3. Business Combinations

Read Window Products, LLC (Read)

Overview

Effective April 1, 2018, we entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (Asset Agreement) to acquire certain assets and assume certain liabilities of Read, a source of custom window treatments for the hospitality and commercial industries. Based in Knoxville, Tennessee, Read is a turn-key provider of window treatments offering measuring, sourcing, fabrication and installation services. Read’s custom product line includes motorization, shades, drapery, upholstered headboards and shower curtains. In addition, Read supplies soft goods such as decorative top sheets, coverlets, duvet covers, bed skirts, bolsters and pillows, for leading hospitality brands worldwide. The addition of window treatments and other soft goods to our product line will allow us to be a more complete source of fabrics for the hospitality market, in which we believe there are significant growth opportunities.

The purchase price for the net assets acquired was $5.7 million, of which $4.5 million was paid at closing on April 1, 2018, $375,000 was paid in May 2018, and $763,000 is to be paid in June in 2019, subject to certain conditions as defined in the Asset Agreement.

Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed

The following table presents the final allocation of the acquisition cost to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their fair values.


(dollars in thousands)	Fair Value
Customer relationships	$	2,247
Goodwill		2,107
Inventory		1,128
Accounts receivable		897
Tradename		683
Property, plant & equipment		379
Other assets		35
Deferred revenue		(903	)
Accounts payable		(719	)
Accrued expenses		(174	)

	$	5,680

We recorded customer relationships at fair market value based on a multi-period excess earnings valuation model. These customer relationships will be amortized on a straight-line basis over their nine-year useful life. We recorded the tradename at fair market based on the relief from royalty method. This tradename was determined to have an indefinite useful life and, therefore, is not being amortized. Equipment will be depreciated on a straight-line basis over useful lives ranging from three to ten years.

The goodwill related to this acquisition is attributable to Read’s reputation with the products and services they provide and the collective experience of management with regards to its operations, customers, and industry. Goodwill was assigned to the upholstery fabrics segment and is deductible for income tax purposes over the statutory period of fifteen years.

The Asset Agreement contains a contingent consideration arrangement that requires us to pay a former shareholder of Read and earn-out payment based on adjusted EBITDA as defined in the agreement for calendar year 2018 in excess of fifty percent of a pre-established adjusted EBITDA target as defined in the agreement. As of July 29, 2018, based on historical and projected financial results in relation to the pre-established adjusted EBITDA target, we currently believe a contingent payment will not be made, and therefore, no contingent liability has been recorded.

Other

Acquisition costs totaling $339,000 were included in selling, general, and administrative expenses in our fiscal 2018 Consolidated Statement of Net Income.

eLuxury, LLC (eLuxury)

Overview

Effective June 22, 2018, we entered into an Equity Purchase Agreement (Equity Agreement) in which we acquired an initial 80% ownership interest in (eLuxury), an e-commerce company offering bedding accessories and other home goods directly to consumers. eLuxury’s primary products include a line of mattress pads manufactured at eLuxury’s facility located in Evansville, Indiana. eLuxury also offers handmade platform beds, cotton bed sheets, as well as, other bedding items. Their products are available on eLuxury’s own branded website, eLuxury.com, Amazon and other leading online retailers for specialty home goods.

We believe this acquisition will provide a new sales channel for bedding accessories and will expand our opportunity to participate in the e-commerce direct-to-consumer space. This business combination brings together eLuxury’s experience in e-commerce, online brand building, and direct-to-consumer shopping and fulfillment expertise with our global production, sourcing, and distribution capabilities. We also have an opportunity to market our new line of bedding accessories, marketed under the brand name, “Comfort Supply Company by Culp”, as well as other finished products that we may develop, through this e-commerce platform.

The estimated consideration given for the initial 80% ownership interest in eLuxury totaled $18.1 million, of which $12.5 million represents the estimated purchase price and $5.6 million represents the fair value for contingent consideration associated with an earn-out obligation (see below for further details). Of the $12.5 million estimated purchase price, $11.6 million was paid at closing on June 22, 2018, $185,000 was paid in August 2018, and $749,000 is to be paid in September 2019, subject to certain conditions as defined in the Equity Agreement.

Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed

The following table presents the preliminary allocation of the acquisition cost to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their fair values.


(dollars in thousands)	Fair Value
Goodwill	$	13,653
Tradename		6,549
Equipment		2,179
Inventory		1,804
Accounts receivable and other current assets		108
Accounts payable		(1,336	)
Accrued expenses		(295	)
Non-controlling interest in eLuxury		(4,532	)

	$	18,130

The estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are provisional and are based on the information that was currently available to estimate the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed. We believe that information provides a reasonable basis for estimating the fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, but we are waiting for additional information necessary to finalize those fair values. Therefore, the provisional measurements of fair value reflected are subject to change and such changes could be significant. The Company expects to finalize the valuation and complete the purchase price allocation as soon as practicable but no later than one year from the acquisition date.

We recorded the tradename at fair market based on the relief from royalty method. This tradename was determined to have an indefinite useful life and, therefore, is not being amortized. Equipment will be depreciated on a straight-line basis over useful lives ranging from five to ten years.

The goodwill related to this acquisition is attributable to eLuxury’s reputation with the products they offer and management’s experience in e-commerce, online brand building, and direct-to-consumer shopping and fulfillment expertise. Goodwill was assigned to the mattress fabrics segment and is deductible for income tax purposes over the statutory period of fifteen years.

As mentioned above, the Equity Agreement contains a contingent consideration arrangement that requires us to pay the seller who is also the shareholder of the noncontrolling interest an earn-out payment based on eLuxury’s adjusted EBITDA for the twelve month period ending August 31, 2021, as defined in the Equity Agreement. We recorded a contingent liability for this earn-out obligation at its fair value totaling $5.6 million based on the Black Scholes pricing model.

Consolidation and Non-Controlling Interest

The Equity Agreement contains substantive profit-sharing arrangement provisions in which it explicitly states the ownership interests at the effective date of this business combination and the allocation of net income or loss between the controlling interest (Culp) and the noncontrolling interest. The Equity Agreement states that at the effective date of this acquisition (June 22, 2018), Culp acquired an 80% ownership interest in eLuxury with the seller retaining a 20% noncontrolling interest. Additionally, the Equity Agreement states that eLuxury’s net income or loss will be allocated a percentage of 70% and 30% to Culp and the noncontrolling interest, respectively.

As result of the acquisition of our 80% controlling interest, we included all the accounts of eLuxury in our consolidated financial statements and have eliminated all significant intercompany balances and transactions.

Based on the terms of the Equity Agreement, we believe the related risks associated with the ownership interests are aligned and therefore, the total consideration of $18.1 million for the 80% controlling interest provides information for the equity value of eLuxury as a whole, and therefore, is useful in estimating the fair value of the 20% noncontrolling interest. In order to determine the carrying value of our noncontrolling interest in eLuxury, we applied the Hypothetical-Liquidation-At-Book-Value method (HLBV). HLBV is an approach that is used in practice to determine the carrying value of a noncontrolling interest if it is consistent with an existing profit-sharing arrangement such as the Equity Agreement. Therefore, the carrying amount of the noncontrolling interest of $4.5 million represents the $4.5 million fair value determined at the acquisition date plus its allocation of net income totaling $8,000 subsequent to the acquisition date and until the end of our first quarter of fiscal 2019.

Other

Acquisitions costs totaling $270,000 were in included in selling, general, and administrative expenses in our Consolidated Statement of Net Income for the three-month period ending July 29, 2018.

Actual revenue and net income for the period June 22, 2018 through July 29, 2018 were included in our Consolidated Statement of Net Income for the three-months ended July 29, 2018, and totaled $2.6 million and $27,000, respectively.

Pro Forma Financial Information

The following unaudited pro forma consolidated results of operations for the three-month periods ending July 29, 2018, and July 30, 2017, have been prepared as if the acquisitions of Read had occurred on May 2, 2016 and eLuxury had occurred on May 1, 2017.


	Three Months Ended
(dollars in thousands, except per share data)	July 29, 2018		July 30, 2017
Net Sales	$	74,598	$	88,739
Income from operations		2,073		6,867
Net income		939		4,875
Net income (loss)—noncontrolling interest		—		(85	)
Net income – Culp Inc. common shareholders		939		4,959
Net income per share (basic) – Culp Inc. common shareholders		0.08		0.40
Net income per share (diluted) – Culp Inc. common shareholders		0.07		0.39

The unaudited pro forma information is presented for informational purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that actually would have been achieved had the acquisition been consummated as of that time, nor is it intended to be a projection of future results.