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Wiki Wiki Summary
Economic geography Economic geography is the subfield of human geography which studies economic activity and factors affecting them. It can also be considered a subfield or method in economics.
List of presidents of the United States The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term by the American people through the Electoral College. The office holder leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.
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Sales Wales (Welsh: Cymru [ˈkəm.rɨ] (listen)) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Severn Estuary to the south-east, the Bristol Channel to the south, the Celtic sea to the south-west and the Irish Sea to the west and north.
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Umbrella insurance Umbrella insurance refers to liability insurance that is in excess of specified other policies and also potentially primary insurance for losses not covered by the other policies.\nWhen an insured person is liable to someone, the insured's primary insurance policies pay up to their limits, and any additional amount is paid by the umbrella policy (up to the limit of the umbrella policy).
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Risk Factors
FEDDERS CORP /DE Item 1A Risk Factors
7 ITEM 1A RISK FACTORS OUR BUSINESS CAN BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN Our business is affected by a number of economic factors, including the level of economic activity in the markets in which we operate
A decline in economic activity in the United States could materially affect our financial condition and results of operations
In our business, a decline in economic activity, as a result of cyclical or other factors, typically results in a decline in purchases of our products, which would result in a decrease in our sales volume and profitability
Hotter than normal summers generate strong demand for our air conditioning products
Conversely, cooler than normal summers depress our sales
Because a high percentage of our overhead and operating expenses is relatively fixed throughout the year, operating earnings and net earnings tend to be lower in quarters with lower sales
Variations in demand could have a material adverse effect on the timing of our cash flows and therefore our ability to service our obligations with respect to our indebtedness, including the notes
WE MAY INCUR MATERIAL COSTS AS A RESULT OF WARRANTY AND PRODUCT LIABILITY CLAIMS, WHICH WOULD NEGATIVELY AFFECT OUR PROFITABILITY The development, manufacture, sale and use of our products involve a risk of warranty and product liability claims
Our product liability insurance policies have limits that, if exceeded, may result in material costs that would have an adverse effect on our future profitability
In addition, warranty claims are not covered 7 by our product liability insurance and there may be types of product liability claims that are also not covered by our product liability insurance
WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPETE IN THE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE HVACR BUSINESS Competition in our various markets could cause us to reduce our prices or lose market share, or could negatively affect our cash flow, which could have an adverse effect on our future financial results
Substantially all of the markets in which we participate are highly competitive
The most significant competitive factors we face are product reliability, product performance, service and price, with the relative importance of these factors varying among our product lines
Other factors that affect competition in the HVACR market include the development and application of new technologies and an increasing emphasis on the development of more energy efficient HVACR products
Moreover, new product introductions are an important factor in the market categories in which our products compete
Several of our competitors have greater financial and other resources than we have, allowing them to invest in more extensive research and development
We may not be able to compete successfully against current and future competition, and we cannot be assured that the current and future competitive pressures faced by us will not materially adversely affect our business and results of operations
One of these customers was The Home Depot
The Company expects this percentage to continue to decline because the Company discontinued selling room air conditioners to The Home Depot retail stores in the United States due to low margins and high working capital requirements
While we have done business with most of our principal customers for a number of years, agreements with principal customers are reached annually and are based on purchase orders
We cannot assure you that sales to principal customers will continue at current levels
Further, continuation of the relationships depends on the customers &apos satisfaction with the price, quality and delivery of our products
The loss of, or a reduction in purchase levels by, a significant customer could have a material adverse effect on our business
OUR WORKING CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS FLUCTUATE BECAUSE OF THE SEASONAL NATURE OF OUR BUSINESS UNAVAILABILITY OF REQUIRED WORKING CAPITAL COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT US Because of the seasonal nature of our business, our working capital requirements are significantly higher at certain times of the year
Additional working capital may not be available on satisfactory terms
Unavailability of required working capital could have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results
OUR LOSS OF CERTAIN KEY MEMBERS OF MANAGEMENT OR INABILITY TO ATTRACT OTHER QUALIFIED PERSONNEL COULD NEGATIVELY AFFECT OUR BUSINESS PROSPECTS We believe that our performance has been and will continue to be dependent upon the efforts of our principal executive officers
Although we have designed incentive and compensation programs to retain key employees, including options to purchase our stock, we cannot assure you that our principal executive officers will continue to be available
Sal Giordano, Jr, Chairman and CEO of Fedders Corporation is the only principal executive officer with an employment agreement, the term of which expires on September 30, 2006
The loss of some or all of these principal executive officers could have a material adverse effect on us
We believe that our future success will depend in large part on our continued ability to attract and retain highly skilled and qualified personnel
THE UNAVAILABILITY OF AND FLUCTUATION IN THE COST OF RAW MATERIALS COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR FUTURE RESULTS Our operations are dependent on the supply of various raw materials, including steel, copper and aluminum, from domestic and foreign suppliers
We obtain substantially all of our supply of steel, copper and 8 aluminum under purchase orders rather than long-term supply contracts
Supply interruptions or cost increases which we are unable to pass on to our customers could adversely affect our future operating results
WE ARE SUBJECT TO VARIOUS REGULATORY LAWS THAT AFFECT OUR BUSINESS AND PRODUCTS We are subject to various federal, state and local laws affecting our business
Air conditioners are subject to regulations providing for minimum energy efficiency rating requirements
A combination of an efficient compressor and the design of the air conditioning system using the compressor is needed to achieve the required ratings
The required efficiency levels may be changed by the relevant regulatory authority
Any future changes in required efficiency levels or other government regulations could adversely affect our industry and our business
EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL LIABILITIES COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR RESULTS OF OPERATIONS Current or future environmental laws could adversely affect our future profitability
We are subject to extensive and changing federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations designed to protect the environment, including those governing the discharge of pollutants into the air and water, the management and disposal of hazardous materials and the cleanup of contaminated sites
These laws and regulations could impose liability for remediation costs and often result in civil or criminal penalties in cases of non-compliance
In addition, liability for cleanup costs under certain environmental laws, such as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA, or the federal Superfund law), can be imposed retroactively and without regard to the lawfulness of our conduct
Compliance with environmental laws increases our costs of doing business
Because these laws are subject to frequent change, we are unable to predict the future costs resulting from environmental compliance
OUR INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO RISKS INHERENT IN SUCH ACTIVITIES We have dedicated resources to participate in the international market by establishing operations in a number of countries
Through Fedders International, Inc, we have operations in a number of countries, including China, India, Germany, the United Kingdom and the Philippines
Foreign operations are subject to the risks inherent in such activities, such as foreign regulations, unsettled political conditions, exchange rate fluctuations, logistical and communication challenges, burdensome costs of complying with a variety of foreign laws, greater difficulties in protecting intellectual property and general economic conditions in these foreign markets
Our international operations may be adversely affected by changes in government policies, such as changes in laws and regulations (or the interpretation thereof), restrictions on imports and exports and sources of supply, duties or tariffs, the introduction of measures to control inflation, changes in the rate or method of taxation, the imposition of restrictions on currency conversion and remittances abroad and the expropriation of private enterprise
In addition, policy concerns particular to the United States with respect to a country in which we have operations could adversely affect our operations in that country
A significant portion of our net sales and costs are denominated in foreign currencies, including the Chinese yuan, and, to a lesser extent, the Canadian dollar, the euro, the Philippine peso and the Indian rupee
As a result, changes in exchange rates of these foreign currencies to the US dollar will affect our sales, cost of sales and operating margins and could result in exchange losses
The impact of future exchange rate fluctuations on our results of operations cannot be accurately predicted
In the future, we may engage in exchange rate-hedging activities in an effort to mitigate the impact of exchange rate fluctuations
However, we cannot be assured that any hedging transactions we may enter into will be effective or will not result in foreign exchange hedging loss
WE MAY BE UNABLE TO REALIZE THE EXPECTED COST SAVINGS FROM OUR RESTRUCTURING INITIATIVES Our ability to compete effectively depends in part on our ability to control or reduce our cost structure and increase the efficiency of our manufacturing processes
Although we have implemented several restructuring initiatives, including the relocation of manufacturing facilities, and have others that we may 9 implement in the future, there is inherent risk related to relocation of manufacturing facilities, including disruption of business operations, inability to meet customer demand, higher costs than anticipated, environmental issues associated with closed facilities and a failure to complete these initiatives in the time frames contemplated
We cannot be assured that our past or future restructuring initiatives will achieve the full expected benefits of the cost savings or revenue enhancements within the expected time frame or at all
The cost savings may be offset by costs incurred in restructuring our operations, as well as by increases in other expenses unrelated to the restructuring
WE MAY BE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN OUR LISTING ON THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE On February 6, 2006, the New York Stock Exchange ( &quote NYSE &quote ) notified Fedders that the Company is currently not in compliance with the NYSEapstas continuing listing standards
The Company is considered &quote below criteria &quote by the NYSE since, over a 30-day trading period, the Companyapstas average global market capitalization was less than dlra75 million as of January 30, 2006 and the Companyapstas stockholders &apos equity was less than dlra75 million reported in its third quarter Form 10-Q Only one of these has to be satisfied
In accordance with NYSE rules, the Company submitted a business plan to the NYSE that demonstrates planned compliance with NYSE listing standards within 18 months