GENCOR INDUSTRIES INC
8-K, 1999-12-27
CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY & EQUIP
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<PAGE>

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   FORM 8-K/A

                   ----------------------------------------

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934


                        Date of Report: December 3, 1999
                        (Date of earliest event reported)

                   ----------------------------------------

                             GENCOR INDUSTRIES, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


                   ----------------------------------------


    Delaware                        0-3821                      59-0933147
(State or other             (Commission File Number)         (IRS Employer
jurisdiction of                                              Identification
incorporation or                                                  No.)
organization)


             5201 NORTH ORANGE BLOSSOM TRAIL, ORLANDO, FLORIDA 32810
               (Address of principal executive offices, zip code)

                                 (407) 290-6000
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
<PAGE>

ITEM 4.    CHANGES IN REGISTRANT'S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT.

      (a)  This Amendment No. 1 (the "Amendment") supplements the report on
Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 10, 1999,
(the "Report") regarding the Change in Registrant's Certifying Accountant. As
previously disclosed, the Registrant terminated Deloitte & Touche LLP on
December 3, 1999. Attached hereto is Deliotte & Touche LLP's letter dated
December 22, 1999 (the "Letter"), in response to the aforementioned Report. The
Registrant does not agree with many of the representations contained in the
Letter. The Registrant reiterates the positions set forth in the Report.

ITEM 7.    FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

      (c)  Exhibits

      16.1 Letter from Deloitte & Touche LLP (filed herewith)


                                   SIGNATURES

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

                                        GENCOR INDUSTRIES, INC.
                                           (Registrant)

Date:    December 27, 1999              By: /s/ E.J. Elliott
                                          --------------------------------------
                                            E.J. Elliott
                                            Chairman of the Board and President

<PAGE>

                                                                    EXHIBIT 16.1

                [LETTERHEAD OF DELOITTE & TOUCHE APPEARS HERE]

December 22, 1999

Securities and Exchange Commission
Mail Stop 11-3
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20549

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have read the statements of Gencor Industries, Inc. (the "Registrant")
included in Item 4 of its Form 8-K dated December 3, 1999, and our comments are
set forth below. For each sentence in Item 4 of the Registrant's Form 8-K dated
December 3, 1999, as previously submitted by the Registrant, we have repeated
such sentence and included our response thereto.

1/ST/ PARAGRAPH
- ---------------

1.    Subsequent to the issuance of the Registrant's consolidated financial
      statements as of and for the year-ended September 30, 1998, and as
      publicly announced on January 28, 1999, management of the Registrant
      discovered that certain accounting irregularities and other improprieties
      may have occurred at its United Kingdom subsidiary, Gencor ACP, Ltd.
      ("ACP").

      We agree with the Registrant's statement, but would add that Deloitte &
      Touche in the United Kingdom ("DTUK") also identified certain information
      that contributed to the discovery that certain accounting irregularities
      and other improprieties may have occurred at the Registrant's United
      Kingdom subsidiary, Gencor ACP, Ltd. ("ACP").

2.    At the direction of the Registrant's Board of Directors and Audit
      Committee, immediate inquiry was made into the financial affairs of ACP.

      We agree with the Registrant's statement, except that we are not in a
      position to agree or disagree with the characterization of the inquiry
      into the financial affairs of ACP as being immediate or at the direction
      of the Registrant's Board of Directors and Audit Committee. On February 4,
      1999, we discussed with the Registrant's Audit Committee the need for the
      Registrant to conduct an independent investigation into the accounting
      irregularities and other improprieties at ACP.

3.    This quickly develops into a full investigation which over its course
      confirmed accounting irregularities and other improprieties by ACP's
      Managing Director and its Chief Financial Officer, both of whom were
      immediately terminated and replaced.

      We agree with the Registrant's statement, except that we are not in a
      position to agree or disagree with the appropriateness of the subjective
      terms "quickly", "full" and "immediately".

                                       1
<PAGE>

4.   The Registrant then directed that its certified public accountants,
     Deloitte & Touche LLP, take all steps necessary to enable the Registrant
     to complete a re-audit in the U.K. so that the Registrant would be in a
     position to file its restated 1998 consolidated financial statements, and
     further be in a position to file its quarterly statements for the fiscal
     year 1999 at the earliest possible date.

     We disagree with the Registrant's statement to the extent it implies that
     the Registrant was to complete a "re-audit" in the U.K. Deloitte & Touche
     LLP("D&T") and DTUK were requested by the Registrant to perform the
     auditing procedures necessary for D&T to issue its report on the
     Registrant's restated consolidated financial statements as of and for the
     year ended September 30, 1998. We are not in a position to agree or
     disagree with the remaining portions of the statement made by the
     Registrant.


2/ND/PARAGRAPH
- --------------

1.   The Registrant and Deloitte & Touche LLP diligently worked on revising the
     Registrant's consolidated financial statements as of and for the year-ended
     September 30, 1998.

     We disagree with the Registrant's statement to the extent it implies that
     D&T was responsible for revising the Registrant's consolidated financial
     statements as of and for the year ended September 30, 1998. The
     Registrant's management is responsible for restating the Registrant's
     consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended September
     30, 1998. D&T and DTUK were requested by the Registrant to perform the
     auditing procedures necessary for D&T to issue its report on the
     Registrant's restated consolidated financial statements as of and for the
     year ended September 30, 1998.

2.   By the end of January 1999 the Registrant anticipated that it would be able
     to disclose its revised financial statements as of and for the year-ended
     September 30, 1998, to the public within a short period of time thereafter.

     We are not in a position to agree or disagree with the Registrant's
     statement regarding what the Registrant anticipated at the end of January
     1999. However, on February 4, 1999, we advised the Registrant that it
     needed to complete its investigation related to ACP before we would
     consider whether we would issue our report on the Registrant's restated
     consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended September
     30, 1998.

3.   The Registrant received a letter from Deloitte & Touche LLP on February 1,
     1999, to the effect that their report dated November 3, 1998, should no
     longer be relied upon or associated with the Registrant's consolidated
     financial statements as of and for the year-ended September 30, 1998.

     We agree with the Registrant's statement and add that from January 22,
     1999 to February 1, 1999, we repeatedly informed the Registrant that our
     report on the Registrant's consolidated financial statements as of and for
     the year ended September 30, 1998, should no longer be relied upon, and
     repeatedly requested that the Registrant include a statement to that effect
     in a company press release.

                                       2
<PAGE>

3RD PARAGRAPH
- -------------

1.   In April 1999, Registrant and Deloitte & Touche LLP had completed the
     re-audit.

     We disagree with the Registrant's statement to the extent that it implies
     that the Registrant performed a re-audit. We also disagree because we did
     not complete all auditing procedures necessary to issue our report on the
     Registrant's restated consolidated financial statements as of and for the
     year ended September 30, 1998.

2.   However, during the process of the re-audit, the Registrant learned that
     Deloitte & Touche LLP's affiliate in the U.K. ("Deloitte UK") was not in
     compliance with US accounting rules regarding accounting independence
     because Deloitte UK had charged ACP a fee in connection with rendering
     certain executive recruiting services.

     We disagree with the Registrant's statement. DTUK is a member firm
     Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. D&T informed the Registrant that the Staff of the
     Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC Staff") may raise questions
     regarding the independence of D&T or DTUK with respect to the Registrant,
     because DTUK accepted an engagement to perform and did perform certain
     executive recruiting services for ACP and that the matter should be
     discussed with the SEC Staff to determine their position with respect to
     D&T's independence.

3.   The Registrant, its counsel and Deloitte & Touche LLP met with the
     Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") to discuss the matter in
     June of 1999.

     We agree with the Registrant's statement, except that the meeting was with
     members of the Staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

4.   From that time on, this issue became a protracted matter between the SEC
     and Deloitte & Touche LLP.

     We disagree with the Registrant's statement to the extent it implies that
     this matter was only between D&T and the SEC Staff, because the Registrant
     was also a party to this matter given that its financial statements were at
     issue. We are not in a position to agree or disagree with the Registrant's
     statement to the extent that it characterizes this matter as being
     protracted.

5.   Gencor could only wait on the sidelines for a resolution of the matter, or
     directions from the SEC on how to proceed so as to hasten the day when the
     Registrant could file financials and resume the trading of its stock.

     We are not in a position to agree or disagree with the Registrant's
     statement.

6.   The Registrant regularly pursued the SEC to learn of the disposition of the
     independence matter.

     We are not in a position to agree or disagree with the Registrant's
     statement.

7.   However, with no ruling having been rendered, in September 1999, the
     Registrant on its own initiative undertook to have the ACP operation re-
     audited for the second time by a new, wholly-independent accounting firm,
     Grant Thornton, LLP.

     We agree that the Registrant engaged Grant Thornton to audit the financial
     statements of ACP as of and for the year ended September 30, 1998. We
     disagree with the Registrant's
<PAGE>

statement to the extent that it characterizes the engaging of Grant Thornton as
being "on its own initiative". On June 29, 1999, we advised the Registrant that
it should engage another auditor to re-audit the 1998 financial statements of
ACP because doing so may resolve the independence issue being discussed with the
SEC Staff. We are not in a position to agree or disagree with the remaining
portions of the statement made by the Registrant.


4/TH/ PARAGRAPH
- ---------------

1.   The Registrant had presumed that this second re-audit would alleviate any
     possible problems that the SEC had with the Deloitte UK audit.

     We are not in a position to agree or disagree with what the Registrant may
     have presumed.

2.   Although the Grant Thornton, LLP re-audit was to be a costly, and
     time-consuming process, it was believed to be the prudent thing to do in
     order to overcome the SEC/Deloitte & Touche LLP stalemate.

     We are not in a position to agree or disagree with the Registrant's
     statement to the extent that it characterizes the audit by Grant Thornton
     as being a costly and time-consuming process, or as to what the Registrant
     believed to be prudent. We disagree with the Registrant's statement to the
     extent that it characterizes this matter as a SEC/D&T stalemate, because
     the Registrant was also a party to this matter given that its financial
     statements were at issue. We also point out that the Registrant, the SEC
     Staff and D&T were continuing to discuss possible resolutions in order to
     resolve the independence questions, prior to our termination.

3.   At no time was the Registrant alerted that the SEC might disqualify
     Deloitte & Touche LLP also as the consolidating global auditor for all of
     the Registrant worldwide.

     We disagree with the Registrant's statement because on June 29, 1999, in a
     meeting with the Registrant and D&T, the SEC Staff stated that they were
     questioning D&T's independence with respect to the Registrant's
     consolidated financial statements.

4.   Unfortunately on November 18, 1999, the SEC finally responded to the
     Registrant advising that it had determined that Deloitte & Touche LLP was
     not independent on a global basis, thus requiring the Registrant to retain
     the services of another audit firm to re-audit all of the Registrant's
     worldwide operations, not just ACP in England, for the year 1998.

     We disagree with the Registrant's statement that the SEC Staff had
     determined that D&T was not independent with respect to the Registrant on a
     global basis. We received a copy of a letter from the SEC Staff to the
     Registrant, dated November 18, 1999, stating that the SEC Staff "...can
     give you no comfort regarding the independence of your auditors, Deloitte &
     Touche LLP." We do not interpret such statement as being a determination by
     the SEC Staff that D&T was not independent with respect to the Registrant
     on a global basis. Rather, we believe that it is indicative of a position
     that the issue had not yet been resolved to the SEC Staff's satisfaction.

                                       4


<PAGE>

5/TH/ PARAGRAPH
- ---------------

1.   Because of this ruling by the SEC, the Registrant has made the decision to
     terminate Deloitte & Touche LLP and informed Deloitte & Touche LLP of this
     fact on December 3, 1999.

     We agree with the Registrant's statement that we were informed that we had
     been terminated as the Registrant's independent auditor on December 3,
     1999. We disagree with the Registrant's statement that there was a ruling
     by the SEC Staff. We are not in a position to agree or disagree with
     respect to the reason the Registrant made the decision to terminate D&T.

6/TH/ PARAGRAPH
- ---------------

1.   Deloitte & Touche LLP'S report on the Registrant's financial statements for
     each of the last two fiscal years, prior to their withdrawal, did not
     contain an adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion and was not qualified
     or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles.

     We agree with the Registrant's statement, with the clarification that our
     report dated November 3, 1998, on the Registrant's consolidated financial
     statements as of and for the year ended September 30, 1998, was withdrawn
     on February 1, 1999.

2.   The decision to change accountants was approved by the Board of Directors.

     We are not in a position to agree or disagree with the Registrant's
     statement.

3.   During the Registrant's two most recent fiscal years and in the period
     since September 30, 1998, there were no disagreements with Deliotte &
     Touche LLP on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial
     statement disclosure or auditing scope or procedure which disagreements, if
     not resolved to the satisfaction of Deliotte & Touche LLP, would have
     caused it to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreements in
     connection with its report.

     We agree with the Registrant's statement.

7/TH/ PARAGRAPH
- ---------------

1.   The Registrant is in the process of selecting a new nationally-known
     independent certified public accountant and at the present expects to have
     its worldwide re-audit completed in the Spring of 2000.

     We are not in a position to agree or disagree with the Registrant's
     statement.

8/TH/ PARAGRAPH
- ---------------

1.   Information contained in this Report, other than historical information,
     may be considered forward-looking in nature.

                                       5
<PAGE>

   We are not in a position to agree or disagree with the Registrant's
   statement.

2. As such, it is based upon certain assumptions and is subject to various risks
   and uncertainties, which may not be controllable by the Registrant.

   We are not in a position to agree or disagree with the Registrant's
   statement.

3. Some of these assumptions, which relate to the re-audit, will be that (i) the
   Registrant is able to timely select new auditors, and (ii) there will be no
   delays in the conduct of the re-audit.

   We are not in a position to agree or disagree with the Registrant's
   statement.

4. To the extent that these assumptions prove to be incorrect, or should any of
   these risks or uncertainties materialize, the actual results may vary
   materially from those which were anticipated.

   We are not in a position to agree or disagree with the Registrant's
   statement.


                                     Very truly yours,

                                     /s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

                                     Deloitte & Touche LLP

                                       6


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