HEILIG MEYERS CO
8-K, 1999-03-29
FURNITURE STORES
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K


                                 Current Report
                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       The Securities Exchange Act of 1934


Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)             N/A   
                                                -------------------------------

                              Heilig-Meyers Company
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


          Virginia                       1-8484                  54-0558861
- ----------------------------          ------------           -------------------
(State or other jurisdiction          (Commission            (IRS Employer
      of incorporation)               file number)           Identification No.)


12560 West Creek Parkway, Richmond, Virginia            23238
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  (Address of principal executive offices)           (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code       (804) 784-7300
                                                   ----------------------------


                                      N/A
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)


<PAGE>
Item 5.  Other Events

         On March 24, 1999, Heilig-Meyers Company (the "Company") issued a press
release,  which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99 and is  incorporated  herein by
reference,  reporting the hiring of Don Shaffer as President and Chief Operating
Officer,   the  possible  divestiture  of  the  Company's  Rhodes  and  Mattress
Discounters  subsidiaries and the results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year
ended February 28, 1999.

Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits

         (c)      Exhibits

                  The following exhibit is filed as a part of this report:

         Exhibit 99 - Press Release dated March 24, 1999.






<PAGE>
                                    SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the  requirements  of the  Securities  and  Exchange Act of
1934,  the  registrant  has caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

                                        HEILIG-MEYERS COMPANY


Date:  March 29, 1999                   By:   /s/ Roy B. Goodman 
                                            -----------------------------------
                                            Roy B. Goodman
                                            Executive Vice President,
                                            Principal Financial Officer




<PAGE>
                                  Exhibit Index

Exhibit
No.               Description                                            
- -------           -----------                                            

99                Press Release dated March 24, 1999




                                                                      EXHIBIT 99


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                            March 24, 1999


    Heilig-Meyers Company Hires a New President and Chief Operating Officer,
      Announces Aggressive Strategic Plans and Reports 4th Quarter Results

         Richmond,  VA:  Heilig-Meyers  Company (NYSE: HMY) today announced that
Don Shaffer has been hired as  President  and Chief  Operating  Officer and will
join the  Company  on April 1,  1999.  Mr.  Shaffer  has over 30 years of retail
experience.  From 1994 to 1996 Mr.  Shaffer  served as President and CEO,  Sears
Canada,  leading this $4 billion retail and catalogue  business to significantly
improved  levels of  profitability.  In his most recent position as Chairman and
CEO, Western Auto Supply Company, a division of Sears,  Roebuck and Company, Mr.
Shaffer successfully orchestrated a major turnaround in this retail concept.

         William  C.  DeRusha,   Chairman  and  Chief  Executive  Officer,  also
announced today that in an effort to substantially improve the overall financial
position of the Company and to refocus on its core home  furnishings  operation,
management is taking an aggressive  review of strategic  divestiture  options of
all  non-core  operating  assets.  He added that  Salomon  Smith Barney had been
retained  by the  Company to advise on the  possible  divestiture  of its Rhodes
division and that management was currently evaluating potential transactions and
other strategic options.  Additionally,  the Company has engaged Goldman Sachs &
Co. and Nationsbanc Montgomery Securities LLC to pursue the possible divestiture
of Mattress Discounters.  The net proceeds from these two potential transactions
would be used to pay down debt,  resulting in significant  interest savings, and
also  would  likely  result  in a net  one-time  gain  upon  completion  of both
divestitures.

         The Company  reported  consolidated  results for the fourth quarter and
fiscal year ended February 28, 1999.  Total  revenues for the quarter  increased
3.1% to $654.2  million,  compared to $634.7  million in the prior year quarter.
For the three month period ended February 28, 1999,  the Company  recorded a net
loss of  $27.2  million,  or $0.45  per  share  compared  to a net loss of $29.1
million or $0.50 per share in the prior year quarter.  Impacting results for the
quarter were  approximately  $25.5 million in pre-tax costs, or $0.27 per share,
resulting from severance  payments,  third-party  contract  pay-outs,  and asset
write-downs,  primarily  associated with a $30.0 million expense  reduction plan
implemented in the fourth quarter.

         For the twelve months ended February 28, 1999, total revenues increased
10.4% to $2.7  billion  from $2.5  billion in the prior year  period.  Including
pre-tax  costs of $25.5  million,  or $0.27 per share,  primarily  related to an
expense reduction plan, for the fiscal year ended February 28, 1999, the Company
recorded a net loss of $2.0  million,  or $0.03 per share,  versus a net loss of
$55.1 million or $0.98 per share in the prior fiscal year.

         Mr.  DeRusha  noted that  overall  sales  trends and  customer  traffic
patterns were significantly improved during the last half of the fourth quarter.
He added  that the  Heilig-Meyers  division  was well above plan in the month of
February and that these positive trends would carry momentum into the new fiscal
year.  However,  due to  slower  sales in the  critical  December  month and the
transition  underway at the Company's Rhodes division,  earnings from operations
for the quarter ended February 28, 1999, were below  management's  expectations.
Management  noted  that the fourth  quarter  was  transitional  in nature as the
Company worked to implement a cost reduction plan and certain  strategic changes
to better position its operations for the upcoming fiscal year.

         In a closing  statement Mr.  DeRusha  commented  that the management of
Heilig-Meyers  Company was  committed to taking the  necessary  steps to improve
shareholder  value and that  during  the  fourth  quarter  management  had taken
aggressive  steps to lower operating costs in the upcoming fiscal year. He added
that the  Company's  core  business was making  solid  progress  towards  stated
objectives  and that a more  streamlined  and keenly focused  business  strategy
should be instrumental in improving overall operating performance.

         Heilig-Meyers  Company is the Nation's  largest  retailer of furniture,
bedding and related items.  As of February 28, 1999, the Company  operated 1,249
stores: 815 as Heilig-Meyers,  236 as Mattress Discounters,  96 as Rhodes, 70 as
The RoomStore and 32 in Puerto Rico as Berrios.

SAFE HARBOR  STATEMENT  UNDER THE PRIVATE  SECURITIES  LITIGATION  REFORM ACT OF
1995: The forward-looking  statements made above and identified by such words as
"expects,"  "should," and "believes" reflect the Company's  reasonable judgments
with  respect to future  events and is subject to risks and  uncertainties  that
could   cause   actual   results  to  differ   materially   from  those  in  the
forward-looking  statement.  Such  factors  include  but are not limited to, the
customer's willingness,  need and financial ability to purchase home furnishings
and related items, the costs and  effectiveness of promotional  activities,  the
Company's access to, and cost of, capital as well as valuations at which certain
potential  divestitures  may occur.  Other  factors such as changes in tax laws,
consumer credit and bankruptcy  trends,  recessionary or expansive trends in the
Company's  markets,  inflation  rates and  regulations and laws which affect the
Company's  ability to do  business in its markets may also impact the outcome of
the forward-looking statement.


<PAGE>
<TABLE>
                                                   HEILIG-MEYERS COMPANY
                                            CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS
                                       (Amounts in thousands except per share data )
<CAPTION>
                                                       Three Months Ended                     Twelve Months Ended
                                                          February 28,                            February 28,
                                                ----------------------------------     -----------------------------------

                                                      1999               1998                1999                1998
                                                      ----               ----                ----                ----
<S>                                             <C>                 <C>                <C>                 <C>           
Revenues:                                                                                                      
       Sales                                    $     586,303       $     554,018      $    2,431,152      $    2,160,223
       Other income                                    67,900              80,714             295,206             309,513
                                                --------------      --------------     ---------------     ---------------
            Total revenues                            654,203             634,732           2,726,358           2,469,736
                                                --------------      --------------     ---------------     ---------------

Costs and expenses:
       Costs of sales                                 403,641             388,409           1,637,901           1,451,560
       Selling, general and administrative            243,132             214,738             907,913             828,105
       Interest                                        18,429              19,260              75,676              67,283
       Provision for doubtful accounts                 31,578              32,117             107,916             181,645
       Store closing and other charges                      -              25,530                   -              25,530
                                                --------------      --------------     ---------------     ---------------
            Total costs and expenses                  696,780             680,054           2,729,406           2,554,123
                                                --------------      --------------     ---------------     ---------------

Loss before income tax benefit                        (42,577)            (45,322)             (3,048)            (84,387)

Income tax benefit                                    (15,384)            (16,261)             (1,081)            (29,244)
                                                --------------      --------------     ---------------     ---------------

Net loss                                        $     (27,193)      $     (29,061)     $       (1,967)     $      (55,143)
                                                ==============      ==============     ===============     ===============

Net loss per share of common stock:
       Basic                                    $       (0.45)      $       (0.50)     $        (0.03)     $        (0.98)
                                                ==============      ==============     ===============     ===============
       Diluted                                  $       (0.45)      $       (0.50)     $        (0.03)     $        (0.98)
                                                ==============      ==============     ===============     ===============


Weighted average shares:
       Basic                                           59,808              58,088              59,331              56,312
                                                ==============      ==============     ===============     ===============
       Diluted                                         59,808              58,088              59,331              56,312
                                                ==============      ==============     ===============     ===============


Cash dividends per share of common stock        $                   $                  $                   $   
                                                         0.07                0.07                0.28                0.28
                                                ==============      ==============     ===============     ===============
</TABLE>



<PAGE>
<TABLE>

                                                   HEILIG-MEYERS COMPANY
                                           CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS
                                                   (Amounts in thousands)
<CAPTION>

                                                                        February 28,                      February 28,
                                                                            1999                              1998
                                                                    ----------------------              ------------------

ASSETS
<S>                                                                 <C>                                 <C>              
Current assets:
        Cash                                                        $          67,254                   $          48,779
        Accounts receivable, net                                              254,282                             392,765
        Retained interest in securitized
              receivables                                                     190,970                             182,158
        Inventories                                                           493,463                             542,868
        Other current assets                                                  128,605                             126,978
                                                                    ------------------                  ------------------
             Total current assets                                           1,134,574                           1,293,548
                                                                    ------------------                  ------------------

Property and equipment, net                                                   400,686                             398,151
Other assets                                                                   72,632                              55,321
Excess costs over net assets acquired, net                                    344,160                             350,493
                                                                    ------------------                  ------------------

                                                                    $       1,952,052                   $       2,097,513
                                                                    ==================                  ==================


LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Current liabilities:
        Notes payable                                               $         210,000                   $         260,000
        Long-term debt due within one year                                    167,486                              22,365
        Accounts payable                                                      193,799                             203,048
        Accrued expenses                                                      182,956                             216,738
                                                                    ------------------                  ------------------
             Total current liabilities                                        754,241                             702,151
                                                                    ------------------                  ------------------

Long-term debt                                                                547,344                             715,271
Deferred income taxes                                                          45,365                              70,937
Total stockholders' equity                                                    605,102                             609,154
                                                                    ------------------                  ------------------

                                                                    $       1,952,052                   $       2,097,513
                                                                    ==================                  ==================

</TABLE>


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