Item 1. Business
The information set forth under “Company Description” which appears on pages 5 through 12 of the Company’s 2017 Annual Report to Shareholders is incorporated herein by reference. For information as to export sales, see the information set forth under “Notes to Financial Statements-Export Sales” included on page 58 of the Company’s 2017 Annual Report to Shareholders, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Emerging Technologies
Automotive vehicle access systems, which are both theft deterrent and consumer friendly, are trending toward electro-mechanical devices. Electronic companies are developing user identification systems such as bio-systems, card holder (transmitter) systems, etc., while mechanical locks, keys, housings, and latches are evolving to accommodate electronics. The Company believes it is positioning itself as a vehicle access control supplier by building its product, engineering and manufacturing expertise in the required electro-mechanical products, which include vehicle access latches, keys with remote entry electronic systems, and ignition interface systems with passive start capabilities.
These technologies benefit the Company by increasing its potential customer base as a Tier 2 supplier while maintaining the Company’s Tier 1 status on some product lines and by adding additional product line availability.
Sources and Availability of Raw Materials
The Company’s primary raw materials are high-grade zinc, brass, nickel silver, steel, aluminum and plastic resins. These materials are generally available from a number of suppliers, but the Company has chosen to concentrate its sourcing with one primary vendor for each commodity. The Company believes its sources for raw materials are very reliable and adequate for its needs. The Company has not experienced any significant long term supply problems in its operations and does not anticipate any significant supply problems in the foreseeable future. See further discussion under “Risk Factors-Sources of and Fluctuations in Market Prices of Raw Materials” included on page 31 of the Company’s 2017 Annual Report to Shareholders, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Patents, Trademarks and Other Intellectual Property
The Company believes that the success of its business will not only result from the technical competence, creativity and marketing abilities of its employees but also from the protection of its intellectual property through patents, trademarks and copyrights. As part of its ongoing research, development and manufacturing activities, the Company has a policy of seeking patents on new products, processes and improvements when appropriate.
Although, in the aggregate, the intellectual property discussed herein are of considerable importance to the manufacturing and marketing of many of its access control products, the Company does not consider any single patent or trademark or group of related patents or trademarks to be material to its business as a whole, except for the STRATTEC and STRATTEC with logo trademarks.
The Company also relies upon trade secret protection for its confidential and proprietary information. The Company maintains confidentiality agreements with its key executives. In addition, the Company enters into confidentiality agreements with selected suppliers, consultants and employees as appropriate to evaluate new products or business relationships pertinent to the success of the Company. However, there can be no assurance that others will not independently obtain similar information and techniques or otherwise gain access to the Company's trade secrets or that the Company can effectively protect its trade secrets.
Dependence Upon Significant Customers
A very significant portion of the Company’s annual sales are to General Motors Company, Ford Motor Company, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. These three customers accounted for approximately 60 percent of the Company’s net sales in 2017, 63 percent of the Company’s net sales in 2016 and 65 percent of the Company’s net sales in 2015. Further information regarding sales to the Company’s largest customers is set forth under the caption “Risk Factors - Loss of Significant Customers, Vehicle Content, Vehicle Models and Market Share” and “Risk Factors – Production Slowdowns by Customers” included on page 30 of the Company’s 2017 Annual Report to Shareholders and “Notes to Financial Statements-Sales and Receivable Concentration” included on page 58 of the Company’s 2017 Annual Report to Shareholders, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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The products sold to these customers are model specific, fitting
only certain defined applications. Consequently, the Company is highly dependent on its major customers for their business, and on these customers' ability to produce and sell vehicles which utilize the Company's products. The Company has enjoyed good rel
ationships with General Motors Company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford Motor Company and other customers in the past, and expects to continue to do so in the future. However, a significant change in the purchasing practices of, or a significant loss of vo
lume from, one or more of these customers could have a detrimental effect on the Company's financial performance. We cannot provide any assurance that any lost sales volume could be replaced despite our historical relationships with our customers.
Sales and Marketing
The Company provides its customers with engineered access control products including locksets, fobs, push button ignition systems, steering column lock housings, seatback and secondary latches, power sliding door systems, power liftgate systems, power decklids, door handles, door handle components and trim and other access products which are unique to specific vehicles. Any given vehicle will typically take 1 to 3 years of development and engineering design time prior to being offered to the public. The access control products are designed concurrently with the vehicle. Therefore, commitment to the Company as the production source for such products and components occurs 1 to 3 years prior to the start of production for such components. The Company employs an engineering staff that assists in providing design and technical solutions to its customers. The Company believes that its engineering expertise is a competitive advantage and contributes toward its strong market position in its industry. For example, the Company believes it regularly provides innovative design proposals for its product offerings to its customers that will improve customer access, vehicle security system quality, theft deterrence and system cost.
The typical process used by automotive manufacturers in selecting a supplier for access control products is to offer the business opportunity to the Company and several of the Company's competitors. Each competitor will pursue the opportunity, doing its best to provide the customer with the most attractive proposal. Price pressure is strong during this process but once an agreement is reached, a commitment is made for each year of the product program. Typically, price reductions resulting from productivity improvement by the Company over the life of the product program are included in the contract and are estimated in evaluating each of these opportunities by the Company. A blanket purchase order, a contract indicating a specified part will be supplied at a specified price during a defined time period, is issued by customers for each model year. Production quantity releases or quantity commitments are made to that purchase order for weekly deliveries to the customer. As a consequence and because the Company is a "Just-in-Time" supplier to the automotive industry, it does not maintain a backlog of orders in the classic sense for future production and shipment and, accordingly, it is unable to provide a meaningful backlog comparison from year to year.
Competition
The Company competes with domestic and foreign-based competitors on the basis of custom product design, engineering support, quality, delivery and price. While the number of direct competitors is currently relatively small, the automotive manufacturers actively encourage competition between potential suppliers. The Company has a large share of the North American market for its access control products because of its ability to provide optimal value, which is a beneficial combination of price, quality, technical support, program management, innovation and aftermarket support. In order to reduce access control product production costs while still offering a wide range of technical support, the Company utilizes assembly operations and certain light manufacturing operations in Mexico, which results in lower labor costs as compared to the United States.
As locks and keys become more sophisticated and involve additional electronics, competitors with specific electronic expertise may emerge to challenge the Company. To address this, the Company has in recent years strengthened its electrical engineering knowledge and service. It is also working with several electronics suppliers to jointly develop and supply these advanced products.
The Company’s lockset, housing, latches and power access competitors include Huf North America, Ushin, Valeo, Tokai-Rika, Alpha-Tech, Honda Lock, Shin Chang, Magna, Edscha, Stabilus, Aisin, Brose, Mitsuba, Ohi, Kiekert, Inteva, Key Plastics and Gecom. For additional information related to competition, see the information set forth under “Risk Factors-Highly Competitive Automotive Supply Industry” included on pages 32 and 33 of the Company’s 2017 Annual Report to Shareholders, which is incorporated herein by reference.
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Research and Development
The Company engages in research and development activities pertinent to automotive access control. A major area of focus for research is the expanding role of vehicle access via electronic interlocks and modes of communicating authorization data between consumers and vehicles. Development activities include new products, applications and product performance improvements. In addition, specialized data collection equipment is developed to facilitate increased product development efficiency and continuous quality improvements. For fiscal years 2017, 2016, and 2015, the Company spent approximately $4.6 million, $430,000, and $280,000, respectively, on research and development. The Company believes that, historically, it has committed sufficient resources to research and development and it intends to continue to invest in the future as required to support additional product programs associated with both existing and new customers. Patents are pursued and will continue to be pursued as appropriate to protect the Company's interests resulting from these activities.
Customer Tooling
The Company incurs costs related to tooling used in component production and assembly. Some of these costs are reimbursed by customers who then own the tools involved. See the information set forth under “Notes to Financial Statements-Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies-Customer Tooling in Progress” included on page 41 of the Company’s 2017 Annual Report to Shareholders, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Environmental Compliance
As is the case with other manufacturers, the Company is subject to Federal, state, local and foreign laws and other legal requirements relating to the generation, storage, transport, treatment and disposal of materials as a result of its manufacturing and assembly operations. These laws include the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (as amended), the Clean Air Act (as amended), the Clean Water Act of 1990 (as amended) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (as amended). The Company has an environmental management system that is ISO-14001 certified. The Company believes that its existing environmental management system is adequate and it has no current plans for substantial capital expenditures in the environmental area.
As discussed in “Notes to Financial Statements-Commitments and Contingencies” beginning on page 51 of the Company’s 2017 Annual Report to Shareholders, a site at the Company’s Milwaukee facility is contaminated by a solvent spill from a former above-ground solvent storage tank located on the east side of the facility, which spill occurred in 1985. This situation is being monitored by the Company.
The Company does not currently anticipate any materially adverse impact on its financial statements or competitive position as a result of compliance with Federal, state, local and foreign environmental laws or other legal requirements. However, risk of environmental liability and charges associated with maintaining compliance with environmental laws is inherent in the nature of the Company's business and there is no assurance that material liabilities or charges could not arise.
Employees
At July 2, 2017, the Company had approximately 3,892 full-time employees, of which approximately 275 or 7.1 percent were represented by a labor union, which accounts for all production employees at the Company’s Milwaukee facility. The current contract with the unionized employees is effective through September 17, 2018. During June 2001, there was a 16-day strike by the represented employees at the Company's Milwaukee facility. Further information regarding the strike, work stoppages and other labor matters are discussed under “Risk Factors-Disruptions Due to Work Stoppages and Other labor Matters” included on page 32 of the Company’s 2017 Annual Report to Shareholders, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Available Information
The Company maintains its corporate website at www.strattec.com and makes available, free of charge, through this website its code of business ethics, annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements for annual shareholder meetings and amendments to those reports that the Company files with, or furnishes to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") as soon as reasonably practicable after the Company electronically files such material with, or furnishes it to, the Commission. The Company is not including all the information contained on or made available through its website as a part of, or incorporating such information by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K. However, this report includes (or incorporates by reference) all material information about the Company that is included on the Company’s website which is otherwise required to be included in this report.
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