PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
SUMMARY
Unless the context otherwise requires, the term “Company” as used herein refers to Trans-Lux Corporation and its subsidiaries. The Company is a leading designer and manufacturer of digital signage display solutions. The essential elements of these systems are the real-time, programmable digital displays the Company designs, manufactures, distributes and services. These display systems utilize LED (light emitting diode) technologies. Designed to meet the digital signage solutions for any size venue’s indoor and outdoor needs, these display products include full color text, graphic and video displays for stock and commodity exchanges, financial institutions, college and high school sports stadiums, schools, casinos, convention centers, corporate applications, government applications, theatres, retail sites, airports, billboard sites and numerous other applications. In 2010 the Company started a new business opportunity in the LED lighting market with energy-saving lighting solutions that feature a comprehensive offering of the latest LED lighting technologies that provide facilities and public infrastructure with “green” lighting solutions that emit less heat, save energy and enable creative designs. The Company also owns an income-producing real estate property which has been placed on the market for sale.
DIGITAL DISPLAY PRODUCTS
The Company’s new generation of LED large screen systems features the latest digital display technologies and capabilities. The Company’s product line of high performance state-of-the art digital displays and controllers are used to communicate messages and information in virtually any configuration in a variety of indoor and outdoor applications. Most of the Company’s digital display products include hardware components and sophisticated software. In both the indoor and outdoor markets in which the Company serves, the Company adapts basic product types and technologies for specific use in various niche market applications. The Company also operates a direct service network throughout the United States and parts of Canada, which performs on-site project management, installation, service and maintenance for its customers and others.
The Company employs a modular engineering design strategy, allowing basic “building blocks” of electronic modules to be easily combined and configured in order to meet the broad application requirements of the various industries it serves. This approach ensures product flexibility, reliability, ease of service and minimum spare parts requirements.
The Company’s Digital display market is comprised of two distinct segments: the Digital display sales division and the Digital display lease and maintenance division. Digital displays are used by financial institutions, including brokerage firms, banks, energy companies, insurance companies and mutual fund companies; sports stadiums and venues; educational institutions; outdoor advertising companies; corporate and government communication centers; retail outlets; casinos, race tracks and other gaming establishments; airports, train stations, bus terminals and other transportation facilities; movie theatres; health maintenance organizations and in various other applications.
Digital Display Sales Division: The Digital display sales market is currently dominated by five categories of users: financial, government/private sector, gaming, scoreboards and outdoor advertising.
The financial sector, which includes trading floors, exchanges, brokerage firms, banks, mutual fund companies and energy companies, has long been a user of electronic information displays due to the need for real-time dissemination of data. The major stock and commodity exchanges depend on reliable information displays to post stock and commodity prices, trading volumes, interest rates and other financial data. Brokerage firms use electronic ticker displays for both customers and brokers; they have also installed other larger displays to post major headline news events in their brokerage offices to enable their sales force to stay up-to-date on events affecting general market conditions and specific stocks. Banks and other financial institutions also use information displays to advertise product offerings to consumers. The financial sector has a product line of advanced last sale price displays, full color LED tickers and graphic/video displays.
The government/private sector includes applications found in major corporations, public utilities and government agencies for the display of real-time, critical data in command/control centers, data centers, help desks, visitor centers, lobbies, inbound/outbound telemarketing centers, retail applications to attract customers and for employee communications. Digital displays have found acceptance in applications for the healthcare industry such as outpatient pharmacies, military hospitals and HMOs to automatically post patient names when prescriptions are ready for pick up.
Theatres use digital displays to post current box office and ticket information, directional information and to promote concession sales. Information displays are consistently used in airports, bus terminals and train stations to post arrival and departure times and gate and baggage claim information, all of which help to guide passengers through these facilities.
The gaming sector includes casinos, Indian gaming establishments and racetracks. These establishments generally use large information displays to post odds for race and sporting events and to display timely information such as results, track conditions, jockey weights, scratches and real-time video. Casinos and racetracks also use digital displays throughout their facilities to advertise to and attract gaming patrons.
The scoreboard sector includes digital displays used by high schools, college sports stadiums, sports venues, municipal sports playing fields, entertainment facilities and recreational facilities. This sector generally sells through dealers and distributors.
The outdoor advertising sector includes digital displays used by automobile dealerships, churches, military installations, gas stations, highway departments, entertainment facilities and outdoor advertisers, such as digital billboards, attempting to capture the attention of passers-by.
Equipment for the digital display sales segment generally has a lead-time of 30 to 120 days depending on the size and type of equipment ordered and material availability.
Digital Display Lease and Maintenance Division: The Digital display lease and maintenance division leases and performs maintenance on digital displays across all of the sectors under agreement terms ranging from 30 days to 10 years.
Sales Order Backlog (excluding leases): The amount of sales order backlog at December 31, 2011 and 2010 was approximately $2.9 million and $3.1 million, respectively. The December 31, 2011 backlog is expected to be recognized in 2012. These amounts include only the sale of products; they do not include new lease orders or renewals of existing lease agreements that may be presently in-house.
ENGINEERING AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
The Company’s ability to compete and operate successfully depends on its ability to anticipate and respond to the changing technological and product needs of its customers, among other factors. For this reason, the Company continually develops enhancements to its existing product lines and examines and tests new display technologies.
In 2010, the Company introduced TLVision, our new generation of LED Large Screen Systems that feature the latest digital display technologies and capabilities, available in various pitch design, including the industry’s first 3mm LED display solution. This new line of products consists of full color video products that can be used in a multitude of applications. These applications range from posting alphanumeric data to the displaying of full HD video. The pixel pitches of the products range from 3mm for very close distance viewing and up to 127mm for very long distance viewing. The Company also recently expanded its line of scoreboard solutions using its TLVision technology and improved hand-held, simple to operate remotes and wireless control devices.
As part of its ongoing development efforts, the Company seeks to package certain products for specific market segments as well as continually tracking emerging technologies that can enhance its products. Full color, live video and digital input technologies continue to be enhanced.
The Company maintains a staff of 9 people who are responsible for product development and support. The engineering, product enhancement and development efforts are supplemented by outside independent engineering consulting organizations, as required. Engineering expense and product enhancement and development costs amounted to $0.8 million and $1.1 million in 2011 and 2010, respectively.
MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION
The Company markets its digital display products in the United States and Canada using a combination of distribution channels, including 15 direct sales representatives, three telemarketers and a network of independent dealers and distributors. By working with software vendors and using the internet to expand the quality and quantity of multimedia content that can be delivered to our digital displays, we are able to offer customers relevant, timely information, content management software and display hardware in the form of turnkey display communications packages.