10. Contingencies
Albany International Corp. (Albany) is a defendant
in suits brought in various courts in the United States by plaintiffs who allege that they have suffered personal injury as a result of exposure to
asbestos-containing products previously manufactured by Albany. Albanys production of asbestos-containing paper machine clothing products was
limited to certain synthetic dryer fabrics marketed during the period from 1967 to 1976 and used in certain paper mills. Such fabrics generally had a
useful life of three to twelve months.
Albany was defending against 24,406 claims as of October 21,
2005. This compares with 24,452 such claims as of July 22, 2005, 29,411 claims as of December 31, 2004, 28,838 claims as of December 31, 2003, 22,593
claims as of December 31, 2002, 7,347 claims as of December 31, 2001, 1,997 claims as of December 31, 2000, and 2,276 claims as of December 31, 1999.
These suits allege a variety of lung and other diseases based on alleged exposure to products previously manufactured by Albany.
Albany anticipates that additional claims will be filed against
it and the related companies in the future but is unable to predict the number and timing of such future claims. These suits typically involve claims
against from twenty to over two hundred defendants, and the complaints usually fail to identify the plaintiffs work history or the nature of the
plaintiffs alleged exposure to Albanys products. In cases in which work histories have been provided, approximately one-third of the
claimants have alleged time spent in a paper mill, and only a portion of those claimants have alleged time spent in a paper mill to which Albany is
believed to have supplied asbestos-containing products.
Approximately 19,222 of the claims pending against Albany are
filed in various counties in Mississippi.
Changes during 2004 in the application of procedural rules
regarding the mass joinder of numerous asbestos claims in a single proceeding against numerous defendants have resulted in the dismissal of a number of
claims pending against Albany in Mississippi. As the result of a 2004 ruling of the Mississippi Supreme Court, courts in counties throughout the State
began to issue orders severing the individual claims of plaintiffs in mass joinder asbestos cases. Once severed, the courts are requiring the
plaintiffs to file amended complaints which include more detailed information regarding their allegations of asbestos exposure, and have begun to
dismiss or transfer improperly filed cases. As a consequence, a number of plaintiffs have voluntarily dismissed their claims. As to the plaintiffs
filing amended complaints, these cases are being transferred to the proper counties within Mississippi, or, in limited instances, are being removed to
federal court. The Company expects more of the remaining claims pending in Mississippi to be dismissed, amended or transferred; and that the only
claimants remaining in Mississippi at the conclusion of this process will be those who are residents of, or who allege exposure to asbestos in, that
State, and whose amended complaints satisfy the requirement for specific information regarding their exposure claims.
The Company expects that only a portion of these remaining
claimants will be able to demonstrate time spent in a paper mill to which Albany supplied asbestos-containing products during a period in which
Albanys asbestos-containing products were in use. Based on past experience, communications from certain plaintiffs counsel and the advice
of the Companys Mississippi counsel, the Company expects the percentage of claimants with paper mill exposure in the Mississippi proceedings to
be considerably lower than the total number of claims previously asserted. However, due to the fact that the effects of the mandate of the Mississippi
Supreme Court are taking time to be fully realized, the Company does not believe a meaningful estimate can be made regarding the expected reduction in
claims or the range of possible loss with respect to the remaining claims.
It is the position of Albany and the other paper machine
clothing defendants that there was insufficient exposure to asbestos from any paper machine clothing products to cause asbestos-related injury to any
plaintiff. Furthermore, asbestos contained in Albanys synthetic products was encapsulated in a resin-coated
12
yarn woven into the interior of the fabric, further reducing
the likelihood of fiber release. While the Company believes it has meritorious defenses to these claims, it has settled certain of these cases for
amounts it considers reasonable given the facts and circumstances of each case. The Companys insurer, Liberty Mutual, has defended each case
under a standard reservation of rights. As of October 21, 2005, the Company had resolved, by means of settlement or dismissal, 13,646 claims, and had
reached tentative agreement to resolve an additional 4,563 claims reported above as pending. The total cost of resolving all 18,209 such claims was
$6,426,000. Of this amount, $6,391,000, or 99%, was paid by the Companys insurance carrier. The Company has more than $130 million in confirmed
insurance coverage that should be available with respect to current and future asbestos claims, as well as additional insurance coverage that it should
be able to access.
Brandon Drying Fabrics, Inc.
Brandon Drying Fabrics, Inc. (Brandon), a subsidiary
of Geschmay Corp., is also a separate defendant in most of these cases. Brandon was defending against 9,608 claims as of October 21, 2005. This
compares with 9,549 such claims as of July 22, 2005, 9,985 claims as of December 31, 2004, 10,242 claims as of December 31, 2003, 11,802 claims as of
December 31, 2002, 8,759 claims as of December 31, 2001, 3,598 claims as of December 31, 2000, and 1,887 claims as of December 31, 1999. The Company
acquired Geschmay Corp., formerly known as Wangner Systems Corporation, in 1999. Brandon is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Geschmay Corp. In 1978,
Brandon acquired certain assets from Abney Mills (Abney), a South Carolina textile manufacturer. Among the assets acquired by Brandon from
Abney were assets of Abneys wholly-owned subsidiary, Brandon Sales, Inc. which, among other things, had sold dryer fabrics containing asbestos
made by its parent, Abney. It is believed that Abney ceased production of asbestos-containing fabrics prior to the 1978 transaction. Although Brandon
manufactured and sold dryer fabrics under its own name subsequent to the asset purchase, none of such fabrics contained asbestos. Under the terms of
the Assets Purchase Agreement between Brandon and Abney, Abney agreed to indemnify, defend, and hold Brandon harmless from any actions or claims on
account of products manufactured by Abney and its related corporations prior to the date of the sale, whether or not the product was sold subsequent to
the date of the sale. It appears that Abney has since been dissolved. Nevertheless, a representative of Abney has been notified of the pendency of
these actions and demand has been made that it assume the defense of these actions. Because Brandon did not manufacture asbestos-containing products,
and because it does not believe that it was the legal successor to, or otherwise responsible for obligations of, Abney with respect to products
manufactured by Abney, it believes it has strong defenses to the claims that have been asserted against it. In some instances, plaintiffs have
voluntarily dismissed claims against it, while in others it has entered into what it considers to be reasonable settlements. As of October 21, 2005,
Brandon has resolved, by means of settlement or dismissal, 7,092 claims for a total of $152,499. Brandons insurance carriers initially agreed to
pay 88.2% of the total indemnification and defense costs related to these proceedings, subject to the standard reservation of rights. The remaining
11.8% of the costs had been borne directly by Brandon. During 2004, Brandons insurance carriers agreed to cover 100% of indemnification and
defense costs, subject to policy limits and the standard reservation of rights, and to reimburse Brandon for all indemnity and defense costs paid
directly by Brandon related to these proceedings.
Mount Vernon
In some of these cases, the Company is named both as a direct
defendant and as the successor in interest to Mount Vernon Mills (Mount Vernon). The Company acquired certain assets from Mount
Vernon in 1993. Certain plaintiffs allege injury caused by asbestos-containing products alleged to have been sold by Mount Vernon many years prior to
this acquisition. Mount Vernon is contractually obligated to indemnify the Company against any liability arising out of such products. The Company
denies any liability for products sold by Mount Vernon prior to the acquisition of the Mount Vernon assets. Pursuant to its contractual
indemnification
13
obligations, Mount Vernon has assumed the defense of these
claims. On this basis, the Company has successfully moved for dismissal in a number of actions.
While the Company does not believe, based on currently available information and for the reasons stated above, that a meaningful estimate of a
range of possible loss can be made with respect to such claims, based on its understanding of the insurance policies available, how settlement amounts
have been allocated to various policies, its recent settlement experience, the absence of any judgments against the Company or Brandon, the ratio of
paper mill claims to total claims filed, and the defenses available, the Company currently does not anticipate any material liability relating to the
resolution of the aforementioned pending proceedings in excess of existing insurance limits. Consequently, the Company currently does not anticipate,
based on currently available information, that the ultimate resolution of the aforementioned proceedings will have a material adverse effect on the
financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company. Although the Company cannot predict the number and timing of future claims,
based on the foregoing factors and the trends in claims against it to date, the Company does not anticipate that additional claims likely to be filed
against it in the future will have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows. However, the Company is
aware that litigation is inherently uncertain, especially when the outcome is dependent primarily on determinations of factual matters to be made by
juries. The Company is also aware that numerous other defendants in asbestos cases, as well as others who claim to have knowledge and expertise on the
subject, have found it difficult to anticipate the outcome of asbestos litigation, the volume of future asbestos claims and the anticipated settlement
values of those claims. For these reasons, there can be no assurance that the foregoing conclusions will not change.
Legislation has been introduced in the United States Senate that
is intended to address asbestos litigation by creating a privately funded trust to provide compensation to persons injured as the result of exposure to
asbestos. The FAIRNESS IN ASBESTOS INJURY RESOLUTION ACT OF 2005 was introduced on April 19, 2005 and approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on May
26, 2005. If enacted into law, the Company would be required to make payments of up to $500,000 per year for up to 30 years to the privately funded,
publicly administered trust fund. The payments would not be covered by any of the Companys insurance policies. The proposed legislation remains
subject to negotiation and modification in the full Senate. The Company cannot predict whether the proposed legislation will ultimately be enacted into
law.
14
The Company has restructuring accruals for cost reduction
initiatives that were part of an effort to match manufacturing capacity to global demand for the Companys products.
Pursuant to restructuring initiatives announced in January 2003,
changes in restructuring accruals during the first nine months of each year were as follows:
(in
thousands)
|
|
|
|
January
1,
2005
|
|
|
Payments
|
|
|
Currency
translation/other
|
|
|
September
30,
2005
|
Termination
costs |
|
|
|
$ |
6,270 |
|
|
($2,746 |
) |
|
($1,935 |
) |
|
$1,589 |
Other restructuring costs |
|
|
|
|
646 |
|
|
(264 |
) |
|
(283 |
) |
|
99 |
Total |
|
|
|
$ |
6,916 |
|
|
($3,010 |
) |
|
($2,218 |
) |
|
$1,688 |
(in
thousands)
|
|
|
|
January
1,
2005
|
|
|
Additional
charges
|
|
|
Payments
|
|
|
Currency
translation/other
|
|
|
September
30,
2005
|
Termination
costs |
|
|
|
$ |
4,374 |
|
|
$ |
33,172 |
|
|
($20,044 |
) |
|
($26 |
) |
|
$17,476 |
Other restructuring costs |
|
|
|
|
837 |
|
|
|
1,438 |
|
|
(1,611 |
) |
|
12 |
|
|
676 |
Total |
|
|
|
$ |
5,211 |
|
|
$ |
34,610 |
|
|
($21,655 |
) |
|
($14 |
) |
|
$18,152 |
Pursuant to restructuring initiatives announced prior to 2003, changes in restructuring accruals during the first nine months of each year
were as follows:
(in
thousands)
|
|
|
|
January
1,
2005
|
|
|
Payments
|
|
|
Currency
translation/other
|
|
|
September
30,
2005
|
Termination
costs |
|
|
|
$1,781 |
|
|
($587 |
) |
|
($30 |
) |
|
$1,164 |
Lease obligations |
|
|
|
1,651 |
|
|
(521 |
) |
|
(172 |
) |
|
958 |
Total |
|
|
|
$3,432 |
|
|
($1,108 |
) |
|
($202 |
) |
|
$2,122 |
(in
thousands)
|
|
|
|
January
1,
2004
|
|
|
Payments
|
|
|
Currency
translation/other
|
|
|
September
30,
2004
|
Termination
costs |
|
|
|
$2,677 |
|
|
($829 |
) |
|
$150 |
|
|
$1,998 |
Plant
rationalization costs |
|
|
|
155 |
|
|
|
|
|
(155 |
) |
|
|
Lease obligations |
|
|
|
1,988 |
|
|
(480 |
) |
|
(32 |
) |
|
1,476 |
Total |
|
|
|
$4,820 |
|
|
($1,309 |
) |
|
($37 |
) |
|
$3,474 |
The Company expects that the restructuring accruals remaining at December 31, 2005 will be approximately $1.0 million, which will result in
cash payments of approximately $0.5 million in 2006, $0.4 million in 2007, and $0.1 million thereafter.
15
The Company has stock option plans for key employees. For
options issued prior to 2003, the Company accounted for non-cash stock-based compensation in accordance with Accounting Principles Board Opinion No.
25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees (APB 25), and its related interpretations, which state that no compensation expense is
recognized for stock options that are granted with an exercise price equal to or above the estimated fair value of the Companys common stock on
the grant date. Option exercise prices were equal to and were not permitted to be less than the market value on the date of grant. Accordingly, no
compensation cost was recognized as a result of stock options granted.
In accordance with the prospective approach described in
Financial Accounting Standard No. 148, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation, an Amendment of FAS No. 123 (FAS No. 148), the Company will
record compensation expense for the fair value of any stock options granted after December 31, 2002. However, no options have been granted after
December 31, 2002. The expense for any new stock options will be recorded over the vesting period of the options, normally five years.
The Company has adopted the disclosure requirements of Financial
Accounting Standard No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation (FAS No. 123) and FAS No. 148 with respect to pro forma disclosure of
compensation expense for options issued prior to January 1, 2003. For purposes of the pro forma disclosures, the fair value of each option grant was
estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Had the Company recorded compensation expense for the fair value of stock
options granted prior to January 1, 2003, net income and earnings per share would have been affected as indicated by the pro forma amounts
below.
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended September 30, |
|
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
|
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
|
|
|
|
2005
|
|
2004
|
|
2005
|
|
2004
|
Net
income/(loss), as reported |
|
|
|
$ |
18,508 |
|
|
$ |
10,467 |
|
|
$ |
57,768 |
|
|
|
($1,658 |
) |
|
Deduct: Total
stock-based employee compensation expense determined under fair value based method for all awards, net of taxes |
|
|
|
|
($368 |
) |
|
|
($476 |
) |
|
|
($1,104 |
) |
|
|
($1,429 |
) |
|
Net income/(loss), pro forma |
|
|
|
|
18,140 |
|
|
|
9,991 |
|
|
|
56,664 |
|
|
|
(3,087 |
) |
|
Basic net
income/(loss) per share: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As
reported |
|
|
|
$ |
0.58 |
|
|
$ |
0.33 |
|
|
$ |
1.82 |
|
|
|
($0.05 |
) |
Pro
forma |
|
|
|
|
0.57 |
|
|
|
0.31 |
|
|
|
1.78 |
|
|
|
(0.09 |
) |
|
Diluted net
income/(loss) per share: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As
reported |
|
|
|
$ |
0.57 |
|
|
$ |
0.32 |
|
|
$ |
1.79 |
|
|
|
($0.05 |
) |
Pro
forma |
|
|
|
|
0.56 |
|
|
|
0.31 |
|
|
|
1.75 |
|
|
|
(0.09 |
) |
As described in Note 14, beginning January 1, 2006, the Company will be required to record compensation expense for unvested options that were
granted prior to 2003.
16
13. |
|
Pensions and Other Benefits |
The Company sponsors defined benefit pension plans in various
countries. The amount of contributions to the plans is based on several factors including the funding rules in each country. The Company contributed
$10 million to its United States pension plan in September 2005 and expects to have contributed $7.2 million to plans outside the United States by the
end of 2005. The Company also provides certain medical, dental and life insurance benefits (Other Benefits) for retired United States
employees that meet program qualifications. The Company currently funds this plan as claims are paid.
The components of net periodic benefit cost for the three and
nine months ended September 30, 2005 and 2004 are below:
|
|
|
|
Pension Plans |
|
Other Benefits |
|
Pension Plans |
|
Other Benefits |
|
|
|
|
|
Three months ended September 30, |
|
Nine months ended September 30, |
|
(in thousands)
|
|
|
|
2005
|
|
2004
|
|
2005
|
|
2004
|
|
2005
|
|
2004
|
|
2005
|
|
2004
|
Service
cost |
|
|
|
$ |
1,735 |
|
|
$ |
1,772 |
|
|
$ |
1,008 |
|
|
$ |
816 |
|
|
$ |
5,205 |
|
|
$ |
5,600 |
|
|
$ |
3,024 |
|
|
$ |
2,392 |
|
Interest
cost |
|
|
|
|
4,652 |
|
|
|
4,294 |
|
|
|
2,149 |
|
|
|
1,853 |
|
|
|
13,955 |
|
|
|
12,906 |
|
|
|
6,445 |
|
|
|
5,477 |
|
Expected
return on plan assets |
|
|
|
|
(4,245 |
) |
|
|
(3,454 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(12,736 |
) |
|
|
(10,372 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amortization
of prior service cost |
|
|
|
|
257 |
|
|
|
156 |
|
|
|
(237 |
) |
|
|
(236 |
) |
|
|
772 |
|
|
|
704 |
|
|
|
(710 |
) |
|
|
(710 |
) |
Amortization
of net actuarial costs |
|
|
|
|
1,355 |
|
|
|
1,346 |
|
|
|
1,106 |
|
|
|
823 |
|
|
|
4,064 |
|
|
|
4,094 |
|
|
|
3,317 |
|
|
|
2,393 |
|
Amortization
of transition assets |
|
|
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
104 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
19 |
|
|
|
76 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Curtailment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(348 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(348 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Special termination benefits |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
786 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
786 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net periodic
benefit costs |
|
|
|
$ |
3,760 |
|
|
$ |
4,656 |
|
|
$ |
4,026 |
|
|
$ |
3,256 |
|
|
$ |
11,279 |
|
|
$ |
13,446 |
|
|
$ |
12,076 |
|
|
$ |
9,552 |
|
In May 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Staff Position No. FSP 106-2, Accounting and Disclosure Requirements
Related to the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (the Act). The Act introduced a prescription
drug benefit under Medicare and also provides that a non-taxable subsidy will be paid to sponsors of postretirement benefit plans. The Company adopted
FSP 106-2 prospectively from July 1, 2004, and performed a remeasurement of its plan assets and obligations.
In the third quarter of 2005, the Company made several
modifications to its Other Benefits program, including increases in the cost sharing provisions and increases in the monthly contribution of plan
participants. As a result of these changes, the Company performed a remeasurement of the plan liabilities as of September 30, 2005. In connection with
the remeasurement, the Company lowered the discount rate from 5.75% to 5.5% for this plan. The change in the discount rate assumption had the effect of
increasing the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation (APBO) by $5.7 million, while the modifications to the plan reduced the APBO by $46.3
million. The change in plan liabilities will have the effect of reducing the net periodic benefit cost commencing October 1, 2005. Net periodic benefit
cost for the fourth quarter of 2005 will be approximately $1.7 million lower as a result of these changes.
17
14. |
|
Recent Accounting Pronouncements |
In November 2004, the FASB issued FAS No. 151, Inventory
Costs, an amendment of ARB No. 43, Chapter 4. This Standard requires that items such as idle facility expense and excess spoilage be recognized
as current period charges. Under ARB No. 43, such costs were considered inventoriable costs unless they were considered so abnormal as to require
immediate expensing. The Company is required to adopt the Standard on January 1, 2006 and does not expect the adoption to have a material effect on its
financial statements.
In December 2004, the FASB issued FAS No. 153, Exchanges
of Nonmonetary Assets, an amendment of APB Opinion No. 29. This Standard modifies the accounting for nonmonetary exchanges of similar productive
assets. The Company adopted the Standard on July 1, 2005 and it did not have any effect on its financial statements.
In December 2004, the FASB issued FAS No. 123 (Revised)
Share-Based Payment (FAS No. 123R). This Standard establishes accounting guidelines for transactions in which an entity exchanges its
equity instruments for goods or services. The Standard focuses primarily on accounting for transactions in which an entity obtains employee services in
share-based payment transactions. In April 2005, the Securities and Exchange Commission amended Regulation S-X to amend the date for compliance with
FAS No. 123R, Share-Based Payment to fiscal years beginning on or after June 15, 2005. FAS 123R also requires that certain tax benefits
resulting from stock options be classified in the Statement of Cash Flows as financing activities, instead of the current classification of operating
activities. The Company is required to adopt the provisions of this Standard on January 1, 2006. The Company expects that the adoption of this Standard
will result in additional compensation expense for unvested options that were granted prior to 2003 of approximately $1.7 million in 2006, $0.9 million
in 2007, and $0.2 million per year from 2008 to 2017.
In May 2005, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting
Standard No. 154, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections a replacement of APB Opinion No. 20 and FAS Statement No. 3. This Standard requires
retrospective application to prior periods financial statements of changes in accounting principle, unless it is impracticable to determine
either the period-specific effects or the cumulative effect of the change. This Standard also requires that retrospective application of a change in
accounting principle be limited to the direct effects of the change. Indirect effects of a change in accounting principle, such as a change in
nondiscretionary profit-sharing payments resulting from an accounting change, should be recognized in the period of the accounting change. In addition,
this Standard requires that a change in depreciation, amortization, or depletion method for long-lived, nonfinancial assets be accounted for as a
change in accounting estimate affected by a change in accounting principle. The Company is required to adopt the Standard on December 15, 2005 and does
not expect the adoption to have a material effect on its financial statements.
18
Item 2. Managements Discussion and Analysis
of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
For the Three and Nine Months Ended September 30,
2005
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the
accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto.
Financial Review
Critical Accounting Policies and Assumptions
The Companys discussion and analysis of its financial
condition and results of operation are based on the Companys consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). The preparation of these financial statements requires the Company to
make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent
assets and liabilities.
The Company records sales when persuasive evidence of an
arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the selling price is fixed and collectibility is reasonably assured. The timing of revenue recognition is
dependent upon the contractual arrangement between the Company and its customers. These arrangements, which may include provisions for transfer of
title and guarantees of workmanship, are specific to each customer. Sales contracts in the Albany Door Systems segment may include product and
installation services. For these sales, the Company applies the provisions of EITF 00-21, Revenue Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables.
The Companys contracts that include product and installation services generally do not qualify as separate units of accounting and, accordingly,
revenue for the entire contract value is recognized upon completion of installation services. The Company limits the concentration of credit risk in
receivables by closely monitoring credit and collection policies. The Company records allowances for sales returns as a deduction in the computation of
net sales. Such provisions are recorded on the basis of written communication with customers and/or historical experience.
The Company maintains allowances for doubtful accounts for
estimated losses resulting from the inability of its customers to make required payments. If the financial condition of the Companys customers
were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required.
Goodwill and other long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment
whenever events such as significant changes in the business climate, plant closures, changes in product offerings, or other circumstances indicate that
the carrying amount may not be recoverable. The Company performs a test for goodwill impairment at least annually, in the second quarter of each year.
As a result of the impairment assessment in the second quarter of 2005, no impairment provision was required. The determination of whether these assets
are impaired involves significant judgments based on short and long-term projections of future performance. Changes in strategy and/or market
conditions may result in adjustments to recorded asset balances.
The Company has investments in other companies that are
accounted for under either the cost method, or equity method of accounting. The investment accounted for under the cost method was included in Other
assets as of December 31, 2003. In the first quarter of 2004, the Company determined that investment to be impaired and, accordingly, recorded a charge
of $4 million in Other expense, net, representing the full amount of the investment. Investments accounted for under the equity method are included in
Investments in associated companies. The Company performs regular reviews of the financial condition of the investees to
19
determine if its investment is impaired. If the financial
condition of the investees were to no longer support their valuations, the Company would record an impairment provision.
The Company has pension and postretirement benefit costs and
liabilities that are developed from actuarial valuations. Inherent in these valuations are key assumptions, including discount rates and expected
return on plan assets, which are updated on an annual basis. The Company is required to consider current market conditions, including changes in
interest rates, in making these assumptions. Changes in the related pension and postretirement benefit costs or credits may occur in the future due to
changes in the assumptions. The amount of annual pension plan funding and annual expense is subject to many variables, including the investment return
on pension plan assets and interest rates. Weakness in investment returns and low interest rates could result in the Company making equal or greater
pension plan contributions in future years, as compared to previous years.
The Company records deferred income tax assets and liabilities
for the tax consequences of differences between financial statement and tax bases of existing assets and liabilities. A tax valuation allowance is
established, as needed, to reduce net deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. In the event it becomes more likely than not that some
or all of the deferred tax asset allowances will not be needed, the valuation allowance will be adjusted.
The Company has a trade accounts receivable program whereby it
may sell, without recourse, certain North American accounts receivable to a qualified special purpose entity (QSPE), as defined under Financial
Accounting Standard No. 140 Accounting for Transfers and Servicing of Financial Assets and Extinguishment of Liabilities (FAS No. 140). The
QSPE is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company and, in accordance with FAS No. 140, its financial statements are not consolidated with the financial
statements of the Company. The securitization program can be terminated at any time, with thirty days notice, by the Company or the unrelated third
party. If the securitization program were terminated, the Company would not be required to repay cash received from the sale of accounts receivable,
but no additional receivables would be sold under the program. Accounts receivable would increase as new sales were made, and the note receivable would
decrease as the sold accounts receivable were collected. The Company might need to borrow from its existing credit facilities or use existing cash to
fund operations until cash flow from accounts receivable returned to normal levels.
The QSPE receives cash from an unrelated third party in exchange
for an undivided ownership interest in the accounts receivable. As of September 30, 2005, the QSPE had assets of $19.7 million consisting primarily of
$67.2 million of accounts receivables sold to it by the Company, net of a $46.1 million interest sold to the unrelated third party, and an allowance
for doubtful accounts. As of September 30, 2005, the liabilities of the QSPE were $18.8 million consisting principally of the note payable to the
Company, and equity was $0.9 million.
The Company has contingent liabilities for litigation, claims
and assessments that result from the ordinary course of business. These matters are more fully described in Note 10 of this Form 10-Q.
Overview
The Company is engaged in three business segments: Engineered
Fabrics, Albany Door Systems and Applied Technologies.
The Companys largest segment is Engineered Fabrics, which
includes paper machine clothing and process belts (PMC), which are technologically sophisticated consumable products designed, manufactured and
marketed for each section of the paper machine. The design and material composition of clothing and belts can have a considerable effect on the quality
of paper products produced and the efficiency of paper machines
20
on which they are used. Paper machine clothing and belts
have finite lives and must be replaced on a regular basis. The Company expends considerable effort on research and development to maintain what it
believes to be its position as the technology leader in the marketplace, and to continually improve the production processes and deliver increased
value to customers. The Companys operations are strategically located in the major paper-producing regions of the world.
Albany Door Systems produces and services high-performance
doors, which are primarily marketed to industrial and commercial enterprises requiring interior or external doors that either involve frequent openings
or temperature or environmental contrasts on the two areas separated by the doors. High-performance doors open and close very rapidly, and may utilize
electrical systems that assure automatic opening and closing under circumstances desired by customers. Although the Companys high-performance
doors are marketed globally, its largest manufacturing operations are in North America and Europe.
The Applied Technologies segment of the Company is comprised of
a wide variety of products, including fabrics, wires and belting products for the nonwovens and pulp industries (Engineered Products), specialty
materials and composite structures for aircraft and other applications (Techniweave), specialty filtration products for wet and dry applications
(Industrial Process Technologies), industrial insulation products (High Performance Materials), and Primaloft® patented synthetic down for the
home furnishings and outerwear markets. Although these products do not represent a large portion of total sales, they do offer the opportunity for
growth as new markets are developed.
Industry Trends
The Engineered Fabrics segment has experienced significant
change since 1999 as consolidation and restructuring impacted the global paper and paperboard industry and reduced the number of major paper machine
clothing competitors from eight to four. During the last four years, this consolidation has resulted in a reduction of capacity in the paper machine
clothing industry. Albany International is the paper machine clothing market leader, with a market share of approximately 30% for the year 2004. The
market shares of each of the next three largest competitors were approximately half that of Albany Internationals market share for the year
2004.
As part of the Companys long-term strategy to provide
value to customers and to reduce costs to improve returns to shareholders, the Company has rationalized production capacity by closing and
consolidating manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe, while increasing its presence in Asia. These actions enabled the Company to lower
costs and focus resources in regions where the Company anticipates significant growth.
The Companys papermaking customers have
gone through an extended period of consolidation and rationalization, which has in turn led to the reduction of their capacity in some markets, offset
by additions of new, more efficient papermaking facilities in other markets, especially Asia. This appears to have had the effect of shutting down many
older, inefficient paper machines, especially in North America, and reducing the overall number of global positions on paper machines where the
Companys products could be used. Consolidation and rationalization in the paper industry tends to be cyclical. During the five-year period ending
in 2004, it is estimated that approximately 4% of the worlds paper machines were shut down. Such consolidation and rationalization can have a
negative effect on net sales in this segment. The North American paper industry, while still the largest regional producer of paper, is characterized
by an older installed base of paper machines. Accordingly, the reduction in the number of paper machines in North America may exceed other regions of
the world.
21
Technological advances in Engineered Fabrics, while contributing
to the papermaking efficiency of customers, have in some cases lengthened the useful life of the Companys products and reduced the number of
pieces required to produce the same volume of paper. While the Company is often able to charge higher prices for its products as a result of these
improvements, increased prices may not always be sufficient to offset completely a decrease in the number of fabrics sold.
Although Engineered Fabrics sales were higher in the first three
quarters of 2005 as compared to the same quarters of 2004, after adjusting for currency translation effects, the Companys net sales of Engineered
Fabrics have decreased in each of the three previous fiscal years. The trend toward a decrease in the ratio of PMC consumed to paper produced and the
recent period of consolidation and rationalization may be significant contributors to the decline in sales for 2002, 2003 and 2004. The Companys
strategy for dealing with these trends is to continue to focus on providing solutions for customers through new products and services, improving the
Companys product mix and price structure, while at the same time identifying additional cost-saving opportunities.
Challenges, Risks and Opportunities
The Engineered Fabrics segment of the business is very
competitive. Some competitors tend to compete more on the basis of price, while others, including the Company, attempt to compete more on the basis of
technical performance of products and services. During the past three years, the Company has spent an average of 3% of its consolidated net sales on
research expenses, and expects to spend similar amounts in future periods. Failure to maintain or increase the product and service value delivered to
customers in future periods could have a material impact on sales in this segment.
Some competitors in this segment have the ability to bundle
sales of PMC with other papermaking equipment. They are thus able to market fabrics and other equipment together, and to condition purchase incentives
on the purchase of both PMC and other papermaking equipment. This effectively results in additional discounts in their paper machine
clothing.
The basic papermaking process, while it has undergone dramatic
increases in efficiency and speed, has always relied on paper machine clothing. In the event that a paper machine builder or other person were able to
develop a commercially viable manner of paper manufacture that did not require paper machine clothing, sales of the Companys products in this
segment could be expected to decline significantly. As paper machines currently represent significant investments of capital, the Company does not
believe that a commercially feasible substitute technology that does not employ PMC is likely to be developed and incorporated into the paper
production process by paper manufacturers in the foreseeable future. Even if substitute technology were developed, it would likely take more than a
decade for paper producers to change all of their paper machines. Accordingly, the prospects for continued demand of PMC appear
excellent.
Albany Door Systems derives most of its revenue from the sale of
high-performance doors. The purchase of these doors is normally a capital expenditure item for customers and, as such, market opportunities tend to
fluctuate with industrial capital spending. The majority of the segments revenues are derived from sales and manufacturing outside of the United
States, which can cause the reported financial results to be more sensitive to changes in currency rates than the other segments of the
Company.
The Applied Technologies segment has experienced significant
growth in net sales during the last two to three years, due to the introduction of new products and growth in demand and application of previously
existing products. While opportunities for continued growth remain excellent, there can be no assurances that the growth in sales enjoyed during the
last two to three years will continue.
22
Foreign Currency
Albany International operates in many geographic regions of the
world and has more than half of its business in countries outside the United States. A substantial portion of the Companys sales are denominated
in euros or other currencies. In some locations, the profitability of transactions is affected by the fact that sales are denominated in a currency
different from the currency in which the costs to manufacture and distribute the products are denominated. As a result, changes in the relative values
of U.S. dollars, euros and other currencies affect revenues and profits as the results are translated into U.S. dollars in the consolidated financial
statements.
From time to time, the Company enters into foreign currency or
other derivative contracts in order to enhance cash flows or to mitigate volatility in the financial statements that can be caused by changes in
currency exchange rates.
Results of Operations:
Total Company three months ended September 30, 2005
Net sales were $242.3 million for the three months ended
September 30, 2005 as compared to $222.8 million for the same period of 2004. Changes in currency translation rates had the effect of increasing net
sales by $5.0 million. Excluding the effect of changes in currency translation rates, net sales increased 6.5% as compared to the same period last
year.
Operating results for the quarter reflect sales growth and the
effects of continued focus on efficiency improvements. The Companys paper and paperboard customers experienced swings in demand by region and
paper grade; however, demand for the Companys products improved in Europe and remained strong in other regions.
Although market conditions in the Albany Door Systems segment
were mixed, with slow economic growth continuing to affect customers in Europe, demand for the Companys products in the Applied Technologies
segment remained strong. As compared to the third quarter of last year, sales increased in both segments.
The following table presents 2005 and 2004 net sales by segment
and the effect of changes in currency translation rates and reflects the segment changes identified above:
|
|
|
|
Three
months ended
September 30
|
|
(in
thousands)
|
|
|
|
2005
|
|
2004
|
|
Increase
in 2005 sales
due to changes in
currency translation rates
|
|
Percent
change
|
|
Percent
change
Excluding currency
rate effect
|
Engineered
Fabrics |
|
|
|
$ |
186,290 |
|
|
$ |
169,513 |
|
|
$4,083 |
|
|
9.9 |
% |
|
|
7.5 |
% |
Albany
Door Systems |
|
|
|
|
26,724 |
|
|
|
26,081 |
|
|
72 |
|
|
2.5 |
% |
|
|
2.2 |
% |
Applied Technologies |
|
|
|
|
29,316 |
|
|
|
27,254 |
|
|
865 |
|
|
7.6 |
% |
|
|
4.4 |
% |
Consolidated
total |
|
|
|
$ |
242,330 |
|
|
$ |
222,848 |
|
|
$5,020 |
|
|
8.7 |
% |
|
|
6.5 |
% |
23
During the first quarter of 2005, the Company revised certain
components of its operating segments to be consistent with its new internal financial reporting and management structure and to comply with Financial
Accounting Standards No. 131. The Companys Engineered Products business line is now included in the Applied Technologies segment; in previous
financial reports, this business line was included in the Engineered Fabrics segment. Certain activities previously included in the Applied
Technologies segment have been reclassified to the Engineered Fabrics segment.
The following table presents the impact on net sales resulting
from the revision to components of the operating segments:
|
|
|
|
Three months ended September 30,
2004 |
|
Nine months ended September 30,
2004 |
|
(in thousands)
|
|
|
|
As reported
|
|
Segment change
|
|
As restated
|
|
As reported
|
|
Segment change
|
|
As restated
|
Engineered
Fabrics |
|
|
|
$ |
180,063 |
|
|
|
($10,550 |
) |
|
$ |
169,513 |
|
|
$ |
551,222 |
|
|
|
($33,349 |
) |
|
$ |
517,873 |
|
Albany Door
Systems |
|
|
|
|
26,081 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
26,081 |
|
|
|
79,575 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
79,575 |
|
Applied Technologies |
|
|
|
|
16,704 |
|
|
|
10,550 |
|
|
|
27,254 |
|
|
|
50,566 |
|
|
|
33,349 |
|
|
|
83,915 |
|
Consolidated
total |
|
|
|
$ |
222,848 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
222,848 |
|
|
$ |
681,363 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
681,363 |
|
Gross profit was 41.1 percent of net sales in the third quarter of 2005, compared to 39.2 percent in the third quarter of 2004. The increase
in gross profit as a percentage of net sales is due principally to higher net sales and the benefits resulting from the completed cost reduction
initiatives.
Selling, technical, general, and research expenses increased 9.0
percent compared to the same period last year and increased 7.6 percent excluding the effect of changes in currency translation rates. The increase is
due principally to payments expected to be made under the Companys annual and long-term incentive bonus plans due to improved operating results
and the increase in value of the Companys common stock. A portion of the increase is also related to compensation paid to the Companys new
President, including an initial cash bonus. The majority of these cost increases is at the corporate headquarters, and therefore has not been allocated
to the operating segments.
Operating income was $30.8 million in the third quarter of 2005,
compared to $21.5 million in the third quarter of 2004. Operating income for the third quarter of 2004 was reduced by restructuring charges of $2.6
million that included $0.7 million in equipment write-offs and $1.9 million in termination benefits and other restructuring costs. The charges were
part of a restructuring program announced in January 2003 that was part of a continuing effort to match manufacturing capacity to the global demand for
paper machine clothing.
24
Following is a table of operating income and restructuring
charges by segment:
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended September 30, |
|
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
|
(in thousands)
|
|
|
|
2005
|
|
2004
|
|
2005
|
|
2004
|
Net
Sales |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Engineered
Fabrics |
|
|
|
$ |
186,290 |
|
|
$ |
169,513 |
|
|
$ |
555,752 |
|
|
$ |
517,873 |
|
Albany Door
Systems |
|
|
|
|
26,724 |
|
|
|
26,081 |
|
|
|
83,706 |
|
|
|
79,575 |
|
Applied Technologies |
|
|
|
|
29,316 |
|
|
|
27,254 |
|
|
|
91,342 |
|
|
|
83,915 |
|
Consolidated total |
|
|
|
$ |
242,330 |
|
|
$ |
222,848 |
|
|
$ |
730,800 |
|
|
$ |
681,363 |
|
|
Operating
Income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Engineered
Fabrics |
|
|
|
$ |
47,972 |
|
|
$ |
34,984 |
|
|
$ |
133,067 |
|
|
$ |
67,779 |
|
Albany Door
Systems |
|
|
|
|
1,246 |
|
|
|
1,208 |
|
|
|
3,635 |
|
|
|
1,422 |
|
Applied
Technologies |
|
|
|
|
4,220 |
|
|
|
2,786 |
|
|
|
14,570 |
|
|
|
8,180 |
|
Research
expense |
|
|
|
|
(6,688 |
) |
|
|
(6,472 |
) |
|
|
(20,902 |
) |
|
|
(20,393 |
) |
Unallocated expenses |
|
|
|
|
(15,951 |
) |
|
|
(10,971 |
) |
|
|
(37,741 |
) |
|
|
(32,015 |
) |
Operating
income before reconciling items |
|
|
|
|
30,799 |
|
|
|
21,535 |
|
|
|
92,629 |
|
|
|
24,973 |
|
|
Reconciling
items: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
expense, net |
|
|
|
|
(1,848 |
) |
|
|
(3,533 |
) |
|
|
(8,662 |
) |
|
|
(11,073 |
) |
Other income/(expense), net |
|
|
|
|
665 |
|
|
|
(2,053 |
) |
|
|
(916 |
) |
|
|
(10,180 |
) |
Consolidated income before income taxes |
|
|
|
$ |
29,616 |
|
|
$ |
15,949 |
|
|
$ |
83,051 |
|
|
$ |
3,720 |
|
|
Restructuring Costs by Segment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Engineered
Fabrics |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
1,863 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
41,345 |
|
Albany Door
Systems |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
268 |
|
Applied
Technologies |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
715 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3,491 |
|
Corporate and other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
140 |
|
Consolidated
total |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
2,576 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
45,244 |
|
Research expenses increased 3.3% as compared to the third quarter of 2004, principally due to higher professional fees. Unallocated expenses,
which consist primarily of corporate headquarters expenses, increased $5.0 million to $16.0 million in the third quarter of 2005, principally due to
the same factors that affected Selling, technical, general and research expenses.
Other (income)/expense, net, was income of $0.7 million for the
quarter, compared to expense of $2.1 million for the third quarter of 2004. The change is principally due to foreign currency revaluation gains on
short-term intercompany balances in 2005.
Interest expense, net, was $1.8 million in the third quarter of
2005, compared with $3.5 million in the same period of 2004. The decrease is principally due to the expiration of $200 million of interest rate swaps
in June and August 2005.
In the third quarter of 2005, the Company reduced its estimate of the annual
tax rate from 30 percent to 28 percent. Had the 28 percent tax rate been in place at June 30, 2005, year-to-date earnings per share through
that period would have been $1.1 million ($0.03 per share) higher than reported. The results for the third quarter of 2005 also included a charge of
$3.9 million ($0.12 per share) related to the repatriation of undistributed foreign
25
earnings. The combined impact of these two effects was a
reduction in earnings of $0.09 per share. Results for the third quarter of 2004 included a charge of $1.1 million ($0.03 per share) for a tax valuation
allowance related to restructuring activities.
Net income per share was $0.58 for the third quarter of 2005
after tax-related affects that reduced earnings by $0.09 per share. In the third quarter of 2004, net income per share was $0.33, after net income was
reduced by restructuring charges of $0.06 per share and the tax valuation allowance of $0.03 per share. The higher net income per share in 2005 also
reflects increases in net sales and gross profit as a percentage of net sales.
Total Company nine months ended September 30,
2005
Net sales were $730.8 million for the nine months ended
September 30, 2005 as compared to $681.4 million for the same period of 2004. Changes in currency translation rates had the effect of increasing net
sales by $21.6 million. Excluding the effect of changes in currency translation rates, net sales increased 4.1% as compared to the same period last
year.
|
|
|
|
Nine
months ended
September 30
|
|
Increase
in 2005 sales
due to changes in
currency translation rates
|
|
Percent
change
|
|
Percent
change
Excluding currency
rate effect
|
(in
thousands)
|
|
|
|
2005
|
|
2004
|
|
|
|
Engineered
Fabrics |
|
|
|
$ |
555,752 |
|
|
$ |
517,873 |
|
|
$16,435 |
|
|
7.3 |
% |
|
|
4.1 |
% |
Albany
Door Systems |
|
|
|
|
83,706 |
|
|
|
79,575 |
|
|
2,362 |
|
|
5.2 |
% |
|
|
2.2 |
% |
Applied Technologies |
|
|
|
|
91,342 |
|
|
|
83,915 |
|
|
2,810 |
|
|
8.9 |
% |
|
|
5.5 |
% |
Consolidated
total |
|
|
|
$ |
730,800 |
|
|
$ |
681,363 |
|
|
$21,607 |
|
|
7.3 |
% |
|
|
4.1 |
% |
For the first nine months of 2005, gross profit as a percentage
of net sales was 40.9 percent, compared to 39.2 percent for the first nine months of last year. The increase is due principally to higher net sales and
the benefits resulting from the completed cost reduction initiatives.
Selling, technical, general, and research expenses increased 4.9
percent compared to the same period last year and increased 2.3 percent excluding the effect of changes in currency translation rates. The increase is
due to payments expected to be made under the Companys incentive programs and costs associated with compliance under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The
majority of these cost increases is at the corporate headquarters, and therefore has not been allocated to the operating segments.
Operating income was $92.6 million in the first nine months of
2005, compared to a $25.0 million for the same period of 2004. Operating income for the first nine months of 2004 was reduced by restructuring charges
of $45.2 million. The charges included $10.7 million in equipment write-offs and $34.6 million in termination benefits and other
costs.
Research expenses increased 2.5% as compared to the first nine
months of 2004, and increased 1.5% excluding the effect of changes in currency translation rates. The increase was principally due to higher
professional fees. Unallocated expenses increased $5.7 million to $37.7 million for the first nine months of 2005, principally due to higher costs of
incentive programs and costs associated with compliance under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
Other (income)/expense, net, was expense of $0.9 million in the
first nine months of 2005, compared to expense of $10.2 million for the same period of 2004. The decrease is due principally to an impairment loss
of
26
$4.0 million in 2004 that represented the full value of the Companys
investment in an unaffiliated company and foreign currency revaluation gains on short-term intercompany balances in 2005.
Interest expense, net, was $8.7 million for the first nine
months of 2005, compared with $11.1 million in the same period of 2004. The decrease is principally due to the expiration of $200 million of interest
rate swaps in June and August 2005.
Income tax expense includes, in both years, the benefit of
resolving certain income tax matters that decreased income tax expense by $1.4 million in 2005 and $0.9 million in 2004. Additionally, income tax
expense for the first nine months of 2005 included a charge of $3.9 million related to the repatriation of undistributed foreign earnings while results
for the same period of 2004 included a charge of $5.8 million for the tax valuation allowance.
Net income/loss was income of $1.82 per share for the first nine
months of 2005, compared to a loss of $0.05 per share for the same period of 2004. The increase in 2005 is principally due to charges in 2004 for
restructuring, as well as higher net sales and gross profit as a percentage of net sales in 2005.
Engineered Fabrics Segment three months ended
September 30, 2005
Engineered Fabrics segment net sales for the three months ended
September 30, 2005, as compared to the same period in 2004 were 9.9% higher. Excluding the effect of changes in currency translation rates, net sales
increased 7.5% as compared to the same period of last year.
Net sales in the Engineered Fabrics segment were positively
affected by strong demand for the Companys products in each of the primary markets, resulting from new product performance and value-focused
solutions for customers.
Gross profit as a percentage of net sales for the entire
Engineered Fabrics segment was 46.0% for the third quarter of 2005 compared to 41.3% for the same period of 2004. The increase is principally due to
higher sales volume and a lower cost structure, which reflects the success of cost reduction initiatives. Operating income increased to $48.0 million,
compared to $35.0 million for the third quarter of 2004. The increase is principally due to restructuring charges of $1.9 million in the third quarter
of 2004, higher sales volume, and benefits resulting from cost reduction initiatives.
Engineered Fabrics Segment nine months ended
September 30, 2005
Engineered Fabrics segment net sales for the nine months ended
September 30, 2005, as compared to the same period in 2004 were 7.3% higher. Excluding the effect of changes in currency translation rates, net sales
increased 4.1% as compared to the same period of last year.
Compared to the first nine months of 2004, net sales in this
segment were positively affected by strong demand in North America, South America and Asia, while sales were lower in Europe.
Gross profit as a percentage of net sales for the entire
Engineered Fabrics segment was 44.7% for the first nine months of 2005 compared to 42.3% for the same period of 2004. The increase is principally due
to higher sales volume and a lower cost structure. Operating income increased to $133.1 million compared to $67.8 million for the same period of 2004.
The increase is principally due to restructuring charges of $41.3 million in 2004, the higher sales volume, and the benefits resulting from cost
reduction initiatives.
27
Albany Door Systems Segment three months ended
September 30, 2005
Albany Door Systems segment net sales for the three months ended
September 30, 2005, as compared to the same period in 2004, were 2.5% higher. Excluding the effect of changes in currency translation rates, net sales
were 2.2% higher. The improvement in net sales during the quarter was due to distribution channel improvements and new product introductions in North
America as well as growth in the European service business. Door sales in Europe, in particular in Germany, continue to be affected by weak economic
conditions.
Gross profit as a percentage of net sales was 32.8% for the
third quarter of 2005 compared to 34.7% for the same period of 2004. Operating income was $1.2 million in the third quarter of 2005 and
2004.
Albany Door Systems Segment nine months ended
September 30, 2005
Albany Door Systems segment net sales for the nine months ended
September 30, 2005, as compared to the same period in 2004, were 5.2% higher. Excluding the effect of changes in currency translation rates, net sales
were 2.2% higher.
Gross profit as a percentage of net sales was 33.4% for the
first nine months of 2005 compared to 32.7% for the same period of 2004. Operating income increased to $3.6 million compared to $1.4 million for the
first nine months of 2004. The increase is due principally to higher sales and efficiency gains.
Applied Technologies Segment three months ended
September 30, 2005
Applied Technologies segment net sales for the three months
ended September 30, 2005, as compared to the same period in 2004, were 7.6% higher. Excluding the effect of changes in currency translation rates, net
sales were 4.4% higher than the same period of 2004. Strong results in Engineered Products and PrimaLoft in both North America and Europe, and demand
for filtration products in China and Brazil, contributed to the sales increase.
Gross profit as a percentage of net sales was 35.1% for the
third quarter of 2005 compared to 35.6% for the same period of 2004. Operating income increased to $4.2 million compared to $2.8 million for the third
quarter of 2004, which included $0.7 million of restructuring charges. Earnings were positively impacted by sales growth and continuing efficiency
improvements.
Applied Technologies Segment nine months ended
September 30, 2005
Applied Technologies segment net sales for the nine months ended
September 30, 2005, as compared to the same period in 2004, were 8.9% higher. Excluding the effect of changes in currency translation rates, net sales
were 5.5% higher than the same period of 2004.
Gross profit as a percentage of net sales was 35.8% for the
first nine months of 2005 compared to 34.6% for the same period of 2004. Operating income increased to $14.6 million compared to $8.2 million for the
first nine months of 2004 principally due to restructuring costs of $3.5 million in 2004 and higher sales in 2005.
28
Liquidity and Capital Resources:
The Company finances its business activities primarily with cash
generated from operations, as well as with borrowings, primarily under its revolving credit agreement. Company subsidiaries outside of the United
States may also maintain working capital lines with local banks.
Net cash provided by operating activities was $96.4 million for
the first nine months of 2005, compared to $76.2 million for the same period of 2004. The higher cash flow is principally due to higher income in 2005
and a decrease of $10 million in the amount contributed to the Unites States pension plan. Partially offsetting those factors was an increase in
inventories which reflects a stronger order backlog. Net cash provided by operating activities for the first nine months of 2004 included the cash
receipt of $6.0 million in currency gains that were recorded in the income statement during 2003.
The Company has a program whereby it may sell a portion of its
North American accounts receivable to a QSPE. This program is described in detail in Note 4 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. This form of
financing results in a lower current incremental cost of financing than the lowest rate on the Companys revolving credit agreement, and it
broadens the Companys sources of financing. In exchange for the accounts receivable sold, the Company receives cash and a note. The note is
subject to monthly fluctuation based on the amount of receivables sold and bears interest at variable rates. As of September 30, 2005, the interest
rate was 4.32% per annum. As described above under Critical Accounting Policies and Assumptions, in the event that the receivables program
were terminated or sales to the QSPE discontinued, the Company would not be required to repay any amounts received, but would also not realize any cash
proceeds from the collection of additional receivables sold under the program until the obligation to the third party was satisfied. Accounts
receivable as reflected in the Consolidated Balance Sheets would increase as new sales were made, and, after the QSPEs obligations to the third
party were satisfied, the note receivable would decrease as sold receivables were collected. These factors would result in a decrease in reported cash
flow from operations beginning in the period of termination and continuing in subsequent periods until the sold receivables were collected. The Company
might need to borrow from its existing credit facilities or use available cash to make up the difference in cash generated from accounts receivable
until collections from new accounts not sold under the program begin to be received.
Capital spending was $12.1 million during the third quarter and
$30.5 million for the first nine months of 2005. Full-year capital spending is expected to be approximately $45 million, as compared to full-year
depreciation of $52 million and amortization of $4 million. Anticipated capital expenditures are for replacement of equipment, upgrades for efficiency
improvements and extension of asset lives, as well as to support safety and environmental requirements and the expansion of capacity in furtherance of
the Companys business strategies. As with previous capital spending, the Company expects to fund future capital spending from cash from
operations and existing credit facilities. The Company expects capital expenditures in 2006 to be between $70 to $80 million.
During the first nine months of 2005, the Company purchased
50,973 of its Class A Common Stock at an average price of $30.91 per share and remains authorized to purchase an additional 1,002,127 shares without
further notice.
On October 25, 2005, the Company closed on a $150 million
borrowing from Prudential Capital Group. The principal will be due in three installments of $50 million each at the end of years 8, 10 and 12 for an
average life of 10 years, and the interest rate will be fixed at 5.34 percent. The financing was arranged directly between
29
the Company and Prudential Capital Group. Proceeds from the
borrowing were used to pay down all $127 million of floating-rate indebtedness at the time outstanding under the Companys existing credit
facility.
The new borrowings further strengthens the Companys
balance sheet and provides the Company with the financial flexibility to pursue shareholder value initiatives that have been previously disclosed. The
initiatives include the ability to make investments in existing businesses as well as the ability to repurchase shares of the Companys stock.
Business investments may take the form of increased capital expenditures in the Engineered Fabrics segment as well as strategic acquisitions to provide
growth in other businesses in which the Company has a sustainable competitive advantage.
In the third quarter of 2005, the Company reduced its estimate of the annual
tax rate from 30 percent to 28 percent. The Company currently anticipates its consolidated tax rate for
the remainder of 2005 will be 28% before any discrete items, although there can be no assurance that this will not change.
As discussed above under Industry Trends, the paper
industry has undergone major consolidation and capacity rationalization in recent years. Although sales during for the first three quarters of 2005
have improved over the comparable periods of 2004, there can be no assurances that paper industry consolidation and rationalization is complete. If
industry consolidation and rationalization continued, it could have a negative impact on net sales as well as on cash flow from operations. The Company
will continue to focus on improving the performance of its products in order to increase market share and improve its product mix and price structure,
while at the same time exploring additional cost-saving opportunities. In any event, although historical cash flows may not, for all of these reasons,
necessarily be indicative of future cash flows, the Company expects to continue to be able to generate substantial cash from sales of its products and
services in future periods.
Legislation has been introduced in the United States Senate that
is intended to address asbestos litigation by creating a privately funded trust to provide compensation to persons injured as the result of exposure to
asbestos. The FAIRNESS IN ASBESTOS INJURY RESOLUTION ACT OF 2005 was introduced on April 19, 2005 and approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on May
26, 2005. If enacted into law, the Company would be required to make payments of up to $500,000 per year for up to 30 years to the privately funded,
publicly administered trust fund. The payments would not be covered by any of the Companys insurance policies. The proposed legislation remains
subject to negotiation and modification in the full Senate. The Company cannot predict whether the proposed legislation will ultimately be enacted into
law.
For the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2005,
dividends declared were $0.09 and $0.25 per share, respectively, compared with $0.08 and $0.22 per share for the same periods of 2004. Decisions with
respect to whether a dividend will be paid, and the amount of the dividend, are made by the Board of Directors each quarter. To the extent the Board
declares cash dividends in the future, the Company would expect to pay such dividends out of operating cash flow. Future cash dividends will be
dependent on debt covenants and on the Boards assessment of the Companys ability to generate sufficient cash flows.
As of September 30, 2005, the Company had accrued restructuring
liabilities of approximately $1.7 million for the cost reduction initiative announced in January 2003, and $2.1 million for restructuring programs
initiated prior to 2003. The Company expects that the restructuring accruals remaining at December 31, 2005 will be approximately $1.0 million, which
will result in cash payments of approximately $0.5 million in 2006, $0.4 million in 2007, and $0.1 million thereafter.
30
Outlook:
The Companys focus on growth in each business segment has
allowed it to build on the efficiency gains in Company operations with solid revenue improvements. However, in the Engineered Fabrics segment, there is
increased concern about sustainable paper and paperboard demand in the current energy-influenced economic environment. Because of the continuing
restructuring by some global paper manufacturers, ongoing weakness in the North American market, and recent announcements by some customers regarding
production curtailments, the Company is unlikely to maintain recent rates of paper machine clothing sales growth in the near term. Despite this
short-term outlook, the Company remains committed to growth in the paper machine clothing business.
Albany Door Systems will continue to pursue growth strategies
that lead to innovative custom door solutions, value-focused sales, and increased service and support activities. In addition, continuing efforts to
improve efficiencies should further contribute to earnings.
Growth in the Applied Technologies segment should result from
the Companys continued investments in new products and the application of existing technologies to new markets. Market opportunities for
filtration products in power generation applications and for composites and advanced materials in aircraft are encouraging. In addition, the Company is
pleased by the increased demand for PrimaLoft personal insulation products and expansion of Engineered Products in the nonwovens
industry.
The Company expects that investments for growth will increase in
the coming quarters, and will impact capital expenditures and people costs in 2006. These strategic investments will likely include new hires in key
areas, capital expenditures for all business segments, and potential acquisitions in the Applied Technologies segment. The Company expects capital
spending in 2006 will be between $70 and $80 million. These investments support the Companys long-term growth plans and may positively impact
operations as early as late 2006.
The Companys growth strategies include the continued focus
on important value drivers for customers, which improve their operations and increase their profitability. In doing so, the Company believes it is
providing superior value to customers and creating value for shareholders.
Increased costs resulting from higher energy prices will
continue to impact the Company in the fourth quarter. The Company does not expect these increases to exceed $12 million for the full-year
2005.
Non-GAAP Measures
This Form 10-Q contains certain items that may be considered
non-GAAP financial measures. Such measures are provided because management believes that, when presented together with the GAAP items to which they
relate, they can provide additional useful information to investors regarding the registrants financial condition, results of operations and cash
flows.
The effect of changes in currency translation rates is
calculated by converting amounts reported in local currencies into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate of a prior period. That amount is then compared to
the U.S. dollar amount reported in the current period.
31
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In November 2004, the FASB issued FAS No. 151, Inventory
Costs, an amendment of ARB No. 43, Chapter 4. This Standard requires that items such as idle facility expense and excess spoilage be recognized
as current period charges. Under ARB No. 43, such costs were considered inventoriable costs unless they were considered so abnormal as to require
immediate expensing. The Company is required to adopt the Standard on January 1, 2006 and does not expect the adoption to have a material effect on its
financial statements.
In December 2004, the FASB issued FAS No. 153, Exchanges
of Nonmonetary Assets, an amendment of APB Opinion No. 29. This Standard modifies the accounting for nonmonetary exchanges of similar productive
assets. The Company adopted the Standard on July 1, 2005 and it did not have any effect on its financial statements.
In December 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board
(FASB) issued FAS No. 123 (Revised) Share-Based Payment (FAS No. 123R). This Standard establishes accounting guidelines for transactions in
which an entity exchanges its equity instruments for goods or services. The Standard focuses primarily on accounting for transactions in which an
entity obtains employee services in share-based payment transactions. In April 2005, the Securities and Exchange Commission amended Regulation S-X to
amend the date for compliance with FAS No. 123R, Share-Based Payment to fiscal years beginning on or after June 15, 2005. FAS 123R also
requires that certain tax benefits resulting from stock options be classified in the Statement of Cash Flows as financing activities, instead of the
current classification of operating activities. The Company is required to adopt the provisions of this Standard on January 1, 2006. The Company
expects that the adoption of this Standard will result in additional compensation expense for unvested options that were granted prior to 2003 of
approximately $1.7 million in 2006, $0.9 million in 2007, and $0.2 million per year from 2008 to 2017.
In May 2005, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting
Standard No. 154, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections a replacement of APB Opinion No. 20 and FAS Statement No. 3. This Standard requires
retrospective application to prior periods financial statements of changes in accounting principle, unless it is impracticable to determine
either the period-specific effects or the cumulative effect of the change. This Standard also requires that retrospective application of a change in
accounting principle be limited to the direct effects of the change. Indirect effects of a change in accounting principle, such as a change in
nondiscretionary profit-sharing payments resulting from an accounting change, should be recognized in the period of the accounting change. In addition,
this Standard requires that a change in depreciation, amortization, or depletion method for long-lived, nonfinancial assets be accounted for as a
change in accounting estimate affected by a change in accounting principle. The Company is required to adopt the Standard on December 15, 2005 and does
not expect the adoption to have a material effect on its financial statements.
32
Forward-looking statements
Forward-looking statements in this Form 10-Q, including
statements about future economic conditions, energy costs, growth, sales and earnings, cash flows, pricing, markets, new products, paper industry
outlook, capital expenditures, tax rates, and depreciation and amortization are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on current expectations and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including, but not
limited to, economic conditions affecting the paper industry and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the Companys 2004 Annual Report to
Shareholders and subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Item
3. |
|
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market
Risk |
In June and August 2005, swap agreements expired that had fixed
the interest rate at 7.16% on the Companys revolving credit facility. In October 2005, the Company entered into a new $150 million 5.34% fixed
rate borrowing and used proceeds from the loan to pay down all amounts outstanding under the Companys revolving credit facility. As a result of
the swaps expiring and the new fixed rate loan, there has been no significant change in the Companys exposure to market risk during 2005. For
discussion of the Companys exposure to market risk, refer to Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk under Item 7A
of form 10-K, which is included as an exhibit to this Form 10-Q.
Item
4. |
|
Controls and Procedures |
(a) |
|
Disclosure controls and procedures. |
The principal executive officers and principal financial
officer, based on their evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) as of the end of
the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, have concluded that the Companys disclosure controls and procedures are effective for
ensuring that information required to be disclosed in the 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 the Commissions rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures,
include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in filed or submitted reports is
accumulated and communicated to the Companys management, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer as
appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
(b) |
|
Changes in internal control over financial reporting. |
There were no changes in the Companys internal control
over financial reporting that occurred during the last fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the
Companys internal control over financial reporting.
33
PART II OTHER INFORMATION
Item
1. |
|
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS |
Albany International Corp. (Albany) is a defendant
in suits brought in various courts in the United States by plaintiffs who allege that they have suffered personal injury as a result of exposure to
asbestos-containing products previously manufactured by Albany. Albanys production of asbestos-containing paper machine clothing products was
limited to certain synthetic dryer fabrics marketed during the period from 1967 to 1976 and used in certain paper mills. Such fabrics generally had a
useful life of three to twelve months.
Albany was defending against 24,406 claims as of October 21,
2005. This compares with 24,452 such claims as of July 22, 2005, 29,411 claims as of December 31, 2004, 28,838 claims as of December 31, 2003, 22,593
claims as of December 31, 2002, 7,347 claims as of December 31, 2001, 1,997 claims as of December 31, 2000, and 2,276 claims as of December 31, 1999.
These suits allege a variety of lung and other diseases based on alleged exposure to products previously manufactured by Albany.
Albany anticipates that additional claims will be filed against
it and the related companies in the future but is unable to predict the number and timing of such future claims. These suits typically involve claims
against from twenty to over two hundred defendants, and the complaints usually fail to identify the plaintiffs work history or the nature of the
plaintiffs alleged exposure to Albanys products. In cases in which work histories have been provided, approximately one-third of the
claimants have alleged time spent in a paper mill, and only a portion of those claimants have alleged time spent in a paper mill to which Albany is
believed to have supplied asbestos-containing products.
Approximately 19,222 of the claims pending against Albany are
filed in various counties in Mississippi.
Changes during 2004 in the application of procedural rules
regarding the mass joinder of numerous asbestos claims in a single proceeding against numerous defendants have resulted in the dismissal of a number of
claims pending against Albany in Mississippi. As the result of a 2004 ruling of the Mississippi Supreme Court, courts in counties throughout the State
began to issue orders severing the individual claims of plaintiffs in mass joinder asbestos cases. Once severed, the courts are requiring the
plaintiffs to file amended complaints which include more detailed information regarding their allegations of asbestos exposure, and have begun to
dismiss or transfer improperly filed cases. As a consequence, a number of plaintiffs have voluntarily dismissed their claims. As to the plaintiffs
filing amended complaints, these cases are being transferred to the proper counties within Mississippi, or, in limited instances, are being removed to
federal court. The Company expects more of the remaining claims pending in Mississippi to be dismissed, amended or transferred; and that the only
claimants remaining in Mississippi at the conclusion of this process will be those who are residents of, or who allege exposure to asbestos in, that
State, and whose amended complaints satisfy the requirement for specific information regarding their exposure claims.
The Company expects that only a portion of these remaining
claimants will be able to demonstrate time spent in a paper mill to which Albany supplied asbestos-containing products during a period in which
Albanys asbestos-containing products were in use. Based on past experience, communications from certain plaintiffs counsel and the advice
of the Companys Mississippi counsel, the Company expects the percentage of claimants with paper mill exposure in the Mississippi proceedings to
be considerably lower than the total number of claims previously asserted. However, due to the fact that the effects of the mandate of the Mississippi
Supreme Court are taking time to be fully realized, the Company does not believe a meaningful estimate can be made regarding the expected reduction in
claims or the range of possible loss with respect to the remaining claims.
34
It is the position of Albany and the other paper machine
clothing defendants that there was insufficient exposure to asbestos from any paper machine clothing products to cause asbestos-related injury to any
plaintiff. Furthermore, asbestos contained in Albanys synthetic products was encapsulated in a resin-coated yarn woven into the interior of the
fabric, further reducing the likelihood of fiber release. While the Company believes it has meritorious defenses to these claims, it has settled
certain of these cases for amounts it considers reasonable given the facts and circumstances of each case. The Companys insurer, Liberty Mutual,
has defended each case under a standard reservation of rights. As of October 21, 2005, the Company had resolved, by means of settlement or dismissal,
13,646 claims, and had reached tentative agreement to resolve an additional 4,563 claims reported above as pending. The total cost of resolving all
18,209 such claims was $6,426,000. Of this amount, $6,391,000, or 99%, was paid by the Companys insurance carrier. The Company has more than $130
million in confirmed insurance coverage that should be available with respect to current and future asbestos claims, as well as additional insurance
coverage that it should be able to access.
Brandon Drying Fabrics, Inc.
Brandon Drying Fabrics, Inc. (Brandon), a subsidiary
of Geschmay Corp., is also a separate defendant in most of these cases. Brandon was defending against 9,608 claims as of October 21, 2005. This
compares with 9,549 such claims as of July 22, 2005, 9,985 claims as of December 31, 2004, 10,242 claims as of December 31, 2003, 11,802 claims as of
December 31, 2002, 8,759 claims as of December 31, 2001, 3,598 claims as of December 31, 2000, and 1,887 claims as of December 31, 1999. The Company
acquired Geschmay Corp., formerly known as Wangner Systems Corporation, in 1999. Brandon is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Geschmay Corp. In 1978,
Brandon acquired certain assets from Abney Mills (Abney), a South Carolina textile manufacturer. Among the assets acquired by Brandon from
Abney were assets of Abneys wholly-owned subsidiary, Brandon Sales, Inc. which, among other things, had sold dryer fabrics containing asbestos
made by its parent, Abney. It is believed that Abney ceased production of asbestos-containing fabrics prior to the 1978 transaction. Although Brandon
manufactured and sold dryer fabrics under its own name subsequent to the asset purchase, none of such fabrics contained asbestos. Under the terms of
the Assets Purchase Agreement between Brandon and Abney, Abney agreed to indemnify, defend, and hold Brandon harmless from any actions or claims on
account of products manufactured by Abney and its related corporations prior to the date of the sale, whether or not the product was sold subsequent to
the date of the sale. It appears that Abney has since been dissolved. Nevertheless, a representative of Abney has been notified of the pendency of
these actions and demand has been made that it assume the defense of these actions. Because Brandon did not manufacture asbestos-containing products,
and because it does not believe that it was the legal successor to, or otherwise responsible for obligations of, Abney with respect to products
manufactured by Abney, it believes it has strong defenses to the claims that have been asserted against it. In some instances, plaintiffs have
voluntarily dismissed claims against it, while in others it has entered into what it considers to be reasonable settlements. As of October 21, 2005,
Brandon has resolved, by means of settlement or dismissal, 7,092 claims for a total of $152,499. Brandons insurance carriers initially agreed to
pay 88.2% of the total indemnification and defense costs related to these proceedings, subject to the standard reservation of rights. The remaining
11.8% of the costs had been borne directly by Brandon. During 2004, Brandons insurance carriers agreed to cover 100% of indemnification and
defense costs, subject to policy limits and the standard reservation of rights, and to reimburse Brandon for all indemnity and defense costs paid
directly by Brandon related to these proceedings.
Mount Vernon
In some of these cases, the Company is named both as a direct
defendant and as the successor in interest to Mount Vernon Mills (Mount Vernon). The Company acquired certain assets from Mount
Vernon in 1993. Certain plaintiffs allege injury caused by asbestos-containing products alleged to have been sold by Mount
35
Vernon many years prior to this acquisition. Mount Vernon is
contractually obligated to indemnify the Company against any liability arising out of such products. The Company denies any liability for products sold
by Mount Vernon prior to the acquisition of the Mount Vernon assets. Pursuant to its contractual indemnification obligations, Mount Vernon has assumed
the defense of these claims. On this basis, the Company has successfully moved for dismissal in a number of actions.
While the Company does not believe, based on currently available information and for the reasons stated above, that a meaningful estimate of a
range of possible loss can be made with respect to such claims, based on its understanding of the insurance policies available, how settlement amounts
have been allocated to various policies, its recent settlement experience, the absence of any judgments against the Company or Brandon, the ratio of
paper mill claims to total claims filed, and the defenses available, the Company currently does not anticipate any material liability relating to the
resolution of the aforementioned pending proceedings in excess of existing insurance limits. Consequently, the Company currently does not anticipate,
based on currently available information, that the ultimate resolution of the aforementioned proceedings will have a material adverse effect on the
financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company. Although the Company cannot predict the number and timing of future claims,
based on the foregoing factors and the trends in claims against it to date, the Company does not anticipate that additional claims likely to be filed
against it in the future will have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows. However, the Company is
aware that litigation is inherently uncertain, especially when the outcome is dependent primarily on determinations of factual matters to be made by
juries. The Company is also aware that numerous other defendants in asbestos cases, as well as others who claim to have knowledge and expertise on the
subject, have found it difficult to anticipate the outcome of asbestos litigation, the volume of future asbestos claims and the anticipated settlement
values of those claims. For these reasons, there can be no assurance that the foregoing conclusions will not change.
Legislation has been introduced in the United States Senate that
is intended to address asbestos litigation by creating a privately funded trust to provide compensation to persons injured as the result of exposure to
asbestos. The FAIRNESS IN ASBESTOS INJURY RESOLUTION ACT OF 2005 was introduced on April 19, 2005 and approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on May
26, 2005. If enacted into law, the Company would be required to make payments of up to $500,000 per year for up to 30 years to the privately funded,
publicly administered trust fund. The payments would not be covered by any of the Companys insurance policies. The proposed legislation remains
subject to negotiation and modification in the full Senate. The Company cannot predict whether the proposed legislation will ultimately be enacted into
law.
36
Item
2. |
|
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of
Proceeds |
In January 1998 and November 2004, the Board of Directors
authorized the purchase of shares of Class A Common Stock, in the open market or otherwise, at such prices as management may from time to time consider
advantageous. As of December 31, 2004, 1,053,100 shares were authorized to be purchased pursuant to this authorization. In May 2005, the Company
announced that it had adopted a written trading plan under Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to facilitate the repurchase of its Class
A Common Stock. During June 2005, the Company purchased 50,973 shares under the Rule 10b5-1 plan. The 10b-5 plan terminated on July 26, 2005, in
accordance with its terms. Therefore, no additional shares may be purchased pursuant to that plan. However, under prior authorizations from the Board
of Directors, management may purchase an additional 1,002,127 shares without further announcement.
Period
|
|
|
|
Total number of shares purchased
|
|
Average price paid
|
|
Total number of shares purchased as part of
publicly announced plans or programs
|
|
Maximum number of shares that may yet be
purchased under the plans or programs
|
June 1 to
30, 2005 |
|
|
|
|
50,973 |
|
|
$ |
30.91 |
|
|
|
50,973 |
|
|
|
0 |
(a) |
(a) No additional shares may be purchased under publicly announced plans or programs. However, management remains authorized to purchase an
additional 1,002,127 shares without further announcement.
Item
3. |
|
Defaults Upon Senior Securities |
|
|
|
|
|
None |
Item
4. |
|
Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security
Holders |
|
|
|
|
|
None |
Item
5. |
|
Other Information |
|
|
|
|
|
None |
37
Exhibit No. |
|
|
|
Description |
31.1 |
|
|
|
Certification of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) of the Exchange Act. |
31.2 |
|
|
|
Certification of the President pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) of the Exchange Act. |
31.3 |
|
|
|
Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) of the Exchange Act. |
32.1 |
|
|
|
Certification pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Subsections (a) and (b) of Section 1350, Chapter 63 of Title 18,
United States Code) |
99.1 |
|
|
|
Quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risks as reported at December 31, 2004. |
38
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.
ALBANY INTERNATIONAL CORP.
(Registrant)
Date: November 4, 2005
By |
|
/s/ Michael C. Nahl Michael C. Nahl
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
39
EXHIBIT (31.1)
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
RULE
13A-14 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Frank R. Schmeler, certify that:
1. |
|
I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Albany
International Corp.; |
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 upon 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 registrants other certifying officers and I are
responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15 (e)) and
internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and we have: |
a) |
|
Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, 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) |
|
Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or
caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability
of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles; |
c) |
|
Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrants disclosure
controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end
of the period covered by this report, based on such evaluation; and |
d) |
|
Disclosed in this report any change in the registrants
internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrants most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is
reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial reporting, and |
5. |
|
The registrants other certifying officers and I have
disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrants auditors and the audit committee
of registrants board of directors: |
a) |
|
All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
design or operation of internal control over financial reporting, which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrants ability to
record, process, summarize, and report financial data and |
b) |
|
Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
other employees who have significant role in the registrants internal control over financial reporting. |
Date: November 4, 2005
By |
|
/s/ Frank R. Schmeler Frank R. Schmeler Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
EXHIBIT (31.2)
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
RULE
13A-14 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Joseph G. Morone, certify that:
1. |
|
I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Albany
International Corp.; |
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 upon 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 registrants other certifying officers and I are
responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15 (e)) and
internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and we have: |
a) |
|
Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, 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) |
|
Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or
caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability
of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles; |
c) |
|
Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrants disclosure
controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end
of the period covered by this report, based on such evaluation; and |
d) |
|
Disclosed in this report any change in the registrants
internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrants most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is
reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial reporting, and |
5. |
|
The registrants other certifying officers and I have
disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrants auditors and the audit committee
of registrants board of directors: |
a) |
|
All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
design or operation of internal control over financial reporting, which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrants ability to
record, process, summarize, and report financial data and |
b) |
|
Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
other employees who have significant role in the registrants internal control over financial reporting. |
Date: November 4, 2005
By |
|
/s/ Joesph G. Morone Joseph G. Morone
President (Principal Executive Officer) |
EXHIBIT (31.3)
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
RULE
13A-14 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Michael C. Nahl, certify that:
1. |
|
I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Albany
International Corp.; |
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 upon 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 registrants other certifying officers and I are
responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15 (e)) and
internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and we have: |
a) |
|
Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, 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) |
|
Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or
caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability
of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles; |
c) |
|
Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrants disclosure
controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end
of the period covered by this report, based on such evaluation; and |
d) |
|
Disclosed in this report any change in the registrants
internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrants most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is
reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial reporting, and |
5. |
|
The registrants other certifying officers and I have
disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrants auditors and the audit committee
of registrants board of directors: |
a) |
|
All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
design or operation of internal control over financial reporting, which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrants ability to
record, process, summarize, and report financial data and |
b) |
|
Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
other employees who have significant role in the registrants internal control over financial reporting. |
Date: November 4, 2005
By |
|
/s/ Michael C. Nahl Michael C. Nahl Executive
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)
|
EXHIBIT (32.1)
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18
U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Quarterly Report of Albany International
Corp. (the Company) on Form 10-Q for the period ending September 30, 2005, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the
Report), Frank R. Schmeler, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Michael C. Nahl, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the
Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:
(1) |
|
The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a)
or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934; and |
(2) |
|
The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all
material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company. |
Dated: November 4, 2005
By |
|
/s/ Frank R. Schmeler Frank R. Schmeler Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
By |
|
/s/ Joseph G. Morone Joseph G. Morone
President (Principal Executive Officer) |
By |
|
/s/ Michael C. Nahl Michael C. Nahl Executive
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
EXHIBIT (99.1)
MARKET RISK SENSITIVITY AS OF
DECEMBER 31, 2004
The Company has market risk with respect to foreign currency
exchange rates and interest rates. The market risk is the potential loss arising from adverse changes in these rates as discussed
below.
The Company has manufacturing plants and sales transactions
worldwide and therefore is subject to foreign currency risk. This risk is composed of both potential losses from the translation of foreign currency
financial statements and the remeasurement of foreign currency transactions. To manage this risk, the Company periodically enters into forward exchange
contracts to either hedge the net assets of a foreign investment or to provide an economic hedge against future cash flows. The total net assets of
non-U.S. operations and long-term intercompany loans denominated in non-functional currencies subject to potential loss amount to approximately $631.1
million. The potential loss in fair value resulting from a hypothetical 10% adverse change in quoted foreign currency exchange rates amounts to $63.1
million. Furthermore, related to foreign currency transactions, the Company has exposure to non-functional currency balances totaling $147.7 million.
This amount includes, on an absolute basis, exposures to foreign currency assets and liabilities. On a net basis, the Company had approximately $25.4
million of foreign currency liabilities as of December 31, 2004. As currency rates change, these non-functional currency balances are revalued, and the
corresponding adjustment is recorded in the income statement. A hypothetical change of 10% in currency rates could result in an adjustment to the
income statement of approximately $2.5 million. Actual results may differ.
Including the effect of the interest rate swap agreements, the
Company had fixed the interest rate on approximately 98% of its total debt. Included in Accrued liabilities at December 31, 2004, was $4.6 million that
represents the fair value of the swap agreements.