Segment and Geographic Information

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Segment and Geographic Information [Abstract]

Segment and Geographic Information

19. Segment and Geographic Information:

The Company evaluates financial performance based on two business segments: Seismic and Thermal Solutions. The Seismic product lines currently consist of geophones and hydrophones, including multi-component geophones and hydrophones, seismic leader wire, geophone string connectors, seismic telemetry cables, high definition reservoir characterization products and services, marine seismic cable retrieval devices, data acquisition systems, offshore cables and industrial products. Thermal Solutions products include thermal printers, thermal printheads and dry thermal film and other media. The Company sells these products to a variety of markets, including the screen print, point of sale, signage and textile markets. The Company also sells these Thermal Solutions products to its seismic customers.

The following tables summarize the Company’s segment information:

	YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
	2012			2011			2010
Net sales:
Seismic	$	178,221		$	158,653		$	114,774
Thermal Solutions		12,642			13,519			12,955
Corporate		801			798			804
Total		191,664			172,970			128,533
Income (loss) from operations:
Seismic		59,455			53,477			28,955
Thermal Solutions		1,014			(37	)		397
Corporate		(9,604	)		(9,035	)		(8,244	)
Total		50,865			44,405			21,108
Depreciation, amortization and stock-based compensation:
Seismic		8,533			5,990			3,995
Thermal Solutions		320			345			375
Corporate		1,496			1,448			1,259
Total		10,349			7,783			5,629
Interest income:
Seismic		581			139			165
Thermal Solutions		5			—			—
Corporate		157			128			89
Total		743			267			254
Interest expense:
Seismic		199			—			—
Thermal Solutions		—			—			—
Corporate		—			43			238
Total		199			43			238

* The Company’s manufacturing operations for its Seismic and Thermal Solutions business segments are combined. Therefore, the Company does not segregate and report separate balance sheet accounts for these segments. As a result, the Company does not report business segment balance sheet information.

“Corporate” net sales consists of rental revenue earned from an operating lease of a surplus building located in Houston, Texas. “Corporate” loss from operations primarily consists of the Company’s Houston headquarter general and administrative expenses.

The Company generates product sales and rentals from its subsidiaries in the United States, Canada, the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom. Sales information for the Company is as follows (in thousands):

	YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
	2012			2011			2010
United States	$	216,741		$	155,781		$	127,972
Canada		23,741			8,966			3,706
Russian Federation		9,837			10,144			7,973
United Kingdom		4,064			4,883			3,432
Eliminations		(62,719	)		(6,804	)		(14,550	)
	$	191,664		$	172,970		$	128,533

Summaries of net sales by geographic area for fiscal years 2012, 2011 and 2010 are as follows (in thousands):

	YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
	2012		2011		2010
Asia (excluding Middle East)	$	10,753	$	22,772	$	11,684
Canada		59,602		13,158		6,011
Europe		3,043		34,278		13,375
Middle East		8,542		6,588		9,441
United States		102,378		92,368		85,423
Other		7,346		3,806		2,599
	$	191,664	$	172,970	$	128,533

Net sales are attributed to countries based on the ultimate destination of the product sold, if known. If the ultimate destination is not known, net sales are attributed to countries based on the geographic location of the initial shipment.

Long-lived assets were as follows (in thousands):

	AS OF SEPTEMBER 30,
	2012		2011
United States	$	35,577	$	43,992
Canada		29,696		5,135
Russian Federation		5,760		4,108
United Kingdom		442		471
China		11		8
	$	71,486	$	53,714