−Removed: As used in this document, the terms “Culp,”
−Removed: the “company,”
−Removed: “we,”
−Removed: “our,”
−Removed: and “us”
−Removed: refer to Culp, Inc.
+Added: As used in this document, the terms “Culp,” the “company,” “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to Culp, Inc.
and its consolidated subsidiaries (unless the context indicates another meaning).
−Removed: The term “common stock”
−Removed: means the common stock of Culp, Inc., par value $.05 per share.
−Removed: The terms “Read Window Products”
−Removed: and “Read”
−Removed: refer to our wholly-owned subsidiary, Read Window Products, LLC.
−Removed: Culp manufactures, sources, and markets mattress fabrics and sewn covers used for covering mattresses and foundations and other bedding products;
−Removed: and upholstery fabrics, including cut and sewn kits, primarily used in the production of upholstered furniture.
+Added: The term “common stock” means the common stock of Culp, Inc., par value $.05 per share.
+Added: The terms “Read Window Products” and “Read” refer to our wholly-owned subsidiary, Read Window Products, LLC.
+Added: Culp is one of the largest marketers of mattress fabrics for bedding and upholstery fabrics for residential, commercial, and hospitality furniture in North America.
+Added: The company markets a variety of fabrics to its global customer base of leading bedding and furniture companies, including fabrics produced at Culp's manufacturing facilities and fabrics sourced through other suppliers.
The company competes in a business driven by fashion and product performance, and we strive to differentiate ourselves by placing a sustained focus on creativity and product innovation.
1 unchanged sentence
Our focused efforts to protect our financial strength have allowed us to maintain our position as a financially stable and trusted supplier of innovative fabrics to bedding and furniture manufacturers.
−Removed: We believe Culp is one of the largest producers of mattress fabrics in North America and one of the largest marketers of upholstery fabrics for furniture in North America, measured by total sales.
−Removed: Our operations are classified into two operating segments —
−Removed: mattress fabrics and upholstery fabrics.
+Added: Our operations are classified into two operating segments — mattress fabrics and upholstery fabrics.
The mattress fabrics business markets primarily knitted and woven fabrics, as well as sewn covers made from those fabrics, which are used in the production of bedding products, including mattresses, foundations, and mattress sets.
−Removed: The upholstery fabrics business markets a variety of fabric products that are used principally in the production of residential and commercial upholstered furniture, including sofas, recliners, chairs, loveseats, sectionals, sofa-beds, and office seating, as well as window treatment products and installation services for customers in the hospitality and commercial industries.
+Added: The upholstery fabrics business markets a variety of fabric products that are used in the production of residential and commercial upholstered furniture, including sofas, recliners, chairs, loveseats, sectionals, sofa-beds, and seating for offices, healthcare facilities, and other institutional uses, as well as fabric products that are used in the production of upholstered furniture for the hospitality industry, including seating for restaurants, hotels, and theaters.
+Added: The upholstery fabrics business also markets window treatment products and installation services for customers in the hospitality and commercial industries.
Culp markets a variety of fabrics and other products in different categories to a global customer base, including fabrics produced at our manufacturing facilities and fabrics produced by other suppliers.
−Removed: As of the end of fiscal 2023, we had active production facilities located in North Carolina;
+Added: In fiscal 2024, we had active production facilities located in North Carolina;
Quebec, Canada;
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and Ouanaminthe, Haiti.
−Removed: We also source fabrics and cut and sewn kits from other manufacturers, located primarily in China, Vietnam, and Turkey, with substantially all of these products made specifically for Culp and created by Culp designers.
−Removed: In addition, we operate distribution centers in North Carolina, Canada, China, and Haiti to facilitate distribution of our fabric products, with additional distribution capabilities through strategic relationships in China, Turkey, and Vietnam.
−Removed: Over the past decade, the portion of total company sales represented by fabrics produced outside of the U.S.
−Removed: and Canada has increased, while sales of goods produced in the U.S.
−Removed: have decreased.
−Removed: This trend is related primarily to the upholstery fabrics segment, where substantially all of our sales now consist of fabrics produced in Asia.
−Removed: The mattress fabrics business remains primarily based in North America.
−Removed: Total net sales in fiscal 2023 were $234.9 million.
−Removed: The mattress fabrics segment had net sales of $111.0 million (47% of total net sales), and the upholstery fabrics segment had net sales of $123.9 million (53% of total net sales).
−Removed: Our overall sales declined 20.3% during fiscal 2023, as compared to the prior year, with mattress fabric sales decreasing 27.1% and upholstery fabric sales decreasing 13.1%.
−Removed: This decline was driven primarily by a slowdown in consumer demand in the domestic mattress industry throughout year, as well as a slowdown in new retail business in the residential home furnishings industry.
−Removed: The impact of this industry softness was exacerbated by high inventory levels at manufacturers and retailers during most of the year, which delayed the timing of shipments and new product roll outs.
−Removed: Fiscal 2023 was a difficult year, but Culp navigated the challenges and maintained a solid financial position.
−Removed: Our associates around the world worked diligently to execute our product-driven strategy, with a focus on innovation, operational excellence, and exceptional service across our global platform.
−Removed: Throughout our 50 years in business, we have faced economic downturns and the various cyclical market challenges of competing in a dynamic global marketplace.
−Removed: One of our enduring strengths has been our ability to navigate these challenges and pursue a strategic direction that supports our business and meets the evolving needs of our valued customers.
−Removed: Additional information about trends and developments in each of our business segments is provided in the “Segments”
−Removed: discussion below, as well as in our “Management’s Discussion and Analysis”
−Removed: in Part II, Section 7 of this report.
+Added: Culp also sources fabrics and cut and sewn kits from other manufacturers, located primarily in China, Vietnam, and Turkey, with substantially all of these products made specifically for Culp and created by Culp designers.
+Added: In May 2024, Culp announced a restructuring plan (the “Fiscal 2025 restructuring”), primarily focused on its mattress fabrics segment, in which Culp will consolidate certain of its operations.
+Added: Under this plan, Culp is engaging in a phased wind-down and closure of its manufacturing plant in Quebec, Canada, moving a portion of this plant's knitting operations to its manufacturing facility in Stokesdale, North Carolina, and transitioning this plant's weaving operations to a strategic sourcing model.
+Added: In addition, Culp is consolidating its sewn mattress cover operation in Haiti, reducing the expenses at that location.
+Added: It is also rationalizing the company’s internal upholstery fabrics finishing operation in China to align with current demand and further leverage strategic supply relationships.
+Added: See “—Fiscal 2025 Restructuring” below for further details regarding the restructuring.
+Added: Additional information about trends and developments in each of our business segments is provided in the “Segments” discussion below, as well as in our “Management’s Discussion and Analysis” in Part II, Section 7 of this report.
General In formation
was organized as a North Carolina corporation in 1972 and made its initial public offering in 1983.
−Removed: Since 1997, our stock has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange and traded under the symbol “CFI”
−Removed: until July 13, 2017, at which time the Company’s ticker symbol changed to “CULP.”
−Removed: Our fiscal year is the 52- or 53-week period ending on the Sunday closest to April 30.
+Added: Since 1997, our stock has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange and trades under ticker symbol “CULP.” Our fiscal year is the 52- or 53-week period ending on the Sunday closest to April 30.
Our executive offices are located in High Point, North Carolina.
Culp maintains a corporate website at www.culp.com.
−Removed: We will make this annual report and our other annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to these reports available free of charge on our website as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
−Removed: Copies of any materials we file or furnish with the SEC can also be obtained free of charge through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
+Added: We will make this annual report and our other annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to these reports available free of charge on our website as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
+Added: Copies of any materials we file or furnish with the SEC can also be obtained free of charge through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
The information included on our website is not incorporated by reference into this annual report or any other reports we file with, or furnish to, the SEC.
+Added: Fiscal 2025 Restructuring
+Added: On May 1, 2024 (the company's fiscal 2025 year), Culp announced the Fiscal 2025 restructuring, which was designed to reduce costs, improve asset utilization, and drive performance and profitable growth.
+Added: The plan, which is being implemented primarily in the company’s mattress fabrics segment and, to a lesser extent, in its upholstery fabrics segment, includes the following strategic actions:
+Added: • Consolidating the company’s North American mattress fabrics operations, including a phased wind-down and closure of the company’s manufacturing plant in Quebec, Canada, and moving knitting and finishing capacity from this plant to the company’s facility in Stokesdale, North Carolina;
+Added: • Improving efficiency and through-put by optimizing volume and equipment in the company’s mattress fabrics operation in Stokesdale, North Carolina, to reduce costs and improve quality;
+Added: • Transitioning the mattress fabrics segment’s weaving operation to a strategic sourcing model through the company’s long standing supply partners, enhancing competitiveness and value for customers;
+Added: • Consolidating the company’s Haiti sewn mattress cover operation (which is located on the Dominican Republic/Haiti border) into one building and significantly reducing operating expenses at that location;
+Added: • Restructuring the company’s upholstery fabrics finishing operation in China to align with current demand and continuing to leverage strategic supply relationships;
+Added: • Reducing unallocated corporate and shared services expenses with targeted annualized savings of $1.5 million.
+Added: The implementation of these restructuring actions began in May 2024.
+Added: The restructuring actions are expected to be mostly completed by the end calendar year 2024.
+Added: The company expects to incur restructuring and restructuring-related costs and charges of approximately $8.0 million, of which $2.5 million are anticipated to be incurred in the first half of fiscal 2025, and the remainder are expected to be incurred over the course of fiscal 2025.
+Added: This includes approximately $2.5 million in cash costs, the majority of which are anticipated to be incurred in the first half of fiscal 2025.
+Added: The company expects to fund these cash costs with the sale of manufacturing equipment.
+Added: For further information about the Fiscal 2025 restructuring, see Note 8 of the consolidated financial statements.
Our operations are classified into two business segments:
15 unchanged sentences
Jerome, Quebec, Canada.
−Removed: Knitted fabrics are produced at both the Stokesdale and St.
−Removed: Jerome facilities, while jacquard (damask) fabric is produced solely at the St.
−Removed: Jerome facility.
−Removed: The majority of our finishing and inspection processes for mattress fabrics are conducted at the Stokesdale plant, while the St.
−Removed: Jerome plant provides additional capacity and a second location for these processes.
−Removed: Both of these facilities offer finished goods distribution capabilities, and the Stokesdale plant houses the division offices.
−Removed: The segment also sources mattress fabric products internally from Culp China, which is operated by our upholstery fabrics division, as well as from a supplier in Turkey, based on our own designs and production schedule.
−Removed: Our mattress cover operation currently has a wholly-owned manufacturing platform in Haiti for production of cut and sewn mattress covers.
−Removed: This platform includes two leased facilities.
−Removed: We also utilize our Culp China platform, operated by our upholstery fabrics division, to source sewn mattress covers from third-party suppliers in Asia.
+Added: As part of the Fiscal 2025 restructuring, Culp is relocating some of its knitting and finishing operations from its Quebec, Canada facility to Stokesdale, North Carolina, and transitioning its woven jacquard fabric operations to a strategic sourcing model.
+Added: See “—Manufacturing and Sourcing—Mattress Fabrics Segment,” below, for information on our mattress fabrics manufacturing.
During fiscal 2023, we completed a restructuring and rationalization of our U.S.-based cut and sewn cover platform, moving our research and development ("R&D") and prototyping capabilities from our location in High Point, North Carolina, to our owned facility in Stokesdale, North Carolina.
−Removed: The result of this move was the discontinuation of our higher-cost on shore production capabilities, with the closure of two leased facilities in High Point during the third quarter.
−Removed: We believe this platform restructuring will allow us to generate cost savings by utilizing our lower-cost mattress cover production and sourcing capabilities in Haiti and Asia, where we can scale operations to align with demand and continue to support the needs of our customers.
+Added: The result of this move was the discontinuation of our higher-cost on shore production capabilities, with the closure of two leased facilities in High Point during the third quarter of fiscal 2023.
+Added: This platform adjustment has allowed us to
+Added: generate cost savings by utilizing our lower-cost mattress cover production and sourcing capabilities in Haiti and Asia.
+Added: Also, as part of the Fiscal 2025 restructuring, we are consolidating our Haiti sewn mattress cover operation into one building and reducing operating expenses at that location.
During the past few years, we completed several multi-year capital projects for the mattress fabrics business, including consolidating certain operations, expanding capacity, improving efficiency and customer service, and maintaining our flexible approach to fabric sourcing.
−Removed: In fiscal 2019, we consolidated our weaving operations to one facility in Quebec, Canada, and expanded production of our sewn mattress covers in Haiti and China to meet customer demand in the growing boxed bedding market.
−Removed: Additionally, we continued to expand our design capabilities in fiscal 2019, launching new software and a library system for cataloging our products to drive marketing and enhance innovation.
+Added: In fiscal 2019, we expanded our design capabilities with the launch of a new software and a library system for cataloging our products to drive marketing and enhance innovation.
In fiscal 2020, we further enhanced our design and innovation platform by establishing a dedicated innovation team to develop and offer the latest technologies and forward-looking products, expanding our creative team to complement our innovation strategy, and releasing a new digital library, design simulations, and 3D image rendering capabilities to showcase our designs and marketing tools.
−Removed: We were able to leverage these new technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the face of travel restrictions and canceled tradeshows, to continue showcasing our products and support our customers through virtual design collaboration.
−Removed: In fiscal 2021, we invested in additional knit machines and other equipment to expand fabric capacity in North America.
−Removed: We also enhanced our digital project management platform, which allows us to work with customers from concept ideation and 3D
−Removed: mapping to product life cycle management and final merchandising.
−Removed: In fiscal 2022, we expanded our leading-edge technology at our Canadian manufacturing facility with the addition of a sectional warper and lamination line.
−Removed: After eight consecutive years of growth, sales for the mattress fabrics segment declined in fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2020.
−Removed: The decline in fiscal 2019 was mainly attributable to the acceleration of low-priced mattress imports from China towards the end of fiscal 2018 and through the first three quarters of fiscal 2019, together with the increased acceptance by consumers of roll-packed/boxed bedding delivered through major online e-commerce channels.
−Removed: The decline in fiscal 2020 was primarily due to the significant disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic during the fourth quarter, as well as continued disruption in the domestic mattress industry relating to low-priced mattress imports that moved from China to other countries.
−Removed: Sales increased significantly in fiscal 2021, as compared to fiscal 2020, driven by the consumer focus on the home environment and overall comfort during the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with our ability to service this demand through our global platform.
−Removed: For fiscal 2022, sales declined slightly compared to the prior year primarily due to industry weakness in domestic mattress industry sales, especially during the fourth quarter, along with some disruption from COVID-related shutdowns.
−Removed: We believe this industry softness was mostly caused by inflationary pressures affecting consumer spending and a shift in demand from home goods to travel, leisure, and entertainment following a pulling forward of demand for home goods during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
−Removed: The decline in sales continued during fiscal 2023, driven by an ongoing slowdown in consumer demand, with mattress industry reports reflecting significant unit contraction during this period.
−Removed: The impact of this industry softness was exacerbated, especially during the first nine months of the year, by mattress manufacturers and retailers working through an excess of inventory, delaying the timing of shipments and new product roll outs.
−Removed: As a result, sales declined significantly in fiscal 2023 compared to the prior year.
−Removed: However, we were encouraged to see strong sequential and year-over-year improvement beginning in the fourth quarter, primarily driven by the roll out of new customer programs.
−Removed: Despite the challenging macro-economic conditions during fiscal 2023, we diligently worked to manage the aspects of our business that we can control, taking necessary steps to withstand current market challenges and position our business for renewed growth.
−Removed: During the second half of fiscal 2023, we began executing on a comprehensive business transformation plan, laying the foundation for operational improvement with new leadership and a restructured management team.
−Removed: Throughout the year, we focused on our product-driven strategy, with an emphasis on innovation, design creativity, and strengthening customer relationships.
−Removed: The strength and flexibility of our global manufacturing and sourcing operations in the U.S., Canada, Haiti, Asia, and Turkey allowed us to support the evolving needs of our mattress fabric and cover customers throughout the year.
−Removed: We believe the success of our mattress fabrics segment over the long term is due to our focus on these foundational values and strategic initiatives that allow us to meet changing customer demands.
+Added: In fiscal 2021, we invested in additional knit machines and other equipment to expand fabric capacity in North America, and we also enhanced our digital project management platform, which allows us to work with customers from concept ideation and 3D mapping to product life cycle management and final merchandising.
+Added: In fiscal 2022, we expanded our leading-edge technology by investing in robust hot melt lamination finishing equipment.
+Added: In fiscal 2024, we invested in knitting software to monitor machine efficiency and output, and we invested in a chemical dosing system designed to enhance our finishing capabilities and provide immediate cost saving benefits.
+Added: We believe the success of our mattress fabrics business over the longer term is due largely to a business strategy that has included a focus on creative design and product innovation;
+Added: a strong global manufacturing and sourcing platform;
+Added: solid long-term customer and vendor relationships;
+Added: and reliable service.
+Added: Our business model has allowed us to provide bedding manufacturers with innovative products developed from consumer-based research and trend analysis, and we have been able to meet continually changing demand trends with the support of our flexible global platform.
Upholstery Fabrics.
−Removed: The upholstery fabrics segment markets fabrics for residential and commercial furniture, including jacquard woven fabrics, velvets, micro denier suedes, woven dobbies, knitted fabrics, piece-dyed woven products, and polyurethane “leather look”
−Removed: With the acquisition of Read Window Products at the end of fiscal 2018, this segment also markets window treatment products and installation services, including roller shades, drapery, hardware, and top-of-mattress soft goods, for customers in the hospitality and commercial industries.
−Removed: The upholstery fabrics segment currently operates two manufacturing facilities in Shanghai, China.
+Added: The upholstery fabrics segment markets fabrics for residential, commercial, and hospitality furniture, described below.
+Added: This segment also includes window treatment products and installation services through our Read Window Products business, including roller shades, drapery, hardware, and top-of-mattress soft goods, for customers in the hospitality and commercial industries.
+Added: During fiscal 2024, the upholstery fabrics segment operated four facilities in Shanghai, China, including one manufacturing facility.
From these locations, we market a variety of upholstery fabrics and cut and sewn kits sourced from third-party producers, mostly in China and Vietnam.
−Removed: We utilize these facilities for design, finishing, warehousing, quality control, and inspection operations related to these products.
−Removed: We previously produced cut and sewn fabric kits in Shanghai, China.
−Removed: However, during fiscal 2023, based on market dynamics for cut and sewn products and the strength of our Asian supply chain, we rationalized and adjusted our model for this platform with the closure of our cut and sew facility.
−Removed: Additionally, during the third quarter of fiscal 2022, we commenced operation of a new leased facility in Ouanaminthe, Haiti, dedicated to the production of cut and sewn fabric kits.
−Removed: However, due to a decline in demand for these cut and sewn kits, we terminated the agreement to lease this new facility during the third quarter of fiscal 2023 and relocated a scaled-down upholstery cut and sew operation into our existing mattress cover facility also located in Ouanaminthe, Haiti.
−Removed: We believe these adjustments to our cut and sew platform will generate cost savings without sacrificing our ability to support our customers, grow our cut and sew business, and maintain our competitive advantages through our lower-cost manufacturing and sourcing operations in Asia and Haiti.
+Added: We utilize these facilities for design, prototyping, finishing, warehousing, quality control, and inspection operations related to these products.
+Added: As part of the Fiscal 2025 restructuring, we are rationalizing our internal upholstery fabrics finishing operation in China to align with current demand and further leverage strategic supply relationships.
+Added: See “—Manufacturing and Sourcing—Upholstery Fabrics Segment,” below, for information on our upholstery fabrics manufacturing.
We continue to expand our marketing efforts to sell our upholstery fabrics products in countries other than the U.S., including the Chinese local market.
−Removed: Additionally, we fabricate a variety of window treatments, using mostly customer-supplied fabrics and materials, at our facility in Knoxville, Tennessee.
−Removed: Our upholstery fabrics business has moved from one that relied on a large fixed capital base that is difficult to adjust to a more flexible and scalable marketer of upholstery fabrics that meets changing levels of customer demand and tastes.
−Removed: At the same time, we have maintained control of the most important “value added”
−Removed: aspects of our business, such as design, finishing, quality control, and logistics.
+Added: During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, we also established an administrative office located in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for the purpose of enhancing our sourcing and to further diversify our supply chain in Asia.
+Added: Additionally, we market a variety of window treatments, using mostly customer-supplied fabrics and materials, fabricated at our Read Window Products facility in Knoxville, Tennessee, as well as by third-party suppliers.
+Added: Our upholstery fabrics business has moved from one that relied on a large fixed capital base that was difficult to adjust to a more flexible and scalable marketer of upholstery fabrics that meets changing levels of customer demand and tastes.
+Added: At the same time, we have maintained control or oversight of the most important “value added” aspects of our business, such as design, finishing, quality control, and logistics.
This strategic approach has allowed us to limit our investment of capital in fixed assets and control the costs of our products, while continuing to leverage our design and finishing expertise, industry knowledge, and important relationships.
−Removed: After increasing in the two prior years, sales declined in fiscal 2020 due to the severe disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic during the fourth quarter.
−Removed: In fiscal 2021, our sales recovered with strong growth, driven by increased industry demand in our residential business, as well as the benefits of product innovation and opportunities with new and existing customers.
−Removed: This growth was partially offset by lower sales for our hospitality business, which remained under pressure due to pandemic-related disruptions affecting the travel and leisure industries.
−Removed: During fiscal 2022, sales increased slightly, reflecting generally solid demand for residential upholstery products for the first nine months of the year, as well as the impact of certain pricing and surcharge actions in effect during the year.
−Removed: This increase was offset by a significant drop in residential sales during the fourth quarter due to COVID-related shutdowns of our facilities in China throughout the month of April and, to a lesser extent, a slowdown in new business for the residential home furnishings industry during the fourth quarter.
−Removed: During fiscal 2023, our sales declined moderately as a result of reduced demand for residential upholstery products, driven by an ongoing slowdown in the residential home furnishings industry, as well as high inventory levels at manufacturers and retailers during the first nine months of the year.
−Removed: This decline was partially offset by higher sales in our hospitality/contract business.
−Removed: Despite the industry softness in fiscal 2023, we maintained our sustained focus on product innovation, and our highly durable, stain resistant LiveSmart® performance fabrics, as well as our LiveSmart Evolve® performance plus sustainability fabrics, remained popular with both existing and new residential furniture customers.
−Removed: Demand for our hospitality/contract fabric business also remained solid for the year.
We believe the success of our upholstery fabrics segment over the longer term is due largely to a business strategy that has included:
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In this way, we have maintained our ability to provide furniture manufacturers with products from nearly every category of fabric for upholstered furniture and meet continually changing demand levels and consumer preferences.
−Removed: We have also implemented additional steps to grow net sales, including an emphasis on markets beyond residential furniture, such as the hospitality market.
−Removed: One result of these efforts was the acquisition of Read Window Products at the end of fiscal 2018, representing a significant expansion of our production capabilities in the hospitality market, along with the addition of window treatment installation services.
Overview of Indu stry and Markets
−Removed: Culp markets products primarily to manufacturers and hospitality customers in three principal markets.
+Added: Culp markets products primarily to manufacturers and hospitality customers in four principal markets.
The mattress fabrics segment supplies the bedding industry, which produces mattress sets (mattresses, box springs, foundations and top of bed components) and bedding accessory products.
−Removed: The upholstery fabrics segment primarily supplies the residential furniture industry and, to a lesser extent, the commercial furniture industry.
−Removed: The residential furniture market includes upholstered furniture sold to consumers for household use, including sofas, sofa-beds, chairs, recliners, and sectionals.
−Removed: The commercial furniture, fabrics, and window treatments market includes fabrics and window treatment products used in the hospitality industry (primarily hotels and motels);
−Removed: fabrics used for upholstered office seating and modular office systems sold primarily for use in offices and other institutional settings, as well as commercial textile wall coverings;
+Added: The upholstery fabrics segment primarily supplies the residential furniture industry and, to a lesser extent, the commercial and hospitality furniture industries.
+Added: The residential furniture market includes upholstered furniture sold to consumers
+Added: for household use, including sofas, sofa-beds, chairs, recliners, and sectionals.
+Added: The commercial furniture, fabrics, and window treatments market includes fabrics and window treatment products used for upholstered office seating sold primarily for use in offices, healthcare facilities, and other institutional settings;
and window treatments for commercial application.
−Removed: The principal industries into which the company sells products –
−Removed: the bedding industry and residential and commercial furniture industry –
−Removed: are described in more detail below.
−Removed: Currently, a great majority of our products are sold to manufacturers for end use in the U.S., and thus the discussions below are focused on that market.
+Added: The hospitality furniture, fabrics, and window treatments market includes fabrics and window treatment products for use in the hospitality industry (primarily hotels and motels, restaurants, and theater seating) The principal industries into which the company sells products – the bedding industry and residential, commercial, and hospitality furniture industries – are described in more detail below.
+Added: The great majority of our products are sold to manufacturers for end use in the U.S., and thus the discussions below are focused on that market.
Overview of Be dding Industry
−Removed: The bedding industry has contracted and expanded in recent years in accordance with the general economy, and, most recently in connection with impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, although traditionally the industry has been relatively mature and stable.
−Removed: This is due in part to the fact that a majority of bedding industry sales are replacement purchases, which are less volatile than sales based on economic growth and new household formations.
−Removed: During the second half of fiscal 2022 and throughout fiscal 2023, the bedding industry experienced weakness in domestic mattress sales, with industry reports reflecting significant unit contraction.
+Added: The bedding industry has contracted and expanded in recent years in accordance with the general economy, although traditionally the industry has been relatively mature and stable.
+Added: This is due in part to the fact that a larger share of bedding industry sales are replacement purchases, which are generally less volatile than sales based on economic growth and new household formations.
+Added: During the second half of fiscal 2022 and throughout fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2024, the bedding industry experienced weakness in domestic mattress sales, with industry reports reflecting significant unit contraction.
We believe this industry softness was mostly driven by inflationary pressures affecting consumer spending, especially for mattress products in the low to mid-range price points, and a shift in demand from home goods to travel, leisure, and entertainment following a pulling forward of demand for home goods during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
−Removed: These factors are expected to continue affecting the bedding industry during fiscal 2024.
−Removed: Until recently, the U.S.
−Removed: bedding industry has largely remained a North American-based business, with limited competition from imports.
+Added: These factors are expected to continue affecting the bedding industry into fiscal 2025.
+Added: Until the last few years, the U.S.
+Added: bedding industry largely remained a North American-based business, with limited competition from imports.
This dynamic has mainly been due to short lead times demanded by mattress manufacturers and retailers, the customized nature of product lines, the relatively low direct labor content in mattresses, and strong brand recognition.
Imports of bedding into the U.S.
−Removed: had been increasing gradually, but this trend significantly accelerated in fiscal 2018 and 2019, especially for lower-priced bedding.
−Removed: China accounted for the largest share of the imported units during these years, but the level of mattress imports entering the U.S.
−Removed: from China began to substantially decline beginning in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019 in connection with punitive anti-dumping duties imposed by the U.S.
−Removed: Department of Commerce.
−Removed: However, the level of mattress imports from other countries, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Turkey, among others, significantly increased during fiscal 2020 as imports from China declined.
−Removed: of the increase in imports during this period, and continuing into fiscal 2021, was a decline in sales for the major U.S.
−Removed: bedding manufacturers, which affected major suppliers to those manufacturers, including Culp.
−Removed: As a result of the continued significant influx of low-priced imports that moved from China to other countries, the U.S.
−Removed: Department of Commerce imposed anti-dumping duties against seven countries, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Serbia, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam, during fiscal 2021.
−Removed: We believe the domestic mattress industry and, in turn, our business, began to realize some benefits from these duties during the second half of fiscal 2021 and continuing into fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2023.
−Removed: A key trend driving the bedding industry is the increased demand for roll-packed/compressed mattresses through both online and traditional sales channels.
−Removed: Consumer acceptance of boxed beds as a delivery mechanism continues to drive growth and increase market share for this product, increasing potential demand for sewn mattress covers.
−Removed: Another important trend is the increased awareness among consumers about the health benefits of better sleep, with an increased focus on the quality of bedding products and an apparent willingness on the part of consumers to upgrade their bedding.
−Removed: A further trend is the strong and growing emphasis on the design knitted or woven into mattress fabrics to appeal to the customer’s visual attraction and perceived value of the mattress on the retail floor, as well as in online sales channels and advertisements.
+Added: had been increasing gradually, but this trend accelerated significantly in recent years, especially for lower-priced and roll packed, boxed bedding.
+Added: Major importing countries in fiscal 2024 included Mexico, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan, Spain, and Kosovo, among others.
+Added: The result of the increase in imports has been a decline in sales for the major U.S.
+Added: bedding manufacturers, which has affected major suppliers to those manufacturers, including Culp.
+Added: While several rounds of actions by the U.S.
+Added: Department of Commerce intended to promote domestic production have yielded some benefits to domestic manufacturers, imported products have retained solid market share.
+Added: Additionally, many mattress producers have adjusted to an assembly model in the United States, still utilizing a mix of domestic and imported materials from suppliers like Culp.
+Added: We believe that key trends in the bedding industry include increased demand for roll-packed/compressed mattresses through both online and traditional sales channels, greater awareness among consumers about the health benefits of better sleep, and emphasis on the design knitted or woven into mattress fabric.
+Added: Consumer acceptance of boxed beds as a delivery mechanism continues to drive growth and increase market share for this product, increasing potential demand for knitted fabrics and sewn mattress covers.
Mattress fabric design efforts are based on current trends in home decor and fashion.
−Removed: Additionally, the growth in non-traditional sources for retail mattress sales, such as online e-commerce channels and wholesale warehouse clubs, has the potential to increase overall consumption of goods due to convenience and high traffic volume, which in turn results in higher turnover of product.
+Added: Additionally, the growth in non-traditional sources for retail mattress sales, such as online e-commerce channels and wholesale warehouse clubs, has the potential to increase overall consumption of bedding products due to convenience and high traffic volume, which may result in higher turnover of product.
Among fabric types, knitted fabrics have continued to increase in popularity.
−Removed: Knitted fabric was initially used primarily on premium mattresses, but these products are now being placed increasingly on mattresses at mid-range to lower retail price points.
−Removed: Overview of Residential and C ommercial Furniture Industry
−Removed: Overall demand for our products depends upon consumer demand for furniture and bedding products, which is subject to variations in the general economy, including current inflationary pressures affecting consumer spending;
−Removed: declines in consumer confidence;
−Removed: the negative economic impact of potential additional surges of the coronavirus;
−Removed: and other geopolitical events, such as the ongoing Russia/Ukraine war.
−Removed: Because purchases of furniture products are discretionary purchases for most individuals and businesses, demand for these products may be more easily influenced by economic trends than demand for other products.
−Removed: Economic downturns, higher unemployment rates, and uncertainty about future health and economic prospects can affect consumer spending habits and demand for home furnishings, which reduces the demand for our products and therefore can cause a decline in our sales and earnings.
−Removed: Sales of commercial furniture to businesses are also affected by these same factors.
−Removed: These market conditions, as well as the pace of recovery from these conditions, have been uneven in recent years.
−Removed: In general, sales of residential furniture are influenced significantly by the housing industry and by trends in home sales and household formations, while demand for commercial furniture generally reflects economic trends affecting businesses and office occupancy.
−Removed: During fiscal 2021, disruption relating to the COVID-19 pandemic positively affected sales trends, with the increased consumer focus on the home and travel restrictions shifting discretionary spending away from travel and leisure activities towards home furnishings and enhancing comfort within the home environment.
−Removed: This sales trend began to reverse during fiscal 2022, particularly during the second half of the year, as COVID-related travel and mask restrictions were lifted and consumers began to resume travel and leisure activities, and this reversal continued throughout fiscal 2023.
−Removed: Inflationary pressures also began to affect consumer spending during the second half of fiscal 2022 and continuing throughout fiscal 2023.
−Removed: Together, these trends have caused a slowdown in new business for the residential home furnishings industry that is expected to continue during fiscal 2024.
+Added: Knitted fabric was initially used primarily on premium mattresses, but these products are now being placed on more mattresses at mid-range to lower retail price points and nearly all roll-packed bedding.
+Added: Because knit fabrics are viewed as more versatile in the current market, due to their design flexibility in both style and texture and their functionality with roll-packed bedding, knit fabrics offer higher gross margin potential.
+Added: Overview of Residential, C ommercial, and Hospitality Furnishing Industries
+Added: We supply upholstery fabric products to customers in the residential, commercial, and hospitality industries, and we supply window treatment products to customers in the commercial and hospitality industries.
+Added: Overall demand for our residential and commercial upholstery fabrics depends upon consumer and business demand for furniture products, which is subject to variations in the general economy, including current inflationary pressures affecting consumer spending and declines in consumer confidence.
+Added: Purchases of furniture products are discretionary purchases for most individuals and businesses, and economic downturns or periods of depressed consumer confidence reduce demand for our upholstery fabrics.
+Added: In addition, sales of residential furniture are influenced significantly by the housing industry and by trends in home sales and household formations.
+Added: Reduced home sales in recent years have adversely affected our sales.
+Added: Additionally, demand for our upholstery fabrics and window treatment products for the commercial and hospitality industries generally reflects economic trends affecting businesses;
+Added: consumer spending on travel and experiences;
+Added: demand for new and refurbished hotel and resort properties;
+Added: and demand for new and refurbished commercial office space.
+Added: Increased consumer spending on travel and experiences following the COVID-19 pandemic has driven increased demand for our products in the hospitality market, while significant challenges in the commercial real estate market following the pandemic have adversely affected our commercial sales to some extent.
The sourcing of components and fully assembled furniture from overseas continues to play a major role in the furniture industry.
−Removed: By far, the largest source for these imports continues to be China.
−Removed: Imports of upholstery fabric, both in roll and in “kit”
−Removed: form, have also had a significant impact on the market for upholstery fabrics in recent years.
+Added: The largest source for imported upholstery fabrics continues to be China, while China and Vietnam now serve as the largest sources for fully
+Added: assembled furniture.
+Added: Imports of upholstery fabric, both in roll and in “kit” form, have also had a significant impact on the market for upholstery fabrics in recent years.
Fabrics entering the U.S.
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Additionally, with the ongoing global trade dispute and other tensions between the U.S.
−Removed: and China, including the imposition of tariffs during fiscal 2019 and the possibility for additional tariffs on China imports, some of our customers began altering their supply chains away from China in late fiscal 2019.
−Removed: This trend has continued in recent years, including in fiscal 2023, as relations between the U.S.
−Removed: and China have further deteriorated.
+Added: and China, including the U.S.
+Added: imposition of tariffs and the possibility for additional tariffs on China imports, some of our customers began altering their supply chains away from China in late fiscal 2019.
+Added: This trend has continued in recent years, including in fiscal 2024.
While we believe Asia remains a preferred location for sourcing of components, including fabric, we continue to diversify our sourcing strategies to develop additional geographic options to service our customers.
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Upholstery fabrics segment sales totaled 48% of our sales for fiscal 2024, compared with 53% of for fiscal 2023.
−Removed: The company has emphasized fabrics that have broad appeal at “good”
−Removed: and “better”
−Removed: prices, generally ranging from $3.00 to $16.00 per yard.
−Removed: Culp Product Categories by Segment
+Added: The company has emphasized fabrics that have broad appeal at “good” and “better” prices, generally ranging from $2.50 to $16.00 per yard.
+Added: Product Categories by Segment
We market products in most categories of fabric that manufacturers currently use for bedding and furniture.
We also market window treatment products to customers in the hospitality and commercial industries.
−Removed: The following table indicates the product lines within each segment, and, with respect to the fabric products, a brief description of their characteristics.
+Added: Our product lines include:
Mattress Fabrics
−Removed: Woven jacquards
−Removed: Various patterns and intricate designs.
−Removed: Woven on complex looms using a variety of synthetic and natural yarns.
−Removed: Suedes, pile and embroidered fabrics, and other specialty type products are sourced to offer diversity for higher end mattresses.
−Removed: Knitted fabric
−Removed: Various patterns and intricate designs produced on special-width circular knit machines utilizing a variety of synthetic and natural yarns.
−Removed: Knitted mattress fabrics have inherent stretching properties and spongy softness, which conforms well with layered foam packages.
−Removed: Sewn mattress covers
−Removed: Covers for bedding (primarily specialty beds), sewn from mattress fabrics produced by our facilities or sourced from others.
+Added: • Knitted fabric – Various patterns and intricate designs produced on special-width circular knit machines utilizing a variety of synthetic and natural yarns.
+Added: Knitted mattress fabrics have inherent stretching properties and spongy softness, which conforms well to layered foam packages.
+Added: • Woven jacquards – Various patterns and intricate designs, woven on complex looms using a variety of synthetic and natural yarns.
+Added: • Converted fabric – Suedes, pile, and embroidered fabrics, as well as other specialty type products, are sourced to offer diversity for higher-end mattresses.
+Added: • Sewn mattress covers – Covers for bedding (primarily specialty beds), sewn from mattress fabrics produced by our facilities or sourced from others.
Upholstery Fabrics
−Removed: Woven jacquards
−Removed: Elaborate, complex designs such as florals and tapestries in traditional, transitional, and contemporary styles.
+Added: • Woven jacquards – Elaborate, complex designs such as florals and tapestries in traditional, transitional, and contemporary styles.
Woven on intricate looms using a wide variety of synthetic and natural yarns.
−Removed: Woven dobbies
−Removed: Fabrics that use straight lines to produce geometric designs such as plaids, stripes, and solids in traditional and country styles.
+Added: • Woven dobbies – Fabrics that use straight lines to produce geometric designs such as plaids, stripes, and solids in traditional and country styles.
Woven on less complicated looms using a variety of weaving constructions and primarily synthetic yarns.
−Removed: Soft fabrics with a plush feel.
+Added: • Velvets – Soft fabrics with a plush feel.
Woven or knitted in basic designs, using synthetic yarns that are yarn dyed or piece dyed.
−Removed: Fabrics woven or knitted using microdenier polyester yarns, which are piece dyed and finished, usually by sanding.
+Added: • Suedes – Fabrics woven or knitted using microdenier polyester yarns, which are piece dyed and finished, usually by sanding.
The fabrics are typically plain or small jacquard designs, with some being printed.
These are sometimes referred to as microdenier suedes.
−Removed: Faux leathers
−Removed: Sueded or knitted base cloths which are overprinted with polyurethane, and composite products consisting of a base fabric that is coated with a top layer of polyurethane, which simulates the look and feel of leather.
−Removed: Cut and sewn kits
−Removed: Covers made from various types of upholstery fabrics and cut and sewn to specifications of furniture manufacturing customers for use on specific furniture frames.
+Added: • Faux leathers – Sueded or knitted base cloths which are overprinted with polyurethane, and composite products consisting of a base fabric that is coated with a top layer of polyurethane, which simulates the look and feel of leather.
+Added: • Cut and sewn kits – Covers made from various types of upholstery fabrics and cut and sewn to specifications of furniture manufacturing customers for use on specific furniture frames.
Through our Read Window Products business, the upholstery fabrics segment also markets a variety of window treatment products and installation services for customers in the hospitality and commercial industries.
2 unchanged sentences
Mattress Fabrics Segment
−Removed: Our mattress fabrics segment operates three manufacturing plants, with one located in North Carolina (Stokesdale), one in St.
+Added: Our mattress fabrics segment currently operates three manufacturing plants, with one located in North Carolina (Stokesdale), one in St.
Jerome, Quebec, Canada, and one in Ouanaminthe, Haiti.
−Removed: Over the past ten fiscal years, we made capital expenditures of approximately $67 million to consolidate our production facilities and to modernize both knit and weaving equipment, enhance and provide knit and woven finishing capabilities, and expand capacity.
+Added: Over the past ten fiscal years, we have made capital expenditures to consolidate our production facilities and to modernize both knit and weaving equipment, enhance and provide knit and woven finishing capabilities, and expand capacity.
The result has been an increase in manufacturing efficiency and reductions in operating costs, as well as expanded product offerings and capacity.
−Removed: Knitted fabrics are produced at both our Stokesdale facility and our St.
−Removed: Jerome plant, while production of jacquard mattress fabrics was consolidated into the St.
−Removed: Jerome facility during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019.
−Removed: The majority of our finishing and inspection processes for mattress fabrics are conducted at the Stokesdale plant, with the St.
−Removed: Jerome plant providing additional capacity and a second location for these processes, along with distribution capabilities.
−Removed: We produce sewn mattress covers at our manufacturing facility in Haiti.
−Removed: In fiscal 2017, we entered into a 50/50 joint venture with a third party mattress cover provider to construct a leased location for our mattress cover operations in Haiti, and this joint venture facility began production of mattress covers for our business during the second quarter of fiscal 2018.
−Removed: We completed a 40,000-square foot expansion of this Haiti facility during the second quarter of fiscal 2021 to increase capacity, and during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, we acquired the remaining fifty percent ownership interest in this Haiti mattress cover business from our previous joint venture partner, giving us full control of the operation and expanded capacity to meet customer demand from this lower-cost, near-shore operation.
−Removed: We also have R&D and prototyping capabilities for sewn mattress covers at our Stokesdale facility.
+Added: Knitted fabrics are currently produced at both the Stokesdale and St.
+Added: Jerome facilities, while jacquard (damask) fabric is produced solely at the St.
+Added: Jerome facility.
+Added: The majority of our finishing and inspection processes for mattress fabrics is currently conducted at the Stokesdale plant, while the St.
+Added: Jerome plant provides additional capacity and a second location for these processes.
+Added: Both of these facilities offer finished goods distribution capabilities, and the Stokesdale plant houses the division offices.
+Added: Additionally, our mattress cover operation has a wholly owned manufacturing platform in Haiti for production of cut and sewn mattress covers.
+Added: This platform includes currently two leased facilities.
+Added: Following the Fiscal 2025 restructuring expected to be completed during calendar year 2025, our St.
+Added: Jerome plant will be eliminated and our Haiti production operations will be reduced to a single facility.
+Added: In connection with the St.
+Added: Jerome closure, we will relocate some of the knitting and finishing operation conducted at that facility to the Stokesdale facility, and we will also transition jacquard (damask) fabric production from the St.
+Added: Jerome facility to a strategic sourcing model through the company’s long standing supply partners.
+Added: See “—Fiscal 2025 Restructuring” for further details regarding the Fiscal 2025 restructuring.
In addition to the mattress fabrics and sewn covers manufactured by Culp, we have important supply arrangements in place that allow us to source mattress fabrics and sewn covers from strategic suppliers.
−Removed: We source some Culp-designed knitted fabrics, certain converted fabric products, and sewn mattress covers using our Culp China platform.
−Removed: We also source Culp-designed sewn mattress covers from a strategic supply relationship in Vietnam.
−Removed: Additionally, we source a portion of our woven jacquard fabric and knitted fabric from a supplier located in Turkey, based on designs and a production schedule created by Culp.
+Added: We source some knitted fabrics, certain converted fabric products, and sewn mattress covers using our Culp China platform.
+Added: We also source sewn mattress covers from a strategic supply relationship in Vietnam, and a portion of our woven jacquard fabric and knitted fabric from a supplier located in Turkey (and as part of the Fiscal 2025 restructuring, we will transition all of jacquard (damask) production to outside suppliers).
+Added: Substantially all of our outsourced mattress fabrics products are made specifically for Culp and manufactured to our design specifications.
Upholstery Fabrics Segment
−Removed: The upholstery fabrics segment currently operates two manufacturing facilities in China.
−Removed: We also operated a facility in Haiti dedicated to the production of cut and sewn upholstery kits during the first half of fiscal 2023, but following the rationalization and restructuring of this operation during the second half of the fiscal year, we now operate a scaled down cut and sew operation within the company's existing mattress cover facility in Haiti.
−Removed: Additionally, we fabricate a variety of window treatments, using mostly customer-supplied fabrics and materials, at our Read Window Products facility in Knoxville, Tennessee.
−Removed: Our upholstery fabrics facilities in China are located within the same industrial area in Shanghai.
−Removed: At these facilities, we apply value-added finishing processes to fabrics sourced from a limited number of strategic suppliers in China, and we inspect sourced fabric there as well.
−Removed: Our upholstery fabrics cut and sew operation in Haiti uses sourced fabrics to produce cut and sewn kits designed to be placed on specific furniture frames designated by customers.
+Added: During fiscal 2024, the upholstery fabrics segment operated four facilities located in an industrial park in Shanghai, China, including one manufacturing facility.
+Added: At these facilities, we inspect fabrics sourced from a limited number of suppliers, and during fiscal 2024, we also applied value-added finishing processes to sourced fabric.
+Added: As part of the Fiscal 2025 restructuring, we are rationalizing internal upholstery fabrics finishing in China to align with current demand and further leverage strategic supply relationships.
+Added: Additionally, we previously produced cut and sewn upholstery kits in Haiti, but we discontinued this production during the first quarter of fiscal 2024, based on reduced demand.
A large portion of our upholstery fabric products, as well as certain elements of our production processes, are being sourced from outside suppliers.
1 unchanged sentence
We have found opportunities to develop significant relationships with key overseas suppliers in China that allow us to source products on a cost-effective basis, while limiting our investment of capital in manufacturing assets.
−Removed: We source unfinished and finished fabrics, as well as cut and sewn kits, from a limited number of strategic suppliers in China who are willing to commit significant capacity to meet our needs while working with our product development team located in China to meet the demands of our customers.
−Removed: Beginning in late fiscal 2019, we also developed strategic supplier relationships in Vietnam for additional sourcing of our cut and sewn kits, which has allowed us to begin adjusting our supply chains to meet customer demands in conjunction with ongoing trade disputes between the U.S.
+Added: During fiscal 2024, we sourced unfinished and finished fabrics, as well as cut and sewn kits, from a limited number of strategic suppliers in China who are willing to commit significant capacity to meet our needs and work with our product development team located in China to meet the demands of our customers.
+Added: Beginning in late fiscal 2019, we also developed strategic supplier relationships in Vietnam for additional sourcing of our cut and sewn kits, which has allowed us to begin
+Added: adjusting our supply chains to meet customer demands.
+Added: We then established an administrative office located in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, for the purpose of enhancing our strategic sourcing and further diversifying our supply chain in Asia.
Additionally, beginning in fiscal 2022, we developed strategic supplier relationships in Turkey for additional sourcing of fabric products, providing further diversification in our supply chain.
+Added: We fabricate a variety of window treatment products at our Read Window Products facility in Knoxville, Tennessee, and we also use a limited number of strategic suppliers in the United States and Mexico for window treatment fabrication.
The majority of upholstery fabrics and materials used by our Read Window Products business to fabricate window treatments are customer-supplied.
2 unchanged sentences
Consumer tastes and preferences related to bedding, upholstered furniture, and window treatment products change over time.
−Removed: The use of new fabrics, creative designs, and special production finishes and technologies remains an important consideration for manufacturers
−Removed: and marketers to distinguish their products at retail and to capitalize on changes in preferred colors, patterns, textures, and performance properties.
−Removed: Culp’s success is largely dependent on our ability to market fabrics and products with appealing designs and patterns, as well as performance properties such as cleanability, stain-resistance, cooling, sustainability, and health-related benefits.
+Added: The use of new fabrics, creative designs, and special production finishes and technologies remains an important consideration for manufacturers and marketers to distinguish their products at retail and to capitalize on changes in preferred colors, patterns, textures, and performance properties.
+Added: Culp’s success is largely dependent on its ability to market fabrics and products with appealing designs and patterns, as well as performance properties such as cleanability, stain-resistance, cooling, sustainability, and health-related benefits.
The process of developing new designs and innovative finishes involves maintaining an awareness of broad fashion and color trends, as well as wellness and other consumer trends, both in the United States and internationally.
3 unchanged sentences
Design innovation is a very important element of producing mattress fabrics.
−Removed: We invest significant resources to stay ahead of current design trends, including maintaining a trained and active design and innovation staff, investing in research and development activities such as participation in international design shows, and implementing systems for creating, cataloging, and simulating new designs.
−Removed: Price point delineation for our fabrics and our customers’
−Removed: finished mattress products is accomplished through fabric quality as well as variation in design.
−Removed: Consumers are drawn to the mattress that is the most visually appealing when walking into a retail showroom or viewing mattress products online, so this design variation, together with price point delineation, helps our customers merchandise different looks at various price points.
+Added: We invest significant resources to stay ahead of current design trends, including maintaining a trained and active design and innovation staff;
+Added: investing in research and development activities, such as participation in international design shows;
+Added: and implementing systems for creating, cataloging, and simulating new designs.
+Added: Price point delineation for our fabrics and our customers’ finished mattress products is accomplished through fabric quality as well as variation in design.
+Added: Consumers are often drawn to the mattress that is the most visually appealing when walking into a retail showroom or viewing mattress products online, so this design variation, together with price point delineation, helps our customers merchandise different looks at various price points.
Fiber differentiation also plays an important part in design.
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Using these design elements, they develop product offerings using ideas and materials that take both fashion trends and cost considerations into account to offer products designed to meet the needs of furniture manufacturers and ultimately the desires of consumers.
−Removed: Upholstery fabric designs are introduced at major fabric trade conferences that occur twice a year in the United States (June and December).
−Removed: In recent years we have become more aggressive in registering copyrights for popular fabric patterns and taking steps to discourage the illegal copying of our proprietary designs.
+Added: Upholstery fabric designs are introduced at major fabric trade conferences that occur twice a year in the United States.
+Added: In recent years we have become more assertive in registering and defending copyrights for popular fabric patterns and taking steps to discourage the illegal copying of our proprietary designs.
Distri bution
Mattress Fabrics Segment
−Removed: Most of our mattress fabrics shipments originate from our facilities in Stokesdale, North Carolina, and we have additional distribution capabilities in Canada, China, and Haiti.
−Removed: Through arrangements with major customers and in accordance with industry practice, we maintain a significant inventory of mattress fabrics at our distribution facility in Stokesdale (“make to stock”), so that products may be shipped to customers with short lead times and on a “just in time”
+Added: Most of our mattress fabrics shipments originate from our facilities in Stokesdale, North Carolina, and we currently have additional distribution capabilities in Canada, China, Haiti, and Turkey.
+Added: Following the Fiscal 2025 restructuring, distribution from Canada will be eliminated.
+Added: Through arrangements with major customers and in accordance with industry practice, we maintain a significant inventory of mattress fabrics at our distribution facility in Stokesdale (“make to stock”), so that products may be shipped to customers with short lead times and on a “just in time” basis.
Upholstery Fabrics Segment
−Removed: A majority of our upholstery fabrics are marketed on a “make to order”
−Removed: basis and are shipped directly from our distribution facilities in Burlington, North Carolina, and Shanghai, China.
+Added: A majority of our upholstery fabrics are marketed on a “make to order” basis and are shipped directly from our distribution facilities in Burlington, North Carolina, and Shanghai, China.
We also have distribution capabilities in Vietnam and Turkey.
−Removed: In addition to “make to order”
−Removed: distribution, an inventory of select fabric patterns is held at our distribution facilities in Burlington and Shanghai from which our customers can obtain quick delivery of sourced fabrics through a program known as “Culp Express.”
−Removed: We also have distribution capabilities for our “Culp Express”
−Removed: program to local customers in Canada through our mattress fabrics distribution facility in Quebec, Canada.
−Removed: Window treatment products sold through our Read Window Products business are done on a “job order”
−Removed: basis, with manufactured products shipped directly from Read's manufacturing facility in Knoxville, Tennessee to the job installation site.
+Added: In addition to “make to order” distribution, an inventory of select fabric patterns is held at our distribution facilities in Burlington and Shanghai from which our customers can obtain quick delivery of sourced fabrics through a program known as “Culp Express.” We also currently have distribution capabilities for our “Culp Express” program to local customers in Canada through our mattress fabrics distribution facility in Quebec, Canada.
+Added: However, following the Fiscal 2025 restructuring, distribution capabilities from Canada will be eliminated.
+Added: Window treatment products sold through our Read Window Products business are done on a “job order” basis, with manufactured products shipped directly from Read's manufacturing facility in Knoxville, Tennessee to the job installation site.
Sources and Availabil ity of Raw Materials
2 unchanged sentences
The mattress fabrics segment purchases primarily synthetic yarns (polyester, polypropylene, and rayon), certain greige (unfinished) goods, glue adhesives, laminates, dyes, and other chemicals.
−Removed: Most of these materials are available from several suppliers, and prices fluctuate based on supply and demand, the general rate of inflation, and particularly on the price of petrochemical products.
−Removed: The mattress fabrics segment has generally not had significant difficulty in obtaining raw materials.
−Removed: During fiscal 2022, some of our outside suppliers faced extended delays and increased costs for raw materials, as well as COVID-19-related disruption that affected production.
−Removed: During fiscal 2023, we experienced better stability with suppliers relative to service and cost for most commodities.
−Removed: Our use of outside suppliers to source materials to produce mattress fabric and sewn covers makes the mattress fabrics segment vulnerable to price increases, delays, or production interruptions caused by problems within businesses that we do not control.
+Added: Most of these materials are available from several suppliers, and prices fluctuate based on supply and demand and the general rate of inflation.
+Added: Additionally, because many of our basic raw materials are produced from petrochemical products, our costs are highly sensitive to the underlying price of oil.
+Added: The mattress fabrics segment has generally not had significant difficulty in obtaining raw materials, apart from some delays experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, which have since subsided.
+Added: However, our use of outside suppliers to source materials makes the mattress fabrics segment vulnerable to price increases, delays, or production interruptions caused by problems within businesses that we do not control.
Upholstery Fabrics Segment
1 unchanged sentence
Raw materials account for approximately 60%-70% of upholstery fabric manufacturing costs for products the company manufactures.
+Added: As with our mattress fabrics, our costs fluctuate with the price of oil.
Increased reliance by both our U.S.
and China upholstery operations on outside suppliers for basic production needs such as base fabrics, yarns, and finishing services has caused the upholstery fabrics segment to become more vulnerable to price increases, delays, or production interruptions caused by problems within businesses that we do not control.
−Removed: Both Segments
−Removed: Many of our basic raw materials are petrochemical products or are produced from such products.
−Removed: For this reason, our raw material costs can be sensitive to changes in prices for petrochemicals and the underlying price of oil.
−Removed: Near the end of fiscal 2021, our raw material costs began to escalate primarily due to rising oil prices, a higher demand environment, and labor shortages.
−Removed: These pressures continued during fiscal 2022, with further increases in raw material costs, particularly during the second half of the year, due to the continued rise in oil prices and a higher demand environment.
−Removed: During fiscal 2023, the cost of raw materials began to decline during the first half of the year due to lower oil prices and slowing global demand, but the higher costs and lower availability of labor remained challenging throughout the year.
−Removed: Raw material costs were relatively stable during the second half of the year.
Overall, demand for our products generally depends upon consumer demand for furniture and bedding products, which reflects sensitivity to overall economic conditions, including consumer confidence, unemployment rates, and housing market conditions.
−Removed: During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 and continuing into the first quarter of fiscal 2021, the bedding and furniture industries, including manufacturers and retail stores, were adversely affected by closures/restricted operations, supply chain disruption, and economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
−Removed: For the remainder of fiscal 2021, disruption relating to the COVID-19 pandemic positively affected sales trends, with the increased consumer focus on the home and travel restrictions shifting discretionary spending away from travel and leisure activities towards home furnishings and enhancing overall comfort within the home environment.
−Removed: However, this sales trend began to reverse during fiscal 2022, particularly during the second half of fiscal 2022 and continuing throughout fiscal 2023, as COVID-related travel and mask restrictions were lifted and consumers began to resume travel and leisure activities.
−Removed: Inflationary pressures also affected consumer spending on home goods during the second half of fiscal 2022 and continuing throughout fiscal 2023.
−Removed: Additionally, we believe consumer spending was further pressured in fiscal 2023 by other economic conditions, such as rising interest rates, the ongoing Russia/Ukraine conflict, and other economic indicators that affected consumer confidence.
−Removed: These impacts are not reflective of any seasonal trends in the bedding or furniture industries and are not an indicator that seasonal trends are changing for our business segments.
Mattress Fabrics Segment
The mattress fabrics business and the bedding industry in general are slightly seasonal, with sales being the highest in early spring and late summer, with another peak in mid-winter.
−Removed: However, these seasonality trends relate more to in-store retail sales and promotional events, whereas the growth in online sales, which began prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and increased during the pandemic, are less affected by in-store seasonality trends.
−Removed: It appears that during fiscal 2023, U.S.
−Removed: consumers began to return to pre-pandemic mattress buying habits, where mattresses are often purchased during major U.S.
+Added: In the U.S., customers often purchase mattresses during major U.S.
+Added: holidays, in conjunction with retail store promotional events.
+Added: However, these seasonality trends relate more to in-store retail sales.
+Added: Online sales, which have grown in recent years, are less affected by in-store seasonality trends.
Upholstery Fabrics Segment
−Removed: The upholstery fabrics business today is less seasonal than it once was.
−Removed: In the past, seasonality resulted from one-week closings of our manufacturing facilities and the facilities of most of our customers in the U.S.
−Removed: during our first and third fiscal quarters for the holiday weeks of July 4th and Christmas.
−Removed: This effect has become much less pronounced as the majority of our fabrics are produced or sold in locations outside of the U.S.
−Removed: The timing of the Chinese National Holiday in October and, to a larger extent, the Chinese New Year (which occurs in January or February each year), now have a more significant impact on upholstery sales than the U.S.
−Removed: holiday periods, often causing sales to be higher in advance of these Chinese holiday periods and sometimes lower during or immediately following the same periods (although notably this trend for the Chinese New Year holiday did not occur during fiscal 2023, with sales lower in advance of the holiday due to high customer inventory and reduced consumer demand, followed by an uptick in sales after the holiday as customer inventory levels began to normalize).
+Added: The upholstery fabrics business has some seasonality, which is tied to the timing of holidays in our manufacturing facilities.
+Added: Our manufacturing facilities in China close during Chinese National Holiday (in October) and the Chinese New Year (which occurs in January or February each year), often causing sales to be higher in advance of these Chinese holiday periods and sometimes lower during or immediately following the same periods.
Competition for our products is high and is based primarily on price, design, quality, product performance, timing of delivery, and service.
2 unchanged sentences
We believe our principal mattress fabric and mattress cover competitors are BekaertDeslee Textiles (fabric and mattress cover producer), Global Textile Alliance (fabric and mattress cover producer), and several smaller companies producing knitted fabrics, sewn covers, and other fabric, including companies in China supplying fabric and cover products to sub-contract manufacturers in the U.S.
−Removed: In addition, our bedding customers continue to face increasing competition from imports of finished beds, which indirectly compete with our mattress fabrics by replacing potential sales of our products to those customers.
+Added: In addition, our bedding customers continue to face increasing competition from imports of finished beds, which indirectly compete with our mattress fabrics as import producers generally do not purchase our fabrics.
Upholstery Fabrics Segment
−Removed: In the upholstery fabrics market, we compete against a large number of companies, ranging from a few large manufacturers comparable in size to the company to small producers and converters (companies who buy and re-sell fabrics, but have no manufacturing).
+Added: In the upholstery fabrics market, we compete against a large number of companies, ranging from a few large manufacturers comparable in size to Culp to small producers and converters (companies who buy and re-sell fabrics, but have no manufacturing).
We believe our principal upholstery fabric competitors are Dorell Fabrics Co., Morgan Fabrics, Richloom Fabrics, Specialty Textile, Inc.
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Environmental and Other Regulations
−Removed: We are subject to various federal and state laws and regulations, including the Occupational Safety and Health Act (“OSHA”) and federal and state environmental laws, as well as similar laws governing our manufacturing facilities in China, Canada, and Haiti.
+Added: We are subject to various federal and state laws and regulations, including the Occupational Safety and Health Act (“OSHA”) and federal and state environmental laws, as well as similar laws governing our manufacturing facilities in China, Canada, and Haiti.
We periodically review our compliance with these laws and regulations in an attempt to minimize the risk of violations.
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Environmental liabilities can also be asserted by adjacent landowners or other third parties in toxic tort litigation.
−Removed: In addition, under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (“CERCLA”), and analogous state statutes, liability can be imposed for the disposal of waste at sites targeted for cleanup by federal and state regulatory authorities.
+Added: In addition, under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (“CERCLA”), and analogous state statutes, liability can be imposed for the disposal of waste at sites targeted for cleanup by federal and state regulatory authorities.
Liability under CERCLA is strict as well as joint and several.
−Removed: Congress is considering legislation to address climate change that is intended to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide.
−Removed: In addition, the U.S.
−Removed: Environmental Protection Agency has made a determination that greenhouse gas emissions may be a threat to human health and the environment.
−Removed: International agreements may also result in new regulations on greenhouse gas emissions.
+Added: Domestic and foreign laws and regulations, as well as international agreements, may result in new regulations on greenhouse gas emissions.
It is uncertain if, when, and in what form, a mandatory carbon dioxide emissions reduction program may be enacted either through legislation or regulation.
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Each of these matters is carefully evaluated, and the company provides for environmental matters based on information presently available.
−Removed: Based on this information, we do not currently believe that environmental matters will have a material adverse effect on either the company’s financial condition or results of operations.
+Added: Based on this information, we do not currently believe that environmental matters will have a material adverse effect on either the company’s financial condition or results of operations.
However, there can be no assurance that the costs associated with environmental matters will not increase in the future.
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As of the end of fiscal 2024, we employed 1,000 people, a decrease of 333 employees as compared to the end of the prior fiscal year.
−Removed: The mattress fabrics segments employed 759 people at fiscal year-end, a decrease of 186 employees, while the upholstery segment employed 543 people, a decrease of 60 employees from the prior year.
−Removed: The remaining employees comprise the company’s shared services functions.
−Removed: The decrease in the number of employees in the mattress fabrics segment in fiscal 2023, as compared to the prior year, was associated with the rationalization of our U.S.-based mattress fabrics cut and sew platform, which included the closure of two U.S.
−Removed: facilities associated with this business.
−Removed: The decrease in the number of employees in the upholstery fabrics segment in fiscal 2023, as compared to the prior year, was associated with the rationalization and restructuring of our upholstery cut and sew platform during the year, which included the closure of our Shanghai cut and sew facility, as well as the rationalization and relocation of our Haiti cut and sew operation into an existing mattress cover facility also located in Haiti.
+Added: The mattress fabrics segments employed 663 people at fiscal year-end, a decrease of 96 employees from the prior year, while the upholstery segment employed 305 people, a decrease of 238 employees from the prior year.
+Added: The remaining employees comprise the company’s shared services functions.
+Added: The decrease in the number of employees in the mattress fabrics segment in fiscal 2024, as compared to the prior year, was associated with rationalization within our Haiti sewn cover operation to align capacity and costs with reduced demand.
+Added: The decrease in the number of employees in the upholstery fabrics segment in fiscal 2024, as compared to the prior year, was primarily associated with the discontinuation of our Haiti cut and sew operation during the first quarter of fiscal 2024.
Approximately 486 employees work in the United States, and 514 are employed in international locations.
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Our company-wide annual employee turnover rate was approximately 43.5% during the past fiscal year, compared to approximately 42% in the prior year.
−Removed: The increase in our annual employee turnover compared to the prior fiscal year was driven mostly by the rationalization and restructuring our upholstery fabrics cut and sew operations in China and Haiti and our mattress fabrics cut and sew operation in the U.S.
+Added: The annual employee turnover in fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2023 has been higher than recent historical trends, driven mostly by the rationalization and restructuring of our upholstery fabrics cut and sew operations in China and Haiti during fiscal 2023;
+Added: the rationalization of our mattress fabrics cut and sew operation in the U.S.
+Added: during fiscal 2023 and in Haiti during fiscal 2024;
+Added: and the discontinuation of our upholstery fabrics cut and sew operation in Haiti during the first quarter of fiscal 2024.
+Added: In fiscal 2025, as part of the Fiscal 2025 restructuring, we plan to reduce the number of employees in our mattress fabrics segment by approximately 240 people, representing close to 35% of the segment's total workforce at the end of fiscal 2024.
+Added: See “—Fiscal 2025 Restructuring” for further details regarding the Fiscal 2025 restructuring.
Mission Statement and Values
−Removed: Our human resources department has adopted a mission statement that embodies our values and goals in the company’s relationships with our employees.
+Added: Our human resources department has adopted a mission statement that embodies our values and goals in the company’s relationships with our employees.
The mission statement is as follows:
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Discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other status protected by law, as well as sexual harassment or harassment of any kind, are not tolerated in our workplaces.
−Removed: Employees have multiple avenues available to report inappropriate behavior, including a dedicated “HR Connection”
+Added: Employees have multiple avenues available to report inappropriate behavior, including a dedicated “HR Connection” phone line.
All reports of inappropriate behavior are promptly investigated and appropriate action is taken to prevent their recurrence.
We also prohibit retaliation against individuals who, in good faith, report any violation of company policies, including unlawful discrimination or harassment.
−Removed: Along with our mission statement and values, we act in accordance with our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (“Code of Conduct”), which sets forth expectations and guidance for employees to make appropriate decisions.
+Added: Along with our mission statement and values, we act in accordance with our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (“Code of Conduct”), which sets forth expectations and guidance for employees to make appropriate decisions.
Our Code of Conduct covers topics such as conflicts of interest, fair dealing, protecting confidential information, appropriate use of company assets, compliance with laws (including, without limitation, anti-corruption and antitrust laws), workplace safety and environmental stewardship, and reporting Code of Conduct violations.
The Code of Conduct reflects our commitment to operating in a fair, honest, ethical, and responsible manner, and also provides direction for reporting complaints in the event of alleged violations of our policies.
−Removed: Our executive officers and supervisors maintain “open door”
−Removed: policies, and any form of retaliation is strictly prohibited.
+Added: Our executive officers and supervisors maintain “open door” policies, and any form of retaliation is strictly prohibited.
We also conduct regular training programs with our management and employee leaders to inform and refresh their knowledge about company policies and procedures pertaining to employment and human capital.
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We strive to attract, recruit, and retain employees through competitive compensation and benefit programs that are aligned with those of comparable industries and in the geographic areas where our facilities are located, and in compliance with local regulatory requirements.
−Removed: We also provide development opportunities that support career growth and maintain a wide variety of programs to engage with our employees and promote overall wellness.
+Added: We also provide development opportunities that support career growth and maintain a wide variety of programs to engage
+Added: with our employees and promote overall wellness.
We believe these efforts support all of our personnel in the workplace and elsewhere in their lives, which in turn promotes employee satisfaction and retention.
−Removed: For example, the “CULPgrow”
−Removed: program was launched in 2021 to provide employees with skills assessment and education assistance, such as GED, ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages), and computer literacy programs.
+Added: For example, the “CULPgrow” program was launched in 2021 to provide employees with skills assessment and education assistance, such as GED, ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages), and computer literacy programs.
The purpose of CULPgrow is to provide a workplace where every employee has the key resources they need to grow, develop, and reach their career goals.
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It also provides resources such as financial educational assistance, as well as mentorship opportunities where employees can be matched with a company mentor and guided through pathways for success within the company.
−Removed: Additionally, in fiscal 2022, the company held its first company-wide global giving initiative, with a program called “Share the Love.”
−Removed: The program involved employees in each of our geographic locations choosing a charitable endeavor to support, based on their knowledge of local cultural considerations and areas of need.
−Removed: For example, our U.S.
−Removed: and Canadian locations held food drives for donations to local food banks, while Culp China’s facilities contributed to help cancer patients.
−Removed: Employees in Haiti made blankets in-house using Culp fabric and then donated them to a local orphanage and the local fire department.
−Removed: This program was continued in fiscal 2023, with additional support to local charitable endeavors from each of our geographic locations.
+Added: Additionally, in fiscal 2022, Culp began its first company-wide global giving initiative, with a program called “Share the Love.” The program involved employees in each of our geographic locations choosing a charitable endeavor to support, based on their knowledge of local cultural considerations and areas of need.
+Added: In fiscal 2024, our U.S.
+Added: locations held food drives for donations to local food banks, while Culp China’s facilities contributed to help a cancer patient and employees in Haiti donated toys to a local daycare facility.
Other examples of employee engagement initiatives include:
−Removed: Wellness sessions on various health-related topics
−Removed: Meetings and video chats with senior management
+Added: • Interactive TeamTalk meetings, business strategy sessions, and video chat sessions with senior management
+Added: • Policy Talk Tuesdays with managers and supervisors on company HR policies and benefits
+Added: • CULPchat program soliciting employee feedback and communication
• The CulpVets program, which provides special recognition to military veterans
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Our Behavior Based Safety initiative combines awareness programs, observation, and training to enhance continued compliance with safe and healthy practices in our facilities.
−Removed: Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, comprehensive protocols were developed and followed to allow our manufacturing plants to reopen safely after mandatory shutdowns.
−Removed: When COVID-19 vaccines became available, we hosted vaccination clinics at several of our manufacturing facilities, providing access to vaccines not only for our employees, but also for their families and members of the local communities.
−Removed: Additional safety and health programs are planned for the future.
Customers and Sales
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Major customers for our mattress fabrics include leading bedding manufacturers such as Serta-Simmons Bedding (SSB), Tempur + Sealy International (TSI), Casper, Corsicana, Sleep Number, and Ashley Furniture.
+Added: Our largest customer in the mattress fabrics segment is Serta Simmons Holdings, LLC, accounting for approximately 13% of the company’s consolidated sales in fiscal 2024.
+Added: These sales include sales to customers who are also subcontractors for Serta Simmons Holdings, LLC.
Our mattress fabrics customers also include many small and medium-size bedding manufacturers.
−Removed: No customers within the mattress fabrics segment accounted for more than 10% of the company's consolidated sales in fiscal 2023.
Upholstery Fabrics Segment
−Removed: Our major customers for upholstery fabrics are leading manufacturers of upholstered furniture, including Ashley, Flexsteel, Kuka, La-Z-Boy (La-Z-Boy Residential and England), Southern Furniture Industries (Fusion and Southern Motion), Sudair, and Violino.
−Removed: Major customers for the company’s fabrics for commercial furniture include Exemplis, HNI Corporation, and Travel + Leisure Co.
−Removed: Wyndham Destinations).
−Removed: Our largest customer in the upholstery fabrics segment is La-Z-Boy Incorporated, which accounted for approximately 15% of the company’s consolidated sales in fiscal 2023.
+Added: Our major customers for upholstery fabrics are leading manufacturers of upholstered furniture, including Ashley Furniture, Flexsteel Home, Jonathan Louis, La-Z-Boy (La-Z-Boy Residential and England), Southern Furniture Industries (Fusion and Southern Motion), and Sudair Manufacturing.
+Added: Major customers for the company’s fabrics for commercial furniture include Exemplis, HNI Corporation, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, and Marriott.
+Added: Our largest customer in the upholstery fabrics segment is La-Z-Boy Incorporated, which accounted for approximately 12% of the company’s consolidated sales in fiscal 2024.
The following table sets forth our net sales by geographic area by amount and percentage of total net sales for the three most recent fiscal years.
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Upholstery Fabrics Segment
−Removed: Although it is difficult to predict the amount of backlog that is “firm,”
−Removed: we have reported the portion of the upholstery fabric backlog from customers with confirmed shipping dates within five weeks of the end of the fiscal year.
+Added: Although it is difficult to predict the amount of backlog that is “firm,” we have reported the portion of the upholstery fabric backlog from customers with confirmed shipping dates within five weeks of the end of the fiscal year.
On April 28, 2024, the portion of the upholstery fabric backlog with confirmed shipping dates prior to June 3, 2024, was $11.7 million, compared with $10.6 million as of the end of fiscal 2023 (for confirmed shipping dates prior to June 5, 2023).
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Our business is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties.
−Removed: In addition to the matters described above under “Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Information,”
−Removed: set forth below are some of the risks and uncertainties that could cause a material adverse change in our results of operations, financial condition, or future prospects.
−Removed: The risks described below should be carefully considered, together with other information provided in this report, including Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and our financial statements, including the related notes.
+Added: In addition to the matters described above under “Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Information,” set forth below are some of the risks and uncertainties that could cause a material adverse change in our results of operations, financial condition, or future prospects.
+Added: The risks described below should be carefully considered, together with other information provided in this report, including Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and our financial statements, including the related notes.
The risks discussed below are not the only risks we face.
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Continued economic and industry uncertainty could negatively affect our sales and earnings.
−Removed: Overall demand for our products depends upon consumer demand for furniture and bedding products, which is subject to cyclical variations in the general economy, including current inflationary pressures affecting consumer spending, declines in overall consumer confidence, recession and fears of recession, the negative economic impact of potential additional surges of the coronavirus, and other geopolitical events, such as the ongoing Russia/Ukraine war.
−Removed: Because purchases of furniture and bedding products may be considered discretionary purchases for most individuals and businesses, demand for these products may be more easily influenced by economic trends than demand for other products.
−Removed: Economic downturns, increases in unemployment rates, and uncertainty about future health and economic prospects can affect consumer spending habits and demand for discretionary items, including home furnishings, which reduces the demand for our products and therefore can cause a decline in our sales and earnings.
−Removed: In addition, the level of housing starts, sales of existing homes, trends in disposable income, changes in interest rates (particularly home mortgage rates), and availability of consumer credit, can also affect our business.
−Removed: While we saw an adverse impact from some of these measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of fiscal 2020 and the beginning of fiscal 2021, we experienced increased demand in our mattress fabrics segment and in the residential side of our upholstery fabrics segment for most of fiscal 2021, driven by greater consumer focus on the home environment and more discretionary spending being allocated to home furnishings in the face of travel restrictions and other pandemic-related factors.
+Added: Overall demand for our products depends upon consumer demand for furniture and bedding products, which is subject to cyclical variations in the general economy, including current inflationary pressures affecting consumer spending, declines in overall consumer confidence, recession and fears of recession, and other geopolitical events, such as the ongoing Russia/Ukraine war and the armed conflict in the Middle East.
+Added: Because purchases of furniture and bedding products may be considered discretionary purchases for most individuals and businesses, demand for these products are heavily influenced by economic trends.
+Added: Economic downturns, increases in unemployment rates, persistent inflation, and uncertainty about future health and economic prospects can affect consumer spending habits and demand for discretionary items, including home furnishings, which reduces the demand for our products and therefore can cause a decline in our sales and earnings.
+Added: In addition, the level of housing starts, sales of existing homes, declines in office occupancy rates, trends in disposable income, changes in interest rates (particularly home mortgage rates), and availability of consumer credit, can also affect our business.
+Added: While we saw an adverse impact from some of these factors due to the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of fiscal 2020 and the beginning of fiscal 2021, we experienced increased demand in our mattress fabrics segment and in the residential side of our upholstery fabrics segment for most of fiscal 2021, driven by greater consumer focus on the home environment and more discretionary spending being allocated to home furnishings in the face of travel restrictions and other pandemic-related factors.
However, this trend began to reverse during fiscal 2022, particularly during the second half of the year, as COVID-related travel and mask restrictions were lifted and consumers began to resume travel and leisure activities.
−Removed: We believe the trend of increased consumer discretionary spending on travel, leisure, and entertainment, and away from home goods, continued throughout fiscal 2023.
−Removed: Inflationary pressures also began to affect consumer spending during the second half of fiscal 2022 and continuing throughout fiscal 2023.
−Removed: We are unable to predict how long these trends will last, or to what extent additional surges of the coronavirus or other geopolitical events may affect the economic and purchasing cycle for home furnishing products (and therefore affect demand for our products) over the short and long term.
−Removed: Loss of market share due to competition would result in declines in sales and could result in losses or decreases in earnings.
+Added: We believe the trend of increased consumer discretionary spending on travel, leisure, and entertainment, and away from home goods, continued throughout fiscal 2023 and 2024.
+Added: Inflationary pressures also began to affect consumer spending during the second half of fiscal 2022 and continued throughout fiscal 2023 and 2024.
+Added: In addition, declines in the U.S.
+Added: housing and commercial real estate markets in fiscal 2024 negatively impacted demand for furniture and bedding, reducing demand for our upholstery and mattress fabric products.
+Added: We are unable to predict how long these trends will last, or to what extent macroeconomic or other geopolitical events may affect the purchasing cycle for home furnishing products.
+Added: Demand for our products—and our results of operations—may be materially and adversely affected by macroeconomic trends that are beyond our control.
+Added: Partly in response to certain of these trends, in May 2024, we announced the implementation of a restructuring of our business pursuant to which we intend to consolidate our North American mattress fabrics operations and our sewn cover operation in Haiti in an effort to align capacity and cost structure with demand.
+Added: However, we can offer no assurance that these efforts will achieve their intended effect or that the cost savings and other benefits we anticipate will be realized on the expected timeframe or at all.
+Added: Loss of market share due to competition may result in declines in sales and could result in losses or decreases in earnings.
Our business is highly competitive and fragmented, and we face significant competition from many competitors, both foreign and domestic.
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In many cases, these fabrics are sourced from foreign suppliers who have a lower cost structure than the company.
−Removed: The highly competitive nature of our business in each of our segments means we are constantly subject to the risk of losing market share, which would likely result in a loss or decrease our future sales and earnings.
+Added: The highly competitive nature of our business in each of our segments means we are constantly subject to the risk of losing market share, which would likely result in a decrease in our future sales and earnings.
+Added: In particular, in recent years the U.S.
+Added: bedding industry—on which the mattress fabrics segment relies—has seen significant increases in competition from low-cost foreign producers, which has adversely affected demand for our products.
As a result of increased competition, there have been deflationary pressures on the prices for many of our products, which make it more difficult to pass along increased operating costs such as raw materials, shipping, energy, foreign currency fluctuations, or labor in the form of price increases, which puts downward pressure on our profit margins.
Also, the wide range of product offerings in our business can make it more difficult to differentiate our products through design, styling, finish, and other techniques.
−Removed: The global COVID-19 pandemic significantly and adversely affected, and may again adversely affect, our business, financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.
−Removed: The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the global and U.S.
−Removed: economy, severely disrupted global supply chains, and created significant volatility and disruption in financial markets, all of which negatively affected the bedding and home furnishings industries, our customers and suppliers, and our business.
−Removed: Many countries, including the countries in which we operate, as well as state and local governmental authorities, took various actions to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including mandated closures of businesses, stay-at-home orders, quarantine and isolation requirements, travel restrictions, border closings, restrictions on public gatherings, social distancing measures, occupancy limits, and other safety measures.
−Removed: While these restrictions have now been lifted as conditions have improved, the restrictions adversely affected our business, results of operations, financial position, and cash flows.
−Removed: Due to government-mandated closure requirements near the end of March 2020, we shut down our facilities in Canada and Haiti for several weeks.
−Removed: At the same time, we experienced a rapid decline in demand as customers and retail stores began closing or substantially
−Removed: limiting their operations.
−Removed: We took a number of measures in response to the increasingly challenging market conditions, including, among other things, repurposing a portion of our available operations to produce face masks, bedding covers, and fabrics for healthcare operations and consumer health;
−Removed: reducing operating costs by implementing temporary salary reductions, making workforce adjustments to align with demand, suspending merit pay increases, and eliminating the cash compensation paid to our board of directors;
−Removed: aggressively reducing expenses, capital expenditures, and discretionary spending, and working with our vendors and landlords to negotiate temporary terms.
−Removed: We also took steps to safeguard the health of our employees, customers, and the communities we serve, including implementing detailed cleaning and disinfecting processes at our facilities, instituting temperature checks, adhering to social distancing and mask protocols, suspending non-essential travel, restricting visitors, providing remote work opportunities where possible, and offering on-site vaccination clinics to our employees, their families, and the general public.
−Removed: We have continued to monitor and update these procedures, in accordance with CDC recommendations and other local laws and regulatory authorities, throughout the pandemic.
−Removed: While the COVID-19 pandemic continued to spread throughout the world during fiscal 2021, we did not experience additional closures of any of our operations, or any material closures of the operations of our suppliers, during the remainder of the fiscal year, following the initial shutdowns from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020.
−Removed: However, during fiscal 2022, our upholstery fabrics business was materially affected by COVID-19 related shutdowns of our sourcing partners and customers in Vietnam throughout most of the second quarter, and our operations in China were shut down during the last month of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 and continuing to some extent during the first month of fiscal 2023, which prevented us from shipping goods in both our residential upholstery fabrics business and our sewn mattress cover business.
−Removed: In addition to these shutdowns, COVID-19 disruption affected our business during fiscal 2022, as well as the business of our customers and suppliers, due to employee absenteeism and labor shortages, pandemic-related effects on the availability and pricing of freight and raw material costs, and pandemic-related constraints on our customers’
−Removed: capacity due to supply chain disruption for non-fabric components.
−Removed: We did not experience additional closures of any of our operations, or any material closures of the operations of our suppliers, during the remainder of fiscal 2023.
−Removed: While the World Health Organization has now declared an official end to the COVID-19 global health emergency, future surges in the number of COVID-19 cases and preventative or protective actions that governmental authorities or we may take in response to such surges may have an adverse effect on our business or the business of our customers, suppliers, or distribution channels, including additional business shutdowns, reduced operations, restrictions on shipping or installing products, reduced consumer demand, reduced availability and/or higher pricing of materials, or the ability of our customers to make payments.
−Removed: In addition, responding to future case surges or restrictions could divert management’s attention from our key strategic priorities, increase costs as we prioritize the health and safety of our employees and customers, cause us to reduce, delay, alter, or abandon strategic initiatives that may otherwise increase our long-term value, and otherwise disrupt our business operations.
−Removed: The potential for future surges in the number of COVID-19 cases and the impact of such surges on our business depends on factors beyond our knowledge or control, including the duration and severity of such surges;
−Removed: actions taken to contain spread of the virus and mitigate the public health and economic effects;
−Removed: vaccine availability and effectiveness within the markets in which we operate;
−Removed: the impact on global supply chain conditions;
−Removed: employee absenteeism and labor shortages;
−Removed: and the short- and long-term disruption to the global economy, consumer confidence, demand for home furnishings products, unemployment, and the financial health of our customers, suppliers, and distribution channels.
−Removed: At this time, we cannot reasonably estimate the impact of such potential future COVID-19 surges on our business or on our future financial or operational results;
−Removed: however, the disruption could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows over time.
−Removed: Furthermore, the impact of additional surges in COVID-19 may also exacerbate other risks discussed in this Item 1A –
−Removed: Risk Factors, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our operations.
−Removed: In addition, if in the future there is an outbreak of another highly infectious disease or other health concern or epidemic, we may be subject to similar risks as those faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our operations are subject to risks of unsettled political conditions, civil unrest or instability, public health concerns or pandemics, natural or man-made disasters, acts of war, terrorism, and the effects of climate change, any one of which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
−Removed: Our domestic and foreign operations are subject to risks of unsettled political conditions, civil unrest or instability, public health concerns or pandemics, natural or man-made disasters, acts of war, and terrorism.
−Removed: In addition, the effects of climate change and actions taken to combat climate change could exacerbate these risks, including by increasing the likelihood and severity of extreme weather events.
−Removed: Any of these risks, including without limitation civil unrest or instability in Haiti, China, or other countries where we operate, could cause disruption at our manufacturing or distribution facilities, or at the facilities of our suppliers and distribution channels, which could make servicing our customers more difficult and could reduce our sales, earnings, or both in the future.
+Added: Our domestic and foreign operations are subject to risks of unsettled political conditions, civil unrest or instability in countries in which we operate, natural or man-made disasters, acts of war, and terrorism.
+Added: As an example, we maintain an active production facility in Ouanaminthe, Haiti.
+Added: Severe political instability in Haiti, along with recent natural disasters, has created a crisis in the country, subjecting our operations there to heightened risk.
+Added: While operations at our production facility have not been directly affected, ongoing political and civil unrest in Haiti could cause manufacturing disruptions at our Haiti facility.
+Added: In addition, public health concerns and pandemics have in the past, and may again disrupt our business.
+Added: For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we temporarily shut down certain of our facilities, as did certain of our sourcing partners and customers, which prevented us from shipping goods in both our residential upholstery fabrics business and our sewn mattress cover business.
+Added: Moreover, the effects of climate change and actions taken to combat climate change could exacerbate these risks, including by increasing the likelihood and severity of extreme weather events.
+Added: Civil instability, public health concerns, natural disasters, acts of war, terrorism or other adverse events could cause disruption at our manufacturing or distribution facilities, or at the facilities of our suppliers and distribution channels.
+Added: The materialization of any of these risks could result in additional expense to us, limit our supply of necessary goods and raw materials, and otherwise affect our ability to meet the needs of our customers, and our results of operations may be materially adversely affected as a result.
+Added: Our future success depends in part on our ability to successfully implement our strategic plan, including the Fiscal 2025 restructuring, and achieve our business strategies.
+Added: We continue to focus on strategic initiatives designed improve our business and our results of operations.
+Added: On May 1, 2024, we announced a significant restructuring plan designed to reduce costs, improve asset utilization, and drive performance and profitable growth.
+Added: This plan, which is being implemented primarily in the company’s mattress fabrics segment and, to a lesser extent, in its upholstery fabrics segment, includes consolidating operations, restructuring operations, and reducing expenses.
+Added: Business—Fiscal 2025 Restructuring.” There can be no assurance that these or other future strategic initiatives will be successful to the extent we expect, or at all.
+Added: Additionally, we are investing resources in these initiatives and the costs of the initiatives may outweigh their benefits.
+Added: If we miscalculate the resources we need to complete these strategic initiatives or fail to implement them effectively, our business and operating results could be adversely affected.
Operational Risks
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Government may consider imposing additional tariffs or extending the timeline for continuation of existing tariffs.
−Removed: Any tariffs that result in increased costs of imported products and materials could require us to increase prices to our domestic customers or, if we are unable to do so, result in lowering our gross margins on products sold.
+Added: Any tariffs that result in increased costs of imported products and materials could require us to increase prices to our domestic customers.
+Added: If we are unable to pass along these additional costs, our gross margins on products sold may be adversely affected.
As a result, the tariffs could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
In addition to tariffs, the U.S.
−Removed: government considers other proposals for substantial changes to its trade and tax policies, which could include import restrictions, increased import tariffs, changes to or withdrawal from existing trade agreements, and border-adjustment taxes, among other possible measures.
+Added: government considers other proposals for substantial changes to its trade and tax policies, which could include import restrictions, changes to or withdrawal from existing trade agreements, and border-adjustment taxes, among other possible measures.
Material changes in these policies could increase our tax obligations, require us to source materials from different regions, or increase prices to customers, which could adversely affect sales.
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There are also a number of trade regulations and duties currently in place to protect the U.S.
−Removed: textile industry against competition from low-priced foreign producers, such as those in China and Vietnam, but violations of these trade regulations and duties has had, and may in the future have, a material adverse effect on our operations.
+Added: textile industry against competition from low-priced foreign producers, such as those in China and Vietnam, but violations of these trade regulations and duties by foreign producers has had, and may in the future have, a material adverse effect on our operations.
In May of 2019, the U.S.
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and other countries, or there may be a potential risk of illegal transshipments of mattress products into the United States, which involves circumventing the imposed duties by falsely claiming that mattresses are products of a particular country of origin to avoid paying higher duties.
−Removed: Also, if supply chains are moved out of China to countries without anti-dumping duties and producers continue to supply low-priced imports in violation of U.S.
−Removed: trade laws, and if illegal transshipments are not monitored and enforcement is not effective to limit them, these shipments could have a material adverse effect on the company’s business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
−Removed: During fiscal 2020, the U.S.
−Removed: mattress industry was affected by continued disruption relating to low-priced mattress imports that moved from China to other countries, which affected demand for our products.
−Removed: As a result, the U.S.
−Removed: Department of Commerce imposed anti-dumping duties on mattress imports from seven of these countries during fiscal 2021.
−Removed: We believe the domestic mattress industry and, in turn, our business, began to realize some benefits from these duties during the second half of fiscal 2021 and continuing into fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2023.
−Removed: However, despite the imposition of these duties, supply chains could move out of the affected countries to other countries without anti-dumping duties and continue supplying low-priced imports in violation of U.S.
−Removed: trade laws, or there may be a potential risk of illegal transshipments of mattress products from these countries to avoid paying the higher duties, which could negatively affect our business.
+Added: In response to low-priced mattress imports that moved out of China to other countries in an effort to circumvent U.S.
+Added: duties, the U.S.
+Added: Department of Commerce has imposed
+Added: anti-dumping duties on mattress imports from countries other than China.
+Added: While we believe the domestic mattress industry and, in turn, our business, began to realize some benefits from these duties starting in 2021, low-priced imports continue to adversely affect our sales.
+Added: We can offer no assurance that such trends will abate, nor can we offer assurance that the U.S.
+Added: Department of Commerce can effectively limit the dumping of low-priced imports into the U.S.
+Added: If supply chains are moved out of China to countries without anti-dumping duties and producers continue to supply low-priced imports in violation of U.S.
+Added: trade laws, and if illegal transshipments are not monitored and enforcement is not effective to limit them, these shipments could have a material adverse effect on the company’s business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Greater reliance on offshore operations and foreign sources of products or raw materials increases the likelihood of disruptions to our supply chain or our ability to deliver products to our customers on a timely basis.
2 unchanged sentences
At the same time, our domestic manufacturing capacity for the upholstery fabrics segment continues to decline.
−Removed: These changes have caused us to rely on an extended supply chain and on a larger number of suppliers that we do not control, both of which are inherently subject to greater risks of delay or disruption.
+Added: These changes have caused us to rely on an extended supply chain and on a larger number of suppliers that we do not control, subjecting us to greater risks of delay or disruption.
In addition, operations and sourcing in foreign areas are subject to the risk of changing local governmental rules, taxes, changes in import rules or customs, import restrictions, tariffs, shipping rates, potential political unrest and instability, coronavirus or other pandemic-related closure rules, or other threats that could disrupt or increase the costs of operating in foreign areas or sourcing products overseas.
−Removed: Additionally, changes in the value of the U.S.
−Removed: dollar versus other currencies can affect our financial results because a significant portion of our operations are located outside the United States.
−Removed: Strengthening of the U.S.
−Removed: dollar against other currencies could make our products less competitive on the basis of price in markets outside the United States, and strengthening of currencies in Canada and China could have a negative impact on our sales of products produced in those places.
Any of the risks associated with foreign operations and sources could cause unanticipated increases in operating costs or disruptions in business, which could have a negative impact on our ultimate financial results.
−Removed: Specifically with respect to sourcing products and raw materials from third-party suppliers in China, our ability to timely or successfully import such products or products made with such raw materials may be adversely affected by changes in U.S.
−Removed: For example, the U.S.
−Removed: Government has taken several steps to address forced labor concerns in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China ("XUAR"), including sanctions on specific entities and individuals;
−Removed: withhold release orders ("WROs") issued by U.S.
−Removed: Customs and Border Protection ("CBP") that prohibit the entry of imports of certain items from XUAR;
−Removed: and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act ("UFLPA"), which went into effect in June 2022 and imposes a presumptive ban on the import of goods to the U.S.
−Removed: that are made, wholly or in part, in the XUAR or by persons that participate in certain programs in the XUAR that entail the use of forced labor.
−Removed: has published both a list of entities that are known to utilize forced labor and a list of commodities that are most at risk, such as cotton, tomatoes and silica-based products.
−Removed: The UFLPA specifically targets cotton and the apparel and textile industries as high-priority sectors for enforcement.
−Removed: None of our Chinese suppliers are located in the XUAR, and we prohibit our suppliers from doing business with or sourcing inputs from any company or entity that is restricted under U.S.
+Added: Recently, a confluence of factors has caused disruptions to international shipping, increasing costs and delaying shipments.
+Added: Attacks on ships entering the Red Sea en route to the Suez Canal, an important waterway for vessels moving between Asia and the United States, by Houthi rebels in Yemen has forced ships to take longer routes.
+Added: In addition, labor disputes at major ports and railways throughout the world, along with weather-related disruptions, such as droughts in Panama reducing capacity in the Panama Canal, have further impacted the global supply chain.
+Added: These factors began to affect the availability of containers and space for shipments from our China operations beginning in the second half of fiscal 2024, and shipping costs have been rising since that time.
+Added: Additionally, the change in global routes due to the Suez and Panama Canal disruptions has caused transit times to be extended by approximately two weeks.
+Added: If any of these or other factors were to worsen, we may be unable to timely ship our products or receive the materials we need to produce our products, or our shipping costs may further increase.
+Added: We may be unable to pass along such costs to our customers, or may have difficulty meeting our customers’ demands, each of which may materially and adversely affect our results of operations.
+Added: In addition, with respect to sourcing products and raw materials from third-party suppliers in China, our ability to timely or successfully import such products or those made with such raw materials may be adversely affected by changes in U.S.
+Added: For example, certain recently enacted laws and regulations impose a presumptive ban on the import of goods to the U.S.
+Added: that are made, wholly or in part, in certain defined areas or by certain restricted persons or entities.
+Added: These laws and regulations specifically target cotton and the apparel and textile industries as high-priority sectors for enforcement.
+Added: None of our Chinese suppliers are located in the region targeted or are identified as restricted entities under these laws and regulations, and we prohibit our suppliers from doing business with or sourcing inputs from any company or entity that is in the region targeted or that restricted under U.S.
or other applicable law.
−Removed: However, as a result of the UFLPA and WROs, products we import into the U.S.
−Removed: could be held for inspection by CBP based on a suspicion that such products or inputs used in such products originated from the XUAR or that they may have been produced by Chinese suppliers accused of participating in forced labor, pending our providing satisfactory evidence to the contrary.
−Removed: During fiscal 2023, we were subjected to a limited number of such CBP detentions and were successful in submitting satisfactory supply chain evidence to result in the release of all such detained good by CBP.
−Removed: These detentions have not resulted in any material impact on our business, supply chain, customer relationships, or reputation.
−Removed: However, future detentions could result in unexpected (i) delays or rejections of products scheduled for delivery to us, which could in turn affect the timing or our ability to delivery products to our customers;
+Added: However, as a result of these laws and regulations, products we import into the U.S.
+Added: could be held for inspection by U.S.
+Added: customs and border patrol based on a suspicion of noncompliance.
+Added: During fiscal 2023 and early in fiscal 2024, we were subjected to a limited number of such detentions and were successful in submitting satisfactory supply chain evidence to result in the release of all such detained goods.
+Added: These detentions did not resulted in any material impact on our business, supply chain, customer relationships, or reputation, and we did not have any further detentions in fiscal 2024.
+Added: However, future detentions could result in unexpected (i) delays or rejections of products scheduled for delivery to us, which could in turn affect the timing or our ability to deliver products to our customers;
(ii) supply chain disruptions and increased operating costs;
3 unchanged sentences
We source a variety of fabrics, as well as cut and sewn upholstery kits and sewn mattress covers, from a limited number of strategic suppliers in China.
−Removed: We also operate two upholstery manufacturing facilities and two warehouse facilities in Shanghai, China.
+Added: We also operate four facilities in Shanghai, China.
The Chinese economy is characterized by extensive state ownership, control, and regulation, and the political, legal, and economic climate in China is fluid and unpredictable.
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Moreover, any potential civil unrest, natural disasters, or other threats could disrupt or increase the costs of operating in China.
−Removed: The Chinese economy poses additional risks to our business, including fluctuating rates of inflation and currency exchange rates, a declining labor force participation rate, and rising employee wages.
+Added: The Chinese economy poses additional risks to our business, including fluctuating rates of inflation and currency exchange rates, a declining labor force
+Added: participation rate, and rising employee wages.
In addition, changes in the political climate or trade policy of the United States, such as increased duties, tariffs, or U.S.
−Removed: restrictions on Chinese imports, such as the UFLPA, may adversely affect our business.
+Added: restrictions on Chinese imports, may adversely affect our business.
Our ability to operate in China has also been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and may in the future be negatively affected by additional surges in the coronavirus or other diseases.
−Removed: For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, China from time to time enforced broad lockdowns, which affected our ability to timely produce and ship products and affected the ability of our third-party suppliers and their supply chain to timely deliver products and materials.
+Added: For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, China from time to time enforced broad lock-downs which affected our ability to timely produce and ship products and affected the ability of our third-party suppliers and their supply chain to timely deliver products and materials.
Any of the risks associated with our Chinese operations and sources could cause unanticipated increases in operating costs or disruptions in business, which could negatively affect our ultimate financial results.
+Added: Because a significant portion of our operations are located outside the U.S., we may be adversely affected by changes in the value of the U.S.
+Added: Changes in the value of the U.S.
+Added: dollar versus other currencies can affect our financial results because a significant portion of our operations are located outside the United States.
+Added: We manage various operating activities at the local level and net sales, costs, assets and liabilities are denominated in both the local currency and the U.S.
+Added: Our results of operations and assets and liabilities are reported in U.S.
+Added: dollars and thus will fluctuate with changes in applicable exchange rates, affecting our reported results and the comparability of our results of operations and cash flows between periods.
+Added: Further, strengthening of the U.S.
+Added: dollar against other currencies could make our products less competitive on the basis of price in markets outside the United States, and strengthening of currencies in Canada and China could have a negative impact on our sales of products produced in those places.
We may have difficulty managing the outsourcing arrangements being used for products and services.
2 unchanged sentences
Interruptions in our ability to obtain raw materials or other required products or services from our outside suppliers on a timely and cost-effective basis, especially if alternative suppliers cannot be immediately obtained, could disrupt our production and damage our financial results.
−Removed: Write-offs or write-downs of assets would result in a decrease in our earnings and shareholders’
+Added: Write-offs or write-downs of assets would result in a decrease in our earnings and shareholders’ equity.
The company has assets, primarily consisting of property, plant and equipment, right of use assets, inventory, and intangible assets, that may be subject to write-offs or write-downs.
6 unchanged sentences
Any of such future actions could result in charges that could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations, and there is no assurance that future write-downs of fixed assets or other intangible assets will not occur if business conditions were to deteriorate.
−Removed: As a result of inventory impairment assessments conducted during fiscal 2023, we incurred non-cash inventory charges totaling $5.8 million, which represents a $2.9 million impairment charge associated with our mattress fabrics segment;
+Added: As a result of inventory assessments, we incurred non-cash inventory charges during fiscal years 2024, 2023, and 2022 totaling $40,000, $5.8 million, and $1.9 million, respectively.
+Added: The $40,000 charge incurred during fiscal 2024 is related to markdowns of inventory in the upholstery fabrics segment associated with the discontinuation of production of cut and sewn upholstery kits at the company's facility in Ouanaminthe, Haiti.
+Added: The $5.8 million charge incurred in fiscal 2023 represents a $2.9 million impairment charge associated with our mattress fabrics segment;
a total of $2.8 million related to markdowns of inventory in both segments that were estimated based on our policy for aged inventory;
and $98,000 for the loss on disposal and markdowns of inventory related to the exit of our cut and sewn upholstery fabrics operation located in Shanghai, China.
−Removed: We incurred non-cash inventory charges of $1.9 million and $882,000 during fiscal 2022 and 2021, respectively, which represent markdowns of inventory in both segments that were based on our policy of aged inventory.
+Added: The $1.9 million charge in fiscal 2022 represents inventory markdowns in both segments that were based on our policy of aged inventory.
See Notes 4, 6, and 8 of the consolidated financial statements for further details of our assessments of impairment, conclusions reached, and the performance of our quantitative tests.
+Added: As part of the Fiscal 2025 restructuring, we expect to incur a non-cash charge of approximately $2.1 million associated with write-downs and other inventory related adjustments;
+Added: a non-cash charge of approximately $650,000 associated with accelerated rent
+Added: amortization for a leased building in Haiti;
+Added: and a non-cash charge of approximately $2.3 million associated with accelerated depreciation and losses on the sale of equipment.
+Added: Actual write-downs and non-cash charges may exceed these amounts.
Write-offs and write-downs of our assets, including inventory, result in an immediate charge to our earnings, and can have a material adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition.
6 unchanged sentences
Increases in prices for oil, petrochemical products or other raw materials and services provided by outside suppliers can significantly increase our costs and negatively affect our profit margins and earnings.
−Removed: During fiscal 2021, our raw material costs were mostly flat or slightly lower during the first three quarters of the year, but prices began to escalate during the fourth quarter primarily due to rising oil prices, a higher demand environment, and labor shortages.
−Removed: These pressures continued during fiscal 2022, with further increases in raw material costs, particularly during the second half of the year, due to the continued rise in oil prices and a higher demand environment.
−Removed: During fiscal 2023, the cost of raw materials began to decline during the first half of the year due to lower oil prices and slowing global demand, but the higher costs and lower availability of labor remained challenging throughout the year.
−Removed: Raw material costs were relatively stable during the second half of fiscal 2023.
−Removed: However, the pressures that affect raw material costs may drive additional increases in raw material prices in the future.
+Added: Rising oil prices, a higher demand environment, and labor shortages during fiscal 2022 caused raw material prices to increase, particularly during the second half of the year.
+Added: During fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2024, the cost of raw materials declined due to lower oil prices and slowing global demand, but the higher costs and lower availability of labor remained challenging in both years.
+Added: While the cost of raw materials and labor costs were relatively stable during fiscal 2024, the factors listed above, among other factors, may drive future increases in raw material prices, which may harm our results of operation.
Increases in energy costs increase our operating costs and could adversely affect earnings.
6 unchanged sentences
We currently have several customers that account for a substantial portion of our sales.
−Removed: In the mattress fabrics segment, several large bedding manufacturers have large market shares and comprise a significant portion of our mattress fabric sales.
−Removed: Although no mattress fabrics customers accounted for more than 10% of our consolidated net sales in fiscal 2023, in many recent years we have had one or more customers who did.
+Added: In the mattress fabrics segment, several large bedding manufacturers have large market shares and comprise a significant portion of our mattress fabric sales, with Serta Simmons Holdings, LLC and its subcontractors accounting for approximately 13% of consolidated net sales in fiscal 2024.
In the upholstery fabrics segment, La-Z-Boy Incorporated accounted for approximately 12% of consolidated net sales during fiscal 2024, and several other large furniture manufacturers comprised a significant portion of sales.
A business failure or other significant financial difficulty by one or more of our major customers, or the loss of one or more of these customers, could cause a significant loss in sales, an adverse effect on our earnings, and difficulty in collection of our trade accounts receivable.
−Removed: For example, on June 25, 2022, a major customer and its affiliates associated with our mattress fabrics segment announced that they filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S.
−Removed: Bankruptcy Code, and on January 23, 2023, another major customer and its affiliates associated with our mattress fabrics segment filed pre-planned voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S.
+Added: For example, in recent years, two of our major customers associated with our mattress fabrics segment filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S.
Bankruptcy Code.
Although we did not record any credit losses and have received payment in full regarding all outstanding accounts receivable with respect to each of these customers, a business failure or loss of either such customer and its affiliates, or a business failure or loss of one or more other major customers, could cause a decrease in our sales and an adverse effect on our earnings.
−Removed: Additionally, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, some customers experienced cash flow challenges and requested extended payment terms.
−Removed: During fiscal 2021, our customers returned to making payments based on normal credit terms, as opposed to the extended terms granted during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020.
−Removed: However, if the negative economic impact of COVID-19 reemerges, or if another pandemic, recession or other major unexpected economic event occurs, we may not be able to collect amounts owed to us or such payment may only occur after significant delay.
+Added: Unforeseen events may adversely affect our customers, causing them to delay, or cease, payments to us.
+Added: For example, during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, some customers experienced cash flow challenges and requested extended payment terms.
While we perform credit evaluations of our customers, those evaluations may not prevent uncollectible trade accounts receivable.
11 unchanged sentences
Data privacy breaches by employees and others with or without authorized access to our systems poses risks that sensitive data may be permanently lost or leaked to the public or other unauthorized persons.
−Removed: With the growing use and rapid evolution of technology, including internet selling, cloud-based computing and mobile devices, there are additional risks of unintentional data leaks.
+Added: With the growing use and rapid evolution of technology, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, cloud-based computing and mobile devices, there are additional risks of unintentional data leaks.
There is also the risk of our exposure to theft of confidential information, intentional vandalism, industrial espionage, and a variety of cyber-attacks, including phishing attempts, covertly introducing malware to our computers and networks (or the computers and networks of our third-party providers), and impersonating authorized users, among other types of cyber-attacks, that could compromise our internal technology system, infrastructure, or result in data leakage in-house or at our third-party providers and business partners.
+Added: Moreover, we may face increased exposure to these threats as a result of allowing certain of our employees to work remotely from time-to-time.
Attempts to gain unauthorized access to our information technology systems have become increasingly more sophisticated over time, and while we seek to detect and investigate all security incidents and to prevent their recurrence, in some cases we might be unaware of an incident or its magnitude and effect.
1 unchanged sentence
Additionally, the devotion of additional resources to the security of our information technology systems in the future could significantly increase our operating costs or otherwise adversely affect our financial results.
−Removed: We continue to balance the risk of an electronic security breach resulting in the unauthorized release of confidential information with the cost to protect us against such a breach, and we have taken steps to ensure that losses arising from a breach would be covered in part by insurance that we carry, although the costs, potential monetary damages, and operational consequences of responding to cyber incidents and implementing remediation measures may be in excess of our insurance coverage or not covered at all by our insurance, and could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial results to the extent losses are uninsured or exceed insurance recoveries and to the extent that such disruptions adversely impact our relationships with our customers or our business reputation.
−Removed: We have been a target of cybersecurity
−Removed: attacks in the past, and while such attacks have not resulted in a material impact on our operations, business, customer relationships, or reputation, such attacks could in the future.
−Removed: In addition, we permit certain employees to work from home from time to time.
−Removed: Although we continue to implement strong physical and cybersecurity measures to ensure that our business operations remain functional and to ensure uninterrupted service to our customers, our systems and our operations remain vulnerable to cyberattacks and other disruptions due to the fact that employees may be working remotely, and we cannot be certain that our mitigation efforts will be effective.
+Added: We continue to balance the risk of an electronic security breach resulting in the unauthorized release of confidential information with the cost to protect us against such a breach, and we have taken steps to obtain insurance coverage for potential losses arising from a breach, although the costs, potential monetary damages, and operational consequences of responding to cyber incidents and implementing remediation measures may be in excess of our insurance coverage or not covered at all by our insurance.
+Added: Losses in excess of our insurance coverage or outside the scope of our coverage could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial results.
+Added: In addition to direct financial losses, cybersecurity incidents may adversely impact our relationships with our customers or our business reputation, which may cause long term damage to our business.
+Added: We have been a target of cybersecurity attacks in the past, and while such attacks have not resulted in a material impact on our operations, business, customer relationships, or reputation, we can provide no assurance that cybersecurity attacks or other cybersecurity related incidents will not have a material adverse impact on our business in the future.
+Added: Actions of activist shareholders could be disruptive and potentially costly and the possibility that activist shareholders may seek changes that conflict with our strategic direction could cause uncertainty about the strategic direction of our business.
+Added: In July 2024, we entered into an agreement with an activist investor, 22NW, LP, and various of its affiliates (collectively, “22NW”) that had filed a Schedule 13D with the SEC with respect to us, where we agreed to appoint a representative of 22NW to our board of directors and nominate that representative for election at our 2024 annual meeting in return for certain customary confidentiality and standstill provisions.
+Added: 22NW remains a greater than 5% owner of Culp stock.
+Added: Activist investors may attempt to effect changes in our strategic direction and how we are governed, or to acquire control over us.
+Added: Some investors seek to increase short-term shareholder value by advocating corporate actions, such as financial restructuring, increased borrowing, special dividends, stock repurchases, or even sales of assets or the entire company.
+Added: While we welcome varying opinions from all shareholders, activist campaigns that contest or conflict with our strategic direction could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition, as responding to proxy contests and other actions by activist shareholders can disrupt our operations, be costly and time-consuming, and divert the attention of our board of directors and senior management from the pursuit of business strategies.
+Added: In addition, perceived uncertainties as to our future direction as a result of changes to the composition of our board may lead to the perception of a change in the direction of the business, instability or lack of continuity, which may be exploited by our competitors, may cause concern to our current or potential customers, may result in the loss of potential business opportunities and may make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified personnel and business partners.
+Added: These types of actions could cause significant fluctuations in our stock price based on temporary or speculative market perceptions or other factors that do not necessarily reflect the underlying fundamentals and prospects of our business.
We may not be able to recruit and retain key employees and skilled workers in a competitive labor market.
3 unchanged sentences
Losing the services of one or more key members of our management team or other key personnel could adversely affect our operations.
−Removed: COVID-19 may also increase the risk that certain senior management executives or a member of the board of directors could become ill, causing them to be incapacitated or otherwise unable to perform their duties for an extended absence.
−Removed: Furthermore, because of the nature of the disease, multiple people working in proximity could also become ill simultaneously, which could result in the same department having extended absences.
−Removed: This could negatively affect the efficiency and effectiveness of processes and internal controls throughout the company.
Our intellectual property rights may not prevent others from using our copyrights or trademarks in connection with the sale of competitive products.
24 unchanged sentences
Our available cash, cash equivalents, and cash flow from operations have been adequate to finance our operations and capital requirements in recent years.
−Removed: However, if we experience a sustained decline in
−Removed: revenue, there may be periods in which we may require additional external funding to support our operations.
+Added: However, if we experience a sustained decline in revenue, there may be periods in which we may require additional external funding to support our operations.
Also, market interest rates have increased significantly since the beginning of fiscal 2023.
If we have a need to incur debt under our credit facilities, the cost of borrowing could increase substantially over debt costs that we have previously incurred.
−Removed: As of April 30, 2023, we had approximately $32.6 million in combined total borrowing availability under our domestic credit facility and our China credit facility.
−Removed: In January of 2023, we entered into a Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement with respect to our domestic credit facility, which provides for a revolving credit facility up to a maximum principal amount of $35.0 million, secured by a lien on the company's assets.
+Added: As of April 28, 2024, we had approximately $32.5 million in combined total borrowing availability under our domestic credit facility and our China credit line.
+Added: In January 2023, we entered into a Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement with respect to our domestic credit facility, which provides for a revolving credit facility up to a maximum principal amount of $35.0 million, secured by a lien on the company's assets.
The amount available under this facility is limited by a borrowing base consisting of certain eligible accounts receivable and inventory of the company.
1 unchanged sentence
In addition, in the event we draw on any of our credit facilities, outstanding amounts may become immediately due and payable upon certain events of default, including a failure to comply with the financial covenants or certain other affirmative and negative covenants in the credit agreements.
−Removed: If we are unable to access additional credit at the levels we require, or the cost of credit is greater than expected, it could adversely affect our operating results or financial condition.
+Added: If we are unable to
+Added: access additional credit at the levels we require, or the cost of credit is greater than expected, it could adversely affect our operating results or financial condition.
Legal and Regulatory Risks
10 unchanged sentences
Also, rules and restrictions regarding the importation of fabrics and other materials, including custom duties, tariffs, import restrictions (including, without limitation, the recent enactment of the UFLPA), quotas, banned substances, and other regulations, are continually changing.
−Removed: Environmental laws, labor laws, tax laws and regulations (including, without limitation, the Global Intangible Low Taxed Income (“GILTI”) tax provisions), data privacy laws, and other regulations continually affect our business.
+Added: Environmental laws, labor laws, tax laws and regulations (including, without limitation, the Global Intangible Low Taxed Income (“GILTI”) tax provisions), data privacy laws, and other regulations continually affect our business.
These rules and regulations can and do change from time to time, which can increase our costs and our taxes, or can require us to make changes in our manufacturing processes, product mix, sources of products and raw materials, or distribution.
1 unchanged sentence
UNRESOLVE D STAFF COMMENTS
+Added: CYBERSECURITY
+Added: Our Board of Directors (the “Board”) recognizes the importance of cybersecurity and safeguarding our information systems and data assets.
+Added: It is imperative that we maintain the trust and confidence of our customers, business partners and employees.
+Added: Protecting our data and the data of our customers, business partners and employees is critical to maintaining that trust.
+Added: As such, the Board is actively involved in overseeing our cybersecurity risk management program.
+Added: Risk Management and Strategy
+Added: We manage cybersecurity risks as part of our broader enterprise risk management framework, which allows us to leverage existing, robust processes for assessing the effectiveness and coverage of our controls.
+Added: Our cybersecurity policies, standards, processes and practices are based on recognized frameworks established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the International Organization for Standardization and other applicable industry standards.
+Added: We seek to address cybersecurity risks through a comprehensive, cross-functional approach that is focused on preserving the confidentiality, security, and availability of the information we collect and store, including information regarding our customers, suppliers and employees.
+Added: As part of our enterprise risk management program, we actively work to identify, prevent, and mitigate cybersecurity threats, and take steps to be prepared to effectively respond to cybersecurity incidents when they occur.
+Added: Our approach includes using select third-party resources, including external cybersecurity consultants, auditors, and technologies, along with our internal staff, to
+Added: benchmark, measure, and improve our cybersecurity risk management systems and processes, and ensure alignment with industry best practices.
+Added: We have established a robust cybersecurity governance framework to manage and mitigate risk.
+Added: Our approach includes:
+Added: • Security Operations Program - a security operations program to bolster real-time cybersecurity incident detection and response capabilities;
+Added: • Third-Party Risk Management – regular evaluation and monitoring of our network of external partners, vendors, suppliers and service providers, which includes monitoring of third parties, securing vendor remote access, and implementation of protections against cyber threats that may arise through business-to-business system integrations;
+Added: • Security Control Framework - a security control framework that aligns with industry accepted best practices and prioritizes implementation of critical cybersecurity controls;
+Added: • Incident Response Plan - a cybersecurity incident response plan, designed to effectively address cybersecurity incidents while promoting cross-functional coordination across the organization;
+Added: • Assessments – annual cybersecurity assessments, administered by a third-party specialist, which focus on identifying and remediating vulnerabilities that present the most significant organizational risks;
+Added: • Training - security awareness training for all salaried personnel that highlights critical organizational risks through monthly phishing simulation campaigns, “lunch and learns,” and annual cybersecurity learning modules;
+Added: • Insurance - cybersecurity insurance policies and periodic reviews of our policies and coverage levels;
+Added: • Monitoring Legal/Regulatory Developments - review of emerging data protection, data privacy, and other relevant cybersecurity laws and regulations to determine appropriate changes to cybersecurity controls and processes.
+Added: Through the aforementioned processes, we did not identify risks from current or past cybersecurity threats or cybersecurity incidents that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition.
+Added: However, we face ongoing risks from certain cybersecurity threats that, if realized, are reasonably likely to materially affect business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition.
+Added: See “Risk Factors—Increasing dependence on information technology systems comes with specific risks, including cybersecurity breaches and data leaks, which could have an adverse effect on our business.”
+Added: Our Board of Directors has delegated to its Audit Committee primary responsibility for overseeing our management of risks arising from cybersecurity threats.
+Added: The Audit Committee receives quarterly presentations on our cybersecurity program, including regular presentations regarding our cybersecurity risks;
+Added: our efforts to address evolving standards;
+Added: vulnerability assessments, including results of third-party penetration testing;
+Added: and external audits of our cybersecurity IT controls.
+Added: Management and the Board also receive prompt and timely information regarding any significant or potentially significant cybersecurity incident and our remediation efforts.
+Added: Our Vice President of Information Technology and our Director of Technical Infrastructure, in coordination with management, work to implement our program to protect the Company’s information systems from cybersecurity threats.
+Added: These individuals work to promptly evaluate and address any cybersecurity incidents, and work with management to assess the impact and any necessary remediation efforts following a cybersecurity incident.
+Added: In addition, the Vice President of Information Technology provides updates to the Audit Committee and the Board on a regular basis and as needed in response to specific incidents.
+Added: To facilitate the success of our cybersecurity risk management program, we have assigned our Director of Technical Infrastructure and his team to monitor the prevention, detection, mitigation and remediation of cybersecurity threats and incidents in real time and provide reports to management.
+Added: Our Vice President of Information Technology and Director of Technical Infrastructure have a combined 65 years of experience designing, implementing, and supporting information technology systems with a security-first mindset.
+Added: In particular, prior to joining Culp, our Director of Technical Infrastructure gained experience leading cybersecurity teams at a managed security service provider, where he provided cybersecurity support to outside organizations.
As of the end of fiscal 2024 (April 28, 2024), we leased our corporate headquarters and a design and innovation campus located in High Point, North Carolina.
28 unchanged sentences
Shanghai, China
−Removed: Manufacturing, warehouse, offices
+Added: Manufacturing, warehouse and offices
Shanghai, China
−Removed: Manufacturing, warehouse, offices
+Added: Warehouse and offices
Shanghai, China
3 unchanged sentences
(2) These lease agreements have an unspecified number of renewal options available, and the year listed above is the expiration of the current lease term.
−Removed: (3) Of this 80,000 square feet, approximately 40,000 square feet of this facility is currently being utilized by our upholstery fabrics segment to produce cut and sewn kits as part of our Haiti rationalization strategy that included the relocation our upholstery fabrics operation to our mattress fabrics facilities and the termination of a separately leased upholstery fabrics facility in Ouanaminthe, Haiti.
−Removed: (4) Of this 40,000 square feet, approximately 15,000 square feet of this facility is currently being utilized by our upholstery fabrics segment to produce cut and sewn kits as part of our Haiti rationalization strategy that included the relocation of our upholstery fabrics operation to our mattress fabrics facilities and the termination of a separately leased upholstery fabrics facility in Ouanaminthe, Haiti.
+Added: (3) As a result of the Fiscal 2025 restructuring, the company expects to reduce the square footage at this facility from 36,643 to approximately 19,000 by consolidating its corporate headquarters and executive offices into existing space within the design and innovation campus also located in High Point, North Carolina.
+Added: (4) As announced on May 1, 2024, the company's board of directors made the decision to consolidate the company's North American mattress fabrics operations including a gradual discontinuation of operations and the sale of the company's manufacturing facility located in Quebec, Canada, and to exit the leased warehouse facility also located in Quebec, Canada.
+Added: See Note 8 to the consolidated statements for additional details regarding our restructuring activities.
+Added: (5) As a result of the Fiscal 2025 restructuring, the company made the decision to consolidate this 40,000 square foot facility into the already existing 80,000 square foot facility also located in Ouanaminthe, Haiti.
+Added: See Note 8 to the consolidated statements for additional details regarding our restructuring activities.
+Added: (6) As a part of the company's plan to restructure its upholstery fabrics finishing operation in Shanghai, China, it does not expect to renew the lease for this facility beyond the expiration of the current lease term ending December 31, 2024.
We believe that our facilities are in good condition, well-maintained, suitable, and adequate for present utilization.
1 unchanged sentence
This ability to source upholstery fabric is part of our long-term strategy to have a low-cost platform that is scalable, but not capital intensive.
−Removed: In the mattress fabrics segment, we believe we have sufficient capacity to meet current and expected demand trends.
+Added: In the mattress fabrics segment, we believe we have sufficient capacity to meet current
+Added: and expected demand trends.
We also have the ability to source additional mattress fabrics from outside suppliers to further increase our ultimate output of finished goods.
4 unchanged sentences
Compared sentence by sentence after normalising whitespace, quotation marks, case and digits, so re-formatting and restated figures do not read as changed language. Wording changes appear as one removal and one addition. The current filing and the prior one are authoritative.