Ness Motley Documents
Brooke Group Ltd. 1993 Stockholders' Report
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- Notes
Affected Defendants: L&M, LGI, BGL
- Site
- Budd, Larner
- Named Organization
- MAI Systems Inc.
- L&M
- RJR
- SEC
- EPA
- FDA
- OSHA
- L&M
- Named Person
- Chakalian, R.
- Horrigan, E.
- LeBow, B.
- Act, Comprehensive Smoking Education
- Act, Omnibus Buget Reconciliation
- Skybox
- Sauter
- Horrigan, E.
- Author (Organization)
- Brooke Group Ltd. (L&M)
- Type
- Report
- Original File
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Brooke Group Ltd.
Stockholders' Report
III II I Ill I ill Ill I I I I LI

BROOKE GROUP LTD.
Dear Fellow Shareholder:
Nineteen ninety-three and 1994 have seen important developments in the
operations of Brooke Group and in the restructuring of our company.
For 1993, Brooke Group reported consolidated revenues of $673.5 million, with
net income of $106.8 million, or $5.60 per share after extraordinary items and
accounting changes. These extraordinary items and accounting changes were
primarily related to our decision to retain MAI Systems Inc. after its emergence
from reorganization under Chapter 11, and its subsequent reconsolidation into
Brooke Group. Prior to MAI's reorganization, Brooke Group had accounted for
MAI as a discontinued operation, and not as a consolidated subsidiary.
Liggett Group Inc.
The past year was a difficult one for both Liggett and the cigarette industry. As a
whole, 1993 certainly proved challenging, due in large part to increased
competitive pressure coupled with the difficult regulatory environment and the
proliferation of tobacco litigation. Liggett responded to these challenges by
going back to basics. The Company refocused its sales efforts on the discount
segment, restructured its manufacturing operations and streamlined its sales
force. These moves were designed to enhance Liggett's position as a low cost
producer of cigarettes. In the first quarter of 1994, Liggett reported its first profit
since the fourth quarter of 1992. In addition, units sold through the third quarter
of 1994 were approximately 10 percent higher than in the prior year's
comparable period.
Liggett intends to take additional steps to build on this forward momentum by
further reducing costs, maintaining an aggressive yet flexible posture in the U.S.
cigarette market and intensifying its efforts in the export and international arena.
In June 1994, the Company named Rouben V. Chakalian, former Executive Vice
President of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco International and a board member of both
Liggett and Liggett-Ducat J.S.C. since 1993, as President and Chief Executive
Officer. Mr. Chakalian, who served as a consultant to Liggett from 1991 to 1994,
succeeds Edward A. Horrigan, Jr., who will continue to serve as Liggett's
Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Today, as we look to the future, Brooke Group is focused on new opportunities
while working hard to enhance the value of its existing assets and ongoing.
businesses. While there is still a great deal of work to be done, we believe that
we have made substantial progress.
Sincerely,
Bennett S. I'eBow
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
October 21, 1994

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K/A NO. 2
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d|
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 1993
Commission File Number : 1-5759
BROOKE GROUP LTD.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
100 S.E. Second Street, Miami, Florida
(Address of principal executive offices)
51-0255124
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
33131
(Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (305) 579-8000
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Name of each exchange on
Trtle of each class which re~zistered
Common Stock, Par Value $.10 New York Stock Exchange
Securities registered pursuant to Secl~n 12(g) of the Act:
None
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed
by Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1~)34 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
registrant was required
to file such reports), and |2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. [
X ] Yes [ ] No
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent fliers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation
S-K is not contained herein,
and will not be contained, to the best of regisl;'ant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or
information statements incorporated by
reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K [ ].
The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of
April 7, 1994 was
approximately $10,802,864. Directors and officers and ten percent or greater stockholders are
considered affiliates for purposes
of this calculation but should not necessarily be deemed affiliates for any other purpose.
As of April 7, 1994, 15,228,121 shares of the registrant's Common Stock were outstanding.

INDEX
PART I
Page
Item 1. Business .......................................................
2
Item 2. Properties ......................................................
8
Item 3. Legal Proceedings ................................................
9
Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders ........................
9
Executive Officers of the Registrant ...................................
9
PART II
Item 5. Market for the Registrant's Common Equity and Related
Stockholder Matters .............................................
11
Item 6. Selected Financial Data ...........................................
11
Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations ..................................
13
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data ...........................
24
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting
and Financial Disclosure ...........................................
24
PART III
Item 10. Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant ......................... 25
Item 11. Executive Compensation .......................................... 25
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management ............. 29
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions ........................... 32
PART IV
Item 14. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules, and Reports on Form 8-K ............. 33
Signatures ....................................................
44

PART I
Item 1. Business
Brooke Group Ltd. (the "Company"), a Delaware corporation founded in 1980, is
principally
engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, the sale of information processing systems and,
through October 6, 1993, the production and sale of collectible picture products and related
accessories. The Company also has investments in a number of additional companies engaged in a
diverse group of businesses.
Described below are the operations of the Company's principal segments. Financial
information about the Company's remaining industry segments, its foreign and domestic operations
and export sales is incorporated by reference from Note 19 to the Company's Consolidated Financial
Statements included elsewhere in this Report.
Tobacco
Genera/. The Company's tobacco business is conducted principally through its
wholly-owned
subsidiary, Liggett Group Inc. ("Liggett"), a Delaware corporation, which is the ultimate operating
successor to the Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company formed in 1873. Liggett is engaged primarily in
the manufacture and sale of cigarettes. Liggett is the sixth largest manufacturer of cigarettes in
the
United States in terms of unit sales with approximately 2°4% of the total domestic cigarette market
for the year ended December 31, 1993. Liggett is headquartered in Durham, North Carolina.
Liggett produces both full-price branded cigarettes as well as price/value cigarettes.
Full-price
branded cigarettes are generally marketed under well-recognized brand names at full retail prices to
adult smokers with strong preference for branded products, whereas price/value cigarettes (which
includes branded discount and generic cigarettes), are marketed at lower retail prices to adult
smokers
that are more cost conscious. Liggett's full-price branded and price/value cigarettes are produced
in
over 300 combinations of lengths, styles and packaging.
Liggett produces four full-price cigarette brands: L&M, Chesterfield, Lark and Eve.
Liggett's
full-price branded cigarettes represented in the years ended December 31, 1993, 1992 and 1991
approximately 42%, 50% and 47% of net sales (excluding federal excise taxes) and contributed
substantially to Liggett's operating profits. Liggett's share of the full-price branded market was
approximately 1.1% for the 12 months ended December 31, 1993, compared to 1.4% for the
comparable period in 1992 and 1.1% for the comparable period in 1991, according to the Maxwell
Report, a recognized industry publication.
Liggett's share of the price/value market was approximately 4.7% for the twelve months
ended December 31, 1993 according to the Maxwell Report. This represents a decline from 6.9% for
the comparable period in 1992 and from 9.9% for the comparable period in 1991. Liggett has
attempted to regain market share in this segment in 1993 by launching new label price/value
cigarette
brands and branded-discount product lines. Shifts in consumer preferences among different product
tiers resulting from changes in the relationships among the prices for the respective tiers (for
example,
switches to premium brands resulting from the narrowing of the price differential between such
brands
and discount brands narrows) could affect Liggett's sales in the future, which are predominantly in
the
price/value segment.
At the present time, Liggett sells its full-price and price/value cigarettes principally
in the
United States. Liggett does not own the international rights to its L&M, Chesterfield, Lark and Eve

brands. Liggett does not currently have significant overseas sales, although it has commenced
efforts
to increase such sales.
Business Strategy. Liggett's near-term business strategy is to reduce certain of its
operating
and selling costs so as to maintain or increase the profitability of both its full-price and
price/value
products at their current unit sales volume and, further, to reduce its investment in working
capital.
As part of this strategy, in April and May 1993 Liggett reduced overall headcount by 235 employees
through workforce reductions in headquarters and manufacturing operations. Management has further
reduced costs in both the administrative and manufacturing functions by making additional
modifications to its manufacturing operations and significantly curtailing employee benefit
programs.
In addition, Liggett announced a reorganization of its field sales force in January 1994, reducing
its
field sales force by 150 permanent positions and adding approximately 300 part-time positions.
Liggett's long-term business strategy in the full-price segment of the market is to
maintain
its share of that segment of the market by consistently offering advertising and promotional
programs
with the objective of maximizing the profitability of its full-price brands. Liggett's long-term
business
strategy in the price/value segment of the market is to maintain its market share and increase its
profitability by providing consistently high quality products and services at prices and terms
comparable
to those available in the market.
Sales, Marketing and Distribution. The majority of Liggett's products are distributed
from a
central distribution center in Durham, North Carolina to approximately 28 public warehouses located
throughout the United States. These warehouses serve as local distribution centers for Liggett's
customers. Liggett's products are transported from the central distribution center to the warehouses
via third party trucking companies to meet pre-existing contractual obligations to its customers.
Liggett's customers are primarily candy and tobacco distributors, the military, and large grocery,
drug
and convenience store chains. Liggett manufactures and markets the third largest selling brand
family
of cigarettes to the U.S. military.
Liggett's marketing and sales functions are now performed by direct sales representatives
calling on national and regional customer accounts, together with part-time retail sales consultants
who
service retail outlets. In addition, Liggett engages independent merchandisers and food brokers in
certain geographic locations to perform these marketing and sales functions.
Liggett offers its customers payment terms and promotional incentives consistent with
industry practices, including traditional rebate and couponing programs. Customers typically pay for
purchased goods within two weeks following delivery from Liggett. None of Liggett's customers
accounted for more than 10% of revenues in 1993.
Manufacturing. Liggett purchases and maintains leaf tobacco inventory to support
cigarette
manufacturing requirements. Tobacco is an agricultural commodity subject to United States
government production controls and price supports which can substantially affect its market price.
Liggett normally purchases all of its tobacco requirements from domestic and foreign leaf tobacco
dealers (principally in the United States and South America), much of it under long-term purchase
commitments, and believes that there is a sufficient supply of tobacco within the worldwide tobacco
market to satisfy its current production requirements. Liggett stores its leaf tobacco inventory in
warehouses in North Carolina and Virginia. As of December 31,1993, approximately 79% of Liggett's
commitments are for the purchase of foreign tobacco. Recent federal legislation imposes domestic
tobacco content requirements on domestic manufacturers. See "--Government Regulation."
Liggett's cigarette manufacturing facilities are designed for the execution of short
production
runs in a cost-effective manner, which enables Liggett to manufacture and market a wide variety of
cigarette brand styles. Liggett's full-price branded and price/value cigarettes are produced in over
300

different brand styles of cigarettes under its own trademarks and brand names as well as private
labels
for other companies, typically retail or wholesale distributors, who supply supermarkets and
convenience stores. Liggett believes that its existing facilities are sufficient to accommodate a
substantial increase in production.
While Liggett pursues product development, its total expenditures for research and
development on new products have not been financially material in the past three years.
Trademarks. All of the major trademarks used by Liggett are federally registered or are
in the
process of being registered in the United States. In view of the significance of cigarette brand
awareness among consumers, management of Liggett believes that the protection afforded by its
trademarks is material to the conduct of Liggett's business.
Competition. Liggett is the sixth largest manufacturer of cigarettes in the United
States. The
five largest manufacturers of cigarettes are Philip Morris Incorporated, R JR Nabisco, Inc., Brown &
Williamson Tobacco Corporation, Lorillard Inc. and American Brands, Inc. According to the Maxwell
Report, Liggett's shipments of approximately 11.2 billion cigarettes in 1993 accounted for 2.4% of
the approximately 461.3 billion cigarettes shipped in the U.S. during such year.
Industry-wide consumer purchases of cigarettes in the United States have been steadily
declining at an average annual rate of 2% to 3% for many years. Liggett's management expects that
industry-wide unit sales of cigarettes in the United States will continue to decline. Liggett's
management believes that the decline is the result of numerous factors, including health consider-
ations, diminishing social acceptance of smoking, legislative limitations on smoking in public
places,
and federal and state excise tax increases which have augmented cigarette price increases. While
unit
sales of cigarettes in certain other parts of the world have increased, Liggett, unlike its
competitors,
does not at this time have significant foreign operations.
The cigarette industry has not historically competed on the basis of list price within a
given
price tier. In recent years, there have been substantial regular price increases by all
manufacturers
culminating in full-price branded list prices in excess of $14.00 per carton. These increases
widened
the gap between prices of this segment and prices in the price/value segment of the market,
culminating in a price gap of $7.00 (50%) per carton in July 1993. In July 1993, Philip Morris
reduced
the price of its full-price brands to 1989-1990 levels, forcing other manufacturers, including
Liggett,
to do likewise. This price decrease also narrowed the gap between prices of full-price brands and
prices in the price/value segment (reducing the price gap to approximately 25%), which appears to be
leading to a substantial reduction in volumes in the latter segment. Since that price decrease, list
prices at all tiers have again increased and the relative volume of full-price cigarettes appears to
be
increasing.
Historically, because of their dominant market share, Philip Morris and R JR Nabisco have
been
able to determine cigarette prices for the various pricing tiers within the industry, and the other
manufacturers have been compelled, in order to remain competitive, to bring their prices into line
with
the levels established by the two major manufacturers. The recent pricing changes described above
have caused Liggett to become more reliant upon sales in the price/value segment of the market,
relative to the full-price branded segment, than certain of its competitors.
There are substantial barriers to entry into the cigarette business, including extensive
distribution organizations, large capital outlays for sophisticated production equipment,
substantial
inventory investment, costly promotional spending, regulated advertising and strong brand loyalty.
In
this industry, the major cigarette manufacturers compete among themselves for market share on the
basis of brand loyalty, advertising and promotional activities and trade and consumer rebates and

incentives. Liggett's five major competitors all have greater financial resources than Liggett, and
many
of these competitors' brands have greater sales and consumer recognition than Liggett's brands.
Government Regulation. Reports with respect to the alleged harmful physical effects
associated with cigarette smoking have been publicized for many years and, in the opinion of
Liggett's
management, have had and may continue to have an adverse effect on cigarette sales. Since 1964,
the Surgeon General of the United States and the Secretary of Health and Human Services have
released a number of reports which claim that cigarette smoking is a causative factor with respect
to
a variety of health hazards, including cancer, heart disease and lung disease, and have recommended
various government actions to reduce the incidence of smoking.
Since 1966, federal law has required that cigarettes manufactured, packaged or imported
for
sale or distribution in the United States include specific health warnings on their packaging. Since
1972, Liggett and the other cigarette manufacturers have included the federally-required warning
statements in print advertising, on billboards and on certain categories of point-of-sale display
materials
relating to cigarettes.
The Comprehensive Smoking Education Act, which became effective October 12, 1985,
requires that packages of cigarettes distributed in the United States and cigarette advertisements
(other
than billboard advertisements) in the United States bear one of the following four warning
statements,
in lieu of the prior warning notice, on a quarterly rotating basis: "SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING:
Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy";
"SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to Your
Health"; "SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking By Pregnant Women May Result in Fetal Injury,
Premature Birth, and Low Birth Weight"; and "SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Cigarette Smoke
Contains Carbon Monoxide." Shortened versions of these statements are also required, on a rotating
basis, on billboard advertisements. By a limited eligibility amendment to the Comprehensive Smoking
Education Act for which Liggett qualifies, Liggett is allowed to display all four required package
warnings for the majority of its brand packages on a simultaneous basis (such that the packages at
any
time may carry any one of the four required warnings), although it rotates the required warnings for
advertising on a quarterly basis in the same manner as do the other major manufacturers. The law
also
requires that each person who manufactures, packages or imports cigarettes annually provide to the
Secretary of Health and Human Services a list of the ingredients added to tobacco in the manufacture
of cigarettes. Annual reports to the United States Congress also are required from the Secretary of
Health and Human Services as to current information on the health consequences of smoking and from
the Federal Trade Commission on the effectiveness of cigarette labeling and current practices and
methods of cigarette advertising and promotion. Both federal agencies are also required annually to
make such recommendations as they deem appropriate with regard to further legislation.
The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 requires that domestic tobacco comprise
at least 75% of the tobacco content of cigarettes manufactured in the United States effective
January
1, 1994. As part of an inventory management program, Liggett has entered into tobacco purchase
agreements under which Liggett's commitments amounted to approximately $62,770,000 at December
31, 1993, of which approximately 79% is foreign tobacco. The foreign tobacco used in manufacturing
Liggett's cigarettes costs approximately 10 to 15 percent less than comparable domestic tobacco.
This legislation could cause Liggett to delay using some of the foreign tobaccos which Liggett has
committed to purchase and may increase the cost of manufacturing due to the present higher costs
of domestic tobacco. In response to this situation, Liggett has implemented certain changes in its
manufacturing process in an effort to comply with these regulations and has modified its existing
agreements with tobacco vendors to enable it to more readily comply with the legislation and to
minimize its effect on Liggett's financial position.

In January 1993, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (the "EPA") released a report
on the respiratory effects of environmental tobacco smoke ("ETS") which concludes that ETS is a
known human lung carcinogen in adults, and in children causes increased respiratory tract diseases
and
middle ear disorders and increases the severity and frequency of asthma. In June 1993, the two
largest of the six major domestic cigarette manufacturers, together with other segments of the
tobacco
and distribution industries, commenced a lawsuit against EPA seeking a determination that the EPA
did not have the statutory authority to regulate ETS, and that given the current body of scientific
evidence and the EPA's failure to follow its own guidelines in making the determination, the EPA's
classification of ETS was arbitrary and capricious. Whatever the outcome of this litigation,
issuance.
of the report may encourage efforts to limit smoking in public areas.
In March 1994, the Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") began an investigation of
whether
cigarettes should be regulated by that agency in response to certain accusations made on a tabloid
television program. These accusations have been denied by the Company and others in the industry.
In September 1991, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA")
issued
a Request for Information relating to indoor air quality, including ETS, in occupational settings.
OSHA
announced in March 1994 that it will commence formal rulemaking in 1994. While Liggett cannot
predict the outcome, some form of regulation of smoking in the workplace may result.
All radio and television advertising of cigarettes has been prohibited by federal statute
since
1971 and federal law prohibits smoking aboard aircraft for domestic flights of six hours or less.
The
U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission has banned smoking on buses transporting passengers inter-
state. In addition, the U.S. Congress and a number of states and local government units have enacted
or are considering legislation which is intended to discourage smoking through education efforts or
which imposes various restrictions or requirements relating to smoking including restrictions on
public
smoking. Certain employers have initiated programs restricting or eliminating smoking in the
workplace. Other proposals previously presented to or currently before Congress and certain states
and
local government units include, but are not limited to, legislative efforts to further restrict or
ban the
advertising and promotion of cigarettes, to eliminate the income tax deductibility of expenses
incurred
for such advertising and promotion, to restrict or prohibit smoking in public buildings and other
areas,
to increase excise taxes, to require additional warnings on cigarette packaging and advertising, to
ban
vending machine sales, to eliminate the federal preemption defense in product liability actions, to
place
cigarettes under the regulatory jurisdiction of the FDA and to require that cigarettes meet certain
fire
safety hazards. If adopted, at least certain of the foregoing legislative proposals might have an
unfavorable impact on Liggett's business.
While attitudes toward cigarette smoking vary around the world, a number of foreign
countries also have taken steps to discourage cigarette smoking, to restrict or prohibit cigarette
advertising and promotion and to increase taxes on cigarettes.
The price of cigarettes includes federal excise taxes at the rate of $12.00 per 1,000
cigarettes. This tax, which was levied as of January 1, 1993, increased the previous federal excise
tax of $10.00 per 1,000 cigarettes. The current administration has introduced budget legislation
that
increases this tax to $49.50 per 1,000 cigarettes. In addition, although a lengthy Congressional
debate is anticipated, the Health Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee of the U.S. House
of Representatives voted to report a bill that would raise cigarette taxes to $74.50 per 1,000
cigarettes ($1.49 per pack). Excise and similar taxes on cigarettes, which are levied upon and
typically
paid by the distributors, are also in effect in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and many
municipalities. These state and local taxes range from approximately $1.25 to $35.00 per 1,000
cigarettes.
6
