Schawk Signs Gravure Cylinder Supply Agreement, Posts Sales Decline

• Entertainment accounts sales for the first quarter of 2011 of $6.4 million, or 6.0 percent of total sales, were essentially comparable to the $6.5 million reported in the same period of 2010.

Gross profit was $38.8 million in the first quarter of 2011, a decrease of $3.1 million from the first quarter of 2010. First-quarter 2011 gross profit as a percentage of sales decreased to 36.1 percent from 37.5 percent in the 2010 first-quarter period. The decline in gross profit percent was largely driven by the reduced operating leverage resulting from the lower period-over-period revenue.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses declined approximately $1.5 million to $31.0 million in the first quarter of 2011 from $32.5 million in the first quarter of 2010, principally due to the sublease of certain vacant properties in Europe.

During the first quarter of 2011, the Company reported business and systems integration expenses of $1.2 million compared to $0.1 million in the prior-year comparable period. As previously disclosed, these expenses relate to the Company's information technology and business process improvement initiative.

The company recorded a $0.5 million loss on foreign exchange exposures in the first quarter of 2011 compared to a loss of $1.8 million in the comparable prior-year period. The Company's foreign exchange gains or losses are largely driven by unhedged currency exposure from intercompany debt obligations of the Company's non-U.S. subsidiaries. Since foreign currency gains or losses primarily relate to intercompany financing activity, the economic impact to the Company is minimal, as these gains or losses are mostly offset by corresponding losses or gains in accumulated comprehensive income, net, included in stockholders' equity.

There were no expenses related to the impairment of long-lived assets during the first quarter of 2011 compared to $0.7 million in the first quarter of 2010. During the first quarter of 2010, certain equipment sustained water damage and was rendered inoperable at one of the Company's facilities.