10-K 1 d10k.htm FORM 10-K Form 10-K

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-K

 

(Mark One)

 

  x  

Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007

 

or

 

  ¨  

Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission file Number     0-18490

 

K•SWISS INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware   95-4265988

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

31248 Oak Crest Drive,

Westlake Village, California

  91361
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code    (818) 706-5100

 

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

 

Title of each Class

 

Name of each exchange

on which registered

Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share   NASDAQ

 

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

 

None

(Title of class)

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    x  Yes    ¨  No

 

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    xNo

 

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.    x  Yes    ¨  No

 

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

 

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 definition of “accelerated filer,” “large accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

Large accelerated filer  x        Accelerated filer  ¨        Non-accelerated filer  ¨        Smaller reporting company  ¨

 

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

 

The aggregate market value of the Class A Common Stock of the Registrant held by non-affiliates of the Registrant as of June 30, 2007, the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, based on the closing price of the Class A Common Stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on such date was $754,532,976.

 

The number of shares of the Registrant’s Class A Common Stock outstanding at February 25, 2008 was 26,698,572 shares. The number of shares of the Registrant’s Class B Common Stock outstanding at February 25, 2008 was 8,059,524 shares.

 

 

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

Portions of the proxy statement for the Registrant’s 2008 Annual Stockholders Meeting are incorporated by reference into Part III.

 

 

 


K·SWISS INC.

 

INDEX TO ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

 

FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007

 

 

 

     

Caption

   Page

PART I

     

Item 1.

   Business    3

Item 1A.

   Risk Factors    10

Item 1B.

   Unresolved Staff Comments    15

Item 2.

   Properties    16

Item 3.

   Legal Proceedings    16

Item 4.

   Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders    16
PART II      

Item 5.

   Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities    18

Item 6.

   Selected Financial Data    20

Item 7.

   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations    21

Item 7A.

   Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk    33

Item 8.

   Financial Statements and Supplementary Data    34

Item 9.

   Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure    62

Item 9A.

   Controls and Procedures    62

Item 9B.

   Other Information    62
PART III      

Item 10.

   Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance    62

Item 11.

   Executive Compensation    62

Item 12.

   Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters    63

Item 13.

   Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence    63

Item 14.

   Principal Accountant Fees and Services    63
PART IV      

Item 15.

   Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules    63
SIGNATURES    66


PART I

 

Item 1.   Business

 

Company History and General Strategy

 

K•Swiss Inc. (the “Company,” “K•Swiss,” “we,” “us” and “our”) designs, develops and markets an array of athletic footwear for high performance sports use, fitness activities and casual wear under the K•Swiss brand. We also design and manufacture footwear under the Royal Elastics brand. Royal Elastics, a wholly owned subsidiary, is a leading innovator of slip-on, laceless footwear. Sales of Royal Elastics brand were not significant during 2007.

 

K•Swiss was founded in 1966 by two Swiss brothers, who introduced one of the first leather tennis shoes in the United States. The shoe, the K•Swiss “Classic,” has remained relatively unchanged from its original design, and accounts for a significant portion of our sales. The Classic has evolved from a high-performance shoe into a casual, lifestyle shoe. In our marketing, we have consistently emphasized our commitment to produce products of high quality and enduring style and we plan to continue to emphasize the high quality and classic design of our products as we introduce new models of athletic footwear.

 

On December 30, 1986, K•Swiss was purchased by an investment group led by our current Chairman of the Board and President, Steven Nichols. Thereafter we recruited experienced management and reduced manufacturing costs by increasing offshore production and entering into new, lower cost purchasing arrangements. Our products are manufactured to our specifications by overseas suppliers predominately in the People’s Republic of China (“China”). In June 1991 and September 1992, we established operations in Taiwan and Europe, respectively, to broaden our distribution on a global scale.

 

In November 2001, we acquired the worldwide rights and business of Royal Elastics (“Royal Elastics”), an Australian-based designer and manufacturer of elasticated footwear. The purchase excluded distribution rights in Australia, which were retained by Royal Management Pty, Ltd. In the third quarter of 2005, Royal Elastics launched a new collection that is part of a long-term licensing partnership with L.A.M.B.

 

The discussion during the remainder of this Item 1, other than discussion relating to backlog, trademarks and patents, and employees, relates solely to the K•Swiss brand.

 

K•Swiss is a corporation that was organized under the laws of the State of Delaware on April 16, 1990. The Company is successor in interest to K•Swiss Inc., a Massachusetts corporation, which in turn was successor in interest to K•Swiss Inc., a California corporation. Unless the context otherwise indicates, the terms “we,” “us,” “K•Swiss” and the “Company” as used herein refers to K•Swiss Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

 

Products

 

Our product strategy is two pronged. The first combines classic styling with high quality components and technical features designed to meet performance requirements of specific sports. We endeavor to use classic styling to reduce the impact of changes in consumer preferences as we believe that this strategy leads to longer product life cycles than are typical of the products of certain of our competitors. We believe that long product life cycles reduce total markdowns over the life of the products, thereby enhancing their attractiveness to retailers. This strategy also enables us to maintain inventory with less risk of obsolescence than is typical of more fashion-oriented products. The second product strategy uses fashion-oriented footwear sold principally on a futures only basis usually with

 

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little or no planned inventory position taken on these products. This strategy allows us to take advantage of trends in the marketplace that we identify while attempting to minimize the risk generally associated with this type of product.

 

Presently, we compete in the Classic category (casual), training, basketball, tennis and children’s footwear. We will begin to offer product in the higher end priced running category in 2008. Each product category has certain styles designated as core products. Our core products offer style continuity and often include on-going improvement. We believe our core product program is a critical factor in attempting to achieve our goal of becoming the “retailers’ most profitable vendor.” The core program tends to minimize retailers’ markdowns and maximizes the effectiveness of marketing expenditures because of longer product life cycles.

 

The following table summarizes our K•Swiss brand footwear by categories and sets forth the approximate contribution to revenues (in dollars and as a percentage of revenues) attributable to each footwear category for the periods indicated. All footwear categories include both men’s (approximately 56% of 2007 revenues) and women’s (approximately 25% of 2007 revenues) sales. Most styles within each footwear category are offered in men’s, women’s and children’s.

 

     Revenues (1)  
     Year Ended December 31,  
     2007     2006     2005  

K•Swiss Footwear Category

   $    %     $    %     $    %  
     (Dollar amounts in thousands)  

Classic

   $ 267,362    69 %   $ 337,282    70 %   $ 339,123    69 %

Tennis/Court

     25,854    7       23,254    5       24,231    5  

Training

     19,822    5       28,742    6       33,911    7  

Children’s

     69,732    18       89,103    18       91,842    18  

Other (2)

     4,650    1       4,582    1       4,711    1  
                                       

Total

   $ 387,420    100 %   $ 482,963    100 %   $ 493,818    100 %
                                       

Domestic (3)

   $ 194,949    50 %   $ 313,411    65 %   $ 374,181    76 %
                                       

Foreign (3)

   $ 192,471    50 %   $ 169,552    35 %   $ 119,637    24 %
                                       

 

(1)   For purposes of this table, revenues do not include other domestic income and fees earned on sales by foreign licensees and distributors.

 

(2)   Other consists of apparel, accessories, sport sandals and blemished shoes.

 

(3)   Included in “Total.”

 

During 2007, the Foot Locker group of stores and affiliates accounted for approximately 13% of K•Swiss revenues. See Note K to our Consolidated Financial Statements. No other customer accounted for more than 10% of total revenues during this period.

 

Footwear

 

Our product line through 1987 was primarily the Classic. The Classic was originally developed in 1966 as a high-performance tennis shoe. Since that time, the Classic has become a popular casual shoe. The upper of the Classic includes only three separate pieces of leather, which allows for a relatively simple manufacturing process and yields a product with few seams. This simple construction improves the shoe’s comfort, fit and durability. We have from time to time incorporated certain technical advances in materials and construction, but the Classic has remained relatively unchanged in style since 1966. In 2000, we launched the Classic Luxury Edition, which sells for slightly more than the original version.

 

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The Classic, fueled by new products, has evolved into a category of shoes referred to as the Classic category. The Classic category is comprised of the Classic original, as described above, and its derivatives, and other casual athletic styles.

 

The Classic originals segment contains shoes that we intend to carry in our product assortment for several years. They generally have shoe characteristics such as d-rings and five stripes, and, because they are multiple season shoes, we maintain significant inventory positions of this segment. Significant inventory positions allow for effective electronic data interchange programs with retailers that fit into our strategy of attempting to become the retailers’ most profitable vendor. The other casual athletic styles category includes the K•S Collection which is comprised of shoes offered for several seasons which generally do not contain d-rings and have diffused or no stripes. Sometimes inventory is maintained on these products. Other casual athletic styles also includes the Limited Edition segment which is generally meant as a one-season offering as they are generally fashionable type shoes that are purchased from factories based only on futures orders received from retailers.

 

In 2000, we entered the training performance category to compete with moderately priced running shoes and moderately priced cross training shoes. In 2004, we entered the basketball category, which is included in the training category in the above table. In 2008 we will enter the running category to compete with higher end priced running shoes targeted toward customers seeking high end running gear.

 

Apparel and Accessories

 

We market a limited line of K•Swiss branded apparel and accessories. The products are designed with the same classic strategies used in the footwear line. Classic styling allows us to appeal to a variety of markets, from consumers wanting performance apparel and accessories to upscale suburban consumers.

 

In 1999, we introduced a new 7.0 line of high tech tennis apparel to complement our performance 7.0 footwear. The product line continues to offer world-class apparel (skirts, shorts, tops, polos, dresses and warm-ups) for both men and women. Since 7.0’s introduction, we have added full collections of fitness, training and running apparel to round out the performance offering. In addition, we also offer a collection for the casual athletic consumer consisting of jackets, sweaters, sweatshirts, track jackets, tee shirts, caps, socks and bags.

 

The apparel line is distributed through better specialty stores, resorts and fitness centers, as well as, sporting goods chains and sporting goods dealers worldwide. The tennis apparel line is sold primarily through tennis specialty and tennis pro shops. We also outfit professional and celebrity figures which offers us global branding exposure.

 

Sales

 

We sell our products in the United States through our sales executives and independent sales representatives primarily to a limited number of specialty athletic footwear stores, pro shops, sporting good stores and department stores. We also sell our products through our website which is increasingly becoming an important sales channel to us particularly in light of our limited distribution. We also sell our products to a number of foreign distributors. We now have sales offices or distributors throughout the world. In 1991 and 1992, we established sales offices, sales teams and distributors in Asia and Europe, respectively.

 

We believe the athletic and casual footwear industry experiences seasonal fluctuations, due to increased sales during certain selling seasons, including Easter, back-to-school and the year-end

 

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holiday season. We present full-line offerings for the Easter and back-to-school seasons, for delivery during the first and third quarters, respectively, but not for the year-end holiday season.

 

Financial information relating to international and domestic operations is presented as part of Item 8 of this report. See Note L to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

Marketing

 

Advertising and Promotion

 

We believe our strategy of designing products with longer life cycles and introducing fewer new models relative to our competition enhances the effectiveness of our advertising and promotions. Our current marketing strategy emphasizes distribution to retailers whose marketing strategies are consistent with our reputation for high quality and service. We have an integrated advertising plan with television, print, outdoor and on-line initiatives. Traditional media such as television and print is still a critical part of our media plan but outdoor and on-line mediums are becoming increasingly more important to our advertising strategy given the changing media landscape and consumer preferences.

 

The K•Swiss website (www.kswiss.com) was created in 1999 to provide consumers an opportunity to purchase our footwear, apparel and accessories online at prices competitive with our retailers and have the product shipped directly to them. Our website reflects the premium sport positioning of K•Swiss and leverages the assets of our advertising campaigns.

 

We offer a “futures” program, under which retailers are offered discounts on orders scheduled for delivery more than five months after the order is made. There is no guarantee that such orders will not be canceled prior to acceptance by the customer. This program is similar to programs offered by other athletic shoe companies. The futures program has a positive effect on inventory costs, planning and production scheduling. See “Distribution.” In addition, we engage in certain sales programs from time to time that provide for extended terms on initial orders of new styles.

 

Domestic Marketing

 

Domestically, our marketing uses a variety of traditional media, including network and cable television and several sports, music and general interest/fashion magazines, as well as non-traditional media, including the internet, public relations, sports marketing, in-store merchandising and sponsorship.

 

Our footwear products are sold domestically through 38 independent regional sales representatives and 18 Company-employed sales managers. The independent sales representatives are paid on a commission basis, and are prohibited by contract from representing other brands of athletic footwear and related products. These sales personnel sold to approximately 2,200, 2,600 and 2,700 separate accounts as of December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively.

 

We maintain a customer service department consisting of 16 persons at our Westlake Village, California facility. The customer service department accepts orders for our products, handles inquiries and notifies retailers of the status of their orders. We have made a substantial investment in computer equipment for general customer support and service, as well as for distribution. See “Distribution.”

 

International Marketing

 

In 1991, we established a sales management team in Asia which provides certain regional marketing materials and print and television advertising to our distributors. We have distributors in

 

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certain Pacific Rim countries and other international markets. Distributors of our products are generally contractually obligated to spend specific amounts on advertising and promotion of our products. We control the nature and content of these promotions. Certain distributors operate retail stores that sell exclusively K•Swiss branded product.

 

To expand the sales and marketing of our products into Europe, we opened our own office in the Netherlands in 1992. Our product is sold through Company employed sales managers, independent sales representatives and distributors. Our primary source of advertising is television advertisements and distributed through each region’s major network channels. Television advertising is supported by print media in fashion magazines and through other sources, such as in-store merchandising and local publicity events and sponsorships.

 

By the end of 2007, K•Swiss was working through 9 international subsidiaries and 16 distributors to market K•Swiss products in potentially 98 countries.

 

Distribution

 

We purchase footwear from independent manufacturers located predominantly in China. The time required to fill new orders placed by us with our manufacturers is approximately five months. Such footwear is generally shipped in ocean containers and delivered to our facilities.

 

We maintain 371,000 square feet of warehouse space at two leased facilities in Mira Loma, California. See “Item 2. Properties.” In some cases, large customers may receive containers of footwear directly from the manufacturer. We ship by package express or truck from California, depending upon the size of order, customer location and availability of inventory. Distribution to European customers and certain other European distributors is based out of the public distribution facilities for the Netherlands and United Kingdom offices. We generally arrange shipment of other international orders directly from our independent manufacturers.

 

We maintain an open-stock inventory on certain products which permits us to ship to retailers on an “at-once” basis in response to orders placed by mail, fax, toll-free telephone call or electronically. We have made a significant investment in computer equipment that provides on-line capability to determine open-stock availability for shipment. Additionally, products can be ordered under our “futures” program. See “Marketing—Advertising and Promotion.”

 

Product Design and Development

 

We maintain offices in California, Taiwan and the Netherlands that include a staff of individuals responsible for the design and development of new styles for all global regions. This staff receives guidance from our management team in California, who meet regularly to review sales, consumer and market trends.

 

Manufacturing

 

In 2007, approximately 92% of our footwear products were manufactured in China, 6% in Thailand and 2% in Taiwan. Although we have no long-term manufacturing agreements and compete with other athletic shoe companies for production facilities (including companies that are much larger than us), we believe our relationships with our footwear producers are satisfactory and that we have the ability to develop, over time, alternative sources for our footwear. Our operations, however, could be materially and adversely affected if a substantial delay occurred in locating and obtaining alternative producers.

 

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All manufacturing of footwear is performed in accordance with detailed specifications furnished by us and is subject to quality control standards, and we retain the right to reject products that do not meet our specifications. The bulk of all raw materials used in such production are purchased by manufacturers at our direction. Our inspectors at the manufacturing facilities test and inspect footwear products prior to shipment from those facilities.

 

During 2007, our apparel and accessory products were manufactured in China, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Macau, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Portugal and the United States by certain manufacturers selected by us.

 

Our operations are subject to compliance with relevant laws and regulations enforced by the United States Customs Service and other international customs service departments where we import product and to the customary risks of doing business abroad, including fluctuations in the value of currencies, increases in customs duties and related fees resulting from position changes by the United States Customs Service or other international customs service departments, import controls and trade barriers (including the unilateral imposition of import quotas), restrictions on the transfer of funds, work stoppages and, in certain parts of the world, political instability causing disruption of trade. These factors have not had a material adverse impact upon our operations to date. Imports are also affected by the cost of transportation, the imposition of import duties, and increased competition from greater production demands abroad. The United States or the countries in which our products are manufactured may, from time to time, impose new quotas, duties, tariffs or other restrictions, or adjust presently prevailing quotas, duty or tariff levels, which could affect our operations and ability to import products at current or increased levels. We cannot predict the likelihood or frequency of any such events occurring. A change in any such duties, quotas or restrictions could result in increases in the costs of such products generally and might adversely affect the sales or profitability of K•Swiss and the athletic footwear industry as a whole.

 

Our use of common elements in raw materials, lasts and dies gives us flexibility to duplicate sourcing in various countries in order to reduce the risk that we may not be able to obtain products from a particular country.

 

Our footwear products entering the United States are subject to customs duties which range from 8.5% to 10.0% of factory cost on footwear made principally of leather, to duties on synthetic footwear ranging from 6.0% to 20.0% plus, for certain styles, $0.90 per pair, and duties on moderately priced textile footwear ranging from 20.0% to 37.5%. Our footwear products, manufactured in China, entering the European Union are subject to customs duties which range from 7.0% to 8.0% of landed cost on technical footwear made principally of leather, a duty rate of 16.9% for synthetic footwear and a duty rate ranging from 23.5% to 24.5% for leather footwear that is considered non-technical or has a landed cost of under 7.00. Our footwear products, manufactured in Thailand, entering the European Union are subject to customs duties which range from 3.5% to 4.5% of landed cost on technical footwear made principally of leather and a duty rate of 12.4% for synthetic footwear. Currently, approximately 99% of our footwear volume is derived from sales of leather footwear and approximately 1% of our footwear volume is derived from sales of synthetic and textile footwear.

 

A large portion of our imported products are manufactured in China. The United States government has expressed serious concern over the level of intellectual property rights protection and enforcement available in China and has initiated annual bilateral discussions with China through the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade to address outstanding issues in these areas. The United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) has elevated China onto its Priority Watch List based on China’s alleged lack of compliance with commitments made as part of its accession to the World Trade Organization (“WTO”) relating to enforcement of intellectual property rights. The USTR has also initiated WTO dispute settlement proceedings against China challenging deficiencies in China’s legal

 

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regime for protecting and enforcing trademarks and copyrights. If the United States government takes action against China, the result of that action could, among other things, include the imposition of trade sanctions that could affect the ability of the Company to continue to import products from China.

 

Backlog

 

At December 31, 2007 and 2006, total futures orders with start ship dates from January through June 2008 and 2007 were approximately $147,805,000 and $168,872,000, respectively, representing a decrease of 12.5% at December 31, 2007. The 12.5% decrease in total futures orders is comprised of a 14.4% decrease in the first quarter 2008 futures orders and an 8.6% decrease in the second quarter 2008 futures orders. At December 31, 2007 and 2006, domestic futures orders with start ship dates from January through June 2008 and 2007 were approximately $50,758,000 and $83,954,000, respectively, representing a decrease of 39.5% at December 31, 2007. At December 31, 2007 and 2006, international futures orders with start ship dates from January through June 2008 and 2007 were approximately $97,047,000 and $84,918,000, respectively, representing an increase of 14.3% at December 31, 2007. “Backlog,” as of any date, represents orders scheduled to be shipped within the next six months. Backlog does not include orders scheduled to be shipped on or prior to the date of determination of backlog.

 

The mix of “futures” and “at-once” orders can vary significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year and therefore “futures” are not necessarily indicative of revenues for subsequent periods. Orders generally may be canceled by customers without financial penalty.

 

Competition

 

The athletic footwear industry is highly competitive. There are several marketers of footwear larger than us, including Nike and adidas. Each of these companies has substantially greater financial, distribution and marketing resources as well as greater brand awareness than us.

 

We have increased our emphasis on product lines beyond our Classic model. In the past, we have introduced products in such highly competitive categories as court, boating, outdoor and children’s shoes and we plan to enter the higher end priced running category in 2008. See “Products.” There can be no assurance that we will penetrate these or other new markets or increase the market share we have established to date.

 

The principal elements of competition in the athletic footwear market include brand awareness, product quality, design, pricing, fashion appeal, marketing, distribution, performance and brand positioning. Our products compete primarily on the basis of technological innovations, quality, style, and brand awareness among consumers. While we believe that our competitive strategy has resulted in increased brand awareness and market share, there can be no assurance that we will be able to retain or increase our market share or respond to changing consumer preferences.

 

Trademarks and Patents

 

We utilize trademarks on all our products and believe our products are more marketable on a long-term basis when identified with distinctive markings. K•Swiss® is a registered trademark in the United States and certain other countries. Our name is not registered as a trademark in certain countries because of restrictions on registering names having geographic connotations. However, since K•Swiss is not a geographic name, we have often secured registrations despite such objections. Our shield emblem and the five-stripe design are also registered in the United States and certain foreign countries. The five-stripe design is not presently registered in some countries because it has been deemed ornamental by regulatory authorities. We selectively seek to register the names of our shoes,

 

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logos and the names given to certain of our technical and performance innovations, including Aosta® rubber and Shock Spring® cushioning. The ROYAL ELASTICS and Fleur de Lis trademarks used on Royal Elastics products are registered in many countries. Both marks are registered in the United States. We have obtained patents in the United States regarding the Bio Feedback® ankle support system, the Shock Spring® cushioning system incorporated into K•Swiss’ 7.0 System® performance tennis shoes and training line, the stability design incorporated into the Si-18® tennis shoe, and other features. We vigorously defend our trademarks and patent rights against infringement worldwide and employ independent security consultants to assist in such protection. To date, we are not aware of any significant counterfeiting problems regarding our products.

 

Employees

 

At December 31, 2007, we employed 243 persons in the United States, 221 persons in Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and China, 97 persons in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands and 11 persons elsewhere.

 

Available Information

 

K•Swiss’ internet address is www.kswiss.com. We make available free of charge on or through our internet website our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“S.E.C.”). Materials K•Swiss files with the S.E.C. may be read and copied at the S.E.C.’s Public Reference Room at Station Place, 100 F. Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. This information may also be obtained by calling the S.E.C. at 1-800-SEC-0330. The S.E.C. also maintains an internet website that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the S.E.C. at www.sec.gov. The Company will provide a copy of any of the foregoing documents to stockholders upon request.

 

Item 1A. Risk Factors

 

The Company operates in a changing environment that involves numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could materially adversely affect our operations. The risks described below highlight some of the factors that have affected, and in the future could affect our operations. Additional risks we do not yet know of or that we currently think are immaterial may also affect our business operations. If any of the events or circumstances described in the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

 

The market for athletic footwear is intensely competitive and if we fail to compete effectively, we could lose our market position.

 

The athletic footwear industry is intensely competitive. Certain of our competitors have substantially greater financial, distribution and marketing resources as well as greater brand awareness than us. The principal methods of competition in our industry include product design, product performance, quality, brand image, price, marketing and promotion, customer support and service, our ability to meet delivery commitments to retailers, obtaining access to retail outlets and sufficient floor space. A major marketing or promotional success or technological innovation by one of our competitors could adversely impact our competitive position. Additionally, in countries where the athletic footwear market is mature, our ability to maintain and increase our market share can principally come at the expense of our competitors, which may be difficult to accomplish. Our results of operations and market position may be adversely impacted by our competitors and the competitive pressures in the athletic footwear industry.

 

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The athletic footwear business is subject to consumer preferences and unanticipated shifts in consumer preferences could adversely affect our sales and results of operations.

 

The footwear industry is subject to rapid changes in consumer preferences. Consumer demand for athletic footwear and apparel is heavily influenced by brand image. Our initiatives to strengthen our brand image, which include conducting market research, introducing new and innovative products and initiating focused advertising campaigns, may not be successful. Our current products may not continue to be popular and new products we may introduce may not achieve adequate consumer acceptance for us to recover development, manufacturing, marketing and other costs. Our failure to anticipate, identify and react to shifts in consumer preferences and maintain a strong brand image could have an adverse effect on our sales and results of operations. Also, if our customers purchase our products and do not have success in selling our products at retail, they may request a price adjustment or return to assist them in marking down the selling price to make the products more attractive to retail consumers.

 

Furthermore, consumer preferences and purchasing patterns may be influenced by consumers’ disposable income. Consequently, the success of our operations may depend to a significant extent upon a number of factors affecting disposable income, including general economic conditions and factors such as employment, business conditions, consumer confidence, interest rates and taxation.

 

If we fail to accurately forecast consumer demand, we may experience difficulties in handling customer orders or in liquidating excess inventories and our sales and brand image may be adversely affected.

 

The athletic footwear industry has relatively long lead times for the design and production of products. Consequently, we must commit to production tooling, and in some cases to production, in advance of orders based on our forecasts of consumer demand. If we fail to forecast consumer demand accurately, we may under-produce or over-produce a product and encounter difficulty in handling customer orders or in liquidating excess inventory. Additionally, if we over-produce a product based on an aggressive forecast of consumer demand, retailers may not be able to sell the product and may seek to return the unsold quantities and cancel future orders. These outcomes could have an adverse effect on our sales and brand image.

 

Our current backlog of open orders may not be indicative of our level of future sales.

 

Our “futures” program allows our customers to order five months or more prior to delivery of product. Our current backlog position may not be indicative of future sales. The mix of “futures” and “at-once” orders can vary significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year and therefore “futures” are not necessarily indicative of revenues for subsequent periods. Orders generally may be cancelled by customers without financial penalty. Customers may also reject nonconforming goods. If we experience adverse developments in customer cancellations, product returns or bad debts of customers, such developments could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

 

Fluctuations in the price, availability and quality of raw materials could cause delay and increase costs.

 

Fluctuations in the price, availability and quality of the fabrics, leather or other raw materials used by us in our manufactured products and in the price of materials used to manufacture our footwear could have a material adverse effect on our cost of sales or our ability to meet our customers’ demands. The price and availability of such raw materials may fluctuate significantly, depending on many factors, including natural resources (oil, electricity), increased freight costs, increased labor costs and weather conditions. In the future, we may not be able to pass all or a portion of such higher raw materials prices on to our customers.

 

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The loss of a significant customer, or a significant reduction in our sales to such a customer, could adversely affect our sales and results of operations.

 

Our largest customer accounted for approximately 13% of our total revenues in 2007. While no other customer accounted for more than 10% of our total revenues in 2007, we do have other significant customers. The loss of any of these customers, or a significant reduction in our sales to any of such customers, could adversely affect our sales and results of operations. In addition, if any of such customers became insolvent or otherwise failed to pay its debts, it could have an adverse affect on our results of operations.

 

Our financial success is limited to the success of our customers.

 

Our financial success is directly related to the success of our customers and the willingness and financial resources of our customers to continue to buy our products. We do not have long-term contracts with any of our customers. Sales to our customers are generally on an order-by-order basis and are subject to rights of cancellation and rescheduling by our customers. If we cannot fill our customers’ orders in a timely manner, our relationships with our customers may suffer, and this could have a material adverse effect on us. Furthermore, if any of our major customers experiences a significant downturn in its business, or fails to remain committed to our products or brands, then these customers may reduce or discontinue purchases from us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial conditions.

 

If we decrease the price that we charge for our products, we may earn lower gross margins and our revenues and profitability may be adversely affected.

 

The prices that we are able to charge for our products depend on the type of product offered, the consumer and retailer response to the product and the prices charged by our competitors. To the extent that we are forced to lower our prices, our gross margins will be lower and our revenues and profitability may be adversely affected.

 

Our business is subject to economic conditions in our major markets.

 

Our business is subject to economic conditions that may fluctuate in the major markets in which we operate. Factors that could cause economic conditions to fluctuate include, without limitation, recession, inflation, general weakness in retail markets and changes in consumer purchasing power and preferences. Adverse changes in such economic factors could have a negative effect on our business.

 

Our international sales and manufacturing operations are subject to the risks of doing business abroad, which could affect our ability to sell or manufacture our products in international markets, obtain products from foreign suppliers or control the cost of our products.

 

We operate offices and sell products in numerous countries outside the United States. In recent years, we have experienced revenue growth in international markets. Additionally, all of our footwear products are manufactured abroad and we have suppliers located in China, Taiwan and Thailand. Our athletic footwear sales and manufacturing operations are subject to the risks of doing business abroad. These risks include:

 

   

fluctuations in currency exchange rates;

 

   

political instability;

 

   

limitations on conversion of foreign currencies into U.S. Dollars;

 

   

restrictions on dividend payments and other payments by our foreign subsidiaries and other restrictions on transfers of funds to or from foreign countries;

 

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import duties, tariffs, regulations, quotas and other restrictions on free trade, particularly as these regulations may affect our operations in China; and

 

   

investment regulation and other restrictions by foreign governments.

 

If these risks limit or prevent us from selling or manufacturing products in any significant international market, prevent us from acquiring products from our foreign suppliers or significantly increase the cost of our products, our operations could be seriously disrupted until alternative suppliers are found or alternative markets are developed. Although we enter into forward currency exchange contracts to hedge the risk of exchange rate fluctuations, these steps may not fully protect us against this risk and we may incur losses.

 

Our financial position, cash flow or results may be adversely affected by the threat of terrorism and related political instability and economic uncertainty.

 

The threat of potential terrorist attacks on the United States and throughout the world and political instability has created an atmosphere of economic uncertainty in the United States and in foreign markets. Our results may be impacted by the macroeconomic effects of those events. Also, a disruption in our supply chain as a result of terrorist attacks or the threat thereof may significantly affect our business and its prospects. In addition, such events may also result in heightened domestic security and higher costs for importing and exporting shipments of components and finished goods. Any of these occurrences may have a material adverse effect on our financial position, cash flow or results in any reporting period.

 

Because we rely on independent manufacturers to produce our products, our sales and profitability may be adversely affected if our independent manufacturers fail to meet pricing, product quality and timeliness requirements or if we are unable to obtain some components used in our products from limited supply sources or supply chain disruptions.

 

We depend upon independent manufacturers to manufacture our products in a timely and cost-efficient manner while maintaining specified quality standards. We also compete with other larger companies for production capacity of independent manufacturers that produce our products. We rely heavily on manufacturing facilities located in China. In 2007, 92% of our footwear manufacturing occurred in China. We also rely upon the availability of sufficient production capacity at our manufacturers. Delivery of product depends on many factors such as weather conditions, disruption of the transportation systems or shipping lines used by our suppliers, or uncontrollable factors such as natural disasters, epidemic diseases, terrorism and war. It is essential that our manufacturers deliver our products in a timely manner and in accordance with our quality standards because our orders are cancelable by customers if agreed-upon delivery windows are not met or products are not of agreed-upon quality. A failure by one or more of our manufacturers to meet established criteria for pricing, product quality or timely delivery could adversely impact our sales and profitability.

 

We rely on our warehouses and if there is a natural disaster or other serious disruption at any of these facilities, we may be unable to deliver product effectively to our customers.

 

We rely on warehouses in Mira Loma, California, Rotterdam, the Netherlands and Manchester, the United Kingdom. We also rely on the timely performance of services provided by third parties (i.e. Netherlands public distribution facility, freight delivery carriers) at these facilities. Any natural disaster or other serious disruption at either of these facilities due to fire, earthquake, flood, terrorist attack or any other natural or manmade cause could damage a portion of our inventory or impair our ability to use our warehouse as a docking location for product. Any of these occurrences could impair our ability to adequately supply our customers and negatively impact our operating results.

 

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We depend on independent distributors to sell our products in certain international markets.

 

We sell our products in certain international markets mainly through independent distributors. If a distributor fails to meet annual sales goals, it may be difficult and costly to locate an acceptable substitute distributor. If a change in our distributors becomes necessary, we may experience increased costs, as well as a substantial disruption and a resulting loss of sales.

 

Our competitive position could be harmed if we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights. Counterfeiting of our brands can divert sales and damage our brand image.

 

We believe that our trademarks, patents and proprietary technologies and designs are of great value. From time to time third parties have challenged, and may in the future try to challenge, our ownership, or the validity, of our intellectual property. A successful challenge to any of our significant intellectual property rights could adversely affect our business and ability to generate revenue.

 

Our brands and designs are constantly at risk for counterfeiting and infringement of our intellectual property rights, and we find counterfeit products and products that infringe on our intellectual property rights in our markets as well as domain names that use our trade names or trademarks without our consent. We have not always been successful, particularly in some foreign countries, in combating counterfeit products and stopping infringements or other misappropriation of our intellectual property rights. Counterfeit and infringing products can cause us to lose significant sales and can also harm the integrity of our brands by associating our trademarks or designs with lesser quality or defective goods. Additionally, the scope of protection of our proprietary intellectual property rights can vary significantly from country to country, and can be quite narrow in some countries because of local law or practices. We may need to resort to litigation in the future to enforce our intellectual property rights. This litigation could result in substantial costs and may require the devotion of substantial resources.

 

We may be subject to periodic litigation and other regulatory proceedings and may be affected by changes in government regulations.

 

From time to time we may be a party to lawsuits and regulatory actions relating to our business. Due to the inherent uncertainties of litigation and regulatory proceedings, we cannot accurately predict the ultimate outcome of any such proceedings. An unfavorable outcome could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, regardless of the outcome of any litigation or regulatory proceedings, such proceedings could result in substantial costs and may require that we devote substantial resources to defend the Company. Further, changes in government regulations both in the United States and in the countries in which we operate could have adverse affects on our business and subject us to additional regulatory actions.

 

Our net income may be adversely affected by an increase in our effective tax rate.

 

At any point in time, many tax years are subject to audit by various taxing jurisdictions. The results of these audits and negotiations with tax authorities may affect tax positions taken. Additionally, our effective tax rate in a given financial statement period may be materially impacted by changes in the geographic mix or level of earnings. We have not recorded United States income tax expense on earnings of selected foreign subsidiary companies as these are intended to be permanently invested, thus reducing our overall income tax expense. The amount of earnings designated as permanently invested is based upon our expectations of the future cash needs of our subsidiaries. Income tax considerations are also a factor in determining the amount of earnings to be permanently invested. Because the declaration involves our future plans and expectations of future events, the possibility exists that amounts declared as permanently invested may ultimately be repatriated. This would result in additional income tax expense in the year we determined that amounts were no longer permanently invested.

 

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We depend on attracting and retaining qualified personnel, whose loss would adversely impact our business.

 

Our success is largely dependent upon the efforts of Steven Nichols, our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, and certain other key executives. Although we have entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Nichols that expires in December 2010, the loss of his and/or other key executive’s services would have a material adverse effect on our business and prospects. Our success also depends to a significant degree upon the continued services of our personnel. Our continued success will depend on our ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified management, marketing, technical and sales personnel. These people are in high demand and often have competing employment opportunities. The labor market for skilled employees is highly competitive due to limited supply, and we may lose key employees or be forced to increase their compensation. Employee turnover could significantly increase our training and other related employee costs. The loss of the services of any key personnel or our inability to attract additional personnel could have a material adverse effect on our ability to manage our business.

 

A limited number of our stockholders can exert significant influence over the Company.

 

At December 31, 2007, the Company’s President and Chairman of the Board, Steven Nichols, held approximately 93% of the voting power of our Class B Common Stock taken as a whole and approximately 70% of total voting power. This voting power would permit this stockholder to exert significant influence over the outcome of stockholder votes, including votes concerning the election of a certain class of directors, by-law amendments, possible mergers, corporate control contests and other significant corporate transactions.

 

We depend on our computer and communications systems.

 

We extensively utilize computer and communications systems to operate our Internet business and manage our internal operations including without limitation, demand and supply planning, and inventory control. Any interruption of this service from power loss, telecommunications failure, failure of our computer system or other interruption caused by weather, natural disasters or any similar event could disrupt our operations and result in lost sales. In addition, hackers and computer viruses have disrupted operations at many major companies. We may be vulnerable to similar acts of sabotage, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations.

 

We rely on our management information systems to operate our business and to track our operating results. Our management information systems will require modification and refinement as we grow and our business needs change. If we experience a significant system failure or if we are unable to modify our management information systems to respond to changes in our business needs, then our ability to properly run our business could be adversely affected.

 

Our business may be adversely affected if we encounter complications in connection with our implementation of SAP information management software.

 

In 2008 and over the next few years we will continue our implementation of SAP information management software in our domestic and international operations. The implementation of such software could be delayed and we may encounter computer and operational complications in connection with such implementation that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

 

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

 

None.

 

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Item 2.   Properties

 

In 1998, we moved into our headquarters facility in Westlake Village, California. This facility, which is owned by us, is approximately 50,000 square feet. We occupy approximately eighty-five percent of this facility and lease approximately fifteen percent of this facility.

 

We lease a 309,000 square foot distribution facility in Mira Loma, California. We use this facility as our main distribution center. The effective monthly commitment for this facility is approximately $91,000. We lease another 62,000 square feet in a separate facility in Mira Loma, California for additional storage and distribution. The effective monthly commitment for this facility is approximately $24,000 per month. In July 2006, we exercised an option under both leases to extend the term of the leases for three years until January 2010.

 

Item 3.   Legal Proceedings

 

The Company is, from time to time, a party to litigation which arises in the normal course of our business operations. We do not believe that we are presently a party to litigation which will have a material adverse effect on our business or operations.

 

Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

 

None.

 

Executive Officers of the Registrant

 

The executive officers of K•Swiss are as follows:

 

Name

  

Age at
December 31,
2007