt consists of short-term borrowings under our credit facilities. As of December 31, 2010, there were no outstanding balances under our variable rate credit facility. A hypothetical change in average interest rates of one percentage point is not expected to have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows over the next fiscal year.

The information required by Item 8 of Part II is incorporated herein by reference to the Consolidated Financial Statements filed with this report; see Item 15 of Part IV.

None.

Under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s management, including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the Company carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2010. Based upon this evaluation, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is 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. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that: (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the Company’s assets; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that the Company’s receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of the Company’s management and directors; and (iii) 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 Company’s financial statements.

Management, including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that the Company’s internal controls will prevent or detect all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of internal controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected. Also, any evaluation of the effectiveness of controls in future periods are subject to the risk that those internal controls may become inadequate because of changes in business conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

The Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting.  Under the supervision and with the participation of Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the Company evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of its internal control over financial reporting based on the framework established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on that evaluation, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2010.

 

The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP, has issued an attestation report on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2010, a copy of which is included in this report.

There have been no changes in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting for the quarter ended December 31, 2010 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

None.

The information required by Item 10 of Part III is hereby incorporated by reference to the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. (the “Proxy Statement”).

The information required by Item 11 of Part III is hereby incorporated by reference to the Proxy Statement.

The information required by item 12 of Part III is hereby incorporated by reference to the Proxy Statement.

The information required by Item 10 of Part III is hereby incorporated by reference to the Proxy Statement.

The information required by Item 14 of Part III is hereby incorporated by reference to the Proxy Statement.

            *   Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement

 

 

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.

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.

 

The Board of Directors and Shareholders of Systemax Inc.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Systemax Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2010 and 2009, and the related consolidated statements of operations, shareholders' equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2010. Our audits also included the financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a). These financial statements and schedule are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and schedule 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.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), Systemax Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2010, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated March 17, 2011 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

New York, New York

 

 

The Board of Directors and Shareholders of Systemax Inc.

We have audited Systemax Inc.’s (the “Company”)internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2010, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the COSO criteria). The Company’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. 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, Systemax Inc. maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2010, 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 Systemax Inc. as of December 31, 2010 and 2009 and the related consolidated statements of operations, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2010 of Systemax Inc. and our report dated March 17, 2011 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

New York, New York

 

 

(in thousands, except per share data)

See notes to consolidated financial statements.