Segment information

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2013

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment information

Note 6 - Segment information

The Company aggregates operating divisions into operating segments which have similar economic characteristics and divisions are similar in the majority of the following areas: (1) the nature of the product and services; (2) the nature of the production process; (3) the type or class of customer for their products and services; (4) the methods used to distribute their products or services; (5) if applicable, the nature of the regulatory environment. The Company has three segments - RF Connector and Cable Assembly, Medical Cabling and Interconnector, and Cables Unlimited based upon this evaluation.

The RF Connector and Cable Assembly segment is comprised of two divisions, whereas the Cables Unlimited segment and the Medical Cabling and Interconnector segment are each comprised of one division.  The three divisions that meet the quantitative thresholds for segment reporting are Connector and Cable Assembly, Cables Unlimited, and Bioconnect. The other division aggregated into the RF Connector and Cable Assembly segment has similar products that are marketed to their respective customer base and production and product development processes that are similar in nature. The specific customers are different for each division; however, there is some overlapping of product sales to them. The methods used to distribute products are similar within each division aggregated.

Management identifies the Company’s segments based on strategic business units that are, in turn, based along market lines. These strategic business units offer products and services to different markets in accordance with their customer base and product usage. For segment reporting purposes, the Company aggregates the Connector and Cable Assembly and Aviel divisions into the RF Connector and Cable Assembly segment, while the Cables Unlimited division constitutes the Cables Unlimited segment. The Bioconnect Division comprises the Medical Cabling and Interconnector segment.

As reviewed by the Company’s chief operating decision maker, the Company evaluates the performance of each segment based on income or loss before income taxes. The Company charges depreciation and amortization directly to each division within the segment. Effective beginning with the second quarter of 2013, the Company changed its measurement of segment profit or loss whereby certain corporate costs, previously attributed to the RF Connector and Cable Assembly segment, have been allocated to each of the segments. Certain amounts in the 2012 segment tables have been reclassified to conform to the 2013 presentation to reflect all segment information on a comparable basis. Additionally, with the sale and discontinuation of the RF Neulink and RadioMobile divisions during 2013, the segment information has been adjusted as these divisions are reflected within discontinued operations. Accounts receivable, inventory, property and equipment, goodwill and intangible assets are the only assets identified by segment. Except as discussed above, the accounting policies for segment reporting are the same as for the Company as a whole.

Substantially all of the Company’s operations are conducted in the United States; however, the Company derives a portion of its revenue from export sales. The Company attributes sales to geographic areas based on the location of the customers. The following table presents the sales of the Company by geographic area for the years ended October 31, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands):

	2013		2012
United States	$	35,115	$	26,076
Foreign Countries:
Canada		638		830
Israel		289		257
Mexico		413		397
All Other		170		127
		1,510		1,611
Totals	$	36,625	$	27,687

Net sales, income from continuing operations before provision for income taxes and other related segment information as of October 31, 2013 and for the years then ended are as follows (in thousands): 

	RF Connectors				Medical
	and		Cables		Cabling and
	Cable Assembly		Unlimited		Interconnector		Corporate		Total
2013
Net sales	$	14,254	$	19,329	$	3,042	$	-	$	36,625
Income from continuing operations before provision for income taxes		2,105		3,964		723		6		6,798
Depreciation and amortization		232		357		44		19		652
Total assets		6,463		7,715		813		13,962		28,953
2012
Net sales	$	14,176	$	10,913	$	2,598	$	-	$	27,687
Income from continuing operations before provision for income taxes		2,140		1,399		553		15		4,107
Depreciation and amortization		216		340		40		4		600
Total assets		7,072		9,409		784		8,198		25,463