The Greenbrier Companies - 10-Q quarterly report FY

 

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(503) 684-7000
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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

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

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

The number of shares of the registrant’s common stock, without par value, outstanding on March 28, 2007 was 15,985,747 shares.

 

 

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. and Subsidiaries (Greenbrier or the Company) as of February 28, 2007 and for the three and six months ended February 28, 2007 and 2006 have been prepared without audit and reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals except for special charges) which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position and operating results for the periods indicated. The results of operations for the three and six months ended February 28, 2007 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the entire year ending August 31, 2007. Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior period’s Consolidated Financial Statements to conform to the current year presentation.

Certain notes and other information have been condensed or omitted from the interim financial statements presented in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Therefore, these financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in the Company’s 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Management estimates – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires judgment on the part of management to arrive at estimates and assumptions on matters that are inherently uncertain. These estimates may affect the amount of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities within the financial statements. Estimates and assumptions are periodically evaluated and may be adjusted in future periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Minority interest – In October 2006, the Company formed a joint venture with Grupo Industrial Monclova (GIMSA) to build new railroad freight cars for the North American marketplace at GIMSA’s existing manufacturing facility located in Monclova, Mexico. Each party maintains a 50% ownership. Production is anticipated to begin late in the Company’s third quarter of 2007. The financial results of this operation are consolidated for financial reporting purposes. The minority interest reflected in the Company’s consolidated financial statements represents the joint venture partner’s investment in this venture.

Assets Held for Sale – Assets held for sale consist of new railcars in transit to delivery point, finished goods, railcars on lease with the intent to sell, used railcars that will either be sold or refurbished, placed on lease and then sold and completed wheel sets.

Initial Adoption of Accounting Policies – In May 2005, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued SFAS No. 154, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections which replaces Accounting Principles Board (APB) opinion No. 20, Accounting Changes and SFAS No. 3, Reporting Accounting Changes in Interim Financial Statements. This statement requires retrospective application, unless impracticable, for changes in accounting principles in the absence of transition requirements specific to newly adopted accounting principles. This statement is effective for any accounting changes and corrections of errors made by the Company beginning September 1, 2006.

Prospective Accounting Changes –In July 2006, the FASB issued FASB interpretation (FIN) No. 48,Accounting for Uncertainties in Income Tax – an Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109. This interpretation clarifies the accounting for uncertainties in income taxes. It prescribes a recognition and measurement threshold for financial statement disclosure of tax positions taken or expected to be taken on a tax return. This interpretation is effective for the Company for the fiscal year beginning September 1, 2007. Management has not yet determined the impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements.

On September 11, 2006, the Company purchased substantially all of the operating assets of Rail Car America (RCA), its American Hydraulics division and the assets of its wholly owned subsidiary, Brandon Corp. RCA, a provider of intermodal and conventional railcar repair services in North America, operates from four repair facilities in the United States. RCA also reconditions and repairs end-of-railcar cushioning units through its American Hydraulics division and operates a switching line in Nebraska through Brandon Corp. The purchase price of the net assets was $29.1 million in cash and a $3.0 million promissory note due in September 2008. The financial results since the acquisition are reported in the Company’s consolidated financial statements as part of the refurbishment & parts segment. The impact of this acquisition was not material to the Company’s results of operations; therefore, proforma financial information has not been included.

The allocation of the purchase price among certain assets and liabilities is still in process. As a result, the information shown below is preliminary and subject to further refinement upon completion of analyses.

The preliminary fair value of the net assets acquired from RCA was as follows:

On November 6, 2006, the Company acquired 100% of the stock of Meridian Rail Holdings Corp. (Meridian) for $238.4 million in cash which includes the purchase price of $227.5 million plus preliminary working capital adjustments. Meridian is a leading supplier of wheel maintenance services to the North American freight car industry. Operating out of six facilities, Meridian supplies replacement wheel sets and axles to approximately 170 freight car maintenance locations where worn or damaged wheels, axles, or bearings are replaced. Meridian also performs coupler reconditioning and railcar repair at one of its facilities. The financial results since the acquisition are reported in the Company’s consolidated financial statements as part of the refurbishment & parts segment.

The allocation of the purchase price among certain assets and liabilities is still in process. As a result, the information shown below is preliminary and subject to further refinement upon completion of analyses and valuations.

The preliminary fair value, based on historical costs, of the net assets acquired in the Meridian acquisition was as follows:

As a result of the preliminary allocation of the purchase price among assets and liabilities, Greenbrier recorded $179.9 million in goodwill.

The unaudited pro forma financial information below for the three and six months ended February 28, 2007 and 2006 is consolidated for Greenbrier and was prepared as if the transaction to acquire Meridian had occurred at the beginning of each period presented:

The unaudited pro forma financial information is not necessarily indicative of what actual results would have been had the transaction occurred at the beginning of the fiscal year, and may not be indicative of the results of future operations of the Company.

The Company’s Canadian railcar manufacturing facility has recently incurred operating losses as a result of high labor costs, manufacturing inefficiencies, transportation costs associated with a remote location and a strong Canadian currency coupled with a weakening of the market for the primary railcars produced by this entity. These factors have caused management to reassess the value of the assets at the facility in accordance with the Company’s policy on impairment of long-lived assets. Based on an analysis of future undiscounted cash flows associated with these assets, management determined that the carrying value of the assets exceeded their fair market value. Accordingly a $16.5 million pre-tax impairment charge was recorded during the quarter ended February 28, 2007 as special charges on the Consolidated Statement of Operations. Impairment charges consist of $14.1 million associated with property, plant and equipment, $1.3 million related to inventory and $1.1 million write-off of goodwill and other. In addition, an $8.6 million tax benefit related to a write-off of the Company’s investment in its Canadian subsidiary for tax purposes was recorded during the quarter.

Warranty costs are estimated and charged to operations to cover a defined warranty period. The estimated warranty cost is based on historical warranty claims for each particular product type. For new product types without a warranty history, estimates are based on historical information for similar product types. The accrual, included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet, is periodically reviewed and updated based on warranty trends.

Warranty accrual activity:

All amounts originating in foreign currency have been translated at the February 28, 2007 exchange rate for the following discussion. Senior secured credit facilities aggregated $330.6 million as of February 28, 2007. Available borrowings are generally based on defined levels of inventory, receivables, and leased equipment, as well as total debt to consolidated capitalization and interest coverage ratios which at February 28, 2007 levels would provide for maximum borrowing of $282.7 million of which $242.9 million in revolving notes and $3.5 million in letters of credit are outstanding. A $290.0 million revolving line of credit is available through November 2011 to provide working capital and interim financing of equipment for the United States and Mexican operations. A $10.0 million line of credit is available through November 2011 for working capital for Canadian manufacturing operations. Advances under the U.S. and Canadian facilities bear interest at variable rates that depend on the type of borrowing and the defined ratio of debt to total capitalization. At February 28, 2007, there were $203.5 million and $9.0 million outstanding under the United States and Canadian credit facilities. Lines of credit totaling $30.6 million are available principally through June 2008 for working capital needs of the European manufacturing operation. The European credit facility had $30.4 million outstanding as of February 28, 2007.

The following is a reconciliation of net earnings (loss) to comprehensive income (loss):

Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax effect, consisted of the following:

The shares used in the computation of the Company’s basic and diluted earnings per common share are reconciled as follows:

(In thousands)

Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding includes the incremental shares that would be issued upon the assumed exercise of stock options as calculated using the treasury stock method. No options were anti-dilutive for the three and six months ended February 28, 2007 and 2006.

All stock options were vested prior to September 1, 2005 and accordingly no compensation expense was recorded for stock options for the three and six months ended February 28, 2007 and 2006. The value of stock awarded under restricted stock grants is amortized as compensation expense over the vesting period of two to five years. For the three and six months ended February 28, 2007, $0.8 million and $1.5 million in compensation expense was recognized related to restricted stock grants. For the three and six months ended February 28, 2006, $0.7 million and $1.3 million in compensation expense was recognized related to restricted stock grants.

Foreign operations give rise to market risks from changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Foreign currency forward exchange contracts with established financial institutions are utilized to hedge a portion of that risk in U.S. dollars, Pound Sterling and Euro. Interest rate swap agreements are utilized to reduce the impact of changes in interest rates on certain debt. The Company’s foreign currency forward exchange contracts and interest rate swap agreements are designated as cash flow hedges, and therefore the unrealized gains and losses are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).

Adjusting the contracts to the fair value of the cash flow hedges at February 28, 2007 resulted in an unrealized pre-tax gain of $0.2 million that was recorded in the line item accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and the fair value of the contracts is included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. As the contracts mature at various dates through May 2007, any such gain or loss remaining will be recognized in manufacturing revenue along with the related transactions. In the event that the underlying sales transaction does not occur or does not occur in the period designated at the inception of the hedge, the amount classified in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) would be reclassified to the current year’s results of operations.

At February 28, 2007 exchange rates, interest rate swap agreements had a notional amount of $12.0 million and mature between May 2007 and March 2011. The fair value of these cash flow hedges at February 28, 2007 resulted in an unrealized pre-tax loss of $0.6 million. The loss is included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and the fair value of the contracts is included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. As interest expense on the underlying debt is recognized, amounts corresponding to the interest rate swaps are reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and charged or credited to interest expense. At February 28, 2007 interest rates, approximately $0.1 million would be reclassified to interest expense in the next 12 months.

Greenbrier has three reportable segments: manufacturing, refurbishment & parts and leasing & services. The acquisitions of Meridian and RCA during the first quarter resulted in growth of the repair, refurbishment and parts portion of our business to the point that it is reported as a separate segment: refurbishment & parts. The results of this segment were previously aggregated in the manufacturing segment. The accounting policies of the segments are described in the summary of significant accounting policies in the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in the Company’s 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Performance is evaluated based on margin. Intersegment sales and transfers are accounted for at fair value as if the sales or transfers were to third parties. While intercompany transactions are treated like third-party transactions to evaluate segment performance, the revenues and related expenses are eliminated in consolidation and therefore do not impact consolidated results.

The information in the following table is derived directly from the segments’ internal financial reports used for corporate management purposes.

From time to time, Greenbrier is involved as a defendant in litigation in the ordinary course of business, the outcome of which cannot be predicted with certainty. The most significant litigation is as follows:

On April 20, 2004, BC Rail Partnership initiated litigation against the Company in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, alleging breach of contract and negligent manufacture and design of railcars which were involved in a 1999 derailment. No trial date has been set.

On November 3, 2004, and November 4, 2004, in the District Court of Tarrant County, Texas, and in the District Court of Lancaster County, Nebraska, respectively, litigation was initiated against the Company by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF). BNSF alleges the failure of a supplier-provided component part on a railcar manufactured by Greenbrier in 1988, resulted in a derailment and a chemical spill. On June 24, 2006, the District Court of Tarrant County, Texas, entered an order granting the Company’s motion for summary judgment as to all claims. On August 7, 2006, BNSF gave notice of appeal.

Greenbrier and a customer, SEB Finans AB (SEB), have raised performance concerns related to a component that the Company installed on 372 railcar units with an aggregate sales value of approximately $20.0 million produced under a contract with SEB. On December 9, 2005, SEB filed a Statement of Claim in an arbitration proceeding in Stockholm, Sweden, against Greenbrier alleging that the cars are defective and cannot be used for their intended purpose. A settlement agreement was entered into effective February 28, 2007 pursuant to which the railcar units previously delivered are to be repaired and the remaining units are to be completed and delivered to SEB over the next few months. Current estimates of potential costs to Greenbrier do not exceed amounts accrued for warranty. Arbitration hearings have been rescheduled to August 2007 by mutual agreement pending successful implementation of the terms of the settlement agreement.

Management intends to vigorously defend its position in each of the open foregoing cases and believes that any ultimate liability resulting from the above litigation will not materially affect the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

The Company is involved as a defendant in other litigation initiated in the ordinary course of business. While the ultimate outcome of such legal proceedings cannot be determined at this time, management believes that the resolution of these actions will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

Environmental studies have been conducted of the Company’s owned and leased properties that indicate additional investigation and some remediation on certain properties may be necessary. The Company’s Portland, Oregon manufacturing facility is located adjacent to the Willamette River. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified portions of the river bed, including the portion fronting Greenbrier’s facility, as a federal “National Priority List” or “Superfund” site due to sediment contamination (the Portland Harbor Site). Greenbrier and more than 60 other parties have received a “General Notice” of potential liability from the EPA relating to the Portland Harbor Site. The letter advised the Company that they may be liable for the costs of investigation and remediation (which liability may be joint and several with other potentially responsible parties) as well as for natural resource damages resulting from releases of hazardous substances to the site. At this time, ten private and public entities, including the Company, have signed an Administrative Order of Consent to perform a remedial investigation/feasibility study of the Portland Harbor Site under EPA oversight, and four additional entities have not signed such consent, but are nevertheless contributing money to the effort. The study is expected to be completed in 2010. In May 2006, the EPA notified several additional entities, including other federal agencies that it is prepared to issue unilateral orders compelling additional participation in the remedial investigation. In addition, the Company has entered into a Voluntary Clean-Up Agreement with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality in which the Company agreed to conduct an investigation of whether, and to what extent, past or present operations at the Portland property may have released hazardous substances to the environment. The Company is also conducting groundwater remediation relating to a historical spill on the property which antedates its ownership.

Because these environmental investigations are still underway, the Company is unable to determine the amount of ultimate liability relating to these matters. Based on the results of the pending investigations and future assessments of natural resource damages, Greenbrier may be required to incur costs associated with additional phases of investigation or remedial action, and may be liable for damages to natural resources. In addition, the Company may be required to perform periodic maintenance dredging in order to continue to launch vessels from its launch ways in Portland Oregon, on the Willamette River, and the river’s classification as a Superfund site could result in some limitations on future dredging and launch activities. Any of these matters could adversely affect the Company’s business and results of operations, or the value of its Portland property.

The Company has entered into contingent rental assistance agreements, aggregating a maximum of $11.5 million, on certain railcars subject to leases that have been sold to third parties. These agreements guarantee the purchasers a minimum lease rental, subject to a maximum defined rental assistance amount, over periods that range from one to five years. A liability is established and revenue is reduced in the period during which a determination can be made that it is probable that a rental shortfall will occur and the amount can be estimated. For the three and six months ended February 28, 2007 and 2006, no accruals were made to cover estimated future obligations as rental shortfalls were not considered probable. There is no liability accrued as of February 28, 2007. All of these agreements were entered into prior to December 31, 2002 and have not been modified since. The accounting for any future rental assistance agreements will comply with the guidance required by FASB Interpretation (FIN) 45 which pertains to contracts entered into or modified subsequent to December 31, 2002.

A portion of leasing & services revenue is derived from “car hire” which is a fee that a railroad pays for the use of railcars owned by other railroads or third parties. Car hire earned by a railcar is usually made up of hourly and mileage components. Since January 1, 2003, railcar owners and users have the right to negotiate car hire rates. If the railcar owner and railcar user cannot come to an agreement on a car hire rate then either party has the right to call for arbitration. In arbitration, either the owner’s or the user’s rate is selected and that rate becomes effective for a one-year period. There is some risk that car hire rates could be negotiated or arbitrated to lower levels in the future. This could reduce future car hire revenue which amounted to $6.1 million and $12.1 million for the three and six months ended February 28, 2007 and $6.7 million and $12.4 million for the three and six months ended February 28, 2006.

In accordance with customary business practices in Europe, the Company has $23.2 million in bank and third party performance, advance payment, and warranty guarantee facilities, all of which have been utilized as of February 28, 2007. To date, no amounts have been drawn against these performance, advance payment, and warranty guarantee facilities.

At February 28, 2007, an unconsolidated subsidiary had $7.4 million of third party debt, for which the Company has guaranteed 33%, or approximately $2.5 million. In the event there is a change in control or insolvency by any of the three 33% investors that have guaranteed the debt, the remaining investor’s share of the guarantee will increase proportionately.

The Company has outstanding letters of credit aggregating $3.5 million associated with facility leases and payroll.

The $235 million combined senior unsecured notes (the Notes) issued on May 11, 2005 and November 21, 2005 and $100.0 million of convertible senior notes issued on May 22, 2006 are fully and unconditionally and jointly and severally guaranteed by substantially all of Greenbrier’s material wholly owned United States subsidiaries: Autostack Company LLC, Greenbrier-Concarril, LLC, Greenbrier Leasing Company LLC, Greenbrier Leasing Limited Partner, LLC, Greenbrier Management Services, LLC, Greenbrier Leasing, L.P., Greenbrier Railcar, LLC, Gunderson LLC, Gunderson Marine LLC, Gunderson Rail Services LLC, Greenbrier GIMSA, LLC, Meridian Rail Holdings Corp., Meridian Rail Acquisition Corporation, Meridian Rail Mexico City Corp., Brandon Railroad LLC and Gunderson Specialty Products, LLC. No other subsidiaries guarantee the Notes.

The following represents the supplemental consolidated condensed financial information of Greenbrier and its guarantor and non guarantor subsidiaries, as of February 28, 2007 and August 31, 2006 and for the three and six months ended February 28, 2007 and 2006. The information is presented on the basis of Greenbrier accounting for its ownership of its wholly owned subsidiaries using the equity method of accounting. Intercompany transactions between the guarantor and non guarantor subsidiaries are presented as if the sales or transfers were at fair value to third parties and eliminated in consolidation.

The Greenbrier Companies, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet
February 28, 2007
(In thousands, unaudited)

The Greenbrier Companies, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations
For the three months ended February 28, 2007
(In thousands, unaudited)

The Greenbrier Companies, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations
For the six months ended February 28, 2007
(In thousands, unaudited)

The Greenbrier Companies, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
For the six months ended February 28, 2007
(In thousands, unaudited)