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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
     
þ   Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the fiscal year ended January 31, 2011.
     
o   Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the transition period from                      to                     
Commission file number 1-8777
VIRCO MFG. CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
     
DELAWARE   95-1613718
     
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)   (IRS Employer Identification No.)
     
2027 Harpers Way, Torrance, California   90501
     
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (310) 533-0474
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
     
Title of each class   Name of each exchange on which registered:
     
Common Stock, $0.01 Par Value   NASDAQ
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the issuer is a well-known seasoned issuer as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes o No þ
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
Yes o No þ
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes o No o
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
             
Large accelerated filer o   Accelerated filer o   Non-accelerated filer o   Smaller reporting company þ
        (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)    
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.) Yes o No þ
The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant on July 31, 2010, was $41.8 million (based upon the closing price of the registrant’s common stock on such day, as reported by the NASDAQ).
As of April 1, 2011, there were 14,204,998 shares of the registrant’s common stock ($0.01 par value) outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the Registrant’s definitive proxy statement for its 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission are incorporated by reference into Part III of this annual report on Form 10-K as set forth herein.
 
 

 


 

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PART I
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This report on Form 10-K contains a number of “forward-looking statements” that reflect the Company’s current views with respect to future events and financial performance, including, but not limited to, availability of funding for educational institutions, statements regarding plans and objectives of management for future operations, including plans and objectives relating to products, pricing, marketing, expansion, manufacturing processes , business strategies; the Company’s ability to continue to control costs and inventory levels; availability and cost of raw materials, especially steel and petroleum-based products; the availability and cost of labor; the potential impact of the Company’s “Assemble-To-Ship” program on earnings; market demand; the Company’s ability to position itself in the market; references to current and future investments in and utilization of infrastructure; statements relating to management’s beliefs that cash flow from current operations, existing cash reserves, and available lines of credit will be sufficient to support the Company’s working capital requirements to fund existing operations; references to expectations of future revenues; pricing; and seasonality.
Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, many of which are out of the Company’s control and difficult to forecast, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those which are anticipated. Such factors include, but are not limited to, changes in, or the Company’s ability to predict, general economic conditions, the availability and cost of raw materials, the markets for school and office furniture generally and specifically in areas and with customers with which the Company conducts its principal business activities, the rate of approval of school bonds for the construction of new schools, the extent to which existing schools order replacement furniture, customer confidence, competition and other factors included in the “Risk Factors” section of this report.
In this report, words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “will continue,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “projects,” “potential,” “budgets,” “may,” “could” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.
Throughout this report, our fiscal years ended January 31, 2007, January 31, 2008, January 31, 2009, January 31, 2010 and January 31, 2011 are referred to as years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, respectively.
Please note that this report includes trademarks of Virco, including, but not limited to, the following: ZUMA ® , ZUMAfrd™, Ph.D. ® , I.Q. ® Virtuoso ® , Classic Series™, Martest 21 ® , Lunada ® , Plateau ® , Core-a-Gator ® , Future Access ® , Sigma ® , Metaphor ® , Telos ® , TEXT ® and Parameter ® . Solely for convenience, from time to time we refer to our trademarks in this report without the ® and ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights to our trademarks. In addition, other names and brands included in this report may be claimed by us as well or by third parties.
Item 1. Business
Introduction
Designing, producing and distributing high-value furniture for a diverse family of customers is a 61-year tradition at Virco Mfg. Corporation (“Virco” or the “Company”, or in the first person, “we”, “us” and “our”). Virco was incorporated in California in February 1950, and reincorporated in Delaware in April 1984. Though Virco started as a local manufacturer of chairs and desks for Los Angeles-area schools, over the years, Virco has become the largest manufacturer and supplier of moveable educational furniture and equipment for the preschool through 12th grade market in the United States. The Company now manufactures a wide assortment of products, including mobile tables, mobile storage equipment, desks, computer furniture, chairs, activity tables, folding chairs and folding tables. Additionally, Virco has worked with accomplished designers — such as Peter Glass, Richard Holbrook, and Bob Mills — to develop additional products for contemporary applications. These include the best-selling ZUMA ® and the recently introduced TEXT ® , Metaphor ® and Telos ® classroom furniture collections, as well as I.Q. ® Series items for educational settings; Ph.D. ® and Ph.D. Executive seating lines; and the wide-ranging Plateau ® Series.
In 2008, Virco introduced the TEXT table collection for learning environments. Designed by the award-winning team of Peter Glass and Bob Mills, TEXT tables feature heavy-gauge tubular steel and proven Virco construction for extended product life, and elliptical legs, swooping yokes and arched feet for exceptional elegance. Selected TEXT models can be equipped with a variety of technology-support and storage accessories. Lunada ® tables made their debut at the end of 2008. Combining Virco’s popular Lunada bi-point bases with a selection of 20 top sizes, Lunada tables make great choices for seminar, conference and related settings.
In 2009, Virco introduced Flip-Top Technology tables for computer classrooms and related environments. Flip-Top Technology tables feature a 6” deep locking flip-top compartment that secures cables, surge protectors and wires beneath the work surface. Also in 2009, utilizing our new flat metal forming capabilities, Virco introduced an array of desks, returns and bookcases.

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In 2010, Virco introduced Parameter ® , an invigorating collection of desks, returns and credenzas for use by teachers, principals and district administrators in their classrooms or offices. Parameter affordably combines all the functionality — and more — of traditional mid-priced desks with high-end design elements. Virco’s flat metal forming capabilities are used to manufacture Parameter items. Several new products were released in the second half of 2010, including: Parameter and TEXT help desks for educators, which have a rounded work surface edge at one end where students can comfortably pull up a chair for assistance with their work; Parameter mobile pedestals; Parameter high-capacity wire management panels; Plateau adjustable-height tables; several 2000 Series “EL” (extra large) classroom furniture models with an expanded seating surface; and a new collection of Virco vertical files. Products targeted for release in 2011 include new filing and storage cabinets, as well as additions to the Parameter line.
Virco’s impressive flat metal forming capabilities are further enhanced when combined with our Assemble-to-Ship (“ATS”) strategy, which allows for the manufacture and storage of common components during the portion of the year when demand for our product is low followed by assembly to customer-specific combinations prior to shipment. The combination of flat metal forming and ATS enables Virco to offer an array of desks at three price points that provide a variety of furniture solutions for customer applications in a wide range of environments.
As of January 31, 2011, the Company’s employment force was approximately 1,050 strong, manufacturing its products in 1.1 million square feet of fabrication facilities and 1.2 million square feet of assembly and warehousing facilities in Torrance, California and Conway, Arkansas. Additionally, the Company’s PlanSCAPE ® project management software allows its sales representatives to provide CAD layouts of classrooms, as well as classroom-by-classroom planning documents for the budgeting, acquisition and installation of furniture, fixtures and equipment (“FF&E”).
In recent years, due to budgetary pressures, many schools have reduced or eliminated central warehouses, janitorial services, and professional purchasing functions. As a result, fewer school districts administer their own bids, and are more likely to use regional, state, or national contracts. A shift to site-based management combined with reductions in professional purchasing personnel has increased the reliance of schools on suppliers that provide for a variety of needs from one source rather than administering different vendor relationships for each item. In response to these changes, the Company has expanded both the products and the services it provides to its educational customers. Now, in addition to buying furniture FOB Factory, customers can purchase furniture for delivery to warehouses and school sites, and can also purchase full-service furniture delivery that includes the installation of the furniture in classrooms. Because the Company has been aggressively developing new furniture lines to enhance the range of products it manufactures — and by purchasing furniture and equipment from other companies for re-sale with Virco products — the Company is now able to provide “one-stop shopping” for all furniture, fixtures and equipment needs in the K-12 market.
The expansion of the Company’s product line combined with the expansion of its services over the years has provided Virco with the ability to serve various markets including the education market (the Company’s primary market), which is made up of public and private schools (preschool through 12th grade), junior and community colleges; four-year colleges and universities; trade, technical and vocational schools; convention centers and arenas; the hospitality industry with respect to banquet and meeting facilities; government facilities at the federal, state, county and municipal levels; and places of worship. In addition, the Company also sells to wholesalers, distributors, traditional retailers and catalog retailers that serve these same markets.
Virco serves its customers through a well-trained, nationwide sales and support team. Virco’s educational product line is marketed through an extensive direct sales force, as well as through a growing dealer network. In addition, Virco has a Corporate Sales Group to pursue wholesalers, mail order accounts and national chains where management believes that it would be more efficient to have a single sales representative or group service such customers, as they tend to have needs that transcend the geographic boundaries established for Virco’s local accounts. The Company also has an array of support services, including complete package solutions for the furniture, fixtures and equipment line item on school budgets; computer-assisted layout planning; transportation planning; and product delivery, installation, and repair.
Another important element of Virco’s business model is the Company’s emphasis on developing and maintaining key manufacturing, assembly, distribution, and service capabilities. For example, Virco has developed competencies in several manufacturing processes that are important to the markets the Company serves, such as finishing systems, plastic molding, metal fabrication and woodworking. Virco’s physical facilities are designed to support its ATS strategy. Warehouses have substantial staging areas combined with a large number of dock doors to support the seasonal peak in shipments during summer months.
During the last decade, many furniture manufacturers closed their domestic manufacturing facilities and began importing increasing quantities of furniture from international sources. During this same period, Virco elected to significantly reduce its work force, but retain its domestic factory locations. In recent years, the Company believes that its domestic manufacturing capabilities have evolved into a significant strength. The Company has effectively used product selection, color selection, and dependable execution of delivery and installation to customers to enhance its market position. With increasing costs from international sources and increasing freight costs, our factories are cost-competitive

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for bulky educational furniture and equipment items. The Company’s ATS strategy allows for low-cube component parts to be sourced globally, with fabrication of bulky welded steel frames, wood tops, and larger molded-plastic components to be performed locally. Domestic production of laminated wood tops and molded plastic enables the Company to market a color palette that cannot be matched in a short delivery window by imported finished goods. Domestic assembly allows the Company to use standard ATS components to assemble customer-specific product and color combinations shortly prior to delivery and installation.
Finally, management continues to hone Virco’s ability to finance, manufacture and warehouse furniture within the relatively narrow delivery window associated with the highly seasonal demand for education sales. In 2010, approximately 50% of the Company’s total sales were delivered in June, July, and August with an even higher portion of educational sales delivered in that period. Shipments of furniture in July and August can be six times greater than in the seasonally slow winter months. Virco’s substantial warehouse space allows the Company to build adequate inventories to service this narrow delivery window for the education market.
Principal Products
Virco produces the broadest line of furniture for the K-12 market of any manufacturer in the United States. By supplementing products manufactured by Virco with products from other manufacturers, Virco provides a comprehensive product assortment that covers substantially all products and price points that are traditionally included on the furniture, fixtures and equipment line item on a new school project or school budget. Virco also provides a variety of products for preschool markets and has recently developed products that are targeted for college, university, and corporate learning center environments. The Company has an ambitious and on-going product development program featuring products developed in-house as well as products developed with accomplished designers. The Company’s primary furniture lines are constructed of tubular metal legs and frames, combined with wood and plastic tops, plastic seats and backs, upholstered seats and backs, and upholstered rigid polyethylene and polypropylene shells. Virco also has flat metal forming capabilities to enable the production of desks, returns, bookcases, filing cabinets, mobile pedestals and related items.
Virco’s principal manufactured products include:
SEATING — Launched in 2004, the ergonomically supportive ZUMA ® line designed by Peter Glass and Bob Mills posted the highest initial-year new product sales total in the Company’s history. Since this record-breaking launch, ZUMA sales have continued to grow. Recent additions to the ZUMA line include two cantilever chairs with 13” and 15” seat heights; a tablet arm chair with a compact footprint; two rockers with 13” and 15” seat heights; and a chair with an articulating tablet arm which was introduced in Virco’s 2009 Equipment for Educators™ catalog. The ZUMAfrd™ collection, introduced in 2005, features Fortified Recycled Wood™ hard plastic seats, backrests and work surfaces. ZUMAfrd products have up to 70% recycled content and are 98% recyclable. The Sage™ line, designed to serve students in college, university and other adult education settings, and on high school campuses, was introduced in late 2006. Along with its original adult-height models, Sage now offers a 13” and a 15” 4-leg chair, and a corresponding pair of cantilever chairs. In addition to these chairs for younger, smaller students, Virco has introduced an articulating Sage tablet arm model for high school and adult learning venues. Selected adult-height Sage models can also now be ordered with a padded, upholstered seat. In 2007, the Company introduced the Metaphor ® Series — an updated sequel to Virco’s best-selling Classic Series™ furniture with improvements in comfort, ergonomics, stackability, and manufacturing efficiencies — and the Telos ® Series, a wide-ranging product line with ergonomically contoured Fortified Recycled Wood components. Other Virco seating alternatives include easily-adjustable Ph.D. ® task chairs; I.Q. ® Series classroom chairs; and comfortable, attractive Virtuoso ® chairs by Charles Perry. Classic Series stack chairs and Martest 21 ® hard plastic seating models are popular choices in schools across America. Along with this range of seating, Virco offers folding chairs and upholstered stack chairs, as well as additional plastic stack chairs and upholstered ergonomic chairs.
TABLES — In April 2008, Virco introduced the TEXT ® table collection for learning environments. Designed by the award-winning team of Peter Glass and Bob Mills, TEXT tables feature heavy-gauge tubular steel and proven Virco construction for extended product life, and elliptical legs, swooping yokes and arched feet for exceptional elegance. Selected TEXT models can be equipped with a variety of technology-support and storage accessories. Lunada ® tables made their debut at the end of 2008. Combining Virco’s popular Lunada bi-point bases with a selection of 20 top sizes, Lunada tables make great choices for seminar, conference and related settings. Designed for Virco by Peter Glass, Plateau ® tables bring exceptional versatility, sturdy construction and great styling to working and learning environments. For durable, easy-to-use lightweight folding tables, Virco’s Core-a-Gator ® models are unsurpassed. When paired with attractive, durable Virco café tops, Lunada bases by Peter Glass provide eye-catching table solutions for hospitality settings. Virco also carries traditional folding and banquet tables, activity tables and office tables, as well as the computer tables and mobile tables described below.
COMPUTER FURNITURE — The TEXT table collection described in the preceding paragraph provides educators an array of computer furniture choices for learning environments; Virco’s recently released Flip-Top Technology table line also delivers popular computer furniture solutions. Future Access ® computer tables come with an integral wire

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