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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

Form 10–Q

 

Quarterly Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Act of 1934

 

For the Quarter Ended March 28, 2003

 

Commission File No. 0–23018

 


 

PLANAR SYSTEMS, INC.

(exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Oregon

 

93-0835396

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

 

1195 NW Compton Dr., Beaverton, Oregon

 

97006

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

(zip code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (503) 748-1100

 


 

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

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act) x Yes ¨ No

 

Number of common stock outstanding as of April 28, 2003

14,008,959 shares, no par value per share

 



Table of Contents

PLANAR SYSTEMS, INC.

 

INDEX

 

         

Page


Part I.

  

Financial Information

    

Item 1.

  

Financial Statements

    
    

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Three and Six Months Ended March 28, 2003 and March 29, 2002

  

3

    

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 28, 2003 and September 27, 2002

  

4

    

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Six Months Ended March 28, 2003 and March 29, 2002

  

5

    

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

  

6

Item 2.

  

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

  

10

Item 3.

  

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risks

  

15

Item 4.

  

Controls and Procedures

  

15

Part II.

  

Other Information

    

Item 2.

  

Changes in securities

  

16

Item 4.

  

Submission of matters to a vote of shareholders

  

16

Item 5.

  

Other information

  

16

Item 7.

  

Exhibits and Reports on Form 8–K

  

22

Signatures

       

23

 

 

2


Table of Contents

Part 1. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 1. Financial Statements

 

Planar Systems, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

(unaudited)

 

    

Three months ended


    

Six months ended


 
    

Mar. 28, 2003


    

Mar. 29, 2002


    

Mar. 28, 2003


    

Mar. 29, 2002


 

Sales

  

$

60,104

 

  

$

48,857

 

  

$

116,847

 

  

$

89,642

 

Cost of sales

  

 

40,726

 

  

 

35,658

 

  

 

80,703

 

  

 

63,991

 

    


  


  


  


Gross profit

  

 

19,378

 

  

 

13,199

 

  

 

36,144

 

  

 

25,651

 

Operating expenses:

                                   

Research and development, net

  

 

3,066

 

  

 

2,679

 

  

 

5,463

 

  

 

5,309

 

Sales and marketing

  

 

5,129

 

  

 

3,427

 

  

 

9,822

 

  

 

6,269

 

General and administrative

  

 

4,697

 

  

 

3,251

 

  

 

9,061

 

  

 

6,413

 

Amortization of intangible assets

  

 

708

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

1,416

 

  

 

—  

 

    


  


  


  


Total operating expenses

  

 

13,600

 

  

 

9,357

 

  

 

25,762

 

  

 

17,991

 

Income from operations

  

 

5,778

 

  

 

3,842

 

  

 

10,382

 

  

 

7,660

 

Non-operating income (expense):

                                   

Interest, net

  

 

(346

)

  

 

(171

)

  

 

(811

)

  

 

(290

)

Foreign exchange, net

  

 

(51

)

  

 

(29

)

  

 

(83

)

  

 

(31

)

    


  


  


  


Net non-operating expense

  

 

(397

)

  

 

(200

)

  

 

(894

)

  

 

(321

)

Income before income taxes

  

 

5,381

 

  

 

3,642

 

  

 

9,488

 

  

 

7,339

 

Provision for income taxes

  

 

1,830

 

  

 

1,237

 

  

 

3,227

 

  

 

2,494

 

    


  


  


  


Net income

  

$

3,551

 

  

$

2,405

 

  

$

6,261

 

  

$

4,845

 

    


  


  


  


Basic net income per share

  

$

0.25

 

  

$

0.19

 

  

$

0.45

 

  

$

0.39

 

Average shares outstanding—basic

  

 

13,936

 

  

 

12,578

 

  

 

13,864

 

  

 

12,563

 

Diluted net income per share

  

$

0.25

 

  

$

0.18

 

  

$

0.43

 

  

$

0.36

 

Average shares outstanding—diluted

  

 

14,391

 

  

 

13,415

 

  

 

14,414

 

  

 

13,323

 

 

See accompanying notes to unaudited consolidated financial statements.

 

 

3


Table of Contents

PLANAR SYSTEMS, INC.

 

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands)

 

    

Mar. 28, 2003


    

Sept. 27, 2002


 
    

(unaudited)

        

ASSETS

                 

Current assets:

                 

Cash and cash equivalents

  

$

37,604

 

  

$

37,451

 

Accounts receivable

  

 

30,069

 

  

 

31,437

 

Inventories

  

 

28,659

 

  

 

29,305

 

Other current assets

  

 

13,082

 

  

 

13,409

 

    


  


Total current assets

  

 

109,414

 

  

 

111,602

 

Property, plant and equipment, net

  

 

22,218

 

  

 

24,669

 

Goodwill

  

 

49,001

 

  

 

49,001

 

Intangible assets

  

 

11,963

 

  

 

13,379

 

Other assets

  

 

7,694

 

  

 

7,820

 

    


  


    

$

200,290

 

  

$

206,471

 

    


  


LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

                 

Current liabilities:

                 

Accounts payable

  

$

8,340

 

  

$

5,330

 

Accrued compensation

  

 

6,577

 

  

 

6,006

 

Current portion of long-term debt and capital leases

  

 

6,298

 

  

 

11,923

 

Deferred revenue

  

 

317

 

  

 

603

 

Other current liabilities

  

 

12,875

 

  

 

11,307

 

    


  


Total current liabilities

  

 

34,407

 

  

 

35,169

 

Long-term debt and capital leases, less current portion

  

 

23,965

 

  

 

39,282

 

Other long-term liabilities

  

 

7,529

 

  

 

7,661

 

    


  


Total liabilities

  

 

65,901

 

  

 

82,112

 

Shareholders’ equity:

                 

Common stock

  

 

119,614

 

  

 

117,520

 

Retained earnings

  

 

22,037

 

  

 

15,938

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

  

 

(7,262

)

  

 

(9,099

)

    


  


Total shareholders’ equity

  

 

134,389

 

  

 

124,359

 

    


  


    

$

200,290

 

  

$

206,471

 

    


  


 

See accompanying notes to unaudited consolidated financial statements.

 

4


Table of Contents

PLANAR SYSTEMS, INC.

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

 

    

Six months ended


 
    

Mar. 28, 2003


    

Mar. 29, 2002


 

Cash flows from operating activities:

                 

Net income

  

$

6,261

 

  

$

4,845

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities

                 

Depreciation and amortization

  

 

5,552

 

  

 

3,819

 

Deferred taxes

  

 

(28

)

  

 

18

 

Foreign exchange loss

  

 

83

 

  

 

31

 

Decrease in accounts receivable

  

 

1,614

 

  

 

5,789

 

(Increase) decrease in inventories

  

 

818

 

  

 

(1,770

)

(Increase) decrease in other current assets

  

 

328

 

  

 

(3,405

)

Increase (decrease) in accounts payable

  

 

3,049

 

  

 

(1,457

)

Increase (decrease) in accrued compensation

  

 

596

 

  

 

(3,111

)

Increase (decrease) in deferred revenue

  

 

(289

)

  

 

51

 

Increase (decrease) in other current liabilities

  

 

1,255

 

  

 

(2,199

)

    


  


Net cash provided by operating activities

  

 

19,239

 

  

 

2,611

 

Cash flows from investing activities:

                 

Purchase of property, plant and equipment

  

 

(853

)

  

 

(4,065

)

Increase in other long-term liabilities

  

 

109

 

  

 

376

 

Net sales (purchases) of long-term investments

  

 

156

 

  

 

(25

)

    


  


Net cash used in investing activities

  

 

(588

)

  

 

(3,714

)

Cash flows from financing activities:

                 

Payments of long-term debt and capital lease obligations

  

 

(20,942

)

  

 

(994

)

Stock repurchase

  

 

(162

)

  

 

(38

)

Net proceeds from issuance of capital stock

  

 

2,094

 

  

 

1,976

 

    


  


Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

  

 

(19,010

)

  

 

944

 

Effect of exchange rate changes

  

 

512

 

  

 

(283

)

    


  


Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

  

 

153

 

  

 

(442

)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

  

 

37,451

 

  

 

22,007

 

    


  


Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

  

$

37,604

 

  

$

21,565

 

    


  


 

See accompanying notes to unaudited consolidated financial statements.

 

5


Table of Contents

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

 

Note 1 - BASIS OF PRESENTATION

 

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. However, certain information or footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In the opinion of management, the statements include all adjustments necessary (which are of a normal and recurring nature) for the fair presentation of the results of the interim periods presented. These financial statements should be read in connection with the Company’s audited financial statements for the year ended September 27, 2002.

 

Note 2 - STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS

 

The Company accounts for its stock-based plans under Accounting Principles Board Opinion no. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees”.

 

If the Company accounted for its stock based compensation plans in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation”, the Company’s net income and net income per share would approximate the pro forma disclosures below:

 

    

3 months ended


    

6 months ended


 
    

Mar. 28, 2003


    

Mar. 29, 2002


    

Mar. 28, 2003


    

Mar. 29, 2002


 

Net Income, as reported

  

$

3,551

 

  

$

2,405

 

  

$

6,261

 

  

$

4,845

 

Less total stock based employee compensation expense determined under fair value based method for all awards, net of related tax effects

  

 

(1,223

)

  

 

(1,039

)

  

 

(2,286

)

  

 

(1,849

)

    


  


  


  


Pro forma net income

  

$

2,328

 

  

$

1,366

 

  

$

3,975

 

  

$

2,996

 

    


  


  


  


Earnings per share:

                                   

Basic—as reported

  

$

0.25

 

  

$

0.19

 

  

$

0.45

 

  

$

0.39

 

    


  


  


  


Basic—pro forma

  

$

0.17

 

  

$

0.11

 

  

$

0.29

 

  

$

0.24

 

    


  


  


  


Diluted—as reported

  

$

0.25

 

  

$

0.18

 

  

$

0.43

 

  

$

0.36

 

    


  


  


  


Diluted—pro forma

  

$

0.16

 

  

$

0.10

 

  

$

0.28

 

  

$

0.22

 

    


  


  


  


 

Note 3 - INVENTORIES

 

Inventories, stated at the lower of cost or market, consist of:

 

    

March 28,
2003


  

September 27,
2002


Raw materials

  

$

11,165

  

$

13,725

Work in process

  

 

4,758

  

 

2,821

Finished goods

  

 

28,659

  

 

29,305

    

  

    

$

12,736

  

$

12,759

    

  

 

Inventory reserves for estimated inventory obsolescence were $4,118 and $4,523 as of March 28, 2003 and September 27, 2002, respectively. Included in cost of sales are $547 and $85 of charges related to inventory reserves for the three month periods ended March 28, 2003, and March 29, 2002, respectively, and $693 and $395 for the six month periods ended March 28, 2003 and March 29, 2002, respectively.

 

6


Table of Contents

 

Note 4 - RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COSTS

 

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. The Company periodically enters into research and development contracts with certain governmental agencies and private sector companies. These contracts generally provide for reimbursement of costs. Funding from research and development contracts is recognized as a reduction in operating expenses during the period in which the services are performed and related direct expenses are incurred, as follows:

 

    

Three Months Ended


    

Six Months Ended


 
    

March 28, 2003


    

March 29, 2002


    

March 28, 2003


    

March 29, 2002


 

Research and development expense

  

 

3,538

 

  

 

3,436

 

  

 

6,640

 

  

 

6,569

 

Contract funding

  

 

(472

)

  

 

(757

)

  

 

(1,177

)

  

 

(1,260

)

    


  


  


  


Research and development, net

  

$

3,066

 

  

$

2,679

 

  

$

5,463

 

  

$

5,309

 

    


  


  


  


 

Note 5 - NON–RECURRING CHARGES

 

LCD, EL and Photonics Charges

 

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2002, the Company made decisions to transition its PMLCD product manufacturing from Wisconsin to China, consolidate its EL product manufacturing into a single factory in Finland and terminate the photonics Quantum programs that were directed at the optical telecom markets. These actions were intended to align operations with current market conditions and to improve the profitability of its operations. The Company completed its transition of PMLCD product manufacturing to China at the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2003. The consolidation of its EL manufacturing facilities into one facility in Finland is expected to be completed by the end of fiscal 2003. The termination of the photonics Quantum programs was completed by the end of fiscal 2002. As a result of these decisions, the Company recorded charges of $19,963, including charges primarily for impairment of fixed assets, severance related to workforce reductions of 236 employees, excess inventory and lease cancellation and restoration costs. Cash of $4,114 was expected to be used in connection with severance and lease cancellation and restoration costs.

 

The Company recorded fixed asset impairment charges of $14,338 as a result of these decisions. The majority of these charges relate to equipment and machinery and included estimates for the sales proceeds based upon prices for similar assets in the used equipment market. There are also amounts included in the impairment charge for the buildings and land of our Wisconsin manufacturing facilities, which are based upon quoted real estate market prices. These facilities are currently listed for sale. The Company has also recorded charges of $1,511 related to excess and obsolete inventory, which has been identified as a direct result of the decision to consolidate facilities or transition the products to offshore manufacturers resulting in the exit of certain product lines. The Company has also recorded a charge of $1,729 for lease cancellations and restoration. In addition, the Company has recorded severance charges of $2,385. The charges of $1,511 related to inventory have been recorded as cost of sales in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2002. The remaining charges of $18,452 have been recorded as non-recurring charges in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

 

CRT Charges

 

During the third quarter of fiscal 2001, the Company made a decision to close its military CRT business. This business was a mature business, in which the customers had been converting to flat-panel displays over the past few years. The Company received last time buy orders from customers and shipped all of those orders in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2001. The Company completed the closing of this business in the first quarter of fiscal 2002. As a result of this decision, the Company recorded non-recurring charges of $1,245 including charges for excess inventory, severance related to workforce reductions of 29 employees and lease cancellation costs. The inventory charge of $826 has been recorded as cost of sales and the remaining charges of $383 for severance charges and lease termination costs have been recorded as non-recurring charges in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. These actions were substantially completed by the end of fiscal 2002.

 

7


Table of Contents

 

Current Year Activity

 

The non-recurring charges incurred affected the Company’s financial position as follows:

 

    

Accrued Compensation


    

Other Liabilities


 

Balance as of September 28, 2001

  

$

397

 

  

$

396

 

Additional charges

  

 

2,385

 

  

 

1,729

 

Cash paid out

  

 

(703

)

  

 

(385

)

Non-cash write-offs

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

    


  


Balance as of September 27, 2002

  

 

2,079

 

  

 

1,740

 

Cash paid out

  

 

(1,277

)

  

 

(125

)

    


  


Balance as of March 28, 2003

  

$

802

 

  

$

1,615

 

    


  


 

During the second quarter of 2003, the Company paid cash of $470 related to contractual liabilities, severance and lease termination costs. For the first six months of 2003 the cash paid was $1,402. The remaining amounts are expected to be paid primarily by the end of fiscal year 2003.

 

Note 6 - INCOME TAXES

 

The provision for income taxes has been recorded based upon the current estimate of the Company’s annual effective tax rate. This rate differs from the federal statutory rate primarily because of the provision for state income taxes, permanent differences, research credits and the effects of the Company’s foreign tax rates.

 

Note 7 - NET INCOME PER COMMON SHARE

 

Basic net income per share was computed using the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during each period. Diluted net income per share was computed using the weighted average number of shares of common stock plus dilutive common equivalent shares outstanding during each period. Incremental shares of 455 and 837 for the quarters ended March 28, 2003 and March 29, 2002, respectively, were used in the calculations of diluted net income per share. Incremental shares of 550 and 760 for the six month periods ended March 28, 2003 and March 29, 2002, respectively, were used in the calculations of diluted net income per share.

 

Note 8 - COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

 

Comprehensive income was $4,244 and $2,999 for the quarters ended March 28, 2003 and March 29, 2002, respectively. Comprehensive income for the six month periods ended March 28, 2003 and March 29, 2002 was $8,098 and $4,663, respectively.

 

Note 9 - BUSINESS ACQUISITIONS

 

On April 22, 2002, the Company completed the acquisition of DOME imaging systems, inc. (“DOME”). DOME designs, manufactures and markets computer graphic imaging boards, flat-panel displays and software for original equipment manufacturers in the medical field and other advanced image processing applications. As a result of the acquisition, the Company is able to offer a broader range of medical display solutions which complements the medical product line. The acquisition was accounted for as a purchase and, accordingly, the operations of DOME are included in the consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition.

 

Note 10 - BUSINESS SEGMENTS

 

The Company is organized based upon the markets for the products and services that it offers. Under this organizational structure, the Company operates in three main segments: Industrial, Medical, and Commercial. Industrial and Medical derive revenue primarily through the development, marketing and selling of electroluminescent displays, liquid crystal displays and color active matrix liquid crystal displays. Prior to fiscal year 2003, the Company reported sales and operating income from Transportation as a separate segment. The Company has now combined the Transportation segment with the Industrial segment. Prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the fiscal year 2003 presentation. The Commercial segment derives revenue primarily through the marketing of color active matrix liquid and plasma displays that are sold through distributors to end users.

 

8


Table of Contents

 

The information provided below is obtained from internal information that is provided to the Company’s chief operating decision-maker for the purpose of corporate management. Research and development expenses consist of both research and Quantum program expenses and product development expenses. Research and Quantum program expenses for future products are allocated to the segments based upon a percentage of budgeted sales. Product development expenses are specifically identified by segment. Sales and marketing expenses are generally allocated based upon a percentage of budgeted sales with the exception of sales personnel costs which are specifically identified by segment. General and administrative expenses are allocated based upon a percentage of budgeted sales. Depreciation expense, interest expense, interest income, other non-operating items and income taxes by segment are not included or disclosed in the internal information provided to the chief operating decision-maker and are therefore not presented below. Inter-segment sales are not material and are included in net sales to external customers below.

 

    

6 months ended


    
    

Mar. 28, 2003


    

Mar. 29, 2002


  

Mar. 28, 2003


    

Mar. 29, 2002


Net sales to external customers (by segment):

                               

Medical

  

$

22,850

 

  

$

17,950

  

$

46,048

 

  

$

32,185

Industrial

  

 

17,160

 

  

 

17,710

  

 

34,522

 

  

 

35,638

Commercial

  

 

20,094

 

  

 

13,197

  

 

36,277

 

  

 

21,819

    


  

  


  

Total sales

  

$

60,104

 

  

$

48,857

  

$

116,847

 

  

$

89,642

    


  

  


  

Operating income (loss):

                               

Medical

  

$

2,151

 

  

$

3,160

  

$

4,443

 

  

$

5,467

Industrial

  

 

3,813

 

  

 

341

  

 

6,965

 

  

 

1,631

Commercial

  

 

(186

)

  

 

341

  

 

(1,026

)

  

 

562

    


  

  


  

Total operating income

  

$

5,778

 

  

$

3,842

  

$

10,382

 

  

$

7,660

    


  

  


  

 

Note 11 - GUARANTEES

 

The Company provides a warranty for its products and establishes an allowance at the time of sale adequate to cover costs during the warranty period. The warranty period is generally between 12 and 36 months. This reserve is included in other current liabilities.

 

The reconciliation of the changes in the warranty reserve is as follows:

 

    

3 months ended


    

6 months ended


 
    

Mar. 28, 2003


    

Mar. 28, 2003


 

Balance as of beginning of period

  

$

2,597

 

  

$

2,538

 

Cash paid for warranty repairs

  

 

(731

)

  

 

(1,623

)

Provision for current period sales

  

 

839

 

  

 

1,790

 

Provision for prior period sales

  

 

250

 

  

 

250

 

    


  


Balance as of March 28, 2003

  

$

2,955

 

  

$

2,955

 

    


  


 

9


Table of Contents

 

Item 2.    Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

The following information should be read in conjunction with the consolidated interim financial statements and the notes thereto in Part I, Item I of this Quarterly Report and with Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 27, 2002.

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and other sections of this Report contain statements, including statements regarding the Company’s expectations as to sales, gross margins, operating expenses, the effective tax rate and net income per diluted share for fiscal 2003, that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company’s business, management’s beliefs and assumptions made by management. Words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “seeks”, “estimates” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements due to numerous factors including the following: domestic and international business and economic conditions, changes in growth in the flat-panel display industry, changes in customer demand or ordering patterns, changes in the competitive environment including pricing pressures or technological changes, continued success in technological advances, shortages of manufacturing capacities from our third-party partners, final settlement of contractual liabilities, future production variables impacting excess inventory and other risk factors described below under “Outlook: Issues and Uncertainties”. The forward-looking statements contained in this Report speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this Report. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, investors and others should not conclude that the Company will make additional updates with respect thereto or with respect to other forward-looking statements.

 

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

 

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to revenue recognition, bad debts, inventories, warranty obligations, intangible asset valuation and income taxes. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We believe the following critical accounting policies and the related judgments and estimates affect the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

 

Revenue Recognition.    Our policy is to recognize revenue upon shipment of our products to our customers. The Company defers and recognizes service revenue over the contractual period or as services are rendered. The Company estimates expected sales returns and records the amount as a reduction of revenue at the time of shipment. The Company’s policies comply with the guidance provided by Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 101, Revenue Recognition in Financial Statements, issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Judgments are required in evaluating the credit worthiness of our customers. Credit is not extended to customers and revenue is not recognized until we have determined that the risk of uncollectibility is minimal.

 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts.    Our policy is to maintain allowances for estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers to make required payments. Credit limits are established through a process of reviewing the financial history and stability of each customer. Where appropriate, we obtain credit rating reports and financial statements of the customer when determining or modifying their credit limits. We regularly evaluate the collectibility of our trade receivable balances based on a combination of factors. When a customer’s account balance becomes past due, we initiate dialogue with the customer to determine the cause. If it is determined that the customer will be unable to meet its financial obligation to us, such as in the case of a bankruptcy filing, deterioration in the customer’s operating results or financial position or other material events impacting their business, we record a specific allowance to reduce the related receivable to the amount we expect to recover.

 

We also record an allowance for all other customers based on factors including the length of time the receivables are past due and historical collection experience with customers. We believe our reported allowances are adequate. If the financial conditions of those customers were to deteriorate, however, resulting in their inability to make payments, we may need to record additional allowances which would result in additional general and administrative expenses being recorded for the period in which such determination was made.

 

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Inventory Reserves.    The Company is exposed to a number of economic and industry factors that could result in portions of our inventory becoming either obsolete, in excess of anticipated usage, or subject to lower or cost of market issues. These factors include, but are not limited to, technological changes in our markets, our ability to meet changing customer requirements, competitive pressures in products and prices, and the availability of key components from our suppliers. Our policy is to establish inventory reserves when conditions exist that suggest that our inventory may be in excess of anticipated demand or is obsolete based upon our assumptions about future demand for our products and market conditions. We regularly evaluate the ability to realize the value of our inventory based on a combination of factors including the following: historical usage rates, forecasted sales or usage, product end-of-life dates, estimated current and future market values and new product introductions. Purchasing practices and alternative usage avenues are explored within these processes to mitigate inventory exposure. When recorded, our reserves are intended to reduce the carrying value of our inventory to its net realizable value. If actual demand for our products deteriorate or market conditions are less favorable than those that we project, additional inventory reserves may be required.

 

Product Warranties.    Our products are sold with warranty provisions that require us to remedy deficiencies in quality or performance of our products over a specified period of time at no cost to our customers. Our policy is to establish warranty reserves at levels that represent our estimate of the costs that will be incurred to fulfill those warranty requirements at the time that revenue is recognized. We believe that our recorded liabilities are adequate to cover our future cost of materials, labor and overhead for the servicing of our products sold through that date. If actual product failures, or material or service delivery costs differ from our estimates, our warranty liability would need to be revised accordingly.

 

Intangible assets.    The Company adopted the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Statements of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 141, “Business Combinations” and SFAS No. 142, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets” on accounting for business combinations and goodwill as of the beginning of fiscal year 2002. Accordingly, the Company no longer amortizes goodwill from acquisitions, but continues to amortize other acquisition-related intangibles and costs.

 

As required by these rules, the Company will perform an impairment review annually, or earlier if indicators of potential impairment exist. This annual impairment review was completed during the second quarter of fiscal 2003 and no impairment was found. The impairment review is based on a discounted cash flow approach that uses estimates of future market share and revenues and costs for the Company’s segments as well as appropriate discount rates. The estimates used are consistent with the plans and estimates that the Company uses to manage the underlying businesses. However, if the Company fails to deliver new products for these groups, if the products fail to gain expected market acceptance, or if market conditions in the related businesses are unfavorable, revenue and cost forecasts may not be achieved, and the Company may incur charges for impairment of goodwill.

 

For identifiable intangible assets, the Company amortizes the cost over the estimated useful life and assesses any impairment by estimating the future cash flow from the associated asset in accordance with SFAS No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets”. If the estimated undiscounted cash flow related to these assets decreases in the future or the useful life is shorter than originally estimated, the Company may incur charges for impairment of these assets. The impairment is based on the estimated discounted cash flow associated with the asset. An impairment could result if the underlying technology fails to gain market acceptance, the Company fails to deliver new products related to these technology assets, the products fail to gain expected market acceptance or if market conditions in the related businesses are unfavorable.

 

Income Taxes.    We have recorded a valuation allowance to reduce our deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. The Company has assessed the valuation allowance based upon our estimate of future taxable income covering a relatively short time horizon due to the volatility in the markets we serve and our historic operating results. The availability of tax planning strategies to utilize our recorded deferred tax assets is also considered. If the Company is able to realize the deferred tax assets in an amount in excess of their reported net amounts, an adjustment to the deferred tax assets would increase earnings in the period such determination was made. Similarly, if we should determine that we may be unable to realize our net deferred tax assets to the extent reported, an adjustment to the deferred tax assets would be charged to income in the period such determination was made.

 

GENERAL

 

The Company is a worldwide leader in the development, manufacture and marketing of high performance electronic display products and systems. Planar began shipping products in 1983 and has experienced revenue growth based upon the expansion of its product line and market acceptance of its products for a variety of applications.

 

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BUSINESS ACQUISITIONS

 

In April 2002, the Company completed the acquisition of DOME imaging systems, inc. (“DOME”). DOME designs, manufactures, and markets computer graphic imaging boards, flat-panel displays and software for original equipment manufacturers in the medical field and other advanced image processing applications. As a result of the acquisition, the Company is able to offer a broader range of medical display solutions, which complements our medical product line. The acquisition was accounted for as a purchase and, accordingly, the operations of DOME have been included in the consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition.

 

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

Sales

 

The Company’s sales of $60.1 million in the second quarter of 2003 increased $11.2 million or 23.0% as compared to $48.9 million in the second quarter of 2002. The increase in sales was principally due to higher sales of $4.9 million and $6.9 million in the Medical and Commercial segments, which increased 27.3% and 52.3% respectively. The increase in the Medical segment as compared to the second quarter of 2002 was primarily due to revenues associated with the acquisition of DOME, which were not included in the results of operations in the comparable period of the prior year, offset by decreases in revenues associated with EL products. The increase in the Commercial segment was due to new product introductions, a broader distributor network and increased market penetration. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in the Industrial segment of $550,000 or 3.1% as compared to the second quarter of 2002. The Company expects revenue for fiscal 2003 of approximately $230.0 million, which includes $70.0 to $80.0 million in Commercial segment sales.

 

The Company’s sales of $116.8 million in the first six months of 2003 increased $27.2 million or 30.3% as compared to $89.6 million in the first six months of 2002. The increase in sales was principally due to higher sales of $13.9 million and $14.5 million in the Medical and Commercial segments, which increased 43.1% and 66.3% respectively. In the Industrial segment revenues decreased $1.1 million or 3.1% in the first six months of 2003 as compared to the first six months of 2002. The increases and decreases were due to the same reasons as those noted above with respect to the second quarter of 2003.

 

 

International sales decreased by 1.6% to $13.0 million in the second quarter of 2003 as compared to $13.2 million recorded in the same quarter of the prior year. International sales for the first six months of 2003 increased by 5.2% to $25.2 million as compared to $24.0 million recorded in the comparable period a year ago. The increase in international sales in the six month period was related to strong sales in the Industrial segment. As a percentage of total sales, international sales decreased to 21.6% in the second quarter of 2003 as compared to 27.1% in same quarter for the prior year. For the first six months of 2003, international sales, as a percentage of total sales, were 21.6% as compared to 26.7% in the first six months of 2002. These decreases in international sales as a percentage of total sales were mainly attributable to the increased sales of commercial and digital imaging products in the United States.

 

 

Gross Profit

 

 

The Company’s gross profit as a percentage of sales increased to 32.2% in the second quarter of 2003 from 27.0% in the second quarter of 2002. The increase in gross margins in the second quarter of 2003 was due to higher margins associated with the digital imaging products which were acquired with the acquisition of DOME. For the first six months of 2003, the Company’s gross margins were 30.9% as compared to 28.6% in the same period in the prior year. This increase in gross margins for the first half of 2003 was due to changes in product mix including the incremental impact related to the DOME line of products. For 2003, the Company expects gross margins to be approximately 31.0% to 32.0%.

 

Research and Development

 

 

Research and development expenses increased in the second quarter of 2003 by $387,000 or 14.4% to $3.1 million as compared to $2.7 million in the second quarter of 2002. This increase is primarily due to the continued investment in product development and Quantum projects, lower contract funding and higher personnel costs. For the first six months of 2003, research and development expenses increased $154,000 or 2.9% to $5.5 million from $5.3 million in the first six months of the prior year as a result of increased spending in the second quarter of 2003. As a percentage of sales, research and development expenses decreased to 5.1% in the second quarter of 2003 as compared to 5.5% in the same quarter of the prior year. As a percentage of sales, research and development expenses decreased to 4.7% in the first six months of 2003 as compared to 5.9% in the first half of 2002. These percentage decreases were primarily due to higher revenues in the current quarter and first half of 2003.

 

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Sales and Marketing

 

Sales and marketing expenses increased $1.7 million or 49.7% to $5.1 million in the second quarter of 2003 as compared to $3.4 million in the same quarter of the prior year. Sales and marketing expenses increased $3.6 million or 56.7% to $9.8 million in the first six months of 2003 as compared to $6.3 million in the same period of the prior year. These increases were primarily due to higher sales and marketing expenses due to the acquisition of DOME, higher advertising expenses associated with our Commercial segment, higher personnel costs and higher marketing expenses due to a brand development project. As a percentage of sales, sales and marketing expenses increased to 8.5% in the second quarter of 2003 as compared to 7.0% in the second quarter of the prior year. As a percentage of sales, sales and marketing expenses increased to 8.4% in the first six months of 2003 as compared to 7.0% in the same period of the prior year. These increases were primarily due to increased investment in branding, marketing and sales.

 

General and Administrative

 

General and administrative expenses increased $1.4 million or 44.5% to $4.7 million in the second quarter of 2003 from $3.3 million in the same period from the prior year. General and administrative expenses increased $2.6 million or 41.3 % to $9.1 million in the first six months of 2003 from $6.4 million in the same period of the prior year. The increases in general and administrative expenses were primarily due to increased personnel costs and the inclusion of DOME. As a percentage of sales, general and administrative expenses increased to 7.8% in the second quarter of 2003 from 6.7% in the same period from the prior year. For the first six months of 2003, general and administrative expenses, as a percentage of sales, increased to 7.8% from 7.2% for the same period of the prior year. These increases were primarily due to the acquisition of DOME and higher personnel costs.

 

Amortization of Intangible Assets

 

Expenses for the amortization of intangible assets were $708,000 for the second quarter of 2003 and $1.4 million for the first six months of 2003. There was no amortization in the first half of the prior year as the acquisition of DOME did not occur until the third quarter of fiscal 2002.

 

Non–Recurring Charges

 

LCD, EL and Photonics Charges

 

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2002, the Company made decisions to transition its PMLCD product manufacturing from Wisconsin to China, consolidate its EL product manufacturing into a single factory in Finland and terminate the photonics Quantum programs that were directed at the optical telecom markets. These actions were intended to align operations with current market conditions and to improve the profitability of operations. The Company has completed its transition of PMLCD product manufacturing to China at the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2003. The consolidation of its EL manufacturing facilities into one facility in Finland is expected to be completed by the end of fiscal 2003. The termination of the photonics Quantum programs was completed by the end of fiscal 2002. As a result of these decisions, the Company recorded charges of $20.0 million, including charges primarily for impairment of fixed assets, severance related to workforce reductions of 236 employees, excess inventory and lease cancellation and restoration costs. Cash of $4.1 million was expected to be used in connection with severance and lease cancellation and restoration costs.

 

The Company recorded fixed asset impairment charges of $14.3 million as a result of these decisions. The majority of these charges relate to equipment and machinery and included estimates for the sales proceeds based upon prices for similar assets in the used equipment market. There are also amounts included in the impairment charge for the buildings and land of our Wisconsin manufacturing facilities, which are based upon quoted real estate market prices. These facilities are currently listed for sale. The Company has also recorded charges of $1.5 million related to excess and obsolete inventory, which has been identified as a direct result of the decision to consolidate facilities or transition the products to offshore manufacturers resulting in the exit of certain product lines. The Company has also recorded a charge of $1.7 million for lease cancellations and restoration. In addition, the Company has recorded severance charges of $2.4 million. The charges of $1.5 million related to inventory have been recorded as cost of sales in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2002. The remaining charges of $18.5 million have been recorded as non-recurring charges in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

 

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CRT Charges

 

During the third quarter of fiscal 2001, the Company made a decision to close its military CRT business. This business was a mature business, in which the customers had been converting to flat panel displays over the past few years. The Company received last time buy orders from customers and shipped all of those orders in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2001. The Company completed the closing of this business in the first quarter of fiscal 2002. As a result of this decision, the Company recorded non-recurring charges of $1.2 million including charges for excess inventory, severance related to workforce reductions of 29 employees and lease cancellation costs. The inventory charge of $826,000 has been recorded as cost of sales and the remaining charges of $383,000 for severance charges and lease termination costs have been recorded as non-recurring charges in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. These actions were substantially completed by the end of fiscal 2002.

 

Current Year Activity

 

During the second quarter of 2003, the Company paid cash of $470,000 related to contractual liabilities, severance and lease termination costs. For the first six months of 2003, the cash paid was $1.4 million. The remaining amounts are expected to be paid primarily by the end of fiscal year 2003.

 

Total Operating Expenses

 

Total operating expenses increased $4.2 million or 45.3% to $13.6 million in the second quarter of 2003 from $9.4 million in the same period a year ago. For the first six months of 2003, total operating expenses increased $7.8 million or 43.2% to $25.8 million from $18.0 million in the same period of the prior year. These increases in operating expenses were primarily due to the acquisition of DOME and the payment of variable compensation during the first half of 2003. As a percentage of sales, operating expenses increased to 22.6% in the second quarter of 2003 from 19.2% in the same quarter of the prior year. As a percentage of sales, operating expenses increased to 22.0% in the first half of 2003 from 20.1% in the same period of the prior year. These increases were due to the acquisition of DOME and the payment of variable compensation in the first half of 2003. The Company believes that operating expenses will be approximately 22.0% of revenues in fiscal 2003.

 

Non–operating Income and Expense

 

Non–operating income and expense includes interest income on investments, interest expense and net foreign currency exchange gain or loss. In the second quarter of 2003 net interest expense increased from $171,000 in the second quarter of the prior year to $346,000. Net interest expense for the first six months of 2003 increased from $290,000 in 2002 to $811,000 in fiscal 2003. Net interest expense increased due to increased borrowings associated with the acquisition of DOME and lower interest income on cash and cash equivalents.

 

Foreign currency exchange gains and losses are related to timing differences in the receipt and payment of funds in various currencies and the conversion of cash, accounts receivable and accounts payable denominated in foreign currencies to the applicable functional currency. Foreign currency exchange gains and losses amounted to a loss of $51,000 in the second quarter of 2003, as compared to a loss of $29,000 in the second quarter of 2002. In the first six months of 2003, foreign currency gains and losses amounted to a loss of $83,000 as compared to a loss of $31,000 in the same period of the prior year.

 

The Company currently realizes about one–fifth of its revenue outside the United States and expects this to continue in the future. Additionally, the functional currency of the Company’s foreign subsidiary is the Euro which must be translated to U.S. Dollars for consolidation. The Company believes that this hedging will mitigate the risks associated with foreign currency fluctuations.

 

Provision for Income Taxes

 

The Company’s effective tax rate for the quarter and the six months ended March 28, 2003 was 34.0%, the same as for the quarter and the six months ended March 29, 2002. The differences between the effective tax rate and the federal statutory rate was due to the provision for state income taxes, permanent differences, research credits and the effects of the Company’s foreign tax rates. The Company believes that the effective tax rate for 2003 will be 34%.

 

Net Income

 

In the second quarter of fiscal 2003, net income was $3.6 million or $0.25 per diluted share. In the same quarter of the prior year, net income was $2.4 million or $0.18 per diluted share. For the first six months of fiscal 2003, net income was $6.3 million or $0.43 per diluted share as compared to $4.8 million or $0.36 per diluted share in the comparable period of the prior year. The Company expects net income of $1.00 per diluted share in fiscal 2003.

 

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LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

 

Net cash provided by operating activities was $19.2 million in the first six months of 2003. Net cash provided by operating activities in the first six months of 2002 was $2.6 million. The net cash provided by operations of $19.2 million in the first six months of 2003 primarily related to net income, depreciation and amortization, decreases in accounts receivable and inventories and increases in accounts payable and other current liabilities.

 

Cash of $853,000 was used to purchase plant, property and equipment during the first six months of 2003. These capital expenditures primarily related to manufacturing equipment and upgrades to computer hardware and software.

 

The Company has a credit agreement which consists of a revolving loan of $25.0 million and an original term loan of $15.0 million. As of March 28, 2003 and September 27, 2002, the total amounts outstanding under the revolving loan were $20 million and $25.0 million, respectively, and the total amounts outstanding under the term loan were $5.5 million and $13.1 million, respectively. Total unused and available borrowing capacity under the revolving loan as of March 28, 2003 was $5.0 million. The revolving loan is due in April 2004. The term loan is due in quarterly installments of $1.9 million. The loans are secured by substantially all assets of the Company. As of March 28, 2003, interest rates ranged from 3.88% to 4.25%. The interest rate can fluctuate quarterly based upon the actual leverage ratio between the lesser of the Libor rate plus 125 basis points or the prime rate and the greater of the Libor rate plus 325 basis points or the prime rate plus 50 basis points. The loans also include various financial covenants including a leverage ratio, a fixed charge coverage ratio, tangible net worth and capital expenditure limits. Borrowings outstanding under certain equipment financing loans were $3.5 million and $11.7 million as of March 28, 2003 and September 27, 2002, respectively. These loans bear interest at an average rate of 6.6%. A portion of the remaining balances is expected to be paid off during the third quarter of fiscal 2003. The Company also has a capital lease for the leasehold improvements in the new offices. The total minimum lease payments are $1.6 million, which are payable over seven years. The Company believes its existing cash and investments together with cash generated from operations and existing borrowing capabilities will be sufficient to meet the Company’s working capital requirements for the foreseeable future.

 

Item 3.    Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risks

 

The Company’s exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates relates primarily to its investment portfolio, and short–term and long–term debt obligations. The Company mitigates its risk by diversifying its investments among high credit quality securities in accordance with the Company’s investment policy.

 

The Company believes that its net income or cash flow exposure relating to rate changes for short–term and long–term debt obligations is not material. The Company primarily enters into debt obligations to support acquisitions, capital expenditures and working capital needs. The Company does not hedge any interest rate exposures.

 

Interest expense is affected by the general level of U.S. interest rates and/or Libor rates. Increases in interest expense resulting from an increase in interest rates would be at least partially offset by a corresponding increase in interest earned on the Company’s investments.

 

The Euro is the functional currency of the Company’s subsidiary in Finland. The Company enters into foreign exchange forward contracts to hedge certain balance sheet exposures and intercompany balances against future movements in foreign exchange rates. The forward exchange contracts are settled and renewed on a monthly basis in order to maintained a balance between the balance sheet exposures and the contract amounts. The Company maintained open contracts of approximately $6.8 million as of March 28, 2003. If rates shifted dramatically, the Company believes it would not be materially impacted. In addition, the Company does maintain cash balances denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. If foreign exchange rates were to weaken against the U.S. dollar, the Company believes that the fair value of these foreign currency amounts would not decline by a material amount.

 

Item 4.    Controls and Procedures

 

Within the 90-day period prior to the filing of this report, an evaluation was carried out under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and the Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures. Based on that evaluation, the CEO and CFO have concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms. Subsequent to the date of their evaluation, there were no significant changes in the Company’s internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect the disclosure controls, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

 

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Part II. OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 2. Changes in Securities

 

During the second fiscal quarter of 2003, the Company sold securities without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) upon the exercise of certain stock options granted under the Company’s stock option plans. An aggregate of 1,000 shares of Common Stock was issued at exercise prices of $6.50. These transactions were effected in reliance upon the exemption from registration under the Securities Act provided by Rule 701 promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to authority granted under Section 3 (b) of the Securities Act.

 

Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Shareholders

 

The Company’s 2003 Annual Meeting of Shareholders was held January 31, 2003, at which the following actions were taken by a vote of shareholders:

 

1. The following nominees were elected as Directors by the votes and for the terms as indicated below:

 

Nominee


  

For


  

Withheld


  

Term Ending


Balaji Krishnamurthy

  

11,698,484

  

85,205

  

2006

E. Kay Stepp

  

10,929,469

  

854,220

  

2006

 

Item 5. Other Information

 

The following issues and uncertainties, among others, should be considered in evaluating the Company’s future financial performance and prospects for growth. The following information should be read in conjunction with Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (Item 7) contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 27, 2002.

 

The following issues and uncertainties, among others, should be considered in evaluating the Company’s future financial performance and prospects for growth.

 

A significant slowdown in the demand for our customers’ products would adversely affect our business.

 

We design and manufacture various display solutions that our customers incorporate into their products. As a result, our success depends upon the widespread market acceptance of our customers’ products. Accordingly, we must identify industries that have significant growth potential and establish relationships with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) or resellers in those industries. Our failure to identify potential growth opportunities or establish relationships with OEMs or resellers in those industries would adversely affect our business. Our dependence on the success of the products of our customers exposes us to a variety of risks, including the following:

 

    our ability to match our design and manufacturing capacity with customer demand and to maintain satisfactory delivery schedules;

 

    customer order patterns, changes in order mix and the level and timing of orders placed by customers that we can manufacture and ship in a quarter; and

 

    the cyclical nature of the industries and markets our customers serve.

 

Our failure to address these risks may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We are subject to lengthy development periods and product acceptance cycles.

 

Some of our products are sold to OEMs, which are then incorporated into the products they sell. OEMs make the determination during their product development programs whether to incorporate our displays or pursue other alternatives. This requires us to make significant investments of time and capital in the custom design of display modules well before our customers introduce their products incorporating these displays and before we can be sure that we will generate any significant sales to our customers or even recover our investment. During a customer’s entire product development process, we face the risk that our display will fail to meet our customer’s technical, performance, or cost requirements or will be replaced by a competing product, an alternative technological solution or the customer’s own internally produced product. Even if we complete our design process in a manner satisfactory to our customer, the customer may delay or terminate its product development efforts. The occurrence of any of these events would adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

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We do not have long-term purchase commitments from our customers.

 

Our customers generally do not provide us with firm, long-term volume purchase commitments. Our business is generally characterized by short-term purchase orders. We typically plan our production and inventory levels based on internal forecasts of customer demand which rely in part on nonbinding forecasts provided by our customers. As a result, our noncancellable backlog generally does not exceed three or four months, which makes forecasting our revenues difficult. Inaccuracies in our forecast as a result of changes in customer demand or otherwise may result in our holding excess and obsolete inventory or having unabsorbed manufacturing overhead. The Company also believes its backlog may be of limited utility in predicting future sales since its commercial monitor business and a growing portion of its medical business operate on a ship-to-order basis with very little backlog. The failure to obtain anticipated orders and deferrals or cancellations of purchase commitments because of changes in customer requirements could have a material adverse affect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We have experienced such problems in the past and may experience such problems in the future.

 

We face intense competition.

 

The market for information displays is highly competitive, and we expect this to continue. We believe that over time this competition will have the effect of reducing average selling prices of our products. Certain of our competitors have substantially greater name recognition and financial, technical, marketing and other resources than we do. In addition, certain of our competitors have made and continue to make significant investments in the construction of manufacturing facilities for AMLCDs and other advanced displays. There is no assurance that our competitors will not succeed in developing or marketing products that would render our products obsolete or noncompetitive. To the extent we are unable to compete effectively against our competitors, whether due to such practices or otherwise, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially adversely affected.

 

In response to competitive pressure in the marketplace, we are preparing an application for 510(K) class 2 certification, by the Food and Drug Administration, of our CX series of digital imaging products. Failure to complete this process, or gain approval, will result in continued pressure in the marketplace and could lead to reduced revenue.

 

Our ability to compete successfully depends on a number of factors, both within and outside our control. These factors include the following:

 

    our success in designing and manufacturing new product solutions, including those implementing new technologies;

 

    our ability to address the needs of our customers;

 

    the quality, performance, reliability, features, ease of use, pricing and diversity of our product solutions;

 

    foreign currency fluctuations, which may cause a foreign competitor’s products to be priced significantly lower than our product solutions;

 

    the cost of electronic components and glass from our suppliers;

 

    the quality of our customer services;

 

    our efficiency of production;

 

    transportation and freight costs;

 

    the rate at which customers incorporate our product solutions into their own products; and

 

    product or technology introductions by our competitors.

 

Shortages of components and materials may delay or reduce our sales and increase our costs.

 

Inability to obtain sufficient quantities of components and other materials necessary to produce our displays could result in reduced or delayed sales or lost orders. Any delay in or loss of sales could adversely impact our operating results. We obtain many of the materials we use in the manufacture of our products from a limited number of suppliers, in some cases sole suppliers, and we do not have long-term supply contracts with any of them. As a result, we are subject to increased costs, supply interruptions and difficulties in obtaining materials including port lockouts and other difficulties which are outside of our control.

 

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Our customers also may encounter difficulties or increased costs in obtaining from others the materials necessary to produce their products into which our displays are incorporated.

 

We are increasing our reliance on Asian manufacturing companies for the manufacture of displays that we sell in all markets that the Company serves. We also rely on certain other contract manufacturing operations in Asia for the manufacture of circuit boards and other components and the manufacture and assembly of certain of our products. If any of these Asian manufacturers were to terminate its arrangements with us or become unable to provide these displays to us on a timely basis, we could be unable to sell our products until alternative manufacturing arrangements could be made. Furthermore, there is no assurance that we would be able to establish replacement manufacturing or assembly arrangements and relationships on acceptable terms, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operation.

 

Our reliance on contract manufacturers involves certain risks, including:

 

    the lack of control over production capacity and delivery schedules;

 

    limited control over quality assurance, manufacturing yields and production costs;

 

    the risks associated with international commerce, including unexpected changes in legal and regulatory requirements, foreign currency fluctuations and changes in tariffs; and

 

    trade policies and political and economic instability.

 

Some of the Asian contract manufacturers with which we do business are located in Taiwan. In 1999, Taiwan experienced several earthquakes which resulted in many Taiwanese companies experiencing business interruptions. Our business could suffer significantly if these Asian contract manufacturers or other significant vendors’ operations were disrupted for an extended period of time.

 

We must maintain satisfactory manufacturing yields and capacity.

 

Our inability to maintain high levels of productivity or to satisfy delivery schedules at our manufacturing facilities would adversely affect our operating results. The design and manufacture of our displays involves highly complex processes that are sensitive to a wide variety of factors, including the level of contaminants in the manufacturing environment, impurities in the materials used and the performance of personnel and equipment. At times we have experienced lower than anticipated manufacturing yields and lengthening of delivery schedules and may experience such problems in the future, particularly with respect to new products or technologies. Any such problems could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our continued success depends on the development of new products and technologies.

 

Our future results of operations will depend in part on our ability to improve and market our existing products and to successfully develop, manufacture and market new products. If we are not able to continue to improve and market our existing products, develop and market new products and continue to make technological developments, our products or technology could become obsolete or noncompetitive. New products and markets, by their nature, present significant risks of failure. Even if we are successful in developing new products, new products typically result in pressure on gross margins during the initial phases as costs of manufacturing start-up activities are spread over lower initial sales volumes. We have experienced lower than expected yields with respect to new products and processes in the past. These low yields have a negative impact on gross margins. In addition, customer relationships can be negatively impacted due to production problems and late delivery of shipments.

 

A portion of our display products relies on EL technology, which constitutes only a small portion of the information display market. Some of our competitors are investing substantial resources in the development and manufacture of displays using a number of alternative technologies. If these efforts result in the development of products that offer significant advantages over our products, and we are unable to improve our technology or develop or acquire an alternative technology that is more competitive, our business, financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected.

 

Our future operating results will depend to a significant extent on our ability to continue to provide new product solutions that compare favorably on the basis of time to introduction, cost and performance with the design and manufacturing capabilities of OEMs and competitive third-party suppliers. Our success in attracting new customers and developing new business depends on various factors, including the following:

 

    utilization of advances in technology;

 

    innovative development of new solutions for customer products;

 

    efficient and cost-effective services; and

 

    timely completion of the design and manufacture of new product solutions.

 

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Our efforts to develop new technologies may not result in commercial success.

 

Our research and development efforts with respect to new technologies may not result in customer or widespread market acceptance. Some or all of those technologies may not successfully make the transition from the research and development lab to cost-effective production as a result of technology problems, competitive cost issues, yield problems and other factors. Even when we successfully complete a research and development effort with respect to a particular technology, our customers may determine not to introduce or may terminate products utilizing the technology for a variety of reasons, including the following:

 

    difficulties with other suppliers of components for the products;

 

    superior technologies developed by our competitors;

 

    price considerations;

 

    lack of anticipated or actual market demand for the products; and

 

    unfavorable comparisons with products introduced by others.

 

Our efforts to sell commercial products in the end-user market may not continue to be successful.

 

In fiscal 2001, we began selling flat-panel AMLCD monitors in the commercial market. We generally have not sold our products in end-user markets and have entered into arrangements with a number of large computer retailers to market our commercial products. The market for our commercial products is highly competitive, subject to rapid price change and subject to changes in consumer tastes and demand. Our failure to successfully manage and control inventory levels or quickly respond to pricing changes, technological changes or changes in consumer tastes and demand could result in excess and obsolete inventories of our commercial products which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

The commercial market has seen tremendous growth since we entered the market. Our revenue from commercial products has grown from nothing in fiscal 2000 to approximately $55 million in fiscal 2002 and was approximately $36 million in the first six months of fiscal 2003. This revenue could also just as quickly decrease due to competition, alternative products, pricing changes in the market place and potential shortages of products which would adversely affect our revenue levels and our results of operations.

 

We face risks associated with international operations.

 

Our manufacturing, sales and distribution operations in Europe and Asia create a number of logistical and communications challenges. Our international operations also expose us to various economic, political, health and other risks, including the following:

 

    management of a multi-national organization;

 

    compliance with local laws and regulatory requirements as well as changes in those laws and requirements;

 

    employment and severance issues;

 

    overlap of tax issues;

 

    tariffs and duties;

 

    possible employee turnover or labor unrest;

 

    lack of developed infrastructure;

 

    public health concerns;

 

    the burdens and costs of compliance with a variety of foreign laws; and

 

    political or economic instability in certain parts of the world.

 

Changes in policies by the United States or foreign governments resulting in, among other things, increased duties, higher taxation, currency conversion limitations, restrictions on the transfer or repatriation of funds, limitations on imports or exports, or the expropriation of private enterprises also could have a material adverse effect on us. Any actions by our host countries to reverse policies that encourage foreign investment or foreign trade also could adversely affect our operating results. In addition, U.S. trade policies, such as “most favored nation” status and trade preferences for certain Asian nations, could affect the attractiveness of our services to our U.S. customers.

 

 

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Variability of customer requirements may adversely affect our operating results.

 

Custom manufacturers for OEMs must provide increasingly rapid product turnaround and respond to ever-shorter lead times. A variety of conditions, both specific to individual customers and generally affecting the demand for their products, may cause customers to cancel, reduce, or delay orders. Cancellations, reductions, or delays by a significant customer or by a group of customers could adversely affect our business. On occasion, customers require rapid increases in production, which can strain our resources and reduce our margins. We may lack sufficient capacity at any given time to meet our customers’ demands if their demands exceed anticipated levels.

 

Our operating results have significant fluctuations.

 

In addition to the variability resulting from the short-term nature of our customers’ commitments, other factors contribute to significant periodic quarterly fluctuations in our results of operations. These factors include the following:

 

    the timing of shipments;

 

    the volume of shipments relative to our capacity;

 

    product introductions and market acceptance of new products or new generations of products;

 

    evolution in the life cycles of customers’ products;

 

    timing of expenditures in anticipation of future orders;

 

    effectiveness in managing manufacturing processes;

 

    changes in cost and availability of labor and components;

 

    product mix;

 

    pricing and availability of competitive products and services; and

 

    changes or anticipated changes in economic conditions.

 

Accordingly, the results of any past periods should not be relied upon as an indication of our future performance. It is likely, that in some future period, our operating results may be below expectations of securities analysts or investors. If this occurs, our stock price may decrease.

 

We must effectively manage our growth.

 

The failure to manage our growth effectively could adversely affect our operations. We have increased the number of our growth initiatives and may expand further the number and diversity of such initiatives in the future. Our ability to manage our planned growth effectively will require us to:

 

    enhance our operational, financial and management systems;

 

    expand our facilities and equipment; and

 

    successfully hire, train and motivate additional employees.

 

The expansion and diversification of our product and customer base may result in increases in our overhead and selling expenses. We also may be required to increase staffing and other expenses as well as our expenditures on capital equipment in order to meet the anticipated demand of our customers. Any increase in expenditures in anticipation of future orders that do not materialize would adversely affect our profitability. Customers also may require rapid increases in design and production services that place an excessive short-term burden on our resources.

 

We must protect our intellectual property, and others could infringe on or misappropriate our rights.

 

We believe that our continued success depends in part on protecting our proprietary technology. We rely on a combination of patent, trade secret and trademark laws, confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions to protect our intellectual property. We seek to protect elements of our technology under trade-secret laws, which afford only limited protection. We face risks associated with our intellectual property, including the following:

 

    pending patent applications may not be issued;

 

    intellectual property laws may not protect our intellectual property rights;

 

    third parties may challenge, invalidate, or circumvent any patent issued to us;

 

    rights granted under patents issued to us may not provide competitive advantages to us;

 

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    unauthorized parties may attempt to obtain and use information that we regard as proprietary despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights; and

 

    others may independently develop similar technology or design around any patents issued to us.

 

We may find it necessary to take legal action in the future to enforce or protect our intellectual property rights or to defend against claims of infringement. Litigation can be very expensive and can distract our management’s time and attention, which could adversely affect our business. In addition, we may not be able to obtain a favorable outcome in any intellectual property litigation.

 

Third parties could claim that we are infringing their patents or other intellectual property rights. In the event that a third party alleges that we are infringing its rights, we may not be able to obtain licenses on commercially reasonable terms from the third party, if at all, or the third party may commence litigation against us. The failure to obtain necessary licenses or other rights or the institution of litigation arising out of such claims could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

The market price of our common stock may be volatile.

 

The market price of our common stock has been subject to wide fluctuations. During the past four fiscal quarters, the closing market price of our stock has ranged from $12.21 to $25.59. The trading price of our common stock in the future is likely to continue to be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, including the following:

 

    variations in our quarterly operating results;

 

    actual or anticipated announcements of technical innovations or new product developments by us or our competitors;

 

    changes in analysts’ estimates of our financial performance;

 

    general conditions in the electronics industry; and

 

    fluctuations in the U.S. equities markets.

 

Public stock markets have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have particularly affected the market prices for many high-technology companies and that often have been unrelated to the operating performance of these companies. These broad market fluctuations and other factors may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

 

We must finance the growth of our business and the development of new products.

 

To remain competitive, we must continue to make significant investments in research and development. From time to time, we pursue research and development of new technologies and products. Some of these projects can result in significant expenditures for materials, labor and overhead, and there are no guarantees that these new technologies or products will result in future revenues which would materially adversely affect our operating results.

 

From time to time, we may seek additional equity or debt financing to pursue acquisitions. We cannot predict the timing or amount of any such capital requirements at this time. If such financing is not available on satisfactory terms, we may be unable to expand our business or to develop new business at the rate desired and our operating results may suffer. Debt financing increases expenses and must be repaid regardless of operating results. Debt financing is often subject to financial covenants such as leverage ratio, fixed charge coverage ratio, tangible net worth and capital expenditure limits. As these financial ratios change, they could impact the interest rates on the related debt and failure to meet required financial covenants could cause lenders to demand early repayment of debt with negative consequences for the Company. Equity financing could result in additional dilution to current stockholders.

 

We may pursue acquisitions and investments that could adversely affect our business.

 

In the past we have made, and in the future we may make, acquisitions of and investments in businesses, products and technologies that are intended to complement our business, expand the breadth of our markets, enhance our technical capabilities, or otherwise offer growth opportunities. If we make any future acquisitions, we could issue stock, incur substantial debt, or assume contingent liabilities. Any acquisitions that we undertake, including our recent acquisitions of DOME imaging systems, inc. and AllBrite Technologies, Inc., could be difficult to integrate, disrupt our business, dilute shareholder value and harm our operating results. Any such acquisitions also involve numerous risks, including the following:

 

    problems assimilating the purchased operations, technologies, or products

 

    unanticipated costs associated with the acquisition;

 

    diversion of management’s attention from our core or existing businesses;

 

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    adverse effects on existing business relationships with suppliers and customers;

 

    risks associated with entering markets in which we have no or limited prior experience; and

 

    potential loss of key employees of purchased organizations.

 

There can be no assurance that we would be successful in overcoming problems encountered in connection with such acquisitions, and our inability to do so could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Item 7. Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K

 

(a)   Exhibits:

 

99.1

  

Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

99.2

  

Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

(b)   Reports on Form 8-K:

 

The company filed a report on Form 8-K on April 17, 2003, in which it reported the issuance of a press release announcing its financial results for the quarter and six months ended March 28, 2003.

 

 

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements 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.

 

       

PLANAR SYSTEMS, INC.

(Registrant)

DATE: May 12, 2003

     

/s/    STEVEN J. BUHALY        


           

Steven J. Buhaly

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

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CERTIFICATIONS

 

I, Balaji Krishnamurthy, certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Planar Systems, Inc.;

 

2. Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this quarterly report;

 

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements and other financial information included in this quarterly report fairly present, in all material respects, the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this quarterly report;

 

4. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in the Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and we have:

 

a. designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;

 

b. evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this quarterly report (the “Evaluation Date”); and

 

c. presented in this quarterly report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on our evaluation as of the Evaluation Date;

 

5. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function):

 

a. all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data and have identified for the registrant’s auditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; and

 

b. any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal controls;

 

6. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have indicated in this quarterly report whether or not there were significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

 

Date: May 12, 2003

 

/s/    BALAJI KRISHNAMURTHY        


Balaji Krishnamurthy

President and Chief Executive Officer

 

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CERTIFICATIONS

 

I, Steven J. Buhaly, certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Planar Systems, Inc.;

 

2. Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this quarterly report;

 

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements and other financial information included in this quarterly report fairly present, in all material respects, the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this quarterly report;

 

4. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in the Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and we have:

 

a. designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;

 

b. evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this quarterly report (the “Evaluation Date”); and

 

c. presented in this quarterly report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on our evaluation as of the Evaluation Date;

 

5. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function):

 

a. all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data and have identified for the registrant’s auditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; and

 

b. any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal controls;

 

6. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have indicated in this quarterly report whether or not there were significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

 

Date: May 12, 2003

 

/s/    STEVEN J. BUHALY        


Steven J. Buhaly

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

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