UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

OR

Commission File Number 1-15589

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (402) 331-3727

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

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

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

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

The Registrant had 678,938 shares of its $.01 par value common stock outstanding as of January 16, 2017.

Form 10-Q

1st Quarter

INDEX

PART I — FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1.      Financial Statements  

AMCON Distributing Company and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated unaudited financial statements.

AMCON Distributing Company and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Unaudited Statements of Operations

for the three months ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated unaudited financial statements.

AMCON Distributing Company and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Unaudited Statements of Cash Flows

for the three months ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated unaudited financial statements.

AMCON Distributing Company and Subsidiaries

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Unaudited Financial Statements

1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

AMCON Distributing Company and Subsidiaries (“AMCON” or the “Company”) operate two business segments:

WHOLESALE SEGMENT

Our Wholesale Segment is one of the largest wholesale distributors in the United States serving approximately 4,000 retail outlets including convenience stores, grocery stores, liquor stores, drug stores, and tobacco shops. We currently distribute over 16,000 different consumer products, including cigarettes and tobacco products, candy and other confectionery, beverages, groceries, paper products, health and beauty care products, frozen and chilled products and institutional foodservice products. Convenience stores represent our largest customer category. In September 2016, Convenience Store News ranked us as the seventh (7th) largest convenience store distributor in the United States based on annual sales.

Our wholesale business offers retailers the ability to take advantage of manufacturer and Company sponsored sales and marketing programs, merchandising and product category management services, and the use of information systems and data services that are focused on minimizing retailers’ investment in inventory, while seeking to maximize their sales and profits. In addition, our wholesale distributing capabilities provide valuable services to both manufacturers of consumer products and convenience retailers. Manufacturers benefit from our broad retail coverage, inventory management, efficiency in processing small orders, and frequency of deliveries. Convenience retailers benefit from our distribution capabilities by gaining access to a broad product line, optimizing inventory, merchandising expertise, information systems, and accessing trade credit.

Our Wholesale Segment operates six distribution centers located in Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Tennessee. These distribution centers, combined with cross dock facilities, include approximately 641,000 square feet of permanent floor space. Our principal suppliers include Altria, RJ Reynolds, ITG Brands, Hershey, Kelloggs, Kraft, and Mars. We also market private label lines of water, candy products, batteries, and other products. We do not maintain any long-term purchase contracts with our suppliers.

RETAIL SEGMENT

Our Retail Segment is a specialty retailer of natural/organic groceries and dietary supplements which focuses on providing high quality products at affordable prices, with an exceptional level of customer service and nutritional consultation. All of the products carried in our stores must meet strict quality and ingredient guidelines, and include offerings such as gluten-free and antibiotic-free groceries and meat products, as well as products containing no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or partially hydrogenated oils. We design our retail sites in an efficient and flexible small-store format, which emphasizes a high energy and shopper-friendly environment.

We operate within the natural products retail industry, which is a subset of the large and stable U.S. grocery industry. This industry includes conventional, natural, gourmet and specialty food markets, mass and discount retailers, warehouse clubs, health food stores, dietary supplement retailers, drug stores, farmers markets, mail order and online retailers, and multi-level marketers.

Our Retail Segment operates sixteen  retail health food stores as Chamberlin’s Market & Café and Akin’s Natural Foods Market. These stores carry over 32,000 different national and regionally branded and private label products including high-

quality natural, organic, and specialty foods consisting of produce, baked goods, frozen foods, nutritional supplements, personal care items, and general merchandise. Chamberlin’s, which was established in 1935, operates six stores in and around Orlando, Florida. Akin’s, which was also established in 1935, has a total of ten locations in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The Company’s fiscal year ends on September 30. The results for the interim period included with this Quarterly Report may not be indicative of the results which could be expected for the entire fiscal year. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in our annual financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted. In the opinion of management, the accompanying condensed consolidated unaudited financial statements (“financial statements”) contain all adjustments necessary to fairly present the financial information included herein, such as adjustments consisting of normal recurring items. The Company believes that although the disclosures contained herein are adequate to prevent the information presented from being misleading, these financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s annual audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 10-K. For purposes of this report, unless the context indicates otherwise, all references to “we”, “us”, “our”, the “Company”, and “AMCON” shall mean AMCON Distributing Company and its subsidiaries. Additionally, the three month fiscal periods ended December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 have been referred to throughout this quarterly report as Q1 2017 and Q1 2016, respectively. The fiscal balance sheet dates as of December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016 have been referred to as December 2016 and September 2016, respectively.

RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

The Company is currently evaluating the following new accounting pronouncements and their potential impact, if any, on our consolidated financial statements:

In August 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) ASU No. 2016-15, “Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments” (“ASU 2016-15”). ASU 2016-15 provides guidance regarding the classification of certain items within the statements of cash flows. ASU 2016-15 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 with early adoption permitted.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, “Compensation - Stock Compensation: Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting” (“ASU 2016-09”). ASU 2016-09 simplifies several aspects of how companies account for share-based compensation, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statements of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and early adoption is permitted.

In February 2016, FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02 "Leases” ("ASU 2016-02"). ASU 2016-02 requires the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for all leases greater than one year in duration and classified as operating leases under previous GAAP. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and for interim periods within that fiscal year.

In November 2015, FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17 "Income Taxes: Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes” ("ASU 2015-17"). ASU 2015-17 eliminates the requirement to bifurcate deferred taxes between current and non-current on the balance sheet and requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet. ASU 2015-17 is effective for public entities in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and for interim periods within those fiscal years. The amendments for ASU 2015-17 can be applied retrospectively or prospectively and early adoption is permitted.

In July 2015, FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, "Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory" ("ASU 2015-11"). ASU 2015-11 requires an entity to measure inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. Subsequent measurement is unchanged for inventory measured using last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) or the retail inventory method. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. The amendments should be applied prospectively with earlier application permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers." This ASU supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in "Accounting Standard Codification 605 - Revenue Recognition" and most industry-specific guidance. The standard requires that entities recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which a company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and for interim periods within that fiscal year.

2. CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK

In fiscal 2016, the Company had 100,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock (“Series A”) and 16,000 shares of Series B Preferred Stock (“Series B”) outstanding. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016, all outstanding shares of Series A and Series B were converted to 98,707 common shares of the Company pursuant to terms provided in the preferred stock agreements. Mr. Christopher Atayan, AMCON’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, owned all of the outstanding shares of the Series A and 8,000 shares of the Series B. During Q1 2016, the Company paid cash dividends of approximately $0.1 million to Mr. Atayan related to his ownership of the Series A and Series B.

3. INVENTORIES

At December 2016 and September 2016, inventories consisted of finished goods and are stated at the lower of cost (determined on a FIFO basis for our wholesale segment and using the retail method for our retail segment) or market. The wholesale distribution and retail health food segment inventories consist of finished products purchased in bulk quantities to be redistributed to the Company’s customers or sold at retail. Finished goods included total reserves of approximately $0.9 million at both December 2016 and September 2016. These reserves include the Company’s obsolescence allowance, which reflects estimated unsalable or non-refundable inventory based upon an evaluation of slow moving and discontinued products.

4. GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Goodwill by reporting segment of the Company consisted of the following:

Other intangible assets of the Company consisted of the following:

Goodwill, trademarks and tradenames are considered to have indefinite useful lives and therefore no amortization has been taken on these assets. At December 2016, identifiable intangible assets considered to have finite lives were represented by customer relationships which are being amortized over eight years. These intangible assets are evaluated for accelerated attrition or amortization adjustments if warranted. Amortization expense related to these assets was $0.1 million during both Q1 2017 and Q1 2016.

Estimated future amortization expense related to identifiable intangible assets with finite lives is as follows at December  2016:

5. DIVIDENDS

The Company paid cash dividends on its common stock and convertible preferred stock totaling $0.1 million and $0.2 million for the three month periods ended December 2016 and December 2015,  respectively.

6. EARNINGS PER SHARE

Basic earnings per share available to common shareholders is calculated by dividing net income less preferred stock dividend requirements by the weighted average common shares outstanding for each period. Diluted earnings per share available to common shareholders is calculated by dividing income from operations less preferred stock dividend requirements (when anti-dilutive) by the sum of the weighted average common shares outstanding and the weighted average dilutive options, using the treasury stock method.

7. DEBT

The Company primarily finances its operations through a credit facility agreement (the “Facility”) and long-term debt agreements with banks. The Facility is provided through Bank of America acting as the senior agent and with BMO Harris Bank participating in a loan syndication.

The Facility included the following significant terms at December 2016:

Cross Default and Co-Terminus Provisions

The Company owns real estate in Bismarck, ND, Quincy, IL, and Rapid City, SD, which is financed through a single term loan with BMO Harris Bank (the “Real Estate Loan”) which is also a participant lender on the Company’s revolving line of credit. The Real Estate Loan contains cross default provisions which cause the loan to be considered in default if the loans where BMO is a lender, including the revolving credit facility, is in default. There were no such cross defaults at December 2016. In addition, the Real Estate Loan contains co-terminus provisions which require all loans with BMO to be paid in full if any of the loans are paid in full prior to the end of their specified terms.

Other

AMCON has issued a letter of credit in the amount of approximately $0.4 million to its workers’ compensation insurance carrier as part of its self-insured loss control program.

8. EQUITY-BASED INCENTIVE AWARDS:

Omnibus Plan

The Company has two equity-based incentive plans, the 2007 Omnibus Incentive Plan and 2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan (collectively “the Omnibus Plans”), which provide for equity incentives to employees. Each Omnibus Plan was designed with the intent of encouraging employees to acquire a vested interest in the growth and performance of the Company. The Omnibus Plans together permit the issuance of up to 225,000 shares of the Company’s common stock in the form of stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, performance share awards as well as awards such as stock appreciation rights, performance units, performance shares, bonus shares, and dividend share awards payable in the form of common stock or cash. The number of shares issuable under the Omnibus Plans is subject to customary adjustments in the event of stock splits, stock dividends, and certain other distributions on the Company’s common stock. At December 2016, awards with respect to a total of 191,435 shares, net of forfeitures, had been awarded pursuant to the Omnibus Plans and awards with respect to another 33,565 shares may be awarded under the Omnibus Plans.

Stock Options

The Company issued 6,000 and 5,500 incentive stock options during Q1 2017 and Q1 2016, respectively, to various employees pursuant to the provisions of the Company’s 2014 Omnibus Plan. The stock options issued by the Company expire ten years from the grant date and include a five year graded annual vesting schedule. The awards had an estimated grant date fair value of approximately $0.1 million in both Q1 2017 and Q1 2016 using the Black‑Scholes option pricing model. The following assumptions were used in connection with the Black‑Scholes option pricing calculation as it relates to the Q1 2017 and Q1 2016 incentive stock option awards:

The following is a summary of stock option activity during Q1 2017:

Restricted Stock Units

At December 2016, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors had authorized and approved the following restricted stock unit awards to members of the Company’s management team pursuant to the provisions of the Company’s Omnibus Plans:

(1)16,280 restricted stock units were vested as of December 2016. The remaining 1,320 restricted stock units will vest in equal amounts in October 2017 and October 2018.

(2)8,666 of the restricted stock units were vested as of December 2016. The remaining 4,334 restricted stock units will vest in October 2017. 

(3)4,383 restricted stock units were vested as of December 2016. 4,333 restricted stock units will vest in October 2017 and 4,334 will vest in October 2018. The remaining 200 restricted stock units will vest in equal annual  amounts in October 2017 through October 2020. 

(4)The 13,000 restricted stock units will vest in equal amounts in October 2017, October 2018, and October 2019.

There is no direct cost to the recipients of the restricted stock units, except for any applicable taxes. The recipients of the restricted stock units are entitled to the customary adjustments in the event of stock splits, stock dividends, and certain other distributions on the Company’s common stock. All cash dividends and/or distributions payable to restricted stock recipients will be held in escrow until all the conditions of vesting have been met.

The restricted stock units provide that the recipients can elect, at their option, to receive either common stock in the Company, or a cash settlement based upon the closing price of the Company’s shares, at the time of vesting. Based on these award provisions, the compensation expense recorded in the Company’s Statement of Operations reflects the straight‑line amortized fair value based on the period end closing price under the liability method.

The following summarizes restricted stock unit activity under the Omnibus Plans during Q1 2017:

All Equity-Based Awards (stock options and restricted stock units) 

Net income before income taxes included compensation expense of approximately $0.5 million and $0.3 million during Q1 2017 and Q1 2016, respectively, related to the amortization of all equity-based compensation awards. Total unamortized compensation expense related to these awards at December 2016 and September 2016 was approximately $3.1 million and $1.5 million, respectively. 

9. BUSINESS SEGMENTS

The Company has two reportable business segments: the wholesale distribution of consumer products and the retail sale of health and natural food products. The retail health food stores’ operations are aggregated to comprise the Retail Segment because such operations have similar economic characteristics, as well as similar characteristics with respect to the nature of products sold, the type and class of customers for the health food products and the methods used to sell the products.  Included in the “Other” column are intercompany eliminations, and assets held and charges incurred by our holding company.  The segments are evaluated on revenues, gross margins, operating income, and income before taxes.

10. COMMON STOCK REPURCHASE

During Q1 2017, the Company repurchased 11,104 shares of its common stock for cash totaling approximately $1.0 million. All repurchased shares were recorded in treasury stock at cost.

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

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and other sections, contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties and which reflect management’s current beliefs and estimates of future economic circumstances, industry conditions, company performance and financial results. Forward-looking statements include information concerning the possible or assumed future results of operations of the Company and those statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words “future,” “position,” “anticipate(s),” “expect,” “believe(s),” “see,” “plan,” “further improve,” “outlook,” “should” or similar expressions. For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward- looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions.

You should understand that the following important factors, in addition to those discussed elsewhere in this document, could affect the future results of the Company and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements:

Changes in these factors could result in significantly different results. Consequently, future results may differ from management’s expectations. Moreover, past financial performance should not be considered a reliable indicator of future performance. Any forward-looking statement contained herein is made as of the date of this document. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or correct any of these forward-looking statements in the future to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of material events or changes in future operating results, financial conditions or business over time.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

Certain accounting estimates used in the preparation of the Company’s financial statements require us to make judgments and estimates and the financial results we report may vary depending on how we make these judgments and estimates. Our critical accounting estimates are set forth in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. There have been no significant changes with respect to these policies during our fiscal quarter ended December 2016.

FIRST FISCAL QUARTER 2017 (Q1 2017)

The following discussion and analysis includes the Company’s results of operations for the three months ended December 2016 and December  2015:

Wholesale Segment

Our Wholesale Segment is one of the largest wholesale distributors in the United States serving approximately 4,000 retail outlets including convenience stores, grocery stores, liquor stores, drug stores, and tobacco shops. We currently distribute over 16,000 different consumer products, including cigarettes and tobacco products, candy and other confectionery, beverages, groceries, paper products, health and beauty care products, frozen and chilled products and institutional foodservice products. Convenience stores represent our largest customer category. In September 2016, Convenience Store News ranked us as the seventh (7th) largest convenience store distributor in the United States based on annual sales.

Our wholesale business offers retailers the ability to take advantage of manufacturer and Company sponsored sales and marketing programs, merchandising and product category management services, and the use of information systems and data services that are focused on minimizing retailers’ investment in inventory, while seeking to maximize their sales and profits. In addition, our wholesale distributing capabilities provide valuable services to both manufacturers of consumer products and convenience retailers. Manufacturers benefit from our broad retail coverage, inventory management, efficiency in processing small orders, and frequency of deliveries. Convenience retailers benefit from our distribution capabilities by gaining access to a broad product line, optimizing inventory, merchandising expertise, information systems, and accessing trade credit.

Our Wholesale Segment operates six distribution centers located in Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Tennessee. These distribution centers, combined with cross dock facilities, include approximately 641,000

square feet of permanent floor space. Our principal suppliers include Altria, RJ Reynolds, ITG Brands, Hershey, Kelloggs, Kraft, and Mars. We also market private label lines of water, candy products, batteries, and other products. We do not maintain any long-term purchase contracts with our suppliers.

Retail Segment

Our Retail Segment is a specialty retailer of natural/organic groceries and dietary supplements which focuses on providing high quality products at affordable prices, with an exceptional level of customer service and nutritional consultation. All of the products carried in our stores must meet strict quality and ingredient guidelines, and include offerings such as gluten-free and antibiotic-free groceries and meat products, as well as products containing no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or partially hydrogenated oils. We design our retail sites in an efficient and flexible small-store format, which emphasizes a high energy and shopper-friendly environment.

We operate within the natural products retail industry, which is a subset of the large and stable U.S. grocery industry. This industry includes conventional, natural, gourmet and specialty food markets, mass and discount retailers, warehouse clubs, health food stores, dietary supplement retailers, drug stores, farmers markets, mail order and online retailers, and multi-level marketers.

Our Retail Segment operates sixteen retail health food stores as Chamberlin’s Market & Café and Akin’s Natural Foods Market. These stores carry over 32,000 different national and regionally branded and private label products including high-quality natural, organic, and specialty foods consisting of produce, baked goods, frozen foods, nutritional supplements, personal care items, and general merchandise. Chamberlin’s, which was established in 1935, operates six stores in and around Orlando, Florida. Akin’s, which was also established in 1935, has a total of ten locations in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.

Business Update - Wholesale Segment

The convenience store industry is experiencing heightened competition from the expansion of other retail formats such as quick service restaurants, drug stores, and dollar stores, all of which are targeting product categories traditionally dominated by convenience stores. 

In response, the convenience store industry is migrating towards higher end offerings such as foodservice and are increasingly using digital technologies to help run and promote their businesses. Long term, we believe these trends benefit larger distributors such as our Company which have built robust foodservice and technology platforms.

Forward looking, maintaining a disciplined growth strategy centered on risk-adjusted returns remains a top priority. Organic sales growth and expanding our geographic footprint either through strategic acquisitions or establishing  distribution centers in new markets also remain areas of important focus. 

Business Update - Retail Segment

The demand for natural and fresh products has attracted a wide range of new competition. Both regional and national health food stores such as Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts Farmers Market, Natural Grocers, Vitamin Shoppe, Lucky’s Market, and Fresh Thyme Farmers Market have expanded aggressively in recent years. In addition, conventional retail stores (grocery stores, mass merchants etc.) have greatly enhanced their natural product offerings. At the same time, the operating environment for retailers who maintain a physical footprint has intensified as consumers migrate to online shopping formats. The combination of these factors has pressured sales for all retailers including our health food stores.  

Despite these considerations, we believe the wellness sector presents a compelling long term growth opportunity. In an effort to better position our stores in the current operating environment, we have undertaken a number of initiatives to drive future growth.

These initiatives are centered on four functional areas: 1) adding new stores which incorporate modern design themes and technology enabled services, 2) modernizing existing stores on a targeted basis, 3) an enhanced merchandising strategy, and 4) the introduction of a new branding strategy within the markets we operate.   

In connection with this strategic plan, during our fourth quarter of fiscal 2016 we opened a new store in our Florida market. This new store replaced our flagship Florida store which closed earlier in fiscal 2016 upon the expiration of its lease.    

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS – THREE MONTHS ENDED DECEMBER 2016: