SEC Company Response from BRANDPARTNERS GROUP INC (CIK 0000798600) — Aug 29, 2005
BRANDPARTNERS GROUP INC (CIK 0000798600)
Date: Aug. 29, 2005 · CIK: 0000798600 · Accession: 0001144204-05-027308
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CORRESP
1
filename1.htm
Unassociated Document
August
29, 2005
Securities
and Exchange Commission
450
Fifth
Street, N.W.
Washington,
DC 20549
Attn:
Jorge Bonilla, Senior Staff Accountant
RE:
BrandPartners Group, Inc.
(the
“Company”) Form 10-K for the Year Ended December 31, 2004
Form 10-Q for the Quarterly
Periods
Ended March 31, 2005 and June 30, 2005
File No.
00-16530
Dear
Mr.
Bonilla:
On
behalf
of the Company, we enclose responses that correspond directly to the numbered
comments in the Commission’s letter of August 15, 2005.
Form
10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2004
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements, General
1.
We
note that on page 11 that the Company is organized into three separate
business units. Tell us how you considered SFAS 131 in determining
your
reportable segments information.
Response:
Management
does not consider the three separate business units to be operating segments.
According to the definition of an “operating segment,” the primary criteria
are:
a.
The
business segment earns revenues and incurs
expenses
b.
The
enterprise’s chief operating decision maker makes decisions about
resources to be allocated to the
segment.
c.
Individual
financial information is
available.
At
BrandPartners Group, resources are used by all business units and are not
segregated to a specific segment. In a typical project, a customer may use
the
services of all three business units in the process of completing a project.
The
three business units address all the phases of the overall project, from
determining which building site to use, to the design/building of the facility,
to branding/corporate identity implementation, to the merchandising fixtures
as
part of the branding program for the location, and to the collateral for the
location which further defines the marketing message. These functions have
been
defined in order to provide a more efficient method of servicing our customers
and not as independent operating segments.
Securities
and Exchange Commission
August
29, 2005
Page
2
In
accordance with paragraph 17 of SFAS 131, although the Company utilizes the
three business units, the operating segments exhibit similar long-term financial
performance, and therefore, are combined into one segment. Furthermore,
according to paragraph 73 of SFAS 131, the Board believed “that separate
reporting of segment information will not add significantly to an investor’s
understanding of an enterprise if its operating segments have characteristics
so
similar that they can be expected to have essentially the same future
prospects.” This is the case with BrandPartners Group.
2.
Please
explain to use the major terms for each type of contract where you
recognize revenue using a percentage-of-completion method including,
but
not limited to, the duration, the billing and payment requirements
and the
rights of cancellation and refund that you considered in your
determination of how to recognize revenue. Disclose the type of contracts
based on the methods of pricing (e.g., fixed-price or lump-sum, cost-type,
time-and material, unit-price).
Response:
The
percentage-of-completion method of accounting is used for our design and
construction management projects. In a typical contract, a financial institution
contracts with BrandPartners to provide design and/or construction management
services. A contract has the following attributes:
a.
Duration
from a few to several months - majority less than 1
year
b.
Deposit
is requested at time of
signing
c.
Invoicing
after initial deposit is based upon work
performed
d.
Cancellation
is permitted with reimbursement for work performed to
date
BrandPartners
provides construction management services. BrandPartners contracts with a
general contractor, who then makes arrangements with and is responsible for
various subcontractors. BrandPartners may also contract with additional
subcontractors to provide specialized services such as millwork or bank
equipment. At the beginning of the contract, an initial deposit is requested
from the customer. The deposits are recorded on the balance sheet as an
overbilling since no work has been performed. As the work is performed, revenue
is recognized based upon the percentage-of-completion method. The criteria
for
percentage-of-completion recognition is based upon the invoices received (costs
incurred) from the various contractors for work performed to date, including
materials and labor costs incurred to date. These costs are reviewed by the
project manager in charge of the project to determine accuracy and completeness.
Vendor invoices are also compared against the budget to assure that actual
work
is being performed within agreed budgetary limits. For the revenue calculation,
the costs as a percentage of the entire budget for the project are used to
calculate and recognize revenue. Revenue is thus recognized to the extent of
the
work actually completed. The customer is billed according to the terms of the
contract. Billing to customers in many instances is restricted to a 20-day
cycle, while revenue recognition is based upon the period costs incurred to
date.
Most
contracts are fixed price contracts. This includes both the contracts with
the
customer and with the contractors. Adjustments may be made to the original
agreement through change orders, which are beyond the original scope of the
project. In the entire history of the company, no refunds have ever been
required since these projects are thoroughly researched and agreed to before
the
beginning of the project. If a project were to be cancelled, under the terms
of
the AIA contract, the customer is obligated to pay for all work performed to
date.
Securities
and Exchange Commission
August
29, 2005
Page
3
3.
We
understand that you are using input measure to determine percentage
of
completion. Please advise us whether you use this measure of performance
for fixed price service contracts. If so, generally for fixed price
service contracts that are not within the scope of SOP 81-1, we believe
that an output methodology is more appropriate than an input methodology
as the latter could result in an inappropriate acceleration of revenue.
If
applicable, clarify to use the basis for your use of inputs rather
than
outputs to measure performance under fixed price contracts. Your
response
should address but need not be limited to the
following:
·
Whether
or not you incur significant start-up costs under these contracts
and how
that affects revenue recognition;
·
Your
realization rates under these contracts and your charge off experience
under these contracts;
·
Whether
or not upon contract termination, the termination fee owed to you
would be
the amount due to you if this had been a time and materials
contract.
Response:
We
actually use proportional performance for determining the percentage of
completion. Invoices from the general contractor and other subcontractors for
actual work performed are used as the basis for calculating the percentage
of
completion for the project. The above invoices are verified and approved by
the
project manager to assure that they are complete and correct. We do not have
any
start-up costs on our projects - the costs are expensed as incurred. As noted
above, we provide construction management services and pay the general
contractor for work after it is performed. In future submittals, we will change
the wording in the description to be more reflective of the actual
process.
4.
We
note on page six that you offer services independently or as a holistic
package. Please tell us how you have considered the provisions of
EITF
00-21 for each of the deliverables in the holistic
package.
Response:
BrandPartners works with its customers to provide solutions. The “solution”
might consist of a new bank branch (designed and built by the construction
management business unit), which contains merchandising fixtures (i.e. wall
frames, kiosks), provided by the merchandising business unit. Those same
merchandising fixtures might contain posters and brochures created by the point
of sale business unit. In accordance with EITF 00-21, the revenue recognition
for each product is determined by the nature of the product. For example, branch
construction revenue is based upon percentage-of-completion. The revenue for
the
merchandising fixtures and for the posters and brochures in those merchandising
fixtures is recognized upon the delivery and/or installation of the products.
The Company gives its customers the opportunity to take advantage of any and
all
product offerings without reference to any specific business unit. The internal
mechanism to recognize revenue and its associated costs is based upon the nature
of the product being provided.
Securities
and Exchange Commission
August
29, 2005
Page
4
Note
H
- Long Term Debt, page 58
5.
With
respect to the forgiveness of debt disclosed in Note H(1), please
explain
to us how you considered footnote 1 in APB Opinion 26 in determining
that
gain recognition was appropriate. Often the forgiveness of principal
or
accrued interest on loans among related parties is, in substance,
capital
transactions.
Response:
In
January of 2001, the former shareholders of Willey Brothers, Inc. sold their
stock to BrandPartners Group, Inc. As part of the agreement, the former
shareholders were paid a combination of cash and BrandPartners stock, and were
issued subordinated promissory notes. In January of 2004, the former
shareholders agreed to the cancellation and forgiveness of the debt related
to
the notes. At the time, the former shareholders had no function with the Company
other than to serve as consultants when requested. In accordance with FAS 57,
we
determined that as they were not part of management and had no control over
the
Company nor could they significantly influence the management nor the operating
policies of the Company to the extent that one of the parties might be prevented
from fully pursuing its own separate interests, they were, therefore, not
considered related parties, and the forgiveness of debt occasioned by the
January 2004 agreement was treated as a gain.
In
connection with the foregoing responses, the Company acknowledges
that:
·
It
is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in
the
filings;
·
Staff
comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments do
not
foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the
filings; and
·
It
may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated
by
the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of
the
United States.
Should
you have any questions or would like to further discuss any of the responses
contained herein, please do not hesitate to contact the
undersigned.
Sincerely,
BRANDPARTNERS
GROUP, INC.
/s/
Suzanne Verrill
Suzanne
Verrill
Chief
Financial Officer
cc:
Baratta & Goldstein