| FIBERSTARS INC /CA/ Item 1A Risk Factors We have recently changed the focus of our business and may be unsuccessful or experience difficulties in implementing this change |
| If this occurs, we may not be able to achieve operating profitability |
| In connection with the reorganization and restructuring of Fiberstars, we intend to shift the primary focus of our business from our pool and spa products to products using our EFO technology |
| While we intend to continue designing and manufacturing pool and spa products, we plan to allocate significant resources to the development, marketing and distribution of our EFO system in the accent lighting market |
| We have a limited operating history in this market, and our shift in focus may affect our ability to accurately forecast sales, establish adequate reserves, estimate amounts of warranty and returns and other similar expenses |
| Our ability to achieve and maintain profitability depends on our ability to successfully implement our new business strategy |
| 19 ______________________________________________________________________ Our operating results are subject to fluctuations caused by many factors that could result in decreased revenue and a decline in the price of our common stock |
| Our quarterly operating results can vary significantly depending upon a number of factors including: · the lighting market’s acceptance of, and demand for, our products; · the level and seasonality of orders and the delivery of new products; · the continued availability of our current manufacturing channels and raw material suppliers; · the continued availability of our distributors or the availability of replacement distribution channels; · fluctuations in our sales volumes and mix of low and high margin products; · product development and marketing expenditures, which are made well in advance of potential resulting revenue; · increased expenses in research and development if we are not able to meet certain milestones in our Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, or DARPA, contracts; · the seasonality of the construction industry, which results in a substantial portion of our historical quarterly sales in the last month of each of the second and fourth quarters of the year; · a significant portion of our expenses are relatively fixed, and if sales fall below our expectations, we will not be able to make any significant adjustment in our operating expenses; and · the impact of natural disasters, terrorist acts and other unforeseeable catastrophic events |
| Although we attempt to control our expense levels, these levels are based, in part, on anticipated revenue |
| Therefore, we may not be able to control spending in a timely manner to compensate for any unexpected revenue shortfall |
| You should not rely on period-to-period comparisons of our operating results as an indication of future performance |
| The results may be below the expectations of market analysts or investors, which would likely cause our share price to decline |
| Our future success is highly dependent on the successful adoption of EFO systems by the lighting market, which is traditionally slow in adopting new technologies |
| EFO is a relatively new and unproven type of lighting that may not achieve acceptance by lighting designers or other consumers of lighting products |
| Our potential retail customers are widespread and independent, and their decisions are influenced by a variety of factors which are often unique to each customer |
| These customers have multiple choices in lighting designs and products, including incandescent and fluorescent technologies, and may be averse to adopting new technology or incurring the costs of utilizing new technologies |
| In addition, these alternative lighting products are manufactured by large, established companies with significantly greater resources than us for developing energy efficient lighting |
| As a result, even if potential customers choose to adopt new lighting technologies, our products still may not be utilized |
| Even if some customers utilize our products on a limited basis, there is no guarantee that they will expand their use of or continue to utilize our products |
| One of our significant markets is large-scale new construction, including retail and grocery stores |
| Effective lighting by these customers is a critical element in showcasing merchandise and promoting sales |
| In order to penetrate these markets, we must persuade this customer base that the adoption of our EFO systems will not negatively impact their business |
| This process is slow, time-consuming and expensive |
| If 20 ______________________________________________________________________ our EFO system is not adopted by this customer base, we may not generate sufficient revenue to offset the cost of bringing our EFO technology into these target markets |
| Finally, successful penetration in certain markets or geographic regions does not guarantee that we will be able to achieve successful penetration into the accent lighting market or that our acceptance will be geographically widespread |
| Our daylight color spectrum lamp is untested by the retail market and may not be accepted without technological changes, if at all |
| Our EFO system offers a new full spectrum lamp that closely simulates daylight for use in retail stores |
| If our new daylight color spectrum lamp is not as effective as we anticipate or does not meet the specific needs of this target customer base, we may need to expend additional resources to make technological changes to the spectrum |
| If our new daylight color spectrum is not accepted or if we are unable to make the changes necessary for customer acceptance, this could negatively impact sales of our EFO system |
| We plan on allocating a significant amount of resources to the research and development of our EFO lighting technology |
| If our EFO lighting system is not accepted in our target market, we may not recoup these expenses |
| We plan on devoting a substantial portion of our research and development resources to developing new products using our EFO lighting technology and marketing it in our target markets |
| Because our EFO lighting system is a relatively new product, we do not know if we will be successful in penetrating our target markets |
| As a result, we may not generate a sufficient amount of revenue from the sales of our EFO lighting systems to offset the costs necessary to bring our EFO lighting systems to market |
| Our gross margins and operating results will suffer if our EFO lighting systems are not accepted in our target markets |
| Our fiber manufacturing is centralized in a single facility, which may affect our ability to sufficiently meet product demand in a cost effective or timely manner |
| We manufacture our large core fiber through a unique proprietary process and currently have one machine that manufactures this fiber, located at the facility we lease in Solon, Ohio |
| As a result, we are subject to manufacturing delays due to facility shutdown, power loss or labor difficulties |
| If our facility were to experience temporary shutdown, or be unable to function at predicted capacity, we may be unable to meet our demand in a cost efficient manner, if at all |
| Furthermore, our ability to modify our production output for custom orders is limited by our having one machine at a single facility |
| In addition, our alternative method is not cost effective |
| We recently entered into an agreement, with ADLT to purchase a coating machine and the supply of certain coatings which will be operated and maintained by a third party |
| If this machine is not operated or maintained properly we may experience delays in our manufacturing process |
| If electricity costs decline or regulatory requirements for energy efficient lighting are repealed, demand for our products may decline |
| The principal advantage of our EFO technology over competing lighting technologies is energy efficiency |
| Factors compelling our target customers to utilize more energy efficient lighting technologies include increasing energy costs and federal and state government regulations requiring lower wattage per square foot such as ASHRAE-IESNA Standard 90dtta1, which limits electricity consumption for lighting per square foot to 1dtta9 watts for both new construction and renovations requiring building permits for retail buildings in the United States |
| If the need for increasingly energy efficient lighting technologies by our target customer base declines, the attractiveness of our technology would also decline |
| 21 ______________________________________________________________________ We depend on a limited number of suppliers from whom we do not have guarantees of adequate supplies, thus increasing the risk that loss of or problems with a single supplier could result in impaired margins, reduced production volumes, strained customer relations and loss of business |
| Mitsubishi is the sole supplier of our small diameter stranded fiber, which is used extensively in our fiber pool and spa lighting products, and to a lesser extent, in our EFO systems |
| We also rely on a sole source for some of our EFO lamps |
| The loss of one or both of these suppliers could result in delays in the shipment of products, additional expense associated with redesigning products, impaired margins, reduced production volumes, strained customer relations and loss of business or could otherwise harm our results of operations |
| We depend on ADLT for a number of components used in our products as well as future development of new components and also rely on ADLT to operate and maintain our coating machine and provide certain related services |
| ADLT supplies us with certain lamps, including our EFO lamps, reflectors and coatings used in our products, including our EFO systems |
| ADLT came out of bankruptcy proceedings in December 2003, and while it has been financially viable since then, there can be no assurances that this will continue |
| In addition, ADLT can terminate for convenience its obligations to supply us with components and related services for the coating machine purchased from them upon nine months notice to us |
| As a result, we have identified alternative suppliers for these components, but there could be an interruption of supply and increased costs if a transition to a new supplier were required |
| We could lose current or prospective customers as a result of supply interruptions |
| Increased costs and delays would negatively impact our gross margins and results of operations |
| We recently signed a development agreement with ADLT pursuant to which it agreed to provide us with certain consulting, research and development services, including the development of lamps to be used in our current and potential EFO system projects |
| Our ability to make timely research improvements or develop new products may be negatively effected if ADLT fails to meet specified milestones under our agreement |
| In addition, ADLT’s obligations are subject to mutually agreed upon cost limitations, which may impair the level of service we receive |
| ADLT may also terminate these obligations for convenience upon ninety days notice to us |
| We have experienced negative cash flow from operations and may continue to do so in the future |
| We may need to raise additional capital in the future, but our ability to do so may be limited |
| While we have historically been able to fund cash needs from operations, bank lines of credit or from capital markets transactions, due to competitive, economic or other factors there can be no assurance that we will continue to be able to do so |
| If our capital resources are insufficient to satisfy our liquidity requirements and overall business objectives we may seek to sell additional equity securities or obtain debt financing |
| Adverse business conditions due to a weak economic environment or a weak market for our products have led to and may lead to continued negative cash flow from operations, which may require us to raise additional financing, including equity financing |
| Any equity financing may be dilutive to shareholders, and debt financing, if available, will increase expenses and may involve restrictive covenants |
| We may be required to raise additional capital at times and in amount which are uncertain, especially under the current capital market conditions |
| Under these circumstances, if we are unable to acquire additional capital or are required to raise it on terms that are less satisfactory than desired, it may harm our financial condition, which could require us to curtail our operations significantly, sell significant assets, seek arrangements with strategic partners or other parties that may require us to relinquish significant rights to products, technologies or markets, or explore other strategic alternatives including a merger or sale of our company |
| 22 ______________________________________________________________________ We may be unable to attract and retain qualified accounting personnel and we may be unable to maintain adequate disclosure controls and procedures in the future |
| In connection with our relocation, we need to hire additional accounting personnel that can provide us with the depth of accounting experience necessary to maintain adequate disclosure controls and procedures |
| We may not be able to attract the necessary personnel in a timely fashion or with the requisite experience |
| As a result, we may not have the review and oversight capabilities necessary to maintain legally required disclosure controls and procedures |
| We sell products into a marketplace where our competitors often have lower initial product pricing |
| If we are unable to provide customers with long term cost savings, we may not be able to successfully penetrate our target markets, which could harm our revenue and gross profits |
| Customers in our target markets currently use conventional lighting technologies, including incandescent, halogen and fluorescent lighting |
| The initial cost of using these traditional lighting technologies is relatively low |
| Historically, we have not been able to price our EFO lighting system to compete with these traditional lighting products |
| As a result, in order to gain market share, our EFO lighting system must provide our target customers with longer life cycles |
| This is achieved through reduced maintenance costs, reduced energy costs and providing customers with the desired lighting effect without resulting in damage to or loss of goods |
| If we are not able to persuade potential customers of the long-term cost savings in using our EFO lighting system, we may not be able to successfully compete in our target markets |
| Our financial results will suffer if we are not able to penetrate these target markets and gain market share |
| Additionally, MR-16 halogen lamp pricing is declining, and in order to remain competitive and broaden our market targets to include compact fluorescent lamps and other lamp types, we believe we must continue to reduce EFO costs and pricing |
| We operate in markets that are intensely and increasingly competitive |
| To be successful, we must provide energy saving solutions that offer compelling competitive advantages over conventional lighting technologies |
| Competition is increasing in the commercial decorative and accent lighting and pool lighting markets, as well as in the energy efficient lighting markets |
| A number of companies offer directly competitive products, including color halogen lighting for swimming pools and incandescent and fluorescent lighting for commercial decorative and accent lighting |
| We also compete with LED products in water lighting and in neon and other lighted signs |
| In addition, many of our competitors in the pool and spa market bundle their lighting products with other pool and spa related products, which many customers find to be an attractive alternative |
| Our competitors include large and well-established companies such as General Electric, Sylvania, Philips, Schott, 3M, Bridgestone, Pentair, Mitsubishi and OSRAM/Siemens |
| Many of our competitors have substantially greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do |
| We may not be able to adequately respond to technological developments or fluctuations in competitive pricing |
| We anticipate that any future growth in fiber optic lighting will be accompanied by continuing increases in competition, which could adversely affect our operating results if we cannot compete effectively |
| To stay competitive we must continue to allocate our resources to research and development, which could negatively impact our gross margins |
| If we are unable to provide more efficient lighting technology than our competitors, our operating results will be adversely affected |
| We rely on intellectual property and other proprietary information that may not be protected and that may be expensive to protect |
| We currently hold 39 patents in the United States, and three corresponding patents in Japan and one corresponding patent in Australia |
| We also have 14 patents pending in the United States |
| There can be no assurance, however, that our issued patents are valid or that any patents applied for will be issued |
| We have 23 ______________________________________________________________________ a policy of seeking to protect our key intellectual property through, among other things, the prosecution of patents with respect to certain of our technologies |
| There are many issued patents and pending patent applications in the field of fiber optic technology, and some of our competitors hold and have applied for patents related to fiber optic and non-fiber optic lighting |
| We have in the past received communications from third parties asserting rights in our patents or that our technology infringes intellectual property rights held by such third parties |
| For example, we were recently involved in patent litigation with Pentair with respect to our FX Pool Light product, which was subsequently settled |
| Litigation to determine the validity of any third-party claims or claims by us against such third party, whether or not determined in our favor, could result in significant expense and divert the efforts of our technical and management personnel, regardless of the outcome of such litigation |
| In addition, we do not know whether our competitors will in the future apply for and obtain patents that will prevent, limit or interfere with our ability to make, use, sell or import our products |
| Although we may seek to resolve any potential future claims or actions, we may not be able to do so on reasonable terms, or at all |
| If, following a successful third-party action for infringement, we cannot obtain a license or redesign our products, we may have to stop manufacturing and marketing our products and our business would suffer as a result |
| Sales of our EFO systems depend on acceptance by multiple decision makers, resulting in lengthy sales cycles |
| One of our significant markets is large-scale new construction and the length of our sales cycle in this market can be anywhere from nine months to as long as three years |
| Decisions about lighting products utilized in large-scale new construction are made at multiple levels by our current and potential customers, including merchandising and purchasing personnel, the chief financial officer and the chief executive officer |
| These decisions are influenced by a number of factors including cost, reliability of the product and reliability of its source |
| In addition, some of these customers function autonomously and decisions with respect to construction, including lighting, are made by each store, even if part of a large chain |
| Furthermore, such decisions are made significantly in advance of the utilization of the actual product |
| As a result, if we are unable to access the multiple decision makers or convince them to adopt our products and utilize them on a widespread basis, we may be unable to successfully penetrate these markets |
| We may also be required to invest significant time and resources into marketing to these customers before we are able to determine if we will be able to sell such customers our products |
| We depend on key employees in a competitive market for skilled personnel, and the loss of the services of any of our key employees could materially affect our business |
| Our future success will depend to a large extent on the continued contributions of certain employees, such as our current chief executive officer, chief financial officer and chief technical officer |
| These and other key employees would be difficult to replace |
| Our future success will also depend on our ability to attract and retain qualified technical, sales, marketing and management personnel, for whom competition is intense |
| The loss of or failure to attract, hire and retain any such persons could delay product development cycles, disrupt our operations or otherwise harm our business or results of operations |
| In addition, we plan to build a new internal sales force, which may not generate the anticipated net sales and may incur unanticipated expenses |
| We are becoming increasingly dependent on foreign sources of supply for many of our components and in some cases complete assemblies, which due to distance or political events, may result in untimely deliveries |
| In order to control costs, we are continually seeking offshore supply of components and assemblies |
| We currently import supplies from, or have products assembled in, Mexico, India, China, Taiwan, Japan 24 ______________________________________________________________________ and some European countries |
| This results in longer lead times for deliveries, which can mean less responsiveness to sudden changes in market demand for the products involved |
| Some of the countries where components are sourced may be less stable politically than the United States or may be subject to natural disasters or diseases, and this could lead to an interruption in the delivery of key components |
| Delays in the delivery of key components could result in delays in product shipments, additional expenses associated with locating alternative component sources or redesigning products, impaired margins, reduced production volumes, strained customer relations and loss of customers, any of which could harm our results of operations |
| Furthermore, we bear the risk of theft or damage to our products with certain of our offshore partners, particularly with regard to our assembly facilities in Mexico |
| If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud |
| As a result, current and potential shareholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting, which could harm our business and the trading price of our common stock |
| Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and effectively prevent fraud |
| We have in the past discovered, and may in the future discover, areas of our internal controls that need improvement |
| For example, in connection with the audit of our consolidated financial statements for 2004, our independent registered public accounting firm informed us that it believed that inadequate segregation of duties in our financial reporting process and our information technology governance controls, and a number of adjustments to financial statements during the course of the audit process, constituted significant deficiencies that aggregated to form a material weakness in our internal controls |
| In addition, Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires us to evaluate and report on our internal controls over financial reporting and have our independent registered public accounting firm annually attest to our evaluation, as well as issue their own opinion on our internal control over financial reporting, which we expect will be required for the first time in connection with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2006 |
| We are preparing for compliance with Section 404 by strengthening, assessing and testing our system of internal controls to provide the basis for our report |
| However, the continuous process of strengthening our internal controls and complying with Section 404 is expensive and time consuming, and requires significant management attention |
| We cannot be certain that these measures will ensure that we will maintain adequate control over our financial processes and reporting |
| If we or our independent registered public accounting firm discover a material weakness, the disclosure of that fact, even if quickly remedied, could reduce the market’s confidence in our financial statements and harm our stock price |
| In addition, future non-compliance with Section 404 could subject us to a variety of administrative sanctions, including the suspension or delisting of our common stock from The NASDAQ National Market and the inability of registered broker-dealers to make a market in our common stock, which would further reduce our stock price |
| Estimates of our costs, independent of additional audit fees, required to comply with Section 404 are dlra600cmam000 or higher |
| While we expect these costs to increase our operating expenses significantly, we cannot predict or estimate the amount of future additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs |
| Our components are difficult to manufacture and procure in large quantities and supply may be limited in the short term |
| EFO system includes components that are difficult to manufacture and procure in large quantities in the short term |
| These components include lamps and optical and electronic components |
| Furthermore, if these components are in limited supply, our suppliers may allocate their supply to larger customers |
| If an increase in demand outpaces the projected expansion of our manufacturing capabilities, or if larger quantities are needed in a shorter time frame than anticipated, we may not be able to meet customers’ requirements and our ability to market our EFO system may be adversely affected |
| Our inability to meet customers’ requirements may also negatively affect our ability to gain market share and acceptance among lighting designers and other repeat customers of lighting products |
| 25 ______________________________________________________________________ We have historically relied on government funding for our research and development |
| Historically, approximately 60prca of our EFO research and development efforts have been supported directly by government funding |
| In 2005, for example, approximately 59prca of our EFO research and development funding came from DARPA and all our current funding from DARPA is set to expire in February 2006 without any guarantee of renewal or replenishment |
| If government funding were to be reduced or eliminated, there is no guarantee we would be able to continue to fund our research and development efforts in EFO technology and products at their current levels, if at all |
| If we are unable to support our EFO research and development efforts, there is no guarantee we would be able to develop enhancements to our current products or develop new products |
| Changes to financial accounting standards may affect our results of operations and cause us to change our business practices |
| We prepare our financial statements to conform with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, in the United States |
| These accounting principles are subject to interpretation by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Securities and Exchange Commission and various bodies formed to interpret and create appropriate accounting policies |
| A change in those policies can have a significant effect on our reported results and may affect our reporting of transactions completed before a change is announced |
| Changes to those rules or the questioning of current practices may adversely affect our reported financial results or the way we conduct our business |
| For example, accounting policies affecting many aspects of our business, including rules relating to employee stock option grants, have recently been revised or are under review |
| The Financial Accounting Standards Board and other agencies have finalized changes to GAAP that will require us, starting in our first quarter of 2006, to record a charge to earnings for employee stock option grants and other equity incentives |
| We may have significant and ongoing accounting charges resulting from option grant and other equity incentive expensing that could reduce our overall net income |
| In addition, because we historically have used equity-related compensation as a component of our total employee compensation program, the accounting change could make the use of equity-related compensation less attractive to us and therefore make it more difficult to attract and retain employees |
| We currently rely on lighting representatives for a significant portion of our decorative and special effects lighting systems sales and terms and conditions of sales are subject to change with very little notice |
| Most of our decorative and special effects lighting systems are sold through lighting representatives, and we do not have long-term contracts with our distributors |
| If these distributors significantly change their terms with us or change their historical pattern of ordering products from us, there could be a significant adverse impact on our net sales and operating results |
| Recent changes to our senior management could negatively effect our operations and relationships with customers, suppliers and employees |
| In connection with the restructuring and reorganization, we also made changes to our senior management, including the appointment of a new chief executive officer and chief technology officer |
| These changes could negatively affect our operations and our relationships with our suppliers, customers, employees, distributors and strategic partners |
| In addition, our senior management has limited experience as officers of a publicly traded company |
| If the integration of new members to our senior management team does not go as smoothly as anticipated, it could negatively affect our ability to execute our business plan |
| 26 ______________________________________________________________________ Our sales are dependent upon new construction levels and are subject to seasonal and general economic trends |
| Construction levels are affected by general economic conditions, real estate market, interest rates and the weather |
| Sales of commercial lighting products depend significantly upon the level of new building construction and renovation |
| Sales of our pool and spa lighting products, which currently are available only with newly constructed pools and spas, depend substantially upon the level of new construction of pools |
| Because of the seasonality of construction, our sales of swimming pool and commercial lighting products, and thus our overall revenues and income, have tended to be significantly lower in the first and the third quarters of each year |
| Various economic and other trends may alter these seasonal trends from year to year, and we cannot predict the extent to which these seasonal trends will continue |
| If we are not able to timely and successfully develop, manufacture, market and sell our new products, our operating results will decline |
| We expect to introduce new products each year in the pool and spa lighting market and the commercial lighting market |
| We depend on various components and raw materials for use in the manufacturing of our products from sole and foreign suppliers |
| We may not be able to successfully manage price fluctuations due to market demand or shortages |
| Significant increases in the costs, or sustained interruptions in our receipt of adequate amounts, of necessary components and raw materials could harm our margins, result in manufacturing halts, harm our reputation and relationship with our customers and negatively impact our results of operations |
| In addition, we could have difficulties manufacturing these new products as a result of our inexperience with them or the costs could be higher than expected and delivery of these products may cause us to incur additional unexpected research and development expenses |
| Furthermore, in order to competitively price our products and achieve broader market acceptance, we may need to redesign our manufacturing process to produce our products in higher volume and at a reduced cost |
| Furthermore, any delays in the introduction of these new products could result in lost sales, loss of customer confidence and loss of market share |
| Also, it is difficult to predict whether the market will accept these new products |
| If any of these new products fails to meet expectations, our operating results will be adversely affected |
| We rely on the largest pool distributor in the United States for a significant portion of our pool and spa lighting products sales |
| We sell a significant portion of our pool and spa lighting products through SCP SCP accounted for approximately 11prca, 10prca and 11prca of our net sales in 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively |
| If SCP ceases to purchase or substantially decreases its volume of purchases, this could significantly reduce the availability of our products to end users, which could negatively impact our net sales and operating results |
| Furthermore, because SCP is the largest distributor in the United States, we may not be able to increase sales to our other distributors sufficiently to offset the loss resulting from SCP’s reduction or cessation in sales |
| The loss of a key sales representative could have a negative impact on our net sales and operating results |
| We rely on key sales representatives and outside sales agents for a significant portion of our sales |
| These sales representatives and outside sales agents have unique relationships with our customers and would be difficult to replace |
| The loss of a key sales representative or outside sales agent could interfere with our ability to maintain customer relationships and result in declines in our net sales and operating results |
| In addition, these sales representatives and sales agents carry multiple products lines, including those of our competitors |
| Generally, a sales representative or sales agent will primarily sell products from one well-established company and supplement these sales with products from smaller companies, such as 27 ______________________________________________________________________ Fiberstars |
| As a result, if we lost a key sales representative or sales agent, we may have difficulty replacing the sales representative or sales agent, if at all, which could negatively impact our net sales |
| We use plants in Mexico and India to manufacture and assemble many of our pool and spa products |
| The supply of these finished goods may be impacted by local political or social conditions as well as the financial strength of the companies with which we do business |
| As we attempt to reduce manufacturing expenses, we are becoming increasingly dependent upon offshore companies for the manufacturing and final assembly of many of our pool and spa products |
| To do so, we must advance certain raw materials, inventory and production costs to these off-shore manufacturers |
| The supply of finished goods from these companies, and the raw materials, inventory and funds that we advance to them may be at risk depending upon the varying degrees of stability of the local political, economic and social environments in which they operate, and the financial strength of the manufacturing companies themselves |
| Because we depend on a limited number of significant customers for our net sales, the loss of a significant customer, reduction in order size or the effects of volume discounts granted to significant customers from time to time could harm our operating results |
| Our business is currently dependent on a limited number of significant customers, and we anticipate that we will continue to rely on a limited number of customers |
| For example, in 2005, SCP, our largest pool and spa customer, accounted for approximately 11prca of our net sales |
| We expect these customers to continue to represent a significant portion of our net sales in the future |
| The loss of any of these significant customers would harm our net sales and operating results |
| Customer purchase deferrals, cancellations, reduced order volumes or non-renewals from any particular customer could cause our quarterly operating results to fluctuate or decline and harm our business |
| In addition, volume discounts granted to significant customers from time to time could lead to reduced profit margins, and negatively impact our operating results |
| Our components and products could have defects or design or compatibility issues, any of which could be costly to correct and could result in the rejection of our products and damage to our reputation, as well as lost sales, diverted development resources and increased warranty reserves and manufacturing costs |
| For example, in our EFO systems, we experienced defects related to the power supply and the illuminator |
| In our pool and spa products, we experienced defects with our circuit sequencing color wheel |
| We cannot guarantee that we will not experience defects or compatibility issues in components or products in the future |
| Errors or defects in our products may arise in the future, and, if significant or perceived to be significant, could result in rejection of our products, product returns or recalls, damage to our reputation, lost revenue, diverted development resources and increased customer service and support costs and warranty claims |
| Errors or defects in our products could also result in product liability claims |
| We estimate warranty and other returns and accrue reserves for such costs at the time of sale |
| Any estimates, reserves or accruals may be insufficient to cover sharp increases in product returns, and such returns may harm our operating results |
| In addition, customers may require design changes in our products in order to suit their needs |
| Losses, delays or damage to our reputation due to design or defect issues would likely harm our business, financial condition and results of operations |
| If we are unable to predict market demand for our products and focus our inventories and development efforts to meet market demand, we could lose sales opportunities and experience a decline in sales |
| In order to arrange for the manufacture of sufficient quantities of products and avoid excess inventory we need to accurately predict market demand for each of our products |
| Significant unanticipated 28 ______________________________________________________________________ fluctuations in demand could cause problems in our operations |
| We may not be able to accurately predict market demand in order to properly allocate our manufacturing and distribution resources among our products, especially with respect to the manufacturing of our large core fiber, as we use one machine to manufacture this fiber |
| Conversely, if we overbuild inventories we run the risk of having inventory write-offs due to obsolescence |
| We depend on collaboration with third parties, who are not subject to material contractual commitments, to augment our research and development efforts |
| Our research and development efforts include collaboration with third parties |
| Many of these third parties are not bound by any material contractual commitment leaving them free to end their collaborative efforts at will |
| Loss of these collaborative efforts could adversely affect our research and development efforts and could have a negative effect on our competitive position in the market |
| In addition, arrangements for joint development efforts may require us to make royalty payments on sales of resultant products or enter into licensing agreements for the technology developed, which could increase our costs and negatively impact our results of operations |
| The demand for new construction is affected by general economic conditions |
| The United States and international economies are cyclical and therefore difficult to predict |
| A sustained economic recovery is uncertain |
| In particular, recent increases in the cost of oil, increases in energy costs, terrorist acts and similar events, continued turmoil in the Middle East or war in general could contribute to a slowdown of the market demand for products that require significant initial capital expenditures, including new residential and commercial buildings |
| In addition, increases in interest rates may increase financing costs to customers, which in turn may decrease building rates and associated demand for our products |
| If the economic recovery slows down as a result of the recent economic, political and social turmoil, or if there are further terrorist attacks in the United States or elsewhere, we may experience decreases in the demand for our products, which may harm our operating results |
| The impact of recent hurricanes may continue to have a significant negative effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations |
| In late August 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the coast of a number of states on the Gulf of Mexico, including Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama |
| It is not possible at this time to determine either the effects Hurricane Katrina will have on the general economy and our business |
| We have, however, experienced delays in orders for our EFO system in Houston and Florida |
| We are unable to predict whether these delays will continue or what additional effects the recent hurricanes will have on our business |
| Damages and higher prices caused by hurricanes such as Hurricane Katrina could have an adverse effect on the financial condition of our current and potential customers located in the Gulf Coast region and elsewhere in the United States, which could result in lower or delayed sales |
| It is also possible that we could experience greater costs related to disruptions to the supply chain which would negatively impact our results of operations |
| We are subject to global economic or political conditions, which may disrupt the general economy, reducing demand for our products |
| We have significant international activities and customers, and plan to continue these efforts, which subject us to additional business risks, including logistical complexity, political instability and the general economic conditions in those markets |
| Sales outside the United States accounted for approximately 30prca of our net sales in 2003, 33prca of our net sales in 2004 and 33prca of our net sales in 2005 |
| Because the market 29 ______________________________________________________________________ for our products tends to be highly dependent upon general economic conditions, a decline in general economic conditions would likely harm our operating results |
| Risks we face in conducting business internationally include: · multiple, conflicting and changing laws and regulations, export and import restrictions, employment laws, regulatory requirements and other government approvals, permits and licenses; · difficulties and costs in staffing and managing foreign operations such as our offices in Germany and the United Kingdom; · difficulties and costs in recruiting and retaining individuals skilled in international business operations; · increased costs associated with maintaining international marketing efforts; · potentially adverse tax consequences; • political and economic instability, including wars, acts of terrorism, political unrest, boycotts, curtailments of trade and other business restrictions; and · currency fluctuations |
| In addition, in the Asia/Pacific region generally, we face risks associated with a recurrence of SARS, spreading of Asian bird flu, tensions between countries in that region, such as political tensions between China and Taiwan, the ongoing discussions with North Korea regarding its nuclear weapons program, potentially reduced protection for intellectual property rights, government-fixed foreign exchange rates, relatively uncertain legal products and developing telecommunications infrastructures |
| In addition, some countries in this region, such as China, have adopted laws, regulations and policies which impose additional restrictions on the ability of foreign companies to conduct business in that country or otherwise place them at a competitive disadvantage in relation to domestic companies |