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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 11-K

 


 

x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 (NO FEE REQUIRED)

 

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004

 

OR

 

¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 (NO FEE REQUIRED

 

For the transition period from              to             

 

Commission file number 0-20646

 


 

Caraustar Industries, Inc.

Employees’ Savings Plan

5000 Austell-Powder Springs Road

Suite 300

Austell, Georgia 30106

(Full title of the plan and the address of the plan)

 


 

Caraustar Industries, Inc.

5000 Austell-Powder Springs Road

Suite 300

Austell, Georgia 30106

(Name of the issuer of the securities held pursuant to the plan and the address of its principal executive office)

 



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Caraustar Industries, Inc.

Employees’ Savings Plan

 

Financial Statements

as of December 31, 2004 and 2003 and

for the Year Ended December 31, 2004,

Supplemental Schedules as of and

for the Year Ended December 31, 2004, and

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting

Firm


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CARAUSTAR INDUSTRIES, INC.

EMPLOYEES’ SAVINGS PLAN

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

   1

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS:

    

Statements of Net Assets Available for Benefits as of December 31, 2004 and 2003

   2

Statement of Changes in Net Assets Available for Benefits for the Year Ended December 31, 2004

   3

Notes to Financial Statements

   4–8

SUPPLEMENTAL SCHEDULES:

    

Form 5500, Schedule H, Part IV, Line 4i—Schedule of Assets (Held at End of Year) as of December 31, 2004

   10

Form 5500, Schedule H, Part IV, Question 4a—Delinquent Participant Contributions for the Year Ended December 31, 2004

   11

NOTE:

  All other schedules required by Section 2520.103-10 of the Department of Labor’s Rules and Regulations for Reporting and Disclosure under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 have been omitted because they are not applicable.     


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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the Administrative Committee and Participants

of the Caraustar Industries, Inc. Employees’ Savings Plan:

 

We have audited the accompanying statements of net assets available for benefits of the Caraustar Industries, Inc. Employees’ Savings Plan (the “Plan”) as of December 31, 2004 and 2003, and the related statement of changes in net assets available for benefits for the year ended December 31, 2004. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Plan’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. The Plan is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Plan’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

In our opinion, such financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the net assets available for benefits of the Plan as of December 31, 2004 and 2003, and the changes in net assets available for benefits for the year ended December 31, 2004 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Our audits were conducted for the purpose of forming an opinion on the basic financial statements taken as a whole. The supplemental schedules listed in the table of contents are presented for the purpose of additional analysis and are not a required part of the basic financial statements, but are supplementary information required by the Department of Labor’s Rules and Regulations for Reporting and Disclosure under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. These schedules are the responsibility of the Plan’s management. Such schedules have been subjected to the auditing procedures applied in our audit of the 2004 basic financial statements and, in our opinion, are fairly stated in all material respects when considered in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole.

 

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

 

June 29, 2005

Atlanta, Georgia

 

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CARAUSTAR INDUSTRIES, INC.

EMPLOYEES’ SAVINGS PLAN

 

STATEMENTS OF NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS

DECEMBER 31, 2004 AND 2003

 

     2004

   2003

INVESTMENTS—At fair value

   $ 113,602,340    $ 99,180,638
    

  

RECEIVABLES:

             

Participant contributions

     345,084      965,232

Employer contributions

     113,438      321,370

Receivables for securities sold

     24,988      57,901
    

  

Total receivables

     483,510      1,344,503
    

  

NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS

   $ 114,085,850    $ 100,525,141
    

  

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

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STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS

YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2004

 

ADDITIONS:

      

Contributions:

      

Participant contributions

   $ 10,545,423

Employer contributions

     4,027,950

Rollovers from qualified plans

     400,976
    

Total contributions

     14,974,349

Net appreciation in fair value of investments

     8,426,790

Dividends and interest

     2,179,956
    

Total additions

     25,581,095
    

DEDUCTIONS:

      

Benefits paid to participants

     11,823,691

Deemed distributions of loans to participants

     41,454

Administrative expenses

     155,241
    

Total deductions

     12,020,386
    

NET INCREASE

     13,560,709

NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS:

      

Beginning of year

     100,525,141
    

End of year

   $ 114,085,850
    

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

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CARAUSTAR INDUSTRIES, INC.

EMPLOYEES’ SAVINGS PLAN

 

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2004 AND 2003 AND FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2004

 

1. PLAN DESCRIPTION

 

The following description of the Caraustar Industries, Inc. Employees’ Savings Plan (the “Plan”) is provided for general information purposes only. Participants should refer to the plan document for a complete description of the Plan’s provisions.

 

GeneralThe Plan is a defined contribution plan established by Caraustar Industries, Inc. (the “Company”) for the benefit of eligible employees of the Company. The Plan is subject to the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”), as amended.

 

Plan Administration—The Plan is administered by an Administrative Committee that is appointed by the Board of Directors of the Company. Fidelity Management Trust Company (the “Trustee”) serves as the Trustee for the Plan.

 

Contributions—Participation in the Plan is voluntary. Each year participants may contribute between 1% and 25% of their pretax annual compensation, as defined in the Plan, subject to certain Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) limitations. Any noncollectively bargained employee who was hired on or after July 1, 2001 and who satisfies the eligibility requirements, as defined by the Plan, will automatically have 2% of eligible compensation contributed to the Plan for each pay period, unless the employee notifies the Company that he/she does not want to contribute or wants to contribute a different amount.

 

Through December 31, 2004, the Company matched 50% of the participant’s total pretax deferral up to 3% of the participant’s annual compensation.

 

The Plan was amended effective January 1, 2005, increasing the Company matching contribution to 100% of the participant’s total pretax deferral up to 3% of the participant’s annual compensation and an additional 50% of the participant’s total pretax deferral on the next 2% of the participant’s annual compensation.

 

In addition, effective for 2005, the Company will commence making contributions to certain participant accounts based on a percentage of a participant’s pensionable earnings and credited service, as defined, at the end of each year as shown below.

 

Years of Credited Service


    

Company Contribution


1-4

     1.0% of pensionable earnings

5-9

     2.0% of pensionable earnings

10-14

     2.5% of pensionable earnings

15-19

     3.0% of pensionable earnings

20-24

     3.5% of pensionable earnings

25+

     4.0% of pensionable earnings

 

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The Plan also provides for participant after-tax contributions from 1% to 25% of pretax annual compensation. The participant’s after tax contributions are not eligible for matching contributions.

 

Vesting—Participants are fully vested in their contributions and the earnings thereon. Vesting in Company matching contributions is based on years of continuous service as defined by the Plan. A participant’s Company matching contributions vest according to the following schedule:

 

    

Vested

Interest


 

Years of service:

      

Less than one year

   0 %

One year, but less than two years

   25  

Two years, but less than three years

   50  

Three years, but less than four years

   75  

Four or more years

   100  

 

In addition, effective for 2005, participants become fully vested in employer contributions based on pensionable earnings and credited service after 5 years of service.

 

Participants who reach retirement age, become disabled, or die become vested immediately in Company contributions.

 

Forfeited Accounts—Forfeited accounts are first used to reduce administrative expenses and then to reduce future Company contributions. Forfeitures were $125,086 for the year ended December 31, 2004.

 

Benefit Payments—Upon termination of service due to death, disability, or retirement, a participant or the participant’s beneficiary may elect to receive an amount equal to the value of the participant’s vested interest in his/her account. The normal age of retirement is 65; however, a participant may receive benefit payments beginning at the age of 59 1/2 without penalty. The form of payment is a lump-sum distribution or an annuity to be paid in monthly, quarterly, or annually installments over a period not to exceed ten years. Participants may also elect to receive a distribution in kind for amounts invested in Caraustar Industries, Inc. common stock.

 

A participant’s pretax contributions and the vested portion of the Company’s matching contributions may be withdrawn before retirement or termination of employment only under certain hardship conditions.

 

Participant AccountsIndividual accounts are maintained for each of the Plan’s participants to reflect the participant’s contributions and the Company’s contributions as well as the participant’s share of the Plan’s income (losses) and any related administrative expenses. Allocations of income (losses) and expenses are based on the participant’s account balance. The benefit to which a participant is entitled is the benefit that can be provided from the participant’s vested account.

 

Investment Options—Participants may direct their contributions and the Company’s matching contributions into various investment options, which include primarily Fidelity mutual funds and Company common stock. Participants may change their investment elections at any time.

 

Loans to Participants—A participant may borrow the lesser of $50,000 or 50% of his/her vested account balance, with a minimum loan amount of $1,000. Loans are repaid through payroll deductions and are collateralized by the participant’s account balance. The maximum length of the loan is five years

 

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unless the loan is used to purchase a principal residence, in which case the length of the loan can be 30 years. The interest rate is the Prime Rate, as published in The Wall Street Journal on the last business day in the month in which the loan is taken out, plus 1%. Interest rates on loans to participants ranged from 5% to 10.5% as of December 31, 2004.

 

2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Basis of AccountingThe accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Use of Estimates—The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires Plan management to use estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of net assets available for benefits and changes therein. Actual results could differ from these estimates. The Plan utilizes various investment instruments, including mutual funds and Company stock. Investment securities, in general, are exposed to various risks, such as interest rate, credit, and overall market volatility risks. Due to the level of risk associated with certain investment securities, it is reasonably possible that changes in values of investment securities will occur in the near term and that such changes could materially affect the amounts reported in the financial statements.

 

Income RecognitionInterest income is recorded as earned on the accrual basis. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Purchases and sales of securities are recorded on a trade-date basis.

 

Investment Valuation Mutual funds and Company stock are stated at fair value. Securities traded on a national securities exchange are valued at the last reported sales price on the last business day of the year; investments traded in the over-the-counter market and listed securities for which no sale was reported on the last day of the plan year are valued at the last reported bid price. Participant loans are stated at the remaining unpaid principal balance, which approximates fair value.

 

Net Appreciation (Depreciation) in Fair Value of Investments—Net realized gains (losses) from the sale of investments and changes in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) are recorded in the accompanying statement of changes in net assets available for benefits as net appreciation in fair value of investments.

 

Payment of Benefits—Benefit payments to participants are recorded upon distribution. There were no amounts allocated to accounts of persons who have elected to withdraw from the Plan but were not yet paid at December 31, 2004 and 2003, respectively.

 

Administrative Expenses—The Company pays all administrative expenses of the Plan except for the administrative costs of mutual funds, loan processing fees and audit fees.

 

Excess Contributions Distributable to ParticipantsThe Plan is required to return participant contributions received during the plan year in excess of the IRC limits.

 

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3. INVESTMENTS

 

The fair market values of plan assets, including those that represent 5% or more of the Plan’s net assets at December 31, 2004 and 2003, are as follows:

 

     2004

   2003

     Shares

   Fair Value

   Shares

   Fair Value

Fidelity Dividend Growth Fund

   990,735    $ 28,226,026    1,004,736    $ 27,429,295

Fidelity Diversified International Fund

   488,411      13,988,089    460,564      11,108,809

Fidelity Balanced Fund

   369,430      6,583,249    316,539      5,302,021

PIMCO Total Return Fund

   574,432      6,129,190    523,707      5,608,899

Fidelity Retirement Money Market Fund

   6,610,679      6,610,679    6,966,527      6,966,527

Caraustar Industries, Inc. common stock

   762,036      12,817,451    904,091      12,476,456

Other

          39,247,656           30,288,631
         

       

          $ 113,602,340         $ 99,180,638
         

       

 

Net appreciation in fair value of investments by major type is as follows for the year ended December 31, 2004:

 

Registered investment companies

   $ 6,164,430

Caraustar Industries, Inc. common stock

     2,262,360
    

     $ 8,426,790
    

 

4. TAX STATUS

 

The Internal Revenue Service has determined and informed the Company by letter dated July 29, 2002, that the Plan and the related trust are designed in accordance with applicable regulations of the IRC. The Plan has been amended since receiving the determination letter; however, the Company and the administrator believe that the Plan is currently designed and operated in compliance with the applicable requirements of the IRC and the Plan and related trust continue to be tax exempt. Therefore, no provision for income taxes has been included in the Plan’s financial statements.

 

5. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Certain of the Plan’s investments are shares of mutual funds managed by the Trustee or affiliates of the Trustee. Transactions related to such investments qualify as permissible party-in-interest transactions under ERISA. Fees paid to an affiliate of the Trustee for recordkeeping services totaled $155,241 for the year ended December 31, 2004.

 

At December 31, 2004 and 2003, the Plan held 762,036 and 904,091 shares, respectively, of common stock of the Company with a fair value of $12,817,451 and $12,476,456, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2004 there were no dividends declared on such common stock.

 

6. NONEXEMPT PARTY-IN-INTEREST TRANSACTIONS

 

The Company remitted a participant’s December 2004 contribution of $490 to the Trustee on February 3, 2005, which was later than required by D.O.L. Regulation 2510.3-102. The Company plans to file Form 5330 with the Internal Revenue Service and pay the required excise tax on transaction. In addition, participant accounts were credited with the amount of investment income which would have been earned had the participant contributions been remitted on a timely basis.

 

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7. PLAN TERMINATION

 

Although it has not expressed an intent to do so, the Company has the right under the Plan to discontinue its contributions at any time and to terminate the Plan subject to the terms of ERISA. In the event of Plan termination or partial termination, participants will become fully vested in their accounts.

 

* * * * * *

 

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SUPPLEMENTAL SCHEDULES

 

(See Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm)

 

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CARAUSTAR INDUSTRIES, INC.

EMPLOYEES’ SAVINGS PLAN

 

FORM 5500, SCHEDULE H, PART IV, LINE 4i—SCHEDULE OF ASSETS (HELD AT END OF YEAR)

DECEMBER 31, 2004

 

(a)


  

(b) Identity of Issue, Borrower,

Lessor, or Similar Party


  

(c) Description of Investment, Including Maturity Date,

Rate of Interest, Collateral, and Par, or Maturity Value


  

(d)

Cost


  

(e) Current

Value


     Common Stock:                 
*    Caraustar Industries, Inc.    Common stock, 762,036 shares    **    $ 12,817,451
     Money Market Fund:                 
*    Fidelity Money Market Trust    Retirement Money Market Fund, 6,610,679 shares    **      6,610,679
     Registered Investment Companies:                 
*    Fidelity Investment Trust   

Fidelity Diversified International Fund, 488,411 shares

   **      13,988,089
*    Fidelity Devonshire Trust    Fidelity Equity Income Fund, 74,636 shares    **      3,939,299
*    Fidelity Securities Fund    Fidelity Dividend Growth Fund, 990,735 shares    **      28,226,026
*    Fidelity Institutional Trust    Spartan U.S. Equity Index Fund, 71,215 shares    **      3,052,279
*    Fidelity Aberdeen Street Trust    Fidelity Freedom Income Fund, 146,375 shares    **      1,649,646
*    Fidelity Aberdeen Street Trust    Fidelity Freedom 2000 Fund, 67,300 shares    **      812,989
*    Fidelity Aberdeen Street Trust    Fidelity Freedom 2010 Fund, 200,843 shares    **      2,735,475
*    Fidelity Aberdeen Street Trust    Fidelity Freedom 2020 Fund, 280,769 shares    **      3,919,537
*    Fidelity Aberdeen Street Trust    Fidelity Freedom 2030 Fund, 156,574 shares    **      2,204,566
*    Fidelity Aberdeen Street Trust    Fidelity Freedom 2040 Fund, 133,299 shares    **      1,102,385
*    Fidelity    Fidelity Balanced Fund, 369,430 shares    **      6,583,249
*    Fidelity Commonwealth Trust    Fidelity Large Cap Stock Fund, 178,351 shares    **      2,607,491
*    Fidelity Commonwealth Trust    Fidelity Mid Cap Stock Fund, 164,077 shares    **      3,847,603
     Pacific Investment Management Company    PIMCO Total Return Fund, 574,432 shares    **      6,129,190
     Ariel Funds    Ariel Appreciation Fund, 75,613 shares    **      3,604,479
     Morgan Stanley Investment Management   

Morgan Stanley Small Company Growth—Class B, 43,497 shares

   **      522,829
*    Fidelity Puritan Trust    Fidelity Low Priced Stock Fund, 121,169 shares    **      4,877,035
     Participant Loans:                 
*    Various plan participants   

Interest rates ranging from 5.0% to 10.5%, maturing in 1 to 360 months

   **      4,372,043
                   

          Total investments         $ 113,602,340
                   


* Indicates a party-in-interest transaction.
** Cost information is not required to be presented for participant-directed investments and therefore is not included.

 

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CARAUSTAR INDUSTRIES, INC.

EMPLOYEES’ SAVINGS PLAN

 

FORM 5500, SCHEDULE H, PART IV, QUESTION 4a—DELINQUENT PARTICIPANT CONTRIBUTIONS

YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2004

 

Question 4a “Did the employer fail to transmit to the Plan any participant contributions within the time period described in 29 CFR 2510.3-102”, was answered “yes”.

 

Identity of Party Involved


  

Relationship to Plan, Employer,

or Other Party-In-Interest


  

Description of Transactions


   Amount

Caraustar Industries, Inc.    Plan Sponsor   

Participant contributions for employees were not funded within the time period prescribed by D.O.L. Regulation 2510.3-102. A participant’s December 2004 contribution was deposited on February 3, 2005.

   $ 490

 

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SIGNATURES

 

The Plan. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the trustees (or other persons who administer the employee benefit plan) have duly caused this annual report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

Date: June 29, 2005

 

Caraustar Industries, Inc.

   

By:

 

/s/ Barry A. Smedstad


        Barry A. Smedstad
       

Vice President, Human Resources

and Public Relations

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

 

Document


23   Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP

 

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