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Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated 10-K 2011 Table of Contents
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.
20549
Commission file number 0-9286
4100
Coca-Cola
Plaza, Charlotte, North Carolina 28211
(Address of principal executive
offices) (Zip Code)
(704) 557-4400
Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known
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
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 whether the registrant has submitted
electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any,
every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted
pursuant to Rule 405 of
Regulation S-T
(§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding
12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
was required to submit and post such
files). Yes o 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 registrants 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, a non-accelerated
filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of
large accelerated filer, accelerated
filer and smaller reporting company in Rule
12b-2 of the
Exchange Act. (Check one):
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company
(as defined in
Rule 12b-2
of the Exchange Act).
Yes o
No þ
State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting
common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to
the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the
average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the
last business day of the registrants most recently
completed second fiscal quarter.
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the
registrants classes of common stock, as of the latest
practicable date.
Documents
Incorporated by Reference
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Introduction
Coca-Cola
Bottling Co. Consolidated, a Delaware corporation (together with
its majority-owned subsidiaries, the Company),
produces, markets and distributes nonalcoholic beverages,
primarily products of The
Coca-Cola
Company, Atlanta, Georgia (The
Coca-Cola
Company), which include some of the most recognized and
popular beverage brands in the world. The Company, which was
incorporated in 1980, and its predecessors have been in the
nonalcoholic beverage manufacturing and distribution business
since 1902. The Company is the largest independent
Coca-Cola
bottler in the United States.
As of January 2, 2011, The
Coca-Cola
Company had a 34.8% interest in the Companys outstanding
Common Stock, representing 5.2% of the total voting power of the
Companys Common Stock and Class B Common Stock voting
together as a single class. The
Coca-Cola
Company does not own any shares of Class B Common Stock of
the Company. J. Frank Harrison, III, the Companys
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, currently
owns or controls approximately 85% of the combined voting power
of the Companys outstanding Common Stock and Class B
Common Stock.
General
Nonalcoholic beverage products can be broken down into two
categories:
Sales of sparkling beverages were approximately 83%, 84% and 83%
of total net sales for fiscal 2010 (2010), fiscal
2009 (2009) and fiscal 2008 (2008),
respectively. Sales of still beverages were approximately 17%,
16% and 17% of total net sales for 2010, 2009 and 2008,
respectively.
The Company holds Cola Beverage Agreements and Allied Beverage
Agreements under which it produces, distributes and markets, in
certain regions, sparkling beverage products of The
Coca-Cola
Company. The Company also holds Still Beverage Agreements under
which it distributes and markets in certain regions still
beverages of The
Coca-Cola
Company such as POWERade, vitaminwater and Minute Maid Juices To
Go and produces, distributes and markets Dasani water products.
The Company holds agreements to produce and market Dr Pepper in
some of its regions. The Company also distributes and markets
various other products, including Monster Energy products and
Sundrop, in one or more of the Companys regions under
agreements with the companies that hold and license the use of
their trademarks for these beverages. In addition, the Company
also produces beverages for other
Coca-Cola
bottlers. In some instances, the Company distributes beverages
without a written agreement.
The Companys principal sparkling beverage is
Coca-Cola.
In each of the last three fiscal years, sales of products
bearing the
Coca-Cola
or Coke trademark have accounted for more than half
of the Companys bottle/can volume to retail customers. In
total, products of The
Coca-Cola
Company accounted for approximately 88%, 88% and 89% of the
Companys bottle/can volume to retail customers during
2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.
The Company offers a range of flavors designed to meet the
demands of the Companys consumers. The main packaging
materials for the Companys beverages are plastic bottles
and aluminum cans. In addition, the Company provides restaurants
and other immediate consumption outlets with fountain products
(post-mix). Fountain products are dispensed through
equipment that mixes the fountain syrup with carbonated or still
water, enabling fountain retailers to sell finished products to
consumers in cups or glasses.
Over the last four and a half years, the Company has developed
and begun to market and distribute certain products which it
owns. These products include Country Breeze tea, diet Country
Breeze tea, Tum-E Yummies, a vitamin-C enhanced flavored drink,
Bean & Body, Simmer and Bazza energy tea. The Company
markets and sells these products nationally.
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The
Coca-Cola
Company acquired
Coca-Cola
Enterprises Inc. (CCE) on October 2, 2010. In
connection with the transaction, CCE changed its name to
Coca-Cola
Refreshments USA, Inc. (CCR) and transferred its
beverage operations outside of North America to an independent
third party. As a result of the transaction, the North American
operations of CCE are now included in CCR. Tum-E Yummies was
distributed by CCE beginning in the first quarter of 2010 and
continues to be distributed by CCR after The
Coca-Cola
Companys acquisition of CCE and by certain other
Coca-Cola
franchise bottlers. References to CCR refer to CCR
and CCE as it existed prior to the acquisition by The
Coca-Cola
Company.
The following table sets forth some of the Companys most
important products, including both products that The
Coca-Cola
Company and other beverage companies have licensed to the
Company and products that the Company owns.
Beverage
Agreements
The Company holds contracts with The
Coca-Cola
Company which entitle the Company to produce, market and
distribute in its exclusive territory The
Coca-Cola
Companys nonalcoholic beverages in bottles, cans and five
gallon pressurized pre-mix containers. The Company has similar
arrangements with Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. and other
beverage companies.
Cola and
Allied Beverage Agreements with The
Coca-Cola
Company.
The Company purchases concentrates from The
Coca-Cola
Company and markets, produces, and distributes its principal
sparkling beverage products within its territories under two
basic forms of beverage agreements with The
Coca-Cola
Company: (i) beverage agreements that cover sparkling
beverages bearing the trademark
Coca-Cola
or Coke (the
Coca-Cola
Trademark Beverages and Cola Beverage
Agreements), and (ii) beverage agreements that cover
other sparkling beverages of The
Coca-Cola
Company (the Allied Beverages and Allied
Beverage Agreements) (referred to collectively in this
report as the Cola and Allied Beverage Agreements),
although in some instances the Company distributes sparkling
beverages without a written agreement. The Company is a party to
Cola Beverage Agreements and Allied Beverage Agreements for
various specified territories.
Exclusivity. The Cola Beverage
Agreements provide that the Company will purchase its entire
requirements of concentrates or syrups for
Coca-Cola
Trademark Beverages from The
Coca-Cola
Company at prices, terms of payment, and other terms and
conditions of supply determined from
time-to-time
by The
Coca-Cola
Company at its
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sole discretion. The Company may not produce, distribute, or
handle cola products other than those of The
Coca-Cola
Company. The Company has the exclusive right to manufacture and
distribute
Coca-Cola
Trademark Beverages for sale in authorized containers within its
territories. The
Coca-Cola
Company may determine, at its sole discretion, what types of
containers are authorized for use with products of The
Coca-Cola
Company. The Company may not sell
Coca-Cola
Trademark Beverages outside its territories.
Company Obligations. The Company is
obligated to:
The Company is required to meet annually with The
Coca-Cola
Company to present its marketing, management, and advertising
plans for the
Coca-Cola
Trademark Beverages for the upcoming year, including financial
plans showing that the Company has the consolidated financial
capacity to perform its duties and obligations to The
Coca-Cola
Company. The
Coca-Cola
Company may not unreasonably withhold approval of such plans. If
the Company carries out its plans in all material respects, the
Company will be deemed to have satisfied its obligations to
develop, stimulate, and satisfy fully the demand for the
Coca-Cola
Trademark Beverages and to maintain the requisite financial
capacity. Failure to carry out such plans in all material
respects would constitute an event of default that if not cured
within 120 days of written notice of the failure would give
The
Coca-Cola
Company the right to terminate the Cola Beverage Agreements. If
the Company, at any time, fails to carry out a plan in all
material respects in any geographic segment of its territory, as
defined by The
Coca-Cola
Company, and if such failure is not cured within six months of
written notice of the failure, The
Coca-Cola
Company may reduce the territory covered by that Cola Beverage
Agreement by eliminating the portion of the territory in which
such failure has occurred.
The
Coca-Cola
Company has no obligation under the Cola Beverage Agreements to
participate with the Company in expenditures for advertising and
marketing. As it has in the past, The
Coca-Cola
Company may contribute to such expenditures and undertake
independent advertising and marketing activities, as well as
advertising and sales promotion programs which require mutual
cooperation and financial support of the Company. The future
levels of marketing funding support and promotional funds
provided by The
Coca-Cola
Company may vary materially from the levels provided during the
periods covered by the information included in this report.
Acquisition of Other Bottlers. If the
Company acquires control, directly or indirectly, of any bottler
of Coca-Cola
Trademark Beverages, or any party controlling a bottler of
Coca-Cola
Trademark Beverages, the Company must cause the acquired bottler
to amend its agreement for the
Coca-Cola
Trademark Beverages to conform to the terms of the Cola Beverage
Agreements.
Term and Termination. The Cola Beverage
Agreements are perpetual, but they are subject to termination by
The
Coca-Cola
Company upon the occurrence of an event of default by the
Company. Events of default with respect to each Cola Beverage
Agreement include:
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If any Cola Beverage Agreement is terminated because of an event
of default, The
Coca-Cola
Company has the right to terminate all other Cola Beverage
Agreements the Company holds.
No Assignments. The Company is
prohibited from assigning, transferring or pledging its Cola
Beverage Agreements or any interest therein, whether voluntarily
or by operation of law, without the prior consent of The
Coca-Cola
Company.
The Allied Beverages are beverages of The
Coca-Cola
Company or its subsidiaries that are sparkling beverages, but
not
Coca-Cola
Trademark Beverages. The Allied Beverage Agreements contain
provisions that are similar to those of the Cola Beverage
Agreements with respect to the sale of beverages outside its
territories, authorized containers, planning, quality control,
transfer restrictions, and related matters but have certain
significant differences from the Cola Beverage Agreements.
Exclusivity. Under the Allied Beverage
Agreements, the Company has exclusive rights to distribute the
Allied Beverages in authorized containers in specified
territories. Like the Cola Beverage Agreements, the Company has
advertising, marketing, and promotional obligations, but without
restriction for most brands as to the marketing of products with
similar flavors, as long as there is no manufacturing or
handling of other products that would imitate, infringe upon, or
cause confusion with, the products of The
Coca-Cola
Company. The
Coca-Cola
Company has the right to discontinue any or all Allied
Beverages, and the Company has a right, but not an obligation,
under the Allied Beverage Agreements to elect to market any new
beverage introduced by The
Coca-Cola
Company under the trademarks covered by the respective Allied
Beverage Agreements.
Term and Termination. Allied Beverage
Agreements have a term of 10 years and are renewable by the
Company for an additional 10 years at the end of each term.
Renewal is at the Companys option. The Company currently
intends to renew substantially all of the Allied Beverage
Agreements as they expire. The Allied Beverage Agreements are
subject to termination in the event of default by the Company.
The
Coca-Cola
Company may terminate an Allied Beverage Agreement in the event
of:
The Company and The
Coca-Cola
Company are also parties to a Letter Agreement (the
Supplementary Agreement) that modifies some of the
provisions of the Cola and Allied Beverage Agreements. The
Supplementary Agreement provides that The
Coca-Cola
Company will:
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The Supplementary Agreement permits transfers of the
Companys capital stock that would otherwise be limited by
the Cola and Allied Beverage Agreements.
Pricing
of Coca-Cola
Trademark Beverages and Allied Beverages.
Pursuant to the Cola and Allied Beverage Agreements, except as
provided in the Supplementary Agreement and the Incidence
Pricing Agreement (described below), The
Coca-Cola
Company establishes the prices charged to the Company for
concentrates of
Coca-Cola
Trademark Beverages and Allied Beverages. The
Coca-Cola
Company has no rights under the beverage agreements to establish
the resale prices at which the Company sells its products.
The Company entered into an agreement (the Incidence
Pricing Agreement) with The
Coca-Cola
Company to test an incidence-based concentrate pricing model for
2008 for all
Coca-Cola
Trademark Beverages and Allied Beverages for which the Company
purchases concentrate from The
Coca-Cola
Company. During the term of the Incidence Pricing Agreement, the
pricing of the concentrates for the
Coca-Cola
Trademark Beverages and Allied Beverages is governed by the
Incidence Pricing Agreement rather than the Cola and Allied
Beverage Agreements. The concentrate price The
Coca-Cola
Company charges under the Incidence Pricing Agreement is
impacted by a number of factors including the Companys
pricing of finished products, the channels in which the finished
products are sold and package mix. The
Coca-Cola
Company must give the Company at least 90 days written
notice before changing the price the Company pays for the
concentrate. For 2009 and 2010, the Company continued to utilize
the incidence pricing model, and the Incidence Pricing Agreement
has been extended through December 31, 2011 under the same
terms as 2010 and 2009.
The Company purchases and distributes certain still beverages
such as sports drinks and juice drinks from The
Coca-Cola
Company, or its designees or joint ventures, and produces,
markets and distributes Dasani water products, pursuant to the
terms of marketing and distribution agreements (the Still
Beverage Agreements). In some instances the Company
distributes certain still beverages without a written agreement.
The Still Beverage Agreements contain provisions that are
similar to the Cola Beverage Agreements and Allied Beverage
Agreements with respect to authorized containers, planning,
quality control, transfer restrictions, and related matters but
have certain significant differences from the Cola Beverage
Agreements and Allied Beverage Agreements.
Exclusivity. Unlike the Cola Beverage
Agreements and Allied Beverage Agreements, which grant the
Company exclusivity in the distribution of the covered beverages
in its territory, the Still Beverage Agreements grant
exclusivity but permit The
Coca-Cola
Company to test-market the still beverage products in its
territory, subject to the Companys right of first refusal,
and to sell the still beverages to commissaries for delivery to
retail outlets in the territory where still beverages are
consumed on-premises, such as restaurants. The
Coca-Cola
Company must pay the Company certain fees for lost volume,
delivery, and taxes in the event of such commissary sales.
Approved alternative route to market projects undertaken by the
Company, The
Coca-Cola
Company, and other bottlers of
Coca-Cola
would, in some instances, permit delivery of certain products of
The
Coca-Cola
Company into the territories of almost all bottlers, in exchange
for compensation in most circumstances, despite the terms of the
beverage agreements making such territories exclusive. Also,
under the Still Beverage Agreements, the Company may not sell
other beverages in the same product category.
Pricing. The
Coca-Cola
Company, at its sole discretion, establishes the prices the
Company must pay for the still beverages or, in the case of
Dasani, the concentrate or finished goods, but has agreed, under
certain circumstances for some products, to give the benefit of
more favorable pricing if such pricing is offered to other
bottlers of
Coca-Cola
products.
Term. Each of the Still Beverage
Agreements has a term of 10 or 15 years and is renewable by
the Company for an additional 10 years at the end of each
term. The Company currently intends to renew substantially all
of the Still Beverage Agreements as they expire.
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The Company has entered into a distribution agreement with
Energy Brands, Inc. (Energy Brands), a wholly owned
subsidiary of The
Coca-Cola
Company. Energy Brands, also known as glacéau, is a
producer and distributor of branded enhanced water products
including vitaminwater and smartwater. The agreement has a term
of 10 years, and will automatically renew for succeeding
10-year
terms, subject to a
12-month
nonrenewal notification by the Company. The agreement covers
most of the Companys territories, requires the Company to
distribute Energy Brands enhanced water products exclusively,
and permits Energy Brands to distribute the products in some
channels within the Companys territories.
The Company is distributing fruit and vegetable juice beverages
of the Campbell Soup Company (Campbell) under an
interim subdistribution agreement with The
Coca-Cola
Company. The Campbell interim subdistribution agreement may be
terminated by either party upon 30 days written notice. The
interim agreement covers all of the Companys territories,
and permits Campbell and certain other sellers of Campbell
beverages to continue distribution in the Companys
territories. The Company purchases Campbell beverages from a
subsidiary of Campbell under a separate purchase agreement.
The Company also sells
Coca-Cola
and other post-mix products of The
Coca-Cola
Company and post-mix products of Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc.
on a non-exclusive basis. The
Coca-Cola
Company establishes the prices charged to the Company for
post-mix products of The
Coca-Cola
Company. In addition, the Company produces some products for
sale to other
Coca-Cola
bottlers and CCR. These sales have lower margins but allow the
Company to achieve higher utilization of its production
equipment and facilities.
The Company entered into an agreement with The
Coca-Cola
Company regarding brand innovation and distribution
collaboration. Under the agreement, the Company grants The
Coca-Cola
Company the option to purchase any nonalcoholic beverage brands
owned by the Company. The option is exercisable as to each brand
at a formula-based price during the two-year period that begins
after that brand has achieved a specified level of net operating
revenue or, if earlier, beginning five years after the
introduction of that brand into the market with a minimum level
of net operating revenue, with the exception that with respect
to brands owned at the date of the letter agreement, the
five-year period does not begin earlier than the date of the
letter agreement.
Beverage
Agreements with Other Licensors.
The Company has beverage agreements with Dr Pepper Snapple
Group, Inc. for Dr Pepper and Sundrop brands which are similar
to those for the Cola and Allied Beverage Agreements. These
beverage agreements are perpetual in nature but may be
terminated by the Company upon 90 days notice. The price
the beverage companies may charge for syrup or concentrate is
set by the beverage companies from time to time. These beverage
agreements also contain similar restrictions on the use of
trademarks, approved bottles, cans and labels and sale of
imitations or substitutes as well as termination for cause
provisions.
The Company is distributing Monster brand energy drinks under a
distribution agreement with Hansen Beverage Company, including
Monster and Java Monster. The agreement contains provisions that
are similar to the Cola and Allied Beverage Agreements with
respect to pricing, promotion, planning, territory and trademark
restrictions, transfer restrictions, and related matters as well
as termination for cause provisions. The agreement has a
20 year term and will renew automatically. The agreement
may be terminated without cause by either party. However, any
such termination by Hansen Beverage Company requires
compensation in the form of severance payments to the Company
under the terms of the agreement.
The territories covered by beverage agreements with other
licensors are not always aligned with the territories covered by
the Cola and Allied Beverage Agreements but are generally within
those territory boundaries. Sales of beverages by the Company
under these agreements represented approximately 12%, 12% and
11% of the Companys bottle/can volume to retail customers
for 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.
Markets
and Production and Distribution Facilities
The Company currently holds bottling rights from The
Coca-Cola
Company covering the majority of North Carolina, South
Carolina and West Virginia, and portions of Alabama,
Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky,
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Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Florida. The total
population within the Companys bottling territory is
approximately 20 million.
The Company currently operates in seven principal geographic
markets. Certain information regarding each of these markets
follows:
1. North Carolina. This region includes
the majority of North Carolina, including Raleigh, Greensboro,
Winston-Salem, High Point, Hickory, Asheville, Fayetteville,
Wilmington, Charlotte and the surrounding areas. The region has
a population of approximately 9 million. A
production/distribution facility is located in Charlotte and 13
sales distribution facilities are located in the region.
2. South Carolina. This region includes
the majority of South Carolina, including Charleston, Columbia,
Greenville, Myrtle Beach and the surrounding areas. The region
has a population of approximately 4 million. There are 6
sales distribution facilities in the region.
3. South Alabama. This region includes a
portion of southwestern Alabama, including Mobile and
surrounding areas, and a portion of southeastern Mississippi.
The region has a population of approximately 1 million. A
production/distribution facility is located in Mobile and 4
sales distribution facilities are located in the region.
4. South Georgia. This region includes a
small portion of eastern Alabama, a portion of southwestern
Georgia including Columbus and surrounding areas and a portion
of the Florida Panhandle. This region has a population of
approximately 1 million. There are 4 sales distribution
facilities located in the region.
5. Middle Tennessee. This region includes
a portion of central Tennessee, including Nashville and
surrounding areas, a small portion of southern Kentucky and a
small portion of northwest Alabama. The region has a population
of approximately 2 million. A production/distribution
facility is located in Nashville and 4 sales distribution
facilities are located in the region.
6. Western Virginia. This region includes
most of southwestern Virginia, including Roanoke and surrounding
areas, a portion of the southern piedmont of Virginia, a portion
of northeastern Tennessee and a portion of southeastern West
Virginia. The region has a population of approximately
2 million. A production/distribution facility is located in
Roanoke and 4 sales distribution facilities are located in the
region.
7. West Virginia. This region includes
most of the state of West Virginia and a portion of southwestern
Pennsylvania. The region has a population of approximately
1 million. There are 8 sales distribution facilities
located in the region.
The Company is a member of South Atlantic Canners, Inc.
(SAC), a manufacturing cooperative located in
Bishopville, South Carolina. All eight members of SAC are
Coca-Cola
bottlers and each member has equal voting rights. The Company
receives a fee for managing the
day-to-day
operations of SAC pursuant to a management agreement. Management
fees earned from SAC were $1.5 million, $1.2 million
and $1.4 million in 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.
SACs bottling lines supply a portion of the Companys
volume requirements for finished products. The Company has a
commitment with SAC that requires minimum annual purchases of
17.5 million cases of finished products through May 2014.
Purchases from SAC by the Company for finished products were
$131 million, $131 million and $142 million in
2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively, or 26.1 million cases,
25.0 million cases and 27.8 million cases of finished
product, respectively.
Raw
Materials
In addition to concentrates obtained from The
Coca-Cola
Company and other beverage companies for use in its beverage
manufacturing, the Company also purchases sweetener, carbon
dioxide, plastic bottles, cans, closures and other packaging
materials as well as equipment for the production, distribution
and marketing of nonalcoholic beverages.
The Company purchases substantially all of its plastic bottles
(12-ounce, 16-ounce, 20-ounce, 24-ounce, half-liter, 1-liter,
2-liter and 300 ml sizes) from manufacturing plants which are
owned and operated by Southeastern
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Container and Western Container, two entities owned by
Coca-Cola
bottlers including the Company. The Company currently obtains
all of its aluminum cans (7.5-ounce, 12-ounce and 16-ounce
sizes) from two domestic suppliers.
None of the materials or supplies used by the Company are
currently in short supply, although the supply of specific
materials (including plastic bottles, which are formulated using
petroleum-based products) could be adversely affected by
strikes, weather conditions, governmental controls or national
emergency conditions.
Along with all the other
Coca-Cola
bottlers in the United States, the Company is a member in
Coca-Cola
Bottlers Sales and Services Company, LLC
(CCBSS), which was formed in 2003 for the purposes
of facilitating various procurement functions and distributing
certain specified beverage products of The
Coca-Cola
Company with the intention of enhancing the efficiency and
competitiveness of the
Coca-Cola
bottling system in the United States. CCBSS has negotiated the
procurement for the majority of the Companys raw materials
(excluding concentrate) since 2004.
The Company is exposed to price risk on commodities such as
aluminum, corn, PET resin (an oil based product) and fuel which
affects the cost of raw materials used in the production of
finished products. The Company both produces and procures these
finished products. Examples of the raw materials affected are
aluminum cans and plastic bottles used for packaging and high
fructose corn syrup used as a product ingredient. Further, the
Company is exposed to commodity price risk on oil which impacts
the Companys cost of fuel used in the movement and
delivery of the Companys products. The Company
participates in commodity hedging and risk mitigation programs
administered both by CCBSS and by the Company itself. In
addition, there is no limit on the price The
Coca-Cola
Company and other beverage companies can charge for concentrate.
Customers
and Marketing
The Companys products are sold and distributed directly to
retail stores and other outlets, including food markets,
institutional accounts and vending machine outlets. During 2010,
approximately 69% of the Companys bottle/can volume to
retail customers was sold for future consumption. The remaining
bottle/can volume to retail customers of approximately 31% was
sold for immediate consumption, primarily through dispensing
machines owned either by the Company, retail outlets or third
party vending companies. The Companys largest customer,
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., accounted for approximately 24% of the
Companys total bottle/can volume to retail customers and
the second largest customer, Food Lion, LLC, accounted for
approximately 10% of the Companys total bottle/can volume
to retail customers. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. accounted for
approximately 17% of the Companys total net sales. The
loss of either Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. or Food Lion, LLC as
customers would have a material adverse effect on the Company.
All of the Companys beverage sales are to customers in the
United States.
New product introductions, packaging changes and sales
promotions have been the primary sales and marketing practices
in the nonalcoholic beverage industry in recent years and have
required and are expected to continue to require substantial
expenditures. Brand introductions from The
Coca-Cola
Company in the last five years include
Coca-Cola
Zero, VAULT, Dasani flavors, Full Throttle and Gold Peak tea
products. In 2007, the Company began distribution of three of
its own products, Country Breeze tea, diet Country Breeze tea
and Tum-E Yummies. In 2010, the Company began distribution of
three additional Company-owned products, Bean & Body coffee
beverage, Simmer and Bazza energy tea. In addition, the Company
also began distribution of
NOS®
products (energy drinks from FUZE, a subsidiary of The
Coca-Cola
Company), juice products from FUZE and V8 products from Campbell
during 2007. In the fourth quarter of 2007, the Company began
distribution of glacéau products, a wholly-owned subsidiary
of The
Coca-Cola
Company that produces branded enhanced beverages including
vitaminwater and smartwater. The Company entered into a
distribution agreement in October 2008 with subsidiaries of
Hansen Natural Corporation, the developer, marketer, seller and
distributor of Monster Energy drinks, the leading volume brand
in the U.S. energy drink category. Under this agreement,
the Company began distributing Monster Energy drinks in certain
of the Companys territories in November 2008. New
packaging introductions include the 7.5-ounce sleek can during
2010, the 2-liter contour bottle for Coca-Cola products during
2009 and the 20-ounce grip bottle during 2007.
During 2008, the Company tested the 16-ounce bottle/24-ounce
bottle package in select convenience stores and introduced it
companywide in 2009. New product and packaging introductions
have resulted in increased operating costs for the Company due
to special marketing efforts, obsolescence of replaced items
and, in some cases, higher raw material costs.
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The Company sells its products primarily in nonrefillable
bottles and cans, in varying proportions from market to market.
For example, there may be as many as 26 different packages for
Diet Coke within a single geographic area. Bottle/can volume to
retail customers during 2010 was approximately 46% cans, 53%
bottles and 1% other containers.
Advertising in various media, primarily television and radio, is
relied upon extensively in the marketing of the Companys
products. The
Coca-Cola
Company and Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (the Beverage
Companies) make substantial expenditures on advertising in
the Companys territories. The Company has also benefited
from national advertising programs conducted by the Beverage
Companies. In addition, the Company expends substantial funds on
its own behalf for extensive local sales promotions of the
Companys products. Historically, these expenses have been
partially offset by marketing funding support which the Beverage
Companies provide to the Company in support of a variety of
marketing programs, such as
point-of-sale
displays and merchandising programs. However, the Beverage
Companies are under no obligation to provide the Company with
marketing funding support in the future.
The substantial outlays which the Company makes for marketing
and merchandising programs are generally regarded as necessary
to maintain or increase revenue, and any significant curtailment
of marketing funding support provided by the Beverage Companies
for marketing programs which benefit the Company could have a
material adverse effect on the operating and financial results
of the Company.
Seasonality
Sales are seasonal with the highest sales volume occurring in
May, June, July and August. The Company has adequate production
capacity to meet sales demand for sparkling and still beverages
during these peak periods. Sales volume can be impacted by
weather conditions. See Item 2. Properties for
information relating to utilization of the Companys
production facilities.
Competition
The nonalcoholic beverage market is highly competitive. The
Companys competitors include bottlers and distributors of
nationally advertised and marketed products, regionally
advertised and marketed products, as well as bottlers and
distributors of private label beverages in supermarket stores.
The sparkling beverage market (including energy products)
comprised 85% of the Companys bottle/can volume to retail
customers in 2010. In each region in which the Company operates,
between 85% and 95% of sparkling beverage sales in bottles, cans
and other containers are accounted for by the Company and its
principal competitors, which in each region includes the local
bottler of Pepsi-Cola and, in some regions, the local bottler of
Dr Pepper, Royal Crown
and/or
7-Up
products.
The principal methods of competition in the nonalcoholic
beverage industry are
point-of-sale
merchandising, new product introductions, new vending and
dispensing equipment, packaging changes, pricing, price
promotions, product quality, retail space management, customer
service, frequency of distribution and advertising. The Company
believes it is competitive in its territories with respect to
these methods of competition.
Government
Regulation
The production and marketing of beverages are subject to the
rules and regulations of the United States Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and other federal, state and
local health agencies. The FDA also regulates the labeling of
containers.
As a manufacturer, distributor and seller of beverage products
of The
Coca-Cola
Company and other soft drink manufacturers in exclusive
territories, the Company is subject to antitrust laws of general
applicability. However, pursuant to the United States Soft Drink
Interbrand Competition Act, soft drink bottlers such as the
Company may have an exclusive right to manufacture, distribute
and sell a soft drink product in a defined geographic territory
if that soft drink product is in substantial and effective
competition with other products of the same general class in the
market. The Company believes there is such substantial and
effective competition in each of the exclusive geographic
territories in the United States in which the Company operates.
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From time to time, legislation has been proposed in Congress and
by certain state and local governments which would prohibit the
sale of soft drink products in nonrefillable bottles and cans or
require a mandatory deposit as a means of encouraging the return
of such containers in an attempt to reduce solid waste and
litter. The Company is currently not impacted by this type of
proposed legislation.
Soft drink and similar-type taxes have been in place in West
Virginia and Tennessee for several years. Proposals have been
introduced by members of Congress and certain state governments
that would impose special taxes on certain beverages that the
Company sells. The Company cannot predict whether this
legislation will be enacted.
The Company has experienced public policy challenges regarding
the sale of soft drinks in schools, particularly elementary,
middle and high schools. At January 2, 2011, a number of
states had regulations restricting the sale of soft drinks and
other foods in schools. Many of these restrictions have existed
for several years in connection with subsidized meal programs in
schools. The focus has more recently turned to the growing
health, nutrition and obesity concerns of todays youth.
Restrictive legislation, if widely enacted, could have an
adverse impact on the Companys products, image and
reputation.
The Company is subject to audit by taxing authorities in
jurisdictions where it conducts business. These audits may
result in assessments that are subsequently resolved with the
authorities or potentially through the courts. Management
believes the Company has adequately provided for any assessments
that are likely to result from these audits; however, final
assessments, if any, could be different than the amounts
recorded in the consolidated financial statements.
Environmental
Remediation
The Company does not currently have any material capital
expenditure commitments for environmental compliance or
environmental remediation for any of its properties. The Company
does not believe compliance with federal, state and local
provisions that have been enacted or adopted regarding the
discharge of materials into the environment, or otherwise
relating to the protection of the environment, will have a
material effect on its capital expenditures, earnings or
competitive position.
Employees
As of February 1, 2011, the Company had approximately
5,200 full-time employees, of whom approximately 420 were
union members. The total number of employees, including
part-time employees, was approximately 6,000. Approximately 7%
of the Companys labor force is covered by collective
bargaining agreements. Two collective bargaining agreements
covering approximately .8% of the Companys employees
expired during 2010 and the Company entered into new agreements
in 2010. Two collective bargaining agreements covering
approximately 6% of the Companys employees will expire
during 2011.
Exchange
Act Reports
The Company makes available free of charge through its Internet
website, www.cokeconsolidated.com, its annual report on
Form 10-K,
quarterly reports on
Form 10-Q,
current reports on
Form 8-K
and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably
practicable after such materials are electronically filed with
or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The SEC maintains an Internet website, www.sec.gov, which
contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other
information filed electronically with the SEC. Any materials
that the Company files with the SEC may also be read and copied
at the SECs Public Reference Room, 100 F Street,
N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D. C. 20549.
Information on the operations of the Public Reference Room is
available by calling the SEC at
1-800-SEC-0330.
The information provided on the Companys website is not
part of this report and is not incorporated herein by reference.
In addition to other information in this
Form 10-K,
the following risk factors should be considered carefully in
evaluating the Companys business. The Companys
business, financial condition or results of operations could be
materially and adversely affected by any of these risks.
Additional risks and uncertainties, including risks and
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uncertainties not presently known to the Company or that the
Company currently deems immaterial, may also impair its business
and results of operations.
The Company operates in the highly competitive nonalcoholic
beverage industry and faces strong competition from other
general and specialty beverage companies. The Companys
response to continued and increased customer and competitor
consolidations and marketplace competition may result in lower
than expected net pricing of the Companys products. The
Companys ability to gain or maintain the Companys
share of sales or gross margins may be limited by the actions of
the Companys competitors, which may have advantages in
setting their prices due to lower raw material costs.
Competitive pressures in the markets in which the Company
operates may cause channel and product mix to shift away from
more profitable channels and packages. If the Company is unable
to maintain or increase volume in higher-margin products and in
packages sold through higher-margin channels (e.g., immediate
consumption), pricing and gross margins could be adversely
affected. The Companys efforts to improve pricing may
result in lower than expected sales volume.
Recently
completed acquisitions of bottlers by their franchisors may lead
to uncertainty in the
Coca-Cola
bottler system or adversely impact the Company.
The
Coca-Cola
Company recently acquired the North American operations of
Coca-Cola
Enterprises Inc., and the Companys primary competitors
were recently acquired by their franchisor. These transactions
may cause uncertainty within the
Coca-Cola
bottler system or adversely impact the Company and its business.
At this time, it is uncertain whether the transactions will have
a material impact on the Companys business and financial
results.
The Companys revenue is impacted by how significant
customers market or promote the Companys products. Revenue
has been negatively impacted by less aggressive price promotion
by some retailers in the future consumption channels over the
past several years. If the Companys significant customers
change the manner in which they market or promote the
Companys products, the Companys revenue and
profitability could be adversely impacted.
Changes
in the Companys top customer relationships could impact
revenues and profitability.
The Company is exposed to risks resulting from several large
customers that account for a significant portion of its
bottle/can volume and revenue. The Companys two largest
customers accounted for approximately 34% of the Companys
2010 bottle/can volume to retail customers and approximately 24%
of the Companys total net sales. The loss of one or both
of these customers could adversely affect the Companys
results of operations. These customers typically make purchase
decisions based on a combination of price, product quality,
consumer demand and customer service performance and generally
do not enter into long-term contracts. In addition, these
significant customers may re-evaluate or refine their business
practices related to inventories, product displays, logistics or
other aspects of the customer-supplier relationship. The
Companys results of operations could be adversely affected
if revenue from one or more of these customers is significantly
reduced or if the cost of complying with these customers
demands is significant. If receivables from one or more of these
customers become uncollectible, the Companys results of
operations may be adversely impacted.
The Companys business depends substantially on consumer
tastes and preferences that change in often unpredictable ways.
The success of the Companys business depends in large
measure on working with the Beverage Companies to meet the
changing preferences of the broad consumer market. Health and
wellness trends throughout the marketplace have resulted in a
shift from sugar sparkling beverages to diet sparkling
beverages, tea, sports drinks, enhanced water and bottled water
over the past several years. Failure to satisfy changing
consumer preferences could adversely affect the profitability of
the Companys business.
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Unfavorable changes in general economic conditions, such as a
recession or economic slowdown in the geographic markets in
which the Company does business, may have the temporary effect
of reducing the demand for certain of the Companys
products. For example, economic forces may cause consumers to
shift away from purchasing higher-margin products and packages
sold through immediate consumption and other highly profitable
channels. Adverse economic conditions could also increase the
likelihood of customer delinquencies and bankruptcies, which
would increase the risk of uncollectibility of certain accounts.
Each of these factors could adversely affect the Companys
revenue, price realization, gross margins and overall financial
condition and operating results.
Projected requirements of the Companys infrastructure
investments may differ from actual levels if the Companys
volume growth is not as the Company anticipates. The
Companys infrastructure investments are generally
long-term in nature; therefore, it is possible that investments
made today may not generate the returns expected by the Company
due to future changes in the marketplace. Significant changes
from the Companys expected returns on cold drink
equipment, fleet, technology and supply chain infrastructure
investments could adversely affect the Companys
consolidated financial results.
Approximately 88% of the Companys bottle/can volume to
retail customers in 2010 consisted of products of The
Coca-Cola
Company, which is the sole supplier of these products or of the
concentrates or syrups required to manufacture these products.
The remaining 12% of the Companys bottle/can volume to
retail customers in 2010 consisted of products of other beverage
companies and the Companys own products. The Company must
satisfy various requirements under its beverage agreements.
Failure to satisfy these requirements could result in the loss
of distribution rights for the respective products.
Material changes in the performance requirements, or decreases
in the levels of marketing funding support historically
provided, under marketing programs with The
Coca-Cola
Company and other beverage companies, or the Companys
inability to meet the performance requirements for the
anticipated levels of such marketing funding support payments,
could adversely affect the Companys profitability. The
Coca-Cola
Company and other beverage companies are under no obligation to
continue marketing funding support at historic levels.
The
Coca-Cola
Companys and other beverage companies levels of
advertising, marketing spending and product innovation directly
impact the Companys operations. While the Company does not
believe there will be significant changes in the levels of
marketing and advertising by the Beverage Companies, there can
be no assurance that historic levels will continue. The
Companys volume growth will also continue to be dependent
on product innovation by the Beverage Companies, especially The
Coca-Cola
Company. Decreases in marketing, advertising and product
innovation by the Beverage Companies could adversely impact the
profitability of the Company.
The Company currently obtains all of its aluminum cans from two
domestic suppliers and all of its plastic bottles from two
domestic cooperatives. The inability of these aluminum can or
plastic bottle suppliers to meet the
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Companys requirements for containers could result in
short-term shortages until alternative sources of supply can be
located. The Company attempts to mitigate these risks by working
closely with key suppliers and by purchasing business
interruption insurance where appropriate. Failure of the
aluminum can or plastic bottle suppliers to meet the
Companys purchase requirements could reduce the
Companys profitability.
Raw material costs, including the costs for plastic bottles,
aluminum cans and high fructose corn syrup, have been subject to
significant price volatility in recent history. In addition,
there are no limits on the prices The
Coca-Cola
Company and other beverage companies can charge for concentrate.
If the Company cannot offset higher raw material costs with
higher selling prices, increased sales volume or reductions in
other costs, the Companys profitability could be adversely
affected.
In recent years, there has been consolidation among suppliers of
certain of the Companys raw materials. The reduction in
the number of competitive sources of supply could have an
adverse effect upon the Companys ability to negotiate the
lowest costs and, in light of the Companys relatively
small in-plant raw material inventory levels, has the potential
for causing interruptions in the Companys supply of raw
materials.
With the introduction of FUZE, Campbell and glacéau
products into the Companys portfolio during 2007 and
Monster Energy products during 2008, the Company has become
increasingly reliant on purchased finished goods from external
sources versus the Companys internal production. As a
result, the Company is subject to incremental risk including,
but not limited to, product availability, price variability,
product quality and production capacity shortfalls for
externally purchased finished goods.
The Company uses significant amounts of fuel in the distribution
of its products. Events such as natural disasters or political
or civil unrest could impact the supply of fuel and could impact
the timely delivery of the Companys products to its
customers. While the Company is working to reduce fuel
consumption, there can be no assurance that the Company will
succeed in limiting future cost increases. Continued upward
pressure in these costs could reduce the profitability of the
Companys operations.
The Company uses various insurance structures to manage its
workers compensation, auto liability, medical and other
insurable risks. These structures consist of retentions,
deductibles, limits and a diverse group of insurers that serve
to strategically transfer and mitigate the financial impact of
losses. Losses are accrued using assumptions and procedures
followed in the insurance industry, adjusted for
company-specific history and expectations. Although the Company
has actively sought to control increases in these costs, there
can be no assurance that the Company will succeed in limiting
future cost increases. Continued upward pressure in these costs
could reduce the profitability of the Companys operations.
The Companys profitability is substantially affected by
the cost of pension retirement benefits, postretirement medical
benefits and current employees medical benefits. In recent
years, the Company has experienced significant increases in
these costs as a result of macro-economic factors beyond the
Companys control, including increases in health care
costs, declines in investment returns on pension assets and
changes in discount rates used to calculate pension and related
liabilities. A significant decrease in the value of the
Companys pension plan assets in 2008 caused a significant
increase in pension plan costs in 2009. Although the Company has
actively sought to control increases in these costs, there can
be no assurance the Company will succeed in limiting future cost
increases, and continued upward pressure in these costs could
reduce the profitability of the Companys operations.
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On March 23, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law. On
March 30, 2010, a companion bill, the Health Care and
Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Reconciliation
Act), was also signed into law. The PPACA and the
Reconciliation Act, when taken together, represent comprehensive
healthcare reform legislation that will likely affect the cost
associated with providing employer-sponsored medical plans. At
this point, the Company is in the process of determining the
impact this legislation will have on the Companys
employer-sponsored medical plans. Additionally, the PPACA and
the Reconciliation Act include provisions that reduce the tax
benefits available to employers that receive Medicare
Part D subsidies.
The Company may be liable if the consumption of the
Companys products causes injury or illness. The Company
may also be required to recall products if they become
contaminated or are damaged or mislabeled. A significant product
liability or other product-related legal judgment against the
Company or a widespread recall of the Companys products
could negatively impact the Companys business, financial
results and brand image.
The Company increasingly relies on information technology
systems to process, transmit and store electronic information.
For example, the Companys production and distribution
facilities, inventory management and driver handheld devices all
utilize information technology to maximize efficiencies and
minimize costs. Furthermore, a significant portion of the
communication between personnel, customers and suppliers depends
on information technology. Like most companies, the
Companys information technology systems may be vulnerable
to a variety of interruptions due to events beyond the
Companys control, including, but not limited to, natural
disasters, terrorist attacks, telecommunications failures,
computer viruses, hackers and other security issues. The Company
has technology security initiatives and disaster recovery plans
in place to mitigate the Companys risk to these
vulnerabilities, but these measures may not be adequate or
implemented properly to ensure that the Companys
operations are not disrupted.
None of the Companys debt and capital lease obligations of
$582.3 million as of January 2, 2011 were subject to
changes in short-term interest rates. The Companys
$200 million revolving credit facility
($200 million facility) is subject to changes
in short-term interest rates. On January 2, 2011, the
Company had no outstanding borrowings on the $200 million
facility. The Companys pension and postretirement medical
benefits costs are subject to changes in interest rates. If
interest rates increase in the future, it could reduce the
Companys overall profitability.
The
level of the Companys debt could restrict the
Companys operating flexibility and limit the
Companys ability to incur additional debt to fund future
needs.
As of January 2, 2011, the Company had $582.3 million
of debt and capital lease obligations. The Companys level
of debt requires the Company to dedicate a substantial portion
of the Companys future cash flows from operations to the
payment of principal and interest, thereby reducing the funds
available to the Company for other purposes. The Companys
debt can negatively impact the Companys operations by
(1) limiting the Companys ability
and/or
increasing the cost to obtain funding for working capital,
capital expenditures and other general corporate purposes;
(2) increasing the Companys vulnerability to economic
downturns and adverse industry conditions by limiting the
Companys ability to react to changing economic and
business conditions; and (3) exposing the Company to a risk
that a significant decrease in cash flows from operations could
make it difficult for the Company to meet the Companys
debt service requirements.
With the Companys level of debt, access to the capital and
credit markets is vital. The capital and credit markets can, at
times, be volatile and tight as a result of adverse conditions
such as those that caused the failure and
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near failure of a number of large financial services companies
in late 2008. When the capital and credit markets experience
volatility and the availability of funds is limited, the Company
may incur increased costs associated with borrowing to meet the
Companys requirements. In addition, it is possible that
the Companys ability to access the capital and credit
markets may be limited by these or other factors at a time when
the Company would like, or need, to do so, which could have an
impact on the Companys ability to refinance maturing debt
and/or react
to changing economic and business conditions.
The
Companys credit rating could be negatively impacted by
changes to The
Coca-Cola
Companys credit rating.
The Companys credit rating could be significantly impacted
by capital management activities of The
Coca-Cola
Company
and/or
changes in the credit rating of The
Coca-Cola
Company. A lower credit rating could significantly increase the
Companys interest costs or could have an adverse effect on
the Companys ability to obtain additional financing at
acceptable interest rates or to refinance existing debt.
Recent
volatility in the financial markets may negatively impact the
Companys ability to access the credit
markets.
Capital and credit markets have become increasingly volatile as
a result of adverse conditions that caused the failure and near
failure of a number of large financial services companies. If
the capital and credit markets continue to experience
volatility, it is possible that the Companys ability to
access the credit markets may be limited by these factors at a
time when the Company would like or need to do so. The Company
repaid $176.7 million of debentures which matured in 2009. In
2009, the Company issued $110 million of new senior notes,
borrowed from its $200 million facility and used cash flows
generated by operations to fund the repayments. As of
January 2, 2011, the Company had all $200 million
available on its $200 million facility. The limitation of
availability of funds could have an impact on the Companys
ability to refinance maturing debt, including the
$200 million facility which matures in March 2012 and the
$150 million Senior Notes due November 2012,
and/or react
to changing economic and business conditions.
Changes from expectations for the resolution of outstanding
legal claims and assessments could have a material adverse
impact on the Companys profitability and financial
condition. In addition, the Companys failure to abide by
laws, orders or other legal commitments could subject the
Company to fines, penalties or other damages.
Legislative
changes that affect the Companys distribution, packaging
and products could reduce demand for the Companys products
or increase the Companys costs.
The Companys business model is dependent on the
availability of the Companys various products and packages
in multiple channels and locations to better satisfy the needs
of the Companys customers and consumers. Laws that
restrict the Companys ability to distribute products in
schools and other venues, as well as laws that require deposits
for certain types of packages or those that limit the
Companys ability to design new packages or market certain
packages, could negatively impact the financial results of the
Company.
In addition, taxes imposed on the sale of certain of the
Companys products by the federal government and certain
state and local governments could cause consumers to shift away
from purchasing products of the Company. For example, in 2009
some members of the U.S. Congress raised the possibility of
a federal tax on the sale of certain sugar beverages, including
non-diet soft drinks, fruit drinks, teas and flavored waters, to
help pay for the cost of healthcare reform. Some state
governments are also considering similar taxes. If enacted, such
taxes could materially affect the Companys business and
financial results.
Significant
additional labeling or warning requirements may inhibit sales of
affected products.
Various jurisdictions may seek to adopt significant additional
product labeling or warning requirements relating to the content
or perceived adverse health consequences of certain of the
Companys products. If these types
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of requirements become applicable to one or more of the
Companys major products under current or future
environmental or health laws or regulations, they may inhibit
sales of such products.
An assessment of additional taxes resulting from audits of the
Companys tax filings could have an adverse impact on the
Companys profitability, cash flows and financial condition.
Natural disasters or unfavorable weather conditions in the
geographic regions in which the Company does business could have
an adverse impact on the Companys revenue and
profitability. For example, prolonged drought conditions in the
geographic regions in which the Company does business could lead
to restrictions on the use of water, which could adversely
affect the Companys ability to manufacture and distribute
products and the Companys cost to do so.
Global
climate change or legal, regulatory, or market responses to such
change could adversely impact the Companys future
profitability.
The growing political and scientific sentiment is that increased
concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere are influencing global weather patterns. Changing
weather patterns, along with the increased frequency or duration
of extreme weather conditions, could impact the availability or
increase the cost of key raw materials that the Company uses to
produce its products. In addition, the sale of these products
can be impacted by weather conditions.
Concern over climate change, including global warming, has led
to legislative and regulatory initiatives directed at limiting
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. For example, proposals that
would impose mandatory requirements on GHG emissions continue to
be considered by policy makers in the territories that the
Company operates. Laws enacted that directly or indirectly
affect the Companys production, distribution, packaging,
cost of raw materials, fuel, ingredients and water could all
impact the Companys business and financial results.
Approximately 7% of the Companys employees are covered by
collective bargaining agreements. The inability to renegotiate
subsequent agreements on satisfactory terms and conditions could
result in work interruptions or stoppages, which could have a
material impact on the profitability of the Company. Also, the
terms and conditions of existing or renegotiated agreements
could increase costs, or otherwise affect the Companys
ability to fully implement operational changes to improve
overall efficiency. Two collective bargaining agreements
covering approximately .8% of the Companys employees
expired during 2010 and the Company entered into new agreements
in 2010. Two collective bargaining agreements covering
approximately 6% of the Companys employees will expire
during 2011.
Litigation filed by some United States bottlers of
Coca-Cola
products indicates that disagreements may exist within the
Coca-Cola
bottler system concerning distribution methods and business
practices. Although the litigation has been resolved,
disagreements among various
Coca-Cola
bottlers could adversely affect the Companys ability to
fully implement its business plans in the future.
The Companys consolidated financial statements and
accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements
include estimates and assumptions by management that impact
reported amounts. Actual results could materially differ from
those estimates.
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Changes
in accounting standards could affect the Companys reported
financial results.
New accounting standards or pronouncements that may become
applicable to the Company from time to time, or changes in the
interpretation of existing standards and pronouncements could
have a significant effect on the Companys reported results
for the affected periods.
Obesity
and other health concerns may reduce demand for some of the
Companys products.
Consumers, public health officials and government officials are
becoming increasingly concerned about the public health
consequences associated with obesity, particularly among young
people. In addition, some researchers, health advocates and
dietary guidelines are encouraging consumers to reduce the
consumption of sugar, including sugar sparkling beverages.
Increasing public concern about these issues; possible new taxes
and governmental regulations concerning the marketing, labeling
or availability of the Companys beverages; and negative
publicity resulting from actual or threatened legal actions
against the Company or other companies in the same industry
relating to the marketing, labeling or sale of sugar sparkling
beverages may reduce demand for these beverages, which could
adversely affect the Companys profitability.
A number of states have regulations restricting the sale of soft
drinks and other foods in schools. Many of these restrictions
have existed for several years in connection with subsidized
meal programs in schools. The focus has more recently turned to
the growing health, nutrition and obesity concerns of
todays youth. The impact of restrictive legislation, if
widely enacted, could have an adverse impact on the
Companys products, image and reputation.
The
concentration of the Companys capital stock ownership with
the Harrison family limits other stockholders ability to
influence corporate matters.
Members of the Harrison family, including the Companys
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, J. Frank
Harrison, III, beneficially own shares of Common Stock and
Class B Common Stock representing approximately 85% of the
total voting power of the Companys outstanding capital
stock. In addition, two members of the Harrison family,
including Mr. Harrison, III, serve on the Board of
Directors of the Company. As a result, members of the Harrison
family have the ability to exert substantial influence or actual
control over the Companys management and affairs and over
substantially all matters requiring action by the Companys
stockholders. Additionally, as a result of the Harrison
familys significant beneficial ownership of the
Companys outstanding voting stock, the Company has relied
on the controlled company exemption from certain
corporate governance requirements of The Nasdaq Stock Market
LLC. This concentration of ownership may have the effect of
delaying or preventing a change in control otherwise favored by
the Companys other stockholders and could depress the
stock price. It also limits other stockholders ability to
influence corporate matters and, as a result, the Company may
take actions that the Companys other stockholders may not
view as beneficial.
None.
The principal properties of the Company include its corporate
headquarters, four production/distribution facilities and 43
sales distribution centers. The Company owns two
production/distribution facilities and 37 sales distribution
centers, and leases its corporate headquarters, two
production/distribution facilities and six sales distribution
centers.
The Company leases its 110,000 square foot corporate
headquarters and a 65,000 square foot adjacent office
building from a related party. The lease has a fifteen year term
and expires in December 2021. Rental payments for these
facilities were $3.8 million in 2010.
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The Company leases its 542,000 square foot Snyder
Production Center and an adjacent 105,000 square foot
distribution center in Charlotte, North Carolina from a related
party for a ten-year term which expired in December 2010.
The Company modified the lease agreement with new terms starting
on January 1, 2011. The modified lease agreement expires in
December 2020. Rental payments under this lease totaled
$3.2 million in 2010.
The Company leases its 330,000 square foot
production/distribution facility in Nashville, Tennessee. The
lease requires monthly payments through December 2014. Rental
payments under this lease totaled $.4 million in 2010.
The Company leases a 278,000 square foot warehouse which
serves as additional space for its Charlotte,
North Carolina distribution center. The lease requires
monthly payments through March 2012. Rental payments under this
lease totaled $.8 million in 2010.
The Company leases its 130,000 square foot sales
distribution center in Lavergne, Tennessee. The lease requires
monthly payments through August 2011. Rental payments under this
lease totaled $.5 million in 2010.
The Company leases its 50,000 square foot sales
distribution center in Charleston, South Carolina. The lease
requires monthly payments through January 2017. Rental payments
under this lease totaled $.4 million in 2010.
The Company leases its 57,000 square foot sales
distribution center in Greenville, South Carolina. The lease
requires monthly payments through July 2018. Rental payments
under this lease totaled $.7 million in 2010.
The Company began leasing, in March 2009, a 75,000 square
foot warehouse which serves as additional space for the
Companys Roanoke, Virginia distribution center. The lease
requires monthly payments through March 2019. Rental payments
under this lease totaled $.3 million in 2010.
In the first quarter of 2011, the Company entered into leases
for two sales distribution centers. Each lease has a term of
15 years with various monthly rental payments. One lease is
for a 233,000 square foot sales distribution center in
Clayton, North Carolina which will replace the Companys
existing Raleigh, North Carolina sales distribution center. The
second lease replaces the existing lease for the Lavergne,
Tennessee sales distribution center. The lease increases the
square footage from 130,000 square feet to
220,000 square feet and expires in 2026.
The Company owns and operates a 316,000 square foot
production/distribution facility in Roanoke, Virginia and a
271,000 square foot production/distribution facility in
Mobile, Alabama.
The approximate percentage utilization of the Companys
production facilities is indicated below:
Production
Facilities
The Company currently has sufficient production capacity to meet
its operational requirements. In addition to the production
facilities noted above, the Company utilizes a portion of the
production capacity at SAC, a cooperative located in
Bishopville, South Carolina, that owns a 261,000 square
foot production facility.
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The Companys products are generally transported to sales
distribution facilities for storage pending sale. The number of
sales distribution facilities by market area as of
January 31, 2011 was as follows:
Sales
Distribution Facilities
The Companys facilities are all in good condition and are
adequate for the Companys operations as presently
conducted.
The Company also operates approximately 1,900 vehicles in the
sale and distribution of its beverage products, of which
approximately 1,200 are route delivery trucks. In addition, the
Company owns approximately 190,000 beverage dispensing and
vending machines for the sale of its products in its bottling
territories.
The Company is involved in various claims and legal proceedings
which have arisen in the ordinary course of its business.
Although it is difficult to predict the ultimate outcome of
these claims and legal proceedings, management believes that the
ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material
adverse effect on the financial condition, cash flows or results
of operations of the Company. No material amount of loss in
excess of recorded amounts is believed to be reasonably possible
as a result of these claims and legal proceedings.
Not applicable.
The following is a list of names and ages of all the executive
officers of the Company indicating all positions and offices
with the Company held by each such person. All officers have
served in their present capacities for the past five years
except as otherwise stated.
J. FRANK HARRISON, III, age 56, is
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer
of the Company. Mr. Harrison, III was appointed
Chairman of the Board of Directors in December 1996.
Mr. Harrison, III served as Vice Chairman from
November 1987 through December 1996 and was appointed as the
Companys Chief Executive Officer in May 1994. He was first
employed by the Company in 1977 and has served as a
Division Sales Manager and as a Vice President.
WILLIAM B. ELMORE, age 55, is President and
Chief Operating Officer and a Director of the Company, positions
he has held since January 2001. Previously, he was Vice
President, Value Chain from July 1999 and Vice President,
Business Systems from August 1998 to June 1999. He was Vice
President, Treasurer from June 1996 to July 1998. He was Vice
President, Regional Manager for the Virginia Division, West
Virginia Division and Tennessee Division from August 1991 to May
1996.
HENRY W. FLINT, age 56, is Vice Chairman of
the Board of Directors of the Company, a position he has held
since April 2007. Previously, he was Executive Vice President
and Assistant to the Chairman of the Company, a position to
which he was appointed in July 2004. Prior to that, he was a
Managing Partner at the law firm of Kennedy Covington
Lobdell & Hickman, L.L.P. with which he was associated
from 1980 to 2004.
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STEVEN D. WESTPHAL, age 56,
is Executive Vice
President of Operations and Systems, a position to which he was
appointed in September 2007. He was Chief Financial Officer from
May 2005 to January 2008 and prior to that Vice President and
Controller, a position he had held from November 1987.
WILLIAM J. BILLIARD, age 44, is Vice
President of Operations Finance and Chief Accounting Officer. He
was named Vice President of Operations Finance on
November 1, 2010 and was appointed Chief Accounting Officer
on February 20, 2006. Previously, he was also Vice
President and Corporate Controller of the Company and was first
employed by the Company on February 20, 2006. Before
joining the Company, he was Senior Vice President, Interim Chief
Financial Officer and Corporate Controller of Portrait
Corporation of America, Inc., a portrait photography studio
company, from September 2005 to January 2006 and Senior Vice
President, Corporate Controller from August 2001 to September
2005. Prior to that, he served as Vice President, Chief
Financial Officer of Tailored Management, a long-term staffing
company, from August 2000 to August 2001. Portrait Corporation
of America, Inc. filed a voluntary petition for reorganization
under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in August
2006.
ROBERT G. CHAMBLESS, age 45, is Senior Vice
President of Sales and Marketing, a position he has held since
August 2010. Previously, he was Senior Vice President, Sales, a
position he held since June 2008. He held the position of Vice
President Franchise Sales from early 2003 to June
2008 and Region Sales Manager for our Southern Division between
2000 and 2003. He was Sales Manager in the Companys
Columbia, South Carolina branch between 1997 and 2000. He has
served the Company in several other positions prior to this
position and was first employed by the Company in 1986.
CLIFFORD M. DEAL, III, age 49, is Vice
President and Treasurer, a position he has held since June 1999.
Previously, he was Director of Compensation and Benefits from
October 1997 to May 1999. He was Corporate Benefits Manager from
December 1995 to September 1997 and was Manager of Tax
Accounting from November 1993 to November 1995.
NORMAN C. GEORGE, age 55, is President, BYB
Brands, Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company that
distributes and markets Tum-E Yummies and other products
developed by the Company, a position he has held since July
2006. Prior to that he was Senior Vice President, Chief
Marketing and Customer Officer, a position he was appointed to
in September 2001. Prior to that, he was Vice President,
Marketing and National Sales, a position he was appointed to in
December 1999. Prior to that, he was Vice President, Corporate
Sales, a position he had held since August 1998. Previously, he
was Vice President, Sales for the Carolinas South Region, a
position he held beginning in November 1991.
JAMES E. HARRIS, age 48, is Senior Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer, a position he has held
since January 28, 2008. He served as a Director of the
Company from August 2003 until January 25, 2008 and was a
member of the Audit Committee and the Finance Committee. He
served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
of MedCath Corporation, an operator of cardiovascular hospitals,
from December 1999 to January 2008. From 1998 to 1999 he was
Chief Financial Officer of Fresh Foods, Inc., a manufacturer of
fully cooked food products. From 1987 to 1998, he served in
several different officer positions with The Shelton Companies,
Inc. He also served two years with Ernst & Young LLP
as a senior accountant.
UMESH M. KASBEKAR, age 53, is Senior Vice
President of Planning and Administration, a position he has held
since January 1995. Prior to that, he was Vice President,
Planning, a position he was appointed to in December 1988.
LAUREN C. STEELE, age 56, is Vice President
of Corporate Affairs, a position he has held since May 1989. He
is responsible for governmental, media and community relations
for the Company.
MICHAEL A. STRONG, age 57, is Senior Vice
President of Human Resources, a position to which he was
appointed in March 2011. Previously, he was Vice President of
Human Resources, a position to which he was appointed in
December 2009. He was Region Sales Manager for the North
Carolina West Region from December 2006 to November 2009. Prior
to that, he served as Division Sales Manager and General
Manager as well as other key sales related positions. He joined
the Company in 1985, and began his career with
Coca-Cola
Bottling Company in Mobile, Alabama.
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The Company has two classes of common stock outstanding, Common
Stock and Class B Common Stock. The Common Stock is traded
on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol COKE. The
table below sets forth for the periods indicated the high and
low reported sales prices per share of Common Stock. There is no
established public trading market for the Class B Common
Stock. Shares of Class B Common Stock are convertible on a
share-for-share
basis into shares of Common Stock.
A quarterly dividend rate of $.25 per share on both Common Stock
and Class B Common Stock was maintained throughout 2009 and
2010. Common Stock and Class B Common Stock have
participated equally in dividends since 1994.
Pursuant to the Companys certificate of incorporation, no
cash dividend or dividend of property or stock other than stock
of the Company, as specifically described in the certificate of
incorporation, may be declared and paid on the Class B
Common Stock unless an equal or greater dividend is declared and
paid on the Common Stock.
The amount and frequency of future dividends will be determined
by the Companys Board of Directors in light of the
earnings and financial condition of the Company at such time,
and no assurance can be given that dividends will be declared or
paid in the future.
The number of stockholders of record of the Common Stock and
Class B Common Stock, as of March 4, 2011, was 2,992
and 10, respectively.
On March 9, 2010, the Compensation Committee determined
that 40,000 shares of restricted Class B Common Stock,
$1.00 par value, should be issued pursuant to a Performance
Unit Award Agreement to J. Frank Harrison, III, in
connection with his services in 2009 as Chairman of the Board of
Directors and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. As
permitted under the terms of the Performance Unit Award
Agreement, 17,680 of such shares were settled in cash to satisfy
tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of
the performance units.
On March 8, 2011, the Compensation Committee determined
that 40,000 shares of restricted Class B Common Stock,
$1.00 par value, should be issued pursuant to a Performance
Unit Award Agreement to J. Frank Harrison, III, in
connection with his services in 2010 as Chairman of the Board of
Directors and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. As
permitted under the terms of the Performance Unit Award
Agreement, 17,680 of such shares were settled in cash to satisfy
tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of
the performance units.
The awards to Mr. Harrison, III were issued without
registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (the
Securities Act) in reliance on Section 4(2) of
the Securities Act.
Presented below is a line graph comparing the yearly percentage
change in the cumulative total return on the Companys
Common Stock to the cumulative total return of the
Standard & Poors 500 Index and a peer group for
the period commencing December 30, 2005 and ending
January 2, 2011. The peer group is comprised of Dr Pepper
Snapple Group, Inc.,
Coca-Cola
Enterprises Inc., The
Coca-Cola
Company, Cott Corporation, National Beverage Corp. and PepsiCo,
Inc. The Coca-Cola Company acquired Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc.
on October 2, 2010.
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The graph assumes that $100 was invested in the Companys
Common Stock, the Standard & Poors 500 Index and
the peer group on December 30, 2005 and that all dividends
were reinvested on a quarterly basis. Returns for the companies
included in the peer group have been weighted on the basis of
the total market capitalization for each company.
COMPARISON
OF 5 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN
Among Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, the S&P 500 Index and a Peer Group
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The following table sets forth certain selected financial data
concerning the Company for the five years ended January 2,
2011. The data for the five years ended January 2, 2011 is
derived from audited consolidated financial statements of the
Company. This information should be read in conjunction with
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations set forth in
Item 7 hereof and is qualified in its entirety by reference
to the more detailed consolidated financial statements and notes
contained in Item 8 hereof. This information should also be
read in conjunction with the Risk Factors set forth
in Item 1A.
SELECTED
FINANCIAL DATA*
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The following Managements Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations
(M,D&A) of
Coca-Cola
Bottling Co. Consolidated (the Company) should be
read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements
of the Company and the accompanying notes to the consolidated
financial statements. M,D&A includes the following sections:
The fiscal years presented are the 52-week period ended
January 2, 2011 (2010), the 53-week period
ended January 3, 2010 (2009) and the 52-week
period ended December 28, 2008 (2008). The
Companys fiscal year ends on the Sunday closest to
December 31 of each year.
The consolidated financial statements include the consolidated
operations of the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries
including Piedmont
Coca-Cola
Bottling Partnership (Piedmont). Noncontrolling
interest primarily consists of The
Coca-Cola
Companys interest in Piedmont, which was 22.7% for all
periods presented.
Piedmont is the Companys only significant subsidiary that
has a noncontrolling interest. Noncontrolling interest income of
$3.5 million in 2010, $2.4 million in 2009, and
$2.4 million in 2008 are included in net income on the
Companys consolidated statements of operations. In
addition, the amount of consolidated net income attributable to
both the Company and the noncontrolling interest are shown on
the Companys consolidated statements of operations.
Noncontrolling interest primarily related to Piedmont totaled
$56.5 million and $52.8 million at January 2,
2011 and January 3, 2010, respectively. These amounts are
shown as noncontrolling interest in the equity section of the
Companys consolidated balance sheets.
During May 2010, Nashville, Tennessee experienced a severe rain
storm which caused extensive flood damage in the area. The
Company has a production/sales distribution facility located in
the flooded area. Due to damage incurred during this flood, the
Company recorded a loss of $.2 million on uninsured cold
drink equipment. This loss was offset by gains of
$1.1 million for the excess of insurance proceeds received
as compared to the net book value of equipment damaged as a
result of the flood. In 2010, the Company received
$7.1 million in insurance proceeds related to losses from
the flood. The Company does not expect to incur any additional
significant expenses related to the Nashville area flood.
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Our
Business and the Nonalcoholic Beverage Industry
The Company produces, markets and distributes nonalcoholic
beverages, primarily products of The
Coca-Cola
Company, which include some of the most recognized and popular
beverage brands in the world. The Company is the largest
independent bottler of products of The
Coca-Cola
Company in the United States, distributing these products in
eleven states primarily in the Southeast. The Company also
distributes several other beverage brands. These product
offerings include both sparkling and still beverages. Sparkling
beverages are carbonated beverages, including energy products.
Still beverages are noncarbonated beverages such as bottled
water, tea,
ready-to-drink
coffee, enhanced water, juices and sports drinks. The Company
had net sales of $1.5 billion in 2010.
The nonalcoholic beverage market is highly competitive. The
Companys competitors include bottlers and distributors of
nationally and regionally advertised and marketed products and
private label products. In each region in which the Company
operates, between 85% and 95% of sparkling beverage sales in
bottles, cans and other containers are accounted for by the
Company and its principal competitors, which in each region
includes the local bottler of Pepsi-Cola and, in some regions,
the local bottler of Dr Pepper, Royal Crown
and/or
7-Up
products. The sparkling beverage category (including energy
products) represents 83% of the Companys 2010 bottle/can
net sales.
The principal methods of competition in the nonalcoholic
beverage industry are
point-of-sale
merchandising, new product introductions, new vending and
dispensing equipment, packaging changes, pricing, price
promotions, product quality, retail space management, customer
service, frequency of distribution and advertising. The Company
believes it is competitive in its territories with respect to
each of these methods.
The
Coca-Cola
Company acquired
Coca-Cola
Enterprises Inc. (CCE) on October 2, 2010. In
connection with the transaction, CCE changed its name to
Coca-Cola
Refreshments USA, Inc. (CCR) and transferred its
beverage operations outside of North America to an independent
third party. As a result of the transaction, the North American
operations of CCE are now included in CCR. In M,D&A,
references to CCR refer to CCR and CCE as it existed
prior to the acquisition by The
Coca-Cola
Company. The
Coca-Cola
Company had a significant equity interest in CCE prior to the
acquisition. In addition, the Companys primary competitors
were recently acquired by their franchisor. These transactions
may cause uncertainty within the
Coca-Cola
bottler system or adversely impact the Company and its business.
At this time, it is unknown whether the transactions will have a
material impact on the Companys business and financial
results.
The Companys net sales by product category were as follows:
Areas
of Emphasis
Key priorities for the Company include revenue management,
product innovation and beverage portfolio expansion,
distribution cost management, and productivity.
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Revenue
Management
Revenue management requires a strategy which reflects
consideration for pricing of brands and packages within product
categories and channels, highly effective working relationships
with customers and disciplined fact-based decision-making.
Revenue management has been and continues to be a key driver
which has a significant impact on the Companys results of
operations.
Product
Innovation and Beverage Portfolio Expansion
Innovation of both new brands and packages has been and will
continue to be critical to the Companys overall revenue.
The Company began distributing Monster Energy drinks in certain
of the Companys territories beginning in November 2008.
During 2008, the Company tested the 16-ounce bottle/24-ounce
bottle package in select convenience stores and introduced it
companywide in 2009. New packaging introductions include the
7.5-ounce sleek can in 2010 and the 2-liter contour bottle for
Coca-Cola
products during 2009.
In October 2008, the Company entered into a distribution
agreement with Hansen Beverage Company (Hansen), the
developer, marketer, seller and distributor of Monster Energy
drinks, the leading volume brand in the United States energy
drink category. Under this agreement, the Company has the right
to distribute Monster Energy drinks in certain of the
Companys territories. The agreement has a term of
20 years and can be terminated by either party under
certain circumstances, subject to a termination penalty in
certain cases. In conjunction with the execution of this
agreement, the Company was required to pay Hansen
$2.3 million. This amount equals the amount that Hansen was
required to pay to the existing distributors of Monster Energy
drinks to terminate the prior distribution agreements. The
Company has recorded the payment to Hansen as distribution
rights and will amortize the amount on a straight-line basis to
selling, delivery and administrative (S,D&A)
expenses over the initial
20-year term
of the agreement.
The Company has invested in its own brand portfolio with
products such as Tum-E Yummies, a vitamin C enhanced flavored
drink, Country Breeze tea, diet Country Breeze tea, Bean &
Body, Simmer and Bazza energy tea. These brands enable the
Company to participate in strong growth categories and
capitalize on distribution channels that include the
Companys traditional
Coca-Cola
franchise territory as well as third party distributors outside
the Companys traditional
Coca-Cola
franchise territory. While the growth prospects of Company-owned
or exclusively licensed brands appear promising, the cost of
developing, marketing and distributing these brands is
anticipated to be significant as well.
Distribution
Cost Management
Distribution costs represent the costs of transporting finished
goods from Company locations to customer outlets. Total
distribution costs amounted to $187.2 million,
$188.9 million and $201.6 million in 2010, 2009 and
2008, respectively. Over the past several years, the Company has
focused on converting its distribution system from a
conventional routing system to a predictive system. This
conversion to a predictive system has allowed the Company to
more efficiently handle increasing numbers of products. In
addition, the Company has closed a number of smaller sales
distribution centers reducing its fixed warehouse-related costs.
The Company has three primary delivery systems for its current
business:
Distribution cost management will continue to be a key area of
emphasis for the Company.
Productivity
A key driver in the Companys S,D&A expense management
relates to ongoing improvements in labor productivity and asset
productivity. The Company initiated plans to reorganize the
structure in its operating units
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and support services in July 2008. The reorganization resulted
in the elimination of approximately 350 positions, or
approximately 5% of the Companys workforce. The Company
implemented these changes in order to improve its efficiency and
to help offset significant increases in the cost of raw
materials and operating expenses. The plan was completed in the
fourth quarter of 2008.
Overview
of Operations and Financial Condition
The comparison of operating results for 2010, 2009 and 2008
are affected by the impact of one additional selling week in
2009 due to the Companys fiscal year ending on the Sunday
closest to December 31. The estimated net sales, gross
margin and S,D&A expenses for the additional selling week
in 2009 of approximately $18 million, $6 million and
$4 million, respectively, are included in reported results
for 2009.
The following are certain items that affect the comparability of
the financial results presented below:
2010
2009
2008
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The following overview summarizes key information concerning the
Companys financial results for 2010 compared to 2009 and
2008.
The Companys net sales grew 3.5% from 2008 to 2010. The
net sales increase was primarily due to a $21.2 million
increase in sales of the Companys own brand portfolio and
an increase in bottle/can volume. The increase in sales of the
Companys own brand portfolio was primarily due to
distribution by CCR of the Companys Tum-E Yummies products
beginning in the first quarter of 2010. The increase in
bottle/can volume was primarily due to volume increase in all
beverages except bottled water.
Gross margin dollars increased 4.2% from 2008 to 2010. The
Companys gross margin as a percentage of net sales
increased from 42.0% in 2008 to 42.3% in 2010. The increase in
gross margin percentage was primarily due to lower raw material
costs. Raw material costs, including packaging and fuel, have
begun to rise significantly in 2011.
S,D&A expenses decreased 2% from 2008 to 2010. The decrease
in S,D&A expenses was primarily the result of decreases in
fuel costs, depreciation expense, casualty and property
insurance expense, restructuring costs and the charge in 2008 to
freeze the Companys liability to Central States. This was
partially offset by increases in salaries and wages (including
bonus and incentive expense) and employee benefits costs,
primarily pension expense.
Interest expense, net decreased 11.3% in 2010 compared to 2008.
The decrease was primarily due to lower borrowing levels. The
Companys overall weighted average interest rate was 5.9%
for 2010 compared to 5.7% for 2008.
Income tax expense increased 158% from 2008 to 2010. The
increase was primarily due to greater pre-tax earnings. The
Companys effective tax rate, as calculated by dividing
income tax expense by income before income taxes, was 35.4% for
2010 compared to 42.2% for 2008. The effective tax rates differ
from statutory rates as a result of adjustments to the reserve
for uncertain tax positions, adjustments to the deferred tax
asset valuation allowance and nondeductible items. The
Companys effective tax rate, as calculated by dividing
income tax expense by the difference of income before income
taxes less net income attributable to the noncontrolling
interest, was 37.5% for 2010 compared to 48.0% for 2008.
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Net debt and capital lease obligations were summarized as
follows:
Discussion
of Critical Accounting Policies, Estimates and New Accounting
Pronouncements
Critical
Accounting Policies and Estimates
In the ordinary course of business, the Company has made a
number of estimates and assumptions relating to the reporting of
results of operations and financial position in the preparation
of its consolidated financial statements in conformity with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America. Actual results could differ significantly from those
estimates under different assumptions and conditions. The
Company believes the following discussion addresses the
Companys most critical accounting policies, which are
those most important to the portrayal of the Companys
financial condition and results of operations and require
managements most difficult, subjective and complex
judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates about
the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain.
The Company did not make changes in any critical accounting
policies during 2010. Any changes in critical accounting
policies and estimates are discussed with the Audit Committee of
the Board of Directors of the Company during the quarter in
which a change is contemplated and prior to making such change.
The Company evaluates the collectibility of its trade accounts
receivable based on a number of factors. In circumstances where
the Company becomes aware of a customers inability to meet
its financial obligations to the Company, a specific reserve for
bad debts is estimated and recorded which reduces the recognized
receivable to the estimated amount the Company believes will
ultimately be collected. In addition to specific customer
identification of potential bad debts, bad debt charges are
recorded based on the Companys recent past loss history
and an overall assessment of past due trade accounts receivable
outstanding.
The Companys review of potential bad debts considers the
specific industry in which a particular customer operates, such
as supermarket retailers, convenience stores and mass
merchandise retailers, and the general economic conditions that
currently exist in that specific industry. The Company then
considers the effects of concentration of credit risk in a
specific industry and for specific customers within that
industry.
Property, plant and equipment is recorded at cost and is
depreciated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful
lives of such assets. Changes in circumstances such as
technological advances, changes to the Companys business
model or changes in the Companys capital spending strategy
could result in the actual useful lives differing from the
Companys current estimates. Factors such as changes in the
planned use of manufacturing equipment, cold drink dispensing
equipment, transportation equipment, warehouse facilities or
software could also result in shortened useful lives. In those
cases where the Company determines that the useful life of
property, plant and equipment should be shortened or lengthened,
the Company depreciates the net book value in excess of the
estimated salvage value over its revised remaining useful life.
The Company changed the estimate of the useful lives
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of certain cold drink dispensing equipment from thirteen to
fifteen years in the first quarter of 2009 to better reflect
useful lives based on actual experience.
The Company evaluates the recoverability of the carrying amount
of its property, plant and equipment when events or changes in
circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset or
asset group may not be recoverable. These evaluations are
performed at a level where independent cash flows may be
attributed to either an asset or an asset group. If the Company
determines that the carrying amount of an asset or asset group
is not recoverable based upon the expected undiscounted future
cash flows of the asset or asset group, an impairment loss is
recorded equal to the excess of the carrying amounts over the
estimated fair value of the long-lived assets.
During the third quarter of 2010, the Company performed a review
of property, plant and equipment for potential impairment of
held-for-sale
assets. As a result of this review, $.4 million was
recorded to impairment expense for four
Company-owned
sales distribution centers
held-for-sale.
During the fourth quarter of 2010, market analysis of another
sales distribution center
held-for-sale
resulted in a $.5 million impairment expense.
During the fourth quarter of 2010, the Company determined the
warehouse operations in Sumter, South Carolina would be
relocated to other facilities. Due to this relocation, the
Company recorded impairment and accelerated depreciation of
$2.2 million for the value of equipment and real estate
related to the Companys Sumter, South Carolina property.
In the third and fourth quarters of 2010, the Company also
recorded accelerated depreciation of $.5 million for
property, plant and equipment which is scheduled to be replaced
in the first quarter of 2011.
The Company considers franchise rights with The
Coca-Cola
Company and other beverage companies to be indefinite lived
because the agreements are perpetual or, in situations where
agreements are not perpetual, the Company anticipates the
agreements will continue to be renewed upon expiration. The cost
of renewals is minimal and the Company has not had any renewals
denied. The Company considers franchise rights as indefinite
lived intangible assets and therefore, does not amortize the
value of such assets. Instead, franchise rights are tested at
least annually for impairment.
Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) requires testing
of intangible assets with indefinite lives and goodwill for
impairment at least annually. The Company conducts its annual
impairment test as of the first day of the fourth quarter of
each fiscal year. The Company also reviews intangible assets
with indefinite lives and goodwill for impairment if there are
significant changes in business conditions that could result in
impairment.
For the annual impairment analysis of franchise rights in 2008,
the fair value for the Companys franchise rights was
estimated using a discounted cash flows approach. This approach
involved projecting future cash flows attributable to the
franchise rights and discounting those estimated cash flows
using an appropriate discount rate. The estimated fair value was
compared to the carrying value on an aggregated basis. For the
annual impairment analysis of franchise rights in 2009 and 2010,
the Company utilized the Greenfield Method to estimate the fair
value. The Greenfield Method assumes the Company is starting new
owning only franchise rights and makes investments required to
build an operation comparable to the Companys current
operations. The Company estimates the cash flows required to
build a comparable operation and the available future cash flows
from these operations. The cash flows are then discounted using
an appropriate discount rate. The estimated fair value based
upon the discounted cash flows is then compared to the carrying
value on an aggregated basis. As a result of these analyses,
there was no impairment of the Companys recorded franchise
rights in 2010, 2009 or 2008. In addition to the discount rate,
the estimated fair value includes a number of assumptions such
as cost of investment to build a comparable operation, projected
net sales, cost of sales, operating expenses and income taxes.
Changes in the assumptions required to estimate the present
value of the cash flows attributable to franchise rights could
materially impact the fair value estimate.
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The Company has determined that it has one reporting unit for
purposes of assessing goodwill for potential impairment. For the
annual impairment analysis of goodwill, the Company develops an
estimated fair value for the reporting unit considering three
different approaches:
The estimated fair value of the reporting unit is then compared
to its carrying amount including goodwill. If the estimated fair
value exceeds the carrying amount, goodwill will be considered
not to be impaired and the second step of the GAAP impairment
test is not necessary. If the carrying amount including goodwill
exceeds its estimated fair value, the second step of the
impairment test is performed to measure the amount of the
impairment, if any. Based on this analysis, there was no
impairment of the Companys recorded goodwill in 2010, 2009
or 2008. The Company does not believe that the reporting unit is
at risk of impairment in the future. The discounted cash flow
analysis includes a number of assumptions such as weighted
average cost of capital, projected sales volume, net sales, cost
of sales and operating expenses. Changes in these assumptions
could materially impact the fair value estimates.
The Company uses its overall market capitalization as part of
its estimate of fair value of the reporting unit and in
assessing the reasonableness of the Companys internal
estimates of fair value.
To the extent that actual and projected cash flows decline in
the future, or if market conditions deteriorate significantly,
the Company may be required to perform an interim impairment
analysis that could result in an impairment of franchise rights
and goodwill. The Company has determined that there has not been
an interim impairment trigger since the first day of the fourth
quarter of 2010 annual test date.
The Company records a valuation allowance to reduce the carrying
value of its deferred tax assets if, based on the weight of
available evidence, it is determined it is more likely than not
that such assets will not ultimately be realized. While the
Company considers future taxable income and prudent and feasible
tax planning strategies in assessing the need for a valuation
allowance, should the Company determine it will not be able to
realize all or part of its net deferred tax assets in the
future, an adjustment to the valuation allowance will be charged
to income in the period in which such determination is made. A
reduction in the valuation allowance and corresponding
adjustment to income may be required if the likelihood of
realizing existing deferred tax assets increases to a more
likely than not level. The Company regularly reviews the
realizability of deferred tax assets and initiates a review when
significant changes in the Companys business occur that
could impact the realizability assessment.
In addition to a valuation allowance related to net operating
loss carryforwards, the Company records liabilities for
uncertain tax positions related to certain state and federal
income tax positions. These liabilities reflect the
Companys best estimate of the ultimate income tax
liability based on currently known facts and information.
Material changes in facts or information as well as the
expiration of statutes of limitations
and/or
settlements with individual state or federal jurisdictions may
result in material adjustments to these estimates in the future.
The Company recorded adjustments to its valuation allowance and
reserve for uncertain tax positions in 2010, 2009 and 2008 as a
result of settlements reached on a basis more favorable than
previously estimated.
Revenues are recognized when finished products are delivered to
customers and both title and the risks and benefits of ownership
are transferred, price is fixed and determinable, collection is
reasonably assured and, in the case of full service vending,
when cash is collected from the vending machines. Appropriate
provision is made for uncollectible accounts.
The Company receives service fees from The
Coca-Cola
Company related to the delivery of fountain syrup products to
The
Coca-Cola
Companys fountain customers. In addition, the Company
receives service fees from The
Coca-Cola
Company related to the repair of fountain equipment owned by The
Coca-Cola
Company. The fees
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received from The
Coca-Cola
Company for the delivery of fountain syrup products to their
customers and the repair of their fountain equipment are
recognized as revenue when the respective services are
completed. Service revenue only represents approximately 1% of
net sales.
Revenues do not include sales or other taxes collected from
customers.
The Company uses various insurance structures to manage its
workers compensation, auto liability, medical and other
insurable risks. These structures consist of retentions,
deductibles, limits and a diverse group of insurers that serve
to strategically transfer and mitigate the financial impact of
losses. The Company uses commercial insurance for claims as a
risk reduction strategy to minimize catastrophic losses. Losses
are accrued using assumptions and procedures followed in the
insurance industry, adjusted for company-specific history and
expectations. The Company has standby letters of credit,
primarily related to its property and casualty insurance
programs. On January 2, 2011, these letters of credit
totaled $23.1 million. The Company was required to maintain
$4.5 million of restricted cash for letters of credit
beginning in the second quarter of 2009. This was reduced to
$3.5 million in the second quarter of 2010.
The Company sponsors pension plans covering substantially all
full-time nonunion employees and certain union employees who
meet eligibility requirements. As discussed below, the Company
ceased further benefit accruals under the principal
Company-sponsored pension plan effective June 30, 2006.
Several statistical and other factors, which attempt to
anticipate future events, are used in calculating the expense
and liability related to the plans. These factors include
assumptions about the discount rate, expected return on plan
assets, employee turnover and age at retirement, as determined
by the Company, within certain guidelines. In addition, the
Company uses subjective factors such as mortality rates to
estimate the projected benefit obligation. The actuarial
assumptions used by the Company may differ materially from
actual results due to changing market and economic conditions,
higher or lower withdrawal rates or longer or shorter life spans
of participants. These differences may result in a significant
impact to the amount of net periodic pension cost recorded by
the Company in future periods. The discount rate used in
determining the actuarial present value of the projected benefit
obligation for the Companys pension plans was 5.5% in 2010
and 6.0% in 2009. The discount rate assumption is generally the
estimate which can have the most significant impact on net
periodic pension cost and the projected benefit obligation for
these pension plans. The Company determines an appropriate
discount rate annually based on the annual yield on long-term
corporate bonds as of the measurement date and reviews the
discount rate assumption at the end of each year.
On February 22, 2006, the Board of Directors of the Company
approved an amendment to the principal Company-sponsored pension
plan to cease further benefit accruals under the nonunion plan
effective June 30, 2006. Annual pension costs were
$5.7 million expense in 2010, $11.2 million expense in
2009 and $2.3 million income in 2008. The decrease in
pension plan expense in 2010 compared to 2009 is primarily due
to investment returns in 2009 that exceeded the expected rate of
return. The large increase in pension expense in 2009 was
primarily due to a significant decrease in the fair market value
of pension plan assets in 2008.
Annual pension expense is estimated to be approximately
$3 million in 2011.
A .25% increase or decrease in the discount rate assumption
would have impacted the projected benefit obligation and net
periodic pension cost of the Company-sponsored pension plans as
follows:
The weighted average expected long-term rate of return of plan
assets was 8% for 2010, 2009 and 2008. This rate reflects an
estimate of long-term future returns for the pension plan
assets. This estimate is primarily a function of the asset
classes (equities versus fixed income) in which the pension plan
assets are invested and the analysis of past performance of
these asset classes over a long period of time. This analysis
includes expected long-term
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inflation and the risk premiums associated with equity and fixed
income investments. See Note 17 to the consolidated
financial statements for the details by asset type of the
Companys pension plan assets at January 2, 2011 and
January 3, 2010, and the weighted average expected
long-term rate of return of each asset type. The actual return
of pension plan assets was a gain of 12.10% for 2010, a gain of
24.52% for 2009 and a loss of 28.6% for 2008.
The Company sponsors a postretirement health care plan for
employees meeting specified qualifying criteria. Several
statistical and other factors, which attempt to anticipate
future events, are used in calculating the net periodic
postretirement benefit cost and postretirement benefit
obligation for this plan. These factors include assumptions
about the discount rate and the expected growth rate for the
cost of health care benefits. In addition, the Company uses
subjective factors such as withdrawal and mortality rates to
estimate the projected liability under this plan. The actuarial
assumptions used by the Company may differ materially from
actual results due to changing market and economic conditions,
higher or lower withdrawal rates or longer or shorter life spans
of participants. The Company does not pre-fund its
postretirement benefits and has the right to modify or terminate
certain of these benefits in the future.
The discount rate assumption, the annual health care cost trend
and the ultimate trend rate for health care costs are key
estimates which can have a significant impact on the net
periodic postretirement benefit cost and postretirement
obligation in future periods. The Company annually determines
the health care cost trend based on recent actual medical trend
experience and projected experience for subsequent years.
The discount rate assumptions used to determine the pension and
postretirement benefit obligations are based on yield rates
available on double-A bonds as of each plans measurement
date. The discount rate used in determining the postretirement
benefit obligation was 5.75% and 5.25% in 2009 and 2010,
respectively. The discount rate for 2010 was derived using the
Citigroup Pension Discount Curve which is a set of yields on
hypothetical double-A zero-coupon bonds with maturities up to
30 years. Projected benefit payouts from each plan are
matched to the Citigroup Pension Discount Curve and an
equivalent flat discount rate is derived and then rounded to the
nearest quarter percent.
A .25% increase or decrease in the discount rate assumption
would have impacted the projected benefit obligation and service
cost and interest cost of the Companys postretirement
benefit plan as follows:
A 1% increase or decrease in the annual health care cost trend
would have impacted the postretirement benefit obligation and
service cost and interest cost of the Companys
postretirement benefit plan as follows:
New
Accounting Pronouncements
In June 2009, the FASB issued new guidance which eliminates the
exceptions for qualifying special-purpose entities from
consolidation guidance and the exception that permitted sale
accounting for certain mortgage securitization when a transferor
has not surrendered control over the transferred financial
assets. The new guidance was effective for annual reporting
periods that began after November 15, 2009. The
Companys adoption of this new guidance did not have a
material impact on the Companys consolidated financial
statements.
In June 2009, the FASB issued new guidance which replaces the
quantitative-based risks and rewards calculation for determining
which enterprise, if any, has a controlling financial interest
in a variable interest entity (VIE) with an approach
focused on identifying which enterprise has the power to direct
the activities of the VIE
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that most significantly impacts the entitys economic
performance and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to
receive benefits from the entity. The new guidance was effective
for annual reporting periods that began after November 15,
2009. The Companys adoption of this new guidance did not
have a material impact on the Companys consolidated
financial statements.
In January 2010, the FASB issued new guidance that clarifies the
decrease-in-ownership
of subsidiaries provisions of GAAP. The new guidance clarifies
to which subsidiaries the
decrease-in-ownership
provision of Accounting Standards Codification
810-10
apply. The new guidance was effective for the Company in the
first quarter of 2010. The Companys adoption of this new
guidance did not have a material impact on the Companys
consolidated financial statements.
In January 2010, the FASB issued new guidance related to the
disclosures about transfers into and out of Levels 1 and 2
fair value classifications and separate disclosures about
purchases, sales, issuances and settlements relating to the
Level 3 fair value classification. The new guidance also
clarifies existing fair value disclosures about the level of
disaggregation and about inputs and valuation techniques used to
measure the fair value. The new guidance was effective for the
Company in the first quarter of 2010 except for the requirement
to provide the Level 3 activity of purchases, sales,
issuances and settlements on a gross basis, which is effective
for the Company in the first quarter of 2011. The Companys
adoption of this new guidance did not have a material impact on
the Companys consolidated financial statements. The
Company also does not expect the Level 3 requirements of
the new guidance effective the first quarter of 2011 to have a
material impact on the Companys consolidated financial
statements.
Results
of Operations
2010
Compared to 2009
The comparison of operating results for 2010 to the operating
results for 2009 are affected by the impact of one additional
selling week in 2009 due to the Companys fiscal year
ending on the Sunday closest to December 31. The estimated
net sales, gross margin and S,D&A expenses for the
additional selling week in 2009 of approximately
$18 million, $6 million and $4 million,
respectively, are included in reported results for 2009.
A summary of key information concerning the Companys
financial results for 2010 and 2009 follows:
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Net sales increased $71.6 million, or 5.0%, to
$1.51 billion in 2010 compared to $1.44 billion in
2009. The increase in net sales from 2010 to 2009 was a result
of the following:
The immediate consumption business sales volume increased by
4.7% driven by the Companys 16/24 ounce convenience store
strategy and the Companys focus on on-premise accounts.
Future consumption business sales volume increased by 4.2%
primarily due to volume increases in the food stores.
In 2010, the Companys bottle/can sales to retail customers
accounted for 82% of the Companys total net sales.
Bottle/can net pricing is based on the invoice price charged to
customers reduced by promotional allowances. Bottle/can net
pricing per unit is impacted by the price charged per package,
the volume generated in each package and the channels in which
those packages are sold. The decrease in the Companys
bottle/can net price per unit in
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2010 compared to 2009 was primarily due to sales price decreases
in all product categories, except diet sparkling beverages.
Product category sales volume in 2010 and 2009 as a percentage
of total bottle/can sales volume and the percentage change by
product category were as follows:
The Companys products are sold and distributed through
various channels. These channels include selling directly to
retail stores and other outlets such as food markets,
institutional accounts and vending machine outlets. During 2010,
approximately 69% of the Companys bottle/can volume was
sold for future consumption. The remaining bottle/can volume of
approximately 31% was sold for immediate consumption. The
Companys largest customer, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.,
accounted for approximately 24% of the Companys total
bottle/can volume during 2010 and accounted for approximately
17% of the Companys total net sales during 2010. The
Companys second largest customer, Food Lion, LLC,
accounted for approximately 10% of the Companys total
bottle/can volume in 2010. All of the Companys beverage
sales are to customers in the United States.
The Company recorded delivery fees in net sales of
$7.5 million in 2010 and $7.8 million in 2009. These
fees are used to offset a portion of the Companys delivery
and handling costs.
Cost of sales includes the following: raw material costs,
manufacturing labor, manufacturing overhead including
depreciation expense, manufacturing warehousing costs and
shipping and handling costs related to the movement of finished
goods from manufacturing locations to sales distribution centers.
Cost of sales increased 6.2%, or $50.8 million, to
$873.8 million in 2010 compared to $823.0 million in
2009.
The increase in cost of sales for 2010 compared to 2009 was
principally attributable to the following:
The Company entered into an agreement (the Incidence
Pricing Agreement) with The
Coca-Cola
Company to test an incidence-based concentrate pricing model for
2008 for all
Coca-Cola
Trademark Beverages and Allied Beverages for which the Company
purchases concentrate from The
Coca-Cola
Company. During the term of the Incidence Pricing Agreement, the
pricing of the concentrates for the
Coca-Cola
Trademark Beverages and Allied Beverages is governed by the
Incidence Pricing Agreement rather than the Cola and Allied
Beverage Agreements. The concentrate price The
Coca-Cola
Company charges under the Incidence Pricing Agreement is
impacted by a number of factors including the Companys
pricing of finished products, the channels in which the finished
products
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are sold and package mix. The
Coca-Cola
Company must give the Company at least 90 days written
notice before changing the price the Company pays for the
concentrate. For 2009 and 2010, the Company continued to utilize
the incidence pricing model, and the Incidence Pricing Agreement
has been extended through December 31, 2011 under the same
terms as 2010 and 2009.
The Company relies extensively on advertising and sales
promotion in the marketing of its products. The
Coca-Cola
Company and other beverage companies that supply concentrates,
syrups and finished products to the Company make substantial
marketing and advertising expenditures to promote sales in the
local territories served by the Company. The Company also
benefits from national advertising programs conducted by The
Coca-Cola
Company and other beverage companies. Certain of the marketing
expenditures by The
Coca-Cola
Company and other beverage companies are made pursuant to annual
arrangements. Although The
Coca-Cola
Company has advised the Company that it intends to continue to
provide marketing funding support, it is not obligated to do so
under the Companys Beverage Agreements. Significant
decreases in marketing funding support from The
Coca-Cola
Company or other beverage companies could adversely impact
operating results of the Company in the future.
Raw material costs, including packaging and fuel, have begun to
rise significantly in 2011.
The Companys production facility located in Nashville,
Tennessee was damaged by a flood in May 2010. The Company
recorded a gain of $.9 million from the replacement of
production equipment damaged by the flood. The gain was based on
replacement value insurance coverage that exceeded the net book
value of the damaged production equipment.
Total marketing funding support from The
Coca-Cola
Company and other beverage companies, which includes direct
payments to the Company and payments to customers for marketing
programs, was $53.6 million in 2010 compared to
$54.6 million in 2009.
Gross margin dollars increased 3.4%, or $20.8 million, to
$640.8 million in 2010 compared to $620.0 million in
2009. Gross margin as a percentage of net sales decreased to
42.3% in 2010 from 43.0% in 2009.
The increase in gross margin for 2010 compared to 2009 was
primarily the result of the following:
The decrease in gross margin percentage was primarily due to
lower sales price per bottle/can unit and increased cost due to
the Companys aluminum hedging program.
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The Companys gross margins may not be comparable to other
companies, since some entities include all costs related to
their distribution network in cost of sales. The Company
includes a portion of these costs in S,D&A expenses.
S,D&A expenses include the following: sales management
labor costs, distribution costs from sales distribution centers
to customer locations, sales distribution center warehouse
costs, depreciation expense related to sales centers, delivery
vehicles and cold drink equipment,
point-of-sale
expenses, advertising expenses, cold drink equipment repair
costs, amortization of intangibles and administrative support
labor and operating costs such as treasury, legal, information
services, accounting, internal control services, human resources
and executive management costs.
S,D&A expenses increased by $19.0 million, or 3.6%, to
$544.5 million in 2010 from $525.5 million in 2009.
S,D&A expenses as a percentage of sales decreased to 35.9%
in 2010 from 36.4% in 2009.
The increase in S,D&A expenses for 2010 compared to 2009
was primarily due to the following:
Shipping and handling costs related to the movement of finished
goods from manufacturing locations to sales distribution centers
are included in cost of sales. Shipping and handling costs
related to the movement of finished goods from sales
distribution centers to customer locations are included in
S,D&A expenses and totaled $187.2 million and
$188.9 million in 2010 and 2009, respectively.
The net impact of the Companys fuel hedging program was to
increase fuel costs by $1.7 million in 2010 and decrease
fuel costs by $2.4 million in 2009.
During the third quarter of 2010, the Company performed a review
of property, plant and equipment for potential impairment of
held-for-sale
assets. As a result of this review, $.4 million was
recorded to impairment expense for four
Company-owned
sales distribution centers
held-for-sale.
During the fourth quarter of 2010, market analysis of another
sales distribution center
held-for-sale
resulted in a $.5 million impairment expense. During the
fourth quarter of 2010, the Company determined the warehouse
operations in Sumter, South Carolina would be relocated to other
facilities. Due to this relocation, the Company recorded
impairment and accelerated depreciation of $2.2 million for
the value of equipment and real estate related to the
Companys Sumter, South Carolina property. In the third and
fourth quarters of 2010, the Company also recorded accelerated
depreciation of $.5 million for property, plant and
equipment which is scheduled to be replaced in the first quarter
of 2011.
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Primarily due to the performance of the Companys pension
plan investments during 2009, the Companys expense
recorded in S,D&A expenses related to the two
Company-sponsored pension plans decreased by $4.8 million
from $9.7 million in 2009 to $4.9 million in 2010.
The Company suspended matching contributions to its 401(k)
Savings Plan effective April 1, 2009. The Company
maintained the option to match its employees 401(k)
Savings Plan contributions based on the financial results for
2009. The Company subsequently decided to match the first 5% of
its employees contributions (consistent with the first
quarter of 2009 matching contribution percentage) for the entire
year of 2009. The Company matched the first 3% of its
employees contribution for 2010. The Company maintained
the option to increase the matching contributions an additional
2%, for a total of 5%, for the Companys employees based on
the financial results for 2010. Based on the Companys
financial results, the Company decided to increase the matching
contributions for the additional 2% for the entire year of 2010.
The additional 2% matching was paid as follows: the first
quarter paid in the second quarter, the second quarter paid in
the third quarter, the third quarter paid in the fourth quarter
and the fourth quarter paid in the first quarter of 2011. The
Company accrued $.7 million in the fourth quarter for the
payment in the first quarter of 2011. The total expense for this
benefit was $8.7 million and $8.6 million in 2010 and
2009, respectively.
Interest expense, net decreased 6.0%, or $2.3 million in
2010 compared to 2009. The decrease in interest expense, net in
2010 was primarily due to lower levels of borrowing. The
Companys overall weighted average interest rate increased
to 5.9% during 2010 from 5.8% in 2009. See the Liquidity
and Capital Resources Hedging Activities
Interest Rate Hedging section of M,D&A for additional
information.
The Companys effective tax rate, as calculated by dividing
income tax expense by income before income taxes, for 2010 and
2009 was 35.4% and 29.0%, respectively. The increase in the
effective tax rate for 2010 resulted primarily from a lower
reduction in the reserve for uncertain tax positions in 2010 as
compared to 2009 and the elimination of the tax deduction
associated with Medicare Part D subsidy as required by the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act enacted on
March 23, 2010 and the Health Care and Education
Reconciliation Act of 2010 enacted on March 30, 2010.
During 2010, the Company recorded tax expense totaling
$.5 million related to changes made to the tax
deductibility of Medicare Part D subsidies. The
Companys effective tax rate, as calculated by dividing
income tax expense by the difference of income before income
taxes minus net income attributable to the noncontrolling
interest, for 2010 and 2009 was 37.5% and 30.3%, respectively.
In the first quarter of 2009, the Company reached an agreement
with a taxing authority to settle prior tax positions for which
the Company had previously provided reserves due to uncertainty
of resolution. As a result, the Company reduced the liability
for uncertain tax positions by $1.7 million. The net effect
of the adjustment was a decrease to income tax expense of
approximately $1.7 million. In the third quarter of 2009,
the Company reduced its liability for uncertain tax positions by
$5.4 million. The net effect of the adjustment was a
decrease to income tax expense of approximately
$5.4 million. The reduction of the liability for uncertain
tax positions was due mainly to the lapse of the applicable
statute of limitations. In the third quarter of 2010, the
Company reduced its liability for uncertain tax positions by
$1.7 million. The net effect of the adjustment was a
decrease to income tax expense of approximately
$1.7 million. The reduction of the liability for uncertain
tax positions was due mainly to the lapse of the applicable
statute of limitations. See Note 14 to the consolidated
financial statements for additional information.
The Companys income tax assets and liabilities are subject
to adjustment in future periods based on the Companys
ongoing evaluations of such assets and liabilities and new
information that becomes available to the Company.
Noncontrolling
Interest
The Company recorded net income attributable to the
noncontrolling interest of $3.5 million in 2010 compared to
$2.4 million in 2009 primarily related to the portion of
Piedmont owned by The
Coca-Cola
Company.
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2009
Compared to 2008
The comparison of operating results for 2009 to the operating
results for 2008 are affected by the impact of one additional
selling week in 2009 due to the Companys fiscal year
ending on the Sunday closest to December 31. The estimated
net sales, gross margin and S,D&A expenses for the
additional selling week in 2009 of approximately
$18 million, $6 million and $4 million,
respectively, are included in reported results for 2009.
A summary of key information concerning the Companys
financial results for 2009 compared to 2008 follows:
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Net sales decreased $20.6 million, or 1.4%, to
$1.44 billion in 2009 compared to $1.46 billion in
2008. The decrease in net sales for 2009 compared to 2008 was a
result of the following:
In 2009, the Companys bottle/can sales to retail customers
accounted for 84% of the Companys total net sales.
Bottle/can net pricing is based on the invoice price charged to
customers reduced by promotional allowances. Bottle/can net
pricing per unit is impacted by the price charged per package,
the volume generated in each package and the channels in which
those packages are sold. The increase in the Companys
bottle/can net price per unit in 2009 compared to 2008 was
primarily due to sales price increases in all product
categories, except enhanced water products, and increases in
sales volume of energy products which have a higher sales price
per unit, partially offset by decreases in sales of higher price
packages (primarily in the convenience store and cold drink
channels) and a lower sales price per unit for bottled water.
Product category sales volume in 2009 and 2008 as a percentage
of total bottle/can sales volume and the percentage change by
product category were as follows:
The Companys products are sold and distributed through
various channels. These channels include selling directly to
retail stores and other outlets such as food markets,
institutional accounts and vending machine outlets. During 2009,
approximately 69% of the Companys bottle/can volume was
sold for future consumption. The remaining bottle/can volume of
approximately 31% was sold for immediate consumption. The
Companys largest customer, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.,
accounted for approximately 19% of the Companys total
bottle/can volume during 2009. The Companys second largest
customer, Food Lion, LLC, accounted for approximately 11% of the
Companys total bottle/can volume in 2009. All of the
Companys beverage sales are to customers in the United
States.
The Company recorded delivery fees in net sales of
$7.8 million in 2009 and $6.7 million in 2008. These
fees are used to offset a portion of the Companys delivery
and handling costs.
Cost of sales decreased 3.0%, or $25.4 million, to
$823.0 million in 2009 compared to $848.4 million in
2008.
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The decrease in cost of sales for 2009 compared to 2008 was
principally attributable to the following:
The Company recorded an increase in its equity investment in a
plastic bottle cooperative in the second quarter of 2008 which
resulted in a pre-tax credit of $2.6 million. This increase
was made based on information received from the cooperative
during the quarter and reflected a higher share of the
cooperatives retained earnings compared to the amount
previously recorded by the Company. The Company classifies its
equity in earnings of the cooperative in cost of sales
consistent with the classification of purchases from the
cooperative.
The Company entered into an agreement with The
Coca-Cola
Company to test an incidence pricing model for 2008 for all
sparkling beverage products for which the Company purchases
concentrate from The
Coca-Cola
Company. For 2009, the Company continued to utilize the
incidence pricing model and did not purchase concentrates at
standard concentrate prices as was the practice in prior years.
Total marketing funding support from The
Coca-Cola
Company and other beverage companies, which includes direct
payments to the Company and payments to customers for marketing
programs, was $54.6 million in 2009 compared to
$51.8 million in 2008.
Gross margin dollars increased .8%, or $4.8 million, to
$620.0 million in 2009 compared to $615.2 million in
2008. Gross margin as a percentage of net sales increased to
43.0% in 2009 from 42.0% in 2008.
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The increase in gross margin for 2009 compared to 2008 was
primarily the result of the following:
The increase in gross margin percentage was primarily due to
higher sales prices per unit and a decrease in cost of sales due
to the Companys aluminum hedging program partially offset
by higher raw material costs.
S,D&A expenses decreased by $30.2 million, or 5.4%, to
$525.5 million in 2009 from $555.7 million in 2008.
The decrease in S,D&A expenses for 2009 compared to 2008
was primarily due to the following:
Shipping and handling costs related to the movement of finished
goods from manufacturing locations to sales distribution centers
are included in cost of sales. Shipping and handling costs
related to the movement of finished goods from sales
distribution centers to customer locations are included in
S,D&A expenses and totaled $188.9 million and
$201.6 million in 2009 and 2008, respectively.
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On July 15, 2008, the Company initiated a plan to
reorganize the structure of its operating units and support
services, which resulted in the elimination of approximately 350
positions, or approximately 5% of its workforce. As a result of
this plan, the Company incurred $4.6 million in
restructuring expenses in 2008 for one-time termination
benefits. The plan was completed in 2008 and the majority of
cash expenditures occurred in 2008.
The Company entered into a new agreement with a collective
bargaining unit in the third quarter of 2008. The collective
bargaining unit represents approximately 270 employees, or
approximately 4% of the Companys total workforce. The new
agreement allowed the Company to freeze its liability to Central
States, a multi-employer pension fund, while preserving the
pension benefits previously earned by the employees. As a result
of the new agreement, the Company recorded a charge of
$13.6 million in 2008. The Company paid $3.0 million
in 2008 to the Southern States Savings and Retirement Plan
(Southern States) under this agreement. The
remaining $10.6 million is the present value amount, using
a discount rate of 7%, which will be paid under the agreement
and has been recorded in other liabilities. The Company will pay
approximately $1 million annually over the next
20 years to Central States. The Company will also make
future contributions on behalf of these employees to the
Southern States, a multi-employer defined contribution plan. In
addition, the Company incurred approximately $.4 million in
expense to settle a strike by union employees covered by this
plan.
Primarily due to the performance of the Companys pension
plan investments during 2008, the Companys expense related
to the two Company-sponsored pension plans increased from a
$2.3 million credit in 2008 to an expense of
$11.2 million in 2009.
The Company suspended matching contributions to its 401(k)
Savings Plan effective April 1, 2009. The Company
maintained the option to match its employees 401(k)
Savings Plan contributions based on the financial results for
2009. In the third quarter of 2009, the Company decided to match
the first 5% of its employees contributions for the period
of April 1, 2009 through August 31, 2009. In the
fourth quarter of 2009, the Company paid $3.6 million to
the 401(k) Savings Plan for the five month period. In the fourth
quarter of 2009, the Company decided to match the first 5% of
its employees contributions from September 1, 2009 to
the end of the fiscal year. The Company accrued
$2.9 million in the fourth quarter for this payment.
Interest expense, net decreased 5.6%, or $2.2 million in
2009 compared to 2008. The decrease in interest expense, net in
2009 was primarily due to lower levels of borrowing. The
Companys overall weighted average interest rate increased
to 5.8% during 2009 from 5.7% in 2008. See the Liquidity
and Capital Resources Hedging Activities
Interest Rate Hedging section of M,D&A for additional
information.
The Companys effective income tax rate as calculated by
dividing income tax expense by income before income taxes for
2009 was 29.0% compared to 42.2% in 2008. The lower effective
income tax rate for 2009 resulted primarily from a decrease in
the Companys reserve for uncertain tax positions. The
Companys effective tax rate as calculated by dividing
income tax expense by the difference of income before income
taxes minus net income attributable to the noncontrolling
interest was 30.3% for 2009 compared to 48.0% for 2008. See
Note 14 of the consolidated financial statements for
additional information.
Noncontrolling
Interest
The Company recorded net income attributable to the
noncontrolling interest of $2.4 million in both 2009 and
2008 related to the portion of Piedmont owned by The
Coca-Cola
Company.
Financial
Condition
Total assets increased to $1.31 billion at January 2,
2011 from $1.28 billion at January 3, 2010 primarily
due to increases in cash and cash equivalents and accounts
receivable offset by decreases in property, plant and equipment,
net, leased property under capital leases, net and in prepaid
expenses and other current assets. Property, plant and
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equipment, net decreased primarily due to lower levels of
capital spending over the past several years. Leased property
under capital leases, net decreased due to the amortization
expense.
Net working capital, defined as current assets less current
liabilities, increased by $19.7 million to
$88.0 million at January 2, 2011 from
$68.3 million at January 3, 2010.
Significant changes in net working capital from January 3,
2010 to January 2, 2011 were as follows:
Debt and capital lease obligations were $582.3 million as
of January 2, 2011 compared to $601.0 million as of
January 3, 2010. Debt and capital lease obligations as of
January 2, 2011 and January 3, 2010 included
$59.2 million and $63.1 million, respectively, of
capital lease obligations related primarily to Company
facilities.
Contributions to the Companys pension plans were
$9.5 million and $10.1 million in 2010 and 2009,
respectively. The Company anticipates that contributions to the
principal Company-sponsored pension plan in 2011 will be in the
range of $7 million to $10 million.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
The Companys sources of capital include cash flows from
operations, available credit facilities and the issuance of debt
and equity securities. Management believes the Company has
sufficient financial resources available to finance its business
plan, meet its working capital requirements and maintain an
appropriate level of capital spending. The amount and frequency
of future dividends will be determined by the Companys
Board of Directors in light of the earnings and financial
condition of the Company at such time, and no assurance can be
given that dividends will be declared or paid in the future.
As of January 2, 2011, the Company had all
$200 million available under its $200 million facility
to meet its cash requirements. The $200 million facility
contains two financial covenants: a fixed charges coverage ratio
and a debt to operating cash flow ratio, each as defined in the
credit agreement. The fixed charges coverage ratio requires the
Company to maintain a consolidated cash flow to fixed charges
ratio of 1.5 to 1 or higher. The operating cash flow ratio
requires the Company to maintain a debt to operating cash flow
ratio of 6.0 to 1 or lower. The Company is currently in
compliance with these covenants and has been throughout 2010.
In April 2009, the Company issued $110 million of unsecured
7% Senior Notes due 2019.
The Company had debt maturities of $119.3 million in May
2009 and $57.4 million in July 2009. On May 1, 2009,
the Company used the proceeds from the $110 million
7% Senior Notes due 2019 plus cash on hand to repay the
debt maturity of $119.3 million. The Company used cash flow
generated from operations and $55.0 million in borrowings
under its $200 million facility to repay the
$57.4 million debt maturity on July 1, 2009. The
Company currently believes that all of the banks participating
in the Companys $200 million facility have the
ability to and will meet any funding requests from the Company.
The Company has obtained the majority of its long-term
financing, other than capital leases, from public markets. As of
January 2, 2011, $523.1 million of the Companys
total outstanding balance of debt and capital lease obligations
of $582.3 million was financed through publicly offered
debt. The Company had capital lease obligations of
$59.2 million as of January 2, 2011. There were no
amounts outstanding on the $200 million
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facility or the Companys uncommitted line of credit as of
January 2, 2011. The Companys $200 million
facility matures in March 2012. The Company intends to negotiate
a new revolving credit facility during 2011 to provide ongoing
liquidity to the Company.
The primary sources of cash for the Company has been cash
provided by operating activities, investing activities and
financing activities. The primary uses of cash have been for
capital expenditures, the payment of debt and capital lease
obligations, dividend payments, income tax payments and pension
payments.
A summary of cash activity for 2010 and 2009 follows:
Based on current projections, which include a number of
assumptions such as the Companys pre-tax earnings, the
Company anticipates its cash requirements for income taxes will
be between $15 million and $20 million in 2011.
Additions to property, plant and equipment during 2010 were
$58.1 million of which $10.4 million were accrued in
accounts payable, trade as unpaid and $1.5 million was a
trade allowance on manufacturing equipment. This compared to
$55.0 million in additions to property, plant and equipment
during 2009 of which $11.6 million were accrued in accounts
payable, trade as unpaid. Capital expenditures during 2010 were
funded with cash flows from operations. The Company anticipates
that additions to property, plant and equipment in 2011 will be
in the range of $60 million to $70 million. Leasing is
used for certain capital additions when considered cost
effective relative to other sources of capital. The Company
currently leases its corporate headquarters, two production
facilities and several sales distribution facilities and
administrative facilities.
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On March 8, 2007, the Company entered into a
$200 million facility. The $200 million facility
matures in March 2012 and includes an option to extend the term
for an additional year at the discretion of the participating
banks. The $200 million facility bears interest at a
floating base rate or a floating rate of LIBOR plus an interest
rate spread of .35%, dependent on the length of the term of the
interest period. In addition, the Company must pay an annual
facility fee of .10% of the lenders aggregate commitments
under the facility. Both the interest rate spread and the
facility fee are determined from a commonly-used pricing grid
based on the Companys long-term senior unsecured debt
rating. The $200 million facility contains two financial
covenants: a fixed charges coverage ratio and a debt to
operating cash flow ratio, each as defined in the credit
agreement. The fixed charges coverage ratio requires the Company
to maintain a consolidated cash flow to fixed charges ratio of
1.5 to 1 or higher. The operating cash flow ratio requires the
Company to maintain a debt to operating cash flow ratio of 6.0
to 1 or lower. On August 25, 2008, the Company entered into
an amendment to the $200 million facility. The amendment
clarified that charges incurred by the Company resulting from
the Companys withdrawal from Central States would be
excluded from the calculations of the financial covenants to the
extent they were incurred on or before March 31, 2009 and
did not exceed $15 million. See Note 17 of the
consolidated financial statements for additional details on the
withdrawal from Central States. The Company is currently in
compliance with these covenants as amended by the amendment to
the $200 million facility. These covenants do not
currently, and the Company does not anticipate they will
restrict its liquidity or capital resources. On July 1,
2009 the Company borrowed $55 million under the
$200 million facility and used the proceeds, along with
$2.4 million of cash on hand, to repay at maturity the
Companys $57.4 million outstanding
7.2% Debentures due 2009. On January 2, 2011, the
Company had no outstanding borrowings on the $200 million
facility. On January 3, 2010, the Company had
$15.0 million outstanding under the $200 million
facility. The Companys $200 million facility matures in
March 2012. The Company intends to negotiate a new revolving
credit facility during 2011 to provide ongoing liquidity to the
Company.
In April 2009, the Company issued $110 million of
7% Senior Notes due 2019. The proceeds plus cash on hand
were used on May 1, 2009 to repay at maturity the
$119.3 million outstanding 6.375% Debentures due 2009.
On February 10, 2010, the Company entered into an agreement
for an uncommitted line of credit. Under this agreement, the
Company may borrow up to a total of $20 million for periods
of 7 days, 30 days, 60 days or 90 days at
the discretion at the participating bank. On January 2,
2011, the Company had no amount outstanding under the
uncommitted line of credit.
The Company filed a $300 million shelf registration for
debt and equity securities in November 2008. The Company
currently has $190 million available for use under this
shelf registration which, subject to the Companys ability
to consummate a transaction on acceptable terms, could be used
for long-term financing or refinancing of debt maturities.
All of the outstanding debt has been issued by the Company with
none having been issued by any of the Companys
subsidiaries. There are no guarantees of the Companys
debt. The Company or its subsidiaries have entered into four
capital leases.
At January 2, 2011, the Companys credit ratings were
as follows:
The Companys credit ratings are reviewed periodically by
the respective rating agencies. Changes in the Companys
operating results or financial position could result in changes
in the Companys credit ratings. Lower credit ratings could
result in higher borrowing costs for the Company or reduced
access to capital markets, which could have a material impact on
the Companys financial position or results of operations.
There were no changes in these credit ratings from the prior
year and the credit ratings are currently stable.
The Companys public debt is not subject to financial
covenants but does limit the incurrence of certain liens and
encumbrances as well as indebtedness by the Companys
subsidiaries in excess of certain amounts.
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The Company is a member of two manufacturing cooperatives and
has guaranteed $29.0 million of debt and related lease
obligations for these entities as of January 2, 2011. In
addition, the Company has an equity ownership in each of the
entities. The members of both cooperatives consist solely of
Coca-Cola
bottlers. The Company does not anticipate either of these
cooperatives will fail to fulfill their commitments. The Company
further believes each of these cooperatives has sufficient
assets, including production equipment, facilities and working
capital, and the ability to adjust selling prices of their
products to adequately mitigate the risk of material loss from
the Companys guarantees. As of January 2, 2011, the
Companys maximum exposure, if the entities borrowed up to
their borrowing capacity, would have been $71.8 million
including the Companys equity interest. See Note 13
and Note 18 of the consolidated financial statements for
additional information about these entities.
The following table summarizes the Companys contractual
obligations and commercial commitments as of January 2,
2011:
The Company has $4.8 million of uncertain tax positions,
including accrued interest, as of January 2, 2011 (excluded
from other long-term liabilities in the table above because the
Company is uncertain if or when such amounts will be recognized)
of which $2.5 million would affect the Companys
effective tax rate if recognized. While it is expected that the
amount of uncertain tax positions may change in the next
12 months, the Company does not expect such change would
have a significant impact on the consolidated financial
statements. See Note 14 of the consolidated financial
statements for additional information.
The Company is a member of Southeastern Container, a plastic
bottle manufacturing cooperative, from which the Company is
obligated to purchase at least 80% of its requirements of
plastic bottles for certain designated
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territories. This obligation is not included in the
Companys table of contractual obligations and commercial
commitments since there are no minimum purchase requirements.
As of January 2, 2011, the Company has $23.1 million
of standby letters of credit, primarily related to its property
and casualty insurance programs. See Note 13 of the
consolidated financial statements for additional information
related to commercial commitments, guarantees, legal and tax
matters.
The Company contributed $9.5 million to its
Company-sponsored pension plans in 2010. The Company anticipates
that it will be required to make contributions to its two
Company-sponsored pension plans in 2011. Based on information
currently available, the Company estimates cash contributions in
2011 will be in the range of $7 million to
$10 million. Postretirement medical care payments are
expected to be approximately $2.8 million in 2011. See
Note 17 to the consolidated financial statements for
additional information related to pension and postretirement
obligations.
Hedging
Activities
The Company periodically uses interest rate hedging products to
mitigate risk from interest rate fluctuations. The Company has
historically altered its fixed/floating rate mix based upon
anticipated cash flows from operations relative to the
Companys debt level and the potential impact of changes in
interest rates on the Companys overall financial
condition. Sensitivity analyses are performed to review the
impact on the Companys financial position and coverage of
various interest rate movements. The Company does not use
derivative financial instruments for trading purposes nor does
it use leveraged financial instruments.
In September 2008, the Company terminated six interest rate swap
agreements with a notional amount of $225 million it had
outstanding. The Company received $6.2 million in cash
proceeds including $1.1 million for previously accrued
interest receivable. After accounting for the previously accrued
interest receivable, the Company will amortize a gain of
$5.1 million over the remaining term of the underlying
debt. The Company has no interest rate swap agreements
outstanding as of January 2, 2011.
Interest expense was reduced by $1.2 million,
$2.1 million and $2.2 million, respectively, due to
amortization of the deferred gains on previously terminated
interest rate swap agreements and forward interest rate
agreements during 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively. Interest
expense will be reduced by the amortization of these deferred
gains in 2011 through 2015 as follows: $1.2 million,
$1.1 million, $.5 million, $.6 million and
$.1 million, respectively.
The weighted average interest rate of the Companys debt
and capital lease obligations was 5.8% as of January 2,
2011 compared to 5.6% as of January 3, 2010. The
Companys overall weighted average interest rate on its
debt and capital lease obligations, increased to 5.9% in 2010
from 5.8% in 2009. None of the Companys debt and capital
lease obligations of $582.3 million as of January 2,
2011 was maintained on a floating rate basis or was subject to
changes in short-term interest rates.
The Company uses derivative instruments to hedge the majority of
the Companys vehicle fuel purchases. These derivative
instruments related to diesel fuel and unleaded gasoline used in
the Companys delivery fleet and other vehicles. The
Company used derivative instruments to hedge essentially all of
the Companys projected diesel fuel purchases for 2009 and
2010. The Company pays a fee for these instruments which is
amortized over the corresponding period of the instrument. The
Company accounts for its fuel hedges on a
mark-to-market
basis with any expense or income reflected as an adjustment of
fuel costs.
The Company uses several different financial institutions for
commodity derivative instruments to minimize the concentration
of credit risk. The Company has master agreements with the
counterparties to its derivative financial agreements that
provide for net settlement of derivative transactions.
In October 2008, the Company entered into derivative instruments
to hedge essentially all of its projected diesel fuel purchases
for 2009 establishing an upper and lower limit on the
Companys price of diesel fuel. During
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the fourth quarter of 2008, the Company recorded a pre-tax
mark-to-market
loss of $2.0 million related to these 2009 contracts.
In February 2009, the Company entered into derivative
instruments to hedge essentially all of its projected diesel
purchases for 2010 establishing an upper limit to the
Companys price of diesel fuel.
The net impact of the fuel hedges was to increase fuel costs by
$1.7 million in 2010, decrease fuel costs by
$2.4 million in 2009 and increase fuel costs by
$.8 million in 2008.
In February 2011, the Company entered into derivative
instruments to hedge all of its projected diesel fuel and
unleaded gasoline purchases for the second, third and fourth
quarters of 2011 establishing an upper limit on the
Companys price of diesel fuel and unleaded gasoline.
Aluminum
Hedging
At the end of the first quarter of 2009, the Company entered
into derivative instruments to hedge approximately 75% of the
Companys projected 2010 aluminum purchase requirements.
The Company pays a fee for these instruments which is amortized
over the corresponding period of the instruments. The Company
accounts for its aluminum hedges on a
mark-to-market
basis with any expense or income being reflected as an
adjustment to cost of sales.
During the second quarter of 2009, the Company entered into
derivative agreements to hedge approximately 75% of the
Companys projected 2011 aluminum purchase requirements.
The net impact of the Companys aluminum hedging program
was to increase cost of sales by $2.6 million in 2010 and
decrease cost of sales by $10.8 million in 2009.
CAUTIONARY
INFORMATION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on
Form 10-K,
as well as information included in future filings by the Company
with the Securities and Exchange Commission and information
contained in written material, press releases and oral
statements issued by or on behalf of the Company, contains, or
may contain, forward-looking management comments and other
statements that reflect managements current outlook for
future periods. These statements include, among others,
statements relating to:
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These statements and expectations are based on currently
available competitive, financial and economic data along with
the Companys operating plans, and are subject to future
events and uncertainties that could cause anticipated events not
to occur or actual results to differ materially from historical
or anticipated results. Factors that could impact those
differences or adversely affect future periods include, but are
not limited to, the factors set forth under
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
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Caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on the
Companys forward-looking statements, which reflect the
expectations of management of the Company only as of the time
such statements are made. The Company undertakes no obligation
to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
The Company is exposed to certain market risks that arise in the
ordinary course of business. The Company may enter into
derivative financial instrument transactions to manage or reduce
market risk. The Company does not enter into derivative
financial instrument transactions for trading purposes. A
discussion of the Companys primary market risk exposure
and interest rate risk is presented below.
The Company is subject to interest rate risk on its fixed and
floating rate debt. The Company periodically uses interest rate
hedging products to modify risk from interest rate fluctuations.
The Company has historically altered its fixed/floating rate mix
based upon anticipated cash flows from operations relative to
the Companys overall financial condition. Sensitivity
analyses are performed to review the impact on the
Companys financial position and coverage of various
interest rate movements. The counterparties to these interest
rate hedging arrangements were major financial institutions with
which the Company also has other financial relationships. The
Company did not have any interest rate hedging products as of
January 2, 2011. The Company generally maintains between
40% and 60% of total borrowings at variable interest rates after
taking into account all of the interest rate hedging activities.
While this is the target range for the percentage of total
borrowings at variable interest rates, the financial position of
the Company and market conditions may result in strategies
outside of this range at certain points in time. None of the
Companys debt and capital lease obligations of
$582.3 million as of January 2, 2011 were subject to
changes in short-term interest rates.
The Company is also subject to commodity price risk arising from
price movements for certain commodities included as part of its
raw materials. The Company manages this commodity price risk in
some cases by entering into contracts with adjustable prices.
The Company has not historically used derivative commodity
instruments in the management of this risk. The Company
estimates that a 10% increase in the market prices of these
commodities over the current market prices would cumulatively
increase costs during the next 12 months by approximately
$23 million assuming no change in volume.
The Company entered into derivative instruments to hedge
essentially all of the Companys projected diesel fuel
purchases for 2009 and 2010. These derivative instruments relate
to diesel fuel used in the Companys delivery fleet. In
February 2011, the Company entered into derivative instruments
to hedge all of the Companys projected diesel fuel and
unleaded gasoline purchases for the second, third and fourth
quarters of 2011. The Company pays a fee for these instruments
which is amortized over the corresponding period of the
instrument. The Company currently accounts for its fuel hedges
on a
mark-to-market
basis with any expense or income reflected as an adjustment of
fuel costs.
At the end of the first quarter of 2009, the Company entered
into derivative instruments to hedge approximately 75% of its
projected 2010 aluminum purchase requirements. During the second
quarter of 2009, the Company entered into derivative agreements
to hedge approximately 75% of the Companys projected 2011
aluminum purchase requirements. The Company pays a fee for these
instruments which is amortized over the corresponding period of
the instruments. The Company accounts for its aluminum hedges on
a
mark-to-market
basis with any expense or income being reflected as an
adjustment to cost of sales.
The principal effect of inflation on the Companys
operating results is to increase costs. The Company may raise
selling prices to offset these cost increases; however, the
resulting impact on retail prices may reduce volumes purchased
by consumers.
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COCA-COLA
BOTTLING CO. CONSOLIDATED
See Accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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COCA-COLA
BOTTLING CO. CONSOLIDATED
See Accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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COCA-COLA
BOTTLING CO. CONSOLIDATED
See Accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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COCA-COLA
BOTTLING CO. CONSOLIDATED
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
See Accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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COCA-COLA
BOTTLING CO. CONSOLIDATED
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY
See Accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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COCA-COLA
BOTTLING CO. CONSOLIDATED
NOTES TO
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Coca-Cola
Bottling Co. Consolidated (the Company) produces,
markets and distributes nonalcoholic beverages, primarily
products of The
Coca-Cola
Company. The Company operates principally in the southeastern
region of the United States and has one reportable segment.
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of
the Company and its majority owned subsidiaries. All significant
intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in
conformity with United States generally accepted accounting
principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions
that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and
disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of
the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues
and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could
differ from those estimates.
The fiscal years presented are the 52-week period ended
January 2, 2011 (2010), the 53-week period
ended January 3, 2010 (2009) and the 52-week
period ended December 28, 2008 (2008). The
Companys fiscal year ends on the Sunday closest to
December 31 of each year.
Piedmont
Coca-Cola
Bottling Partnership (Piedmont) is the
Companys only subsidiary that has a significant
noncontrolling interest. Noncontrolling interest income of
$3.5 million in 2010, $2.4 million in 2009 and
$2.4 million in 2008 are included in net income on the
Companys consolidated statements of operations. In
addition, the amount of consolidated net income attributable to
both the Company and the noncontrolling interest are shown on
the Companys consolidated statements of operations.
Noncontrolling interest primarily related to Piedmont totaled
$56.5 million and $52.8 million at January 2,
2011 and January 3, 2010, respectively. These amounts are
shown as noncontrolling interest in the equity section of the
Companys consolidated balance sheets.
Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to current
classifications.
The Companys significant accounting policies are as
follows:
Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand, cash in banks
and cash equivalents, which are highly liquid debt instruments
with maturities of less than 90 days. The Company maintains
cash deposits with major banks which from time to time may
exceed federally insured limits. The Company periodically
assesses the financial condition of the institutions and
believes that the risk of any loss is minimal.
The Company sells its products to supermarkets, convenience
stores and other customers and extends credit, generally without
requiring collateral, based on an ongoing evaluation of the
customers business prospects and financial condition. The
Companys trade accounts receivable are typically collected
within approximately 30 days from the date of sale. The
Company monitors its exposure to losses on trade accounts
receivable and maintains an allowance for potential losses or
adjustments. Past due trade accounts receivable balances are
written off when the Companys collection efforts have been
unsuccessful in collecting the amount due.
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is
determined on the
first-in,
first-out method for finished products and manufacturing
materials and on the average cost method for plastic shells,
plastic pallets and other inventories.
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COCA-COLA
BOTTLING CO. CONSOLIDATED
NOTES TO
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Property, plant and equipment are recorded at cost and
depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated
useful lives of the assets. Leasehold improvements on operating
leases are depreciated over the shorter of the estimated useful
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