Sponsored Links

Black Box


News and Blogs

Total : 229 View more »

Black box tracks stolen cars by mobile phone

c.moreover.com | Aug 22, 2008

Budget service uses phone tech to keep close on vehicle movements 3 hours ago | Tell us what you think [ 0 comments ] If you have one of these, you'll probably want to spend the £3.60 a month the Stealth Tracking System costs We can't think

http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1567935557

Signature puts stamp on 'Les Miz'

www.variety.com | Sep 15, 2008

The Signature Theater in Arlington, Va., will mount a revamped production of “Les Miserables” at its intimate 280-seat black box theater in December under special arrangement with producer Cameron Macintosh..Legit News, news from the entertainment source: Variety.Signature puts stamp on 'Les Miz'.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117992164

The Baader Meinhof Complex in the UK.

daily.greencine.com | Nov 14, 2008

"With its initial emphasis on fast cars and faster women, political rhetoric and posing, it's perhaps not surprising that The Baader Meinhof Complex, directed by Uli Edel and written and produced by Bernd Eichinger (Downfall), has been accused of...

http://daily.greencine.com/archives/007025.html

Mastodon Guitarist in Hospital, Vinyl Box Set Due

www.pitchforkmedia.com | Nov 11, 2008

Photo by Jimmy HubbardGood news and bad news from Mastodon today. The bad, via their website:

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/node/147322

Web Sites

Total : 5,849 View more »

Uncounted: The New Math of American Elections

www.digitallyobsessed.com

Elections are messy, and electronic voting provides a uniquely sinister opportunity for the forces of darkness to corrupt the electoral process, but this documentary doesn't make a persuasive case or a compelling call to action. Unfortunately it's content simply to string together some admittedly

http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/showreview.php3?ID=10054

Black Box Recorder - photos, pictures, biography, video, audio, related news, reviews, gigs, vital

www.nme.com

Black Box Recorder - photos, pictures, biography, video, audio, related news, reviews, gigs, vital stats, commentary, and cool facts

http://www.nme.com/artists/black-box-recorder

 

Black Box Corporation Reports Second Quarter and Year-to-Date Fiscal 2009 Results - Zibb.com

Black Box Corporation (NASDAQ:BBOX) today reported results for the second quarter of Fiscal 2009 ended September 27, 2008.

For the second quarter of Fiscal 2009, diluted earnings per share were 82c on net income of $14.3 million or 5.6% of revenues compared to diluted earnings per share of 64c on net income of $11.3 million or 4.3% of revenues for the same quarter last year. On a sequential quarter comparison basis, first quarter of Fiscal 2009 diluted earnings per share were 73c on net income of $12.8 million or 5.3% of revenues. Excluding reconciling items, operating earnings per share (which is a non-GAAP term and is defined below) for the second quarter of Fiscal 2009 were 94c on operating net income (which is a non-GAAP term and is defined below) of $16.4 million or 6.5% of revenues compared to operating earnings per share of 87c on operating net income of $15.4 million or 5.9% of revenues for the same quarter last year. Management believes that presenting operating earnings per share and operating net income is useful to investors because it provides a more meaningful comparison of the ongoing operations of the Company.

For the second quarter of Fiscal 2009, the Company's pre-tax reconciling items were $3.3 million with an after-tax impact on net income and EPS of $2.1 million and 12c, respectively. During the second quarter of Fiscal 2008, as previously disclosed, the Company's pre-tax reconciling items were $6.5 million with an after-tax impact on net income and EPS of $4.1 million and 23c, respectively. See below for further discussion regarding Management's use of non-GAAP accounting measurements and a detailed presentation of the Company's pre-tax reconciling items for the periods presented above.

Second quarter of Fiscal 2009 total revenues were $254 million, a decrease of $7 million or 3% from $261 million for the same quarter last year. On a sequential quarter comparison basis, first quarter of Fiscal 2009 total revenues were $243 million.

Second quarter of Fiscal 2009 cash provided by operating activities was $26 million or 182% of net income, compared to $5 million or 40% of net income for the same quarter last year. Second quarter of Fiscal 2009 free cash flow (which is a non-GAAP term and is defined below) was $26 million compared to $8 million for the same quarter last year. On a sequential quarter comparison basis, first quarter of Fiscal 2009 cash provided by operating activities was $12 million or 97% of net income and free cash flow was $12 million. Black Box utilized its second quarter of Fiscal 2009 free cash flow primarily to fund current period acquisition activity of $24 million and to pay dividends of $1 million. Management believes that free cash flow, defined by the Company as cash provided by operating activities less net capital expenditures, plus proceeds from stock option exercises, plus or minus foreign currency translation adjustments, is an important measurement of liquidity as it represents the total cash available to the Company.

For the six-month period ended September 27, 2008, diluted earnings per share were $1.55 on net income of $27.1 million or 5.5% of revenues compared to diluted earnings per share of $1.10 on net income of $19.5 million or 3.8% of revenues for the same period last year. Excluding reconciling items, operating earnings per share for the six-month period ended September 27, 2008 were $1.67 on operating net income of $29.3 million or 5.9% of revenues compared to operating earnings per share of $1.60 on operating net income of $28.2 million or 5.5% of revenues for the same period last year.

For the six-month period ended September 27, 2008, the Company's pre-tax reconciling items were $3.4 million with an after-tax impact on net income and EPS of $2.2 million and 12c, respectively. For the six-month period ended September 29, 2007, as previously disclosed, the Company's pre-tax reconciling items were $13.9 million with an after-tax impact on net income and EPS of $8.7 million and 50c, respectively.

For the six-month period ended September 27, 2008, total revenues were $496 million, a decrease of $17 million or 3% from $513 million for the same period last year.

Cash provided by operating activities for the six-month period ended September 27, 2008 was $38 million or 141% of net income compared to $12 million or 63% of net income for the same period last year. Free cash flow was $38 million compared to $15 million for the same period last year. Black Box utilized its six-month period free cash flow primarily to fund current and prior period acquisition activity of $36 million and to pay dividends of $2 million.

The Company's six-month order backlog was $196 million at September 27, 2008 compared to $166 million for the same quarter last year. On a sequential quarter end comparison basis, the Company's six-month order backlog was $158 million at June 28, 2008.

For Fiscal 2009, the Company continues to target reported revenues of approximately $1.0 billion; corresponding operating earnings per share in the range of $3.35 to $3.45; and cash provided by operating activities in the range of 90% to 100% of operating net income.

All of the above exclude acquisition-related expense, stock-based compensation expense, historical stock option granting practices investigation costs and the impact of changes in the fair market value of the Company's interest-rate swap, and all of the above are before any new mergers and acquisition activity that has not been announced.

Commenting on the second quarter of Fiscal 2009 results, Terry Blakemore, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Black Box's financial strength lies in our ability to generate well diversified revenues, solid sustainable margins and consistent positive cash flow. I am pleased that our revenues have remained consistent with the prior quarter with solid gains in select markets. Along with these gains, we are seeing some softness in certain sectors of our global market. Our results to date are evidence that we have successfully protected and in some cases expanded our margins across all service segments of our business in spite of the current economic conditions. The ability to preserve our margins in a challenging economic environment has been demonstrated in the past through effective cost management. Our consistent focus on margins will allow us to provide continued positive cash flow, which in challenging times, will provide Black Box with the resources to capitalize on new business opportunities."

Mr. Blakemore went on to say, "Our plan is to continue to expand our business through the acquisition of complementary enterprises, thereby enhancing our ability to provide the highest level of technical service to our clients around the world. We have demonstrated the ability to both acquire and successfully integrate companies while delivering double-digit margins and positive cash flow. So far this year we have added over $100 million in annualized revenue through acquisition funded by our low cost debt and operating cash flow. The companies that we have acquired provide a clear strategic benefit in select markets, while expanding both our capabilities and geographic footprint."

The Company will conduct a conference call beginning at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time today, October 28, 2008. Terry Blakemore, President and Chief Executive Officer, will host the call. To participate in the call, please dial 612-332-1025 approximately 15 minutes prior to the starting time and ask to be connected to the Black Box Earnings Call. A replay of the conference call will be available for one week after the teleconference by dialing 320-365-3844 and using access code 963020.

Black Box is the world's largest technical services company dedicated to designing, building and maintaining today's complicated data and voice infrastructure systems. Black Box services 175,000 clients in 141 countries with 191 offices throughout the world. To learn more, visit the Black Box Web site at http://www.blackbox.com.

Black Box(R), the Double Diamond logo and DVH(R) are registered trademarks of BB Technologies, Inc.

Any forward-looking statements contained in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and speak only as of the date of this release. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the fact they use words such as "should," "anticipate," "estimate," "approximate," "expect," "target," "may," "will," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe" and other words of similar meaning and expression in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. One can also identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Although it is not possible to predict or identify all risk factors, they may include the timing and final outcome of the ongoing review of the Company's stock option practices, including the related Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") investigation, shareholder derivative lawsuit and tax matters, and the impact of any actions that may be required or taken as a result of such review, SEC investigation, shareholder derivative lawsuit or tax matters, levels of business activity and operating expenses, expenses relating to corporate compliance requirements, cash flows, global economic and business conditions, successful integration of acquisitions, including the NextiraOne business, the timing and costs of restructuring programs, successful marketing of DVH (Data, Voice, Hotline) services, successful implementation of our M&A program, including identifying appropriate targets, consummating transactions and successfully integrating the businesses, competition, changes in foreign, political and economic conditions, fluctuating foreign currencies compared to the U.S. dollar, rapid changes in technologies, client preferences, the Company's arrangements with suppliers of voice equipment and technology and various other matters, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Additional risk factors are included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008. We can give no assurance that any goal, plan or target set forth in forward-looking statements can be achieved and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements, which speak only as of the date made. We undertake no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of future events or developments.

BLACK BOX CORPORATION
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
                                                    Three-months ended                        Six-months ended
                                                    September 27 and 29,                      September 27 and 29,
In thousands, except per share amounts              2008               2007                   2008               2007
Revenues
Hotline products                                    $    56,819        $    59,619            $    112,458       $    115,758
On-Site services                                         196,991            201,011                383,905            397,163
Total                                                    253,810            260,630                496,363            512,921
Cost of sales
Hotline products                                         28,917             31,457                 56,899             60,819
On-Site services                                         131,836            136,884                258,265            268,583
Total                                                    160,753            168,341                315,164            329,402
Gross profit                                             93,057             92,289                 181,199            183,519
Selling, general & administrative expenses               65,729             66,784                 132,197            139,527
Intangibles amortization                                 1,900              1,344                  3,726              3,662
Operating income                                         25,428             24,161                 45,276             40,330
Interest expense (income), net                           2,648              6,143                  2,383              9,423
Other expenses (income), net                             263                (73      )             167                (140     )
Income before provision for income taxes                 22,517             18,091                 42,726             31,047
Provision for income taxes                               8,218              6,781                  15,594             11,549
Net income                                          $    14,299        $    11,310            $    27,132        $    19,498
Earnings per common share
Basic                                               $    0.82          $    0.64              $    1.55          $    1.11
Diluted                                             $    0.82          $    0.64              $    1.55          $    1.10
Weighted average common shares outstanding
Basic                                                    17,524             17,594                 17,520             17,561
Diluted                                                  17,528             17,752                 17,522             17,670
Dividends per share                                 $    0.06          $    0.06              $    0.12          $    0.12
BLACK BOX CORPORATION
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
In thousands, except par value                                             September 27, 2008                March 31, 2008
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents                                            $     25,802                      $     26,652
Accounts receivable, net                                                   156,997                           162,289
Inventories, net                                                           62,715                            67,537
Costs/estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted              66,610                            58,611
contracts
Prepaid and other current assets                                           30,459                            31,529
Total current assets                                                       342,583                           346,618
Property, plant and equipment, net                                         31,859                            32,822
Goodwill                                                                   602,782                           586,856
Intangibles
Customer relationships, net                                                88,841                            67,331
Other intangibles, net                                                     38,245                            32,524
Other assets                                                               3,222                             7,700
Total assets                                                         $     1,107,532                   $     1,073,851
Liabilities
Accounts payable                                                     $     73,980                      $     71,670
Accrued compensation and benefits                                          23,622                            22,654
Deferred revenue                                                           36,443                            37,467
Billings in excess of costs/estimated earnings on uncompleted              21,995                            19,946
contracts
Income taxes                                                               14,921                            13,810
Other liabilities                                                          44,398                            47,040
Total current liabilities                                                  215,359                           212,587
Long-term debt                                                             209,410                           195,904
Other liabilities                                                          29,163                            25,086
Total liabilities                                                          453,932                           433,577
Stockholders' equity
Common stock                                                               25                                25
Additional paid-in capital                                                 444,260                           443,380
Retained earnings                                                          504,950                           479,921
Accumulated other comprehensive income                                     27,460                            40,043
Treasury stock                                                             (323,095   )                      (323,095   )
Total stockholders' equity                                                 653,600                           640,274
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity                           $     1,107,532                   $     1,073,851
BLACK BOX CORPORATION
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                                                                       Three-months ended                        Six-months ended
                                                                       September 27 and 29,                      September 27 and 29,
In thousands                                                           2008                     2007             2008                      2007
Operating Activities
Net income                                                             $   14,299           $   11,310           $   27,132            $   19,498
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used
for) operating activities
Intangibles amortization and depreciation                                  4,347                4,072                8,599                 9,345
Loss on sale of property                                                   (27      )           (9       )           (21       )           472
Deferred taxes                                                             (80      )           (1,949   )           856                   (9,738    )
Tax impact from stock options                                              887                  (18      )           1,047                 4,386
Stock compensation expense                                                 840                  1,155                1,382                 2,871
Change in fair value of interest-rate swap                                 (169     )           1,746                (2,877    )           438
Changes in operating assets and liabilities (net of acquisitions)
Accounts receivable, net                                                   11,005               (24,309  )           11,804                (23,989   )
Inventories, net                                                           1,338                486                  5,321                 3,798
All other current assets excluding deferred tax asset                      (6,878   )           (907     )           (8,572    )           (2,903    )
Liabilities exclusive of long-term debt                                    395                  12,951               (6,286    )           8,054
Net cash provided by (used for) operating activities                   $   25,957           $   4,528            $   38,385            $   12,232
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures                                                   $   (872     )       $   (942     )       $   (1,524    )       $   (1,926    )
Capital disposals                                                          82                   51                   104                   51
Acquisition of businesses (payments)/recoveries                            (42,334  )           --                   (48,620   )           --
Prior merger-related (payments)/recoveries                                 --                   35                   165                   (3,215    )
Net cash provided by (used for) investing activities                   $   (43,124  )       $   (856     )       $   (49,875   )       $   (5,090    )
Financing Activities
Proceeds from borrowings                                               $   91,135           $   52,005           $   143,710           $   99,450
Repayment of borrowings                                                    (73,013  )           (56,869  )           (131,461  )           (107,687  )
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options                                545                  5,170                545                   5,170
Deferred financing costs                                                   (13      )           --                   (125      )           --
Payment of dividends                                                       (1,051   )           (1,052   )           (2,102    )           (2,104    )
Purchase of treasury stock                                                 --                   (1       )           --                    (1        )
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities                   $   17,603           $   (747     )       $   10,567            $   (5,172    )
Foreign currency exchange impact on cash                               $   128              $   (1,000   )       $   73                $   (907      )
Increase / (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents                     $   564              $   1,925            $   (850      )       $   1,063
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period                       $   25,238           $   16,295           $   26,652            $   17,157
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period                             $   25,802           $   18,220           $   25,802            $   18,220

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

As a supplement to United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"), the Company provides non-GAAP financial measures such as free cash flow, cash provided by operating activities excluding restructuring payments, operating net income, operating earnings per share, Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization ("EBITDA"), Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Operating income and Same-office revenue comparisons to illustrate the Company's operational performance. These non-GAAP financial measures exclude the impact of certain items and, therefore, have not been calculated in accordance with GAAP. Pursuant to the requirements of Regulation G, the Company has provided Management explanations regarding their use and the usefulness of non-GAAP financial measures, definitions of the non-GAAP financial measures and reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, which are provided below.

Management uses non-GAAP financial measures (a) to evaluate the Company's historical and prospective financial performance as well as its performance relative to its competitors, (b) to set internal sales targets and associated operating budgets, (c) to allocate resources, (d) to measure operational profitability and (e) as an important factor in determining variable compensation for Management and its team members. Moreover, the Company has historically reported these non-GAAP financial measures as a means of providing consistent and comparable information with past reports of financial results.

While Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful supplemental information to investors, there are limitations associated with the use of non-GAAP financial measures. The limitations include (i) the non-GAAP financial measures are not prepared in accordance with GAAP, are not reported by all of the Company's competitors and may not be directly comparable to similarly-titled measures of the Company's competitors due to potential differences in the exact method of calculation, (ii) the non-GAAP financial measures exclude restructuring, severance and other acquisition integration costs (collectively referred to as "restructuring charges" or "restructuring payments") incurred during the periods reported that will impact future operating results, (iii) the non-GAAP financial measures exclude certain non-cash amortization of intangible assets on acquisitions, however, they do not specifically exclude the added benefits of these costs, such as revenue and contributing operating margin, (iv) the non-GAAP financial measures exclude non-cash stock-based compensation charges, which are similar to cash compensation paid to employees and are an integral part of achieving our operating results, (v) the non-GAAP financial measures exclude non-cash asset write-up depreciation expense on acquisitions related to acquisitions made during recent years which is derived from the book value to fair market value write-up on acquired assets, (vi) the non-GAAP financial measures exclude historical stock option granting practices investigation costs, (vii) the non-GAAP financial measures exclude the non-cash change in fair value of the interest-rate swap which will continue to impact the Company's earnings until the interest-rate swap is settled, (viii) the non-GAAP financial measures exclude expenses incurred as a result of measures taken by the Company to address the application of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (hereinafter referred to as "409A expenses") and (ix) there is no assurance the excluded items in the non-GAAP financial measures will not occur in the future. The Company compensates for these limitations by using these non-GAAP financial measures as supplements to GAAP financial measures and by reviewing the reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures to their most comparable GAAP financial measures.

Non-GAAP financial measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative for, GAAP. The Company's non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable GAAP financial measurements, and should be read only in conjunction with the Company's consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Free cash flow

Free cash flow is defined by the Company as cash provided by operating activities less net capital expenditures, plus proceeds from stock option exercises, plus or minus foreign currency translation adjustments. Management's reasons for exclusion of each item are explained in further detail below.

Net capital expenditures

The Company believes net capital expenditures must be taken into account along with cash provided by operating activities to more properly reflect the actual cash available to the Company. Net capital expenditures are typically material and directly impact the availability of the Company's operating cash. Net capital expenditures are comprised of capital expenditures and capital disposals.

Proceeds from stock option exercises

The Company believes that proceeds from stock option exercises should be added to cash provided by operating activities to more accurately reflect the actual cash available to the Company. The Company has demonstrated a recurring inflow of cash related to its stock-based compensation plans and, since this cash is immediately available to the Company, it directly impacts the availability of the Company's operating cash. The amount of proceeds from stock option exercises is dependent upon a number of variables, including the number and exercise price of outstanding options and the trading price of the Company's common stock. In addition, the timing of stock option exercises is under the control of the individual option holder and is not in the control of the Company. As a result, there can be no assurance as to the timing or amount of any proceeds from stock option exercises.

Foreign currency translation adjustment

Due to the size of the Company's international operations, and the ability of the Company to utilize cash generated from foreign operations locally without the need to convert such currencies to U.S. dollars on a regular basis, the Company believes that it is appropriate to adjust its operating cash flows to take into account the positive and / or negative impact of such charges as such adjustment provides an appropriate measure of the availability of the Company's operating cash on a world-wide basis. A limitation of adjusting cash flows to account for the foreign currency impact is that it may not provide an accurate measure of cash available in U.S. dollars.

A reconciliation of cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow is presented below:

                                                   2Q09             1Q09             2Q08             2QYTD09           2QYTD08
Cash provided by operating activities           $  25,957        $  12,428        $  4,528         $  38,385         $  12,232
Capital expenditures                               (872    )        (652    )        (942    )        (1,524  )         (1,926  )
Capital disposals                                  82               22               51               104               51
Foreign currency exchange impact on cash           128              (55     )        (1,000  )        73                (907    )
Free cash flow before stock option exercises    $  25,295        $  11,743        $  2,637         $  37,038         $  9,450
Proceeds from stock option exercises               545              --               5,170            545               5,170
Free cash flow                                  $  25,840        $  11,743        $  7,807         $  37,583         $  14,620

Cash provided by operating activities excluding restructuring payments

Cash provided by operating activities excluding restructuring payments is defined by the Company as cash provided by operating activities plus restructuring payments. Restructuring payments are the cash payments made during the period for restructuring charges. The Company believes that restructuring payments should be added to cash provided by operating activities to more accurately reflect the cash flow from operations.

A reconciliation of cash provided by operating activities to cash provided by operating activities excluding restructuring payments is presented below:

                                                                    2Q09         1Q09         2Q08        2QYTD09       2QYTD08
Cash provided by operating activities                            $  25,957    $  12,428    $  4,528    $  38,385     $  12,232
Restructuring payments                                              2,134        3,154        3,508       5,288         7,525
Cash provided by operating activities excluding restructuring    $  28,091    $  15,582    $  8,036    $  43,673     $  19,757
payments

Operating net income and operating earnings per share ("EPS")

Management believes that operating net income, defined by the Company as net income plus reconciling items, and operating EPS, defined as operating net income divided by weighted average common shares outstanding (diluted), provide investors additional important information to enable them to assess, in a way Management assesses, the Company's current and future operations. Reconciling items include restructuring charges, amortization of intangible assets on acquisitions, stock-based compensation expense, asset write-up depreciation expense on acquisitions, historical stock option granting practices investigation costs, the change in fair value of the interest-rate swap and 409A expenses. Management's reason for exclusion of each item is explained in further detail below.

Restructuring charges

The Company believes that incurring costs in the current period(s) as part of a restructuring plan or as a result of economies of scale from acquisitions will result in a long-term positive impact on financial performance in the future. Restructuring charges are presented in accordance with GAAP in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. However, due to the material amount of additional costs incurred during a single or possibly successive periods, Management believes that exclusion of these costs and their related tax impact provides a more accurate reflection of the Company's ongoing financial performance.

Amortization of intangible assets on acquisitions

The Company incurs non-cash amortization expense from intangible assets related to various acquisitions it has made in recent years. Management excludes these expenses and their related tax impact for the purpose of calculating non-GAAP financial measures when it evaluates the continuing operational performance of the Company because these costs are fixed at the time of an acquisition, are then amortized over a period of several years after the acquisition and generally cannot be changed or influenced by Management after the acquisition.

Stock-based compensation expense

The Company records non-cash stock-based compensation expense equal to the fair value of share-based payment awards to its directors, executives and employees. Non-cash stock-based compensation is an integral part of ongoing operations since it is considered similar to other types of compensation to employees. However, Management believes that varying levels of stock-based compensation expense could result in misleading period-over-period comparisons and is providing an adjusted disclosure which excludes stock-based compensation and its related tax impact.

Asset write-up depreciation expense on acquisitions

The Company incurs non-cash asset write-up depreciation expense on acquisitions related to acquisitions made during recent years. Specifically, this non-cash expenditure is derived from the book value to fair market value write-up on acquired assets. Asset write-ups are depreciated over their remaining useful life which generally falls between one to five years. Management excludes these expenses and their related tax impact for the purpose of calculating non-GAAP financial measures when it evaluates the continuing operational performance of the Company because these costs are fixed from acquisition to the end of the asset's useful life, and generally cannot be changed or influenced by Management after the acquisition.

Historical stock option granting practices investigation costs

The Company incurred costs in connection with its investigation of historical stock option granting practices. Management excludes these expenses and their related tax impact for the purpose of calculating non-GAAP financial measures when it evaluates the continuing operational performance of the Company because these costs are generally non-recurring and cannot be changed or influenced by Management.

Change in fair value of the interest-rate swap

To mitigate the risk of interest-rate fluctuations associated with the Company's variable rate debt, the Company entered into a five-year interest-rate swap ("interest-rate swap") that does not qualify as a cash flow hedge. Thus, the Company records the change in fair value of the interest-rate swap as an asset/liability within the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets with the offset to Interest expense (income) within the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. Management excludes this non-cash expense (income) and the related tax impact for the purpose of calculating non-GAAP financial measures when it evaluates the continuing operational performance of the Company because these costs generally cannot be changed or influenced by Management.

409A expenses

The Company incurred significant costs as a result of measures taken to address the application of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, related to its stock options. Management excludes these expenses and their related tax impact for the purpose of calculating non-GAAP financial measures when it evaluates the continuing operational performance of the Company because these costs are generally non-recurring and cannot be changed or influenced by Management.

The following table represents the Company's pre-tax reconciling items:

                                                                  2Q09           1Q09               2Q08       2QYTD09           2QYTD08
Non-cash charges
Amortization of intangible assets on acquisitions                 $  1,864       $  1,791        $  1,298      $   3,655         $    3,567
Stock-based compensation expense                                     840            542             1,155          1,382              2,871
Asset write-up depreciation expense on acquisitions                  448            448             448            896                1,107
Change in fair value of interest-rate swap                           (169   )       (2,708  )       1,746          (2,877  )          438
Total Non-cash charges                                            $  2,983       $  73           $  4,647      $   3,056         $    7,983
Cash charges
Restructuring charges                                             $  --          $  --           $  873        $   --            $    4,903
Historical stock option granting practices investigation costs       332            --              1,018          332                1,018
409A expenses                                                        --             --              --             --                 --
Total Cash charges                                                $  332         $  --           $  1,891      $   332           $    5,921
Total pre-tax reconciling items                                   $  3,315       $  73           $  6,538      $   3,388         $    13,904

A reconciliation of net income to operating net income is presented below:

                                   2Q09             1Q09             2Q08               2QYTD09           2QYTD08
Net income                      $  14,299        $  12,833        $  11,310          $  27,132         $  19,498
% of Revenue                       5.6     %        5.3     %        4.3     %          5.5     %         3.8     %
Reconciling items, after tax       2,105            46               4,087              2,151             8,743
Operating net income            $  16,404        $  12,879        $  15,397          $  29,283         $  28,241
% of Revenue                       6.5     %        5.3     %        5.9     %          5.9     %         5.5     %

A reconciliation of diluted EPS to operating EPS is presented below:

                                   2Q09          1Q09        2Q08          2QYTD09      2QYTD08
Diluted EPS                        $   0.82      $   0.73    $   0.64      $    1.55    $    1.10
EPS impact of reconciling items        0.12          0.01        0.23           0.12         0.50
Operating EPS                      $   0.94      $   0.74    $   0.87      $    1.67    $    1.60

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

Management believes that EBITDA, defined as income before provision for income taxes plus interest, depreciation and amortization, is a widely accepted measure of profitability that may be used to measure the Company's ability to service its debt. Adjusted EBITDA, defined as EBITDA plus stock-based compensation expense, may also be used to measure the Company's ability to service its debt.

A reconciliation of net income to EBITDA is presented below:

                                            2Q09          1Q09               2Q08        2QYTD09        2QYTD08
Income before provision for income taxes    $   22,517    $  20,209       $  18,091      $    42,726    $    31,047
Interest                                        2,648        (265    )       6,143            2,383          9,423
Depreciation / Amortization                     4,347        4,252           4,072            8,599          9,345
EBITDA                                      $   29,512    $  24,196       $  28,306      $    53,708    $    49,815
Stock-based compensation expense                840          542             1,155            1,382          2,871
Adjusted EBITDA                             $   30,352    $  24,738       $  29,461      $    55,090    $    52,686

Supplemental Information

The following supplemental information, including geographical segment results, service type results, same-office revenue comparisons and significant balance sheet ratios and other information is being provided for comparisons of reported results for the second quarter of Fiscal 2009 and 2008, first quarter of Fiscal 2009 and/or second quarter year-to-date Fiscal 2009 and 2008. All dollar amounts are in thousands unless noted otherwise.

Geographical Segment Results

Management is presented with and reviews revenues, operating income and adjusted operating income by geographical segment. Adjusted operating income is defined by the Company as operating income plus reconciling items. Reconciling items include restructuring charges, amortization of intangible assets on acquisitions, stock-based compensation expense, asset write-up depreciation expense on acquisitions, historical stock option granting practices investigation costs and 409A expenses. See above for additional details provided by Management regarding non-GAAP financial measures. Revenues, operating income and adjusted operating income for North America, Europe and All Other are presented below:

                               2Q09             1Q09             2Q08               2QYTD09            2QYTD08
Revenues
North America                  $  211,467       $  196,336       $  217,002         $   407,803        $   427,004
Europe                            31,753           35,768           33,706              67,521             66,505
All Other                         10,590           10,449           9,922               21,039             19,412
Total                          $  253,810       $  242,553       $  260,630         $   496,363        $   512,921
Operating income
North America                  $  20,163        $  14,484        $  18,104          $   34,647         $   28,686
% of North America revenues       9.5      %       7.4      %       8.3      %          8.5      %         6.7      %
Europe                         $  3,456         $  3,813         $  4,292           $   7,269          $   8,240
% of Europe revenues              10.9     %       10.7     %       12.7     %          10.8     %         12.4     %
All Other                      $  1,809         $  1,551         $  1,765           $   3,360          $   3,404
% of All Other revenues           17.1     %       14.8     %       17.8     %          16.0     %         17.5     %
Total                          $  25,428        $  19,848        $  24,161          $   45,276         $   40,330
% of Total revenues               10.0     %       8.2      %       9.3      %          9.1      %         7.9      %
Reconciling items (pretax)
North America                  $  3,484         $  2,781         $  4,792           $   6,265          $   13,466
Europe                            --               --               --                  --                 --
All Other                         --               --               --                  --                 --
Total                          $  3,484         $  2,781         $  4,792           $   6,265          $   13,466
Adjusted Operating income
North America                  $  23,647        $  17,265        $  22,896          $   40,912         $   42,152
% of North America revenues       11.2     %       8.8      %       10.6     %          10.0     %         9.9      %
Europe                         $  3,456         $  3,813         $  4,292           $   7,269          $   8,240
% of Europe revenues              10.9     %       10.7     %       12.7     %          10.8     %         12.4     %
All Other                      $  1,809         $  1,551         $  1,765           $   3,360          $   3,404
% of All Other revenues           17.1     %       14.8     %       17.8     %          16.0     %         17.5     %
Total                          $  28,912        $  22,629        $  28,953          $   51,541         $   53,796
% of Total revenues               11.4     %       9.3      %       11.1     %          10.4     %         10.5     %

Service Type Results

Management is presented with and reviews revenues and gross profit for Data Services, Voice Services and Hotline Services which are presented below:

                                  2Q09                1Q09              2Q08                2QYTD09            2QYTD08
Revenues
Data Services                     $  42,714        $  46,884         $  50,200           $  89,598          $  96,365
Voice Services                       154,277          140,030           150,811             294,307            300,798
Hotline Services                     56,819           55,639            59,619              112,458            115,758
Total                             $  253,810       $  242,553        $  260,630          $  496,363         $  512,291
Gross profit
Data Services                     $  12,879        $  13,287         $  14,374           $  26,166          $  28,551
% of Data Services revenues          30.2     %       28.3     %        28.6     %          29.2     %         29.6     %
Voice Services                    $  52,276        $  47,198         $  49,753           $  99,474          $  100,029
% of Voice Services revenues         33.9     %       33.7     %        33.0     %          33.8     %         33.3     %
Hotline Services                  $  27,902        $  27,657         $  28,162           $  55,559          $  54,939
% of Hotline Services revenues       49.1     %       49.7     %        47.2     %          49.4     %         47.5     %
Total                             $  93,057        $  88,142         $  92,289           $  181,199         $  183,519
% of Total revenues                  36.7     %       36.3     %        35.4     %          36.5     %         35.8     %

Same-office revenue comparisons

Management is presented with and reviews revenues on a same-office basis which excludes the effects of revenues from acquisitions. While the information provided below is presented on a consolidated basis, the revenue from offices added below relates primarily to North America Voice Services. Reported same-office comparisons for the Company's North America and Voice Services segments can be determined by excluding the revenues from offices added since 1Q08 or 1Q09 as shown below.

Information on quarterly revenues on a same-office basis compared to the same period last year is presented below:

                                                                     2Q09             2Q08           % Change
Reported revenues                                                    $  253,810       $   260,630    (3    %)
Less revenues from offices added since 1Q08                             (18,817  )        --
Reported revenues on same-office basis                                  234,993           260,630    (10   %)
Foreign currency impact                                                 (1,715   )        --
Revenues on same-office basis (excluding foreign currency impact)    $  233,278       $   260,630    (10   %)

Information on year-to-date revenues on a same-office basis compared to the same period last year is presented below:

                                                                     2QYTD09            2QYTD08         % Change
Reported revenues                                                    $   496,363        $    512,921    (3    %)
Less revenues from offices added since 1Q08                              (26,710  )          --
Reported revenues on same-office basis                                   469,653             512,921    (8    %)
Foreign currency impact                                                  (6,330   )          --
Revenues on same-office basis (excluding foreign currency impact)    $   463,323        $    512,921    (10   %)

Information on revenues on a same-office basis compared to the sequential quarter is presented below:

                                                                     2Q09             1Q09             % Change
Reported revenues                                                    $  253,810       $  242,553       5     %
Less revenues from offices added since 1Q09                             (14,019  )       (3,151   )
Reported revenues on same-office basis                                  239,791          239,402       0     %
Foreign currency impact                                                 1,690            --
Revenues on same-office basis (excluding foreign currency impact)    $  241,481       $  239,402       1     %

Significant Balance Sheet ratios and Other Information

Information on certain balance sheet ratios, backlog and headcount is presented below. Dollar amounts are in millions.

                              2Q09                      1Q09                      2Q08
Accounts receivable
Gross accounts receivable     $  168.1                  $  174.3                  $  202.3
Reserve $ / %                 $  11.1        6.6   %    $  11.6        6.6   %    $  14.1        7.0   %
Net accounts receivable       $  157.0                  $  162.7                  $  188.2
Net days sales outstanding       50 days                   54 days                   58 days
Inventory
Gross inventory               $  83.4                   $  85.7                   $  91.5
Reserve $ / %                 $  20.7        24.8  %    $  21.0        24.5  %    $  21.7        23.7  %
Net inventory                 $  62.7                   $  64.7                   $  69.8
Net inventory turns              8.0x                      7.1x                      7.9x
Six-month order backlog       $  196                    $  158                    $  166
Team members                     4,445                     4,262                     4,372

SOURCE: Black Box Corporation

Black Box Corporation 
Investor Relations 
Gary Doyle, 724-873-6788 
Director of Investor Relations 
Email: investors@blackbox.com

Read more...

Tags: accounting   acquisition   annual report   business   ceo   conference   corporate   currency   debt   diamond   dividends   dollar   earnings   ebitda   eps   equity   europe   exercise   financial results   foreign operations   gaap   investigation   lawsuit   market   marketing   merger   nasdaq   north america   plant   president   products   property   restructuring   revenue   sales   sec   securities   stock option   tax   taxes   technology   treasury   united states   web  

Companies: Black Box Corp. (BBOX)

Permalink

 

Black Box Corporation Announces Acquisition of Network Communications Technologies, Inc. - Zibb.com

Black Box Corporation (NASDAQ:BBOX) today announced the acquisition of Network Communications Technologies, Inc. (NCT), a privately-held company based out of Charlotte, NC. NCT has an active customer base which includes commercial, education and various government agency accounts. Annual historical revenues of NCT are approximately $10 million.

Scott Fairman, former NCT Chief Operating Officer, commented, "This is a great opportunity for NCT. Not only will we have the Black Box name behind us, but also the capability to expand our offerings for existing customers and the resources to gain additional customers." Mr. Fairman will continue with the business as Regional Operations Manager reporting to Mr. Gary Williams, Vice President and Regional General Manager for Black Box's Voice Services operations.

Commenting on the acquisition, Mr. Williams stated, "We are excited about increasing our market share in the Carolinas with the acquisition of NCT. They will now have the capability to provide additional Voice, Data and Hotline services to meet their customers' increasing demands for multi-location support."

This transaction is being accounted for as a purchase. The purchase price has not been disclosed.

About Black Box

Black Box is the world's largest technical services company dedicated to designing, building and maintaining today's complicated data and voice infrastructure systems. Black Box services 175,000 clients in 141 countries with 191 offices throughout the world. To learn more, visit the Black Box Web site at http://www.blackbox.com.

Black Box(R) and the Double Diamond logo are registered trademarks of BB Technologies, Inc.

SOURCE: Black Box Corporation

Black Box Corporation 
Investor Relations 
Gary Doyle, 724-873-6788 
Director -- Investor Relations 
Email: investors@blackbox.com

Read more...

Tags: acquisition   commercial   communications   diamond   education   government   market share   nasdaq   president   technology   web  

Companies: Black Box Corp. (BBOX)

Permalink

 

Black Box Corporation Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend - Zibb.com

Black Box Corporation (NASDAQ:BBOX) today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.06 per share of its Common Stock. The $0.06 per share dividend was declared on all outstanding shares of Black Box's Common Stock and will be payable on January 9, 2009 to stockholders of record at the close of business on December 26, 2008.

Black Box will pay the dividend through its transfer agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, 59 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038.

About Black Box

Black Box is the world's largest technical services company dedicated to designing, building and maintaining today's complicated data and voice infrastructure systems. Black Box services 175,000 clients in 141 countries with 191 offices throughout the world. To learn more, visit the Black Box Web site at http://www.blackbox.com.

Black Box(R) and the Double Diamond logo are registered trademarks of BB Technologies, Inc.

SOURCE: Black Box Corporation

Black Box Corporation 
Gary Doyle, Director - Investor Relations, 724-873-6788 
Email: investors@blackbox.com

Read more...

Tags: business   diamond   dividend   nasdaq   new_york   technology   web  

Companies: Black Box Corp. (BBOX), Trust Co Ltd (TCNYF)

Permalink

 

Black Box Corporation Executives to Present at UBS Global Technology and Services Conference -

Terry Blakemore, President and Chief Executive Officer of Black Box Corporation (NASDAQ:BBOX) and Mike McAndrew, Black Box's Chief Financial Officer, are scheduled to present at the UBS Global Technology and Services Conference on November 18, 2008. The conference will be held at the Grand Hyatt in New York City.

A live webcast of the presentation will be available beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET. To access the webcast, please visit the Investor Relations section of the Black Box website at www.blackbox.com or join the conference online at www.ibb.ubs.com. Please login approximately 10 minutes prior to the webcast.

About Black Box

Black Box is the world's largest technical services company dedicated to designing, building and maintaining today's complicated data and voice infrastructure systems. Black Box services 175,000 clients in 141 countries with 191 offices throughout the world. To learn more, visit the Black Box Web site at http://www.blackbox.com.

Black Box(R) and the Double Diamond logo are registered trademarks of BB Technologies, Inc.

Any forward-looking statements contained in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and speak only as of the date of this release. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the fact they use words such as "should," "anticipate," "estimate," "approximate," "expect," "target," "may," "will," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe" and other words of similar meaning and expression in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. One can also identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Although it is not possible to predict or identify all risk factors, they may include the timing and final outcome of the ongoing review of the Company's stock option practices, including the related Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") investigation, shareholder derivative lawsuit and tax matters, and the impact of any actions that may be required or taken as a result of such review, SEC investigation, shareholder derivative lawsuit or tax matters, levels of business activity and operating expenses, expenses relating to corporate compliance requirements, cash flows, global economic and business conditions, successful integration of acquisitions, including the NextiraOne business, the timing and costs of restructuring programs, successful marketing of DVH (Data, Voice, Hotline) services, successful implementation of our M&A program, including identifying appropriate targets, consummating transactions and successfully integrating the businesses, competition, changes in foreign, political and economic conditions, fluctuating foreign currencies compared to the U.S. dollar, rapid changes in technologies, client preferences, the Company's arrangements with suppliers of voice equipment and technology and various other matters, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Additional risk factors are included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008. We can give no assurance that any goal, plan or target set forth in forward-looking statements can be achieved and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements, which speak only as of the date made. We undertake no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of future events or developments.

SOURCE: Black Box Corporation

Black Box Corporation 
Gary Doyle, 724-873-6788 
Director -- Investor Relations 
Email: investors@blackbox.com

Read more...

Tags: acquisition   business   ceo   conference   corporate   diamond   dollar   investigation   lawsuit   marketing   nasdaq   new_york   online   president   restructuring   sec   securities   stock option   tax   technology   web  

Companies: Black Box Corp. (BBOX)

Permalink

Company details

Black Box - Filmography, Year, Role - Variety Profiles

Breaking entertainment news, movie reviews, Celebrity photos, Pictures, entertainment industry events, Film festivals, festival news and festival reviews, Oscars, Emmys, Sundance festival, and Hollywood awards. Featuring box office charts, entertainment news archives and more.

Black Box Digital - Filmography, Year, Role - Variety Profiles

Breaking entertainment news, movie reviews, Celebrity photos, Pictures, entertainment industry events, Film festivals, festival news and festival reviews, Oscars, Emmys, Sundance festival, and Hollywood awards. Featuring box office charts, entertainment news archives and more.

» View all 5 companies

 

News from Zibb.com

Explore in Related Industries

Explore Related Topics

Events

2 more »