| LaCrosse Footwear, Inc. (Nasdaq: BOOT)
is a leading developer and marketer of premium,
branded footwear for dedicated work and outdoor users. The
Company's trusted Danner® and LaCrosse® brands are sold through
a network of specialty retailers and distributors in the United
States, Canada, Europe and Asia. LaCrosse has been successful in increasing its brand equity in
niche segments of the work
and outdoor footwear markets that are quality and performance driven,
which offer opportunities for sustainable and profitable growth over the
long term. The Company is executing a growth
strategy based on leveraging its powerful brands with technology
innovation, compelling marketing initiatives and enhanced customer
service. Quarterly Sales Performance
In Millions  For the second quarter of 2010, LaCrosse reported net sales of $26.6 million, down 11% from $30.0 million in the second quarter of 2009. For the first half of 2010, net sales were $60.8 million, up 9% from $55.9 million for the same period of 2009. Net income was $0.1 million or $0.02 per diluted share in the second quarter of 2010, down from $1.7 million or $0.26 per diluted share in the second quarter of 2009. For the first half of 2010, net income was $1.8 million or $0.27 per diluted share, up 83% from $1.0 million or $0.15 per diluted share for the same period of 2009. Quarterly Net Income
In Millions  Work Footwear Market LaCrosse competes
in two market segments of the footwear industry. With total annual sales
of approximately $3 billion, the work-related footwear market is much
larger than the outdoor market. The Company's work customers include
people employed in law enforcement, transportation,
mining, oil and gas, military services and other occupations that need
high-performance and protective footwear as a critical tool for the job.
Unlike the outdoor market, the work market has year-around demand. Sales to the work market were $18.6 million for the second quarter of 2010, down 15% from $21.9 million for the same period of 2009. The quarterly decrease in work sales is primarily due to the timing of U.S. government orders. For the first half of 2010, sales to the work market were $45.0 million, up 10% from $40.9 million for the same period of 2009. .jpg) Outdoor Footwear Market The outdoor footwear market is the smaller segement, with total annual sales of approximately $1 billion. The Company's outdoor customers include people active in hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor recreational activities. Outdoor customers are extremely brand conscious and innovation-driven, seeking products that have specific benefits, such as waterproof, ultra-lightweight and other high-tech materials designed for a specialized outdoor activity. This business tends to be quite seasonal, with the strongest sales in the second half of the year. Sales to the outdoor market were $8.0 million for the second quarter of 2010, down 2% from $8.1 million for the same period in 2009. The quarterly decrease in outdoor sales reflects the impact of industry-wide supply constraints related to the limited production capacity of our manufacturing partners in China as well as a planned transition to certain key new products being introduced in the second half of 2010. For the first half of 2010, sales to the outdoor market were $15.8 million, up 5% from $15.0 million for the same period in 2009. .jpg) Strong Brands and Technology One of the Company's biggest assets is its powerful brands. The Danner brand is known nationwide as the "expert's choice" in premium outdoor footwear, with rugged designs that exceed customer expectations for performance and quality, and with classic outdoor heritage and authentic character. Among its target customers, the LaCrosse brand is known throughout the U.S. for high performance in the field and on the job. Designed for durability and reliability, LaCrosse boots are built to satisfy specific end-user needs, such as being protective against water, extreme cold, chemicals or fire, and other harsh environments. .jpg) In addition to its strong brands, LaCrosse continues to differentiate
its products by incorporating substantive technology into its productsand
then migrating that technology across different product categories. In recent
years, the Company introduced such technology as its AlphaTM, Quad ComfortTM and TERRA FORCETM platforms, which were first incorporated one product category
and later successfully used in others. For 2006, the Company announced its
new EXOTM technology, combining exceptional durability with the performance
of an athletic shoe. EXO?s pioneering sport-outdoor fusion design replaces
a standard shank system with an ultra-light exoskeleton chassis. EXO will
initially be featured in uniform boots and later introduced into hunting boots.
In coming periods, LaCrosse expects to continue to bring more groundbreaking,
performance-oriented technology to the marketplace that clearly differentiates
its products. .jpg) Leveraging Innovation and Brand Power By competing in the recreational market, LaCrosse is forced to remain highly innovative and continuously work to strengthen brand loyalty for its occupational products. The Company sees strong crossover of brand awareness and sales between recreational customers and occupational customers. .jpg) Corporate History and Transformation The Company traces its roots back to 1897, with the founding of La Crosse Rubber Mills, which eventually focused on the manufacture of rubber and vinyl footwear. Located in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, the original company was purchased from the founders in 1982 by a new management group and legally incorporated in Wisconsin in 1983. LaCrosse established a loyal following among Midwestern laborers and outdoorsmen operating in severe cold or wet environments. In 1994, the Company acquired Danner Shoe Manufacturing, a premium maker of leather boots since 1932, which was located in Portland, Oregon since 1936. Danner built a strong reputation among Pacific Northwest loggers, shipyard workers and early outdoor enthusiasts. By the late 1990s, the two brands were associated nationwide with time-honored quality and performance, but the Company was operating at a growing loss and straddled by increasing debt. In recent years, the Company business restructuring has resulted in significantly improved operating efficiencies, as it moved from being a manufacturer to being primarily a developer and marketer: increasing its outsourced production from approximately 50% to 80%; evolving from fixed to variable business model; consolidating its operations and facilities; and dramatically reducing its cost structure. During 2004, LaCrosse continued to trim less profitable parts of its business, including its former PVC boot line and related facility. While the remaining domestic manufacturing facility in Portland, Oregon, provides tremendous flexibility, the Company is positioned for increased low-cost, high-quality sourcing from China. To strengthen both customer responsiveness and product quality, the Company operates an international office in China to oversee its outsourced manufacturing and ensure high quality standards, as well as continue to work to reduce product development lead-times -- a key to remaining competitive in today's ever-changing marketplace. In line with its long-term strategy to diversify and strengthen its sales channels, the Company recently established a new European sales office in order to expand its international business and completed a new world-class distribution facility in the Midwest to improve operating efficiencies, increase speed of delivery and better serve its customers. In preparation for future growth, the Company announced plans for a new production facility in Portland that will significantly increase its capacity to efficiently meet growing worldwide demand and extend its great tradition of superior craftsmanship. Strong Operating Efficiencies and Balance Sheet The Company continued to maintain strong gross margins and invest in strengthening its operations. Gross margin for the second quarter of 2010 was 40.9% of net sales, comparable to the same period of 2009. LaCrosse’s operating expenses were $10.7 million in the second quarter 2010, up 4% from the second quarter 2009. The Company has successfully moderated its operating expense growth, while continuing to expand its domestic sales, marketing and product development efforts. The Company continued to strengthen its balance sheet, generating $11.3 million of cash from operations in the first half of 2010. At the end of the second quarter 2010, LaCrosse had cash and cash equivalents of $17.3 million, up from $5.1 million at the end of the second quarter 2009, after paying dividends of $9.6 million to its shareholders since the second quarter of 2009. The Company significantly reduced its inventory by $8.5 million or 24% from the second quarter of 2009, reflecting execution of the planned transition to certain new products being launched in the second half of 2010, as well as improved management of its European inventories. Growth Strategy LaCrosse's long-term objective is to become the premier work and outdoor footwear company in the world. Management believes LaCrosse Footwear is well positioned to continue to execute its growth strategy: Extend product offering by leveraging strong brands.
Infuse innovative technology across multiple product categories.
Increase brand equity through intensified marketing.
Grow footwear business through existing channels.
Continue to enhance customer service.
We caution you that this document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are only predictions or statements of our current plans, which we review on a continual basis. Forward-looking statements are intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified as such because the context of the statement includes phrases such as we "believe," "expect," or other words of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe our future plans, objectives or goals are also forward looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those currently anticipated. All forward-looking statements may differ from actual results due to, but not limited to: Consumer demand for outdoor footwear; Weather and its impact on the demand for outdoor footwear; Dealer inventory levels; Company inventory levels, including (i) inventory levels required for foreign-sourced product and the related need for accurate forecasting and (ii) the limited ability to resupply dealers for fill-in orders for foreign-sourced product; potential problems associated with the manufacture, transportation and delivery of foreign-sourced product; United States and/or foreign trading rules, regulations and policies, including export/import regulations and regulations affecting manufacturers and/or importers; and General domestic economic conditions, including interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates. You should consider these important factors in evaluating any statement contained in this report and/or made by us or on our behalf. The Company has no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of future events or circumstances.
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