You should carefully consider each of the following risks associated with an investment in our common stock and all of the other information in this 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our business may also be adversely affected by risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial. If any of the events contemplated by the following discussion of risks should occur, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations may suffer.
Customers in the oil and gas industry account for a significant portion of our sales. Reduced expenditures by customers in this industry are likely to reduce our net sales, profitability and cash flows.
Customers related to the oil and gas industry accounted for approximately 35% and 40% of our sales in 2011 and 2010, respectively. The oil and gas industry is a cyclical commodity business, with product demand and prices based on numerous factors such as general economic conditions and local, regional and global events and conditions that affect supply, demand and profits. Demand for our products and services benefits from oil and gas markets, a decline in demand or prices for oil and gas will likely cause a decrease in demand for our products and services and result in a decline in our net sales, profit margins and cash flows.
Our products include complex systems for energy and industrial markets which are subject to operational and liability risks.
We are engaged in the manufacture and installation of complex power distribution and control systems for the energy and industrial markets. These systems are frequently complex and susceptible to unique engineering elements that are not tested in the actual operating environment until commissioned. As a result, we may incur unanticipated additional operating and warranty expenses that were not anticipated when the fixed-price contracts were estimated and executed resulting in reduced profit margins on such projects.
The industries in which we operate are highly competitive, which may result in a loss of market share or decrease in net sales or profit margin.
Our products and services are provided in a highly competitive environment and we are subject to competition from a number of similarly sized or larger businesses which may have greater financial and other resources than are available to us. Factors that affect competition include timely delivery of products and services, reputation, manufacturing capabilities, price, performance and dependability. Any failure to adapt to a changing competitive environment may result in a loss of market share and a decrease in net sales and profit margins.
We often utilize fixed-price contracts which could adversely affect our financial results.
We currently generate, and expect to continue to generate, a significant portion of our net sales under fixed-price contracts. We must estimate the costs of completing a particular project to bid for such fixed-price contracts. The cost of labor and materials, however, may vary from the costs we originally estimated. These variations, along with other risks inherent in performing fixed-price contracts, may result in actual net sales and gross profits for a project differing from those we originally estimated and could result in reduced profitability and losses on projects. Depending upon the size of fixed-price contracts, variations from estimated contract costs can have a significant impact on our operating results for any fiscal quarter or year.
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| Dated: March 30, 2012 | ||
| AMERICAN ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGIES, INC. | ||
| By: |
/S/ CHARLES M. DAUBER | |
| Charles M. Dauber | ||
| President and Chief Executive Officer | ||
| (Principal Executive Officer) | ||