Titan International - 10-K annual report 2013

Titan International, Inc. and its subsidiaries (Titan or the Company) hold the position of being a global wheel, tire and undercarriage industrial group servicing customers across its target markets.  As a leading manufacturer in the off-highway industry, Titan produces a broad range of specialty products to meet the specifications of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarket customers in the agricultural, earthmoving/construction and consumer markets.  Titan's agricultural market includes rims, wheels, tires and undercarriage systems and components manufactured for use on various agricultural and foresty equipment. Titan’s earthmoving/construction market includes wheels, tires and undercarriage systems and components supplied to the mining industry, while the consumer market includes bias truck tires in Latin America, products for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and recreational/utility trailers.

As one of the few companies dedicated to off-highway wheel and tire products, Titan’s engineering and manufacturing resources are focused on designing quality products that address the needs of our end-users.  Titan’s team of experienced engineers continually works on new and improved engineered products that evolve with today’s applications for the off-highway wheel and tire markets.

Titan traces its roots to the Electric Wheel Company in Quincy, Illinois, which was founded in 1890.  The Company was incorporated in 1983.  The Company has grown through six major acquisitions in recent years.  In 2005, Titan Tire Corporation, a subsidiary of the Company, acquired The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company’s North American farm tire assets.  In 2006, Titan Tire Corporation of Bryan, a subsidiary of the Company, acquired the off-the-road (OTR) tire assets of Continental Tire North America, Inc.  In 2011, the Company acquired The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company's Latin American farm tire business. In August 2012, the Company purchased a 56% controlling interest in Planet Corporation Group, now known as Titan National (Australia) Holdings PTY LTD (TNAH). In October 2012, the Company completed its acquisition of Titan Europe. In October 2013, the Company in partnership with One Equity Partners and the Russian Direct Investment Fund closed the acquisition of an 85% interest in Voltyre-Prom, a leading producer of agricultural and industrial tires in Volgograd, Russia. These acquisitions have allowed Titan to achieve higher sales levels and enhance product offering in the Company’s target markets.

Titan’s strong market position in the off-highway wheel, tire and undercarriage market, and its long-term core customer relationships contribute to the Company’s competitive strengths.  These strengths, along with Titan’s dedication to the off-highway wheel, tire and undercarriage market, continue to drive the Company forward.

Titan’s ability to offer a broad range of specialized wheels, tires, assemblies and undercarriage systems and components has resulted in the Company’s strong position in the global off-highway market.  Through a diverse dealer network, the Company is able to reach an increasing number of customers in the aftermarket and build Titan’s image and brand recognition.  The Company’s acquisition of the Goodyear Farm Tire brand in North America and Latin America contributes to overall visibility and customer confidence.  Titan gained a strong presence in Europe and other parts of the world through the 2012 acquisition of Titan Europe. The 2013 acquisition of Voltyre-Prom expands Titan's footprint into the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region. Years of product design and engineering experience have enabled Titan to improve existing products and develop new ones that have been well received in the marketplace.  In addition, Titan believes it has benefited from significant barriers to entry, such as the substantial investment necessary to replicate the Company’s manufacturing equipment and numerous tools, dies and molds, many of which are used in custom processes.

The Company’s top customers, including global leaders in agricultural and construction equipment manufacturing, have been purchasing products from Titan or its predecessors for numerous years.  Customers including AGCO Corporation, CNH Global N.V., Deere & Company, Hitachi Construction Machinery, Kubota Corporation and Liebherr Group have helped sustain Titan’s leadership in wheel, tire and assembly innovation.

Titan’s business strategy is to increase its presence in the segments it serves through giant OTR, strategic worldwide acquisitions, and continuing to improve operating efficiencies.

The Company’s 2006 acquisition of the OTR tire assets of Continental Tire North America, Inc. in Bryan, Ohio, expanded Titan’s product offering into larger earthmoving, construction and mining tires.  The Company subsequently expanded the Bryan facility production capacity to include giant mining tires.  The mining tire market is expected to offer long-term opportunities.

The Company has concentrated on increasing its presence in the tire aftermarket, which historically has tended to be somewhat less cyclical than the OEM market.  The aftermarket also offers the potential for higher profit margins and is a larger market in most cases.

The Company constantly works to improve the operating efficiency of its assets and manufacturing facilities.  Titan integrates each facility’s strengths, which may include transferring equipment and business to the facilities that are best equipped to handle the work.  This provides capacity to increase utilization and spread operating costs over a greater volume of products.  Titan is also continuing a comprehensive program to refurbish, modernize and enhance the computer technology of its manufacturing equipment.

Equipment manufacturers constantly face changing industry dynamics.  Titan directs its business and marketing strategy to understand and address the needs of its customers and demonstrate the advantages of its products.  In particular, the Company often collaborates with customers in the design of new and enhanced products.  Titan recommends modified products to its customers based on its own market information.  These value-added services enhance Titan’s relationships with its customers.  The Company tests new designs and technologies and develops methods of manufacturing to improve product quality and performance.  Titan’s engineers have introduced designs for giant mining wheels and tires, which employ an innovative steel radial construction technology.

The Company’s expertise in the manufacture of off-highway wheels, tires and undercarriage systems and components has permitted it to take advantage of opportunities to acquire businesses that complement this product line.  In the future, Titan may make additional strategic acquisitions of businesses that have an off-highway focus. The Company is currently exploring worldwide opportunities to expand manufacturing and distribution into new geographies.

For additional information concerning the revenues, certain expenses, income from operations and assets attributable to each of the segments in which the Company operates, see Note 33 to the Company's consolidated financial statements, included in Item 8 of our 2013 Form 10-K.

Titan’s agricultural rims, wheels, tires and undercarriage systems and components are manufactured for use on various agricultural and forestry equipment, including tractors, combines, skidders, plows, planters and irrigation equipment, and are sold directly to OEMs and to the aftermarket through independent distributors, equipment dealers and Titan’s own distribution centers.  The wheels and rims range in diameter from 9 to 54 inches, with the 54-inch diameter being the largest agricultural wheel manufactured in North America.  Basic configurations are combined with distinct variations (such as different centers and a wide range of material thickness) allowing the Company to offer a broad line of products to meet customer specifications.  Titan’s agricultural tires range from approximately 1 foot to approximately 7 feet in outside diameter and from 5 to 49 inches in width.  The Company offers the added value of delivering a complete wheel and tire assembly to customers.

The Company manufactures rims, wheels, tires and undercarriage systems and components for various types of OTR earthmoving, mining, military and construction equipment, including skid steers, aerial lifts, cranes, graders and levelers, scrapers, self-propelled shovel loaders, articulated dump trucks, load transporters, haul trucks, backhoe loaders, crawler tractors, lattice cranes, shovels and hydraulic excavators.  The earthmoving/construction market is often referred to as OTR, an acronym for off-the-road.  The Company provides OEM and aftermarket customers with a broad range of earthmoving/construction wheels ranging in diameter from 20 to 63 inches and in weight from 125 pounds to 7,000 pounds.  The 63-inch diameter wheel is the largest manufactured in North America for the earthmoving/construction market. Titan’s earthmoving/construction tires range from approximately 3 feet to approximately 13 feet in outside diameter and in weight from 50 pounds to 12,500 pounds.  The Company offers the added value of wheel and tire assembly for certain applications in the earthmoving/construction segment.

Titan manufactures bias truck tires in Latin America, provides wheels and tires and assembles brakes, actuators and components for the domestic boat, recreational and utility trailer markets.  Titan also offers select products for ATVs, turf, and golf cart applications.

In 2013, Titan experienced higher sales than 2012. The higher sales levels were primarily the result of recent acquisitions including the August 2012 acquisition of Planet Group based in Perth, Australia, the October 2012 acquisition of Titan Europe, and the October 2013 acquisition of Voltyre-Prom based in Volgograd, Russia. Increased demand in the Company's agricultural segment also contributed to the higher sales levels.

Titan’s operations include manufacturing wheels, manufacturing tires, combining these wheels and tires into assemblies, and manufacturing undercarriage systems and components for use in the agricultural, earthmoving/construction and consumer markets.  These operations entail many manufacturing processes in order to complete the finished products.

Most agricultural wheels are produced using a rim and a center disc.  A rim is produced by first cutting large steel sheets to required width and length specifications.  These steel sections are rolled and welded to form a circular rim, which is flared and formed in the rollform operation.  The majority of discs are manufactured using presses that both blank and form the center to specifications in multiple stage operations.  The Company e-coats wheels using a multi-step process prior to the final paint top coating.

Large earthmoving/construction steel wheels are manufactured from hot and cold-rolled steel sections.  Hot-rolled sections are generally used to increase cross section thickness in high stress areas of large diameter wheels.  A special cold forming process for certain wheels is used to increase cross section thickness while reducing the number of wheel components.  Rims are built from a series of hoops that are welded together to form a rim base.  The complete rim base is made from either three or five separate parts that lock together after the rubber tire has been fitted to the wheel and inflated.

For most wheels in our consumer segment, the Company manufactures rims and center discs from steel sheets.  Rims are rolled and welded, and discs are stamped and formed from the sheets.  The manufacturing process then entails welding the rims to the centers and painting the assembled product.

The first stage in tire production is the mixing of rubber, carbon black and chemicals to form various rubber compounds.  These rubber compounds are then extruded and processed with textile or steel materials to make specific components.  These components – beads (wire bundles that anchor the tire with the wheel), plies (layers of fabric that give the tire strength), belts (fabric or steel fabric wrapped under the tread in some tires), tread and sidewall – are then assembled into an uncured tire carcass.  The uncured carcass is placed into a press that molds and vulcanizes the carcass under set time, temperature and pressure into a finished tire.

The Company’s position as a manufacturer of both wheels and tires allows Titan to mount and deliver one of the largest selections of off-highway assemblies in North America. Titan offers this value-added service of one-stop shopping for wheel and tire assemblies for the agricultural, earthmoving/construction and consumer segments.  Customer orders are entered into the Company’s system either through electronic data interchange or manually.  The appropriate wheel-tire assembly delivery schedule is established based on each customer’s requirements and products are received by the customer on a just-in-time basis.

The undercarriage components (track groups, track and carrier rollers, idler assemblies and sprockets) are all manufactured from steel produced according to specifications.

All of the track groups produced by the Company are built from four major parts: shoes, right and left hand links, pins and bushings. Shoes are manufactured from steel cast in the Company foundry or obtained from different shapes of hot rolled profiles (depending on application), sheared to length, and then heat treated for high wear bending and breaking resistance. Right and left hand links are hot forged, trimmed, mass heat treated, machined and finally induction hardened on rail surface for optimal wear and fatigue resistance. Pins are made from round bars that are cut, machined, heat treated and surface finished. Bushings are generally cold extruded, machined, mass heat treated, and finally carburized or induction hardened for wear resistance and optimal toughness.

The lifetime lubricated and maintenance free track and carrier rollers are assembled with two major components: single or double flange roller shells (typically hot forged in halves, deep hardened, friction or arc welded and finish machined with metallurgical characteristics depending upon size and application) and shafts (generally cut from bars or forged, mass heat treated, rough machined, induction hardened and ground).

The idler assemblies are also lifetime lubricated, for virtually no maintenance. They are offered with cast (single web or hollow design) or fabricated shells, depending on size and application, and feature induction hardened tread surfaces for optimal wear resistance.

The sprockets, designed to transfer the machine driving loads from the final drive to the track, are produced cast or forged in several geometric options, depending upon size and application. They are also heat treated for wear resistance and cracking resistance.

The undercarriage systems, custom designed and produced by the Company, consist of a structured steel fabricated frame, all the undercarriage components mentioned above (track groups, track and carrier rollers, sprockets and idler assemblies) and a final drive. They are completely assembled in house, for consistent quality.

The Company is ISO certified at all five main domestic manufacturing facilities located in Bryan, Ohio; Des Moines, Iowa; Freeport, Illinois; Quincy, Illinois; and Saltville, Virginia, and at the majority of the foreign manufacturing facilities, as well.  The ISO series is a set of related and internationally recognized standards of management and quality assurance.  The standards specify guidelines for establishing, documenting and maintaining a system to ensure quality.  The ISO certifications are a testament to Titan’s dedication to providing quality products for its customers.

Steel and rubber are the primary raw materials used by the Company in all segments.  To ensure a consistent steel supply, Titan purchases raw steel from key steel mills and maintains relationships with steel processors for steel preparation.  The Company is not dependent on any single producer for its steel supply.  Rubber and other raw materials for tire manufacture represent some of the Company’s largest commodity expenses.  Titan buys rubber in markets where there are usually several sources of supply.  In addition to the development of key domestic suppliers, the Company’s strategic procurement plan includes international steel and rubber suppliers to assure competitive price and quality in the global marketplace.  As is customary in the industry, the Company does not have long-term contracts for the purchase of steel or rubber and, therefore, purchases are subject to price fluctuations.

The Company owns various patents and trademarks and continues to apply for patent protection for new products.  While patents are considered significant to the operations of the business, at this time Titan does not consider any one of them to be of such importance that the patent’s expiration or invalidity could materially affect the Company’s business.  However, due to the difficult nature of predicting the interpretation of patent laws, the Company cannot anticipate or predict any material adverse effect on its operations, cash flows or financial condition as a result of associated liabilities created under such patent interpretations should the Company be unable to protect its patents or found to be infringing others' patents.

The Company has a trademark license agreement with The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company to manufacture and sell certain tires in North America and Latin America under the Goodyear name. The North American and Latin American farm tire royalties were prepaid through March 2018 as a part of the 2011 Goodyear Latin American farm tire acquisition. In May 2012, the Company and Goodyear entered into an agreement under which Titan will sell certain non-farm tire products directly to third party customers and pay a royalty to Goodyear.

Titan distributes wheels, tires, and undercarriage systems directly to OEMs. The distribution of aftermarket tires occurs primarily through a network of independent and OEM-affiliated dealers.  The Company distributes wheels, tires, wheel and tire assemblies, and undercarriage systems directly to OEMs and aftermarket customers through its distribution network consisting of facilities worldwide.

Agricultural equipment sales are seasonal by nature.  Farmers generally order equipment to be delivered before the growing season.  Shipments to OEMs in the U.S. and Europe usually peak during the Company’s first and second quarters for the spring planting period, while shipments in Latin America usually peak during the Company's second and third quarter for the fall planting period.  Earthmoving/construction and consumer segments also historically tend to experience higher demand in the first and second quarters.  These segments are affected by mining, building and economic conditions.

Outside the United States, the Company enters into employment contracts and agreements in those countries in which such relationships are mandatory or customary. The provisions of these agreements correspond in each case with the required or customary terms in the subject jurisdiction.

In the ordinary course of business, like other industrial companies, Titan is subject to extensive and evolving federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations, and has made provisions for the estimated financial impact of environmental cleanup.  The Company’s policy is to accrue environmental cleanup related costs of a non-capital nature when those costs are believed to be probable and can be reasonably estimated.  Expenditures that extend the life of the related property, or mitigate or prevent future environmental contamination, are capitalized. The Company does not currently anticipate any material capital expenditures for environmental control facilities.  The quantification of environmental exposures requires an assessment of many factors, including changing laws and regulations, advances in environmental technologies, the quality of information available related to specific sites, the assessment stage of the site investigation, preliminary findings and the length of time involved in remediation or settlement.  Due to the difficult nature of predicting future environmental costs, the Company cannot anticipate or predict the material adverse effect on its operations, cash flows or financial condition as a result of efforts to comply with, or its liabilities under, environmental laws.

The Company competes with several domestic and international companies, some of which are larger and have greater financial and marketing resources than Titan.  The Company believes it is a primary source of steel wheels and rims to the majority of its North American customers.  Major competitors in the off-highway wheel market include Carlisle Companies Incorporated, GKN Wheels, Ltd., Topy Industries, Ltd. and certain other foreign competitors.  Significant competitors in the off-highway tire market include Bridgestone/Firestone, Carlisle Companies Incorporated, Michelin, Pirelli and certain other foreign competitors. Significant competitors in the undercarriage market include Berco and Caterpillar.

The Company competes primarily on the basis of price, quality, customer service, design capability and delivery time.  The Company’s ability to compete with international competitors may be adversely affected by currency fluctuations.  Titan owns the molds and dies used to produce its wheels and tires. However, certain of the Company’s OEM customers could, under individual circumstances, elect to manufacture the Company’s products to meet their requirements or to otherwise compete with the Company.  There can be no assurance that the Company will not be adversely affected by increased competition in the markets in which it operates, or that competitors will not develop products that are more effective, less expensive or otherwise render certain of Titan’s products less competitive.  From time to time, certain of the Company’s competitors have reduced their prices in particular product categories, which has prompted Titan to reduce prices as well.  There can be no assurance that competitors of the Company will not further reduce prices in the future or that any such reductions would not have a material adverse effect on the Company.

On October 31, 2012, Titan acquired over 97% of the outstanding stock of Titan Europe and in December 2012, the remaining 3% interest was acquired. Titan Europe is an international engineering group which designs and manufactures wheels, undercarriage components and assemblies for tracked and wheeled "off-road vehicles." Prior to the acquisition, Titan held a 21.8% ownership percentage in Titan Europe. Titan Europe shareholders received one share of new Titan common stock for every 11 Titan Europe shares held. A total of 6,257,051 new shares of Titan common stock were issued with a value of $121.8 million. In addition, Titan paid cash of $5.6 million for option payouts and partial shares. Titan's previous investment in Titan Europe had a fair value on the acquisition date of $31.7 million. Total consideration including the value of stock issued, cash payments, and the fair value of previously held Titan Europe shares totaled $159.1 million. A gain of $26.7 million was recorded on Titan's previously held interest in Titan Europe which was recorded as Noncash Titan Europe gain in the consolidated statement of operations. This gain was previously recorded in other comprehensive income.

Printed copies of these documents are available, without charge, by writing to:  Titan International, Inc.,

c/o Corporate Secretary, 2701 Spruce Street, Quincy, IL 62301.

The Company is subject to various risks and uncertainties relating to or arising out of the nature of its business and general business, economic, financing, legal and other factors or conditions that may affect the Company. Realization of any of the following risks could have a material adverse effect on Titan’s business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.

The Company is a party to routine legal proceedings arising out of the normal course of business.  Although it is not possible to predict with certainty the outcome of these unresolved legal actions or the range of possible loss, the Company believes at this time that none of these actions, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.  However, due to the difficult nature of predicting unresolved and future legal claims, the Company cannot anticipate or predict the material adverse effect on its consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows as a result of efforts to comply with or its liabilities pertaining to legal judgments.

Not applicable.

The selected financial data presented below, as of and for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009, are derived from the Company’s consolidated financial statements, as audited by Grant Thornton LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm for the years ended December 31, 2013, and 2012, and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009, and should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto.

Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations (MD&A) is designed to provide a reader of these financial statements with a narrative from the perspective of the management of Titan International, Inc. (Titan or the Company) on Titan’s financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and other factors which may affect the Company’s future results.

This Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding, among other items:

Actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including:

Titan International, Inc. and its subsidiaries are leading manufacturers of wheels, tires, wheel and tire assemblies, and undercarriage systems and components for off-highway vehicles used in the agricultural, earthmoving/construction and consumer segments.  Titan manufactures both wheels and tires for the majority of these market applications, allowing the Company to provide the value-added service of delivering complete wheel and tire assemblies.  The Company offers a broad range of products that are manufactured in relatively short production runs to meet the specifications of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and/or the requirements of aftermarket customers.

The Company’s major OEM customers include large manufacturers of off-highway equipment such as AGCO Corporation, CNH Global N.V., Deere & Company, Hitachi Construction Machinery, Kubota Corporation and Liebherr Group, in addition to many other off-highway equipment manufacturers.  The Company distributes products to OEMs, independent and OEM-affiliated dealers, and through a network of distribution facilities.

The following table provides highlights for the year ended December 31, 2013, compared to 2012 (amounts in thousands):

On October 31, 2012, Titan acquired over 97% of the outstanding stock of Titan Europe and in December 2012, the remaining 3% interest was acquired. Titan Europe is an international engineering group which designs and manufactures wheels, undercarriage components and assemblies for tracked and wheeled "off-road vehicles." Prior to the acquisition, Titan held a 21.8% ownership percentage in Titan Europe. Titan Europe shareholders received one share of new Titan common stock for every 11 Titan Europe shares held. A total of 6,257,051 new shares of Titan were issued with a value of $121.8 million. In addition, Titan paid cash of $5.6 million for option payouts and partial shares. Titan's previous investment in Titan Europe had a fair value on the acquisition date of $31.7 million. Total consideration including the value of stock issued, cash payments, and the fair value of previously held Titan Europe shares totaled $159.1 million. A gain of $26.7 million was recorded on Titan's previously held interest in Titan Europe which was recorded as Noncash Titan Europe gain in the consolidated statement of operations.

The following table sets forth the Company’s statement of operations expressed as a percentage of net sales for the periods indicated.  This table and subsequent discussions should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto.

In addition, the following table sets forth components of the Company’s net sales classified by segment for the years ended December 31, (amounts in thousands):

Preparation of the financial statements and related disclosures in compliance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires the application of appropriate technical accounting rules and guidance, as well as the use of estimates.  The Company’s application of these policies involves assumptions that require difficult subjective judgments regarding many factors, which, in and of themselves, could materially impact the financial statements and disclosures.  A future change in the estimates, assumptions or judgments applied in determining the following matters, among others, could have a material impact on future financial statements and disclosures.

The allocation of purchase price for asset and business acquisitions requires management estimates and judgment as to expectations for future cash flows of the acquired assets and business and the allocation of those cash flows to identifiable intangible assets in determining the estimated fair value for purchase price allocations. If the actual results differ from the estimates and judgments used in determining the purchase price allocations, impairment losses could occur. To aid in establishing the value of any intangible assets at the time of acquisition, the Company typically engages a professional appraisal firm.

When the two-step goodwill impairment test is performed, the Company evaluates the recoverability of goodwill by estimating the future discounted cash flows of the reporting unit to which the goodwill relates and using an earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) multiple approach.  In determining the estimated future cash flows, the Company considers current and projected future levels of income as well as business trends and economic conditions.  When the Company’s estimated fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying value, a second step of the impairment analysis is performed.  In this second step, the implied fair value of goodwill is calculated as the excess of the fair value of a reporting unit over the fair values assigned to its assets and liabilities.  If the implied fair value of goodwill is less than the carrying value of the reporting unit’s goodwill, the difference is recognized as an impairment loss.

Deferred income tax provisions are determined using the liability method whereby deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized based upon temporary differences between the financial statement and income tax basis of assets and liabilities.  The Company assesses the realizability of its deferred tax asset positions and recognizes and measures uncertain tax positions in accordance with accounting standards for income taxes.

The Company's April 2011 acquisition of Goodyear's farm tire business included a three year supply agreement with Goodyear for certain non-farm tire products. A liability was recorded as the supply agreement was for sales at below market prices. In May 2012, the Company and Goodyear terminated this supply agreement and entered into an agreement under which Titan will sell these products directly to third party customers and pay a royalty to Goodyear. The remaining balance of the supply agreement liability was recorded as income as the Company is no longer obligated to sell the products at below market prices.

In the first quarter of 2013, the Company closed an Exchange Agreement with a note holder of the convertible notes. The two parties privately negotiated an agreement to exchange approximately $52.7 million in aggregate principal amount of the convertible notes for approximately 4.9 million shares of the Company's common stock plus a cash payment totaling $14.2 million. In connection with this exchange, the Company recognized a charge of $7.3 million in accordance with accounting standards for debt conversion.

In the fourth quarter of 2012, the Company acquired Titan Europe. Prior to the acquisition, Titan held a 21.8% ownership percentage in Titan Europe, which had a fair value on the acquisition date of $31.7 million. As a result of recording the fair value of the investment on the acquisition date, a gain of $26.7 million was recorded on Titan's previously held interest in Titan Europe.

The major items included in 2012 were:  (i) discount amortization on prepaid royalty of $3.7 million; (ii) investment gain related to contractual obligation of $1.0 million; (iii) interest income of $0.9 million; and (iv) rental income of $0.7 million.

 

(Amounts in thousands)

Corporate selling & marketing expenses were approximately $1 million higher in 2013 primarily due to increased information technology expenses.  Corporate administrative expenses were approximately $11 million lower in 2013, when compared to 2012.  Corporate administrative expenses were lower primarily due to a decrease in incentive compensation of approximately $11 million.

Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2012, were $1,820.7 million compared to $1,487.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2011, an increase of 22%. Sales increased approximately 15% from the inclusion of recently acquired entities. Sales volume was approximately 3% higher as the result of strong market conditions in the Company's agricultural and earthmoving/construction segments. Sales increased approximately 7% from price/mix improvements which resulted largely from increased raw material prices that were passed on to customers. The increase in net sales was partially offset by unfavorable foreign currency translation which decreased sales by approximately 3%.

Cost of sales was $1,526.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, as compared to $1,254.9 million in 2011.  The higher cost of sales resulted primarily from the increase in sales levels. The cost of sales increased 22%, compared to a 22% increase in net sales.

Gross profit for the year 2012 was $294.1 million, or 16.2% of net sales, compared to $232.1 million, or 15.6% of net sales for 2011.  The increase in gross profit margin was primarily due to productivity gains on the higher sales volumes and select price increases on certain products that exceeded the increase in raw material costs, as well as sales mix changes to larger products that generally carry higher margins.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses were $126.2 million, or 6.9% of net sales, for the year ended December 31, 2012, as compared to $85.9 million, or 5.8% of net sales, for 2011.  The higher SG&A expenses were primarily the result of an increase of selling and marketing expenses related to the increased sales levels and increased information technology expenses, an increase in incentive compensation, and acquisition related costs. Selling and marketing expenses were approximately $9 million higher, primarily due to increased sales levels and increased information technology expenses. Incentive compensation increased approximately $10 million. Acquisition related costs were approximately $4 million in 2012. Approximately $20 million of SG&A expenses of recently acquired facilities also contributed to the increase. The increase in SG&A expenses were offset by a decrease of legal related costs and fees of $3 million.

Research and development (R&D) expenses were $7.1 million, or 0.4% of net sales, for the year ended December 31, 2012, as compared to $4.2 million, or 0.3% of net sales, for 2011. The Company's higher R&D costs primarily resulted from increased R&D related to agricultural products. Approximately $1 million of R&D expenses of recently acquired facilities also contributed to the increase.

The Company has a trademark license agreement with The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company to manufacture and sell certain off-highway tires in North America and Latin America under the Goodyear name.  The North American and Latin American royalties were prepaid through March 2018 as a part of the 2011 Goodyear Latin American farm tire acquisition. In May 2012, the Company and Goodyear entered into an agreement under which Titan will sell certain non-farm tire products directly to third party customers and pay a royalty to Goodyear. Royalty expenses were $12.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, as compared to $9.8 million in 2011. As sales subject to the license agreement increased in 2012, the Company's royalty expense increased accordingly.  

The Company's April 2011 acquisition of Goodyear's farm tire business included a three year supply agreement with Goodyear for certain non-farm tire products. A liability was recorded as the supply agreement was for sales at below market prices. In May 2012, the Company and Goodyear terminated this supply agreement and entered into an agreement under which Titan will sell these products directly to third party customers and pay a royalty to Goodyear. The remaining balance of the supply agreement liability was recorded as income as the Company is no longer obligated to sell the products at below market prices.

Income from operations for the year ended December 31, 2012, was $174.7 million, or 9.6% of net sales, compared to $132.2 million, or 8.8% of net sales, in 2011.  This increase was the net result of the items previously discussed above.

Interest expense for the year 2012 was $27.7 million compared to $25.3 million in 2011.  The Company’s interest expense for 2012 increased from the previous year primarily as a result of interest expense at the recently acquired Titan Europe.

In the first quarter of 2011, the Company closed an exchange agreement converting approximately $59.6 million of the 5.625% convertible senior subordinated notes into approximately 6.6 million shares of the Company's common stock. In connection with the exchange, the Company recognized a charge of $16.1 million in accordance with accounting standards for debt conversion.

In the fourth quarter of 2012, the Company acquired Titan Europe. Prior to the acquisition, Titan held a 21.8% ownership percentage in Titan Europe, which had a fair value on the acquisition date of $31.7 million. As a result of recording the fair value of the investment on the acquisition date, a gain of $26.7 million was recorded on Titan's previously held interest in Titan Europe.

Other income was $6.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, as compared to $4.8 million in 2011.  The major items included in 2012 were:  (i) discount amortization on prepaid royalty of $3.7 million; (ii) investment gain related to contractual obligation of $1.0 million; (iii) interest income of $0.9 million: and (iv) rental income of $0.7 million.

The major items included in 2011 were:  (i) discount amortization on prepaid royalty of $3.1 million; and (ii) investment gain on marketable securities of $1.6 million.