BUSINESS OPERATIONS

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2014

BUSINESS OPERATIONS [Abstract]

BUSINESS OPERATIONS

2. BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Nature of Business. We design and manufacture computer control systems, software, and computerized machine tools and related components and accessories for machine tools for sale to the worldwide machine tool industry. The machine tool industry is highly cyclical and declines in demand can and will occur abruptly in the geographic markets we serve.

The end market for our products consists primarily of precision tool, die and mold manufacturers, independent job shops, and specialized short-run production applications within large manufacturing operations. Industries served include: aerospace, defense, medical equipment, energy, automotive/transportation, electronics and computer industries. Our products are sold through independent agents and distributors throughout North America, Europe and Asia. We also have our own direct sales and service organizations in China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and certain areas of the United States.

Credit Risk. We sell products to customers located throughout the world. We perform ongoing credit evaluations of customers and generally do not require collateral. Allowances are maintained for potential credit losses. Concentration of credit risk with respect to trade accounts receivable is limited due to the large number of customers and their dispersion across many geographic areas. Although a significant amount of trade receivables are with distributors primarily located in the United States, no single distributor or region represents a significant concentration of credit risk.

Manufacturing Risk. At present, our wholly-owned subsidiaries, Hurco Manufacturing Limited (HML) and Ningbo Hurco Manufacturing Limited (NHML), produce the vast majority of our machine tools. In addition, we manufacture electro-mechanical components and accessories for machine tools through our wholly-owned subsidiary, LCM Precision Technology S.r.l. (LCM). HML, NHML and LCM manufacture their products in Taiwan, China, and Italy, respectively. Any interruption in manufacturing at any of these locations would have an adverse effect on our financial operating results. Interruption in manufacturing at one of these locations could result from a change in the political environment or a natural disaster, such as an earthquake, typhoon, or tsunami. Any interruption with one of our key suppliers may also have an adverse effect on our operating results and our financial condition.