Ethan Allen Announces Plan to Consolidate Certain Retail Locations and Comments on Business
January 10 2008 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. (NYSE:ETH) (�Ethan Allen� or the
�Company�) today announced a plan to consolidate the operations of
about twelve of its retail design centers and two service centers.
For the most part, business currently serviced by these locations
will be transferred to other locations serving the same general
market areas. All customer orders will continue to be serviced in
the ordinary course of business. Of the approximately 175 full and
part-time positions affected by this decision, about half are
expected to transfer into nearby operations. In the second half of
our fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, the Company expects to record
pre-tax restructuring, impairment, and other related charges of
approximately $9.5 to $10.5 million, the majority of which will be
non-cash in nature representing an after-tax impact of $6.0 to $6.6
million or $0.20 to $0.22 per diluted share. The company expects
about half of this charge to be booked in the quarter ending March
31, 2008 and the remainder in the quarter ending June 30, 2008. The
Company owns the real estate associated with five of the locations
being consolidated and leases the others. The sale of these owned
properties, which is expected over the next twelve to fifteen
months, is expected to generate pre-tax gains of $4.0 to $5.0
million. Any gains from real estate dispositions will be recognized
in the quarter in which the transactions occur. From a cash
perspective, the net pretax cash flow from this consolidation will
be positive and is expected to net to approximately $11.0 to $12.0
million, including a reduction in inventory of about $6.0 million.
Farooq Kathwari, Chairman and CEO, commented, �As Ethan Allen has
evolved into a business model focused on providing interior design
service and solutions, including free in-home design consultations,
we do not need to have as many neighborhood locations in major
markets. For example, in New York City, we will be consolidating
two design centers in Manhattan and one in Queens into one major
new flagship design center located on Third Avenue across from
Bloomingdales, which is scheduled to open by May, 2008. The twelve
design centers that are being consolidated represent about $34
million in annual sales, about 50% of which is expected to be
consolidated into the new Manhattan location. We expect most of the
remaining business to be picked up by our other design centers. We
expect this consolidation will improve operating profits by about
$3 to $4 million annually starting in fiscal 2009.� As of December
31, 2007 Ethan Allen has an international network of 305 design
centers of which 160 are company-owned and 145 are independently
owned. During the first half of this fiscal year there were seven
new design centers opened in key markets in the US and three new
design centers opened internationally. During the next six months,
we are on track to open eight new design centers. Most of the new
design centers represent relocations of existing design centers to
larger and better locations. Since 1993 an extensive portion of our
retail network has been relocated. Commenting on current business,
Chairman and CEO Farooq Kathwari stated, �While business conditions
have remained difficult during our second quarter ended December
31, 2007, we are pleased with our projected results. Our sales for
the quarter ended December 31, 2007 were approximately $260
million, up about 1% from the prior year quarter. We expect
operating margins to be between 12% and 13% and diluted earnings
per share to be between $0.68 and $0.70 compared to $0.70 in the
prior year quarter.� Continuing, Mr. Kathwari stated, �While
recognizing that the overall uncertain economic environment is
expected to remain weak for the foreseeable future, we have the
opportunity to continue to do well due to the many initiatives that
we already have in place to position Ethan Allen as a provider of
Style, Quality, Value, and Solutions. We look forward to discussing
in greater detail after our earnings release on January 23, 2008.�
Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. is a leading manufacturer and retailer
of quality home furnishings, selling a full range of products
through a dedicated network of interior design centers located in
the United States, Canada, and overseas. The Company owns 9
manufacturing facilities and 2 sawmills located in the United
States and 1 manufacturing facility in Mexico. This press release
should be read in conjunction with the Company�s Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2007 and other reports filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release and
related discussions contain forward-looking statements made
pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements
reflect management�s current expectations concerning future events
and results of the Company, and are subject to various assumptions,
risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, actual future events or
results could differ materially from those contemplated by the
forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to
update or provide revision to any forward-looking statement at any
time for any reason.
Grayscale Ethere (NYSE:ETH)
Historical Stock Chart
From Oct 2024 to Nov 2024
Grayscale Ethere (NYSE:ETH)
Historical Stock Chart
From Nov 2023 to Nov 2024