MIRA INFORM REPORT

 

 

Report Date :

04.08.2012

 

IDENTIFICATION DETAILS

 

Name :

CAESAREA CARPETS (97) LTD

 

 

Formerly Known As :

BARKAN CARPETS INDUSTRIES (97) LTD.

 

 

Registered Office :

2 Haetzel Street, New Industrial Zone, Rishon Le-Zion 7570604     

 

 

Country :

Israel

 

 

Financials (as on) :

31.03.2012

 

 

Date of Incorporation :

29.01.1997

 

 

Legal Form :

Private Limited Company

 

 

Line of Business :

Manufacturers, importers, marketers and exporters of woven and wall-to-wall carpets

 

 

No. of Employees :

261 employees in the Group's floor covering segment

 

RATING & COMMENTS

 

MIRA’s Rating :

Ba

 

RATING

STATUS

PROPOSED CREDIT LINE

41-55

Ba

Overall operation is considered normal. Capable to meet normal commitments.

Satisfactory

 


 

Status :

Satisfactory

Payment Behaviour :

No Complaints

Litigation :

Clear

 

 

NOTES:

Any query related to this report can be made on e-mail: infodept@mirainform.com while quoting report number, name and date.

 

ECGC Country Risk Classification List – March 31st, 2012

 

Country Name

Previous Rating

(31.12.2011)

Current Rating

(31.03.2012)

Israel

A2

A2

 

Risk Category

ECGC Classification

Insignificant

 

A1

Low

 

A2

Moderate

 

B1

High

 

B2

Very High

 

C1

Restricted

 

C2

Off-credit

 

D

 

 


Company name & address 

 

CAESAREA CARPETS (97) LTD.

(Also known as: CARMEL CARPETS & PARQUETS)

 

Headquarters:

Telephone    972 3 953 64 00

Fax              972 3 961 17 89

2 Haetzel Street

New Industrial Zone

RISHON LE-ZION                               7570604         ISRAEL

 

Plant:

Telephone    972 3 908 19 10

Fax              972 3 936 50 05

11 Shoham Street

Industrial Zone

BARKAN      4482000           ISRAEL

 

 

HISTORY & LEGAL FORMATION

 

A private limited company, incorporated as per file No. 51-244140-3 on the 29.01.1997 under the name BARKAN CARPETS INDUSTRIES (97) LTD., which changed to the present one on the 03.06.1998.

 

In April 1999 the Eitani Family sold their holding in CAESAREA CARPET INDUSTRIES LTD., a private limited company incorporated in 1994, continuing “Carmel Carpets” activities which began in the 1960s) to CARMEL HOLDINGS (I.L) LTD. (formerly BETILI LTD.), a publicly traded company, also controlled by the Eitani Family, who merged these activities into subject.

 

 

SHARE CAPITAL

 

Authorized share capital NIS 9,000,000.00, divided into -

                9,000,000 ordinary shares of NIS 1.00 each,

of which 8,610,000 shares amounting to NIS 8,610,000.00 were issued.

 

 

SHAREHOLDERS

 

Subject is fully owned by CARMEL HOLDINGS (I.L) LTD., a public limited liability company, whose shares are traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) (on the preservation list), controlled by the Eitani Family (74.66%) and NORSTAR HOLDINGS INC. (14.8%, publicly traded on TASE), controlled by Haim Katzman.

 

DIRECTORS

 

·         Ofer Eitani, General Manager,

Haim Eitani, Chairman of CARMEL HOLDINGS,

Aviv Eitani.

 

 

BUSINESS

 

Manufacturers, importers, marketers and exporters of woven and wall-to-wall carpets.

 

In 2011 subject manufactured 817,000 sq.m woven carpets and 350,000 sq.m wall-to-wall carpets.

Sales are to the private and institutional sectors, to Israel, Palestinian Authority and worldwide. 24% of sales were for export.

 

Since the beginning of 2011 subject is in charge of the Group's floor covering sales for the institutional market, while sales to the retail sector is carried out via Group's subsidiary CARMEL FLOOR DESIGN.

Floor Coverings segment in CARMEL Group also includes import and marketing of parquets and artificial grass, sold via “Carmel Carpets & parquets” chain store of 17 branches (4 operated directly and rest via concessionaires), as well as floor covering departments inside retail chains Home Center (12 points), Betili (16), IDdesign (3) and "Floor" store in Tel Aviv Port. Also selling on wholesale basis to SHUFERSAL supermarket chain, HOME CENTER DIY chain and others.

Local representatives of: DURKAN, MOHAWK (USA), NEWMOR (UK), EGE (Denmark), EGGER (Germany). Also importers and sole licensed marketers of "Disney Carpets" and "Bratz Carpets".

 

80% of raw material purchasing was from import, mainly from Europe.

 

Operating from parent's CARMEL/BETILI rented offices, on an area of 1,200 sq. meters (serving the Group), in 2 Haetzel Street, New Industrial Zone, Rishon Le-Zion, from a plant, on an area of 8,500 sq. meters, owned by the Group, in Shaked Industrial Zone, and from plant and warehouses in several facilities (all rented), on total area of over 17,450 sq. meters, in 11 Shoham Street, Barkan Industrial Zone (serving subject and other Group members, including E.F.).

Flagship retail store of "Carmel Carpets & parquets" is in Bnei Brak, on an area of 300 sq. meters, owned by the Group.

 

Having 261 employees in the Group's floor covering segment, which includes subject (had 257 employees in end of 2010). Having 698 employees serving the whole BEITILI Group.

 

 

MEANS

 

As part of a organizational change in the CARMEL Group, on 01.01.2011 parent company CARMEL HOLDINGS transferred to subject all the institutional activities, including stock and customers' relations, for NIS 2.6 million (price was valued by an outside evaluator).

 

Financial data is included in the consolidated financial statements of parent company, CARMEL HOLDINGS (I.L) LTD., which shows:

                                                                                    NIS (thousands)

                                                                         31.12.2011                  31.03.2012

ASSETS

Current assets

     Cash and cash equivalents                                      7,527                       6,560

     Customers                                                            52,764                     50,925

     Other debtors                                                        10,832                     12,487

     Other current assets                                                  581                          825

     Stock                                                                   66,296                     66,176

                                                                              138,000                   136,973

 

Non-current assets

     Fixed assets (net)                                                 37,152                     36,237

     Other non-current assets                                       13,595                     13,859

                                                                                50,747                     50,096

                                                                              188,747                   187,069

                                                                            =======                 =======

 

LIABILITIES

Current liabilities                                                      103,010                     99,444

Non-current liabilities                                                  34,191                     34,257

Equity                                                                       51,546                     53,368

                                                                              188,747                   187,069

                                                                            =======                 =======

 

 

CARMEL HOLDINGS (I.L) LTD market value US$ 7 million.

 

Subject is an approved enterprise, and as such entitled to tax benefits and State incentives.

In December 2003, Israeli Investment Center (IIC) approved a US$ 1.5 million investment plan for the expansion of subject’s plant.

In June 2005, the IIC approved a NIS 1 million investment plan for the expansion of subject’s plant.

In December 2009, the IIC approved an investment plan for the expansion of subject’s plant.

 

Assets attributed to the floor covering segment as of 31.12.2011 (in brackets 31.10.2010): NIS 101,295,000 (NIS 91,852,000).

There are 14 charges for unlimited amounts registered on company’s assets (financial assets and fixed assets), in favor of the state of Israel, Mercantile Discount Bank Ltd, Bank Leumi Le’Israel Ltd., Union Bank of Israel Ltd. and Israel Discount Bank Ltd. (last 2 charges placed November 2011).

 

 


SALES

 

In the financial statements of parent CARMEL HOLDINGS (I.L) LTD., the floor covering field, which is attributed to subject and its subsidiaries, sales were:

 

2008 sales were NIS 110,000,000, making an operating profit of NIS 5,900,000. Subject ended 2008 with a net profit of NIS 188,000.

2009 sales were NIS 103,500,000, making an operating profit of NIS 5,075,000.

Subject ended 2009 with a net profit of NIS 1,654,000.

2010 sales were NIS 119,600,000, making an operating profit of NIS 4,436,000.

Subject ended 2010 with a net profit of NIS 1,602,000.

 

Since 2011, the floor covering field includes also new company CARMEL FLOOR DESIGN, in addition to subject.

2011 sales were NIS 126,642,000, making an operating profit of NIS 6,621,000.

Subject ended 2011 with a net profit of NIS 2,522,000.

Sales for the first quarter of 2012 were NIS 33,002,000 (1.7% rise from 2011 1stQ), making an operating profit of NIS 527,000.

 

                                                                         CARMEL HOLDINGS (I.L) LTD. LTD.

                                                                            Consolidated Statement of Income

                                                                                             NIS (thousands)

                                                                                      Year ended on the 31.12

                                                                               2009                 2010                   2011

Sales                                                                       205,133            223,701            243,602

 

Gross profit                                                                 87,034              94,388            106,862

 

Operating income*                                                       31,729              12,203              11,228

 

Income before income taxes                                         29,341               7,912                8,294

 

Profit from continuing operation                                     28,426               5,541                7,942

Profit from ceased operation                                           7,370                      -                       -

Net profit                                                                    35,796               5,541                7,942

                                                                             =======         =======          =======

 

* 2009 operating profit includes “other income” of NIS 25,594,000, deriving from a capital gain following the agreement signed with its bonds holders.

 

 

CARMEL HOLDINGS (I.L) LTD. LTD. consolidated first 3 months of 2012 sales were NIS 61,270,000 (similar to the parallel period in 2011), making a gross profit of NIS 25,822,000, an operating income of NIS 2,135,000 and a net income of NIS 1,822,000.

 


OTHER COMPANIES

 

SHAKED CARPETS LTD., 50%, importers and marketers of floor covering, mainly parquet floors,

 

CARMEL HOLDINGS (I.L) LTD., via subsidiaries, operates in the floor covering, furniture and household products fields. Holding also:

CARMEL FLOOR DESIGN LTD., Group's retail activities in the floor covering field to retail chains,

IKOO DESIGNS LTD., 100%, furniture manufacturing,

ZIEGLER INVESTMENTS LTD., 100%, investments and real estate,

E.F. DESIGN LP (EFD), 50%, operates the "Betili" (19 branches), "I.D. Design" (3 branches) and "Rich & Taylor" (4 branches), “My Home Page” (8 stores and via the Internet, focusing on young audience), as well as “Hazorea Furniture Center” store. Also importers and marketers of furniture, household products, lighting elements, home textile goods, etc.

E.F. HOME DESIGNS LTD., 50%, management company for the above chains,

 

Eitani family also owns, among other companies:

HAIM EITANI HOLDINGS LTD.

CLASSIGAN LTD., 33%, garden furniture manufacturers and marketers.

NATZRANIT HOLDINGS LTD., fully owned by Aviv Eitani, owns EAGLE FORKLIFTS AND LOGISTICS LTD., 100%, importers and marketers of forklifts. Also have holdings in real estate ventures.

 

NORSTAR HOLDINGS INC., a foreign publicly traded company, current market value US$ 378 million, part of GAZIT GLOBE Group, operating in the real estate investment fields, in acquisition, development and management of yielding properties in Israel, North America, Northern Europe. Holds 56.37% in GAZIT GLOBE LTD., publicly traded on TASE, current market value US$ 1,581 million.

 

 

BANKERS

 

Mercantile Discount Bank Ltd, Ramat Gan Branch (No. 663), Ramat Gan.

Bank Leumi Le'Israel Ltd, Rishon Le-Zion Business Branch (No. 671),

Rishon Le-Zion.

Israel Discount Bank Ltd.

Note: Since we were unable to speak with subject's officials, we could not confirm a/m bank data).

 

 

CHARACTER AND REPUTATION

 

Nothing unfavorable learned.

 

Despite our efforts, we were unable to speak with subject's officials, as they were always unavailable. We left messages which so far remain unanswered.

 

"Carmel" is a leading company in their fields. Both “Betili” and “Carmel Carpets” chains are leading and well-recognized brands in their fields. CARMEL   estimates its market in the floor covering branch share at 20%. "Carmel Carpets" logo is the most recognized carpets brand in the local market.

In April 1999, parent CARMEL acquired subject’s shares in consideration of NIS 2.8 million.

In November 2001, subject acquired SHOMRON CARPETS, for a sum of US$ 800,000 after SHOMRON CARPETS stumbled upon financial difficulties.

 

In December 2004, subject acquired 40% in CARPETEC LTD., for a sum of NIS 637,000, and reached full ownership in this company.

 

In 2006 CARMEL HOLDINGS entered into business activities in the Turkish market (acquired 50.1% of the veteran and large carpet plant). The venture, in which it invested US$ millions encountered heavy financial difficulties during 2007 (allegedly due to market conditions and an internal fraud), and reached bankruptcy. As a result CARMEL entered financial difficulties (causing a loss of NIS 50 million) and had to seek an agreement with its bonds holders. In its financial statements for the 2ndQ08 and 3rdQ08 “going concerns” note was attached.

In December 2008 CARMEL reached a settlement (approved by Court in March 2009) with its bonds holders regarding re-schedule payments and in discounted sums and converting some of the bonds into shares (as well as fueling capital by CARMEL controlling shareholders and bank loan), allowing CARMEL to continue normal operation. Following that, CARMEL’s financial standing stabilized and improved gradually.

 

Due to not meeting the Stock Exchange tradability rules, in February 2009 CARMEL HOLDINGS’s shares moved to be traded on the low-tradability list and in February 2010 moved to the preservation list. In January 2011 shares were re-transferred to the main list, however, on the 23.01.2012 shares were transferred again to the preservation list.

 

NORSTAR HOLDINGS is part of the leading real estate investment GAZIT GLOBE Group, controlled by Haim Katzman and Dori Segal.

 

In 2003 the Eitani family, founders of "Betili" chain, joined forces with Eliezer Fishman Group, founders of "IDesign" Chain, establishing a new partnership – E.F. DDESIGNS, becoming jointly the largest furniture chain in Israel. FISHMAN Group is also a leading retailer in the household, DIY and other fields (via HOME CENTER chain and others).

 

During 2006, subject opened 12 points of sale ("store within store") in HOME CENTER branches, local largest DIY chain spread countrywide, replacing a previous franchise.

 

Subject's Group acquired in 2006 a plot of 30,000 sq. meters in Ariel Western Industrial Zone, to where it plans to shift all the Group's logistics operations, including subject's. In January 2011 Group signed agreement to sell 50% of the land to a 3rd party, and agreed to cooperate in erecting the logistic center.

 

In December 2008, it was reported that CARMEL Group received the exclusivity for German parquet manufacturer EGGER for marketing it in Israel. CARMEL is also investing in penetration the local wallpaper niche.

Also In December 2008 it was reported that CARMEL is re-branding itself with an investment of NIS 3 million.

 

In May 2009 it was reported CARMEL entered the artificial grass niche with a new retail store in Ilanot Janction, with an investment of NIS 500,000. The artificial grass market is estimated at NIS 10 million per year.

 

In February 2012 it was reported that subject closed orders in value of tens NIS million during the 'Domotex' exhibition in Germany, deals with representatives from over 20 countries.

 

The local floor covers market (carpets, rugs, wall-to-wall carpets, parquets floor) is estimated well over at US$ 100 million per annum.

 

SUMMARY

 

Good for trade engagements.

 

Note: Since the beginning of 2012 Israel Post started using a new area code method of 7 digits (the old method of 5 digits will still be valid till end of 2012).

 

 

FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES

 

Currency

Unit

Indian Rupees

US Dollar

1

Rs.56.08

UK Pound

1

Rs.87.03

Euro

1

Rs.68.36

 

INFORMATION DETAILS

 

Report Prepared by :

MNL

 

RATING EXPLANATIONS

 

RATING

STATUS

 

 

PROPOSED CREDIT LINE

>86

Aaa

Possesses an extremely sound financial base with the strongest capability for timely payment of interest and principal sums

 

Unlimited

71-85

Aa

Possesses adequate working capital. No caution needed for credit transaction. It has above average (strong) capability for payment of interest and principal sums

 

Large

56-70

A

Financial & operational base are regarded healthy. General unfavourable factors will not cause fatal effect. Satisfactory capability for payment of interest and principal sums

 

Fairly Large

41-55

Ba

Overall operation is considered normal. Capable to meet normal commitments.

 

Satisfactory

26-40

B

Capability to overcome financial difficulties seems comparatively below average.

 

Small

11-25

Ca

Adverse factors are apparent. Repayment of interest and principal sums in default or expected to be in default upon maturity

 

Limited with full security

<10

C

Absolute credit risk exists. Caution needed to be exercised

 

 

Credit not recommended

----

NB

New Business

----

 

This score serves as a reference to assess SC’s credit risk and to set the amount of credit to be extended. It is calculated from a composite of weighted scores obtained from each of the major sections of this report. The assessed factors and their relative weights (as indicated through %) are as follows:

 

Financial condition (40%)            Ownership background (20%)                 Payment record (10%)

Credit history (10%)                    Market trend (10%)                                Operational size (10%)

 

 

PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL : This information is provided to you at your request, you having employed MIPL for such purpose. You will use the information as aid only in determining the propriety of giving credit and generally as an aid to your business and for no other purpose. You will hold the information in strict confidence, and shall not reveal it or make it known to the subject persons, firms or corporations or to any other. MIPL does not warrant the correctness of the information as you hold it free of any liability whatsoever. You will be liable to and indemnify MIPL for any loss, damage or expense, occasioned by your breach or non observance of any one, or more of these conditions

This report is issued at your request without any risk and responsibility on the part of MIRA INFORM PRIVATE LIMITED (MIPL) or its officials.