UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Form 10-K

 

 

Commission file number 1-10542

 

Unifi, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(336) 294-4410

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

 

Indicate by checkmark if the registrant is a well-know seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes o     No þ

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.  Yes o     No þ

 

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

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  þ

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large accelerated filer  o     Accelerated filer  þ     Non-accelerated filer  o

 

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

 

As of December 22, 2006, the aggregate market value of the registrant’s voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $105,669,558. The Registrant has no non-voting stock.

 

As of September 5, 2007, the number of shares of the Registrant’s common stock outstanding was 60,541,800.

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

Portions of the Definitive Proxy Statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Unifi, Inc., to be held on October 24, 2007, are incorporated by reference into Part III. (With the exception of those portions which are specifically incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K, the Proxy Statement is not deemed to be filed or incorporated by reference as part of this report.)

 

 

UNIFI, INC.
ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

PART I

 

 

Unifi, Inc., a New York corporation formed in 1969 (together with its subsidiaries the “Company” or “Unifi”), is primarily a diversified North American producer and processor of multi-filament polyester and nylon yarns, including specialty yarns with enhanced performance characteristics. The Company manufactures partially oriented, textured, dyed, twisted and beamed polyester yarns as well as textured nylon and nylon covered spandex products. The Company sells its products to other yarn manufacturers, knitters and weavers that produce fabric for the apparel, hosiery, home furnishings, automotive, industrial and other end-use markets. The Company maintains one of the industry’s most comprehensive product offerings and emphasizes quality, style and performance in all of its products. The Company’s net sales and net loss for fiscal year 2007 were $690.3 million and $116.3 million, respectively.

 

The Company works across the supply chain to develop and commercialize specialty yarns that provide performance, comfort, aesthetic and other advantages that enhance demand for its products. The Company has branded the premium portion of its specialty value-added yarns in order to distinguish its products in the marketplace. The Company currently has approximately 20 premium value-added yarns in its portfolio, commercialized under several brand names, including Sorbtek^®, A.M.Y.^®, Mynx^® UV, Reflexx^®, MicroVista^®, aio^® and Repreve^®.

 

A significant number of customers, particularly in the apparel market, produce finished goods that they seek to make eligible for duty-free treatment in the regions covered by the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”), the U.S. — Dominican Republic — Central American Free Trade Agreement (“CAFTA”), the Caribbean Trade Partnership Act (“CBI”) and the Andean Trade Preferences Act (“ATPA”) (collectively, the “regional free-trade markets”). When U.S.-origin partially oriented yarn (“POY”) is used to produce finished goods in these regional free-trade markets, and other origin criteria are met, then the finished goods are eligible for duty-free treatment. The Company uses advanced production processes to manufacture its high-quality yarns cost-effectively. The Company believes that its flexibility and experience in producing specialty yarns provides important development and commercialization advantages. The Company has state-of-the-art manufacturing operations in North and South America and participates in joint ventures in the People’s Republic of China (“China”), Israel and the United States.

 

Recent Developments

 

On April 26, 2007, the Company announced its plans to move all production from the recently acquired Dillon Yarn Corporation (“Dillon”) facility in Dillon, South Carolina to its facility in Yadkinville, North Carolina. The closure of the Dillon facility is consistent with the Company’s strategy of making key acquisitions and then eliminating redundant overhead costs and consolidating excess capacity to lower its manufacturing costs. The Company completed this transition in July 2007 with no interruption of service to its customers.

 

On August 1, 2007, the Company announced that the Board of Directors terminated Mr. Brian Parke as the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company effective immediately. Mr. Parke had been President of the Company since 1999, Chief Executive Officer since 2000 and Chairman since 2004. Mr. Parke has agreed to continue to serve on a part-time consulting basis as the Vice Chairman of the Company’s Chinese joint venture. The Company also announced that the Board of Directors appointed Mr. Stephen Wener as the Company’s new Chairman and “acting” Chief Executive Officer. In addition, there were several changes to its Board of Directors, including six directors’ resignations, including Mr. Parke, and the appointment of two new directors. The current Board of Directors and management remain committed to both its domestic and China strategies.

 

On August 2, 2007, the Company announced that it will close its Kinston, North Carolina facility. The Kinston facility produces POY for both internal consumption and third party sales. In the future, the Company will purchase most of its commodity POY needs from external suppliers for conversion in its texturing operations. The Company will continue to produce POY at its Yadkinville, North Carolina facility for its specialty and premium value yarns and certain commodity yarns. The Company expects that it will take four to five months to transition from producing POY at the Kinston location and expects to complete the supply chain logistics required for a complete

shut-down by the end of the calendar year 2007. During the first quarter of fiscal year 2008, the Company reorganized certain corporate staff and manufacturing support functions to further reduce costs. Approximately 310 employees including 110 salaried positions and 200 wage positions will be affected as a result of these reorganization plans including the termination of Benny L. Holder, the Company’s Vice President and Chief Information Officer. The Company will record severance expense of approximately $4.9 million in the first half of fiscal year 2008 which includes severance of $2.4 million in connection with the termination of its former President and Chief Executive Officer.

 

Industry Overview

 

The textile and apparel industry consists of natural and synthetic fibers used for apparel and non-apparel applications. The industry is characterized by dependence upon a wide variety of end-markets which primarily include apparel, home textiles, industrial and consumer products, floor coverings, fiber fill and tires. The apparel and hosiery markets account for 25% of total production, the floor covering market accounts for 33%, the industrial and consumer markets account for 31%, and the home textiles market accounts for the remaining 11%.

 

According to the National Council of Textile Organizations, the U.S. textile market’s total shipments were $68.6 billion for the twelve month period ended November 2006. Over the past ten years, the U.S. industry has invested more than $30 billion in new plants and equipment making it one of the most modern and productive textile sectors in the world. In calendar year 2006, the U.S. textile and apparel market employed more than most 613,000 workers. The U.S. textile industry remains the third largest textile exporter in the world with $16.8 billion in sales for the twelve month period ended November 2006.

 

Textiles and apparel goods are made from natural fiber, such as cotton and wool, or synthetic fiber, such as polyester and nylon. Since 1980, global demand for polyester has grown steadily, and in calendar year 2003, polyester replaced cotton as the fiber with the largest percentage of sales worldwide. In calendar year 2006, global polyester accounted for an estimated 40% of global fiber consumption and demand is projected to increase by 6% to 7% annually through 2010. In the U.S., the synthetic fiber sector is estimated to be approximately 58% of the textile and apparel for the calendar year 2007.

 

The synthetic filament industry includes petrochemical and raw material producers; fiber and yarn manufacturers (like the Company), fabric and product producers; consumer brands and retailers. Among synthetic filament yarn producers, pricing is highly competitive, with innovation, product quality and customer service being essential for differentiating the competitors within the industry. Both product innovation and product quality are particularly important, as product innovation gives customers competitive advantages and product quality provides for improved manufacturing efficiencies.

 

The North American textile and apparel industry has contracted since 1999, primarily as a result of intense foreign competition in finished goods on the basis of price. This has resulted in ongoing North American domestic overcapacity, forcing many producers to move operations offshore and the closure of many domestic textile and apparel plants. In addition, due to consumer preferences, demand for certain sheer hosiery product has also declined in recent years, negatively impacting nylon manufacturers. As a result, the contraction in the North American textile and apparel market continues. Industry experts expect a similar rate of decline in calendar year 2007 as compared to calendar year 2006. They also expect a lower rate of decline after calendar year 2008 as regional manufacturers continue to demand North American manufactured yarn due to the duty-free advantage, quick response times, readily available production capacity, and specialized products. North American retailers are increasingly expressing their need for a balanced procurement strategy with both global and regional producers. There has also been growing emphasis regionally towards premium value-added yarns as consumers, retailers and manufacturers demand products with enhanced performance and environment-friendly characteristics. This emphasis on incorporating specialty synthetic yarn in finished goods has greatly increased regional demand for value-added, synthetic fibers.

 

In the Americas, regional free-trade agreements, such as NAFTA and CAFTA, and U.S. unilateral duty preference programs, such as ATPA and CBI, have a significant impact on the flow of goods among the region and the relative costs of production. The cost advantages offered by these regional free-trade agreements and duties preference programs on finished goods which incorporate U.S.-origin synthetic fiber and the desire for quick

inventory turns have enabled regional synthetic yarn producers to effectively compete with imported finished goods from lower wage-based countries. The Company estimates that the duty-free benefit of processing synthetic textiles and apparel finished goods under the terms of these regional free-trade agreements and duty preference programs typically represents a wholesale cost advantage of 28% to 32% on these finished goods. As a result of these cost advantages, it is expected that these regions will continue to increase their supply of textiles to the United States markets.

 

Products

 

The Company manufactures polyester POY and synthetic polyester and nylon yarns for a wide range of end-uses. The Company processes and sells POY, as well as high-volume commodity yarns and specialty yarns, domestically and internationally.

 

Polyester POY is used to make polyester yarn. Polyester yarn products include textured, dyed, twisted and beamed yarns. The Company sells its polyester yarns to other yarn manufacturers, knitters and weavers that produce fabric for the apparel, automotive upholstery, home furnishings, industrial, military, medical and other end-use markets. Nylon products include textured nylon and covered spandex products, which the Company sells to other yarn manufacturers, knitters and weavers that produce fabric for the apparel, hosiery, sock and other end-use markets.

 

In addition to producing high-volume yarns, the Company develops, manufactures and commercializes specialty yarns that provide performance, comfort, aesthetic and other advantages to fabric and garments. The Company recently introduced a line of products that are made from recycled materials which appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. The Company has branded the premium portion of its specialty value-added yarns in order to distinguish its products in the marketplace and it currently has approximately 20 premium value-added yarn products in its portfolio. These branded yarn products include:

 

 

The Company’s net sales of polyester and nylon accounted for 77% and 23% of total net sales, respectively, for fiscal year 2007.

 

Sales and Marketing

 

The Company employs a sales force of approximately 30 persons operating out of sales offices in the United States, Brazil and Colombia. The Company relies on independent sales agents for sales in several other countries. The Company seeks to create strong customer relationships and continually seeks ways to build and strengthen those relationships throughout the supply chain. Through frequent communications with customers, partnering with customers in product development and engaging key downstream brands and retailers, Unifi has created significant pull-through sales and brand recognition for its products. For example, the Company works with brands and retailers to educate and create demand for its value-added products. The Company then works with key fabric mill partners to develop specific fabric for those brands and retailers utilizing the Company’s value-added

products. Based on the results of many commercial and branded programs, this strategy has proven to be successful for the Company. Examples include:

 

 

Customers

 

The Company sells its polyester yarns to approximately 900 customers and its nylon yarns to approximately 200 customers in a variety of geographic markets. In fiscal year 2007, the Company’s nylon segment had sales to Hanesbrands, Inc. (formerly Sara Lee Branded Apparel) of $71.6 million which is in excess of 10% of its consolidated revenues. The loss of this customer would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s nylon segment.

 

Products are generally sold on an order-by-order basis for both the polyester and nylon segments, including premium value-added yarn with enhanced performance characteristics. For substantially all customer orders, including those involving more customized yarns, the manufacture and shipment of yarn is in accordance with firm orders received from customers specifying yarn type and delivery dates.

 

Customer payment terms are generally consistent for both the polyester and nylon reporting segments and are usually based on prevailing industry practices for the sale of yarn domestically or internationally. In certain cases, payment terms are subject to further negotiation between the Company and individual customers based on specific circumstances impacting the customer and may include the extension of payment terms or negotiation of situation specific payment plans. The Company does not believe that any such deviations from normal payment terms are significant to either of its reporting segments or the Company taken as a whole. See “Item 1A — Risk Factors — The Company’s business could be negatively impacted by the financial condition of its customers” for more information.

 

Manufacturing

 

Polyester POY is made from petroleum-based chemicals such as terephthalic acid (“TPA”) and monoethylene glycol (“MEG”). The production of polyester POY consists of two primary processes, polymerization (performed at the Company’s Kinston facility the Company announced that it will close) and spinning (performed at the Company’s Yadkinville and Kinston facilities). The polymerization process is the production of polymer by a chemical reaction involving the combination of TPA and MEG. The spinning process involves a extrusion of molten polymer, directly from polymerization or using polyester polymer beads (“chip”) into polyester POY. The molten polymer is extruded through spinnerettes to form continuous multi-filament raw yarn. As discussed in “Recent Developments” above, the Company has announced it will be closing its POY manufacturing facility in Kinston, North Carolina and purchasing much of its commodity POY from external suppliers. The Company will continue to produce POY at its Yadkinville, North Carolina facility mostly for its specialty and premium value yarns.

The Company’s polyester and nylon yarns can be sold externally or further processed internally. Additional processing of polyester products includes texturing, package dyeing, twisting and beaming. The texturing process, which is common to both polyester and nylon, involves the use of high-speed machines to draw, heat and false-twist the POY to produce yarn having various physical characteristics, depending on its ultimate end-use. Texturing of POY, which can be either natural or solution-dyed raw polyester or natural nylon filament fiber, gives the yarn greater bulk, strength, stretch, consistent dye-ability and a softer feel, thereby making it suitable for use in knitting and weaving of fabric.

 

Package dyeing allows for matching of customer specific color requirements for yarns sold into the automotive, home furnishings and apparel markets. Twisting incorporates real twist into the filament yarns, which can be sold for such uses as sewing thread, home furnishings and apparel. Beaming places both textured and covered yarns on to beams to be used by customers in knitting and weaving applications. Warp drawing converts polyester POY into flat yarn, also packaged on beams.

 

Additional processing of nylon products primarily includes covering, which involves the wrapping or air entangling of filament or spun yarn around a core yarn. This process enhances a fabric’s ability to stretch, recover its original shape and resist wrinkles while maintaining a softer feel.

 

The Company works closely with its customers to develop yarns using a research and development staff that evaluates trends and uses the latest technology to create innovative, premium value-added yarns reflecting current consumer preferences.

 

Suppliers

 

The primary raw material suppliers for the polyester segment are Nanya Plastics Corp. of America (“Nanya”) for chip, DAK Americas LLC (“DAK”) for TPA and E.I. DuPont de Nemours (“DuPont”) for MEG. The Company has historically entered into long-term supply agreements with these three suppliers. The chip, MEG and TPA supply agreements typically provide for formula-driven pricing. The agreement with Nanya will expire in October 2007 and is currently being renegotiated. The agreement with DAK has no minimum off-take requirements and can be terminated anytime upon two years prior notice. On April 19, 2007 the Company provided DAK notice of its intent to terminate the agreement. The original agreement with DuPont was set to terminate on December 31, 2006, however it was amended in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2007 to extend the term to May 2008. The primary suppliers of nylon POY to the nylon segment are U.N.F. Industries Ltd. (“UNF”), HN Fibers, Ltd. (formerly SN Fibers, Ltd.), Invista S.a.r.l., and Universal Premier Fibers, LLC (formerly Cookson Fibers, Inc.). UNF is a 50/50 joint venture with Nilit Ltd. (“Nilit”), located in Israel. The joint venture produces nylon POY at Nilit’s manufacturing facility in Migdal Ha — Emek, Israel. The agreement with UNF is scheduled to terminate in 2008. The nylon POY production is being utilized in the domestic nylon texturing operations. Although the Company does not generally expect having any significant difficulty in obtaining raw nylon POY or chemical and other raw materials used to manufacture polyester POY, the Company has in the past and may in the future experience interruptions or limitations in supply which could materially and adversely affect its operations. See “Item 1A — Risk Factors — The Company depends upon limited sources for raw materials, and interruptions in supply could increase its costs of production and cause its operations to suffer” for a further discussion.

 

Joint Ventures and Other Equity Investments

 

The Company participates in joint ventures in China, Israel and the United States. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation — Joint Ventures and Other Equity Investments” for a more detailed description of its joint ventures.

 

Competition

 

The industry in which the Company currently operates is global and highly competitive. The Company processes and sells both high-volume commodity products and more specialized yarns both domestically and internationally into many end-use markets, including the apparel, automotive upholstery and home furnishing markets. The Company competes with a number of other foreign and domestic producers of polyester and nylon yarns as well as with importers of textile and apparel products.

The polyester segment’s major regional competitors are AKRA, S.A. de C.V., O’Mara, Inc., Nanya, and Spectrum Yarns, Inc. The nylon segments major regional competitors are Sapona Manufacturing Company, Inc., McMichael Mills, Inc. and Worldtex, Inc.

 

The Company also competes against a number of foreign competitors that not only sell polyester and nylon yarns in the United States but also import foreign sourced fabric and apparel into the United States and other countries in which it does business, which adversely impacts the sale of its polyester and nylon yarns.

 

The Company’s foreign competitors include yarn manufacturers located in the regional free-trade markets who also benefit from the NAFTA, CAFTA, CBI and ATPA trade agreements which provide for duty-free treatment of most apparel and textiles between the signatory (and qualifying) countries. The cost advantages offered by these trade agreements and the desire for quick inventory turns have enabled producers from these regions, including commodity yarn users, to effectively compete. As a result of such cost advantages, the Company expects that the CAFTA and ATPA regions will continue to grow in their supply to the United States. The Company is the largest of only a few significant producers of eligible yarn under these trade agreements. As a result, one of the Company’s business strategies is to leverage its eligibility status to increase its share of business with regional fabric producers and domestic producers who ship their products into the region for further processing.

 

On a global basis, the Company competes not only as a yarn producer but also as part of a supply chain. As one of the many participants in the textile industry supply chain, its business and competitive position are directly impacted by the business, financial condition and competitive position of the several other participants in the supply chain in which it operates.

 

In the apparel market, a significant source of overseas competition comes from textile and apparel manufacturers that operate in lower labor and lower raw materials cost countries such as China. The primary competitive factors in the textile industry include price, quality, product styling and differentiation, flexibility of production and finishing, delivery time and customer service. The needs of particular customers and the characteristics of particular products determine the relative importance of these various factors. Several of the Company’s foreign competitors have significant competitive advantages, including lower wages, raw materials and energy costs, capital costs, and favorable currency exchange rates against the U.S. dollar which could make the Company’s products less competitive and may cause its sales and operating results to decline. In addition, while traditionally these foreign competitors have focused on commodity production, they are now increasingly focused on premium value-added products where the Company generates higher margins. In recent years, international imports of fabric and finished goods in the United States have significantly increased, resulting in a significant reduction in the Company’s customer base. The primary drivers for that growth are the reduction in equipment costs which have reduced barriers to entry in the market, increased overseas sourcing by U.S. retailers, the entry of China into the free-trade markets and the staged elimination of all textile and apparel quotas. In May 2005, the U.S. government imposed safeguard quotas on various categories of Chinese-made products, citing “market disruption.” Following extensive negotiations, the United States and China entered into a bilateral agreement in November 2005 resulting in the imposition of annually decreasing quotas on a number of categories of Chinese textile and apparel products until December 31, 2008. The Company expects competitive pressures to intensify as a result of the gradual elimination of trade protections. See “Item 1. Business — Trade Regulation” for a further discussion.

 

The U.S. automotive upholstery market has been less susceptible to import penetration because of the exacting specifications and quality requirements often imposed on manufacturers of automotive upholstery and the just-in-time delivery requirements. Effective customer service and prompt response to customer feedback are logistically more difficult for an importer to provide. Nevertheless, to the extent the U.S. automotive industry itself faces competition from foreign made automobiles, the U.S. automotive upholstery industry is also affected by these imports.

 

The nylon hosiery market has been experiencing a decline in recent years due to changing consumer preferences, but is expected to decline at a much lower rate compared to previous years. Recent trends toward form fitting apparel has helped offset the sheer hosiery decline. The Company supplies the largest domestic ladies hosiery producer, Hanesbrands, Inc.

General economic conditions, such as raw material prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and inflation rates that exist in different countries have a significant impact on competitiveness, as do various country-to-country trade agreements and restrictions.

 

The Company believes that the continuing development and marketing of new and improved products, the growing need for quick response, speed to market, quick inventory turns and cost of capital will continue to require a sizable portion of the textile industry to remain based in the North and Central America regions. The Company’s success will continue to be primarily based on its ability to improve the mix of product offerings to more premium value-added products, to implement cost saving strategies and to pass along raw material price increases, which will improve its financial results, and to strategically penetrate growth markets such as China.

 

See “Item 1A — Risk Factors — The Company faces intense competition from a number of domestic and foreign yarn producers and importers of textile and apparel products” for a further discussion.

 

Backlog and Seasonality

 

The Company generally sells products on an order-by-order basis for both the polyester and nylon reporting segments, even for premium value-added yarns. Changes in economic indicators and consumer confidence levels can have a significant impact on retail sales. Deviations between expected sales and actual consumer demand result in significant adjustments to desired inventory levels and, in turn, replenishment orders placed with suppliers. This changing demand ultimately works its way through the supply chain and impacts the Company. As a result, the Company does not track unfilled orders for purposes of determining backlog but will routinely reconfirm or update the status of potential orders. Consequently, backlog is generally not applicable to the Company and it does not consider its products to be seasonal.

 

Intellectual Property

 

The Company has a limited number of patents and approximately 26 U.S. registered trademarks none of which are material to any of the Company’s reporting segments or its business taken as a whole. The Company licenses certain trademarks, including Dacron^® and Softec^tm from INVISTA S.a.r.l. (“INVISTA”).

 

Employees

 

The Company employs approximately 2,900 employees of whom approximately 2,880 are full-time and approximately 20 are part-time employees. Approximately 2,200 employees are employed in the polyester segment, approximately 580 employees are employed in the nylon segment and approximately 120 employees are employed in corporate offices. While employees of the Company’s foreign operations are generally unionized, none of the domestic employees are currently covered by collective bargaining agreements. The Company believes that its relations with its employees are good.

 

Trade Regulation

 

Increases in global capacity and imports of foreign-made textile and apparel products are a significant source of competition for the Company. Although imported apparel represents a significant portion of the U.S. apparel market, recent regional trade agreements containing yarn forward rules of origin have provided opportunities to participate in the growing import market with apparel products manufactured outside the United States. Imports of certain textile products into the U.S. continue to increase from Asia as a result of lower wages, lower raw material and capital costs, unfair trade practices, and favorable currency exchange rates against the U.S. dollar.

 

The extent of import protection afforded by the U.S. government to domestic textile producers has been, and is likely to remain, subject to considerable domestic political deliberation and foreign considerations. In January 1995, a multilateral trade organization, the World Trade Organization (“WTO”), was formed by the members of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (“GATT”), to replace GATT. At that time the WTO established a mechanism by which world trade in textiles and clothing would be progressively liberalized through the elimination of quotas and the reduction of duties. The implementation began in January 1995 with the phasing-out of quotas and the gradual reduction of duties to take place over a 10-year period. As of January 1, 2005, the remaining quotas,

(representing approximately one-half of the textile and apparel imports) were removed. During 2005, textile and apparel imports from China surged, primarily gaining share from other Asian importing countries. To that end the U.S. government imposed safeguard quotas on various categories of Chinese-made products, citing “market disruption.” Following extensive negotiations, the United States and China entered into a bilateral agreement in November 2005 resulting in the imposition of annually increasing quotas on a number of categories of Chinese textile and apparel products that will remain in effect until December 31, 2008. Negotiations continue within the WTO framework to extend the textile-specific safeguards or implement new safeguards. In addition, the industry is exploring all current trade remedy laws that will address unfair trade practices that China failed to eliminate under its WTO commitment.

 

NAFTA is a free trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico that became effective on January 1, 1994 and has created the world’s largest free-trade region. The agreement contains safeguards sought by the U.S. textile industry, including certain rules of origin for textile and apparel products that must be met for these products to receive benefits under NAFTA. Under these rules of origin, to receive NAFTA benefits, the textile and apparel products must be produced from yarn or fabric made in the NAFTA region, and all subsequent processing must occur in the NAFTA region. Thus, in general, not only must eligible apparel be made from North American fabric, but the fabric must be woven from North American spun yarn. Based on experience to date, NAFTA has had a favorable impact on the Company’s business.

 

In 2000, the United States passed the United States-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act, amended by the Trade Act of 2002, which allows apparel products manufactured in the Caribbean region using yarns or fabric produced in the United States to be imported into the United States duty and quota free. Also in 2000, the United States passed the African Growth and Opportunity Act (“AGOA”), which was amended by the Trade Act of 2002, which allows apparel products manufactured in the sub-Saharan African region using yarns or fabric produced in the United States to be imported to the United States duty and quota free.

 

On August 2, 2005, the United States passed CAFTA, which is a free trade agreement between seven signatory countries: the United States, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Qualifying textile and apparel products that are produced in any of the seven signatory countries from fabric, yarn or fibers that are also produced in any of the seven signatory countries may be imported into the United States duty-free. At this time, Costa Rica is the only CAFTA country that has not yet ratified the agreement and come under its provisions.

 

The Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (“ATPDEA”) passed on August 6, 2002, effectively granting participating Andean countries the favorable trade terms similar to those of the other regional free trade agreements. Under the enhanced ATPDEA, apparel manufactured in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru using yarns and fabric produced in the United States, or in these four Andean countries, could be imported into the United States duty and quota free through December 31, 2006. A temporary extension for the ATPDEA was granted to coincide with the ongoing free trade agreement negotiations with several of these Andean nations. Free trade agreements were recently completed with Peru and Colombia which follow, for the most part, the same yarn forward rules of origin as the ATPDEA. These agreements require congressional action which is expected by the end of calendar 2007. Also awaiting congressional action are the recently negotiated free trade agreements with Panama and South Korea. These agreements contain basic yarn forward rules of origin for textile and apparel products similar to the NAFTA.

 

The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which was signed into law on February 8, 2006, contained statutory changes to the Step 2 cotton program and export credit guarantee programs to comply with parts of a WTO ruling against U.S. cotton subsidies. This measure, part of an agriculture budget reconciliation process, eliminated the Step 2 program, which provided for payments to U.S. cotton and textile producers. As of August 1, 2006, payments made under the Step 2 program, including those to Parkdale America, LLC (“PAL”), the Company’s joint venture with Parkdale Mills, Inc., were eliminated. The industry has been involved in recommending WTO compliant measures to ease this transition.

 

Environmental Matters

 

The Company is subject to various federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations limiting the use, storage, handling, release, discharge and disposal of a variety of hazardous substances and wastes used in or resulting from its operations and potential remediation obligations thereunder, particularly the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the Clean Air Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (including provisions relating to underground storage tanks) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, commonly referred to as “Superfund” or “CERCLA” and various state counterparts. The Company has obtained, and is in compliance in all material respects with, all significant permits required to be issued by federal, state or local law in connection with the operation of its business as described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

The Company’s operations are also governed by laws and regulations relating to workplace safety and worker health, principally the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations there under which, among other things, establish exposure standards regarding hazardous materials and noise standards, and regulate the use of hazardous chemicals in the workplace.

 

The Company believes that the operation of its production facilities and the disposal of waste materials are substantially in compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations and that there are no material ongoing or anticipated capital expenditures associated with environmental control facilities necessary to remain in compliance with such provisions. The Company incurs normal operating costs associated with the discharge of materials into the environment but does not believe that these costs are material or inconsistent with other domestic competitors.

 

The land associated with the Company’s Kinston facility in North Carolina (the “Kinston Site”) is leased pursuant to a 99 year ground lease (the “Ground Lease”) with DuPont. Since 1993, DuPont has been investigating and cleaning up the Kinston Site under the supervision of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”) and the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Program. The Corrective Action Program requires DuPont to identify all potential areas of environmental concern, known as solid waste management units or areas of concern, assess the extent of contamination at the identified areas and clean them up to applicable regulatory standards. Under the terms of the Ground Lease, upon completion by DuPont of required remedial action, ownership of the Kinston Site will pass to the Company. Thereafter, the Company will have responsibility for future remediation requirements, if any, at the solid waste management units and areas of concern previously addressed by DuPont and at any other areas at the plant. At this time the Company has no basis to determine if and when it will have any responsibility or obligation with respect to the solid waste management units and areas of concern or the extent of any potential liability for the same. Accordingly, the possibility that the Company could face material clean-up costs in the future relating to the Kinston Site cannot be eliminated.

 

Available Information

 

The Company’s Internet address is: www.unifi.com. Copies of the Company’s reports, including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports, that the Company files with or furnishes to the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and beneficial ownership reports on Forms 3, 4, and 5, are available as soon as practicable after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC and maybe obtained without charge by accessing the Company’s web site or by writing Mr. William M. Lowe, Jr. at Unifi, Inc. P.O. Box 19109, Greensboro, North Carolina 27419-9109.

 

 

Recent changes in the Company’s senior management and on its Board may cause uncertainty in, or be disruptive to, the Company’s business.

 

The Company has recently experienced significant changes in its senior management and on the Board of Directors (“Board”). On August 1, 2007, the Company announced that the Board terminated Brian Parke as the

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company effective immediately. Mr. Parke had been President of the Company since 1999, Chief Executive Officer since 2000 and Chairman since 2004. The Company also announced that the Board appointed Stephen Wener as the Company’s new Chairman and “acting” Chief Executive Officer while the Company searches for a permanent replacement. In addition, there have been several recent changes to the Board, including the resignation of six directors, including Mr. Parke, and the appointment of two new directors. On August 22, 2007, the Company announced an internal reorganization that involved the termination of Benny L. Holder, the Company’s Vice President and Chief Information Officer. The Company currently does not have any employment agreements with its senior management team other than Mr. Lowe, and cannot assure investors that any of these individuals will remain with it. The Company currently does not have a life insurance policy on any of the members of the senior management team. These changes in the Company’s senior management and on the Board may be disruptive to its business, and, during this current transition period, there may be uncertainty among investors, vendors, customers, rating agencies, employees and others concerning the Company’s future direction and performance. Moreover, the Company’s future success will depend to a significant extent on its ability to identify and hire a new President and Chief Executive Officer. If the Company is unable to identify and retain effective permanent replacements for the Company’s former President and Chief Executive Officer, its results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected.

 

The Company is currently implementing various strategic business initiatives, and the success of the Company’s business will depend on its ability to effectively develop and implement these initiatives.

 

The Company is currently implementing various strategic business initiatives. In connection with the development and implementation of these initiatives, the Company has incurred, and expects to continue to incur, additional expenses, including, among others, expenses associated with discontinuing underperforming operations and closing certain of its plants and facilities and related severance costs. The development and implementation of these initiatives also requires management to divert a portion of its time from day-to-day operations. These expenses and diversions could have a significant impact on the Company’s operations and profitability, particularly if the initiatives included in any new initiative proves to be unsuccessful. Moreover, if the Company is unable to implement an initiative in a timely manner, or if those initiatives turn out to be ineffective or are executed improperly, the Company’s business and operating results would be adversely affected.

 

The Company’s substantial level of indebtedness could adversely affect its financial condition.

 

The Company has substantial indebtedness. As of June 24, 2007, the Company had a total of $243.3 million of debt outstanding, including $190.0 million outstanding in aggregate principal amount of 2014 notes, $1.3 million outstanding in aggregate principal amount of 2008 notes, $36.0 million outstanding under the Company’s amended revolving credit facility, $14.3 million outstanding in loans relating to a Brazilian government tax program, and $1.7 million outstanding on a sale leaseback obligation.

 

The Company’s outstanding indebtedness could have important consequences to investors, including the following:

 

 

 

Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects and ability to satisfy its obligations under its indebtedness.

 

Despite its current indebtedness levels, the Company may still be able to incur substantially more debt. This could further exacerbate the risks associated with its substantial leverage.

 

The Company and its subsidiaries may be able to incur substantial additional indebtedness, including additional secured indebtedness, in the future. The terms of its current debt restrict, but do not completely prohibit, the Company from doing so. The Company’s amended revolving credit facility permits up to $100 million of borrowings, which the Company can request be increased to $150 million under certain circumstances, with a borrowing base specified in the credit facility as equal to specified percentages of eligible accounts receivable and inventory. In addition, the indenture for its 2014 notes allows the Company to issue additional notes under certain circumstances and to incur certain other additional secured debt, and allows its foreign subsidiaries to incur additional debt. The indenture for its 2014 notes does not prevent the Company from incurring other liabilities that do not constitute indebtedness. If new debt or other liabilities are added to its current debt levels, the related risks that the Company now faces could intensify.

 

The Company will require a significant amount of cash to service its indebtedness and its ability to generate cash depends on many factors beyond its control.

 

The Company’s principal sources of liquidity are cash flows generated from operations and borrowings under its amended revolving credit facility. The Company’s ability to make payments on, to refinance its indebtedness and to fund planned capital expenditures will depend on its ability to generate cash in the future. This, to a certain extent, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond its control.

 

The business may not generate cash flows from operations, and future borrowings may not be available to the Company under its amended revolving credit facility in an amount sufficient to enable the Company to pay its indebtedness and to fund its other liquidity needs. If the Company is not able to generate sufficient cash flow or borrow under its amended revolving credit facility for these purposes, the Company may need to refinance or restructure all or a portion of its indebtedness on or before maturity, reduce or delay capital investments or seek to raise additional capital. The Company may not be able to implement one or more of these alternatives on terms that are acceptable or at all. The terms of its existing or future debt agreements may restrict the Company from adopting any of these alternatives. The failure to generate sufficient cash flow or to achieve any of these alternatives could materially adversely affect the Company’s financial condition.

 

In addition, without such refinancing, the Company could be forced to sell assets to make up for any shortfall in its payment obligations under unfavorable circumstances. The Company’s amended revolving credit facility and the indenture for its 2014 notes limit its ability to sell assets and also restrict the use of proceeds from any such sale. Furthermore, the 2014 notes and its amended revolving credit facility are secured by substantially all of its assets. Therefore, the Company may not be able to sell its assets quickly enough or for sufficient amounts to enable the Company to meet its debt service obligations.

 

The terms of the Company’s outstanding indebtedness impose significant operating and financial restrictions, which may prevent the Company from pursuing certain business opportunities and taking certain actions.

 

The terms of the Company’s outstanding indebtedness impose significant operating and financial restrictions on its business. These restrictions will limit or prohibit, among other things, its ability to:

 

 

 

In addition, the Company’s amended revolving credit facility also requires the Company to meet a minimum fixed charge ratio test if borrowing capacity is less than $25 million at any time during the quarter and restricts its ability to make capital expenditures or prepay certain other debt. The Company may not be able to maintain this ratio. These restrictions could limit its ability to plan for or react to market conditions or meet its capital needs. The Company may not be granted waivers or amendments to its amended revolving credit facility if for any reason the Company is unable to meet its requirements or the Company may not be able to refinance its debt on terms that are acceptable, or at all.

 

The breach of any of these covenants or restrictions could result in a default under the indenture for its 2014 notes or its amended revolving credit facility. An event of default under its debt agreements would permit some of its lenders to declare all amounts borrowed from them to be due and payable.

 

The Company faces intense competition from a number of domestic and foreign yarn producers and importers of textile and apparel products.

 

The Company’s industry is highly competitive. The Company competes not only against domestic and foreign yarn producers, but also against importers of foreign sourced fabric and apparel into the United States and other countries in which the Company does business. The Company’s major regional competitors are AKRA, S.A. de C.V., O’Mara, Inc., Nanya, and Spectrum, in the polyester yarn segment and Sapona Manufacturing Company, Inc., McMichael Mills, Inc. and Worldtex, Inc. in the nylon yarn segment. The importation of garments and fabric from lower wage-based countries and overcapacity throughout the world has resulted in lower net sales, gross profits and net income for both its polyester and nylon segments. The primary competitive factors in the textile industry include price, quality, product styling and differentiation, flexibility of production and finishing, delivery time and customer service. The needs of particular customers and the characteristics of particular products determine the relative importance of these various factors. Because the Company, and the supply chain in which the Company operates, do not typically operate on the basis of long-term contracts with textile and apparel customers, these competitive factors could cause the Company’s customers to rapidly shift to other producers. A large number of the Company’s foreign competitors have significant competitive advantages, including lower labor costs, lower raw materials and energy costs and favorable currency exchange rates against the U.S. dollar. If any of these advantages increase, the Company’s products could become less competitive, and its sales and profits may decrease as a result. In addition, while traditionally these foreign competitors have focused on commodity production, they are now increasingly focused on value-added products, where the Company continues to generate higher margins. Competitive pressures may also intensify as a result of the elimination of China safeguard measures and the potential elimination of duties. See “— Changes in the trade regulatory environment could weaken the Company’s competitive position dramatically and have a material adverse effect on its business, net sales and profitability.” The Company, and the supply chain in which the Company operates, may therefore not be able to continue to compete effectively with imported foreign-made textile and apparel products, which would materially adversely affect its business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Changes in the trade regulatory environment could weaken the Company’s competitive position dramatically and have a material adverse effect on its business, net sales and profitability.

 

A number of sectors of the textile industry in which the Company sells its products, particularly apparel and home furnishings, are subject to intense foreign competition. Other sectors of the textile industry in which the Company sells its products may in the future become subject to more intense foreign competition. There are currently a number of trade regulations, quotas and duties in place to protect the U.S. textile industry against competition from low-priced foreign producers, such as China. Changes in such trade regulations, quotas and duties may make its products less attractive from a price standpoint than the goods of its competitors or the finished apparel products of a competitor in the supply chain, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, net sales and profitability. In addition, increased foreign capacity and imports that compete directly with its products could have a similar effect. Furthermore, one of the Company’s key business strategies is to expand its business within countries that are parties to free-trade agreements with the United States. Any relaxation of duties or other trade protections with respect to countries that are not parties to those free-trade agreements could therefore decrease the importance of the trade agreements and have a material adverse effect on its business, net sales and profitability. Two examples of potentially adverse consequences can be found in the recently signed CAFTA agreement. An amendment to require US or regional pocketing yarn and fabric to advantage duty free CAFTA treatment has been signed by the participatory CAFTA countries, but not yet passed through their legislative processes, which is required for the measure to take effect. Additionally, a customs ruling has been issued that allows the use of foreign singled textured sewing thread in the CAFTA region. Failure to overturn this ruling or correct this issue could have some material adverse effect on this business segment. See “Item 1 — Business — Trade Regulation” for more information.

 

The significant price volatility of many of the Company’s raw materials and rising energy costs may result in increased production costs, which the Company may not be able to pass on to its customers, which could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

 

A significant portion of the Company’s raw materials are petroleum-based chemicals and a significant portion of its costs are energy costs. The prices for petroleum and petroleum-related products and energy costs are volatile and dependent on global supply and demand dynamics including geo-political risks. While the Company frequently enters into raw material supply agreements, as is the general practice in its industry, these agreements typically provide for formula-based pricing. Therefore, its supply agreements provide only limited protection against price volatility. While the Company has in the past matched cost increases with corresponding product price increases, the Company may not always be able to immediately raise product prices, and, ultimately, pass on underlying cost increases to its customers. The Company has in the past lost and expects that it will continue to lose, customers to its competitors as a result of any price increases. In addition, its competitors may be able to obtain raw materials at a lower cost due to market regulations. Additional raw material and energy cost increases that the Company is not able to fully pass on to customers or the loss of a large number of customers to competitors as a result of price increases could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

 

The Company depends upon limited sources for raw materials, and interruptions in supply could increase its costs of production and cause its operations to suffer.

 

The Company depends on a limited number of third parties for certain raw material supplies, such as POY, chip, TPA and MEG. Although alternative sources of raw materials exist, the Company may not continue to be able to obtain adequate supplies of such materials on acceptable terms, or at all, from other sources when its existing supply agreements expire. With its recent announcement regarding the closing of its Kinston facility, sources of POY from NAFTA and CAFTA qualified suppliers may in the future experience interruptions or limitations in the supply of its raw materials, which would increase its product costs and could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. These POY suppliers are also at risk with their raw material supply chain. For example, in the Louisiana area in 2005, Hurricane Katrina created shortages in the supply of paraxlyene, a feedstock used in polymer production, because refineries diverted production to mixed xylene to increase the supply of gasoline. As a result, supplies of paraxlyene were reduced, and prices increased. With

Hurricane Rita the supply of MEG was reduced, and prices increased as well. Any disruption or curtailment in the supply of any of its raw materials could cause the Company to reduce or cease its production in general or require the Company to increase its pricing, which could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, and results of operations or cash flows. See “— The significant price volatility of many of the Company’s raw materials and rising energy costs may result in increased production costs, which the Company may not be able to pass on to its customers, which could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.”

 

A decline in general economic or political conditions and changes in consumer spending could cause the Company’s sales and profits to decline.

 

The Company’s products are used in the production of fabric primarily for the apparel, hosiery, home furnishing, automotive, industrial and other similar end-use markets. Demand for furniture and durable goods, such as automobiles, is often affected significantly by economic conditions. Demand for a number of categories of apparel also tends to be tied to economic cycles. Domestic demand for textile products therefore tends to vary with the business cycles of the U.S. economy as well as changes in global economic and political conditions. Future armed conflicts, terrorist activities or natural disasters in the United States or abroad and any consequent actions on the part of the U.S. government and others may cause general economic conditions in the United States to deteriorate or otherwise reduce U.S. consumer spending. A decline in general economic conditions or consumer confidence may also lead to significant changes to inventory levels and, in turn, replenishment orders placed with suppliers. These changing demands ultimately work their way through the supply chain and could adversely affect demand for the Company’s products and have a material adverse effect on its business, net sales and profitability.

 

Failure to successfully reduce the Company’s production costs may adversely affect its financial results.

 

A significant portion of the Company’s strategy relies upon its ability to successfully rationalize and improve the efficiency of its operations. In particular, the Company’s strategy relies on its ability to reduce its production costs in order to remain competitive. Over the past four years, the Company has consolidated multiple unprofitable businesses and production lines in an effort to match operating rates to the market, reduced overhead and supply costs, focused on optimizing the product mix amongst its reorganized assets, and made significant capital expenditures to more completely automate its production facilities, lessen the dependence on labor and decrease waste. If the Company is not able to continue to successfully implement cost reduction measures, or if these efforts do not generate the level of cost savings that it expects going forward or result in higher than expected costs, there could be a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

 

Changes in customer preferences, fashion trends and end-uses could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, net sales and profitability and cause inventory build-up if the Company is not able to adapt to such changes.

 

The demand for many of the Company’s products depends upon timely identification of consumer preferences for fabric designs, colors and styles. In the apparel sector, a failure by the Company or its customers to identify fashion trends in time to introduce products and fabric consistent with those trends could reduce its sales and the acceptance of its products by its customers and decrease its profitability as a result of costs associated with failed product introductions and reduced sales. The Company’s nylon segment continues to be adversely affected by changing customer preferences that have reduced demand for sheer hosiery products. In all sectors, changes in customer preferences or specifications may cause shifts away from the products which the Company provides, which can also have an adverse effect on its business, net sales and profitability.

 

The Company has significant foreign operations and its results of operations may be adversely affected by currency fluctuations.

 

The Company has a significant operation in Brazil, operations in Colombia and joint ventures in China and Israel. The Company serves customers in Canada, Mexico, Israel and various countries in Europe, Central America, South America and South Africa. Foreign operations are subject to certain political, economic and other uncertainties not encountered by its domestic operations that can materially affect sales, profits, cash flows and financial

position. The risks of international operations include trade barriers, duties, exchange controls, national and regional labor strikes, social and political risks, general economic risks, required compliance with a variety of foreign laws, including tax laws, the difficulty of enforcing agreements and collecting receivables through foreign legal systems, taxes on distributions or deemed distributions to the Company or any of its U.S. subsidiaries, maintenance of minimum capital requirements and import and export controls. Through its foreign operations, the Company is also exposed to currency fluctuations and exchange rate risks. Because a significant amount of its costs incurred to generate the revenues of its foreign operations are denominated in local currencies, while the majority of its sales are in U.S. dollars, the Company has in the past been adversely impacted by the appreciation of the local currencies relative to the U.S. dollar, and currency exchange rate fluctuations could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. The Company has translated its revenues and expenses denominated in local currencies into U.S. dollars at the average exchange rate during the relevant period and its assets and liabilities denominated in local currencies into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate at the end of the relevant period. Fluctuations in the foreign exchange rates will affect period-to-period comparisons of its reported results. Additionally, the Company operates in countries with foreign exchange controls. These controls may limit its ability to repatriate funds from its international operations and joint ventures or otherwise convert local currencies into U.S. dollars. These limitations could adversely affect the Company’s ability to access cash from these operations.

 

The Company may be exposed to liabilities under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and any determination that the Company violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act could have a material adverse effect on its business.

 

To the extent that the Company operates outside the United States, it is subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”) which generally prohibits U.S. companies and their intermediaries from bribing foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or keeping business or otherwise obtaining favorable treatment. In particular, the Company may be held liable for actions taken by its strategic or local partners even though such partners are foreign companies that are not subject to the FCPA. Any determination that the Company violated the FCPA could result in sanctions that could have a material adverse effect on its business.

 

The Company’s business could be negatively impacted by the financial condition of its customers.

 

The U.S. textile and apparel industry faces many challenges. Overcapacity, volatility in raw material pricing, and intense pricing pressures has led to the closure of many domestic textile and apparel plants. Continued negative industry trends may result in the deteriorating financial condition of its customers. Certain of the Company’s customers are experiencing financial difficulties. The loss of any significant portion of its sales to any of these customers could have a material adverse impact on its business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. In addition, any receivable balances related to its customers would be at risk in the event of their bankruptcy See “Item 7 — Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Review of Fiscal Year 2007 Results of Operations (52 Weeks) Compared to Fiscal Year 2006 (52 Weeks)” for fiscal year 2007 losses directly related to customer bankruptcies.

 

As one of the many participants in the U.S. and regional textile and apparel supply chain, the Company’s business and competitive position are directly impacted by the business and financial condition of the other participants across the supply chain in which it operates, including other regional yarn manufacturers, knitters and weavers. If other supply chain participants are unable to access capital, fund their operations and make required technological and other investments in their businesses or experience diminished demand for their products, there could be a material adverse impact on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

 

Failure to implement future technological advances in the textile industry or fund capital expenditure requirements could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s competitive position and net sales.

 

The Company’s operating results depend to a significant extent on its ability to continue to introduce innovative products and applications and to continue to develop its production processes to be a competitive producer. Accordingly, to maintain its competitive position and its revenue base, the Company must continually

modernize its manufacturing processes, plants and equipment. To this end, the Company has made significant investments in its manufacturing infrastructure over the past fifteen years and does not currently anticipate any significant additional capital expenditures to replace or expand its production facilities over the next five years. Accordingly, the Company expects its capital requirements in the near term will be used primarily to maintain its manufacturing operations, but future technological advances in the textile industry may result in the availability of new products or increase the efficiency of existing manufacturing and distribution systems, and the Company may not be able to adapt to such technological changes or offer such products on a timely basis or establish or maintain competitive positions if it does not incur significant capital expenditures for expansion purposes. Existing, proposed or yet undeveloped technologies may render its technology less profitable or less viable, and the Company may not have available the financial and other resources to compete effectively against companies possessing such technologies. To the extent sources of funds are insufficient to meet its ongoing capital improvement requirements, the Company would need to seek alternative sources of financing or curtail or delay capital spending plans. The Company may not be able to obtain the necessary financing when needed or on terms acceptable to us. The Company is unable to predict which of the many possible future products and services will meet the evolving industry standards and consumer demands. If the Company fails to make the capital improvements necessary to continue the modernization of its manufacturing operations and reduction of its costs, its competitive position may suffer, and its net sales may decline.

 

Unforeseen or recurring operational problems at any of the Company’s facilities may cause significant lost production, which could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

 

The Company’s manufacturing process could be affected by operational problems that could impair its production capability. Each of its facilities contains complex and sophisticated machines that are used in its manufacturing process. Disruptions at any of its facilities could be caused by maintenance outages; prolonged power failures or reductions; a breakdown, failure or substandard performance of any of its machines; the effect of noncompliance with material environmental requirements or permits; disruptions in the transportation infrastructure, including railroad tracks, bridges, tunnels or roads; fires, floods, earthquakes or other catastrophic disasters; labor difficulties; or other operational problems. Any prolonged disruption in operations at any of its facilities could cause significant lost production, which would have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

 

The Company has made and may continue to make investments in entities that it does not control.

 

The Company has established joint ventures and made minority interest investments designed to increase its vertical integration, increase efficiencies in its procurement, manufacturing processes, marketing and distribution in the United States and other markets. The Company’s principal joint ventures and minority investments include UNF, Unifi-SANS Technical Fibers, LLC (“USTF”), PAL and Yihua Unifi Fibre Industry Company Limited (“YUFI”). See “Item 7 — Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Joint Ventures and Other Equity Investments” for a further discussion. The Company’s inability to control entities in which it invests may affect its ability to receive distributions from those entities or to fully implement its business plan. The incurrence of debt or entry into other agreements by an entity not under its control may result in restrictions or prohibitions on that entity’s ability to pay dividends or make other distributions. Even where these entities are not restricted by contract or by law from making distributions, the Company may not be able to influence the occurrence or timing of such distributions. In addition, if any of the other investors in these entities fails to observe its commitments, that entity may not be able to operate according to its business plan or the Company may be required to increase its level of commitment. If any of these events were to occur, its business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows could be adversely affected. Because the Company does not own a majority or maintain voting control of these entities, the Company does not have the ability to control their policies, management or affairs. The interests of persons who control these entities or partners may differ from the Company’s, and they may cause such entities to take actions which are not in its best interest. If the Company is unable to maintain its relationships with its partners in these entities, the Company could lose its ability to operate in these areas which could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

The Company’s acquisition strategy may not be successful, which could adversely affect its business.

 

The Company has expanded its business partly through acquisitions and may continue to make selective acquisitions. The Company’s acquisition strategy is dependent upon the availability of suitable acquisition candidates, obtaining financing on acceptable terms, and its ability to comply with the restrictions contained in its debt agreements. Acquisitions may divert a significant amount of management’s time away from the operation of its business. Future acquisitions may also have an adverse effect on its operating results, particularly in the fiscal quarters immediately following their completion while the Company integrates the operations of the acquired business. Growth by acquisition involves risks that could have a material adverse effect on business and financial results, including difficulties in integrating the operations and personnel of acquired companies and the potential loss of key employees and customers of acquired companies. Once integrated, acquired operations may not achieve the levels of revenues, profitability or productivity comparable with those achieved by its existing operations, or otherwise performs as expected. While the Company has experience in identifying and integrating acquisitions, the Company may not be able to identify suitable acquisition candidates, obtain the capital necessary to pursue its acquisition strategy or complete acquisitions on satisfactory terms or at all. Even if the Company successfully completes an acquisition, it may not be able to integrate it into its business satisfactorily or at all.

 

Increases of illegal transshipment of textile and apparel goods into the United States could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business.

 

According to industry experts and trade associations illegal transshipments of apparel products into the United States continues to negatively impact the textile market. Illegal transshipment involves circumventing quotas by falsely claiming that textiles and apparel are a product of a particular country of origin or include yarn of a particular country of origin to avoid paying higher duties or to receive benefits from regional free-trade agreements, such as NAFTA and CAFTA. If illegal transshipment is not monitored and enforcement is not effective, these shipments could have a material adverse effect on its business.

 

The Company is subject to many environmental and safety regulations that may result in significant unanticipated costs or liabilities or cause interruptions in its operations.

 

The Company is subject to extensive federal, state, local and foreign laws, regulations, rules and ordinances relating to pollution, the protection of the environment and the use or cleanup of hazardous substances and wastes. The Company may incur substantial costs, including fines, damages and criminal or civil sanctions, or experience interruptions in its operations for actual or alleged violations of or compliance requirements arising under environmental laws, any of which could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. The Company’s operations could result in violations of environmental laws, including spills or other releases of hazardous substances to the environment. In the event of a catastrophic incident, the Company could incur material costs.

 

In addition, the Company could incur significant expenditures in order to comply with existing or future environmental or safety laws. For example, the land associated with the Kinston acquisition is leased pursuant to a 99 year Ground Lease with DuPont. Since 1993, DuPont has been investigating and cleaning up the Kinston Site under the supervision of the EPA and the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Program. The Corrective Action Program requires DuPont to identify all potential areas of environmental concern, known as solid waste management units or areas of concern, assess the extent of contamination at the identified areas and clean them up to applicable regulatory standards. Under the terms of the Ground Lease, upon completion by DuPont of required remedial action, ownership of the Kinston Site will pass to the Company. Thereafter, the Company will have responsibility for future remediation requirements, if any, at the solid waste management units and areas of concern previously addressed by DuPont and at any other areas at the plant. At this time, the Company has no basis to determine if and when it will have any responsibility or obligation with respect to contaminated solid waste management units and areas of concern or the extent of any potential liability for the same. Accordingly, the possibility that the Company could face material clean-up costs in the future relating to the Kinston facility cannot be eliminated. Capital expenditures and, to a lesser extent, costs and operating expenses relating to environmental or safety matters will be subject to evolving regulatory requirements and will depend on the timing of the

promulgation and enforcement of specific standards which impose requirements on its operations. Therefore, capital expenditures beyond those currently anticipated may be required under existing or future environmental or safety laws. See “Item 7 — Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources — Environmental Liabilities.”

 

Furthermore, the Company may be liable for the costs of investigating and cleaning up environmental contamination on or from its properties or at off-site locations where the Company disposed of or arranged for the disposal or treatment of hazardous materials or from disposal activities that pre-dated the purchase of its businesses. If significant previously unknown contamination is discovered, existing laws or their enforcement change or its indemnities do not cover the costs of investigation and remediation, then such expenditures could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, and results of operations or cash flows.

 

Health and safety regulation costs could increase.

 

The Company’s operations are also subject to regulation of health and safety matters by the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration and comparable statutes in foreign jurisdictions where the Company operates. The Company believes that it employs appropriate precautions to protect its employees and others from workplace injuries and harmful exposure to materials handled and managed at its facilities. However, claims that may be asserted against the Company for work-related illnesses or injury, and changes in occupational health and safety laws and regulations in the United States or in foreign jurisdictions in which the Company operates could increase its operating costs. The Company is unable to predict the ultimate cost of compliance with these health and safety laws and regulations. Accordingly, the Company may become involved in future litigation or other proceedings or be found to be responsible or liable in any litigation or proceedings, and such costs may be material to us.

 

The Company’s business may be adversely affected by adverse employee relations.

 

The Company employs approximately 2,900 employees, approximately 2,500 of which are domestic employees and approximately 400 of which are foreign employees. While employees of its foreign operations are generally unionized, none of its domestic employees are currently covered by collective bargaining agreements. The failure to renew collective bargaining agreements with employees of the Company’s foreign operations and other labor relations issues, including union organizing activities, could result in an increase in costs or lead to a strike, work stoppage or slow down. Such labor issues and unrest by its employees could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business.

 

The Company’s future financial results could be adversely impacted by asset impairments or other charges.

 

Under Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets,” the Company is required to assess the impairment of the Company’s long-lived assets, such as plant and equipment, whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable as measured by the sum of the expected future undiscounted cash flows. When the Company determines that the carrying value of certain long-lived assets may not be recoverable based upon the existence of one or more impairment indicators, the Company then measures any impairment based on a projected discounted cash flow method using a discount rate determined by management to be commensurate with the risk inherent in its current business model. In accordance with SFAS No. 144, any such impairment charges will be recorded as operating losses. See “Item 7 — Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Review of Fiscal Year 2007 Results of Operations (52 Weeks) Compared to Fiscal Year 2006 (52 Weeks)” for fiscal year 2007 impairment charges relating to long-lived assets.

 

In addition, the Company evaluates the net values assigned to various equity investments it holds, such as its investment in YUFI, PAL, USTF and UNF, in accordance with the provisions of Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 18, “The Equity Method of Accounting for Investments in Common Stock.” APB No. 18 requires that a loss in value of an investment, which is other than a temporary decline, should be recognized as an impairment loss. Any such impairment losses will be recorded as operating losses. See “Item 7 — Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Joint Ventures and Other Equity Investments” for more information regarding the Company’s equity investments.

Any operating losses resulting from impairment charges under SFAS No. 144 or APB No. 18 could have an adverse effect on its net income and therefore the market price of its securities, including its common stock.

 

The Company’s business could be adversely affected if the Company fails to protect its intellectual property rights.

 

The Company’s success depends in part on its ability to protect its intellectual property rights. The Company relies on a combination of patent, trademark, and trade secret laws, licenses, confidentiality and other agreements to protect its intellectual property rights. However, this protection may not be fully adequate: its intellectual property rights may be challenged or invalidated, an infringement suit by the Company against a third party may not be successful and/or third parties could design around its technology or adopt trademarks similar to its own. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries in which its products are manufactured and sold do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. Although the Company routinely enters into confidentiality agreements with its employees, independent contractors and current and potential strategic and joint venture partners, among others, such agreements may be breached, and the Company could be harmed by unauthorized use or disclosure of its confidential information. Further, the Company licenses trademarks from third parties, and these agreements may terminate or become subject to litigation. Its failure to protect its intellectual property could materially and adversely affect its competitive position, reduce revenue or otherwise harm its business. The Company may also be accused of infringing or violating the intellectual property rights of third parties. Any such claims, whether or not meritorious, could result in costly litigation and divert the efforts of its personnel. Should the Company be found liable for infringement, the Company may be required to enter into licensing arrangements (if available on acceptable terms or at all) or pay damages and cease selling certain products or using certain product names or technology. The Company’s failure to prevail in any intellectual property litigation could materially adversely affect its competitive position, reduce revenue or otherwise harm its business.

 

 

None.

 

 

Following is a summary of principal properties owned or leased by the Company as of June 24, 2007:

 

In addition to the above properties, the corporate administrative office for each of its segments is located at 7201 West Friendly Ave. in Greensboro, North Carolina. Such property consists of a building containing approximately 100,000 square feet located on a tract of land containing approximately nine acres.

 

All of the above facilities are owned in fee simple, with the exception of a plant in Mayodan, North Carolina which is leased from a financial institution pursuant to a sale leaseback agreement entered into on May 20, 1997, as amended; one warehouse in Staunton, Virginia, one warehouse in Kinston, North Carolina and one office in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Management believes all the properties are well maintained and in good condition. In fiscal year 2007, the Company’s manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Brazil operated below capacity. Accordingly, management does not perceive any capacity constraints in the foreseeable future.

 

As of June 24, 2007, the Company has classified several properties as assets held for sale. At the end of fiscal year 2007, assets held for sale included its facility in Dillon, South Carolina, a warehouse in Reidsville, North Carolina and its nylon Plants 5 and 7 in Madison, North Carolina. The Plant 1 facility in Madison sold on June 19, 2007. The assets held for sale are not included in the property listing table above.

 

The Company also leases a manufacturing facility to USTF, a joint venture in which the Company is a 50% owner.

 

 

There are no pending legal proceedings, other than ordinary routine litigation incidental to the Company’s business, to which the Company is a party or of which any of its property is the subject.

 

 

No matters were submitted to a vote of security holders during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended June 24, 2007.

 

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE COMPANY

 

The following is a description of the name, age, position and offices held, and the period served in such position or offices for each of the executive officers of the Company.

 

Chairman of the Board and “Acting” Chief Executive Officer

 

STEPHEN WENER — Age: 63 — Mr. Wener, who lives in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, has served as the President and CEO of Dillon Yarn Corporation (“Dillon”) since 1980. The Dillon polyester and nylon texturing operations were purchased by the Company on January 1, 2007. He has been the Executive Vice President of American Drawtech Company, Inc. since 1992, a director of New River Industries, Inc. since 1996, and a director of Titan Textile Canada, Inc. since 1999. He was appointed a Director of the Company by the Board of Directors on May 24, 2007.

 

For additional information about Dillon, see “Item 1. Business — Recent Developments.”

 

Vice Presidents

 

WILLIAM M. LOWE, JR. — Age: 54 — Mr. Lowe has been Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company since January 2004 and Chief Operating Officer of the Company since April 2004. Prior to being employed by the Company, Mr. Lowe was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Metaldyne Corporation, an automotive component and systems manufacturer from 2001 to 2003. From 1991 to 2001 Mr. Lowe held various financial positions at Arvinmeritor, Inc. a diversified manufacturer of automotive components and systems.

 

R. ROGER BERRIER — Age: 38 — Mr. Berrier has been the Vice President of Commercial Operations of the Company since April 2006. Prior to that, Mr. Berrier had been the Commercial Operations Manager responsible for Corporate Product Development, Marketing and Brand Sales Management since April 2004. Mr. Berrier joined the

Company in 1991 and has held various management positions within operations, including International Operations, Machinery Technology, Research & Development and Quality Control.

 

THOMAS H. CAUDLE, JR. — Age: 55 — Mr. Caudle has been the Vice President of Global Operations of the Company since April 2003. Prior to that, Mr. Caudle had been Senior Vice President in charge of manufacturing for the Company since July 2000 and Vice President of Manufacturing Services of the Company since January 1999. Mr. Caudle has been an employee of the Company since 1982.

 

WILLIAM L. JASPER — Age: 54 — Mr. Jasper has been the Vice President of Sales since April 2006. Prior to that, Mr. Jasper was the General Manager of the Polyester segment, having responsibility for all natural polyester businesses. He joined the Company with the purchase of the Kinston polyester POY assets from INVISTA in September 2004. Prior to joining the Company, he was the Director of INVISTA’s Dacron^® polyester filament business. Prior to that, Mr. Jasper held various management positions in Operations, Technology, Sales and Business for DuPont since 1980.

 

CHARLES F. MCCOY — Age: 43 — Mr. McCoy has been an employee of Unifi, Inc. (the “Company”) since January 2000, when he joined the Company as Assistant Secretary and General Counsel. In October 2000, Mr. McCoy was elected as Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel of the Company.

 

With the exception of Mr. Wener, each of the executive officers was elected by the Board of the Company at the Annual Meeting of the Board held on October 25, 2006. Each executive officer was elected to serve until the next Annual Meeting of the Board or until his successor was elected and qualified. No executive officer has a family relationship as close as first cousin with any other executive officer or director.

 

PART II

 

 

The Company’s common stock is listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “UFI.” The following table sets forth the high and low sales prices of the Company’s common stock as reported on the NYSE Composite Tape for the Company’s two most recent fiscal years.

 

 

As of September 5, 2007 there were approximately 484 record holders of the Company’s common stock. A significant number of the outstanding shares of common stock which are beneficially owned by individuals and entities are registered in the name of Cede & Co. Cede & Co. is a nominee of The Depository Trust Company, a securities depository for banks and brokerage firms. The Company estimates that there are approximately 5,200 beneficial owners of its common stock.

 

No dividends were paid in the past two fiscal years and none are expected to be paid in the foreseeable future. The indenture governing the 2014 notes and the Company’s amended revolving credit facility restrict its ability to pay dividends or make distributions on its capital stock. See “Item 7 — Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Long-Term Debt — Senior Secured Notes” and “ — Amended Revolving Credit Facility.”

 

The following table summarizes information as of June 24, 2007 regarding the number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the Company’s equity compensation plans:

 

 

Under the terms of the 1999 Unifi Inc. Long-Term Incentive Plan (“1999 Long-Term Incentive Plan”), the maximum number of shares to be issued was approved at 6,000,000. Of the 6,000,000 shares approved for issuance, no more than 3,000,000 may be issued as restricted stock. To date, 258,466 shares have been issued as restricted stock and are outstanding. Any option or restricted stock that is forfeited may be reissued under the terms of the plan. The amount forfeited or canceled is included in the number of securities remaining available for future issuance in column (c) in the above table.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

 

On January 1, 2007 the Company issued approximately 8.3 million shares of our common stock, in exchange for specified assets purchased from Dillon by Unifi Manufacturing, Inc. one of the Company’s wholly owed subsidiaries. There were no underwriters used in the transaction. The issuance of these shares of common stock was made in reliance on the exemptions from registration provided by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as offers and sales not involving a public offering. On February 9, 2007 the Company filed Form S-3 Registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 to register these shares.

 

On April 25, 2003, the Company announced that its Board had reinstituted the Company’s previously authorized stock repurchase plan at its meeting on April 24, 2003. The plan was originally announced by the Company on July 26, 2000 and authorized the Company to repurchase of up to 10.0 million shares of its common stock. During fiscal years 2004 and 2003, the Company repurchased approximately 1.3 million and 0.5 million shares, respectively. The repurchase program was suspended in November 2003 and the Company has no immediate plans to reinstitute the program. As of June 24, 2007, there is remaining authority for the Company to repurchase approximately 6.8 million shares of its common stock under the repurchase plan. The repurchase plan has no stated expiration or termination date.

PERFORMANCE GRAPH — SHAREHOLDER RETURN ON COMMON STOCK

 

Set forth below is a line graph comparing the cumulative total Shareholder return on the Company’s Common Stock with (i) the New York Stock Exchange Composite Index, a broad equity market index, and (ii) a peer group selected by the Company in good faith (the “Peer Group”), assuming in each case, the investment of $100 on June 30, 2002 and reinvestment of dividends. Including the Company, the Peer Group consists of fourteen publicly traded textile companies, including Albany International Corp., Culp, Inc., Decorator Industries, Inc., Delta Woodside Industries, Inc., Dixie Group, Inc., Hallwood Group Inc., Hampshire Group, Limited, Innovo Group Inc., Interface, Inc., JPS Industries, Inc., Lydall, Inc., Mohawk Industries, Inc., and Quaker Fabric Corporation.

 

COMPARISON OF 5 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN*
Among Unifi, Inc., The NYSE Composite Index
And A Peer Group

 

 

 

* $100 invested on 6/30/02 in stock or index-including reinvestment of dividends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

The following discussion contains certain forward-looking statements about the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

 

Forward-looking statements are those that do not relate solely to historical fact. They include, but are not limited to, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance, achievements or events. They may contain words such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “intend,” “project,” “plan,” “will,” or words or phrases of similar meaning. They may relate to, among other things, the risks described under the caption “Item 1A — Risk Factors” above and:

 

 

 

These forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s current views with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from trends, plans or expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties may include those discussed above or in “Item 1A — Risk Factors.” New risks can emerge from time to time. It is not possible for the Company to predict all of these risks, nor can it assess the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in forward-looking statements. The Company will not update these forward-looking statements, even if its situation changes in the future, except as required by federal securities laws.

 

Business Overview

 

The Company is a diversified producer and processor of multi-filament polyester and nylon yarns, including specialty yarns with enhanced performance characteristics. Unifi adds value to the supply chain and enhances consumer demand for its products through the development and introduction of branded yarns that provide unique performance, comfort and aesthetic advantages. The Company manufactures partially oriented, textured, dyed, twisted and beamed polyester yarns as well as textured nylon and nylon covered spandex products. Unifi sells its products to other yarn manufacturers, knitters and weavers that produce fabric for the apparel, hosiery, home furnishings, automotive, industrial and other end-use markets. The Company maintains one of the industry’s most comprehensive product offerings and emphasizes quality, style and performance in all of its products.

 

Polyester Segment.  The polyester segment manufactures partially oriented, textured, dyed, twisted and beamed yarns with sales to other yarn manufacturers, knitters and weavers that produce fabric for the apparel, automotive and furniture upholstery, hosiery, home furnishings, automotive, industrial and other end-use markets. The polyester segment primarily manufactures its products in Brazil, and the United States, which has the largest operations and number of locations. For fiscal years 2007, 2006, and 2005, polyester segment net sales were $530.1 million, $566.3 million, and $586.3 million, respectively.

 

Nylon Segment.  The nylon segment manufactures textured nylon and covered spandex products with sales to other yarn manufacturers, knitters and weavers that produce fabric for the apparel, hosiery, sock and other end-use markets. The nylon segment consists of operations in the United States and Colombia. For fiscal years 2007, 2006, and 2005, nylon segment net sales were $160.2 million, $172.4 million, and $206.5 million, respectively.

 

The Company’s fiscal year is the 52 or 53 weeks ending in the last Sunday in June. Fiscal years 2007, 2006, and 2005 had 52 weeks.

Line Items Presented

 

Net sales.  Net sales include amounts billed by the Company to customers for products, shipping and handling, net of allowances for rebates. Rebates may be offered to specific large volume customers for purchasing certain quantities of yarn over a prescribed time period. The Company provides for allowances associated with rebates in the same accounting period the sales are recognized in income. Allowances for rebates are calculated based on sales to customers with negotiated rebate agreements with the Company. Non-defective returns are deducted from revenues in the period during which the return occurs. The Company records allowances for customer claims based upon its estimate of known claims and its past experience for unknown claims.

 

Cost of sales.  The Company’s cost of sales consists of direct material, delivery and other manufacturing costs, including labor and overhead, depreciation expense with respect to manufacturing assets, fixed asset depreciation, and reserves for obsolete and slow-moving inventory. Cost of sales also includes amounts directly related to providing technological support to the Company’s Chinese joint venture discussed below.

 

Selling general and administrative expenses.  The Company’s selling, general and administrative expenses consist of selling expense (which includes sales staff salaries and bonuses), advertising and promotion (which includes direct marketing expenses) and administrative expense (which includes corporate expenses and bonuses). In addition, selling, general and administrative expenses also include depreciation and amortization with respect to certain corporate administrative and intangible assets.

 

Recent Developments and Outlook

 

Although the global textile and apparel industry continues to grow, the U.S. textile and apparel industry has contracted since 1999, caused primarily by intense foreign competition in finished goods on the basis of price, resulting in ongoing U.S. domestic overcapacity, forcing the closure of many domestic textile and apparel plants and many producer’s to move their operations offshore. In addition, due to consumer preferences, demand for sheer hosiery products has declined significantly in recent years, which negatively impacts nylon manufacturers. As a result, the contraction in the North American textile and apparel market continues, and industry experts expect a similar rate of decline in calendar year 2007 as compared to calendar year 2006, and a lower rate of decline after calendar year 2008 as regional manufacturers continue to demand North American manufactured yarn due to the duty-free advantage, quick response times, readily available production capacity, and specialized products and North American retailers expressing their need for a balanced procurement strategy with both global and regional producers. Because of these general industry trends, the Company’s net sales, gross profits and net income have been trending downward for the past several years. These challenges continue to impact the U.S. textile and apparel industry, and the Company expects that they will continue to impact the U.S. textile and apparel industry for the foreseeable future. The Company believes that its success going forward is primarily based on its ability to improve the mix of its product offerings by shifting to more premium value-added products, to exploit the free-trade agreements to which the United States is a party and to implement cost saving strategies which will improve its operating efficiencies. The continued viability of the U.S. domestic textile and apparel industry is dependent, to a large extent, on the international trade regulatory environment. For the most part, because of protective duties currently in place and NAFTA, CAFTA, CBI, ATPA and other free-trade agreements or duties preference programs, the Company has not experienced significant declines in its market share due to the importation of Asian products.

 

The Company is highly committed to its existing interest in China where industry experts estimate that the production growth rate for the polyester textile filament yarns will be at a 9 to 10% annual average rate between 2006 and 2010. As further discussed below in “— Joint Ventures and Other Equity Investments,” the Company has invested in excess of $30.0 million in a joint venture in China to manufacture, process and market polyester filament yarn.

 

On January 1, 2007, the Company completed its acquisition of certain assets from Dillon Yarn Corporation. The aggregate consideration paid in connection with the Dillon acquisition was $64.2 million consisting of a combination of $42.2 million in cash and approximately 8.3 million shares of the Company’s common stock valued at $22.0 million. These assets primarily relate to the Company’s polyester segment. The acquisition included $10.7 million in inventories, $13.1 million in fixed assets, and $26.0 million of intangible assets, offset by $4.0 million in assumed liabilities. Intangible assets subject to amortization consist of a customer list and non-

compete agreements. The customer list of $22.0 million is being amortized using a declining balance method over thirteen years and the non-compete agreement of $4.0 million is being amortized using the straight-line method over seven years. There are no residual values related to these intangible assets. Accumulated amortization at June 24, 2007 for these intangible assets was $2.1 million. The remaining $18.4 million was attributable to goodwill. The operational results of Dillon were included in the Company’s consolidated results for the period January 1, 2007 to June 24, 2007. On April 26, 2007, the Company announced its plans to move all production from Dillon, South Carolina to its facility in Yadkinville, North Carolina.

 

On March 22, 2007, the Company announced that it was closing its Plant 15 dye facility in Mayodan, North Carolina and moving all production to its nearby Plant 4 dye facility in Reidsville, North Carolina which was a result of reduced demand for its package dyed product line. This move was a natural step in the process of centralizing its production and maximizing the efficiencies of its dyed operations into one location. The Company had completed this transition by the end of the fiscal year 2007.

 

On August 1, 2007, the Company announced that the Board had terminated Brian R. Parke as the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company effective immediately. Mr. Parke had been President of the Company since 1999, Chief Executive Officer since 2000 and Chairman since 2004. Mr. Parke agreed to continue to serve on a part-time consulting basis as the Vice Chairman of the Company’s Chinese joint venture. The Company also announced that the Board appointed Mr. Stephen Wener as the Company’s new Chairman and “acting” Chief Executive Officer. In addition, there were several changes to its Board, including six director resignations, including Mr. Parke, and the appointment of two new directors. The current Board and management remain committed to both the Company’s domestic and China strategies.

 

On August 2, 2007, the Company announced that it will close its Kinston, North Carolina facility. The Kinston facility produces POY for internal consumption and third party sales. In the future, the Company will purchase its commodity POY needs from external suppliers for conversion in its texturing operations. The Company will continue to produce POY at its Yadkinville, North Carolina facility for its specialty and premium value yarns and certain commodity yarns. The Company expects that it will take four to five months to transition from producing POY at the Kinston location and completing the supply chain logistics enabling a complete shut-down by the end of the calendar year 2007. During the first quarter of fiscal year 2008, the Company reorganized certain corporate staff and manufacturing support functions to further reduce costs. Approximately 310 employees including 110 salaried positions and 200 wage positions will be affected as a result of these reorganization plans including the termination of Benny L. Holder, the Company’s Vice President and Chief Information Officer. The Company will record severance expense of approximately $4.9 million in the first half of fiscal year 2008, which includes severance of $2.4 million in connection with the termination of its former President and Chief Executive Officer.

 

During fiscal year 2007, the Company continued with its strategy to consolidate domestic operations through both acquiring other businesses and closing existing facilities in order to eliminate redundant overheads, maximize facility utilization rates, lower manufacturing costs, and improve its product mix. The Dillon asset purchase and the eventual closure of the Dillon location along with the closing of its Kinston, North Carolina facility will enable the Company to operate closer to capacity within its remaining facilities. In addition, with the closing of its Kinston location, the Company will be able to better compete against cheaper imported textured yarns and will have more flexibility during short term declines in the market. In the future, the Company will purchase most of its commodity POY needs from external suppliers for conversion in its texturing operation. The Company will continue to produce POY at its Yadkinville, North Carolina facility for its specialty and premium value yarns and certain commodity yarns.

 

The Company continued to shift its focus away from selling large volumes of products in order to focus on making each product line profitable. The Company has identified unprofitable product lines and raised sales prices accordingly. In some cases, this strategy has resulted in reduced sales of these products or even the elimination of the unprofitable product lines. The Company expects that the reduction of these unprofitable businesses will improve its future operating results. This program has resulted in significant restructuring charges in recent periods, and additional losses of volume associated with these actions may require additional plant consolidations in the future, which may result in further restructuring charges.

 

Key Performance Indicators

 

The Company continuously reviews performance indicators to measure its success. The following are the indicators management uses to assess performance of the Company’s business:

 

 

Corporate Restructurings

 

Over the last four fiscal years, the Company has focused on reducing costs throughout its operations and continuing to improve working capital. In fiscal year 2004, the Company recorded restructuring charges of $5.7 million in lease related costs associated with the closure of the facility in Altamahaw, North Carolina. The Company paid $1.0 million in rental payments during fiscal year 2007 and the remaining lease obligation consists of rental payments of $1.0 million for the fiscal year 2008 and a residual payment of $2.0 million owed by one of the Company’s subsidiaries in May 2008.

 

On October 19, 2004, the Company announced plans to close two production lines and downsize its facility in Kinston, North Carolina, which was acquired in September 2004. During the second quarter of fiscal year 2005, the Company recorded a severance reserve of $10.7 million for approximately 500 production level employees and a restructuring reserve of $0.4 million for the cancellation of certain warehouse leases. The entire restructuring reserve was recorded as assumed liabilities in purchase accounting; and accordingly, was not recorded as a restructuring expense in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations. During the third quarter of fiscal year 2005, the Company completed the closure of both production lines as scheduled, which resulted in an actual reduction of 388 production level employees and a reduction to the initial restructuring reserve. Since no long-term assets or intangible assets were recorded in purchase accounting, the net reduction of $1.2 million was recorded as an extraordinary gain in fiscal year 2005.

 

In fiscal year 2005, the Company closed its central distribution center in Mayodan, North Carolina, and moved the operations to its warehouse and logistics facilities in Yadkinville, North Carolina, and consolidated the operations of one of its plants from Mayodan to Madison, North Carolina. In connection with this initiative, the Company offered for sale a plant, a warehouse and a central distribution center (“CDC”) located in Mayodan. Based on appraisals received in September 2005, the Company determined that the warehouse was impaired and recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $1.5 million, which included $0.2 million in estimated selling costs that will be paid from the proceeds of the sale when it occurs. On March 13, 2006, the Company entered into a contract to sell the CDC and related land located in Mayodan, North Carolina. The terms of the contract called for a sale price of $2.7 million, which was approximately $0.7 million below the property’s carrying value. In accordance with SFAS No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets,” (“SFAS No. 144”) the Company recorded a non-cash impairment charge of approximately $0.8 million during the third quarter of fiscal year 2006 which included selling costs of $0.1 million. The sale of the CDC closed in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2006 with no further expense to the Company.

 

On July 28, 2005, the Company announced its decision to discontinue the operations of its external sourcing business, Unimatrix Americas, and as of the end of the third quarter fiscal year 2006, the Company had substantially liquidated the business resulting in the reclassification of the sourcing segment’s losses for the current and prior periods as discontinued operations. The sourcing segment was completely liquidated as of June 25, 2006.

 

On April 20, 2006, the Company re-organized its domestic business operations, and as a result, recorded a restructuring charge for severance of approximately $0.8 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2006. Approximately 45 management level salaried employees were affected by the plan of reorganization. During fiscal year 2007, the Company recorded an additional $0.3 million for severance relating to this reorganization.

 

On April 26, 2007, the Company announced its plans to move all production from its Dillon, South Carolina facility to its facility in Yadkinville, North Carolina. As a result, the Company recorded $1.0 million in severance reserves and vacation pay for approximately 316 wage and salaried employees. In addition, the Company recorded a

$2.9 million unfavorable contract reserve for a portion of a sales and services agreement it entered into with Dillon for continued support of the Dillon business for two years. All of these reserves were recorded as assumed liabilities in purchase accounting. The Company expects to complete this transition in the first quarter of fiscal year 2008 with no interruption of service to its customers.

 

On March 22, 2007, the Company announced that it was closing its dyed operations at Plant 15 in Mayodan, North Carolina and moving all production to its nearby Plant 4 dye facility in Reidsville, North Carolina. Accordingly, in the third quarter of fiscal year 2007, the Company recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $4.4 million. Since management is not confident that a sale will occur within twelve months, the facility is not classified as part of the “Assets held for sale” line item in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

 

The table below summarizes changes to the accrued severance and accrued restructuring accounts for fiscal years 2007, 2006, and 2005 (amounts in thousands):

 

 

 

 

Joint Ventures and Other Equity Investments

 

YUFI.  In August 2005, the Company formed YUFI, a 50/50 joint venture with Sinopec Yizheng Chemical Fiber Co., Ltd, (“YCFC”), to manufacture, process, and market commodity and specialty polyester filament yarn in YCFC’s facilities in China. YCFC is a publicly traded (listed in Shanghai and Hong Kong) enterprise with approximately $1.3 billion in annual sales. The Company believes that the addition of a high-quality, globally cost competitive operation in China allows the Company to pursue long-term, profitable revenue growth in Asia. By forming a joint venture with a long-established and highly respected fiber industry leader like YCFC, the Company has an immediately accessible customer base in Asia at lower start-up costs and with fewer execution risks. The principal goal of YUFI is to supply premium value-added products to the Chinese market, which currently imports a large portion of such products. On August 4, 2005, the Company contributed to YUFI its initial capital contribution of $15.0 million in cash. On October 12, 2005, the Company transferred an additional $15.0 million in the form of a shareholder loan to complete the capitalization of the joint venture. Effective July 25, 2006, the shareholder loan was converted to registered capital of the joint venture. The Company has granted YUFI an exclusive, non-transferable license to certain of its branded product technology (including Mynx^®, Sorbtek^®, Reflexx^®, and dye springs ) in China for a license fee of $6.0 million over a four year period, this year’s portion of which is reflected in Other (income) expense and equity affiliate results. During fiscal year 2007, the Company recognized equity losses relating to YUFI of $5.8 million which is reported net of technology and license fee income. The Company expects that YUFI will continue to incur losses but at a declining balance as the joint venture increases its capacity to produce value-added products which have a higher gross margin. During fiscal year 2006, the Company recognized equity losses relating to YUFI of $3.2 million. In addition, the Company recognized $3.8 million and $2.7 million in operating expenses for fiscal years 2007 and 2006 respectively, which were primarily reflected on the “Cost of sales” line item in the Consolidated Statements of Operations, directly related to providing technological support in accordance with the Company’s joint venture contract.

 

PAL.  In June 1997, the Company contributed all of the assets of its spun cotton yarn operations, utilizing open-end and air jet spinning technologies, into PAL, a joint venture with Parkdale Mills, Inc. in exchange for a 34% ownership interest in the joint venture. PAL is a producer of cotton and synthetic yarns for sale to the textile and apparel industries primarily within North America. PAL has 12 manufacturing facilities primarily located in central and western North Carolina. As part of its fiscal year 2007 financial close process, the Company reviewed the

carrying value of its investment in PAL, in accordance with APB Opinion No. 18, “The Equity Method of Accounting for Investments in Common Stock.” On July 9, 2007, the Company determined that the $137.0 million carrying value of the Company’s investment in PAL exceeded its fair value resulting in a non-cash impairment charge of $84.7 million. The Company does not anticipate that the impairment charge will result in any future cash expenditures. For the fiscal years 2007, 2006, and 2005, the Company reported equity income of $2.5 million, $3.8 million, and $6.4 million, respectively, from PAL. The Company received distributions of $6.4 million, $1.8 million, and $9.6 million during the fiscal years 2007, 2006, and 2005, respectively. The Company is continuing to explore ways to monetize its interest in PAL.

 

USTF.  On September 13, 2000, the Company formed USTF a 50/50 joint venture with SANS Fibres of South Africa (“SANS Fibres”), to produce low-shrinkage high tenacity nylon 6.6 light denier industrial, or “LDI” yarns in North Carolina. The business is operated in its plant in Stoneville, North Carolina. The Company manages the day-to-day production and shipping of the LDI produced in North Carolina and SANS Fibres handles technical support and sales. Sales from this entity are primarily to customers in the Americas. For the fiscal years 2007 and 2005, the Company reported equity losses of $0.2 million and $0.1 million, respectively, and income of $0.8 million, for the fiscal year 2006 from USTF. The Company has a put right under the USTF operating agreement to sell its entire interest in the joint venture at fair market value and the related Stoneville, North Carolina manufacturing facility for $3.0 million in cash to SANS Fibres. Under the terms of the agreement, after December 31, 2006, the Company must give one year’s prior written notice of its election to exercise the put right. On January 2, 2007, the Company notified SANS Fibres that it was exercising its put right to sell its interest in the joint venture. Negotiations to determine an agreeable price for the Company’s interest in the joint venture began during the third quarter of fiscal year 2007 with an anticipated transaction completion date in the third quarter of fiscal year 2008.

 

UNF.  On September 27, 2000, the Company formed UNF a 50/50 joint venture with Nilit, which produces nylon POY at Nilit’s manufacturing facility in Migdal Ha-Emek, Israel, that is its primary source of nylon POY for its texturing and covering operations. The Company has entered into a supply agreement, on customary terms, with UNF which expires in 2008 pursuant to which the Company has agreed to purchase from UNF all of the nylon POY produced from three dedicated production lines at a rate determined by index prices, subject to certain adjustments for market downturns. This vertical integration allows the Company to realize advantageous raw material pricing in its domestic nylon operations. The Company’s investment in UNF at June 24, 2007 was $5.3 million. For the fiscal years 2007, 2006, and 2005, the Company reported losses in equity affiliates of $1.1 million, $0.8 million, and income of $0.7 million, respectively, from UNF. In July 2007, the Steering Committee of UNF agreed to a program to increase volumes and the utilization of the extruders and thereby improve the profitability of the joint venture going forward.

 

Condensed balance sheet information as of June 24, 2007 and June 25, 2006, and income statement information for fiscal years 2007, 2006 and 2005, of combined unconsolidated equity affiliates were as follows:

 

 

Review of Fiscal Year 2007 Results of Operations (52 Weeks) Compared to Fiscal Year 2006 (52 Weeks)

 

The following table sets forth the loss from continuing operations components for each of the Company’s business segments for fiscal year 2007 and fiscal year 2006. The table also sets forth each of the segments’ net sales as a percent to total net sales, the net income (loss) components as a percent to total net sales and the percentage increase or decrease of such components over the prior year:

 

 

For the fiscal year 2007, the Company recognized a $139.9 million loss from continuing operations before income taxes which was a $124.0 million decline from the prior year. The decline in continuing operations was primarily attributable to increased charges of $101.5 million for asset impairments, decreased polyester and nylon gross profits, and increased selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”). The last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) reserve increased $1.0 million for fiscal year 2007 as compared to $3.9 million for the prior fiscal year. During fiscal years 2007 and 2006, raw material prices increased for polyester ingredients in POY.

Consolidated net sales from continuing operations decreased $48.4 million, or 6.6%, for the current fiscal year. For the fiscal year 2007, the weighted average price per pound for the Company’s products on a consolidated basis increased 3.7% compared to the prior year. Unit volume from continuing operations decreased 10.3% for the fiscal year partially due to management’s decision to focus on profitable business as well as market conditions.

 

At the segment level, polyester dollar net sales accounted for 76.8% in fiscal year 2007 compared to 76.7% in fiscal year 2006. Nylon accounted for 23.2% of dollar net sales for fiscal year 2007 compared to 23.3% for the prior fiscal year.

 

Gross profit from continuing operations decreased $5.0 million to $37.6 million for fiscal year 2007. This decrease is primarily attributable to lower volumes in polyester and nylon segments and to lower conversion margins for the polyester segment.

 

Selling, general, and administrative expenses increased by 8.1% or $3.4 million for fiscal year 2007. The increase in SG&A expenses was due primarily to $2.1 million for amortization expenses, $1.5 million for sales and service fees related to the Dillon acquisition, and $3.2 million for increased stock-based and deferred compensation which were offset by lower fringe benefit expenses, depreciation charges, and professional fees related to cost saving efforts. SG&A related to the Company’s foreign operations remained consistent with the prior year amounts.

 

For the fiscal year 2007, the Company recorded a $7.2 million provision for bad debts. This compares to $1.3 million recorded in the prior fiscal year. The increase relates to the Company’s domestic operations and is primarily due to the write off of two customers who filed bankruptcy as discussed below.

 

On July 2, 2007, Quaker Fabric Corporation (“Quaker Fabric”), a significant customer in the dyed business, announced that it had not met the requirements for committed borrowings under its existing lending facilities and that it would commence an orderly liquidation of its business and a sale of its assets. At the close of the Company’s fiscal year 2007, the Company had net receivables of approximately $3.2 million owed to it by Quaker Fabric. On July 3, 2007, based on its announcement and the Company’s discussions with Quaker Fabric’s management, the Company recorded a pre-tax bad debt charge of $3.2 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2007 which fully reserved this customer. In addition, the Company wrote down $0.3 million of certain inventory that was manufactured specifically for Quaker Fabric that could not be sold to other customers. Quaker Fabric formally filed bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on August 16, 2007. The Company does not expect this action to have a material impact on its liquidity position.

 

On April 10, 2007, Joan Fabric Corporation (“Joan Fabric”), another customer in the dyed business, announced that it had filed a voluntary petition to reorganize under Chapter 11. The Company recorded a pre-tax bad debt charge of $2.8 million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2007, which, along with the $2.0 million of pre-tax bad debt charges previously incurred fully reserved this customer. In addition, the Company wrote down $0.7 million of certain inventory produced specially for Joan Fabric which the Company considered obsolete.

 

Although the Company experienced significant improvements in its collections during fiscal year 2007, the financial viability of certain customers continue to require close management scrutiny. Management believes that its reserve for uncollectible accounts receivable is adequate.

 

Interest expense increased from $19.3 million in fiscal year 2006 to $25.5 million in fiscal year 2007. The increase in interest expense is primarily due to the increased interest expense by the Company as a result of higher bond interest rates relating to the 2014 bonds. The Company had $36.0 million of outstanding borrowings under its amended revolving credit facility as of June 24, 2007. The weighted average interest rate of Company debt outstanding at June 24, 2007 and June 25, 2006 was 10.8% and 6.9%, respectively. Interest income decreased from $6.3 million in fiscal year 2006 to $3.2 million in fiscal year 2007 which was due to the utilization of cash as a part of the tender of the 2008 bonds in May 2006.

 

Other (income) expense increased from $1.5 million of income in fiscal year 2006 to $2.6 million of income in fiscal year 2007. For fiscal year 2007, other (income) expense includes net gains from the sale of property and equipment of $1.2 million, income from technology fees of $1.2 million, and other income of $0.2 million. Fiscal year 2006 other (income) expense includes net gains from the sale of property and equipment of $1.0 million and technology fees of $0.7 million offset by $0.2 million of miscellaneous other expense.

Equity in the net loss of its equity affiliates, PAL, USTF, UNF, and YUFI was $4.3 million in fiscal year 2007 compared to equity in net income of $0.8 million in fiscal year 2006. The decrease in earnings is primarily attributable to its investment in PAL and YUFI as discussed above. The Company’s share of PAL’s earnings decreased from a $3.8 million income in fiscal year 2006 to $2.5 million of income in fiscal year 2007. Higher raw material prices were the main reason for the lower income in fiscal year 2007. PAL realized net losses on cotton futures contracts of $1.4 million for fiscal year 2006 compared to $0.1 million in realized net losses for fiscal year 2007. The Company expects to continue to receive cash distributions from PAL. The Company’s share of YUFI’s net losses increased from $3.2 million in fiscal year 2006 to $5.8 million in fiscal year 2007.

 

On October 26, 2006 the Company announced its intent to sell a manufacturing facility in Reidsville, North Carolina that the Company had leased to a tenant since 1999. The lease expired in October 2006 and the Company decided to sell the property upon expiration of the lease. Pursuant to this determination, the Company received appraisals relating to the property and performed an impairment review in accordance with SFAS No. 144. The Company evaluated the recoverability of the long-lived asset and determined that the carrying amount of the property exceeded its fair value. Accordingly, the Company recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $1.2 million during the first quarter of fiscal year 2007, which included $0.1 million in estimated selling costs that will be paid from the proceeds of the sale when it occurs.

 

In November 2006, the Company’s Brazilian operation committed to a plan to modernize its facilities by replacing ten of its older machines with newer machines purchased from the domestic polyester division. These machine purchases will allow the Brazilian facility to produce tailor made products at higher speeds resulting in lower costs and increased competitiveness. The Company recognized a $2.0 million impairment charge on the older machines in the second quarter of fiscal year 2007 related to the book value of the machines and the related dismantling and removal costs.

 

The Company operated two polyester dye facilities which are located in Mayodan, North Carolina (the “Mayodan facility”) and Reidsville, North Carolina (the “Reidsville facility”). On March 22, 2007, the Company committed to a plan to idle the Mayodan facility and consolidate all of its dyed operations into the Reidsville facility. The consolidation process was completed as of June 24, 2007. The Company performed an impairment review in accordance with SFAS No. 144, and received an appraisal on the Mayodan facility which indicated that the carrying amount of the Mayodan facility exceeded its fair value. Accordingly, in the third quarter of fiscal year 2007, the Company recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $4.4 million. Since management is not confident that a sale will occur within twelve months, the facility continues to be classified as property, plant, and equipment and not classified as part of the “Assets held for sale” line items in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

 

During the quarter ended September 25, 2005, management decided to consolidate its domestic nylon operations to improve overall operating efficiencies. This initiative included closing Plant 1 in Mayodan, North Carolina and moving its operations and offices to Plant 3 in Madison, North Carolina which is the Nylon division’s largest facility with approximately one million square feet of production space. As a part of the consolidation plan, three nylon facilities (the “Madison facilities”’) were vacated and classified as held for sale later in fiscal year 2006. The Company received appraisals on the three properties, and after reviewing the reports, determined that one of the facilities carrying value exceeded its appraised value. As a result of this determination, the Company recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $1.5 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2006 which included $0.2 million of estimated selling costs. During fiscal year 2007, the Company reviewed the Madison facilities as the facilities have been classified as “Assets Held for Sale” for a one year period and have not been sold. The Company completed its SFAS 144 review relating to the Madison facilities and recorded an additional non-cash impairment charge of $3.0 million which included $0.3 million in estimated selling expenses. As a result, the Company has reduced its offering price for the Madison facilities. In addition, the Madison facilities stored idle equipment relating to their operations. This equipment has also been classified as “Assets Held for Sale” for the past year and the Company has determined that a sale is not possible. The Company completed its SFAS 144 review and recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $5.6 million relating to the idle equipment and $0.5 million relating to the facilities. The sale of Plant 1 was completed on June 19, 2007 and Plant 5 on June 25, 2007 with no further impairment charges incurred.

As a part of its fiscal year 2007 financial statement closing process, the Company initiated a review of the carrying value of its investment in PAL, in accordance with APB Opinion No. 18, “The Equity Method of Accounting for Investments in Common Stock.” As a result, the Company determined that the current $137.0 million carrying value of the Company’s investment in PAL exceeds its fair value. The Company recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $84.7 million in the fourth quarter of the Company’s fiscal year 2007. The Company’s investment in PAL as of June 24, 2007 was $52.3 million.

 

The Company established a valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets primarily attributable to North Carolina income tax credits, investments and real property. The Company’s realization of other deferred tax assets is based on future taxable income within a certain time period and is therefore uncertain. Although the Company has reported losses for both financial and U.S. tax reporting purposes over the last several years, it has determined that deferred tax assets not offset by the valuation allowance are more likely than not to be realized primarily based on expected future reversals of deferred tax liabilities, particularly those related to property, plant and equipment, the accumulated depreciation for which is expected to reverse $7.4 million, $5.2 million and $4.2 million in fiscal years 2008, 2009 and 2010, respectively. Actual future taxable income may vary significantly from management’s projections due to the many complex judgments and significant estimations involved, which may result in adjustments to the valuation allowance which may impact the net deferred tax liability and provision for income taxes.

 

The valuation allowance increased $22.6 million in fiscal year 2007 compared to decreases of $1.7 million in fiscal year 2006. The net increase in fiscal year 2007 consisted of a $22.9 million increase for investment and real property impairment charges that could result in nondeductible capital losses, a $2.0 million increase for lower expected utilization of certain federal and state carryforwards, offset by a $2.3 million decrease for expiration of North Carolina income tax credits. The net decrease in fiscal year 2006 consisted of a $3.6 million decrease for expiration of North Carolina income tax credits and a $1.9 million increase for lower expected utilization of North Carolina income tax credits. The net impact of changes in the valuation allowance to the effective tax rate reconciliation for fiscal years 2007 and 2006 were 17.8% and 11.9%, respectively. The percentage increase from fiscal year 2006 to fiscal year 2007 was primarily attributable to investment and real property impairment charges.

 

The Company recognized an income tax benefit in fiscal year 2007 at a 15.8% effective tax rate compared to a benefit of 7.4% in fiscal year 2006. The fiscal year 2007 effective rate was negatively impacted by the change in the deferred tax valuation allowance. The fiscal year 2006 effective rate was negatively impacted by foreign losses for which no tax benefit was recognized, the change in the deferred tax valuation allowance and tax expense not previously accrued for repatriation of foreign earnings. In fiscal year 2007, the Company recognized a state income tax benefit, net of federal income tax of 3.3% compared to 10.4% in fiscal year 2006. The increase in fiscal year 2006 was primarily attributable to the pass through of $1.2 million of state income tax credits from an equity affiliate.

 

With respect to repatriation of foreign earnings, the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (the “AJCA”) created a temporary incentive for U.S. multinational corporations to repatriate accumulated income earned outside the U.S. by providing an 85% dividend received deduction for certain dividends from controlled foreign corporations. According to the AJCA, the amount of eligible repatriation was limited to $500 million or the amount described as permanently reinvested earnings outside the U.S. in the most recent audited financial statements filed with the SEC on or before June 30, 2003. Dividends received must be reinvested in the U.S. in certain permitted uses. The Company repatriated $31 million in fiscal year 2006 resulting from approximately $45 million of proceeds from the liquidation of its European manufacturing operations less approximately $30 million re-invested in YUFI as well as $16 million of accumulated income earned by its Brazilian manufacturing operation.

 

In late July 2007, the Company began repatriating dividends of approximately $9.2 million from its Brazilian manufacturing operation. These dividends do not qualify for the special AJCA deduction. Federal income tax on the dividends was accrued during fiscal year 2007 since the previously unrepatriated foreign earnings were no longer deemed to be indefinitely reinvested outside the U.S.

Polyester Operations

 

The following table sets forth the segment operating gain (loss) components for the polyester segment for fiscal year 2007 and fiscal year 2006. The table also sets forth the percent to net sales and the percentage increase or decrease over the prior year:

 

 

Fiscal year 2007 polyester net sales decreased $36.2 million, or 6.4% compared to fiscal year 2006. Notwithstanding the positive impact that the Dillon acquisition had on sales, the Company’s polyester segment sales volumes decreased approximately 10.4% while the weighted-average unit prices increased approximately 4.0%.

 

Domestically, polyester sales volumes decreased 12.2% while average unit prices increased approximately 2.9%. Sales from the Company’s Brazilian texturing operation, on a local currency basis, increased 4.8% over fiscal year 2006 due primarily to the increase in valuation of the U.S. dollar against the Brazilian Real. The Brazilian texturing operation predominately purchased all of its fiber in U.S. dollars. The impact on net sales from this operation on a U.S. dollar basis as a result of the change in currency exchange rate was an increase of $6.8 million in fiscal year 2007. The Company’s international polyester pre-tax results of operations for the polyester segment’s Brazilian location increased $0.4 million in fiscal year 2007 over fiscal year 2006.

 

Gross profit on sales for the polyester operations decreased $8.7 million, or 22.5%, over fiscal year 2006, and gross margin (gross profit as a percentage of net sales) decreased from 6.9% in fiscal year 2006 to 5.7% in fiscal year 2007. The decrease from the prior year is primarily attributable to increased converting costs on a per pound basis in the POY business. In addition, fiber cost increased as a percent of net sales from 52.4% in fiscal year 2006 to 53.2% in fiscal year 2007. Fixed and variable manufacturing costs increased as a percentage of net sales from 38.9% in fiscal year 2006 to 39.4% in fiscal year 2007.

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses for the polyester segment increased $2.9 million from fiscal years 2006 to 2007. While the methodology to allocate domestic selling, general and administrative costs remained consistent between fiscal year 2006 and fiscal year 2007, the percentage of such costs allocated to each segment are determined at the beginning of every year based on specific cost drivers. The increase in SG&A expenses for the polyester segment relates to the additional expenses and sales service expenses both related to the Dillon acquisition as well as stock-based and deferred compensation offset by reductions in overall expenses related to cost saving efforts as discussed above in the consolidate section.

 

The polyester segment net sales, gross profit and selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of total consolidated amounts were 76.7%, 91.3% and 78.9% for fiscal year 2006 compared to 76.8%, 80.3% and 79.5% for fiscal year 2007, respectively.

 

Restructuring recoveries of $0.1 million in fiscal year 2007 were related to adjustments for retiree reserves. The restructuring charges of $0.5 million in fiscal year 2006 were related to adjustments for severance, retiree reserves, and charges related to the polyester segment of Unifi Latin America.

 

See “ — Corporate Restructurings” above for a discussion of the Company’s restructurings of its polyester facilities.

Nylon Operations

 

The following table sets forth the segment operating loss components for the nylon segment for fiscal year 2007 and fiscal year 2006. The table also sets forth the percent to net sales and the percentage increase or decrease over fiscal year 2006:

 

 

Fiscal year 2007 nylon net sales decreased $12.2 million, or 7.1% compared to fiscal year 2006. Unit volumes for fiscal year 2007 decreased 8.8% while the average selling price increased 1.7%.

 

Gross profit increased $3.7 million, or 100.2% in fiscal year 2007 and gross margin increased from 2.1% in fiscal year 2006 to 4.6% in fiscal year 2007. This was primarily attributable to higher conversion margins, cost savings associated with closing a central distribution center, and the closing of two nylon manufacturing facilities in fiscal year 2006. Fiber costs increased from 60.1% of net sales in fiscal year 2006 to 60.4% of net sales in fiscal year 2007. Fixed and variable manufacturing costs decreased as a percentage of sales from 35.5% in fiscal year 2006 to 33.0% in fiscal year 2007.

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses for the nylon segment increased $0.4 million in fiscal year 2007. The increase in SG&A expenses for the nylon segment relates to additional stock-based and deferred compensation offset by reductions in overall expenses related to cost saving efforts as discussed above in the consolidated section.

 

The nylon segment net sales, gross profit and selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of total consolidated amounts were 23.3%, 8.7% and 21.1% for fiscal year 2006 compared to 23.2%, 19.7% and 20.5% for fiscal year 2007, respectively.

 

The restructuring recovery of $0.1 million in fiscal year 2007 related to adjustments for retiree reserves. The restructuring recovery of $0.8 million in fiscal year 2006 were related to adjustments for severance, retiree reserves and recoveries of 2001 reserves related to the nylon segment of Unifi Latin America.

 

See “— Corporate Restructurings” above for a discussion of the Company’s restructurings of its nylon facilities in North Carolina.

Review of Fiscal Year 2006 Results of Operations (52 Weeks) Compared to Fiscal Year 2005 (52 Weeks)

 

The following table sets forth the loss from continuing operations components for each of the Company’s business segments for fiscal year 2006 and fiscal year 2005. The table also sets forth each of the segments’ net sales as a percent to total net sales, the net income components as a percent to total net sales and the percentage increase or decrease of such components over the prior year:

 

 

For the fiscal year 2006, the Company recognized a $15.9 million loss from continuing operations before income taxes which was a $17.3 million improvement from the prior year. The improvement in continuing operations was primarily attributable to increased polyester conversion margins, decreased selling, general and administrative expenses, and reduced charges of $11.9 million for bad debt expenses offset by asset impairment charges and debt extinguishment expenses. The LIFO reserve increased $3.9 million for fiscal year 2006 compared to $2.4 million for the prior fiscal year. During fiscal year 2006 raw material prices increased for polyester

ingredients in POY whereas in fiscal year 2005 the primary drivers to the LIFO reserve were increases in nylon raw material prices and higher values in the nylon inventories due to the product mix.

 

Consolidated net sales from continuing operations decreased from $792.8 million to $738.7 million, or 6.8%, for the current fiscal year. For the fiscal year 2006, the weighted average price per pound for the Company’s products on a consolidated basis increased 6.2% compared to the prior year. Unit volume from continuing operations decreased 13.0% for the fiscal year primarily due to management’s decision to focus on profitable business as well as market conditions.

 

At the segment level, polyester dollar net sales accounted for 76.7% in fiscal year 2006 compared to 74.0% in fiscal year 2005. Nylon accounted for 23.3% of dollar net sales for fiscal year 2006 compared to 26.0% for the prior fiscal year.

 

Gross profit from continuing operations increased $12.6 million to $42.6 million for fiscal year 2006. This increase is primarily attributable to higher average selling prices for both the polyester and nylon segments.

 

Selling, general, and administrative expenses decreased by 1.6% or $0.7 million for the fiscal year. The decrease in selling, general, and administrative expenses is due to the downsizing of the Company’s corporate departments and their related costs. During the fiscal year 2005, the Company incurred approximately $1.1 million in professional fees associated with its efforts in becoming compliant with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley”). During the fiscal year 2006, the Company incurred $0.3 million in professional fees associated with Sarbanes-Oxley 404.

 

For the fiscal year 2006, the Company recorded a $1.3 million provision for bad debts. This compares to $13.1 million recorded in the prior fiscal year. The decrease relates to the Company’s domestic operations and is primarily due to the write off of one customer who filed bankruptcy in May 2005 resulting in $8.2 million in additional bad debt expense. Although the Company experienced significant improvements in its collections during fiscal year 2006, the financial viability of certain customers continue to require close management scrutiny. Management believes that its reserve for uncollectible accounts receivable is adequate.

 

Interest expense decreased from $20.6 million in fiscal year 2005 to $19.3 million in fiscal year 2006. The decrease in interest expense is primarily due to the payment by the Company of a notes payable relating to the Kinston acquisition. The Company had no outstanding borrowings under its amended revolving credit facility as of June 25, 2006 or its old credit facility as of June 26, 2005. The weighted average interest rate of Company debt outstanding at June 25, 2006 and June 26, 2005 was 6.9% and 6.7%, respectively. Interest income increased from $3.2 million in fiscal year 2005 to $6.3 million in fiscal year 2006 which was due to the increased cash position that the Company maintained throughout most of fiscal year 2006.

 

Other (income) expense decreased from $2.3 million of income in fiscal year 2005 to $1.5 million of income in fiscal year 2006. Fiscal year 2006 other (income) expense includes net gains from the sale of property and equipment of $1.0 million and technology fees of $0.7 million. In fiscal year 2005, other (income) expense includes net gains from the sale of property and equipment of $0.7 million and gains on currency translations of $1.1 million.

 

Equity in the net income of its equity affiliates, PAL, USTF, UNF, and YUFI was $0.8 million in fiscal year 2006 compared to equity in net income of $6.9 million in fiscal year 2005. The decrease in earnings is primarily attributable to the $3.2 million loss that the Company incurred on its newly acquired investment in YUFI as discussed above. The Company’s share of PAL’s earnings decreased from a $6.4 million income in fiscal year 2005 to $3.8 million of income in fiscal year 2006. PAL realized net losses on cotton futures contracts of $1.4 million for fiscal year 2006 compared to $1.4 million in realized net gains for fiscal year 2005. The Company expects to continue to receive cash distributions from PAL.

 

The Company recorded no minority interest income for fiscal year 2006 compared to minority interest income of $0.5 million in the fiscal year 2005. Minority interest recorded in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations primarily relates to the minority owner’s share of the earnings of Unifi Textured Polyester, LLC (“UTP”). The Company had an 85.4% ownership interest and International Textile Group, LLC (“ITG”), had a 14.6% interest in UTP. In April 2005, the Company acquired ITG’s ownership interest for $0.9 million in cash.

In fiscal year 2006, the Company’s nylon segment recorded charges of $2.3 million to write down to fair value, less cost to sell, a nylon manufacturing plant and a nylon warehouse. In the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2005, the Company’s nylon segment recorded a $0.6 million charge to write down to fair value, less cost to sell, 166 textile machines that are held for sale.

 

The Company established a valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets primarily attributable to North Carolina income tax credits. The Company’s realization of other deferred tax assets is based on future taxable income within a certain time period and is therefore uncertain. Although the Company has reported losses for both financial and U.S. tax reporting purposes over the last several years, it has determined that deferred tax assets not offset by the valuation allowance are more likely than not to be realized primarily based on expected future reversals of deferred tax liabilities, particularly those related to property, plant and equipment the accumulated depreciation for which reversed $9.3 million in fiscal year 2007 and is expected to reverse $7.4 million and $5.2 million in fiscal years 2008 and 2009, respectively. Actual future taxable income may vary significantly from management’s projections due to the many complex judgments and significant estimations involved, which may result in adjustments to the valuation allowance which may impact the net deferred tax liability and provision for income taxes.

 

The valuation allowance decreased $1.7 million in fiscal year 2006 compared to a decrease of $2.2 million in fiscal year 2005. The net decrease in fiscal year 2006 consisted of a $3.6 million decrease for expiration of North Carolina income tax credits offset by a $1.9 million increase for lower expected utilization of North Carolina income tax credits. The net decrease in fiscal year 2005 consisted of a $3.0 million decrease for expiration of capital loss carryforwards and North Carolina income tax credits offset by a $0.8 million increase for lower expected utilization of North Carolina income tax credits. The net impact of changes in the valuation allowance to the effective tax rate reconciliation for fiscal years 2006 and 2005 were 11.9% and 2.5%, respectively. The percentage increase from fiscal year 2005 to fiscal year 2006 was primarily attributable to lower forecasted state taxable income.

 

The Company recognized an income tax benefit in fiscal year 2006 at a 7.4% effective tax rate compared to a benefit of 40.6% in fiscal year 2005. The fiscal year 2006 effective rate was negatively impacted by foreign losses for which no tax benefit was recognized, the change in the deferred tax valuation allowance and tax expense not previously accrued for repatriation of foreign earnings. The fiscal year 2005 effective rate was positively impacted by foreign earnings taxed at lower rates. In fiscal year 2006, the Company recognized a state income tax benefit net of federal income tax of 10.4% compared to 4.2% in fiscal year 2005. The increase in fiscal year 2006 was primarily attributable to the pass through of $1.2 million of state income tax credits from an equity affiliate.

 

With respect to repatriation of foreign earnings, the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (the “AJCA”) created a temporary incentive for U.S. multinational corporations to repatriate accumulated income earned outside the U.S. by providing an 85% dividend received deduction for certain dividends from controlled foreign corporations. According to the AJCA, the amount of eligible repatriation was limited to $500 million or the amount described as permanently reinvested earnings outside the U.S. in the most recent audited financial statements filed with the SEC on or before June 30, 2003. Dividends received must be reinvested in the U.S. in certain permitted uses. The Company repatriated $31 million in fiscal year 2006 resulting from approximately $45 million of proceeds from the liquidation of its European manufacturing operations less approximately $30 million re-invested in YUFI as well as $16 million of accumulated income earned by its Brazilian manufacturing operation.

Polyester Operations

 

The following table sets forth the segment operating gain (loss) components for the polyester segment for fiscal year 2006 and fiscal year 2005. The table also sets forth the percent to net sales and the percentage increase or decrease over the prior year:

 

 

Fiscal year 2006 polyester net sales decreased $20.1 million, or 3.4% compared to fiscal year 2005. The Company’s polyester segment sales volumes decreased approximately 11.8% while the weighted-average unit prices increased approximately 8.4%.

 

Domestically, polyester sales volumes decreased 15.2% while average unit prices increased approximately 8.8%. Sales from the Company’s Brazilian texturing operation, on a local currency basis, decreased 11.2% over fiscal year 2005 due primarily to the devaluation of the U.S. dollar against the Brazilian Real. The Brazilian texturing operation predominately purchased all of its fiber in U.S. dollars. The impact on net sales from this operation on a U.S. dollar basis as a result of the change in currency exchange rate was an increase of $17.2 million in fiscal year 2006. The Company’s international polyester pre-tax results of operations for the polyester segment’s Brazilian location increased $0.2 million in fiscal year 2006 over fiscal year 2005.

 

Gross profit on sales for the polyester operations increased $11.1 million, or 1.9%, over fiscal year 2005, and gross margin (gross profit as a percentage of net sales) increased from 4.7% in fiscal year 2005 to 6.9% in fiscal year 2006. The increase from the prior year is primarily attributable to an increase in higher average selling prices as well as costs savings realized from the consolidation of warehousing and transportation services, and the curtailment of two POY production lines at the Kinston facility. In addition, fiber cost decreased as a percent of net sales from 54.9% in fiscal year 2005 to 52.4% in fiscal year 2006.

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses for the polyester segment increased $2.5 million from fiscal years 2005 to 2006. While the methodology to allocate domestic selling, general and administrative costs remained consistent between fiscal year 2005 and fiscal year 2006, the percentage of such costs allocated to each segment are determined at the beginning of every year based on specific cost drivers. The polyester segment had a higher percentage in fiscal year 2006 compared to fiscal year 2005 due to the addition of the Kinston manufacturing operations to the polyester segment.

 

The polyester segment net sales, gross profit and selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of total consolidated amounts were 74.0%, 92.6% and 71.8% for fiscal year 2005 compared to 76.7%, 91.2% and 78.9% for fiscal year 2006, respectively.

 

Restructuring charges of $0.5 million in fiscal year 2006 were related to adjustments for severance, retiree reserves and charges related to the polyester segment of Unifi Latin America.

Nylon Operations

 

The following table sets forth the segment operating loss components for the nylon segment for fiscal year 2006 and fiscal year 2005. The table also sets forth the percent to net sales and the percentage increase or decrease over fiscal year 2005: