TMCnet News

ENNIS, INC. - 10-Q - MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
[September 30, 2014]

ENNIS, INC. - 10-Q - MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS


(Edgar Glimpses Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Overview Ennis, Inc. (formerly Ennis Business Forms, Inc.) was organized under the laws of Texas in 1909. Ennis, Inc. and its subsidiaries print and manufacture a broad line of business forms and other business products (the "Print Segment") and also manufacture a line of activewear (the "Apparel Segment") for distribution throughout North America. The Print Segment distributes business products and forms throughout the United States primarily through independent dealers. This distributor channel encompasses independent print distributors, commercial printers, direct mail, fulfillment companies, payroll and accounts payable software companies, and advertising agencies, among others. The Apparel Segment produces and sells activewear, including t-shirts, fleece goods, and other wearables. Distribution of our activewear throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico is primarily through sales representatives. The distributor channel encompasses activewear wholesalers and screen printers. We offer a great selection of high-quality activewear apparel with a wide variety of styles and colors in sizes ranging from toddler to 6XL. The apparel line features a wide variety of tees and fleece.



On June 16, 2014, we acquired the assets of Sovereign Business Forms, and its related entities, TRI-C Business Forms, Inc., Falcon Business Forms, Inc., Forms Manufacturers, Inc., Mutual Graphics, Inc., and Curtis Business Forms, Inc. (the "businesses") for $10.5 million in cash plus the assumption of certain trade liabilities. In addition, if certain financial metrics are met, up to an additional $1.0 million is available to earn over the next 4 years under an earn-out provision. The cash portion of the purchase price was funded by borrowing under our line of credit facility. The businesses produce snap sets, continuous forms and checks, laser forms, cut sheet forms and checks, and imprinted envelopes. Sovereign Business Forms generated approximately $27.1 million in sales for the twelve month period ended December 31, 2013 and will continue to operate under their respective brand names.

On September 27, 2013, we acquired the assets of the Custom Envelope Division ("CED"), part of the Custom Resale Group of Cenveo, Inc., for $47.25 million in cash plus the assumption of certain trade liabilities. The cash portion of the purchase price was funded by borrowing under our line of credit facility. The CED assets are comprised of the Wisco® brand ("Wisco"), which is produced at an owned facility in Tullahoma, TN, and the National Imprint Corporation ("NIC") and National Imprint Corporation® brand, which is produced in a leased facility in Claysburg, PA. Wisco produces and folds various types of envelopes, and NIC is an imprinter of envelopes. Both of these products are sold through print distributors and will continue to be operated under the Wisco and NIC brand names at their respective locations. Wisco and NIC had sales in excess of $40 million for the twelve month period ended December 31, 2012.


On September 30, 2013, we acquired the assets of the businesses operating under the trade name of Folder Express® from Wright Printing Company for $14.6 million in cash plus the assumption of certain trade payables. The cash portion of the purchase price was funded by borrowing under our line of credit facility. The businesses produce folders and specialty folders for music stores and public schools. The businesses had combined sales of approximately $20 million during the twelve month period ended December 31, 2012 and will continue to be operated under the Folder Express and other brand names.

21 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents ENNIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES FORM 10-Q FOR THE PERIOD ENDED AUGUST 31, 2014 Business Segment Overview Our management believes we are the largest provider of business forms, labels, tags, envelopes, and presentation folders to independent distributors in the United States and are also one of the largest providers of blank t-shirts in North America to the activewear market. We operate in two reportable segments: Print and Apparel. For additional financial information concerning segment reporting, please see Note 12 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements beginning on page 18.

Print Segment The Print Segment, which represented 64% of our consolidated net sales for the three and six months ended August 31, 2014, is in the business of manufacturing, designing and selling business forms and other printed business products primarily to distributors located in the United States. The Print Segment operates 55 manufacturing plants throughout the United States in 22 strategically located states. Approximately 96% of the business products manufactured by the Print Segment are custom and semi-custom products, constructed in a wide variety of sizes, colors, number of parts and quantities on an individual job basis depending upon the customers' specifications.

The products sold include snap sets, continuous forms, laser cut sheets, tags, labels, envelopes, integrated products, jumbo rolls and pressure sensitive products in short, medium and long runs under the following labels: Ennis®, Royal Business Forms®, Block Graphics®, Specialized Printed Forms®, 360º Custom LabelsSM, ColorWorx®, Enfusion®, Uncompromised Check Solutions®, VersaSeal®, Witt Printing®, B&D Litho®, Genforms®, PrintGraphicsSM, Calibrated Forms®, PrintXcelSM, Printegra®, Curtis Business FormsSM, Falcon Business FormsSM, Forms ManufacturersSM, Mutual GraphicsSM and TRI-C Business FormsSM. The Print Segment also sells the Adams-McClure® brand (which provides Point of Purchase advertising for large franchise and fast food chains as well as kitting and fulfillment); the Admore® and Folder Express® brands (which provide presentation folders and document folders); Ennis Tag & LabelSM (which provides custom printed high performance labels and custom and stock tags); Atlas Tag & Label® (which provides custom and stock tags and labels); Trade Envelopes® and Block Graphics®, Wisco® and National Imprint Corporation® (which provide custom and imprinted envelopes) and Northstar® and General Financial Supply® (which provide financial and security documents).

The Print Segment sells predominantly through printers and independent distributors. Northstar also sells direct to a small number of customers, generally large banking organizations (where a distributor is not acceptable or available to the end-user), as does Adams-McClure, where sales are generally through advertising agencies.

The printing industry generally sells its products either through sales made predominantly to end users, a market dominated by a few large manufacturers, such as R.R. Donnelley, Standard Register, and Cenveo, or, like the Company, through a variety of independent distributors and distributor groups. While it is not possible, because of the lack of adequate public statistical information, to determine the Company's share of the total business products market, management believes the Company is the largest producer of business forms, labels, tags, envelopes, and presentation folders in the United States distributing primarily through independent dealers.

There are a number of competitors that operate in this segment, ranging in size from single employee-owner operations to multi-plant organizations. We believe our strategic locations and buying power permit us to compete on a favorable basis within the distributor market on competitive factors, such as service, quality, and price.

Distribution of business forms and other business products throughout the United States is primarily done through independent dealers, including business forms distributors, direct mail, commercial printers, payroll and accounts payable software companies, and advertising agencies.

Raw materials of the Print Segment principally consist of a wide variety of weights, widths, colors, sizes, and qualities of paper for business products purchased from a number of major suppliers at prevailing market prices.

22 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents ENNIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES FORM 10-Q FOR THE PERIOD ENDED AUGUST 31, 2014 Business products usage in the printing industry is generally not seasonal.

General economic conditions and contraction of the traditional business forms industry are the predominant factors in quarterly volume fluctuations.

Our Print Business Challenges - In our Print Segment, we are engaged in an industry undergoing significant changes. Technology advances have made electronic distribution of documents, internet hosting, digital printing and print-on-demand valid, cost-effective alternatives to traditional custom printed documents and customer communications. We face highly competitive conditions in an already over-supplied, price-competitive industry. Our challenges in the Print Segment of our business include the following: Transformation of our portfolio of products - While traditional business documents are essential in order to conduct business, many are being replaced or devalued with advances in digital technologies, causing steady declines in demand for a portion of our current product line. Transforming our product offerings in order to continue to provide innovative, valuable solutions to our customers on a proactive basis will require us to make investments in new and existing technology and to develop key strategic business relationships, such as print-on-demand services and product offerings that assist customers in their transition to digital business environments. In addition, we will continue to look for new market opportunities and niches, such as the addition of our envelope offerings, healthcare wristbands, secure document solutions, innovative in-mold label offerings and long-run integrated products with high color web printing that provide us with an opportunity for growth and differentiate us from our competition.

Excess production capacity and price competition within our industry - Paper mills continue to adjust production capacity through downtime and closures to attempt to keep supply in line with demand. Due to the limited number of paper mills, paper prices have been and are expected to remain fairly volatile. We have generally been able to pass through increased paper costs, although this can often take several quarters due to the custom nature of our products and/or contractual relationships with some of our customers. We will continue to focus our efforts on effectively managing and controlling our product costs to minimize these effects on our operational results, primarily through the use of forecasting models and production and costing models.

Continued economic uncertainties and weather related issues - Decreased demand due to economic uncertainties and intensified price competition resulted in a decline in our revenue during the past several fiscal years above historical averages. Unusual weather related issues during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2014 caused our sales to be less than forecasted. We continue to focus on customer retention, expanding our growth targeted products and continuing to develop new market niches.

Apparel Segment The Apparel Segment represented 36% of our consolidated net sales for the three and six months ended August 31, 2014, and operates under the name of Alstyle Apparel ("Alstyle"). Alstyle markets high quality knitted activewear (including t-shirts, tank tops, and fleece) across all market segments. The main products of Alstyle are standardized shirts manufactured in a variety of sizes and colors. Approximately 98% of Alstyle's revenues are derived from t-shirt sales and approximately 91% of their sales are sold domestically. Alstyle's branded product lines are sold mainly under the AAA® and Murina® brands.

Effective July 2011, Alstyle began operations in an owned manufacturing facility located in Agua Prieta, Mexico. Previously Alstyle operated in a leased manufacturing facility located in Anaheim, CA. Alstyle has three cut and sew facilities in Mexico (Agua Prieta, Ensenada and Hermosillo). In addition to its own cut and sew facilities, Alstyle may also use outsourced manufacturers from time to time to supplement a portion of its cut and sew needs. After sewing and packaging is completed, the product is shipped to one of Alstyle's nine distribution centers located across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Alstyle utilizes a customer-focused internal sales team comprised of twenty-four sales representatives assigned to specific geographic territories in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Sales representatives are assigned performance objectives for their respective territories and are provided financial incentives for achievement of their target objectives. Sales representatives are responsible for developing business with large accounts and spend a majority of their time in the field.

23 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents ENNIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES FORM 10-Q FOR THE PERIOD ENDED AUGUST 31, 2014 Alstyle employs a staff of customer service representatives that handle call-in orders from smaller customers. Sales personnel sell directly to Alstyle's customer base, which consists primarily of screen printers, embellishers, retailers, and mass marketers.

A majority of Alstyle's sales are branded products, with the remainder being customers' private label products. Generally, sales to screen printers and mass marketers are driven by price and the availability of products, which directly impacts our inventory level requirements. Sales in the private label business are characterized by slightly higher customer loyalty.

Alstyle's most popular styles are produced based on demand management forecasts to service at-once business and to level production schedules. Alstyle offers same-day shipping and uses third-party carriers to ship products to its customers.

Alstyle's sales are seasonal, with sales in the first and second fiscal quarters generally being the highest. The apparel industry is characterized by rapid shifts in fashion, consumer demand and competitive pressures, resulting in both price and demand volatility. However, the imprinted activewear market to which Alstyle sells is generally "event" driven. Blank t-shirts can be thought of as "walking billboards" promoting movies, concerts, sports teams, and "image" brands. Still, the demand for any particular product varies from time to time based largely upon changes in consumer preferences and general economic conditions affecting the apparel industry.

The apparel industry is comprised of numerous companies who manufacture and sell a wide range of products. Alstyle is primarily involved in the activewear market and produces t-shirts and outsources products such as fleece and some fashion basics from other countries like China, Pakistan, Central America and other foreign sources to sell to its customers through its sales representatives.

Alstyle competes with many branded and private label manufacturers of knit apparel in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, some of which are larger in size and have greater financial resources than Alstyle. Alstyle competes on the basis of price, quality, service, and delivery. Alstyle's strategy is to provide the best value to its customers by delivering a consistent, high-quality product at a competitive price. Alstyle's competitive disadvantage is that its brand name, Alstyle Apparel, is not as well-known as the brand names of its largest competitors, such as Gildan, Hanes, and Fruit of the Loom. While it is not possible to calculate precisely, because of the lack of adequate public statistical information, management believes that Alstyle is one of the top five providers of blank t-shirts in North America.

Raw materials of the Apparel Segment principally consist of cotton and polyester yarn purchased from a number of major suppliers at prevailing market prices, although we purchased 42% of our cotton and yarn during the current period from one supplier.

Our Apparel Business Challenges - In our apparel segment industry, our market niche is highly competitive and commodity driven. In the past, the domestic apparel industry was generally dominated by a limited number of companies.

However, due to changes in regulations and trade agreements in the last few years, this industry has become more globalized and our core competition has now extended to other parts of the world, particularly Asia and Central America.

While the domestic economic environment has improved somewhat in the last few years which has led to increased demand, this globalization has led to increased pricing pressures and has led to the direct importation by many screen-printers and big-box suppliers products that were once sourced domestically.

In addition, many retailers have started to pre-approve many manufacturers. This has allowed screen-printers and big-box suppliers to use any supplier on a retailer's pre-approved list without having to take full responsibility for the quality of products being shipped to the stores. As such, the overall quality of the product has become of lesser concern to screen-printers and big-box suppliers. Alstyle believes their products to be some of the highest in the industry with respect to quality and color consistency. However, such quality comes at a cost which has become more difficult to recoup in today's market.

However, it appears lately that some retailers are starting to become more concerned with the quality of garments in their stores. If these concerns are continuing and lead to improvements in the pre-approval process and in-store inspections, such changes could benefit Alstyle in the future.

In order to find their niche to survive in a highly competitive and globalized environment, some of our customers and their customers have moved to alternative fabrics to differentiate themselves from others. While some smaller 24 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents ENNIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES FORM 10-Q FOR THE PERIOD ENDED AUGUST 31, 2014 garments producers are well set to change quickly as market demand changes on fabrics and colors, such changes are not best for large manufactures like Alstyle. However, Alstyle is currently working very diligently on dealing with such changes in fabrics and fashions, which come with inherent risks.

The unusual domestic winter weather conditions at the end of last fiscal year negatively impacted the already weak retail landscape, and definitely contributed to the softness in our Apparel sales during the current fiscal year.

While we did see some improvement during the second quarter as our volume was up 1%, the overall domestic retail environment continues to be weak and extremely challenging from both a volume and pricing perspective.

Cotton prices - Our business can be affected by dramatic movements in cotton prices. The cost incurred for materials, i.e., yarn, thread, etc. is capitalized into inventory and impacts the Company's operating results as inventory is sold, which could take six months or longer after the materials are purchased, depending on inventory turns. Consequently, increases or decreases in cotton costs can have a significant impact on the Company's operational results for many quarters. A reduction in the spot price of cotton added additional complexities to an already competitive marketplace during fiscal year 2013. The divergence between the current cost of cotton and the cost residing in most manufacturers' finished goods inventories was at historical levels, creating market valuation issues for some and sale side pressure for others. We lock in the cost of yarn from our primary suppliers in an attempt to protect our business from the volatility of the market price of cotton. The divergence between the cost of cotton in our finished goods inventory and the current price of cotton is now in line with historical measurements. However, the positive impact of lower cotton costs on our operational results in fiscal year 2013, which help offset the negative impact of lower selling prices, has all but abated. Therefore, continued downward pressure on selling prices due to competitive pricing pressures may negatively impact our reported operating margins, unless offset by operational improvements. In addition, other input costs (i.e., dye and other chemicals cost, etc.), have started to increase over comparable periods, which will also negatively impact our reported margins without an increase in selling price. Cotton prices, while initially increasing during the start of our fiscal year, have been declining over the past several months. However, until these lower costs can make their way through our inventory, which based upon our current inventory cycle would be around 5 months, these lower costs will not have a potentially positive impact on our operational performance. In fact, if these lower commodity prices put even more of a strain on selling prices, they could have quite the opposite impact on our operational performance.

Agua Prieta manufacturing facility - The manufacturing facility in Agua Prieta, Mexico ("AP") became operational in July 2011, and all production has now been transitioned from our Anaheim, CA ("Anaheim") facility to the AP facility.

Production levels at the plant are running at required levels to satisfy demand, but below originally estimated levels due to lower revenues, resulting from market softness, economic conditions and the previous non-competitive cost position of our finished goods inventory during fiscal year 2013. In addition, from time-to-time we have had disruptions in our labor/utility services which impacted our manufacturing through-put. While we do not foresee any obstacles to increasing production levels to coincide with increases in demand, current market conditions have limited our ability to do so. Without increases in production levels we will not be able to realize the expected production efficiencies nor costs savings originally associated with this plant, which could impact our ability to reach margins once envisioned.

Continued economic uncertainties - The economic climate in which we operate continues to be volatile and challenging both domestically and internationally.

While the domestic economy has recovered somewhat, the recovery has not been as broad-based as recoveries in the past. Unemployment still remains high, and the disposable income of the majority of the population remains restrained. We saw a significant drop in our sales during the latter half of fiscal year 2012 due to competitive pricing pressures, which we attribute to softness in the market.

During fiscal years 2013 and 2014 the marketplace continued to be extremely competitive, with prices continuing to be driven lower as manufacturers tried to maintain certain volume levels. These challenging times resulted in us taking an impairment charge to the value of our apparel assets on several occasions. We continue to see the same challenging environment during this fiscal year, which has resulted in our apparel operating results to date being below expectations.

We have recently introduced some new sales programs and entered into some new sales channels which we think should allow us to grow our revenue and get our operating results more in-line with our original expectations for the fiscal year. Whether or not these programs will be successful and whether or not the market will continue to be extremely challenging for the remainder of this year and into next is unknown. While we feel we are in a better position today than in years past to deal with these challenges, if our operating results continue to be below expectations and the current challenging retail environment is expected to be with us for some time, we may be required to take another impairment charge in fiscal year 2015.

25 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents ENNIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES FORM 10-Q FOR THE PERIOD ENDED AUGUST 31, 2014 Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Statements You should read this discussion and analysis in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and the related notes appearing elsewhere in this Report. All of the statements in this Report, other than historical facts, are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the statements made in the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," particularly under the caption "Overview." As a general matter, forward-looking statements are those focused upon anticipated events or trends, expectations, and beliefs relating to matters that are not historical in nature. The words "could," "should," "feel," "anticipate," "aim," "preliminary," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "intent," "plan," "will," "foresee," "project," " forecast," or the negative thereof or variations thereon, and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for these forward-looking statements. In order to comply with the terms of the safe harbor, Ennis, Inc. notes that forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors relating to its operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of Ennis, Inc. These known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those matters expressed in, anticipated by or implied by such forward-looking statements.

These statements reflect the current views and assumptions of management with respect to future events. Ennis, Inc. does not undertake, and hereby disclaims, any duty to update these forward-looking statements, even though its situation and circumstances may change in the future. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this report. The inclusion of any statement in this report does not constitute an admission by Ennis, Inc. or any other person that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material.

We believe these forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions. All such statements involve risks and uncertainties, and as a result, actual results could differ materially from those projected, anticipated or implied by these statements. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, including but not limited to, general economic, business and labor conditions and the potential impact on our operations; our ability to implement our strategic initiatives and control our operational costs; dependence on a limited number of key suppliers; our ability to recover the rising cost of raw materials and other costs (i.e., energy, freight, labor, benefit costs, etc.) in markets that are highly price competitive and volatile; our ability to get our utilities to meet our projected demand; our ability to timely or adequately respond to technological changes in the industry; the impact of the Internet and other electronic media on the demand for forms and printed materials; the impact of foreign competition, tariffs, trade regulations and import restrictions; changes in economic, political and social instability relating to our foreign operations; customer credit risk; competitors' pricing strategies; a decline in business volume and profitability could result in an impairment in our reported goodwill negatively impacting our operational results (see above); our ability to retain key management personnel; our ability to identify, manage or integrate acquisitions; and changes in government regulations. In addition to the factors indicated above, you should carefully consider the risks described in and incorporated by reference herein and in the risk factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2014 before making an investment in our common stock.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates In preparing our consolidated financial statements, we are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the disclosures and reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We evaluate our estimates and judgments on an ongoing basis, including those related to allowance for doubtful receivables, inventory valuations, property, plant and equipment, intangible assets, pension plan obligations, accrued liabilities and income taxes. We base our estimates and judgments on historical experience and on various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We believe the following accounting policies are the most critical due to their effect on our more significant estimates and judgments used in preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

26 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents ENNIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES FORM 10-Q FOR THE PERIOD ENDED AUGUST 31, 2014 We maintain a defined benefit retirement plan (the "Pension Plan") for employees. Included in our financial results are Pension Plan costs that are measured using actuarial valuations. The actuarial assumptions used may differ from actual results. As our Pension Plan assets are invested in marketable securities, fluctuations in market values could potentially impact our funding status and associated liability recorded.

Amounts allocated to intangibles (amortizable and non-amortizable) and goodwill are determined based on valuation analysis for our acquisitions. Amortizable intangibles are amortized over their expected useful lives. We evaluate these amounts periodically (at least once a year) to determine whether a triggering event has occurred during the year that would indicate potential impairment.

We exercise judgment in evaluating our long-lived assets for impairment. We assess the impairment of long-lived assets that include other intangible assets, goodwill, and property, plant, and equipment at least annually or earlier if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable (see discussion under "Apparel Segment - Continued economic uncertainties" on page 25). In performing tests of impairment, we must make assumptions regarding the estimated future cash flows and other factors to determine the fair value of the respective assets in assessing the recoverability of our long-lived assets. If these estimates or the related assumptions change, we may be required to record impairment charges for these assets in the future. Actual results could differ from assumptions made by management. At August 31, 2014, our goodwill and other intangible assets were approximately $116.2 million and $111.9 million, respectively. Management will complete its annual impairment analysis during the 4th quarter of this fiscal year. We cannot predict the occurrence of future impairments or specific triggering-events, nor the impact such events might have on our reported asset values.

Revenue is generally recognized upon shipment of products. Net sales consist of gross sales invoiced to customers, less certain related charges, including discounts, returns and other allowances. Returns, discounts and other allowances have historically been insignificant. In some cases and upon customer request, we print and store custom print product for customer specified future delivery, generally within twelve months. In this case, risk of loss from obsolescence passes to the customer, the customer is invoiced under normal credit terms and revenue is recognized when manufacturing is complete. Approximately $3.0 million and $6.5 million of revenue were recognized under these agreements during the three and six months ended August 31, 2014, respectively, as compared to $3.7 million and $6.8 million during the three and six months ended August 31, 2013, respectively.

We maintain an allowance for doubtful receivables to reflect estimated losses resulting from the inability of customers to make required payments. On an on-going basis, we evaluate the collectability of accounts receivable based upon historical collection trends, current economic factors, and the assessment of the collectability of specific accounts. We evaluate the collectability of specific accounts using a combination of factors, including the age of the outstanding balances, evaluation of customers' current and past financial condition and credit scores, recent payment history, current economic environment, discussions with our sales managers, and discussions with the customers directly.

Our inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market. We regularly review inventory values on hand, using specific aging categories, and write down inventory deemed obsolete and/or slow-moving based on historical usage and estimated future usage to its estimated market value. As actual future demand or market conditions may vary from those projected by management, adjustments to inventory valuations may be required.

As part of the process of preparing our consolidated financial statements, we are required to estimate our income taxes in each jurisdiction in which we operate. This process involves estimating our actual current tax exposure together with assessing temporary differences resulting from different treatment of items for tax and accounting purposes. These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities, which are included in our consolidated balance sheets. We must then assess the likelihood that our deferred tax assets will be recovered based on our history of earnings expectations for future taxable income, including taxable income in prior carry-back years, as well as future taxable income. To the extent we believe that recovery is not likely, we must establish a valuation allowance. To the extent we establish a valuation allowance, we must include an expense within the tax provision in the consolidated statements of earnings. In the event that actual results differ from these estimates, our provision for income taxes could be materially impacted.

27 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents ENNIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES FORM 10-Q FOR THE PERIOD ENDED AUGUST 31, 2014 In addition to the above, we also have to make assessments as to the adequacy of our accrued liabilities, more specifically our liabilities recorded in connection with our workers compensation and health insurance, as these plans are self-funded. To help us in this evaluation process, we routinely get outside third-party assessments of our potential liabilities under each plan.

In view of such uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements since such statements speak only as of the date when made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Results of Operations The discussion that follows provides information which we believe is relevant to an understanding of our results of operations and financial condition. The discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, which are incorporated herein by reference. This analysis is presented in the following sections: • Consolidated Summary - this section provides an overview of our consolidated results of operations for the three and six months ended August 31, 2014 and August 31, 2013.

• Segment Operating Results - this section provides an analysis of our net sales, gross profit margin and operating income by segment.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]