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8-K - COURIER CORPORATION 8-K - COURIER Corpa50755835.htm

Exhibit 99.1

Education Gains Boost Courier Results

Customized Textbooks Continue to Lead Sales Growth

NORTH CHELMSFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--November 21, 2013--Courier Corporation (Nasdaq: CRRC), one of America’s leading innovators in book manufacturing, publishing and content management, today announced fourth-quarter and full-year results for its fiscal year ended September 28, 2013.

Courier’s 2013 fiscal year had 52 weeks. Its 2012 fiscal year had 53 weeks, with the extra week included in the fourth quarter.

Fourth-quarter revenues in fiscal 2013 were $84 million, up 9% from $77 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012. Net income in this year’s fourth quarter was $6.8 million or $.59 per diluted share, up from $5.7 million or $.50 per diluted share in last year’s fourth quarter, which included restructuring costs of $1.5 million or $.08 per diluted share primarily related to the writedown of an unutilized one-color press. Excluding those costs, fourth-quarter net income in fiscal 2012 was $6.6 million or $.58 per diluted share.

For the full year of fiscal 2013, Courier sales were $275 million, up 5% from $261 million for the 53 weeks of fiscal 2012. Net income was $11.2 million or $.98 per diluted share, up from $9.2 million or $.77 per diluted share last year, which included restructuring costs of $3.3 million or $.17 per diluted share as well as a first-quarter pretax gain of $0.6 million from the sale of certain non-operating assets. Excluding those items, net income for fiscal 2012 was $10.9 million or $.91 per diluted share. Details of last year’s restructuring costs and other items can be found in the tables at the end of this release.

The principal contributor to the sales increase, both for the quarter and for the year, was growing demand from educational publishers. Sales of textbooks for elementary and high schools rose, reversing several years of slower sales, while sales of college textbooks grew by a larger amount, led by sales of textbooks customized to the needs of individual professors, courses, institutions and geographic regions.


“We finished a very good year in the education market with a banner quarter in which total textbook sales rose more than 25%,” said Courier Chairman and Chief Executive Officer James F. Conway III. “Between our industry-leading textbook customization technology and our combination of four-color offset and digital inkjet printing capabilities, we are producing top-quality textbooks at a variety of run lengths to meet highly specific needs for publishers and educators alike. This past spring, we opened a second digital facility near our four-color offset plant in Kendallville, Indiana, to help meet demand throughout the United States. In addition, shortly after the close of the fiscal year we entered into new relationships which will enable us to extend the benefits of our technology to millions of students in Brazil.

“As always, we worked hard to help our customers succeed, and we continued to grow our share with our largest customers in both the education and religious markets. Our manufacturing and distribution relationship with our largest religious customer spans more than 100 countries and plays an expanding role in helping our customer deliver Scriptures to tens of millions of people each year. At the same time, we took an important step in a very different market with our April acquisition of California-based startup FastPencil, provider of a collaborative content management application as well as a self-publishing software platform that has been used by more than 50,000 content creators.

“Our publishing segment reported sales essentially even with last year, but cut its operating loss nearly in half as ebook sales passed the million-dollar mark and started to contribute significantly to profitability. Well over 4,000 print titles, representing all three of our publishing brands, are now available as ebooks on all the major retail platforms. Also, consumers can now obtain Dover’s entire ebook offering via direct download from a newly redesigned www.doverpublications.com website.

“Pleased as we were with our sales gains in book manufacturing, operating margins were under pressure from the combined effects of a very competitive pricing environment and lower recycling revenues. But cash flow remained strong, and while our debt at year-end was up by $10 million as a result of our investments in expanded digital capacity and FastPencil, we enter fiscal 2014 in solid financial condition. Confirming this judgment, Courier’s Board of Directors has once again declared a dividend of $.21 per share, the same as last quarter. In addition, following the expiration of the stock repurchase program authorized last year, the Board has issued a new authorization for the repurchase of up to $10 million in Courier stock.”


Book manufacturing: custom textbooks continue to outperform

Courier’s book manufacturing segment had fourth-quarter sales of $76 million, up 10% from $69 million last year. Fourth-quarter operating income in the segment was $10.8 million, versus $10.2 million last year including restructuring costs. Excluding those costs, the segment’s fourth-quarter operating income in fiscal 2012 was $11.7 million.

For the full year, book manufacturing sales were $247 million, up 6% from $233 million in fiscal 2012. The segment’s full-year operating income was $22.0 million, versus $20.7 million last year, including restructuring costs. Excluding those costs, fiscal 2012 operating income in the segment was $23.4 million.

The segment’s gross profit was $20.6 million or 27.1% of sales in the fourth quarter, versus $19.6 million or 28.4% of sales in last year’s fourth quarter excluding restructuring costs. Gross profit for fiscal 2013 was $53.9 million or 21.8% of sales, versus fiscal 2012 gross profit of $51.7 million or 22.2% of sales excluding restructuring costs. The reduction in gross profit margins resulted from intense price competition, reduced recycling income, and increased expense associated with the LIFO method of accounting for certain inventories. Other factors affecting the segment’s overall profitability included increased performance-based compensation costs and transaction costs related to the FastPencil acquisition and our pending investment in Brazil.

The book manufacturing segment focuses on three markets: education, religion, and specialty trade. Sales to the education market were $39 million in the fourth quarter, up 26% over the previous year. For the year, education sales were $112 million, up 14% from fiscal 2012, with most of the growth related to sales of college textbooks, but also renewed growth in sales of elementary and high school textbooks. Sales to the religious market were $19 million in the quarter, down 3% from last year; for fiscal 2013 as a whole, religious sales were $69 million, up 2% over fiscal 2012, in line with historical trends. Fourth-quarter sales to the specialty trade market were $16 million, down 4% from an exceptionally strong quarter last year; for the full year, specialty trade sales were $59 million, down 2% from fiscal 2012, reflecting tight inventory management leading to smaller print quantities.

Digital sales increased both in the fourth quarter and for the year as a whole, reflecting escalating demand for customized versions of college textbooks. With its Massachusetts digital facility running close to capacity, in April Courier opened a second digital production facility in Kendallville, Indiana, and utilization was high at both facilities through the balance of the year.


“The education market continues to deliver for us—as we do for our customers,” said Mr. Conway. “Our consistent policy of customer-focused investment is helping publishers and educators reach today’s students more effectively than ever with materials that provide a powerful, integrated learning experience. With our combination of offset and digital capacity, we can meet course-specific deadlines while producing efficiently at every scale across the full life cycle of every title. This capability is a key factor driving the continued expansion of our relationship with our major customer in the education market.

“Having successfully replicated our Massachusetts digital operations at our new Indiana facility, it was only natural for us to investigate other markets suitable for our technology and approach. Earlier this year we began discussions with leaders in Brazil’s education market, the largest in Latin America. In October we entered into a pair of agreements with Digital Page Gráfica E Editora, a Sao Paulo-based digital printing firm, and Santillana, the largest Spanish/Portuguese educational publisher in the world. We expect both agreements to close by the end of this calendar year. Under these agreements, through the combination of our customization technology and Digital Page’s manufacturing facilities, Santillana will become the first publisher in Brazil to offer textbooks customized to the needs of individual schools—while Courier takes a position as 40% owner of Digital Page.

“Sales to the religious market were down in the fourth quarter but up slightly for the full year, in keeping with our long history of quarter-to-quarter fluctuations with our largest religious customer. The decline in specialty trade sales reflects continued tight management of inventories and associated utilization to digital printing for certain titles. Though overall order flow in specialty trade remained consistent, we expect the pattern of tight inventory management to continue.

“Finally, our April acquisition of FastPencil and its popular self-publishing software platform brought us a ground-floor position in one of the industry’s fastest-growing segments. FastPencil’s workflow technology, licensing expertise and Premiere publishing imprint also offer significant benefits for established authors, particularly in combination with our digital print capabilities.”

Publishing: ebook sales making a difference

Courier’s publishing segment includes three businesses: Dover Publications, a niche publisher with thousands of titles in dozens of specialty trade markets; Research & Education Association (REA), a publisher of test preparation books and study guides; and Creative Homeowner, which publishes books and plans on home design, decorating, landscaping and gardening.


Fourth-quarter revenues for the segment were $10.3 million, up 2% over last year’s 14-week fourth quarter. Overall, the segment’s fourth-quarter operating income was $324,000, versus a loss of $426,000 in fiscal 2012.

For the year as a whole, publishing sales were $37.6 million, down 2% from $38.4 million in fiscal 2012. The segment’s operating loss for fiscal 2013 was $2.1 million, much improved from a fiscal 2012 loss of $4.4 million including restructuring costs, or $3.7 million excluding those costs. The improved performance reflected the continuation of stringent cost-control measures, reduced inventory obsolescence costs and increased ebook revenues.

“Dover continues to look better each quarter,” said Mr. Conway. “Our investment in ebooks is starting to generate a larger audience as well as improved profitability. In addition, the revamped website combines a refreshing new look with a host of new features including an improved shopping cart and the ability to bundle print and ebook purchases. Meanwhile, our other publishing brands continue to offer excellent content through a channel network still compromised by the loss of Borders and Home Depot. Yet with attentive management and increasingly effective use of digital print to minimize obsolescence costs, we have continued to bring the segment’s losses down as we pursue additional sales and distribution opportunities.”

Outlook

“We enter fiscal 2014 with exciting prospects, but also continuing challenges,” said Mr. Conway. “We continue to reap the benefits of our investments in customization and content management, and we are adding to those investments in order to expand our opportunities, both domestically and internationally. Yet at the same time, we face the same pressures on print pricing as the rest of the industry. As a result, while we expect revenues to continue to outpace the overall U.S. education market and maintain their growth pace with our largest religious customer, we expect growth in net income to be constrained by those continuing pressures, even as EBITDA rises.

“As in the past, we expect our performance in fiscal 2014 to follow a seasonal pattern, with the larger portion of our earnings coming in the second half.

“Overall, we expect fiscal 2014 sales of between $275 million and $295 million, compared to $275 million in fiscal 2013. We expect earnings per diluted share of between $.70 and $1.00, which compares with our fiscal 2013 earnings of $.98 per diluted share.


“In addition to measuring our performance by generally accepted accounting principles, we also track several non-GAAP measures including EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) as an additional indicator of the company's operating cash flow performance. This measure should be considered in addition to, not a substitute for or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. In fiscal 2014, we expect EBITDA to be between $41 million and $46 million, compared to $42 million in fiscal 2013.

“Factors not incorporated into this guidance include the possibility of future impairment or restructuring charges.”

About Courier Corporation

Courier Corporation is America’s third largest book manufacturer and a leader in content management and customization in new and traditional media. It also publishes books under three brands offering award-winning content and thousands of titles. Founded in 1824, Courier is headquartered in North Chelmsford, Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.courier.com.

This news release includes forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the continuation of the Company’s dividend for fiscal year 2014, expansion into e-books and digital content offerings, and the Company’s financial expectations for fiscal year 2014, including sales, EBITDA, earnings per share and capital expenditures. Statements that describe future expectations, plans or strategies are considered “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and releases issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate” and other expressions which are predictions of or indicate future events and trends and which do not relate to historical matters identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. Factors that could affect actual results include, among others, changes in customers’ demand for the Company’s products, including seasonal changes in customer orders and shifting orders to lower cost regions, changes in market growth rates, changes in raw material costs and availability, pricing actions by competitors and other competitive pressures in the markets in which the Company competes, consolidation among customers and competitors, insolvency of key customers or vendors, changes in the Company’s labor relations, changes in obligations of multiemployer pension plans, success in the execution of acquisitions and the performance and integration of acquired businesses including carrying value of intangible assets and contingent consideration, restructuring and impairment charges required under generally accepted accounting principles, changes in operating expenses including medical and energy costs, changes in technology including migration from paper-based books to digital, difficulties in the start up of new equipment or information technology systems, changes in copyright laws, changes in consumer product safety regulations, changes in environmental regulations, changes in tax regulations, changes in the Company’s effective income tax rate and general changes in economic conditions, including currency fluctuations, changes in interest rates, changes in consumer confidence, changes in the housing market, and tightness in the credit markets. Although the Company believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. The forward-looking statements included herein are made as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly such statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.


                     
COURIER CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
 
QUARTER ENDED YEAR ENDED
September 28, September 29, September 28, September 29,
2013   2012 (1) 2013   2012 (1)
 
Net sales $84,242 $77,100 $274,919 $261,320
Cost of sales 59,317   55,721   207,162   199,113  
 
Gross profit 24,925 21,379 67,757 62,207
 
Selling and administrative expenses 14,080   11,910   49,142   47,137  
 
Operating income 10,845 9,469 18,615 15,070
 
Interest expense, net 97 196 803 895
Other income -   -   -   (587 )
 
Income before taxes 10,748 9,273 17,812 14,762
 
Income tax provision 3,963   3,564   6,590   5,595  
 
Net income $6,785   $5,709   $11,222   $9,167  
 
Net income per diluted share $0.59   $0.50   $0.98   $0.77  
 
Cash dividends declared per share $0.21   $0.21   $0.84   $0.84  
 
Wtd. average diluted shares outstanding 11,438 11,446 11,431 11,928
 
SEGMENT INFORMATION:
 

Net sales:

Book Manufacturing $75,946 $69,177 $247,406 $233,040
Publishing 10,330 10,141 37,635 38,355
Elimination of intersegment sales (2,034 ) (2,218 ) (10,122 ) (10,075 )
Total $84,242 $77,100 $274,919 $261,320
 

Operating income (loss):

Book Manufacturing $10,814 $10,176 $21,953 $20,713
Publishing 324 (426 ) (2,069 ) (4,364 )
Stock based compensation (346 ) (331 ) (1,348 ) (1,429 )
Intersegment profit 53   50   79   150  
Total $10,845 $9,469 $18,615 $15,070
 
 
(1) Fiscal year 2012 was a 53-week period; the additional week was included in the fourth quarter.

                       
COURIER CORPORATION
SEGMENT RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited)
(In thousands)
 
 

BOOK MANUFACTURING SEGMENT

QUARTER ENDED YEAR ENDED
September 28, September 29, September 28, September 29,
2013 2012 (1) 2013 2012 (1)
 
Net sales $75,946 $69,177 $247,406 $233,040
Cost of sales 55,334 51,071   193,499   183,079  
 
Gross profit 20,612 18,106 53,907 49,961
 
Selling and administrative expenses 9,798 7,930   31,954   29,248  
 
Operating income $10,814 $10,176   $21,953   $20,713  
 
 
 
 
 
 

PUBLISHING SEGMENT

QUARTER ENDED YEAR ENDED
September 28, September 29, September 28, September 29,
2013 2012 (1) 2013 2012 (1)
 
Net sales $10,330 $10,141 $37,635 $38,355
Cost of sales 6,069 6,919   23,864   26,259  
 
Gross profit 4,261 3,222 13,771 12,096
 
Selling and administrative expenses 3,937 3,648   15,840   16,460  
 
Operating income (loss) $324 ($426 ) ($2,069 ) ($4,364 )
 
 
(1) Fiscal year 2012 was a 53-week period; the additional week was included in the fourth quarter.

             
COURIER CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)
(In thousands)
   
 
September 28, September 29,

ASSETS

2013 2012
 
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $57 $64
Investments 1,012 765
Accounts receivable 43,837 35,152
Inventories 35,086 36,364
Deferred income taxes 3,954 4,273
Other current assets 2,579 950
Total current assets 86,525 77,568
 
Property, plant and equipment, net 93,051 89,952
Goodwill and other intangibles 25,853 17,880
Prepublication costs 6,717 7,135
Deferred income taxes 2,827 3,451
Other assets 2,021 1,374
 
Total assets $216,994 $197,360
 
 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

 
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt $1,125 $1,872
Accounts payable 13,699 11,364
Accrued taxes 3,117 3,857
Other current liabilities 18,033 15,777
Total current liabilities 35,974 32,870
 
Long-term debt 24,583 13,696
Other liabilities 10,393 6,283
 
Total liabilities 70,950 52,849
 
Total stockholders' equity 146,044 144,511
 
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $216,994 $197,360

             
COURIER CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)
(In thousands)
 
For the Years Ended
September 28, September 29,
2013 2012
Operating Activities:
Net income $11,222 $9,167
Adjustments to reconcile net income to
cash provided from operating activities:
 
Depreciation and amortization 23,526 25,060
Stock-based compensation 1,348 1,429
Deferred income taxes 746 479
Gain on disposition of assets - (587 )
Change in fair value of contingent consideration 275 100
Changes in other working capital (3,707 ) 5,244
Other long-term, net (1,272 ) (1,909 )
 
Cash provided from operating activities 32,138   38,983  
 
Investment Activities:
Capital expenditures (22,168 ) (9,934 )
Business acquisition, net of cash acquired (5,000 ) -
Prepublication costs (3,421 ) (4,069 )
Proceeds on disposition of assets 166 587
Investments (747 ) 376  
 
Cash used for investment activities (31,170 ) (13,040 )
 
Financing Activities:
Long-term debt borrowings (repayments), net 10,140 (5,954 )
Cash dividends (9,651 ) (10,098 )
Stock repurchases (1,568 ) (10,000 )
Proceeds from stock plans 339 344
Other (235 ) (275 )
 
Cash used for financing activities (975 ) (25,983 )
 
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents ($7 ) ($40 )
 
 
In addition to measuring our performance by generally accepted accounting principles, we also track several non-GAAP measures including EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) as additional indicators of the company's operating cash flow performance. These measures should be considered in addition to, not a substitute for or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.
 
Non-GAAP reconciliation - EBITDA:
Net income $11,222 $9,167
Income tax provision 6,590 5,595
Interest expense, net 803 895
Depreciation and amortization 23,526 25,060
Change in fair value of contingent consideration 275 100
Restructuring costs - 1,892
Other income -   (587 )
EBITDA $42,416   $42,122  

                                     
COURIER CORPORATION
OTHER RECONCILIATIONS OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP MEASURES (Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
 
 
 
Quarter Ended September 29, 2012 Year Ended September 29, 2012
Income Income Net Income Income Income Net Income
Before Tax Net per Diluted Before Tax Net per Diluted
Taxes Provision Income   Share Taxes Provision   Income   Share
 
GAAP basis measures $9,273 $3,564 $5,709 $0.50 $14,762 $5,595 $9,167 $0.77
 
Restructuring costs (1 ) 1,511 580 931 0.08 3,325 1,260 2,065 0.17
Other income (2 ) - -   -   -   (587 ) (222 ) (365 ) (0.03 )
 
Non-GAAP measures $10,784 $4,144   $6,640   $0.58   $17,500   $6,633   $10,867   $0.91  
 
 
 

BOOK MANUFACTURING SEGMENT

Quarter Ended September 29, 2012   Year Ended September 29, 2012
GAAP Basis Non-Recurring Non-GAAP GAAP Basis Non-Recurring Non-GAAP
Measures Items (1) Measures Measures   Items (1) Measures
 
Net sales $69,177 $69,177 $233,040 $233,040
Cost of sales 51,071   (1,511 ) 49,560   183,079   (1,723 ) 181,356  
 
Gross profit 18,106 1,511 19,617 49,961 1,723 51,684
 
Selling and administrative expenses 7,930   -   7,930   29,248   (961 ) 28,287  
 
Operating income $10,176   $1,511   $11,687   $20,713   $2,684   $23,397  
 
 

PUBLISHING SEGMENT

Quarter Ended September 29, 2012 Year Ended September 29, 2012
GAAP Basis Non-Recurring Non-GAAP GAAP Basis Non-Recurring Non-GAAP
Measures Items (1) Measures Measures   Items (1) Measures
 
Net sales $10,141 $10,141 $38,355 $38,355
Cost of sales 6,919     6,919   26,259     26,259  
 
Gross profit 3,222 - 3,222 12,096 - 12,096
 
Selling and administrative expenses 3,648   -   3,648   16,460   (641 ) 15,819  
 
Operating loss ($426 ) $0   ($426 ) ($4,364 ) $641   ($3,723 )
 
 
(1 )

During the prior year, cost reduction measures were taken in both of the Company's operating segments. Related severance and post-retirement benefit expenses were $1.9 million, while accelerated depreciation associated with a reduction in the Company's one-color offset press capacity of $1.4 million was recorded in the fourth quarter of last year.

 
(2 )

During the first quarter of last year, the Company recorded a $0.6 million gain associated with the sale of its interests in non-operating real property relating to cell towers.

CONTACT:
Courier Corporation
James F. Conway III, 978-251-6000
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
or
Peter M. Folger, 978-251-6000
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
www.courier.com