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Short-Term Borrowings
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
Short-Term Borrowings

8.  SHORT-TERM BORROWINGS:

In May 2017, we amended and restated our Inventory Financing Agreement (the “Amended Credit Facility”), originally entered into in June 2010, as subsequently amended, with Wells Fargo Commercial Distribution Finance LLC (formerly GE Commercial Distribution Finance Corporation).  The May 2017 amendment and restatement extended the maturity date of the Credit Facility to October 2020, and the Amended Credit Facility includes two additional one-year extension periods, with lender approval.  The May 2017 amendment and restatement, among other things, modified the amount of borrowing availability and maturity date of the Credit Facility.  The Amended Credit Facility provides a floor plan financing commitment of up to $350.0 million, an increase from the previous limit of $300.0 million, subject to borrowing base availability resulting from the amount and aging of our inventory.

The Amended Credit Facility has certain financial covenants as specified in the agreement.  The covenants include provisions that our leverage ratio must not exceed 2.75 to 1.0 and that our current ratio must be greater than 1.2 to 1.0. The interest rate for amounts outstanding under the Amended Credit Facility is 345 basis points above the one-month London Inter-Bank Offering Rate (“LIBOR”).  There is an unused line fee of ten basis points on the unused portion of the Amended Credit Facility.

Advances under the Amended Credit Facility are initiated by the acquisition of eligible new and used inventory or are re-advances against eligible new and used inventory that have been partially paid-off.  Advances on new inventory will generally mature 1,080 days from the original invoice date.  Advances on used inventory will mature 361 days from the date we acquire the used inventory.  Each advance is subject to a curtailment schedule, which requires that we pay down the balance of each advance on a periodic basis starting after six months.  The curtailment schedule varies based on the type and value of the inventory.  The collateral for the Amended Credit Facility is all of our personal property with certain limited exceptions.  None of our real estate has been pledged for collateral for the Amended Credit Facility.

As of September 30, 2016 and 2017, our indebtedness associated with financing our inventory and working capital needs totaled approximately $166.6 million and $254.2 million, respectively. As of September 30, 2016 and 2017, the interest rate on the outstanding short-term borrowings was approximately 3.9% and 4.7%, respectively. As of September 30, 2017, our additional available borrowings under our Amended Credit Facility were approximately $52.8 million based upon the outstanding borrowing base availability.

As is common in our industry, we receive interest assistance directly from boat manufacturers, including Brunswick. The interest assistance programs vary by manufacturer, but generally include periods of free financing or reduced interest rate programs. The interest assistance may be paid directly to us or our lender depending on the arrangements the manufacturer has established. We classify interest assistance received from manufacturers as a reduction of inventory cost and related cost of sales as opposed to netting the assistance against our interest expense incurred with our lenders.

The availability and costs of borrowed funds can adversely affect our ability to obtain adequate boat inventory and the holding costs of that inventory as well as the ability and willingness of our customers to finance boat purchases. As of September 30, 2017, we had no long-term debt. However, we rely on our Amended Credit Facility to purchase our inventory of boats. The aging of our inventory limits our borrowing capacity as defined curtailments reduce the allowable advance rate as our inventory ages. Our access to funds under our Amended Credit Facility also depends upon the ability of our lenders to meet their funding commitments, particularly if they experience shortages of capital or experience excessive volumes of borrowing requests from others during a short period of time. Unfavorable economic conditions, weak consumer spending, turmoil in the credit markets, and lender difficulties, among other potential reasons, could interfere with our ability to utilize our Amended Credit Facility to fund our operations. Any inability to utilize our Amended Credit Facility could require us to seek other sources of funding to repay amounts outstanding under the credit agreements or replace or supplement our credit agreements, which may not be possible at all or under commercially reasonable terms.

Similarly, decreases in the availability of credit and increases in the cost of credit adversely affect the ability of our customers to purchase boats from us and thereby adversely affect our ability to sell our products and impact the profitability of our finance and insurance activities.  Tight credit conditions during fiscal 2009, 2010, and 2011 adversely affected the ability of customers to finance boat purchases, which had a negative effect on our operating results.