<SEC-DOCUMENT>0000886346-17-000104.txt : 20171018
<SEC-HEADER>0000886346-17-000104.hdr.sgml : 20171018
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20170906161747
<PRIVATE-TO-PUBLIC>
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0000886346-17-000104
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	CORRESP
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20170906

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			KADANT INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000886346
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	SPECIAL INDUSTRY MACHINERY (NO METALWORKING MACHINERY) [3550]
		IRS NUMBER:				521762325
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		CORRESP

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		ONE TECHNOLOGY PARK DRIVE
		CITY:			WESTFORD
		STATE:			MA
		ZIP:			01886
		BUSINESS PHONE:		(978) 776-2000

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		ONE TECHNOLOGY PARK DRIVE
		CITY:			WESTFORD
		STATE:			MA
		ZIP:			01886

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	THERMO FIBERTEK INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19930328
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>CORRESP
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>filename1.htm
<TEXT>
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<div><a name="s5ce84703771641649f0b9f97e372d26d"></a></div><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><div><br></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">September 6, 2017</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:384px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:384px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Mr. Martin James</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Senior Assistant Chief Accountant</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Office of Electronics and Machinery</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Division of Corporation Finance</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">100 F Street, N.E.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Washington, D.C. 20549</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="padding-top:8px;font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt;"><tr><td style="width:96px;"></td><td></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top"><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:11pt;padding-left:42px;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Re:</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:top;"><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;font-weight:bold;">Kadant Inc.</font></div></td></tr></table><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;font-weight:bold;">Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2016</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;font-weight:bold;">Filed March 15, 2017</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;font-weight:bold;">File No. 001-11406</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:89px;text-indent:5px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:89px;text-indent:5px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Dear Mr. James:</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">On behalf of Kadant Inc. (we, Kadant, the Company), we hereby respond to the comments set forth in your letter dated August 23, 2017. The comments in the letter are reproduced below, together with our responses thereto. </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;text-decoration:underline;">Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2016</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;text-decoration:underline;">Management&#8217;s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;text-decoration:underline;">Results of Operations, page 24</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">&#32;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt;"><tr><td style="width:48px;"></td><td></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top"><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:11pt;padding-left:18px;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">1.</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:top;"><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;text-decoration:underline;">Comment:</font></div></td></tr></table><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Throughout this section you present measures that exclude the effect of one or both of (i) the PAAL acquisition and (ii) foreign currency translation but you do not identify these measures as non-GAAP, nor do you provide the reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP measures and the qualitative disclosures required by Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K. Please revise your presentations in future filings to comply with that guidance. </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;text-decoration:underline;">Response:</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">In future filings, we will clearly identify each applicable measure as non-GAAP and ensure that the paragraph in which we identify the non-GAAP measures is presented in the &#8220;Results of Operations&#8221; at the beginning of the section to give it greater prominence.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">The SEC&#8217;s </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;">Final Rule on Conditions for Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">&#32;and Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K requires that non-GAAP reconciliations be &#8220;by schedule or other clearly understandable method.&#8221; We believe that we meet this requirement by providing both the GAAP measure and the reconciliation components in the sentence immediately preceding each non-GAAP disclosure. The most directly comparable GAAP measure can be easily derived from the information provided in our disclosure. </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;"><br></font></div><div><br></div><div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">1</font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><div><br></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">For example, we respectfully call your attention to the fifth paragraph on p. 25, where we state (emphasis added):</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:72px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;">&#8220;Revenues from our Stock-Preparation product line increased $23.0 million, or 16%, in 2016 compared to 2015, </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;text-decoration:underline;">including $40.8 million in revenues from the acquisition of PAAL</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;">, offset in part by a </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;text-decoration:underline;">$1.6 million decrease due to the unfavorable effect of foreign currency translation</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;">. Excluding the acquisition and unfavorable effect of foreign currency translation, revenues from our Stock-Preparation product line decreased $16.2 million, or 11%, in 2016 &#8230;&#8221;.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">The disclosure above presents the GAAP result ($23.0 million increase) and the reconciliation components ($40.8 million in revenue from the acquisition of PAAL and $1.6 million decrease from the unfavorable effect of foreign currency translation) immediately preceding the non-GAAP measure. The non-GAAP measure of </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;font-style:italic;">&#8220;$16.2 million decrease in the Stock-Preparation product line,&#8221;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">&#32;can be easily derived from the amounts provided in the preceding sentence ($23.0 increase less $40.8 million increase and plus $1.6 million decrease equals $16.2 million decrease).   </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">&#160;&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;text-decoration:underline;">Consolidated Financial Statements </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;text-decoration:underline;">Consolidated Balance Sheet, page F-4</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">&#160;</font></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt;"><tr><td style="width:48px;"></td><td></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top"><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:11pt;padding-left:24px;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">2.</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:top;"><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;text-decoration:underline;">Comment:</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">&#32;</font></div></td></tr></table><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Revise the statements in future filings to clearly state the dates as of which you are presenting the amounts, e.g., as of December 31, 2016. Please refer to Item 8 of Form 10-K and Rule 3-01 of Regulation S-X which ask that you present audited financial statements as of a certain date. This comment also applies to the various tables presented in your financial statements. </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;text-decoration:underline;">Response:</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">In future filings, we will clearly state the dates for which we are presenting the amounts the financial statements in accordance with Item 8 of Form 10-K and Rule 3-01 of Regulation S-X.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;text-decoration:underline;">Consolidated Statements of Operations, page F-5 </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:24px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">3. &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;text-decoration:underline;">Comment:</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">You present income (loss) from discontinued operations in these statements and throughout the filing, but we note no disclosure explaining the transactions reflected in that caption. When you present discontinued operations in future filings include a note to the financial statements to briefly describe the transactions. See the disclosure requirements of ASC 205-20-50. If material, revise Management&#8217;s Discussion and Analysis to discuss the transactions. </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;text-decoration:underline;">Response:</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:48px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">In future filings, we will include a note to the financial statements to briefly describe the transaction resulting in the classification of the discontinued operation in accordance with ASC 205-20-50. The results of the discontinued operation were less than 0.3% of net income attributable to Kadant in all fiscal years presented, and its results are not expected to have a material effect on Kadant's results in future years. Therefore, we have not revised Management&#8217;s Discussion and Analysis to discuss the transaction.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div><br></div><div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">2</font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><div><br></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">We acknowledge that the Company and our management are responsible for the accuracy and adequacy of our disclosures, notwithstanding any review, comments, action or absence of action by the staff.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:14px;padding-top:14px;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Please do not hesitate to contact me at 978-776-2014 if you have any questions or comments regarding this response.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:276px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Very truly yours,</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:276px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:276px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;text-decoration:underline;">/s/ Michael J. McKenney</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:276px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Michael J. McKenney</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:276px;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;">Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:276px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div><br></div><div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">3</font></div></div>	</body>
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