Item 1. Business
Item 1. Business
General
Flexsteel Industries, Inc., and Subsidiaries (the “Company”) is one of the largest manufacturers, importers and online marketers of residential furniture and products in the United States. Product offerings include a wide variety of furniture such as sofas, loveseats, chairs, reclining and rocker-reclining chairs, swivel rockers, sofa beds, convertible bedding units, occasional tables, desks, dining tables and chairs and bedroom furniture. A featured component in most of the upholstered furniture is a unique steel drop-in seat spring from which the name “Flexsteel” is derived. The Company distributes its products throughout the United States through its e-commerce channel and dealer network.
The Company operates in one reportable segment, furniture products. The Company’s furniture products business involves the distribution of manufactured and imported products consisting of a broad line of furniture for residential and contract markets. Set forth below is information for the past three fiscal years showing the Company’s net sales attributable to each of the areas of application:
For the years ended June 30,
(in thousands)
2021
2020
2019
Residential
$
476,519
$
331,879
$
374,473
Contract
2,406
35,047
69,115
$
478,925
$
366,926
$
443,588
In fiscal 2020, the Company substantially completed its exit from the Commercial Office and custom design Hospitality product lines which served contract markets. During fiscal 2021, the Company substantially completed its restructuring activities related to the exit of its Vehicle Seating and the remainder of its Hospitality product lines, which also served contract markets.
Manufacturing and Offshore Sourcing
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, the Company operated manufacturing facilities located in Georgia and Juarez, Mexico. These on-going manufacturing operations are integral to the Company’s product offerings and distribution strategy by offering smaller and more frequent product runs of a wider product selection. The Company identifies and eliminates manufacturing inefficiencies and adjusts manufacturing schedules on a daily basis to meet customer requirements. The Company has established relationships with key suppliers to ensure prompt delivery of quality component parts. The Company’s production includes the use of selected component parts sourced offshore to enhance value in the marketplace.
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The Company integrates manufactured products with finished products acquired from offshore suppliers who can meet quality specifications and scheduling requirements. The Company will continue to pursue and refine this blended strategy, offering customers manufactured goods, products manufactured utilizing imported component parts, and ready-to-deliver imported products. This blended focus on products allows the Company to provide a wide range of price points, styles and product categories to satisfy customer requirements.
Competition
The furniture industry is highly competitive and includes a large number of U.S. and foreign manufacturers and distributors, none of which dominates the market. The Company competes in markets with a large number of relatively small manufacturers; however, certain competitors have substantially greater sales volumes than the Company. The Company’s products compete based on style, quality, price, delivery, service and durability. The Company believes its patented, guaranteed-for-life Blue Steel Spring, manufacturing and sourcing capabilities, facility locations, commitment to customers, product quality, delivery, service, value and experienced production, sales, marketing and management teams, are some of its competitive advantages.
Seasonality
The Company’s business is not considered seasonal.
Foreign Operations
The Company has minimal export sales. On June 30, 2021, the Company had approximately 41 employees located in Asia to ensure Flexsteel’s quality standards are met and to coordinate the delivery of purchased products. The Company leases and operates three manufacturing facilities in Juarez, Mexico utilizing contracted labor. The three Juarez facilities totaled 553,000 square feet.
Customer Backlog
The approximate backlog of customer orders believed to be firm as of the end of the current fiscal year and the prior two fiscal years were as follows (in thousands):
June 30, 2021
June 30, 2020
June 30, 2019
$
155,325
$
46,900
$
47,400
Raw Materials
The Company utilizes various types of wood, fabric, leather, filling material, high carbon spring steel, bar and wire stock, polyurethane foam and other raw materials in manufacturing furniture. While the Company purchases these materials from numerous outside suppliers, both U.S. and foreign, it is not dependent upon any single source of supply. The costs of certain raw materials fluctuate, but all continue to be readily available with the exception of polyurethane foam which experienced a shortage in February 2021 due to the deep freeze in Louisiana and Texas where most of the key chemical inputs for polyurethane foam are produced. As of June 30, 2021, the availability of polyurethane foam was still constrained.
Industry Factors
The Company has exposure to actions by governments, including tariffs, see “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Government Regulations
The Company is subject to various local, state, and federal laws, regulations and agencies that affect businesses generally, see “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our compliance with federal, state and local laws and regulations did not have a material effect upon our capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021.
Environmental Matters
All of Flexsteel’s stakeholders have a responsibility to protect our employees and our environment. The officers of Flexsteel and its subsidiaries will use our role as business and community leaders to set the tone at the top to guide our management teams in their efforts to improve the workplace and the environment we directly impact. Because we are committed to sustainable business practices, to our people, and to our communities, we will continue to grow and expand the scope of our dedications to the stewardship of our valued
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resources. The Company is subject to environmental laws and regulations with respect to product content and industrial waste. Further discussion is included in “Risk Factors” in Item 1A and “Legal Proceedings” in Item 3 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Trademarks and Patents
The Company owns the United States improvement patents to its Flexsteel guaranteed-for-life Blue Steel Spring – the all-riveted, high-carbon, steel-banded seating platform that gives upholstered and leather furniture the strength and comfort to last a lifetime, as well as patents on convertible beds. The Company has patents and owns certain trademarks in connection with its furniture products which are due to expire on dates ranging from 2021-2036.
It is not common in the furniture industry to obtain a patent for a furniture design. If a particular design of a furniture manufacturer is well accepted in the marketplace, it is common for other manufacturers to imitate the same design without recourse by the furniture manufacturer who initially introduced the design. Furniture products are designed by the Company’s own design staff and through the services of third-party designers. New models and designs of furniture, as well as new fabrics, are introduced continuously.
Employees
The Company had 665 employees as of June 30, 2021, including 8 employees who are covered by collective bargaining agreements. Management believes it has good relations with employees. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have implemented various measures to protect the physical health, mental health, and productivity of our workforce. These measures include, but are not limited to, enhanced cleaning and sanitizing within our facilities, and face covering requirements. In addition, we have adopted new policies and procedures for our employees and have taken steps within our workplaces to promote social distancing.
Available Information
Copies of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, are available free of charge on our website (www.flexsteel.com) as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file the material with or furnish it to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Additionally, the SEC maintains an internet site (www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. Information on our website or linked to our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report.