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| WSII > SEC Filings for WSII > Form 10-K on 26-Feb-2009 | All Recent SEC Filings |
26-Feb-2009
Annual Report
The following discussion is based on, and should be read in conjunction with Item 6. "Selected Financial Data" and our Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto contained elsewhere in this annual report.
Overview
We are a multi-regional, integrated solid waste services company, providing collection, transfer, landfill disposal and recycling services for commercial, industrial and residential customers in the United States and Canada. Our U.S. operations are located in Florida and our Canadian operations are located in Eastern Canada (Ontario) and Western Canada (Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia). We divested our Jacksonville, Florida operations in March 2008, our Texas operations in June 2007 and our Arizona operations in March 2007 and as a result, these operations are presented as discontinued for all periods presented.
Sources of Revenue
Our revenue consists primarily of fees charged to customers for solid waste collection, landfill disposal, transfer and recycling services.
We derive our collection revenue from services provided to commercial, industrial and residential customers. Collection services are generally performed under service agreements or pursuant to contracts with municipalities. We recognize revenue when services are rendered. Amounts billed to customers prior to providing the related services are reflected as deferred revenue and reported as revenue in the periods in which the services are rendered.
We provide collection services for commercial and industrial customers generally under one to five year service agreements. We determine the fees we charge our customers based on a variety of factors, including collection frequency, level of service, route density, the type, volume and weight of the waste collected, type of equipment and containers furnished, the distance to the disposal or processing facility, the cost of disposal or processing and prices charged by competitors for similar services. Our contracts with commercial and industrial customers typically allow us to pass on increased costs resulting from variable items such as disposal and fuel costs and surcharges. Our ability to pass on cost increases is however, sometimes limited by the terms of our contracts.
We provide residential waste collection services through a variety of contractual arrangements, including contracts with municipalities, owners and operators of large residential complexes, mobile home parks and homeowner associations or through subscription arrangements with individual homeowners. Our contracts with municipalities are typically for a term of three to ten years and contain a formula, generally based on a predetermined published price index, for adjustments to fees to cover increases in some, but not all, of our operating costs. Certain of our contracts with municipalities contain renewal provisions. The fees we charge for residential solid waste collection services provided on a subscription basis are based primarily on route density, the
frequency and level of service, the distance to the disposal or processing facility, the cost of disposal or processing and prices we charge in the market for similar services.
We charge our landfill and transfer station customers a tipping fee on a per ton or per cubic yard basis for disposing of their solid waste at our transfer stations and landfills. We generally base our landfill tipping fees on market factors and the type and weight of, or volume of the waste deposited. We generally base our transfer station tipping fees on market factors and the cost of processing the waste deposited at the transfer station, the cost of transporting the waste to a disposal facility and the cost of disposal.
Material recovery facilities generate revenue from the sale of recyclable commodities. In an effort to reduce our exposure to commodity price fluctuations on recycled materials, where competitive pressures permit, we charge collection or processing fees for recycling volume collected from our customers. However, sustained declines in the price of recycled commodities, including but not limited to, aluminum, used corrugated cardboard or news print would lower our revenue from such commodities and adversely affect our margins and profitability.
Expense Structure
Our cost of operations primarily includes tipping fees and related disposal costs, labor and related benefit costs, equipment maintenance, fuel, vehicle, liability and workers' compensation insurance and landfill capping, closure and post-closure costs. Our strategy is to create vertically integrated operations where possible, using transfer stations to link collection operations with our landfills to increase internalization of our waste volume. Internalization lowers our disposal costs by allowing us to eliminate tipping fees otherwise paid to third party landfill or transfer station operators. We believe that internalization provides us with a competitive advantage by allowing us to be a low cost provider in our markets. We expect that our internalization will gradually increase over time as we develop our network of transfer stations and maximize delivery of collection volumes to our landfill sites.
In markets where we do not have our own landfills, we seek to secure disposal arrangements with municipalities or private owners of landfills or transfer stations. In these markets, our ability to maintain competitive prices for our collection services is generally dependent upon our ability to secure competitive disposal pricing. If owners of third party disposal sites discontinue our arrangements, we would have to seek alternative disposal sites which could impact our profitability and cash flow. In addition, if third party disposal sites increase their tipping fees and we are unable to pass these increases on to our collection customers, our profitability and cash flow would be negatively impacted.
We believe that the age and condition of our vehicle fleet has a significant impact on operating costs, including, but not limited to, repairs and maintenance, insurance and driver training and retention costs. Through capital investment, we seek to maintain an average fleet age of approximately six to seven years. We believe that this enables us to best control our repair and maintenance costs, safety and insurance costs and employee turnover related costs.
Selling, general and administrative expenses include managerial costs, information systems, sales force, administrative expenses and professional fees.
Depreciation, depletion and amortization includes depreciation of fixed assets over their estimated useful lives using the straight-line method, depletion of landfill costs, including capping, closure and post-closure obligations using the units-of-consumption method, and amortization of intangible assets including customer relationships and contracts and covenants not-to-compete, which are amortized over the expected life of the benefit to be received from such intangibles.
Prior to our adoption of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards ("SFAS") No. 141 (revised 2007), "Business Combinations" ("SFAS 141(R)") on January 1, 2009, we capitalized certain third-party costs related to pending acquisitions. These costs remained deferred until we either ceased to be engaged on a regular and ongoing basis with the proposed acquisition, at which point they were expensed, or the target was acquired and these costs were capitalized as part of the cost of the acquired business. We expense indirect and internal costs including executive salaries, overhead and travel costs related to acquisitions as they are incurred. Following our adoption of SFAS 141(R) on January 1, 2009, we will expense all transaction related costs associated with future business
acquisitions. As of December 31, 2008 we had no deferred acquisition costs related to any in-process business combinations.
Recent Developments
Refinancing of Credit Facilities
On October 8, 2008, we refinanced our Senior Secured Credit Facilities with new Senior Secured Credit Facilities (the "Credit Facilities") with a consortium of new lenders. The Credit Facilities provide for a revolving credit facility of $124.8 million, which is available to either Waste Services, Inc. and our U.S. operations or our Canadian operations, in U.S. or Canadian dollars, and C$16.3 million, which is available to our Canadian operations. The new Credit Facilities also provide for term loans of $39.9 million to Waste Services, Inc. and C$132.2 million to Waste Services (CA) Inc. The revolver commitments terminate on October 8, 2013 and the term loans mature in specified quarterly installments through October 8, 2013. The Credit Facilities are available to us as base rate loans, Eurodollar loans or Bankers Acceptance loans, plus an applicable margin, as defined, at our option in the respective lending jurisdiction. The Credit Facilities are secured by all of our assets, including those of our domestic and foreign subsidiaries, and are guaranteed by all of our domestic and foreign subsidiaries.
Simultaneously with entering into our new Credit Facilities in October 2008, certain amendments to the governing Indenture to the Senior Subordinated Notes became operative. These amendments enabled our Canadian subsidiaries, upon becoming guarantors of the Senior Subordinated Notes, to incur indebtedness to the same extent as other guarantors of the notes and allowed for the refinancing of our Senior Secured Credit Facilities. Following the amendments to the Indenture, our obligations with respect to the Senior Subordinated Notes, including principal, interest, premium, if any, and liquidated damages, if any, are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on an unsecured, senior subordinated basis by all of our existing and future domestic and foreign restricted subsidiaries.
Acquisitions and Dispositions
In December 2008, we acquired RIP, Inc., the owner of a construction and demolition waste landfill in Citrus Country, Florida (the "RIP Landfill"), for an aggregate purchase price of $7.7 million. Should the site be permitted as a Class I landfill, Class III landfill or as a transfer station, the sellers are entitled to future royalties at varied rates per ton based on the volume and type of waste deposited at the site.
In December 2008, we acquired the assets of Commercial Clean-up Enterprises, Inc. ("Commercial Clean-up"), a construction and demolition hauling operation in Fort Myers, Florida, for a total purchase price of $6.1 million, of which $1.6 million is deferred and payable as we collect waste volumes from our pre-existing waste streams within the counties of Charlotte, Lee and Collier, Florida. We plan to internalize the waste volumes associated with this acquisition to our SLD Landfill in southwest Florida.
In March 2008, we sold our hauling and material recovery operations and a construction and demolition landfill site in the Jacksonville, Florida market to an independent third party. The proceeds from this sale approximated $56.7 million of cash, including working capital. At the time of close, we were actively pursuing an expansion at the landfill. If the construction and demolition landfill site did not obtain certain permits relating to an expansion, we would have been required to refund $10.0 million of the purchase price and receive title to the expansion property. Accordingly, at the time of closing we deferred this portion of the proceeds, net of our $3.0 million cost basis. During December 2008, the permits relating to the expansion were secured and the deferred gain was recognized. Simultaneously with the closing of the sale transaction we entered into an operating lease with the buyer for certain land and buildings used in the Jacksonville, Florida operations, for a term of five years at $0.5 million per year. Commencing in April 2009, the lessee has the option to purchase the leased assets for a purchase price of $6.0 million. We expect the lessee to exercise their option to purchase the property. Also at the time of close, we utilized $42.5 million of the proceeds to make a prepayment of the term loan under our Senior Secured Credit Facilities. Accordingly, we expensed approximately $0.5 million of unamortized debt issue costs relating to this retirement.
In June 2007, we completed transactions to acquire WCA Waste Corporation's ("WCA") hauling and transfer station operations near Fort Myers, Florida and to sell our Texas operations to WCA. The transfer station is
permitted to accept construction and demolition waste volume, and we are internalizing this additional volume to our SLD Landfill in southwest Florida. The estimated fair value of the WCA assets approximated $18.4 million. Additionally, as part of the transaction with WCA we received $23.7 million in cash and issued a $10.5 million non-interest bearing promissory note with payments of $125,000 per month until June 2014. The net present value of the note at the time of closing was approximately $8.1 million.
Prior to the WCA transaction, we had significant operations in the construction and demolition market in Fort Myers. We believed that by acquiring WCA's Southwest Florida operations, we could create greater long-term shareholder value by removing a market competitor, increasing our density and internalizing construction and demolition waste volume to our SLD Landfill in southwest Florida. Conversely, our Texas Class I landfill site required significant capital investment for cell construction and new equipment within the next two years. While both markets are extremely competitive, our lack of dedicated collection or hauling assets in Texas meant that in order to realize the full potential of the Texas marketplace earlier in the site life, we would need to acquire additional hauling company assets rather than building them organically over time. Hence we believed that the WCA assets, which were immediately integrated into existing operations, would yield higher future returns than those of the developing Texas market.
In April 2007, we completed the acquisition of a roll-off collection and transfer operation, a transfer station development project and a landfill development project in southwest Florida operated by USA Recycling Holdings, LLC, USA Recycling, LLC and Freedom Recycling Holdings, LLC for a total purchase price of $51.2 million. The existing transfer station is permitted to accept construction and demolition waste volume, and we are internalizing this additional volume to our SLD Landfill in southwest Florida. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, $7.5 million is contingent upon the receipt of certain landfill operating permits, $2.5 million is contingent on the receipt of certain operating permits for the transfer station and $18.5 million is due and payable at the earlier of the receipt of all operating permits for the landfill site, or January, 2009, and delivery of title to the property. Through the third quarter of 2008, we had advanced $9.5 million towards the purchase of the landfill development project and incurred design and other third party costs relative to this project totaling $0.8 million. In the fourth quarter of 2008 we determined that the landfill development project was no longer economically viable, and as such we ceased pursuing any further investment in this project. Accordingly, we recognized a charge for the previous advances and capitalized costs of $10.3 million in December 2008. We will have no further obligation relative to the $18.5 million payment or the $7.5 million contingent fee associated with the obtaining of certain landfill operating permits.
In April 2007, we acquired a "tuck-in" hauling operation in Ontario, Canada for cash consideration of approximately C$1.5 million.
In March 2007, we completed transactions to acquire Allied Waste Industries, Inc's. ("Allied Waste") South Florida operations and to sell our Arizona operations to Allied Waste and paid $15.8 million including net working capital between the two operations and transaction costs.
We have presented the net assets and operations of our Jacksonville, Florida operations, Texas operations and Arizona operations as discontinued operations for all periods presented. Revenue from discontinued operations was $4.7 million, $37.1 million and $61.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively. Pre-tax net income from discontinued operations was $0.7 million, $2.8 million and $1.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006 respectively. The income tax provision for discontinued operations was $0.3 million, nil and $0.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively. The decrease in pre-tax net income from discontinued operations for 2008 compared to 2007 and 2006 relates primarily to the exclusion of our Jacksonville, Florida operations for all but the first two months of 2008. During 2008, we recognized a pre-tax gain on disposal of $18.4 million relative to the sale of the Jacksonville, Florida operations and an associated income tax provision of $7.3 million. During 2007, we recognized a loss on disposal of $12.4 million relative to the sale of our Texas operations and a gain on disposal of $0.8 million relative to the sale of our Arizona operations. No income tax provision or benefit has been attributed to the Texas or Arizona disposals. Included in the calculation of the gain on disposal for the Jacksonville, Florida operations and Arizona operations was $23.6 million and $21.0 million of goodwill, respectively. There was no goodwill allocable to our Texas operations.
Critical Accounting Estimates and Policies
General
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"). The preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis we evaluate our estimates, including those related to areas that require a significant level of judgment or are otherwise subject to an inherent degree of uncertainty. These areas include allowances for doubtful accounts, landfill airspace and depletion of landfill development costs, intangible and long-lived assets, closure and post-closure liabilities, insurance reserves, revenue recognition, income taxes, assumptions for share-based payments and commitments and contingencies. We base our estimates on historical experience, our observance of trends in particular areas and information or valuations and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances and which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that may not be readily apparent from other sources. Actual amounts could differ significantly from amounts previously estimated.
We believe that of our significant accounting policies (refer to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained elsewhere in this annual report), the following may involve a higher degree of judgment and complexity:
Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenue when services, such as providing collection services or accepting waste at our disposal facilities, are rendered. Amounts billed to customers prior to providing the related services are reflected as deferred revenue and reported as revenue in the period in which the services are rendered.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts based on expected collectability. We perform credit evaluations of our significant customers and establish an allowance for doubtful accounts based on the aging of our receivables, payment performance factors, historical trends and other information. In general, we reserve a portion of those receivables outstanding more than 90 days and 100% of those outstanding more than 120 days. We evaluate and revise our reserve on a monthly basis based on a review of specific accounts outstanding and our history of uncollectible accounts.
Business Acquisitions and Goodwill
We account for business acquisitions using the purchase method of accounting. As of January 1, 2009 we adopted the provisions of SFAS 141(R) and will account for acquisitions completed after December 31, 2008 in accordance with SFAS 141(R). SFAS 141(R) revises the manner in which companies account for business combinations and is described more fully elsewhere in this annual report. We determine the purchase price of an acquisition based on the fair value of the consideration given or the fair value of the net assets acquired, whichever is more clearly evident. The total purchase price of an acquisition is allocated to the underlying net assets based on their respective estimated fair values. As part of this allocation process, management must identify and attribute values and estimated lives to intangible assets acquired. Such determinations involve considerable judgment, and often involve the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including those with respect to future cash inflows and outflows, discount rates and asset lives. These determinations will affect the amount of amortization expense recognized in future periods. Assets acquired in a business combination that will be re-sold are valued at fair value less cost to sell. Results of operating these assets are recognized currently in the period in which those operations occur.
We account for goodwill in accordance with SFAS No. 142, "Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets" and annually test goodwill at December 31 for impairment using the two-step process. The first step is a screen for potential impairment, while the second step measures the amount of the impairment, if any. The first step of the goodwill impairment test compares the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill.
We have defined our reporting units to be consistent with our operating
segments: Eastern Canada, Western Canada and Florida. In determining fair value,
we primarily utilize discounted future cash flows. However, we may test the
results of fair value under discounted cash flows using (i) operating results
based on a comparative multiple of earnings or revenues; (ii) offers from
interested investors, if any; or (iii) appraisals. Additionally, there may be
instances where these alternative methods provide a more accurate measure or
indication of fair value. Significant estimates used in the fair value
calculation utilizing discounted future cash flows include, but are not limited
to: (i) estimates of future revenue and expense growth by reporting unit;
(ii) future estimated effective tax rates, which we estimate to range between
32% and 40%; (iii) future estimated capital expenditures as well as future
required investments in working capital; (iv) estimated discount rate, which we
estimate to range between 9% and 11%; (v) the ability to utilize certain
domestic tax attributes and (vi) the future terminal value of the reporting
unit, which is based on its ability to exist into perpetuity. Significant
estimates used in the fair value calculation utilizing market value multiples
include but are not limited to: (i) estimated future growth potential of the
reporting unit; (ii) estimated multiples of revenue or earnings a willing buyer
is likely to pay; and (iii) estimated control premium a willing buyer is likely
to pay.
In addition, we evaluate a reporting unit for impairment if events or circumstances change between annual tests, indicating a possible impairment. Examples of such events or circumstances include: (i) a significant adverse change in legal factors or in the business climate; (ii) an adverse action or assessment by a regulator; (iii) a more likely than not expectation that a reporting unit or a significant portion thereof will be sold; (iv) continued or sustained losses at a reporting unit; (v) a significant decline in our market capitalization as compared to our book value or (vi) the testing for recoverability under SFAS 144 of a significant asset group within the reporting unit.
In preparing our annual test for impairment as of December 31, 2008, we determined that the aggregate sum of our reporting unit fair values exceeded our market capitalization. We determined market capitalization as the fair value of our common shares outstanding using the twenty-day weighted average to December 31, 2008. We believe one of the primary reconciling differences between fair value and our market capitalization is due to a control premium. We believe the value of a control premium is the value a market participant could extract as savings and / or synergies by obtaining control, and thereby eliminating duplicative overhead costs and operating costs resulting from the consolidation of routes and internalization of additional waste streams. Additionally, we believe there are qualitative factors that externally influence our market capitalization. These items include, but are not limited to:
• The fact that, to a significant extent, our shares are held by insiders and affiliates, reducing market liquidity.
• The perception that one of our larger shareholders, due to circumstances unrelated to us, is liquidating their position putting pressure on the market price of our shares.
• As of December 31, 2008 our market capitalization has been below our book value only in the fourth and second quarter, for relatively short periods of time. We believe the fourth quarter is due to market conditions and the second quarter is due to the annual rebalancing of market indexes and funds at the end of June.
We will continue to monitor market trends in our business, the related expected cash flows and our calculation of market capitalization for purposes of identifying possible indicators of impairment. Should our book value per share continue to exceed our market share price or we have other indicators of impairment, as previously discussed, we will be required to perform an interim step one impairment analysis,which may lead to a step two analysis resulting in a goodwill impairment. Additionally, we would then be required to review our remaining long-lived assets for impairment.
Judgments regarding the existence of impairment indicators are based on legal factors, market conditions and operational performance of the acquired businesses. Future events could cause us to conclude that impairment indicators exist and that goodwill associated with the acquired businesses is impaired. Additionally, as the valuation of identifiable goodwill requires significant estimates and judgment about future performance, cash flows and fair value, our future results could be affected if these current estimates of future performance and fair value change. Any resulting impairment loss could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
Prior to our adoption of SFAS 141(R) on January 1, 2009, we capitalized certain third-party costs related to pending acquisitions. These costs remained deferred until we either ceased to be engaged on a regular and ongoing basis with the proposed acquisition, at which point they were expensed, or the target was acquired and these costs were capitalized as part of the cost of the acquired . . .
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