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Short-Term Borrowings
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
Short-Term Borrowings

7. SHORT-TERM BORROWINGS:

In June 2013, we entered into an amendment to our Inventory Financing Agreement (the “Amended Credit Facility”), originally entered into in June 2010, as subsequently amended, with GE Commercial Distribution Finance Corporation. The June 2013 amendment extended the maturity date of the Credit Facility to June 2016, subject to additional extension for two one-year periods, with lender approval. The June 2013 amendment, among other things, also added additional lenders and modified the amount of borrowing availability, interest rate, and maturity date of the Credit Facility. The Amended Credit Facility provides a floor plan financing commitment of up to $205 million, an increase from the previous limit of $150 million, subject to borrowing base availability resulting from the amount and aging of our inventory.

The Amended Credit Facility has certain financial covenants as specified in the agreement. The covenants include provisions that our leverage ratio must not exceed 2.75 to 1.0 and that our current ratio must be greater than 1.2 to 1.0. At September 30, 2013, we were in compliance with all of the covenants under the Amended Credit Facility. The interest rate for amounts outstanding under the Amended Credit Facility is now 355 basis points above the one-month London Inter-Bank Offering Rate (“LIBOR”) a reduction of 28 basis points from the prior amendment. There is an unused line fee of ten basis points on the unused portion of the Amended Credit Facility.

Advances under the Amended Credit Facility are initiated by the acquisition of eligible new and used inventory or are re-advances against eligible new and used inventory that have been partially paid-off. Advances on new inventory will generally mature 1,081 days from the original invoice date. Advances on used inventory will mature 361 days from the date we acquire the used inventory. Each advance is subject to a curtailment schedule, which requires that we pay down the balance of each advance on a periodic basis starting after six months. The curtailment schedule varies based on the type and value of the inventory. The collateral for the Amended Credit Facility is all of our personal property with certain limited exceptions. None of our real estate has been pledged for collateral for the Amended Credit Facility.

We were also a party to an Inventory Financing Agreement (the “CGI Facility”) with CGI Finance, Inc. (“CGI”). The CGI Facility provided a floor plan financing commitment of $30 million and was designed to provide financing for our Azimut Yacht inventory needs. The CGI Facility was not renewed by the Company and expired in August 2013; however, existing advances under the CGI Facility can remain outstanding for up to 18 months. The interest rate for amounts outstanding under the CGI Facility is 350 basis points above the one month London Inter-Bank Offering Rate. Azimut Yacht inventory is now financed under the Amended Credit Facility.

As of September 30, 2012 and 2013, our indebtedness associated with financing our inventory and working capital needs totaled approximately $120.6 million and $122.5 million, respectively. At September 30, 2012 and 2013, the interest rate on the outstanding short-term borrowings was approximately 4.0% and 3.7%. At September 30, 2013, our additional available borrowings under our Amended Credit Facility were approximately $34.8 million based upon the outstanding borrowing base availability. The aging of our inventory limits our borrowing capacity as defined curtailments reduce the allowable advance rate as our inventory ages.

 

As is common in our industry, we receive interest assistance directly from boat manufacturers, including Brunswick. The interest assistance programs vary by manufacturer, but generally include periods of free financing or reduced interest rate programs. The interest assistance may be paid directly to us or our lender depending on the arrangements the manufacturer has established. We classify interest assistance received from manufacturers as a reduction of inventory cost and related cost of sales as opposed to netting the assistance against our interest expense incurred with our lenders.

The availability and costs of borrowed funds can adversely affect our ability to obtain adequate boat inventory and the holding costs of that inventory as well as the ability and willingness of our customers to finance boat purchases. At September 30, 2013, we had no long-term debt. However, we rely on our Amended Credit Facility to purchase our inventory of boats. The aging of our inventory limits our borrowing capacity as defined curtailments reduce the allowable advance rate as our inventory ages. Our access to funds under our Amended Credit Facility also depends upon the ability of our lenders to meet their funding commitments, particularly if they experience shortages of capital or experience excessive volumes of borrowing requests from others during a short period of time. A continuation of depressed economic conditions, weak consumer spending, turmoil in the credit markets, and lender difficulties, among other potential reasons, could interfere with our ability to utilize our Amended Credit Facility to fund our operations. Any inability to utilize our Amended Credit Facility could require us to seek other sources of funding to repay amounts outstanding under the credit agreements or replace or supplement our credit agreements, which may not be possible at all or under commercially reasonable terms.

Similarly, decreases in the availability of credit and increases in the cost of credit adversely affect the ability of our customers to purchase boats from us and thereby adversely affect our ability to sell our products and impact the profitability of our finance and insurance activities. Tight credit conditions during fiscal 2009, 2010, and 2011 adversely affected the ability of customers to finance boat purchases, which had a negative effect on our operating results.