Quarterlytics / Communication Services / Specialty Retail / PC Connection Inc.

PC Connection Inc.

pccc · NASDAQ Communication Services
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Ticker pccc
Exchange NASDAQ
Sector Communication Services
Industry Specialty Retail
Employees 1001-5000
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FY2019 Annual Report · PC Connection Inc.
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Business 

ITEM 1. 
ITEM 1A.  Risk Factors 
ITEM 1B.  Unresolved Staff Comments 
ITEM 2. 
ITEM 3. 
ITEM 4. 

Properties 
Legal Proceedings 
Mine Safety Disclosures 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PART I 

PART II 

ITEM 5. 

Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of 

Equity Securities 
Selected Financial Data 
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 

ITEM 6. 
ITEM 7. 
ITEM 7A.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk 
Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 
ITEM 8. 
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 
ITEM 9. 
ITEM 9A.  Controls and Procedures 
ITEM 9B.  Other Information 

PART III 

ITEM 10.  Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance  
ITEM 11. 
ITEM 12. 

Executive Compensation 
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder 

Matters 

ITEM 13. 
ITEM 14. 

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence 
Principal Accounting Fees and Services 

PART IV 

ITEM 15. 
SIGNATURES 

Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 

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/Administration/Human Resources/Legal/Accounting/Finance/Marketing/Publicity/Promotion/Research/Business/Development/Engineering/Manufacturing/Planning/HealthcareEmpowering InnovationDear Shareholders, Customers, Industry Partners, and Co-workers,

This year’s letter finds us in unprecedented times. We stand 
together against one of the greatest health threats the world 
has experienced in over 100 years, one that severely impacts 
our global economy and threatens our families, friends, and 
loved ones. Our thoughts remain with the communities and 
individuals most deeply affected by the coronavirus pandemic. 
We are especially grateful to our healthcare workers and first 
responders for the work they are doing. As an essential business 
in the fight against COVID-19, we will do everything in our power 
to serve our customers and communities, from supporting the 
efforts of the U.S. Government’s CARES Act to expanding our 
“Connection Cares” corporate social responsibility program 
started in March 2019. Facing the challenges ahead, Connection 
will continue to do our part. We have earned the reputation of 
serving as a trusted advisor—a partner focused on ensuring 
customer success, doing business with integrity, and guiding 
technology investments that deliver exceptional results in 
times of opportunity and adversity alike. Today, no matter the 
industry or market, every company is a technology company—
and every organization must embrace innovation if they are to 
move forward on the path to recovery and growth. Thanks to 
your support, Connection is ready to help customers meet that 
challenge. The capabilities we have developed, the progress we 
have made, and our success over the past year would not be 
possible without your trust and belief in our mission of enhancing 
growth, elevating productivity, and empowering innovation. 

Connection achieved record performance in 2019, the result of 
our successful long-term strategies and continued investments 
in our people, systems, and capabilities. The Company generated 
annual sales of $2.8 billion in 2019, an increase of 4.5% from 2018. 
Our earnings per share grew significantly, with a diluted EPS of 
$3.10, up from $2.41 in 2018. This strong performance allowed 
Connection to declare a special dividend, returning $8.4 million 
to shareholders in the form of a $0.32 per share special cash 
dividend declared in December of 2019. The Company generated 
positive operating cash flow of approximately $36.6 million 
in 2019, and ended the year with no debt and a healthy cash 
balance of $90.1 million.

Connection’s three distinct sales divisions reported strong 
performance in 2019. Connection Business Solutions, our SMB-
focused subsidiary, achieved net sales of $1.1 billion, an increase 
of 3.1% from 2018. Connection Enterprise Solutions earned 
revenues of $1.2 billion, up 2.5% year-over-year. Connection 
Public Sector Solutions generated net sales of $0.5 billion, up 
11.8% from 2018. 

Continuing our focus on exemplary customer service, we made 
key investments in Connection’s Technology Integration and 
Distribution Center (TIDC) in 2019. These improvements included 
a revamped customer onboarding process, new offerings in our 
configuration lab, and infrastructure upgrades that increased 
capacity by 50%. Our goal within this state-of-the-art facility 

is to optimize the end-user experience, offering value-added 
services that ensure our customers get the technology they 
need, configured to their exact specifications, and delivered with 
impressive velocity and quality. 

To ensure we are taking full advantage of the upgraded capacity 
of the TIDC, we continue to make improvements to our customer 
pipeline. We reorganized our vertical marketing efforts and 
formed the Industry Solutions Group (ISG) in order to better 
target opportunities within strategic verticals, including our 
healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and finance segments. 
Connection’s ISG experts engage customers within these key 
markets, partnering with them to understand their business 
needs and tailoring IT solutions and services to their unique 
environments. The ISG’s ability to combine advanced technical 
knowledge with an in-depth understanding of industry-specific 
challenges delivers significant value to customers who want the 
benefits of the latest technologies, but lack the time, resources, 
or staffing expertise to design and build solutions themselves. 

We continue to invest in Connection’s internal platforms, 
infrastructure, and digital properties with three main objectives: 
enhance the customer experience; expand market share; and 
increase sales enablement. Improvements to our customer 
portals, websites, and digital marketing programs help us achieve 
the first two goals, while continued Account Manager training 
and optimization of internal sales tools facilitate the third. Our 
innovative self-service tools and online resources empower 
customers and drive low-touch transactions to the website, 
reducing manual interactions and freeing up our salesforce to 
focus on advanced solution selling. Increasing productivity and 
efficiency remains a top priority across the company. 

Connection’s performance in 2019 was recognized with multiple 
accolades from our industry associates, which included receiving 
Cisco’s Marketing Velocity U.S. Innovator of the Year Award, 
and appearing on the Fortune 1000, CRN Solution Provider 
500, Internet Retailer Top 500, CRN Tech Elite 250, and CRN 
Managed Service Provider 500 (MSP500). In addition, we were 
named Aruba Federal Growth Partner of the Year; Citrix Cloud 
Partner of the Year; and HPE Federal Value Server Partner of 
the Year. 

We are in uncertain times. However, as we deliver the technology, 
tools, and guidance our customers need to recover from the 
impact of COVID-19 and thrive in this new reality, we believe 
Connection is well-positioned to continue to capture market 
share and increase long-term shareholder value. We would like  
to thank you, our shareholders, customers, industry partners, 
and co-workers, for your support. Together, we remain committed 
to connecting people and organizations with the technology 
and information they need to innovate faster, safer, and more 
effectively than ever before. 

Patricia Gallup 
Board Chair 

Timothy McGrath 
President and  
Chief Executive Officer

UNITED STATES 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 
Washington, D. C. 20549 
FORM 10-K 

(Mark One) 
 
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 

 
For the transition period from ___________ to ___________. 

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 

OR 

Commission File Number 000-23827 
PC CONNECTION, INC. 
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) 

Delaware 
(State or other jurisdiction of 
incorporation or organization) 
730 Milford Road 
Merrimack, New Hampshire 
(Address of principal executive offices) 

02-0513618 
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) 

03054 
(Zip Code) 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code    

(603) 683-2000 

Title of each class 
Common Stock 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: 
Trading symbol(s) 
CNXN 

Name of each exchange on which registered 
Nasdaq Global Select Market 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: 

None 
(Title of Class) 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. 

Yes      No   

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. 

Yes      No   

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during 
the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 
days. 

Yes  No 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of 

Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). 

Yes  No 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging 

growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the 
Exchange Act. (Check one): 
Large Accelerated Filer ___     Accelerated Filer       Non-accelerated Filer ___     Smaller Reporting Company  ___     Emerging Growth Company  ___ 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or 

revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.   

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). 

Yes      No   

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s voting shares of common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant on June 28, 2019, based on $34.98 per share, 

the last reported sale price on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on that date, was $388,435,865. 

The number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock, as of February 4, 2020: 

Class 
Common Stock, $.01 par value 

Number of Shares 
26,344,841

 The following documents are incorporated by reference into the Annual Report on Form 10-K: Portions of the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for its 2020 

Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Report. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements contained or incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10 - K that are not based on 
historical fact are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 
1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. These forward-
looking statements regarding future events and our future results are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts, 
and projections and the beliefs and assumptions of management including, without limitation, our expectations with 
regard to the industry’s rapid technological change and exposure to inventory obsolescence, availability and allocations 
of goods, reliance on vendor support and relationships, competitive risks, pricing risks, and the overall level of economic 
activity and the level of business investment in information technology products. Forward-looking statements may be 
identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” 
“anticipate,” “continue,” “seek,” “plan,” “intend,” or similar terms, variations of such terms, or the negative of those 
terms. 

We cannot assure investors that our assumptions and expectations will prove to have been correct. Because forward-
looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that 
are difficult to predict. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may 
cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or 
achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. We therefore caution you against undue reliance 
on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from 
those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements include those discussed in Item 1A., “Risk Factors” of this 
Annual Report on Form 10-K. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this Annual Report on Form 10-K speaks 
only as of the date on which this Annual Report on Form 10-K was first filed. We undertake no intention or obligation to 
update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, 
except as may be required by law. 

Item 1. Business  

GENERAL 

PART I 

We are a national provider of a wide range of information technology, or IT, solutions. We help our customers 
design, enable, manage, and service their IT environments. We provide IT products, including computer systems, data 
center solutions, software and peripheral equipment, networking communications, and other products and accessories 
that we purchase from manufacturers, distributors, and other suppliers. We also offer services involving design, 
configuration, and implementation of IT solutions. These services are performed by our personnel and by third-party 
providers. We have three operating segments, which serve primarily: (a) small- to medium-sized businesses, or SMBs, in 
our Business Solutions segment, through our PC Connection Sales subsidiary, (b) large enterprise customers, in our 
Enterprise Solutions segment, through our MoreDirect subsidiary, and (c) federal, state, and local government and 
educational institutions, in our Public Sector Solutions segment, through our GovConnection subsidiary. Financial 
results for each of our segments are included in the financial statements attached hereto. We generate sales through 
(i) outbound telemarketing and field sales contacts by sales representatives focused on the business, educational, 
healthcare, and government markets, (ii) our websites, and (iii) direct responses from customers responding to our 
advertising media. We offer a broad selection of over 425,000 products at competitive prices, including products from 
vendors like Apple, Cisco Systems, Dell, Dell-EMC, Hewlett-Packard Inc., Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, Lenovo, 
Microsoft, and VMWare, and we partner with more than 1,600 suppliers. We typically leverage our state-of-the art 
logistic capabilities to ship product to customers the same day the order is received. 

Since our founding in 1982, we have consistently served our customers’ needs by providing innovative, reliable, and 

timely service and technical support, and by offering an extensive assortment of industry-leading products through 
knowledgeable, well-trained sales and support teams. Our strategy’s effectiveness is reflected in the recognition we have 
received, including being named to the Fortune 1000 and the CRN Solution Provider 500 for nineteen straight years. 
Over the past few years, we have received numerous awards, including the Microsoft Excellence in Operations—Double 
Gold Level Award for delivering market-leading operational excellence, as well as being recently named to the CRN 
Tech Elite 250 for the fourth year. We believe that our ability to understand our customers’ needs and provide 
comprehensive and effective IT solutions has resulted in strong brand name recognition and a broad and loyal customer 
base. We also believe that through our strong vendor relationships we can provide an efficient supply chain and be an 
effective IT solution provider for our multiple customer segments. 

We strive to identify the unique needs of our corporate, government, healthcare, educational, and small business 
customers, and have designed our business processes to enable our customers to effectively manage their IT systems. We 
provide value by offering our customers efficient design, integration, deployment, and support of their IT environments. 
As of December 31, 2019, we employed 841 sales representatives, whose average tenure exceeded seven years. Sales 
representatives are responsible for managing enterprise, commercial, and public sector accounts, as specialization and a 
deep understanding of unique customer environments are more important than ever. These sales representatives focus on 
current and prospective customers and are supported by an increasing number of engineering, technical, and 
administrative staff. We believe that increasing our salesforce productivity is important to our future success, and we 
have increased our headcount and investments in this area accordingly. 

In September 2016, we launched “Connection®”, uniting all of our subsidiaries into one cohesive brand, reflecting 
the promise of our trademark blue arc and our mission to connect people with technology that enhances growth, elevates 
productivity, and empowers innovation. MoreDirect, our enterprise team, became Connection® Enterprise Solutions; PC 
Connection Sales Corp, our SMB-focused team, became Connection® Business Solutions; and GovConnection, our 
public sector team, became Connection® Public Sector Solutions. 

We market our products and services through our websites: www.connection.com, www.connection.com/enterprise, 
www.connection.com/publicsector, and www.macconnection.com. Our websites provide extensive product information, 
customized pricing, rich content, and a digital platform for online orders.  

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 We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the 
Exchange Act, and accordingly, we file reports, proxy and information statements, and other information with the 
Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC. The SEC maintains a website (http://www.sec.gov) that contains such 
reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. 
We maintain a corporate website with the address www.connection.com. We are not including the information contained 
in our website as part of, or incorporating by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We make available free 
of charge through our website our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on 
Form 8-K, and amendments to these reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as 
soon as reasonably practical after we electronically file these materials with, or otherwise furnish them to, the SEC. 

MARKET AND COMPETITION 

In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, we generated approximately 37.6% of our sales from small- to medium-
sized customer accounts, 42.3% from medium-to-large corporate accounts (Fortune 1000), and 20.1% from government 
and educational institutions. The overall IT market that we serve is estimated to be approximately $200 billion. 

The largest segment of this market is served by local and regional “value added resellers”, or VARs, many of whom 

we believe are transitioning from the hardware and software products business to higher-margin IT services. We have 
transitioned from an end-user or desktop-centric computing supplier to a network or enterprise-wide IT solutions 
supplier. We have also partnered with third-party technology and telecommunications service providers. We now offer 
our customers access to the same services and technical expertise as local and regional VARs, but with a more extensive 
product selection at generally lower prices. 

Intense competition for customers has led manufacturers of our IT products to use all available channels, including 
solutions providers, to distribute their products. Certain of these manufacturers who have traditionally used resellers to 
distribute their products have, from time to time, established their own direct marketing operations, including sales 
through the Internet. Nonetheless, we believe that these manufacturers will continue to provide us and other third-party 
solutions providers favorable product allocations and marketing support. 

We believe new entrants to the IT Solutions channel must overcome a number of obstacles, including: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

the substantial time and resources required to build a customer base of meaningful size and profitability for 
cost-effective operation; 

the high costs of developing the information systems and operating infrastructure required to successfully 
compete as a national solutions provider; 

the advantages enjoyed by larger and more established competitors in terms of purchasing and operating 
efficiencies; 

the difficulty of building relationships with vendors to achieve favorable product allocations and attractive 
pricing terms; and 

the difficulty of identifying and recruiting management personnel with significant direct marketing experience 
in the industry. 

BUSINESS STRATEGIES 

We believe we become our customers’ IT provider of choice by providing innovative IT solutions which meet their 

needs of increased productivity, mobility, virtualization, and security in a continually evolving IT environment. We 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
provide enhanced value by assisting them in cost-effectively maximizing business opportunities provided by new 
technologies and advanced service solutions. The key elements of our business strategies include: 

•  Providing consistent customer service before, during, and after the sale. We believe that we have earned a 

reputation for providing superior customer service by consistently focusing on our customers’ needs. We have 
dedicated our resources to developing strong, long-term relationships with our customers by accurately 
assessing their IT needs, and providing scalable, high-quality solutions and services through our knowledgeable, 
well-trained personnel. Through operational excellence, we have efficient delivery programs that provide a 
quality buying experience for our customers. 

•  Offering a broad product selection at competitive prices. We offer a broad range of IT products and solutions, 
including personal computers and related peripheral products, servers, storage, managed services, cloud 
solutions, and networking infrastructure, at costs that allow our customers to be more productive while 
maximizing their IT budgets.  Our advanced solution offerings include network, server, storage, and mission-
critical onsite installation and support using proprietary cloud-based service management software. We offer 
products and enhanced service capabilities with aggressive price and performance standards, all with the 
convenience of one-stop shopping for technology solutions.  

•  Simplifying technology product procurement for corporate customers. We offer Internet-based procurement 
options to eliminate complexity and enhance customer value, as well as lower the cost of procurement for our 
customers. We specialize in Internet-based solutions and provide electronic integration between our customers 
and suppliers.  

•  Offering targeted IT solutions. Our customers seek solutions to increasingly complex IT infrastructure 

demands. To better address their business needs, we have focused our solution service capabilities on seven 
practice areas—Converged Data Center, Networking, Mobility, Security, Cloud Solutions, Lifecycle, and 
Software. These IT practice groups are responsible for understanding the infrastructure needs of our customers, 
and for designing cost-effective technology solutions to address them. We have also partnered with third-party 
providers to make available a range of IT support services, including asset assessment, implementation, 
maintenance, and disposal services. We believe we can leverage these seven practice groups to transform our 
company into a recognized IT solution provider, which will enable us to capture a greater share of the IT 
expenditures of our customers. 

•  Maintaining a strong brand name and customer awareness. Since our founding in 1982, we have built a 

strong brand name and customer awareness. We have been named to the Fortune 1000 and the CRN Solution 
Provider 500 for each of the last nineteen years. We actively work with our existing customers to become their 
IT provider of choice for products and enhanced solution services, while seeking to ensure our reputation of 
high-quality customer service, tailored marketing programs, and competitive pricing lead the way to expanding 
our share of the overall IT market. 

•  Maintaining long-standing vendor relationships. We have a history of strong relationships with vendors, and 

were among the first national solutions providers qualified by manufacturers to market computer systems to end 
users. By working closely with our vendors to provide an efficient channel for the advertising and distribution 
of their products and solutions, we expect to expand market share and generate opportunities for optimizing 
partner incentive programs. 

GROWTH STRATEGIES 

Our growth strategies are designed to increase revenues by maximizing operational efficiencies while offering 
innovative products and value added service offerings, increasing penetration of our existing customers, and expanding 
our customer base. Our six key elements of growth are: 

•  Expanding hardware and software offerings. We offer our customers an extensive range of IT hardware and 
software products, and in response to customer demand, we continually evaluate and add new products as they 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
become available. We work closely with vendors to identify and source first-to-market product offerings at 
aggressive prices. 

•  Expanding IT solution services offerings. We strive to accelerate solution and service growth by providing 

creative solutions to the increasingly complex hardware and software needs of our customers. Our Converged 
Data Center, Networking, Mobility, Security, Cloud Solutions, Lifecycle, and Software services practice groups 
consist of industry-certified and product-certified engineers, as well as highly specialized third-party providers. 
Our investment in these seven practice areas is expected to increase our share of our customers’ annual IT 
expenditures by broadening the range of products and services they purchase from us. 

•  Targeting customer segments.  Through increased targeted marketing, we seek to expand the number of our 
active customers and generate additional sales to existing customers by providing more value-added services 
and solutions. We have developed specialty catalogs featuring product offerings designed to address the needs 
of specific customer populations, including new product inserts targeted to purchasers of graphics, server, and 
networking products. We also utilize Internet marketing campaigns that focus on select markets, such as 
healthcare, retail, financial, and manufacturing. 

• 

Increasing productivity of our sales representatives. We believe that higher sales productivity is the key to 
leveraging our expense structure and driving future profitability improvements. We invest significant resources 
in training new sales representatives and providing ongoing training to experienced personnel. Our training and 
evaluation programs are focused towards assisting our sales personnel in understanding and anticipating clients’ 
IT needs, with the goal of fostering loyal customer relationships. We also provide our sales representatives with 
technical support on more complex sales opportunities through our expanding group of technical solution 
specialists.  

•  Migrating to cloud-based solutions for our customers. Cloud computing is a key driver of new IT spending as 
our customers seek scalable, cost-effective solutions. We plan to expand our cloud-based solution sales and 
assist our customers in navigating the complex and growing field of cloud-solution offerings. 

•  Pursuing strategic acquisitions and alliances. We seek acquisitions and alliances that add new customers, 

strengthen our product and solution offerings, add management talent, and produce operating results which are 
accretive to our core business earnings. 

SERVICE AND SUPPORT 

Since our founding in 1982, our primary objective has been to provide products and services that meet the demands 

and needs of customers and to supplement those products with up-to-date product information and excellent customer 
service and support. We believe that offering our customers superior value, through a combination of product 
knowledge, consistent and reliable service and support, and leading products at competitive prices, differentiates us from 
other national solutions providers and provides the foundation for developing a broad and loyal customer base. 

We invest in training programs for our service and support personnel, with an emphasis on putting customer needs 
and service first. Product support technicians assist customers with questions concerning compatibility, installation, and 
more difficult questions relating to product use. The product support technicians authorize customers to return defective 
or incompatible products to either the manufacturer or to us for warranty service. In-house technicians perform both 
warranty and non-warranty repair on most major systems and hardware products. 

Using our customized information system, we transmit our customer orders either to our distribution center or to our 

drop - ship suppliers, depending on product availability, for processing immediately after a customer receives credit 
approval. At our distribution center, we also perform custom configuration services, which typically includes custom 
imaging, the installation and integration of additional components, and other technology enhancements. Our customers 
may select the method of delivery that best meets their needs and is most cost effective, ranging from expedited 
overnight delivery for urgently needed items to ground freight.  

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Our inventory stocking strategy is based on economics and the general availability of the product. We will stock 

product where there is an economic advantage to do so, or the product is in constrained supply. We also will stock 
product to support customer rollouts, including product that is running through our configuration and integration services 
prior to shipment. 

MARKETING AND SALES 

We sell our products through our direct marketing channels to (i) SMBs including small office/home office 

customers, (ii) government and educational institutions, and (iii) medium-to-large corporate accounts. We strive to be the 
primary supplier of IT products and solutions to our existing and prospective customers by providing exemplary 
customer service. We use multiple marketing approaches to reach existing and prospective customers, including: 

• 

• 

• 

outbound telemarketing and field sales; 

digital, web, and print media advertising; and 

targeted marketing programs to specific customer populations. 

All of our marketing approaches emphasize our broad product and service offerings, fast delivery, customer support, 

competitive pricing, and our wide range of service solutions. 

Sales Channels. We believe that our ability to establish and maintain long-term customer relationships and to 
encourage repeat purchases is largely dependent on the strength of our sales personnel and programs. Because our 
customers’ primary contact with us is through our sales representatives, we are committed to maintaining a qualified, 
knowledgeable, and motivated sales staff with its principal focus on customer service. 

Outbound Telemarketing and Field Sales. We seek to build loyal relationships with potential high-volume 
customers by assigning them to individual account managers. We believe that customers respond favorably to one-on-
one relationships with personalized, well-trained account managers. Once established, these one-on-one relationships are 
maintained and enhanced through frequent telecommunications and targeted electronic communications, as well as other 
marketing materials designed to meet each customer’s specific IT needs. We pay most of our account managers a base 
annual salary plus incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is tied generally to gross profit dollars produced by 
the individual account manager. Account managers historically have significantly increased productivity after 
approximately twelve months of training and experience.  

E-commerce Sales. (www.connection.com, www.connection.com/enterprise, www.connection.com/publicsector, and 
www.macconnection.com)  We provide product descriptions and prices for generally all products online. Our Connection 
website also provides updated information for more than 425,000 items. We offer, and continuously update, selected 
product offerings and other special buys. We believe our websites are important sales sources and communication tools 
for improving customer service. 

Our MoreDirect subsidiary’s business process and operations are primarily Web-based. Most of its corporate 
customers utilize a customized Web page to quickly search, source, and track IT products. MoreDirect’s website 
(www.connection.com/enterprise) aggregates the current available inventories of its largest IT suppliers into a single 
online source for its corporate customers. Its custom designed Internet-based system, TRAXX®, provides corporate 
buyers with comparative pricing from several suppliers as well as special pricing arranged through the manufacturer. 

The Internet supports three key business initiatives for us: 

•  Customer choice — We have built our business on the premise that our customers should be able to choose how 
they interact with us--be it by telephone, or by means of their desktop or mobile device via email or the Internet. 

•  Lowering transactions costs — Our website tools include robust product search features and Internet Business 
Accounts (customized Web pages), which allow customers to quickly and easily find information about 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
products of interest to them. If customers still have questions, they may call our account managers. Such phone 
calls are typically shorter and have higher close rates than calls from customers who have not first visited our 
websites. 

•  Leveraging the time of experienced sales representatives — Our investments in technology-based sales and 
service programs allow our sales representatives more time to build and maintain relationships with our 
customers and help them to solve their business problems. 

Business Segments. We conduct our business operations through three business segments: Business Solutions, 

Enterprise Solutions, and Public Sector Solutions. 

Business Solutions Segment. Our principal target markets in this segment are small-to-medium-sized business 

customers. We use a combination of outbound telemarketing, including some on-site sales solicitation by business 
development managers, and Internet sales through customized Internet Business Accounts, to reach these customers.  

Enterprise Solutions Segment. Through our custom designed Web-based system, we are able to offer our 
larger corporate customers an efficient and effective method of sourcing, evaluating, purchasing, and tracking a wide 
variety of IT products and services. Our strategy is to be the primary single source procurement portal for our large 
corporate customers. 

Public Sector Solutions Segment. We use a combination of outbound telemarketing, including some on-site 

sales solicitation by business development managers, and Internet sales through customized Internet Business Accounts, 
to reach these customers. We target each of the four distinct market sectors within this segment—federal government, 
higher educational institutions, school grades K-12, and state and local governments. 

The following table sets forth the relative distribution of net sales by business segment: 

Years Ended 
December 31,  
     2019       2018       2017    

Sales Segment 
Enterprise Solutions 
Business Solutions 
Public Sector Solutions 
Total 

 39 %

 42 %   
 43 % 
 38 
 38 
 19 
 20 
 100 %     100 %   100 %

   40 
   21 

Our brand, and each of Connection’s business segments, is supported by targeted marketing campaigns across a 

variety of media: 

Digital. We utilize a series of digital programs, in conjunction with advanced data analytics, to identify prospective 

customers and generate new leads within our existing customer base. These programs include website, email, blog, social 
media, electronic catalogs, webinars, and video/multimedia promotions. 

Print. Connection produces a variety of print media, including direct mail pieces and Connected, a quarterly 
publication that provides informative articles on the latest technologies and industry trends. We distribute specialty 
catalogs to education, healthcare, and government customers and prospective customers on a periodic basis. The 
Company’s MacConnection®  brand publishes an eponymous catalog for the Apple market. These publications showcase 
the depth of our in-house expertise in the marketplace and extend Connection’s brand to a wide audience of IT decision 
makers. 

Specialty Marketing. In addition to our digital and print marketing efforts, Connection maintains a strong presence 

at industry tradeshows and conventions across the country, including a number of healthcare and education IT 
conferences. Connection also hosts a series of Technology Summits each year, with a focus on building stronger 
relationships with our customers and reinforcing our reputation as a trusted source of expertise.  

6 

 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Customers. We maintain an extensive database of customers and prospects. However, no single customer accounted 

for more than 4% of our consolidated revenue in 2019. While no single agency of the federal government comprised 
more than 3% of total sales, aggregate sales to the federal government were 6.9%, 5.4%, and 7.8% in 2019, 2018, and 
2017, respectively. The loss of any single customer would not have a material adverse effect on any of our business 
segments. In addition, we do not have individual orders in our backlog that are material to our business, and as a result, 
we do not believe that backlog as of any particular dates is an indication of future results. 

PRODUCTS AND MERCHANDISING 

We continuously focus on expanding the breadth of our product and service offerings. We currently offer our 
customers over 425,000 information technology products designed for business applications from more than 1,600 
vendors, including hardware and peripherals, accessories, networking products, and software. We select the products we 
sell based upon their technology and effectiveness, market demand, product features, quality, price, margins, and 
warranties. The following table sets forth our percentage of net sales (in dollars) for major product categories: 

Notebooks/Mobility 
Desktops 
Software 
Servers/Storage 
Net/Com Product 
Displays and sound 
Accessories 
Other Hardware/Services 

Total 

PERCENTAGE OF 
NET SALES 
Years Ended December 31,  

      2019 (1)        2018 (1)        2017 (2) 

 29 %   
 12 
 12  
 8 
 8 
 9 
 13 
 9 
 100 %   

 26 %   
 11 
 12  
 11 
 8 
 9 
 13 
 10 
 100 %   

 22 % 
 11 
 23  
 9 
 7 
 8 
 10 
 10 
 100 % 

(1)  The Company adopted ASC 606 in 2018 using the modified retrospective approach, which primarily resulted in certain software sales being 

reported on a net basis where they would have otherwise been reported on a gross basis under the previous revenue recognition guidance. As a 
result, certain revenue figures reported in the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 may not be comparable with amounts for the year-ended 
December 31, 2017. 

(2)  Product categories were separated into additional categories in 2018. Certain year-ended December 31, 2017 balances have been reclassified to 

conform to current year presentation. 

We offer a 30-day right of return generally limited to defective merchandise. Returns of non-defective products are 

subject to restocking fees. Substantially all of the products marketed by us are warranted by the manufacturer. We 
generally accept returns directly from the customer and then either credit the customer’s account or ship the customer a 
replacement or similar product from our inventory. 

PURCHASING AND VENDOR RELATIONS 

Product purchases from Ingram Micro, Inc., our largest supplier, and Synnex accounted for approximately 21% and 
14%, respectively, of our total product purchases in 2019. No other singular vendor supplied more than 10% of our total 
product purchases in the year. In addition to these vendors, product purchases, whether purchased directly or from a 
wholesale distributor, from Dell, HP Inc., and Tech Data comprised a total of 59% of our product purchases in 2019. We 
believe that, while we may experience some short-term disruption if products from Ingram, Synnex, or any of these 
vendors become unavailable to us, alternative sources for these products are available.  

Products manufactured by HP collectively represented approximately 19% of our net sales in 2019, 18% in 2018, 
and 20% in 2017. We believe that in the event we experience either a short-term or permanent disruption of supply of HP 
products, such disruption would likely have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows. 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Many product suppliers reimburse us for advertisements or other cooperative marketing programs through various 
marketing vehicles. Reimbursements may be in the form of discounts, advertising allowances, and/or rebates. We also 
receive allowances from certain vendors based upon the volume of our purchases or sales of the vendors’ products by us. 
Some of our vendors offer limited price protection in the form of rebates or credits against future purchases. We may 
also participate in end-of-life product and other special purchases which may not be eligible for price protection. 

We believe that we have excellent relationships with our vendors. We generally pay vendors within stated terms, or 
earlier when favorable cash discounts are offered. We believe our high volume of purchases enables us to obtain product 
pricing and terms that are competitive with those available to other national IT solutions providers. Although brand 
names and individual product offerings are important to our business, we believe that competitive products are available 
in substantially all of the merchandise categories offered by us. 

DISTRIBUTION 

We fulfill orders from customers both from products we hold in inventory and through drop shipping arrangements 

with manufacturers and distributors. At our 283,000 square foot technology integration and distribution complex in 
Wilmington, Ohio, we receive and ship inventory, configure and integrate technology solutions, provide depot 
maintenance and services, and process returned products. 

We also place product orders directly with manufacturers and/or distribution companies for drop shipment directly 
to our customers. Order status with distributors is tracked online, and in all circumstances, a confirmation of shipment 
from manufacturers and/or distribution companies is received prior to initial recording of the transaction. At the end of 
each financial reporting period, revenue is adjusted to reflect the anticipated receipt of products by the customers in the 
period. Products drop shipped by suppliers were 80%, 80%, and 77%, of net sales in 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively. 
In future years, we expect that products drop shipped from suppliers may increase, both in dollars and as a percentage of 
net sales, as we seek to lower our overall inventory and distribution costs while maintaining excellent customer service. 

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS 

Our subsidiaries utilize management information systems which have been significantly customized for our use. 
These systems permit centralized management of key functions, including order taking and processing, inventory and 
accounts receivable management, purchasing, sales, and distribution, and the preparation of daily operating control 
reports on key aspects of the business. We also operate advanced telecommunications equipment to support our sales and 
customer service operations. Key elements of the telecommunications systems are integrated with our computer systems 
to provide timely customer information to sales and service representatives, and to facilitate the preparation of operating 
and performance data. 

Our success is dependent in large part on the accuracy and proper use of our information systems to manage our 
inventory and accounts receivable collections, to purchase, sell, and ship our products efficiently and on a timely basis, 
and to maintain cost-efficient operations. We expect to continue upgrading our information systems in the future to more 
effectively manage our operations and customer database. 

Our investments in IT systems and infrastructure are designed to enable us to operate more efficiently and to provide 

our customers enhanced functionality. 

COMPETITION 

The direct marketing and sale of IT-related products is highly competitive. We compete with other national solutions 

providers of IT products, including CDW Corporation and Insight Enterprises, Inc., who are the current leaders in the 
space. We also compete with: 

• 

certain product manufacturers that sell directly to customers as well as some of our own suppliers, such as 
Apple, Dell, HP, and Lenovo; 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

software publishers, such as Microsoft, VMware, Adobe, and Symantec; 

distributors that sell directly to certain customers; 

local and regional VARs; 

various franchisers, office supply superstores, and national computer retailers; and 

e-tailers, such as Amazon Web Services, with more extensive commercial online networks. 

Additional competition may arise if other new methods of distribution emerge in the future. We compete not only 

for customers, but also for favorable product allocations and cooperative advertising support from product 
manufacturers. Several of our competitors are larger than we are and have substantially greater financial resources. These 
and other factors related to our competitive position are discussed more fully in the “Overview” of Item 7, 
“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of this Annual Report on 
Form 10-K. 

We believe that price, product selection and availability, solutions capabilities, and service and support are the most 

important competitive factors in our industry. 

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS 

Our trademarks include, among others, Connection®, PC Connection®, GovConnection®, MacConnection®, we 
solve IT®, Everything Overnight®, The Connection™, HealthConnectionTM, Mobile Connection®, Cloud Connection®, 
ServiceConnectionTM, ProConnection™, Education Connection®, MoreDirect A PC Connection Company®, TRAXX®, 
WebSPOC®, Softmart®, GlobalServeTM, Raccoon CharacterTM, and their related logos and all iterations thereof. We 
intend to use and protect these and our other marks, as we deem necessary. We believe our trademarks have significant 
value and are an important factor in the marketing of our products. We do not maintain a traditional research and 
development group, but we work closely with computer product manufacturers and other technology developers to stay 
abreast of the latest developments in computer technology, with respect to the products we both sell and use. 

WORK FORCE 

As of December 31, 2019, we employed 2,609 persons (full-time equivalent), of whom 1,181 (including 340 
management and support personnel) were engaged in sales-related activities, 520 were engaged in providing IT services 
and customer service and support, 620 were engaged in purchasing, marketing, and distribution-related activities, 85 
were engaged in the operation and development of management information systems, and 203 were engaged in 
administrative and finance functions. We consider our employee relations to be good. Our employees are not represented 
by a labor union, and we have never experienced a labor related work stoppage. 

Item 1A. Risk Factors 

We cannot assure investors that our assumptions and expectations will prove to have been correct. Important 

factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements. 
Such factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include those factors discussed below. We undertake no 
intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, 
future events, or otherwise. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition, or results of 
operations would likely suffer. 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Instability in economic conditions and government spending may adversely affect our business and reduce our 
operating results. 

Our business has been affected by changes in economic conditions that are outside of our control, including 

reductions in business investment, loss of consumer confidence, and fiscal uncertainty at both federal and state 
government levels. Reductions in federal government spending may result in significant reductions in program funding.  
Uncertainty also exists regarding expected economic conditions both globally and in the United States, and future delays 
or reductions in IT spending could have a material adverse effect on demand for our products and consequently on our 
financial results. 

Despite the recent increase in general economic optimism, there is always a risk that heightened economic 

expectations may not be realized. Economic instability may arise, and it is difficult to predict to what extent our business 
may be adversely affected. However, if IT spending should again decline, we are likely to experience an adverse impact, 
which may be material on our business and our results of operations. 

We have experienced variability in sales and may not be able to maintain profitable operations. 

Several factors have caused our results of operations to fluctuate and we expect some of these fluctuations to 

continue. Causes of these fluctuations include: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

shifts in customer demand that affect our distribution models, including demand for total solutions; 

loss of customers to competitors; 

industry shipments of new products or upgrades; 

changes in overall demand and timing of product shipments related to economic markets and to government 
spending; 

changes in vendor distribution of products; 

changes in our product offerings and in merchandise returns; 

changes in distribution models as a result of cloud and software-as-a-service, or SaaS; 

adverse weather conditions that affect response, distribution, or shipping; and 

supply constraints. 

Our results also may vary based on our ability to manage personnel levels in response to fluctuations in revenue. We 

base personnel levels and other operating expenditures on sales forecasts. If our revenues do not meet anticipated levels 
in the future, we may not be able to reduce our staffing levels and operating expenses in a timely manner to avoid 
significant losses from operations. 

Substantial competition could reduce our market share and may negatively affect our business. 

The direct marketing industry and the computer products retail business, in particular, are highly competitive. We 

compete with other national solutions providers of hardware and software and computer related products, including 
CDW Corporation and Insight Enterprises, Inc., who are the current leaders in the space. Certain hardware and software 
vendors, such as Apple, Dell, Lenovo, and HP, who provide products to us, also sell their products directly to end users 
through their own direct salesforce, catalogs, stores, and via the Internet. We also compete with computer retail stores 
and websites, who are increasingly selling to business customers and may become a significant competitor. We compete 
not only for customers, but also for advertising support from IT product manufacturers. Some of our competitors have 
larger customer bases and greater financial, marketing, and other resources than we do. In addition, some of our 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
competitors offer a wider range of products and services than we do and may be able to respond more quickly to new or 
changing opportunities, technologies, and customer requirements. Many current and potential competitors also have 
greater name recognition, engage in more extensive promotional activities, and adopt pricing policies that are more 
aggressive than ours. We expect competition to increase as retailers and solution providers who have not traditionally 
sold computers and related products enter the industry. 

In addition, product resellers and national solutions providers are combining operations or acquiring or merging with 

other resellers and national solutions providers to increase efficiency. Moreover, current and potential competitors have 
established or may establish cooperative relationships among themselves or with third parties to enhance their products 
and services. Accordingly, it is possible that new competitors or alliances among competitors may emerge and acquire 
significant market share. We may not be able to continue to compete effectively against our current or future 
competitors. If we encounter new competition or fail to compete effectively against our competitors, our business may be 
harmed. 

We face and will continue to face significant price competition. 

Generally, pricing is very aggressive in our industry, and we expect pricing pressures to escalate should economic 

conditions deteriorate. An increase in price competition could result in a reduction of our profit margins. We may not be 
able to offset the effects of price reductions with an increase in the number of customers, higher sales, cost reductions, or 
otherwise. Such pricing pressures could result in an erosion of our market share, reduced sales, and reduced operating 
margins, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business. 

Virtualization of IT resources and applications, including networks, servers, applications, and data storage may 
disrupt or alter our traditional distribution models. 

Our customers can access, through a cloud-based platform, business-critical solutions without the significant initial 
capital investment required for dedicated infrastructure. Growing demand for the development of cloud-based solutions 
may reduce demand for some of our existing hardware products. If the transition to an environment characterized by 
cloud-based computing and software being delivered as a service progresses, we will likely increase investments in this 
area before knowing whether our sales forecasts will accurately reflect customer demand for these products, services, 
and solutions. We may not be able to effectively compete using these virtual distribution models. Our inability to 
compete effectively with current or future virtual distribution model competitors, or adapt to a cloud-based environment, 
could have a material adverse effect on our business. 

We may experience a reduction in the incentive programs offered to us by our vendors. 

Some product manufacturers and distributors provide us with incentives such as supplier reimbursements, payment 

discounts, price protection, rebates, and other similar arrangements. The increasingly competitive technology reseller 
market has already resulted in the following: 

• 

reduction or elimination of some of these incentive programs; 

•  more restrictive price protection and other terms; and 

• 

reduced advertising allowances and incentives. 

Many product suppliers provide us with advertising allowances, and in exchange, we feature their products on our 

website and in other marketing vehicles. These vendor allowances, to the extent that they represent specific 
reimbursements of incremental and identifiable costs, are offset against SG&A expenses. Advertising allowances that 
cannot be associated with a specific program funded by an individual vendor or that exceed the fair value of advertising 
expense associated with that program are classified as offsets to cost of sales or inventory. In the past, we have 
experienced a decrease in the level of vendor consideration available to us from certain manufacturers. The level of such 
consideration we receive from some manufacturers may decline in the future. Such a decline could decrease our gross 
profit and have a material adverse effect on our earnings and cash flows. 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Our business could be materially adversely affected by system failures, interruption, integration issues, or 
security lapses of our information technology systems or those of our third-party providers. 

Our ability to effectively manage our business depends significantly on our information systems and infrastructure 
as well as, in certain instances those of our business partners and third-party providers. The failure of our current systems 
to operate effectively or to integrate with other systems, including integration of upgrades to better meet the changing 
needs of our customers, could result in transaction errors, processing inefficiencies, and the loss of sales and customers. 
In addition, cybersecurity threats are evolving and include, but are not limited to, malicious software, attempts to gain 
unauthorized access to company or customer data, denial of service attacks, the processing of fraudulent transactions, 
and other electronic security breaches that could lead to disruptions in critical systems, unauthorized release of 
confidential or otherwise protected information, and corruption of data. In our case, these attacks and attempted attacks 
have generally been in the form of active intrusion attempts from the internet, passive vulnerability mapping from the 
internet, and internal malware and or phishing attempts delivered through user actions. Although we have in place 
various processes, procedures, and controls to monitor and mitigate these threats, these measures may not be sufficient to 
prevent a material security threat or mitigate these risks for our customers. If any of these events were to materialize, 
they could lead to disruption of our operations or loss of sensitive information as well as subject us to regulatory actions, 
litigation, or damage to our reputation, and could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of 
operations, and cash flows. Similar risks exist with respect to our business partners and third-party providers. As a result, 
we are subject to the risk that the activities of our business partners and third-party providers may adversely affect our 
business even if an attack or breach does not directly impact our systems. 

We could experience Internet and other system failures which would interfere with our ability to process orders. 

We depend on the accuracy and proper use of our management information systems, including our telephone 
system. Many of our key functions depend on the quality and effective utilization of the information generated by our 
management information systems, including: 

• 

• 

• 

our ability to purchase, sell, and ship products efficiently and on a timely basis; 

our ability to manage inventory and accounts receivable collection; and 

our ability to maintain operations. 

Our management information systems require continual upgrades to most effectively manage our operations and 
customer database. Although we maintain some redundant systems, with full data backup, a significant component of our 
computer and telecommunications hardware is located in a single facility in New Hampshire, and a substantial 
interruption in our management information systems or in our telephone communication systems, including those 
resulting from extreme weather and natural disasters, as well as power loss, telecommunications failure, or similar 
events, would substantially hinder our ability to process customer orders and thus could have a material adverse effect on 
our business. 

Should our financial performance not meet expectations, we may be required to record a significant charge to 
earnings for impairment of goodwill and other intangibles.  

We test goodwill for impairment each year and more frequently if potential impairment indicators arise. Although 

we did not identify any circumstances during our annual impairment test that indicated the fair value of our Business 
Solutions and Enterprise Solutions reporting units substantially exceeded their carrying value, should the financial 
performance of a reporting unit not meet expectations due to the economy or otherwise, we would likely adjust 
downward expected future operating results and cash flows. Such adjustment may result in a determination that the 
carrying value of goodwill and other intangibles for a reporting unit exceeds its fair value. This determination may in 
turn require that we record a significant non-cash charge to earnings to reduce the $73.6 million aggregate carrying 
amount of goodwill held by our Business Solutions and Enterprise Solutions reporting units, resulting in a negative 
effect on our results of operations. 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The failure to comply with our public sector contracts could result in, among other things, fines or liabilities. 

Revenues from the Public Sector Solutions segment are derived from sales to federal, state, and local government 

departments and agencies, as well as to educational institutions, through various contracts and open market sales. 
Government contracting is a highly regulated area. Noncompliance with government procurement regulations or contract 
provisions could result in civil, criminal, and administrative liability, including substantial monetary fines or damages, 
termination of government contracts, and suspension, debarment, or ineligibility from doing business with the 
government. Our current arrangements with these government agencies allow them to cancel orders with little or no 
notice and do not require them to purchase products from us in the future. The effect of any of these possible actions by 
any government department or agency could adversely affect our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. 

We acquire a majority of our products for resale from a limited number of vendors. The loss of any one of these 
vendors could have a material adverse effect on our business. 

We acquire products for resale both directly from manufacturers and increasingly indirectly through distributors and 
other sources. Although we purchase from a diverse vendor base, product purchases from Ingram Micro, Inc., our largest 
supplier, and Synnex accounted for approximately 21% and 14%, respectively, of our total product purchases in 2019. 
No other singular vendor supplied more than 10% of our total product purchases in the year. In addition to these vendors, 
product purchases, whether purchased directly or from a wholesale distributor, from Dell, HP Inc., and Tech Data 
comprised a total of 59% of our product purchases in 2019. If we are unable to acquire products, or if we experienced a 
change in business relationship with any of these vendors, we could experience a short-term disruption in the availability 
of products, and such disruption could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows. 

Products manufactured by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP Inc. collectively represented approximately 19% of 
our net sales in 2019. We believe that in the event we experience either a short-term or permanent disruption of supply of 
HP products, such disruption would likely have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows. 

Substantially all of our contracts and arrangements with our vendors that supply significant quantities of products 
are terminable by such vendors or us without notice or upon short notice. Most of our product vendors provide us with 
trade credit, of which the net amount outstanding at December 31, 2019 was $235.6 million. Termination, interruption, 
or contraction of relationships with our vendors, including a reduction in the level of trade credit provided to us, could 
have a material adverse effect on our financial position. 

Some product manufacturers either do not permit us to sell the full line of their products or limit the number of 
product units available to national solutions providers such as us. An element of our business strategy is to continue 
increasing our participation in first-to-market purchase opportunities. The availability of certain desired products, 
especially in the direct marketing channel, has been constrained in the past. We could experience a material adverse 
effect to our business if we are unable to source first-to-market purchases or similar opportunities, or if significant 
availability constraints reoccur. 

We are exposed to inventory obsolescence due to the rapid technological changes occurring in the IT industry. 

The market for IT products is characterized by rapid technological change and the frequent introduction of new 
products and product enhancements. Our success depends in large part on our ability to identify and market products that 
meet the needs of customers in that marketplace. In order to satisfy customer demand and to obtain favorable purchasing 
discounts, we have and may continue to carry increased inventory levels of certain products. By so doing, we are subject 
to the increased risk of inventory obsolescence. Also, in order to implement our business strategy, we intend to continue, 
among other things, placing larger than typical inventory stocking orders of selected products and increasing our 
participation in first-to-market purchase opportunities. We may also, from time to time, make large inventory purchases 
of certain end - of - life products, which would increase the risk of inventory obsolescence. In addition, we sometimes 
acquire special purchase products without return privileges. For these and other reasons, we may not be able to avoid 
losses related to obsolete inventory. Manufacturers have limited return rights and have taken steps to reduce their 
inventory exposure by supporting “configure - to-order” programs authorizing distributors and resellers to assemble 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
computer hardware under the manufacturers’ brands. These actions reduce the costs to manufacturers and shift the 
burden of inventory risk to resellers like us, which could negatively impact our business. 

We are dependent on key personnel. 

Our future performance will depend to a significant extent upon the efforts and abilities of our senior executives and 

other key management personnel. The current environment for qualified management personnel in the computer 
products industry is very competitive, and the loss of service of one or more of these persons could have an adverse 
effect on our business. Our success and plans for future growth will also depend on our ability to hire, train, and retain 
skilled personnel in all areas of our business, especially sales representatives and technical support personnel. We may 
not be able to attract, train, and retain sufficient qualified personnel to achieve our business objectives. 

Cyberattacks or the failure to safeguard personal information and our information technology systems could 
result in liability and harm our reputation, which could adversely affect our business. 

Our business is heavily dependent upon information technology networks and systems. Internal or external attacks 

on those networks and systems could disrupt our normal operations centers and impede our ability to provide critical 
products and services to our customers and clients, subjecting us to liability under our contracts and damaging our 
reputation. 

Our business also involves the use, storage and transmission of proprietary information and sensitive or confidential 

data, including personal information about our employees, our clients and customers of our clients. While we take 
measures to protect the security of, and prevent unauthorized access to, our systems and personal and proprietary 
information, the security controls for our systems, as well as other security practices we follow, may not prevent 
improper access to, or disclosure of, personally identifiable or proprietary information. Furthermore, the evolving nature 
of threats to data security, in light of new and sophisticated methods used by criminals and cyberterrorists, including 
computer viruses, malware, phishing, misrepresentation, social engineering, and forgery make it increasingly challenging 
to anticipate and adequately mitigate these risks. We have experienced attacks and attempted attacks that have generally 
been in the form of active intrusion attempts from the internet, passive vulnerability mapping from the internet, and 
internal malware and or phishing attempts delivered through user actions. 

Breaches in security could expose us, our supply chain, our customers or other individuals to significant disruptions, 

a risk of public disclosure, loss or misuse of this information. Security breaches could result in legal claims or 
proceedings, liability or regulatory penalties under laws protecting the privacy of personal information, as well as the 
loss of existing or potential customers and damage to our brand and reputation. Moreover, media or other reports of 
perceived vulnerabilities in our network security or perceived lack of security within our environment, even if inaccurate, 
could adversely impact our reputation and materially impact our business. The cost and operational consequences of 
implementing further data protection measures could be significant. Such breaches, costs and consequences could 
adversely affect our business, results of operations, or cash flows. 

The methods of distributing IT products are changing, and such changes may negatively impact us and our 
business. 

The manner in which IT hardware and software is distributed and sold is changing, and new methods of distribution 

and sale have emerged, including distribution through cloud-based and SaaS solutions. In addition, hardware and 
software manufacturers have sold, and may intensify their efforts to sell, their products directly to end users. From time 
to time, certain manufacturers have instituted programs for the direct sales of large order quantities of hardware and 
software to certain major corporate accounts. These types of programs may continue to be developed and used by 
various manufacturers. Some of our vendors, including Apple, Dell, HP, and Lenovo, currently sell some of their 
products directly to end users and have stated their intentions to increase the level of such direct sales. In addition, 
manufacturers may attempt to increase the volume of software products distributed electronically to end users. An 
increase in the volume of products sold through or used by consumers of any of these competitive programs, or our 

14 

 
 
 
inability to effectively adapt our business to increased electronic distribution of products and services to end users could 
have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.  

We depend heavily on third-party shippers to deliver our products to customers. 

Many of our customers elect to have their purchases shipped by an interstate common carrier, such as UPS or FedEx 

Corporation. A strike or other interruption in service by these shippers could adversely affect our ability to market or 
deliver products to customers on a timely basis. 

Natural disasters, terrorism, and other circumstances could materially adversely affect our business. 

Natural disasters, terrorism, and other business interruptions have caused and could cause damage or disruption to 
international commerce and the global economy, and thus could have a negative effect on the Company, its suppliers, 
logistics providers, manufacturing vendors, and customers. Our business operations are subject to interruption by natural 
disasters, fire, power shortages, nuclear power plant accidents, terrorist attacks, and other hostile acts, and other events 
beyond our control. Such events could decrease demand for our products, make it difficult or impossible for us to deliver 
services or products to our customers, or to receive products from our suppliers, and create delays and inefficiencies in 
our supply chain. In the event of a natural disaster or other business interruption, significant recovery time and 
substantial expenditures could be required to resume operations and our financial condition, results of operations, and 
cash flows could be materially adversely affected. 

We may experience increases in shipping and postage costs, which may adversely affect our business if we are not 
able to pass such increases on to our customers. 

Shipping costs are a significant expense in the operation of our business. Increases in postal or shipping rates could 

significantly impact the cost of shipping customer orders and mailing our catalogs. Postage prices and shipping rates 
increase periodically, and we have no control over future increases. We have a long-term contract with UPS, and believe 
that we have negotiated favorable shipping rates with our carriers. While we generally invoice customers for shipping 
and handling charges, we may not be able to pass on to our customers the full cost, including any future increases in the 
cost, of commercial delivery services, which would adversely affect our business. 

We rely on the continued development of electronic commerce and Internet infrastructure development. 

We continue to have increasing levels of sales made through our e-commerce sites. The on-line experience for our 
clients continues to improve, but the competitive nature of the e-commerce channel also continues to increase. Growth of 
our overall sales is dependent on customers continuing to expand their on-line purchases in addition to traditional 
channels to purchase products and services. We cannot accurately predict the rate at which on-line purchases will 
expand. 

       Our success in growing our Internet business will depend in large part upon our development of an increasingly 
sophisticated e-commerce experience and infrastructure. Increasing customer sophistication requires that we provide 
additional website features and functionality in order to be competitive in the marketplace and maintain market share. 
We will continue to iterate our website features, but we cannot predict future trends and required functionality or our 
adoption rate for customer preferences. As the number of on-line users continues to grow, such growth may impact the 
performance of our existing Internet infrastructure. 

We face uncertainties relating to unclaimed property and the collection of state sales and use tax. 

We collect and remit sales and use taxes in states in which we have either voluntarily registered or have a physical 
presence. Various states have sought to impose on direct marketers the burden of collecting state sales and use taxes on 
the sales of products shipped to their residents. Many states have adopted rules that require companies and their affiliates 
to register in those states as a condition of doing business with those state agencies. Our three sales companies are 
registered in substantially all states, however, if a state were to determine that our earlier contacts with that state 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
exceeded the constitutionally permitted contacts, the state could assess a tax liability relating to our prior year sales. 
Various states have from time to time initiated unclaimed property audits of our company escheatment practices. 

Privacy concerns with respect to list development and maintenance may materially adversely affect our business. 

We mail catalogs and other promotional materials to names in our customer database and to potential customers 
whose names we obtain from rented or exchanged mailing lists. Public concern regarding the protection of personal 
information has subjected the rental and use of customer mailing lists and other customer information to increased 
scrutiny. Legislation enacted limiting or prohibiting the use of rented or exchanged mailing lists could negatively affect 
our business. 

We are controlled by two principal stockholders. 

Patricia Gallup and David Hall, our two principal stockholders, beneficially own or control, in the aggregate, 

approximately 56% of the outstanding shares of our common stock as of December 31, 2019. Because of their beneficial 
stock ownership, these stockholders can continue to elect the members of the Board of Directors and decide all matters 
requiring stockholder approval at a meeting or by a written consent in lieu of a meeting. Similarly, such stockholders can 
control decisions to adopt, amend, or repeal our charter and our bylaws, or take other actions requiring the vote or 
consent of our stockholders and prevent a takeover of us by one or more third parties, or sell or otherwise transfer their 
stock to a third party, which could deprive our stockholders of a control premium that might otherwise be realized by 
them in connection with an acquisition of our Company. Such control may result in decisions that are not in the best 
interest of our public stockholders. In connection with our initial public offering, the principal stockholders placed 
substantially all shares of common stock beneficially owned by them into a voting trust, pursuant to which they are 
required to agree as to the manner of voting such shares in order for the shares to be voted. Such provisions could 
discourage bids for our common stock at a premium as well as have a negative impact on the market price of our 
common stock. 

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 

None. 

Item 2. Properties 

We lease our corporate headquarters located at 730 Milford Road, Merrimack, New Hampshire 03054-4631, from 
an affiliated company, G&H Post, which is related to us through common ownership. The lease term ended in November 
2018, and the Company is currently in the process of negotiating an amendment to extend the lease term. We expect that 
an extension to the lease will be available at market terms. In addition to the rent payable under the facility lease, we are 
required to pay real estate taxes, insurance, and common area maintenance charges. The lease has been recorded as a 
right-of-use asset in the financial statements. 

We also lease an office facility adjacent to our corporate headquarters from the same affiliated company, G&H Post. 

This facility is used by our Public Sector Segment. The lease term ended in July 2018, but the Company is currently in 
the process of negotiating an amendment to extend the lease term. We expect that an extension to the lease will be 
available at market terms. The lease requires us to pay our proportionate share of real estate taxes and common area 
maintenance charges as either additional rent or directly to third parties and also to pay insurance premiums for the 
leased property. The lease has been recorded as a right-of-use asset in the financial statements. 

We lease a facility in Wilmington, Ohio, which houses our distribution and order fulfillment operations and services 

all three of our business segments. We also operate sales and support offices throughout the United States and lease 
facilities at these locations. Leasehold improvements associated with these properties are amortized over the terms of the 
leases or their useful lives, whichever is shorter. We believe that our physical properties will be sufficient to support our 
anticipated needs through the next twelve months and beyond. 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 

We are subject to various legal proceedings and claims, including patent infringement claims, which have arisen 
during the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, the outcome of such matters is not expected to 
have a material effect on our business, financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. 

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 

Not applicable. 

Information about our Executive Officers 

Our executive officers and their ages as of February 6, 2020 are as follows: 

Name 
Patricia Gallup 
Timothy McGrath 
Thomas Baker 

Age 
65 
61 
55 

  Position 
  Chair and Chief Administrative Officer 
  President and Chief Executive Officer 
  Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer 

Patricia Gallup is our co-founder and has served as Chair of our Board of Directors since September 1994, and as 
Chief Administrative Officer since August 2011. Ms. Gallup has served as a member of our executive management team 
since 1982. 

Timothy McGrath has served as our Chief Executive Officer since August 2011, and as President since May 2010. 

Mr. McGrath has served as a member of our executive management team since he joined the Company in 2005.  

Thomas Baker has served as our Chief Financial Officer and as a member of our executive management team since 

he joined the Company in the spring of 2019. Prior to joining Connection, Mr. Baker had served as Corporate Vice 
President and Chief Financial Officer for the New Markets and Service Group at Applied Materials, Inc., a 
semiconductor company, since 2013. 

17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 5. Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of 

PART II 

Equity Securities 

Market Information 

Our common stock commenced trading on March 3, 1998, on the Nasdaq Global Select Market and trades today 
under the symbol “CNXN”. As of February 4, 2020, there were 26,344,841 shares of our common stock outstanding, 
held by approximately 46 stockholders of record. This figure does not include an estimate of the number of beneficial 
holders whose shares are held of record by brokerage firms. 

In 2019, we declared a special cash dividend of $0.32 per share. The total cash payment of $8.4 million was made 

on January 10, 2020 to stockholders of record at the close of business on December 27, 2019. In 2018, we declared a 
special cash dividend of $0.32 per share. The total cash payment of $8.5 million was made on January 11, 2019 to 
stockholders of record at the close of business on December 28, 2018. We have no current plans to pay additional cash 
dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future, and declaration of any future cash dividends will depend upon 
our financial position, strategic plans, and general business conditions.  

Share Repurchase Authorization 

In 2001, our Board of Directors authorized the spending of up to $15.0 million to repurchase shares of our common 

stock. In 2014, our Board approved a new share repurchase program authorizing up to an additional $15.0 million in 
share repurchases, for a total authorized repurchase amount of $30.0 million. We consider block repurchases directly 
from larger stockholders, as well as open market purchases, in carrying out our ongoing stock repurchase program.  

In 2018, our Board approved a new share repurchase program authorizing up to $25.0 million in additional share 
repurchases. There is no fixed termination date for this repurchase program. Purchases may be made in open-market 
transactions, block transactions on or off an exchange, or in privately negotiated transactions. The timing and amount of 
any share repurchases will be based on market conditions and other factors. 

In 2019, we repurchased 0.1 million shares for $4.5 million under the Board-approved repurchase programs. As of 
December 31, 2019, we have repurchased an aggregate of 2.4 million shares for $32.1 million under our Board-approved 
repurchase programs. At December 31, 2019, the maximum approximate dollar value of shares that may yet be 
purchased under Board-authorized programs was $22.9 million. 

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to repurchases of our common stock during the 

quarter ended December 31, 2019. 

ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES 

Period 
10/01/19-10/31/19 
11/01/19-11/30/19 
12/01/19-12/31/19 

  Total Number   
of Shares 
     Purchased       

  Average Price Paid   Announced Plans or   

  Total Number of 
  Approximate Dollar Value  
  Shares Purchased as   of Shares that May Yet Be  
  Purchased Under the Plans 
or Programs 
(in thousands) 

Part of Publicly 

Programs 

Per Share 

 —  
 —  
 49.18  
 49.18  

 — 
 — 
 2,333 
 2,333 

 $ 
 $ 
 $ 

 23,029  
 23,029  
 22,914  

 —   $ 
 —  
 2,333  
 2,333   $ 

18 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Stock Performance Graph 

The following performance graph and related information shall not be deemed “soliciting material” or to be “filed” 

with the SEC, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any future filing under the Securities Act of 
1933 or the Exchange Act, each as amended, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate it by reference into 
such filing. 

The following stock performance graph compares cumulative total stockholder return on our common stock for the 

period from December 31, 2014 through December 31, 2019 with the cumulative total return for (i) the Nasdaq Stock 
Market Composite and (ii) the Nasdaq Retail Trade Stocks (Peer Group) for the period starting December 31, 2014 and 
ending December 31, 2019. This graph assumes the investment of $100 on December 31, 2014 in our common stock and 
in each of the two Nasdaq indices, and that dividends are reinvested. 

Company Name / Index 
PC Connection, Inc. 
Nasdaq Stock Market-Composite 
Nasdaq Retail Trade (Peer Index) 

  Base Period 
      Dec-14 
 100.00 
 100.00 
 100.00 

Years Ended 

      Dec-15 

      Dec-16        Dec-17        Dec-18        Dec-19    
 93.88      117.90     111.43     127.80     214.79  
 106.96      116.45     150.96     146.67     200.49  
 104.13      105.33     112.05     112.56     135.43  

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
Item 6. Selected Financial Data 

The following selected financial data should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and 

the Notes thereto, and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and 
other financial information included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 

2019 (1) 

2018 (1) 

Years Ended December 31,  
2017 
(dollars in thousands, except per share) 

2016 

2015 

Consolidated Statement of 
Operations Data: 

Net sales  
Cost of sales 
Gross profit 
Selling, general and administrative 
expenses 
Restructuring and other charges 
Income from operations 
Other income, net 
Income before taxes 
Income tax provision 
Net income  

Basic earnings per share 
Diluted earnings per share 

  $

 2,820,034  $
 2,368,724 
 451,310 

 2,699,489 
 2,288,403 
 411,086 

 $  2,911,883  $  2,692,592  $  2,573,973 
 2,232,954 
 2,321,435 
     2,529,807 
 341,019 
 371,157 
 382,076 

 338,635 
 703 
 111,972 
 707 
 112,679 
 (30,568)   
 82,111  $

 324,433 
 967 
 85,686 
 2,978 
 88,664 
 (24,072)    
 $
 64,592 

 300,913 
 3,636 
 77,527 
 98 
 77,625 
 (22,768)   
 54,857  $

 287,231 
 3,406 
 80,520 

 (67)    

 80,453 
 (32,342)    
 48,111  $

 262,465 
 — 
 78,554 
 (87)
 78,467 
 (31,640)
 46,827 

 3.12  $
 3.10  $

 2.42 
 2.41 

 $
 $

 2.05  $
 2.04  $

 1.81  $
 1.80  $

 1.77 
 1.76 

  $

  $
  $

(1)  The Company adopted ASC 606—Revenue from Contracts with Customers in 2018 using the modified retrospective approach, which primarily 

resulted in certain software sales being reported on a net basis where they would have otherwise been reported on a gross basis under the previous 
revenue recognition guidance. As a result, net sales for 2019 and 2018 are not comparable to prior periods. 

2019 

2018 

As of December 31,  
2017 
(dollars in thousands) 

2016 

2015 

Consolidated Balance Sheet Data: 

Working capital 
Total assets(1) 
Total stockholders’ equity 
Cash dividends declared per share 

  $  467,488  $  409,380  $  368,080 
   747,851 
   805,355 
   482,252 
   525,903 
 0.34 

   937,335 
   597,312 

 0.32  $ 

 0.32  $ 

  $ 

 $  328,917 
    686,134 
    433,442 
 0.34 
 $ 

 $  330,848 
    639,074 
    392,451 
 0.40 
 $ 

(1)  The Company adopted ASC 842—Leases in 2019, which primarily resulted in the establishment of a right-of-use asset and corresponding lease 

liability for certain of our operating leases. As a result, total assets for 2019 are not comparable to prior periods. 

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
    
    
    
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
  
  
  
    
  
   
  
  
    
  
   
  
  
    
  
   
  
  
    
  
   
  
  
    
  
   
  
    
  
   
  
  
    
 
   
 
  
 
   
 
   
 
  
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
    
    
    
    
    
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 

Our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations include the 
identification of certain trends and other statements that may predict or anticipate future business or financial results 
that are subject to important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated. See 
“Item 1A. Risk Factors.” 

OVERVIEW 

We are a national provider of a wide range of information technology, or IT, solutions. We help our customers 
design, enable, manage, and service their IT environments. We provide IT products, including computer systems, data 
center solutions, software and peripheral equipment, networking communications, and other products and accessories 
that we purchase from manufacturers, distributors, and other suppliers. We also offer services involving design, 
configuration, and implementation of IT solutions. These services are performed by our personnel and by third-party 
providers. We operate through three sales segments, which serve primarily: (a) small- to medium-sized businesses, or in 
our Business Solutions segment, through our PC Connection Sales subsidiary, (b) large enterprise customers, in our 
Enterprise Solutions segment, through our MoreDirect subsidiary, and (c) federal, state, and local government and 
educational institutions, in our Public Sector Solutions segment, through our GovConnection subsidiary. 

We generate sales primarily through outbound telemarketing and field sales contacts by account managers focused 
on the business, education, and government markets, our websites, and direct responses from customers responding to 
our advertising media. We seek to recruit, retain, and increase the productivity of our sales personnel through training, 
mentoring, financial incentives based on performance, and updating and streamlining our information systems to make 
our operations more efficient. 

As a value added reseller in the IT supply chain, we do not manufacture IT hardware or software. We are dependent 

on our suppliers—manufacturers and distributors that historically have sold only to resellers rather than directly to end 
users. However, certain manufacturers have, on multiple occasions, attempted to sell directly to our customers, and in 
some cases, have restricted our ability to sell their products directly to certain customers, thereby attempting to eliminate 
our role. We believe that the success of these direct sales efforts by suppliers will depend on their ability to meet our 
customers’ ongoing demands and provide objective, unbiased solutions to meet their needs. We believe more of our 
customers are seeking comprehensive IT solutions, rather than simply the acquisition of specific IT products. Our 
advantage is our ability to be product-neutral and provide a broader combination of products, services, and advice 
tailored to customer needs. By providing customers with customized solutions from a variety of manufacturers, we 
believe we can mitigate the negative impact of continued direct sales initiatives from individual manufacturers. Through 
the formation of our Technical Solutions Group, we are able to provide customers complete IT solutions, from 
identifying their needs, to designing, developing, and managing the integration of products and services to implement 
their IT projects. Such service offerings carry higher margins than traditional product sales. Additionally, the technical 
certifications of our service engineers permit us to offer higher-end, more complex products that generally carry higher 
gross margins. We expect these service offerings and technical certifications to continue to play a role in sales generation 
and improve gross margins in this competitive environment. 

The primary challenges we continue to face in effectively managing our business are (1) increasing our revenues 
while at the same time improving our gross margin in all three segments, (2) recruiting, retaining, and improving the 
productivity of our sales and technical support personnel, and (3) effectively controlling our selling, general, and 
administrative, or SG&A, expenses while making major investments in our IT systems and solution selling personnel, 
especially in relation to changing revenue levels. 

To support future growth, we are expanding our IT solutions business, which requires the addition of highly-skilled 
service engineers. Although we expect to realize the ultimate benefit of higher-margin service revenues under this multi-
year initiative, we believe that our cost of services will increase as we add service engineers. If our service revenues do 
not grow enough to offset the cost of these headcount additions, our operating results may decline. 

21 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Market conditions and technology advances significantly affect the demand for our products and services. Virtual 

delivery of software products and advanced Internet technology providing customers enhanced functionality have 
substantially increased customer expectations, requiring us to invest on an ongoing basis in our own IT development to 
meet these new demands.  

Our investments in IT infrastructure are designed to enable us to operate more efficiently and provide our customers 

enhanced functionality. 

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS 

The following table sets forth information derived from our statements of income expressed as a percentage of net 

sales for the periods indicated:  

Net sales (in millions) 
Gross margin 
Selling, general and administrative expenses 
Income from operations 

Years Ended December 31,  

2019 

  $   2,820.0 

2018 
$   2,699.5 

2017 
$  2,911.9 

 16.0 %   
 12.0 
 4.0 

 15.2 %   
 12.0 
 3.2 

 13.1 %
 10.3 
 2.7   

Net sales of $2,820.0 million in 2019 reflected an increase of $120.5 million compared to 2018, primarily as a result 
of increased sales across all three of our sales segments. Our investments in advance solutions sales and a strategic focus 
by customers across all three segments led to an increase in net sales of notebooks/mobility and desktop products. We 
also saw an increase in net sales of software products, despite being negatively impacted by a higher percentage of our 
software sales recognized on a net basis in the current period in transactions where we are considered to be the agent. 
Gross profit dollars increased year-over-year by $40.2 million due to increased sales and higher invoice selling margins. 
SG&A expenses increased by $14.2 million, mostly due to higher personnel costs and increased advertising expense, but 
remained flat as a percentage of net sales. Operating income in 2019 increased year-over-year, both in dollars and as a 
percentage of net sales, by $26.3 million and 80 basis points, respectively, primarily as a result of gross profit increasing 
at a higher rate than SG&A expenses.  

22 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
   
 
 
       
 
 
    
  
  
    
  
  
 
 
Sales Distribution 

The following table sets forth our percentage of net sales by sales segment and product mix: 

Sales Segment 

Enterprise Solutions 
Business Solutions 
Public Sector Solutions 

Total 

Product Mix 

Notebooks/Mobility 
Desktops 
Software 
Servers/Storage 
Net/Com Product 
Displays and sound 
Accessories 
Other Hardware/Services 

Total 

Years Ended December 31,  

  2019 (1) 

      2018 (1) 

2017 

 42 %   
 38 
 20 
 100 %   

 43 %   
 38 
 19 
 100 %   

 39 % 
 40 
 21 
 100 % 

 29 %   
 12  
 12  
 8  
 8 
 9 
 13 
 9 
 100 %   

 26 %   
 11  
 12  
 11  
 8 
 9 
 13 
 10 
 100 %   

 22 % 
 11  
 23  
 9  
 7 
 8 
 10 
 10 
 100 % 

(1)  The Company adopted ASC 606—Revenue from Contracts with Customers in 2018 using the modified retrospective approach, which primarily 

resulted in certain software sales being reported on a net basis where they would have otherwise been reported on a gross basis under the previous 
revenue recognition guidance. As a result, net sales for 2019 and 2018 are not comparable to 2017 amounts. 

Gross Profit Margins 

The following table summarizes our overall gross profit margins, as a percentage of net sales, for the last three 

years:   

Sales Segment 
Enterprise Solutions 
Business Solutions 
Public Sector Solutions 
Total Company 

Cost of Sales 

Years Ended December 31,  
2018 

2017 

2019 

 14.4 %   
 19.1 
 13.6 
 16.0 %   

 13.9 %   
 18.0 
 12.7 
 15.2 %   

 12.3 %   
 15.3 
 10.5 
 13.1 %   

Cost of sales includes the invoice cost of the product, direct employee and third party cost of services, direct costs of 
packaging, inbound and outbound freight, and provisions for inventory obsolescence, adjusted for discounts, rebates, and 
other vendor allowances. 

23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
     
  
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
     
     
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
   
 
 
 
Operating Expenses 

The following table reflects our most significant operating expenses for the last three years (in millions of dollars): 

Personnel costs 
Advertising 
Facilities operations 
Professional fees 
Credit card fees 
Depreciation and amortization 
Other 

Total SG&A expense 
As a percentage of net sales 

Years Ended December 31,  
2018 
$   249.2 
 16.2 
 16.9 
 8.6 
 6.9 
 14.1 
 12.5 
$   324.4 

      2017 (1) 
$   232.0 
 14.4 
 15.0 
 8.8 
 7.2 
 11.8 
 11.7 
$   300.9 

2019 
$   257.8 
 19.4 
 19.0 
 10.6 
 6.6 
 13.3 
 11.9 
$   338.6 

 12.0 %     

 12.0 %     

 10.3 % 

(1)  The year-ended December 31, 2017 SG&A amounts are shown net of restructuring and other charges of $3,636, which were included in SG&A 

expenses in prior-year disclosures. 

Personnel costs increased in 2019 compared to 2018 primarily due to increased variable compensation associated 
with higher gross profit, combined with increases in other employee-related expenses. Depreciation and amortization 
decreased in 2019 compared to 2018 primarily due to lower levels of IT infrastructure in service in 2019 compared to 
2018.  

Personnel costs increased in 2018 compared to 2017 primarily due to increased variable compensation associated 

with higher gross profit and changes in the stock price, which increased stock-based compensation, and increases in 
other employee-related expenses. Depreciation and amortization increased in 2018 and 2017 due to investments in our IT 
infrastructure and the amortization of intangible assets added in 2016 with our two acquisitions. 

Restructuring and other charges 

In the years ended December 31 2019, 2018, and 2017, we undertook a wide range of actions across the Company to 

lower our cost structure and align our business in an effort to improve our ability to execute our strategy. In connection 
with these restructuring initiatives, we incurred restructuring and related costs of $0.7 million, $1.0 million, and $3.6 
million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. 

24 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
YEAR-OVER-YEAR COMPARISONS 

Year Ended December 31, 2019 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2018 

Net sales increased by 4.5% to $2,820.0 million in 2019 from $2,699.5 million in 2018. Changes in net sales and 

gross profit by operating segment are shown in the following table (dollars in millions): 

Sales: 

Enterprise Solutions 
Business Solutions 
Public Sector Solutions 

Total 
Gross Profit: 

Enterprise Solutions 
Business Solutions 
Public Sector Solutions 

Total 

Years Ended December 31,  

2019 

      % of 

2018 

      % of 

      % 

Amount 

  Net Sales 

Amount 

  Net Sales 

  Change    

 $ 

 1,193.8 
 1,060.0 

 566.2    

 42.3 %   $  1,165.1 
 37.6 
  1,027.9 
 20.1 

 506.5    

 $ 

 2,820.0 

   100.0 %   $  2,699.5 

 43.2 %   
 38.1 
 18.8 
 100.0 %   

 2.5 %
 3.1 
 11.8  
 4.5 %

 $ 

 $ 

 171.7 
 202.7 
 76.9    

 451.3 

 14.4 %   $ 
 19.1 
 13.6 
 16.0 %   $ 

 161.6 
 184.9 
 64.6    

 411.1 

 13.9 %   
 18.0 
 12.7 
 15.2 %   

 6.3 %
 9.6 
 19.0 
 9.8 %

•  Net sales of $1,193.8 million for the Enterprise Solutions segment reflect an increase of $28.7 million, or 2.5% 
compared to the prior year, primarily due to increases in net sales of notebooks/mobility and desktop products, 
which grew by $49.9 million and $28.0 million, respectively. The Enterprise Solutions segment also benefitted from 
the personal computer refresh driven by the anticipated end-of-life support for Windows 7 and technological 
advances in hardware that enables modern workplace solutions. These increases in net sales were partially offset by 
decreases in sales of server/storage and other hardware products of $29.8 million and $21.1 million, respectively, 
which were primarily attributable to the timing of large product rollouts.  

•  Net sales of $1,060.0 million for the Business Solutions segment reflect an increase of $32.1 million, or 3.1%. The 
increase in net sales year-over-year was primarily driven by growth in desktops and notebooks/mobility products of 
$19.3 million and $18.0 million, respectively, as the Company benefitted from the personal computer refresh driven 
by the anticipated end-of-life support for Windows 7 and other technological advances in hardware that enables 
modern workplace solutions. Net sales of software products also grew by $12.2 million year-over-year despite being 
negatively impacted by a higher percentage of our software sales recognized on a net basis in the current period in 
transactions where we are considered to be the agent. Net sales growth was partially offset by a decrease in net/com 
products of $15.4 million, primarily driven by the timing of large product rollouts. 

•  Net sales of $566.2 million for the Public Sector Solutions segment reflect an increase of $59.7 million, or 11.8%. 
We experienced growth year-over-year in each of our product categories, highlighted by increases in net sales of 
notebooks/mobility, desktop, and software products of $27.3 million, $10.4 million, and $9.6 million, respectively. 

Gross profit for 2019 increased year-over-year both in dollars and as a percentage of net sales (gross margin), as 
explained below: 

•  Gross profit for the Enterprise Solutions segment increased primarily due to higher invoice selling margins of 54 

basis points, driven primarily by an increase in software sales reported on a net basis.  

•  Gross profit for the Business Solutions segment increased year-over-year largely due to higher invoice selling 
margins of 97 basis points, primarily driven by an increase in software sales reported on a net basis. Also 
contributing to the growth were increased agency fees from enterprise software agreements, which grew by 
approximately 15.5% year-over-year. We receive agency fees from vendors for certain software and hardware sales, 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
   
 
       
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
   
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
which are recorded as revenue with no corresponding cost of goods sold, resulting in a positive impact on gross 
margin. 

•  Gross profit for the Public Sector Solutions segment increased as a result of changes in customer mix and higher 
invoice selling margins of 85 basis points, driven primarily by improved hardware margins and an increase in 
software sales reported on a net basis. 

Selling, general and administrative expenses in 2019 increased in dollars, but remained flat and as a percentage of 

net sales compared to the prior year. SG&A expenses attributable to our three operating segments and the remaining 
unallocated Headquarters/Other group expenses are summarized below (dollars in millions):   

Years Ended December 31,  
2018 

2019 

Enterprise Solutions 
Business Solutions 
Public Sector Solutions 
Headquarters/Other, unallocated 

Total 

    % of Net        
  Sales 

  Amount 
 $  103.9 
  150.1 

 69.6    
 15.0 
 $  338.6 

 8.7 %   $ 
 14.2 
 12.3 

  Amount 
 99.9 
 144.7 
 66.7    
 13.1 
 324.4 

 12.0 %   $ 

     % of Net        % 

Sales 

 8.6 %   
 14.1 
 13.2 

  Change    
 4.0 %
 3.7 
 4.3 
 14.5 
 4.4 %

 12.0 %   

•  SG&A expenses for the Enterprise Solutions segment increased in dollars and as a percentage of net sales. The year-

over-year increase in SG&A dollars was primarily driven by a $1.9 million increase in personnel expenses, 
including merit increases and variable compensation associated with higher gross profit, a $1.4 million increase in 
the usage of Headquarters services, and increases in advertising expenses of $0.6 million. SG&A expenses as a 
percentage of net sales was 8.7% for the Enterprise Solutions segment, which reflects an increase of 12 basis points 
compared to the prior period. 

•  SG&A expenses for the Business Solutions segment increased in dollars and as a percentage of net sales. The year-
over-year increase in SG&A dollars was primarily driven by a $3.4 million increase in the usage of Headquarter 
services and a $2.3 million increase in advertising expenses driven by increased marketing, advertising, and training 
campaigns directed towards driving sales. These increases were partially offset by a $0.3 million decrease in credit 
card fees. SG&A expenses as a percentage of net sales was 14.2% for the Business Solutions segment, which 
reflects an increase of 9 basis points compared to the prior period. 

•  SG&A expenses for the Public Sector Solutions segment increased in dollars, but decreased as a percentage of net 

sales. The year-over-year increase in SG&A dollars was mostly due to a $2.0 million increase in personnel expenses, 
including variable compensation associated with higher gross profit, and an increase in the usage of Headquarters 
services of $1.4 million. Both professional fees and advertising costs also increased by $0.2 million year-over-year. 
These increases were partially offset by a decrease in bad debt expense due to the timing of certain write-offs. 
SG&A expenses as a percentage of net sales was 12.3% for the Public Sector segment, which reflects a decrease of 
88 basis points compared to the prior period, resulting from net sales growth that outpaced spending compared with 
the same period a year ago. 

•  SG&A expenses for the Headquarters/Other group increased year-over-year, which was driven primarily by a 

$4.1 million increase in personnel-related costs driven primarily by a higher headcount, increased payroll expense, 
and increased variable compensation associated with higher gross profits. Facilities costs and professional fees also 
increased by $2.0 million and $1.8 million, respectively. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in 
unallocated executive oversight costs of $6.2 million. The Headquarters/Other group provides services to the three 
segments in areas such as finance, human resources, IT, marketing, and product management. Most of the operating 
costs associated with such corporate Headquarters services are charged to the segments based on their estimated 
usage of the underlying services. The amounts shown in the table above represent the remaining unallocated costs. 

26 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
   
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
  
  
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Restructuring and other charges incurred in 2019, 2018, and 2017 were as follows: 

Employee separations 
Lease termination costs 
Relocation expenses 
Employee compensation 
Other 

Total restructuring and other charges 

  Years Ended December 31,  
     2017 
  2019 
      2018 
 0.6 
$ 
 — 
 0.1 
 2.8 
 0.1 
 3.6 

 0.5  $ 
 0.2 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 0.7  $ 

 1.0  $ 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 1.0  $ 

$ 

The restructuring and other charges recorded in 2019 were related to a reduction in workforce in our 

Headquarters/Other group and included cash severance payments and other related benefits. These costs will be paid 
within a year of termination and any unpaid amounts are included in accrued expenses at December 31, 2019. Also 
included in net restructuring charges were exit costs incurred associated with the closing of one of our office facilities.  

The restructuring and other charges recorded in 2018 were related to a reduction in workforce at our Business 
Solutions, Public Sector Solutions, and Headquarter segments and included cash severance payments and other related 
benefits.  

The restructuring and other charges recorded in 2017 were primarily driven by a reduction in workforce at our 

Headquarters segment, along with costs related to the Softmart business, which was acquired in 2016, including 
expenses to retain certain key personnel brought over in the acquisition. Also in 2017, we incurred additional expense of 
$2.7 million related to a one-time cash bonus paid to all non-executive employees at the end of the year. 

Income from operations increased by $26.3 million, or 30.7%, to $112.0 million in 2019 compared to 2018. Income 

from operations as a percentage of net sales was 4.0% in 2019 compared to 3.2% in 2018. The increase in operating 
income resulted primarily from gross profits increasing at a higher rate than SG&A costs. The increase in operating 
income as a percentage of net sales resulted primarily from the increase in gross margin. 

Income taxes. Our effective tax rate was 27.1% for the year-ended December 31, 2019 and 2018. We expect our 

corporate income tax rate for 2020 to range from 27% to 29%. 

Net income increased by $17.5 million to $82.1 million in 2019, from $64.6 million in 2018, which resulted from the 

increase in operating income in the current year. 

27 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Year Ended December 31, 2018 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2017 

Net sales decreased by 7.3% to $2,699.5 million in 2018 from $2,911.8 million in 2017. Changes in net sales and 

gross profit by operating segment are shown in the following table (dollars in millions): 

Years Ended December 31,  

2018 

2017 

  Amount 

      % of 
  Net Sales

Amount 

     % of 
  Net Sales 

      % 

  Change    

Sales: 

Enterprise Solutions 
Business Solutions 
Public Sector Solutions 

Total 
Gross Profit: 

Enterprise Solutions 
Business Solutions 
Public Sector Solutions 

Total 

$  1,165.1    
    1,027.9 

 506.5    

 43.2 %   $  1,131.8    
 38.1  
 18.8 

   1,158.6 

 621.4    

 $  2,699.5 

  100.0 %   $  2,911.8 

 2.9  %

 38.9 %   
 39.8   
 21.3 
 100.0  %     (7.3)%

 (11.3) 
    (18.5)

$ 

 161.6    
 184.9 

 64.6    

 $ 

 411.1 

 13.9 %   $ 
 18.0  
 12.7 
 15.2 %   $ 

 139.0    
 177.8 

 65.3    

 382.1 

 12.3  %    16.3  %
 15.3  
 10.5 
 13.1 %   

 4.0   
 (1.1)
 7.6  %

•  Net sales of $1,165.1 for the Enterprise Solutions segment increased by $33.3 million compared to the prior year. 

This year-over-year increase was driven by increased sales of notebooks and mobility products of $59.2 million, and 
increased sales of desktop products of $19.9 million. Sales of servers and storage equipment also increased by 
$17.6 million as large enterprises looked to upgrade their IT workplace with these product solutions. Increased sales 
of other hardware products accounted for $86.9 million of the increase, which was driven primarily by large orders 
of handheld devices used by our retail customers. These increases were partially offset by lower net sales of 
software products of $148.6 million, which resulted primarily from the adoption of ASC 606 where the Company is 
considered to be the agent on the transaction. Had the year been reported under the previous revenue recognition 
guidance, net sales for the Enterprise Solutions segment would have increased by $202.5 million, or 17.9%. 

•  Net sales of $1,027.9 for the Business Solutions segment reflect a decrease of $130.7 million due to lower net sales 
of software products of $137.7 million, primarily as a result of the adoption of ASC 606 where the Company is 
considered to be the agent on the transaction, and desktops of $8.8 million. These decreases were partially offset by 
increased net sales of net/com products of $14.7 million as small- to medium-sized businesses increased their IT 
investments to transform their workplace. Had the year been reported under the previous revenue recognition 
guidance, net sales for the Business Solutions segment would have increased by $42.8 million, or 3.7%. 

•  Net sales of $506.5 million for the Public Sector Solutions segment reflect a decrease of $114.9 million, primarily 

driven by lower net sales of software products of $58.3 million, which resulted primarily from the adoption of ASC 
606 where the Company is considered to be the agent on the transaction, lower net sales of desktops of $44.6 million 
and lower net sales of other hardware/services of $23.3 million. Net sales to the federal government reflected a 
decrease of $79.8 million in 2018, which resulted primarily from a decrease in net sales of software products due to 
the adoption of ASC 606, and from a large sale of desktops to a federal agency in the first half of 2017 that did not 
repeat in 2018. Net sales to state and local government and educational institutions reflect a decrease of 
$35.1 million, primarily driven by a decrease in net sales of software product due to the adoption of ASC 606, and to 
lower net sales to higher education customers. 

Gross profit for 2018 increased year-over-year both in dollars and as a percentage of net sales (gross margin), as 
explained below: 

•  Gross profit for the Enterprise Solutions segment increased primarily due to higher invoice selling margins, which 
increased by 120 basis points and was driven by the increase in revenues reported on a net basis as a result of the 
adoption of ASC 606. Agency fees from enterprise software agreements represented a 28 basis-point increase due to 
the reduction in net sales year-over-year and cash discounts increased by 7 basis points year-over-year. 

28 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
   
 
       
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  Gross profit for the Business Solutions segment increased due to higher invoice selling margins. Invoice selling 

margins increased by 224 basis points primarily due to the increase in revenues reported on a net basis as a result of 
the adoption of ASC 606. We also receive agency fees and early pay discounts from vendors for certain software and 
hardware sales. Agency fees are recorded as revenue with no corresponding cost of goods sold, and accordingly such 
fees have a positive impact on gross margin. Agency fees from enterprise software agreements represented a 
20 basis-point increase due to the reduction in net sales year-over-year. Cash discounts increased by 13 basis points 
year-over-year. 

•  Gross profit for the Public Sector Solutions segment increased due to higher invoice selling margins. Invoice selling 
margins increased by 221 basis points primarily due to the increase in revenues reported on a net basis as a result of 
the adoption of ASC 606. Agency fees from enterprise software agreements represented a 5 basis-point increase due 
to the reduction in net sales year-over-year and cash discounts increased by 2 basis points year-over-year. 

Selling, general and administrative expenses in 2018 increased both in dollars and as a percentage of net sales compared 
to the prior year. SG&A expenses attributable to our three operating segments and the remaining unallocated 
Headquarters/Other group expenses are summarized below (dollars in millions): 

Years Ended December 31,  
2017 
2018 

Enterprise Solutions 
Business Solutions 
Public Sector Solutions 
Headquarters/Other, unallocated 

Total 

  Amount 
$   99.9    
     144.7 

 66.7    
 13.1 
  $  324.4 

    % of Net        
  Sales 

  Amount 

    % of Net       % 
  Sales 

   136.7 

 8.6  %   $   88.2    
 14.1  
 13.2 

 64.0    
 12.0 
 12.0  %   $  300.9 

  Change    
 7.8 %    13.3  %
 11.8  
 10.3 

 5.9   
 4.2 
 9.2 
 7.8  %

 10.3 %   

•  SG&A expenses for the Enterprise Solutions segment increased in dollars and as a percentage of net sales. The 

increase in SG&A dollars was primarily due to increased personnel-related expenses of $7.9 million, resulting from 
investments in solutions sales personnel and incremental variable compensation associated with higher gross profits, 
a $3.3 million increase in usage of Headquarter services, and a $0.3 million increase in credit card fees. SG&A 
expenses as a percentage of net sales was 8.6% for the Enterprise Solutions segment, which reflects a decrease of 
30 basis points resulting from the factors described above, but offset by an increase of 109 basis points related to the 
adoption of ASC 606. 

•  SG&A expenses for the Business Solutions segment increased in dollars and as a percentage of net sales. The year-

over-year increase in SG&A dollars was primarily driven by a $7.7 million increase in usage of Headquarter services 
related to our investments in technical and engineering support provided to this segment, and a $1.6 million increase 
in advertising expenses driven by increased vendor funding for marketing, advertising, and training campaigns 
directed towards driving sales. These increases were partially offset by a net $1.1 million decrease in personnel-
related expenses, which was driven by a decrease of approximately $3.8 million related to the reallocation of certain 
personnel-related expenses in 2018 to the Headquarters/Other group and partially offset by increases in variable 
compensation associated with higher gross profits. SG&A expenses as a percentage of net sales was 14.1% for the 
Business Solutions segment, which reflects an increase of 26 basis points resulting from the factors described above 
and an increase of 201 basis points related to the adoption of ASC 606. 

•  SG&A expenses for the Public Sector Solutions segment increased in dollars and as a percentage of net sales. The 
dollar increase resulted primarily from greater usage of Headquarter services of $3.0 million, which was partially 
offset by decreases in personnel-related expenses of $0.3 million primarily due to the reallocation of certain 
personnel-related expenses in 2018 to the Headquarters/Other group and lower credit card fee expenses of 
$0.1 million. SG&A expenses as a percentage of net sales was 13.2% for the Public Sector Solutions segment, which 
reflects an increase of 143 basis points resulting from the factors described above and an increase of 145 basis points 
related to the adoption of ASC 606.   

29 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
   
 
 
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
•  SG&A expenses for the Headquarters/Other group increased year-over-year, which was driven primarily by the 

reallocation of certain personnel-related expenses to the Headquarters/Other group from the Business Solutions and 
Public Sector Solutions segments. The Headquarters/Other group provides services to the three segments in areas 
such as finance, human resources, IT, marketing, and product management. Most of the operating costs associated 
with such corporate headquarters services are charged to the operating segments based on their estimated usage of 
the underlying services. The amounts shown in the table above represent the remaining unallocated costs. 

Income from operations increased by $8.2 million to $85.7 million in 2018 compared to 2017. Income from 
operations as a percentage of net sales was 3.2% in 2018 compared to 2.7% in 2017. The increase in operating income 
resulted primarily from gross profits increasing at a higher rate than SG&A costs. The increase in operating income as a 
percentage of net sales resulted primarily from the increase in gross margin. 

Income taxes. Our effective tax rate was 27.1% for the year-ended December 31, 2018, compared to 29.3% for the 

year-ended December 31, 2017. In December 2017, the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was enacted, which among other 
changes, reduced the federal corporate income tax rate. This rate reduction, which took effect on January 1, 2018, 
required the revaluation of our net deferred tax liability. The revaluation resulted in the recording of an income tax 
benefit of $7.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2017.  

Net income increased by $9.7 million to $64.6 million in 2018, from $54.9 million in 2017, which resulted from the 
increase in operating income combined with a lower effective tax rate in 2018. 

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES 

Liquidity Overview 

Our primary sources of liquidity have historically been internally generated funds from operations and borrowings 

under our bank line of credit. We have used those funds to meet our capital requirements, which consist primarily of 
working capital for operational needs, capital expenditures for computer equipment and software used in our business, 
repurchases of common stock for treasury, dividend payments, and as opportunities arise, possible acquisitions of new 
businesses. 

We believe that funds generated from operations, together with available credit under our bank line of credit, will be 

sufficient to finance our working capital, capital expenditures, and other requirements for at least the next twelve 
calendar months. Our investments in IT systems and infrastructure are designed to enable us to operate more efficiently 
and to provide our customers enhanced functionality. 

We expect to meet our cash requirements for 2020 through a combination of cash on hand, cash generated from 

operations, and borrowings on our bank line of credit, as follows: 

•  Cash on Hand. At December 31, 2019, we had $90.1 million in cash and cash equivalents. 

•  Cash Generated from Operations. We expect to generate cash flows from operations in excess of operating cash 

needs by generating earnings and managing net changes in inventories and receivables with changes in payables to 
generate a positive cash flow. 

•  Credit Facilities. As of December 31, 2019, no borrowings were outstanding against our $50.0 million bank line of 
credit, which is available until February 10, 2022. Accordingly, our entire line of credit was available for borrowing 
at December 31, 2019. This line of credit can be increased, at our option, to $80.0 million for approved acquisitions 
or other uses authorized by the bank. Borrowings are, however, limited by certain minimum collateral and earnings 
requirements, as described more fully below. 

Our ability to continue funding our planned growth, both internally and externally, is dependent upon our ability to 

generate sufficient cash flow from operations or to obtain additional funds through equity or debt financing, or from 
other sources of financing, as may be required. While we do not anticipate needing any additional sources of financing to 

30 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
fund our operations at this time, if demand for IT products declines, our cash flows from operations may be substantially 
affected. See also related risks listed under “Item 1A. Risk Factors.” 

Summary Sources and Uses of Cash 

The following table summarizes our sources and uses of cash over the last three years (in millions of dollars): 

Years Ended December 31,  
2018 

2017 

2019 

Net cash provided by operating activities 
Net cash used in investing activities 
Net cash used in financing activities 
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents 

$ 

$ 

 36.6 
 (25.7)
 (12.5)
 (1.6)

$ 

$ 

 86.8 
 (21.2)
 (23.9)
 41.7 

$ 

$ 

 19.3 
 (11.8)
 (6.7)
 0.8   

Cash provided by operating activities decreased $50.2 million in 2019. Cash flow provided by operations in the year 

resulted primarily from net income before depreciation and amortization and an increase to accounts payable, partially 
offset by increases in accounts receivable and inventory. Accounts payable increased by $34.0 million year-over-year. 
Accounts receivable increased by $101.9 million year-over-year, primarily as a result of increased sales and the timing of 
product shipments. Days sales outstanding increased to 63 days at December 31, 2019, compared to 52 days at 
December 31, 2018. Inventory increased from the prior year by $5.5 million, which was the result of higher levels of 
inventory on-hand related to future backlog and an increase in shipments in transit but not received by our customers as 
of December 31, 2019 compared to December 31, 2018. Inventory turns, which measures the number of times inventory 
was sold and replaced during the year, decreased to 18 in 2019 compared to 21 in 2018. Operating cash flow in 2018 
resulted primarily from net income before depreciation and amortization, a decrease in accounts receivable and an 
increase in accounts payable, partially offset by an increase in inventory. Operating cash flow in 2017 resulted primarily 
from net income before depreciation and amortization and an increase in accounts payable, offset partially by an increase 
in accounts receivable and inventory.  

At December 31, 2019, we had $235.6 million in accounts payable. Such accounts are generally paid within 30 days 

of incurrence, or earlier when favorable cash discounts are offered. This balance will be financed by cash flows from 
operations or short-term borrowings under the line of credit.  

Cash used in investing activities increased $4.4 million in 2019 compared to 2018. Cash used in investing activities 

represented $25.7 million in 2019, primarily for computer equipment and capitalized internally-developed software in 
connection with investments in our IT infrastructure. Cash used to purchase property and equipment, less proceeds from 
the sale of equipment, amounted to $21.2 million 2018, compared to $11.8 million in 2017. 

Cash used in financing activities decreased $11.3 million in 2019 compared to 2018. Financing uses of cash in 2019 

included a $8.5 million payment of a special $0.32 per share dividend declared in December 2018 and paid in January 
2019, and $4.5 million for the purchase of treasure shares. These outflows were partially offset by $1.3 million for the 
issuance of stock under the employee stock purchase plan. Financing uses of cash in 2018 included a $9.1 million 
payment of a special $0.34 per share dividend declared in December 2017 and paid in January 2018, and $15.4 million 
for the purchase of treasure shares. These outflows were partially offset by $1.2 million for the issuance of stock under 
the employee stock purchase plan. Financing uses of cash in 2017 included dividends of $9.0 million declared in 
December 2016 and paid in January 2017, and were partially offset by $1.2 million for the issuance of stock under the 
employee stock purchase plan and $1.8 million for the exercise of stock options. 

Debt Instruments, Contractual Agreements, and Related Covenants 

Below is a summary of certain provisions of our credit facilities and other contractual obligations. For more 
information about the restrictive covenants in our debt instruments and inventory financing agreements, see “Factors 
Affecting Sources of Liquidity” below. For more information about our obligations, commitments, and contingencies, 
see our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes included in this annual report. 

31 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
     
     
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bank Line of Credit. Our bank line of credit extends until February 2022 and is collateralized by our accounts 
receivable. Our borrowing capacity is up to $50.0 million at the one-month London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, 
plus a spread based on our funded debt ratio, or in the absence of LIBOR, the prime rate (4.75% at December 31, 2019). 
The one-month LIBOR rate at December 31, 2019 was 1.76%. In addition, we have the option to increase the facility by 
an additional $30.0 million to meet additional borrowing requirements. Our credit facility is subject to certain covenant 
requirements which are described below under “Factors Affecting Sources of Liquidity.”  We did not have any 
borrowings under the credit facility at December 31, 2019.  

In February of 2017, we renewed our credit facility, extending the expiration date to February 10, 2022, at which 

time any amounts outstanding become due. The credit facility was renewed with substantially the same terms and 
conditions as with the preceding agreement. 

Cash receipts are automatically applied against any outstanding borrowings. Any excess cash on account may either 
remain on account to generate earned credits to offset up to 100% of cash management fees, or may be invested in short-
term qualified investments. Borrowings under the line of credit are classified as current. At December 31, 2019, the 
entire $50.0 million facility was available for borrowing.  

Contractual Obligations. The following table sets forth information with respect to our long-term obligations 

payable in cash as of December 31, 2019 (in thousands): 

Payments Due By Period 
1 – 3 
  Years 

      3 – 5 
  Years 

     Less Than      
1 Year 

     More Than  
5 Years 

Total 

Contractual Obligations: 
Operating lease obligations (1) 

  $ 15,925    

 4,767    

 8,655      1,919    

 584 

(1)  Excluding taxes, insurance, and common area maintenance charges. 

Operating Leases. We lease facilities from our principal stockholders and facilities from third parties under non-
cancelable operating leases. Certain leases require us to pay real estate taxes, insurance, and common area maintenance 
charges.  

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements. We do not have any other off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are 
reasonably likely to have, a current or future material effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, 
results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, or capital resources that is material to investors.  

Factors Affecting Sources of Liquidity 

Internally Generated Funds. The key factors affecting our internally generated funds are our ability to manage costs 

and fully achieve our operating efficiencies, timely collection of our customer receivables, and management of our 
inventory levels. 

Bank Line of Credit. Our bank line of credit extends until February 2022 and is collateralized by our accounts 
receivable. As of December 31, 2019, the entire $50.0 million facility was available for borrowing. Our credit facility 
contains certain financial ratios and operational covenants and other restrictions (including restrictions on additional 
debt, guarantees, and other distributions, investments, and liens) with which we and all of our subsidiaries must comply. 
Any failure to comply with these covenants would constitute a default and could prevent us from borrowing additional 
funds under this line of credit. This credit facility contains two financial tests: 

•  The funded debt ratio (defined as the average outstanding advances under the line for the quarter, divided by the 
consolidated Adjusted EBITDA for the trailing four quarters) must not be more than 2.0 to 1.0. Our outstanding 
borrowings under the credit facility during the fourth quarter of 2019 were immaterial, and accordingly, the funded 

32 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
debt ratio did not limit potential borrowings as of December 31, 2019. Future decreases in our consolidated Adjusted 
EBITDA, however, could limit our potential borrowings under the credit facility. 

•  Minimum Consolidated Net Worth must be at least $346.7 million, plus 50% of consolidated net income for each 
quarter, beginning with the quarter ended December 31, 2016. Such amount was calculated at December 31, 2019, 
as $454.0 million, whereas our actual consolidated stockholders’ equity at this date was $597.3 million.  

Capital Markets. Our ability to raise additional funds in the capital market depends upon, among other things, 
general economic conditions, the condition of the information technology industry, our financial performance and stock 
price, and the state of the capital markets. 

APPLICATION OF CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES 

A “critical accounting policy” has been defined as one that is both important to the portrayal of the registrant’s 
financial condition and results and requires management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments, often as a 
result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. Further, “critical accounting 
policies” are those that are reflective of significant judgments and uncertainties, and potentially result in materially 
different results under different assumptions and conditions. 

We believe that our accounting policies described below meet the definition of “critical accounting policies.”   

Revenue Recognition 

Revenue is recognized upon transfer of control of promised products or services to customers in an amount that 

reflects the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for those products or services. We enter into contracts that 
can include various combinations of products and services, which are generally capable of being distinct and accounted 
for as separate performance obligations. In most instances, when several performance obligations are aggregated into one 
single transaction, these performance obligations are fulfilled at the same point in time. We account for an arrangement 
when it has approval and commitment from both parties, the rights are identified, the contract has commercial substance, 
and collectability of consideration is probable. We generally obtain oral or written purchase authorizations from our 
customers for a specified amount of product at a specified price, which constitutes an arrangement. Revenue is 
recognized at the amount expected to be collected, net of any taxes collected from customers, which are subsequently 
remitted to governmental authorities. We generally invoice for our products at the time of shipping, and accordingly 
there is not a significant financing component included in our arrangements. 

Nature of Products and Services 

Information technology (“IT”) products typically represent a distinct performance obligation, and revenue is 
recognized at the point in time when control is transferred to the customer which is generally upon delivery to the 
customer. We recognize revenue as the principal in the transaction with the customer (i.e., on a gross basis), as we 
control the product prior to delivery to the customer and derive the economic benefits from the sales transaction given 
our control over customer pricing. 

We do not recognize revenue for goods that remain in our physical possession before the customer has the ability to 
direct the use of, and obtain substantially all of the remaining benefits from the products, the goods are ready for physical 
transfer to and identified as belonging to the customer, and when we have no ability to use the product or to direct it to 
another customer. 

Licenses for on-premise software provide the customer with a right to take possession of the software. Customers 

may purchase perpetual licenses or enter into subscriptions to the licensed software. We are the principal in these 
transactions and recognize revenue for the on-premise license at the point in time when the software is made available to 
the customer and the commencement of the term of the software license or when the renewal term begins, as applicable. 

33 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
For certain on-premise licenses for security software, the customer derives substantially all of the benefit from these 
arrangements through the third-party delivered software maintenance, which provides software updates and other support 
services. We do not have control over the delivery of these performance obligations, and accordingly we are the agent in 
these transactions. We recognize revenue for security software net of the related cost of sales at the point in time when 
our vendor and customer accept the terms and conditions in the sales arrangement. Cloud products allow customers to 
use hosted software over the contractual period without taking possession of the software and are provided on a 
subscription basis. We do not exercise control over these products or services and therefore are an agent in these 
transactions. We recognize revenue for cloud products net of the related costs of sales at the point in time when our 
vendor and customer accept the terms and conditions in the sales arrangements. Amounts recognized on a net basis 
included in net sales for such software sales transactions were $521.7 million and $396.7 million for the years ended 
December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Prior to the adoption of ASC 606, a substantial portion of our software sales 
were recognized on a gross basis. 

We use our own engineering personnel to assist in projects involving the design and installation of systems and 

networks, and we also engage third-party service providers to perform warranty maintenance, implementations, asset 
disposal, and other services. Service revenue is recognized in general over time as we perform the underlying services 
and satisfy our performance obligations. We evaluate such engagements to determine whether we are the principal or the 
agent in each transaction. For those transactions in which we do not control the service, we act as an agent and recognize 
the transaction revenue on a net basis at a point in time when the vendor and customer accept the terms and conditions in 
the sales arrangement.  

Similarly, we recognize revenue from agency sales transactions on a net sales basis. In agency sales transactions, we 

facilitate product sales by equipment and software manufacturers directly to our customers and receive agency, or 
referral, fees for such transactions. We do not take title to the products or assume any maintenance or return obligations 
in these transactions; title is passed directly from the supplier to our customer. Amounts recognized on a net basis 
included in net sales for such third-party services and agency sales transactions were $51.0 million, $46.8 million, and 
$38.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively. 

Certain software sales include on-premise licenses that are combined with software maintenance. Software 

maintenance conveys rights to updates, bug fixes and help desk support, and other support services transferred over the 
underlying contract period. On-premise licenses are considered distinct performance obligations when sold with the 
software maintenance, as we sell these items separately. We recognize revenue related to the software maintenance as 
the agent in these transactions because we do not have control over the on-going software maintenance service. Revenue 
allocated to software maintenance is recognized at the point in time when our vendor and customer accept the terms and 
conditions in the sales arrangements. 

Certain of our larger customers are offered the opportunity by vendors to purchase software licenses and 

maintenance under enterprise agreements (“EAs”). Under EAs, customers are considered to be compliant with applicable 
license requirements for the ensuing year, regardless of changes to their employee base. Customers are charged an 
annual true-up fee for changes in the number of users over the year. With most EAs, our vendors will transfer the license 
and bill the customer directly, paying resellers, such as us, an agency fee or commission on these sales. We record these 
agency fees as a component of net sales as earned and there is no corresponding cost of sales amount. In certain 
instances, we invoice the customer directly under an EA and account for the individual items sold based on the nature of 
each item. Our vendors typically dictate how the EA will be sold to the customer. 

We also offer extended service plans (“ESP”) on IT products, both as part of the initial arrangement and separately 

from the IT products. We recognize revenue related to ESP as the agent in the transaction because we do not have 
control over the on-going ESP service and do not provide any service after the sale. Revenue allocated to ESP is 
recognized at the point in time when our vendor and customer accept the terms and conditions in the sales arrangement. 

All amounts billed to a customer in a sales transaction related to shipping and handling, if any, represent revenues 
earned for the goods provided, and these amounts have been included in net sales. Costs related to shipping and handling 
billing are classified as cost of sales. Sales are reported net of sales, use, or other transaction taxes that are collected from 
customers and remitted to taxing authorities. 

34 

Significant Judgments 

Our contracts with customers often include promises to transfer multiple products or services to a customer. 
Determining whether we are the agent or the principal and whether products and services are considered distinct 
performance obligations that should be accounted for separately versus together may require significant judgment. 

We estimate the standalone selling price (“SSP”) for each distinct performance obligation when a single 
arrangement contains multiple performance obligations and the fulfillment occurs at different points of times. We 
maximize the use of observable inputs in the determination of the estimate for SSP for the items that we do not sell 
separately, including on-premise licenses sold with software maintenance, and IT products sold with ESP. In instances 
where SSP is not directly observable, such as when we do not sell the product or service separately, we determine the 
SSP using information that may include market conditions and other observable inputs. 

We provide our customers with a limited thirty-day right of return, which is generally limited to defective 

merchandise, and gives rise to variable consideration. Revenue is recognized based on the most likely amount to which 
we are expected to be entitled. The estimated variable consideration is included in the transaction price to the extent it is 
probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur once the uncertainty is resolved. We 
make estimates of product returns based on significant historical experience. We record our sales return reserve as a 
reduction of revenues and either as reduction of accounts receivable or, for customers who have already paid, as accrued 
expenses and as a reduction of cost of sales and an associated right of return asset. At December 31, 2019, we recorded 
sales reserves of $3.5 million and $0.1 million as components of accounts receivable and accrued expenses, respectively. 
At December 31, 2018, we recorded sales reserves of $3.4 million and $0.2 million as components of accounts 
receivable and accrued expenses, respectively. 

Accounts Receivable 

We perform ongoing credit evaluations of our customers and adjust credit limits based upon payment history and 

customers’ current creditworthiness. Our allowance is generally computed by (1) applying specific percentage reserves 
on accounts that are past due, and (2) specifically reserving for customers known to be in financial difficulty. Therefore, 
if the financial condition of certain of our customers were to deteriorate, or if we noted there was a lengthening of the 
timing of the settlement of receivables that was symptomatic of a general deterioration in the ability of our customers to 
pay, we would have to increase our allowance for doubtful accounts. This would negatively impact our earnings. Our 
cash flows would be impacted to the extent that receivables could not be collected. 

In addition to accounts receivable from customers, we record receivables from our vendors/suppliers for cooperative 

advertising, price protection, supplier reimbursements, rebates, and other similar arrangements. A portion of such 
receivables is estimated based on information available from our vendors at discrete points in time. While such estimates 
have historically approximated actual cash received, a change in estimates could give rise to a reduction in the 
receivable. This could negatively impact our earnings and our cash flows. 

Considerable judgment is used in assessing the ultimate realization of customer receivables and vendor/supplier 

receivables, including reviewing the financial stability of a customer, vendor information, and gauging current market 
conditions. If our evaluations are incorrect, we may incur additional charges in the future on our consolidated statements 
of income. Our trade receivables are charged off in the period in which they are deemed uncollectible. Recoveries of 
trade receivables previously charged are recorded when received. Write offs of customer and vendor receivables totaled 
$0.9 million in 2019 and $1.3 million in 2018. 

Vendor Consideration 

We receive allowances from merchandise vendors for price protections, discounts, product rebates, and other 
programs. These allowances are treated as a reduction of the vendor’s prices and are recorded as adjustments to cost of 
sales. We also receive vendor co-op advertising funding for our marketing activities and other programs. Vendors have 
the ability to place advertisements in the catalogs or fund other advertising activities for which we receive advertising 
allowances. These vendor allowances, to the extent that they represent specific reimbursements of incremental and 

35 

 
 
 
 
 
 
identifiable costs, are offset against SG&A expense on the consolidated statements of income. Vendor consideration that 
cannot be associated with a specific program funded by an individual vendor or that exceeds the fair value of advertising 
expense associated with that program is classified as an offset to cost of sales. Our vendor partners generally consolidate 
their funding of advertising and other marketing programs, and as a result, we classify substantially all vendor 
allowances as a reduction of cost of inventory purchases rather than a reduction of advertising expense. 

Inventories 

Inventories (all finished goods) consisting of software packages, computer systems, and peripheral equipment are 
stated at cost (determined under a weighted-average cost method which approximates the first-in, first-out method) or net 
realizable value, whichever is lower. Inventory quantities on hand are reviewed regularly, and provisions are made for 
obsolete, slow moving, and non-saleable inventory, based primarily on management’s forecast of customer demand for 
those products in inventory. The IT industry is characterized by rapid technological change and new product 
development that could result in increased obsolescence of inventory on hand. Increased obsolescence or decreased 
customer demand beyond management’s expectations could require additional provisions, which could negatively 
impact our earnings. Our obsolescence charges have ranged between $3.4 million and $7.0 million per annum. 
Historically, there have been no unusual charges precipitated by specific technological or forecast issues. 

Value of Goodwill and Long-Lived Assets, Including Intangibles 

We carry a variety of long-lived assets on our consolidated balance sheet, which are all currently classified as held 
for use. These include property and equipment, identifiable intangibles, an internet domain name, which is an indefinite-
lived intangible asset not subject to amortization, and goodwill. An impairment review is undertaken on (1) an annual 
basis for goodwill and an indefinite-lived intangible; and (2) on an event-driven basis for all long-lived assets when facts 
and circumstances suggest that cash flows from such assets may be diminished. We have historically reviewed the 
carrying value of all these assets based partly on our projections of anticipated cash flows. These projections are, in part, 
dependent upon anticipated market conditions, operational performance, and legal status. Any impairment charge that is 
recorded negatively impacts our earnings. Cash flows are generally not impacted by an impairment charge. 

For 2018 and 2017, using both income and market valuation approaches, we performed a two-step quantitative test 

to compare the fair value of our reporting units with their respective carrying values, including goodwill. If the fair 
values were determined to be less than the carrying values, the second step would be performed to measure the amounts, 
if any, of the impairment. In 2019, rather than perform the two-step quantitative analysis, the Company performed a 
qualitative “Step 0” analysis, which allows us to consider qualitative factors that might impact the carrying amount of 
our goodwill to determine whether a more detailed quantitative analysis would be necessary. Factors considered when 
performing the “Step 0” impairment assessment included our performance relative to historical and projected future 
operating results, macroeconomic conditions, industry and market trends, cost factors that may have a negative impact 
on earnings and cash flows, changes in our stock price and market capitalization, and other relevant entity-specific 
events. 

Our Enterprise Solutions and Business Solutions segments hold $66.2 million and $7.4 million of goodwill, 
respectively. We concluded that there were no indications that the carrying values of the two reporting units and the 
domain name exceeded their respective fair values, and accordingly, an impairment was not identified in the annual test. 
While we believe that our conclusions are reasonable, different assumptions could materially affect our valuations and 
result in impairment charges against the carrying values of those remaining assets in our Enterprise Solutions and 
Business Solutions segments. Please see Note 3, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets” to the Consolidated Financial 
Statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this report for a discussion of the significant assumptions used in our annual 
impairment test analysis. 

RECENTLY ISSUED FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS 

Recently issued financial accounting standards are detailed in Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting 
Policies,” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 

36 

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
INFLATION 

We have historically offset any inflation in operating costs by a combination of increased productivity and price 
increases, where appropriate. We do not expect inflation to have a significant impact on our business in the foreseeable 
future. 

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk 

We invest cash balances in excess of operating requirements in short-term securities, generally with maturities of 
90 days or less. In addition, our unsecured credit agreement provides for borrowings which bear interest at variable rates 
based on LIBOR plus a spread or the prime rate. We believe the effect, if any, of reasonably possible near-term changes 
in interest rates on our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows should not be material. Our credit 
agreement exposes earnings to changes in short-term interest rates since interest rates on the underlying obligations are 
variable. Our average outstanding borrowings during 2019 was minimal. Accordingly, the change in earnings resulting 
from a hypothetical 10% increase or decrease in interest rates is not material. 

Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 

The information required by this Item is included in this Report beginning at page F-1. 

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 

Not applicable. 

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 

Management’s Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures 

The Company’s management, with the participation of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, 
evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2019. The term 
“disclosure controls and procedures,” as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) promulgated under the Exchange Act, 
means controls and other procedures of a company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed 
by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and 
reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC's rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, 
without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in 
the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the company’s 
management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions 
regarding required disclosure. Management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed 
and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and management necessarily applies 
its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. The Company’s disclosure 
controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives as described above. 
Based on this evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of the end of the 
period covered by this report, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable 
assurance level. 

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

The Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial 

reporting for the Company. Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) or 15d-15(f) 
promulgated under the Exchange Act as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the Company’s principal 
executive and principal financial officers and effected by the Company’s board of directors, management, and other 
personnel to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial 
statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and includes those 
policies and procedures that: (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly 

37 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions 
are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted 
accounting principles and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with 
authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention 
or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material 
effect on the financial statements. 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. 

Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become 
inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may 
deteriorate. 

The Company’s management assessed the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting 

as of December 31, 2019. In making this assessment, the Company’s management used the criteria set forth by the 
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control-Integrated Framework 
(2013).  

Based on its assessment, management concluded that, as of December 31, 2019, the Company’s internal control 

over financial reporting was effective based on those criteria. 

The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm has issued an audit report on the Company’s internal 

control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019. This report appears below. 

38 

 
 
 
 
 
 
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 

To the stockholders and the Board of Directors of PC Connection, Inc. 

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of PC Connection, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of 
December 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of 
Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, 
effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control — 
Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO. 

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) 
(PCAOB), the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019, of the Company and our report dated 
February 6, 2020, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements and included an explanatory paragraph related to the 
adoption of a new accounting standard. 

Basis for Opinion   

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its 
assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Annual 
Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control 
over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be 
independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations 
of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the 
audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material 
respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material 
weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and 
performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable 
basis for our opinion.  

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the 
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally 
accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that 
(1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the 
assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial 
statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being 
made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance 
regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a 
material effect on the financial statements. 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, 
projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of 
changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. 

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP 

Boston, Massachusetts 
February 6, 2020 

39 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

No change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a – 15(f) and 15d – 15(f) 
under the Exchange Act) occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2019, which has materially affected, or is 
reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. 

Item 9B. Other information 

None. 

40 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers, and Corporate Governance 

PART III 

The information included under the headings, “Information about our Executive Officers” in Part I hereof and 

“Election of Directors,” “Information Concerning Directors, Nominees, and Executive Officers,” “Section 16(a) 
Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance,” “Code of Business Conduct and Ethics Policy,” and “Board Committees 
– Audit Committee” in our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the 
SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2019 (the “Proxy Statement”) is incorporated herein by reference. With the 
exception of the foregoing information and other information specifically incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K, 
the Proxy Statement is not being filed as a part hereof. 

We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to our officers, including our principal 
executive, financial and accounting officers, and our directors and employees. We have posted the text of our Code of 
Business Conduct and Ethics under the “Investor Relations” section of our website, www.connection.com. We intend to 
disclose on our website any amendments to, or waivers from, the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that are required 
to be disclosed pursuant to the disclosure requirements of Item 5.05 of Form 8-K. 

Item 11. Executive Compensation 

The information included under the headings “Executive Compensation” and “Director Compensation” in the Proxy 

Statement is incorporated herein by reference. 

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters 

The information included under the headings “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” 

and “Equity Compensation Plan Information” in the Proxy Statement is incorporated herein by reference. 

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence 

The information included under the headings “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions” and “Director 

Independence” in the Proxy Statement is incorporated herein by reference. 

Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services 

The information included under the heading “Principal Accounting Fees and Services” in the Proxy Statement is 

incorporated herein by reference. 

41 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PART IV 

Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 

(a)  List of Documents Filed as Part of this Report: 

(1)  Consolidated Financial Statements 

The consolidated financial statements listed below are included in this document. 

Consolidated Financial Statements 
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 
Consolidated Balance Sheets 
Consolidated Statements of Income 
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity 
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 

Page 
References 
F-2 
F-3 
F-4 
F-5 
F-6 
F-7 

(2)  Consolidated Financial Statement Schedule: 

The following Consolidated Financial Statement Schedule, as set forth below, is filed with this report: 

Schedule 
Schedule II—Valuation and Qualifying Accounts 

Page 
Reference 
S-1 

All other schedules have been omitted because they are either not applicable or the relevant information has already been 
disclosed in the financial statements. 

(3)  The exhibits listed in the Exhibit Index in Item 15(b) below are filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 

(b)  Exhibits 

The exhibits listed below are filed herewith or are incorporated herein by reference to other filings. 

42 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EXHIBIT INDEX 

Exhibits 

3.1(5) 
3.2(10) 
4.1(1) 
4.2 
9.1(1)* 

10.1(1)* 

10.2(4)* 
10.3(21)* 
10.4(23)* 
10.5(9)* 
10.6(9)* 
10.7(15)* 

10.8(15)* 
10.9(17) 
10.10(19)* 
10.11(1)* 
10.12(11)* 
10.13(7) 

  Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Registrant, as amended. 
  Amended and Restated Bylaws of Registrant. 

Form of specimen certificate for shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the Registrant. 

  Description of Securities Registered Under Section 12 of the Exchange Act 

Form of 1998 PC Connection Voting Trust Agreement among the Registrant, Patricia Gallup 
individually and as a trustee, and David Hall individually and as trustee. 
Form of Registration Rights Agreement among the Registrant, Patricia Gallup, David Hall, and the 
1998 PC Connection Voting Trust. 

  Amended and Restated 1997 Stock Incentive Plan. 
  Amended and Restated 2007 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended. 
  Amended and Restated 1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as amended. 
Form of Incentive Stock Option Agreement for 2007 Stock Incentive Plan. 
Form of Nonstatutory Stock Option Agreement for 2007 Stock Incentive Plan. 

  Amended and Restated Form of Restricted Stock Agreement for Amended and Restated 2007 Stock 

Incentive Plan. 
Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for Amended and Restated 2007 Stock Incentive Plan. 
Form of Stock Equivalent Unit Agreement for 2007 Amended and Restated Stock Incentive Plan. 
Executive Bonus Plan, as amended. 
Employment Agreement, dated as of January 1, 1998, between the Registrant and Patricia Gallup. 
Employment Agreement, dated as of May 12, 2008, between the Registrant and Timothy McGrath. 

  Agreement for Inventory Financing, dated as of October 31, 2002, by and among the Registrant, 

Merrimack Services Corporation, GovConnection, Inc., MoreDirect, Inc., and IBM Credit Corporation. 

10.14(7) 

  Guaranty, dated as of November 14, 2002, entered into by Registrant in connection with the 

Agreement for Inventory Financing, dated as of October 31, 2002, by and among the Registrant, 
Merrimack Services Corporation, GovConnection, Inc., MoreDirect, Inc., and IBM Credit Corporation. 

10.15(7) 

  Guaranty, dated as of November 14, 2002, entered into by PC Connection Sales Corporation in 

connection with the Agreement for Inventory Financing, dated as of October 31, 2002, by and among 
the Registrant, Merrimack Services Corporation, GovConnection, Inc., MoreDirect, Inc., and IBM 
Credit Corporation. 

10.16(7) 

  Acknowledgement, Waiver, and Amendment to Agreement for Inventory Financing, dated as of 

10.17(8) 

10.18(8) 

10.19(18) 

10.20(18) 

10.21(18) 

10.22(25) 

10.23(25) 

November 25, 2003, by and among the Registrant, Merrimack Services Corporation, GovConnection, 
Inc., MoreDirect, Inc., and IBM Credit LLC. 
Second Amendment, dated May 9, 2004, to the Agreement for Inventory Financing between the 
Registrant and its subsidiaries Merrimack Services Corporation, GovConnection, Inc., and MoreDirect, 
Inc., and IBM Credit LLC. 
Third Amendment, dated May 27, 2005, to the Agreement for Inventory Financing between the 
Registrant and its subsidiaries Merrimack Services Corporation, GovConnection, Inc., and MoreDirect, 
Inc., and IBM Credit LLC. 
Fourth Amendment, dated May 11, 2006, to the Agreement for Inventory Financing between the 
Registrant and its subsidiaries Merrimack Services Corporation, GovConnection, Inc., and MoreDirect, 
Inc., and IBM Credit LLC. 
Fifth Amendment, dated September 19, 2010, to the Agreement for Inventory Financing between the 
Registrant and its subsidiaries Merrimack Services Corporation, GovConnection, Inc., and MoreDirect, 
Inc., and IBM Credit LLC. 
Sixth Amendment, dated January 10, 2012, to the Agreement for Inventory Financing between the 
Registrant and its subsidiaries GovConnection, Inc., and MoreDirect, Inc., and IBM Credit LLC. 
Seventh Amendment, dated July 16, 2014, to the Agreement for Inventory Financing between the 
Registrant and its subsidiaries GovConnection, Inc., and MoreDirect, Inc., and IBM Credit LLC. 
Eighth Amendment, dated July 13, 2015, to the Agreement for Inventory Financing between the 
Registrant and its subsidiaries GovConnection, Inc., and MoreDirect, Inc., and IBM Credit LLC. 

43 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.24(25) 

10.25(25) 

  Ninth Amendment, dated January 4, 2017, to the Agreement for Inventory Financing between the 
Registrant and its subsidiaries GovConnection, Inc., and MoreDirect, Inc., and IBM Credit LLC. 
  Agreement for Credit, dated January 1, 2014, by and among the Registrant, and its subsidiaries PC 

10.26(16) 

10.27(25) 

10.28(24) 

Connection Sales Corporation, GovConnection, Inc., and MoreDirect, Inc., and Castle Pines Capital 
LLC. 
Third Amended and Restated Credit and Security Agreement, dated February 24, 2012, among 
Citizens Bank of Massachusetts, as lender and as agent, other financial institutions party thereto from 
time to time, as lenders, PC Connection, Inc., as borrower, GovConnection, Inc., PC Connection Sales 
Corporation, MoreDirect, Inc., and Professional Computer Center, Inc., each as guarantors. 
First Amendment, dated December 24, 2013, to the Third Amended and Restated Credit and Security 
Agreement, among Citizens Bank of Massachusetts, as lender and as agent, other financial institutions 
party thereto from time to time, as lenders, PC Connection, Inc., as borrower, GovConnection, Inc., PC 
Connection Sales Corporation, MoreDirect, Inc., and Professional Computer Center, Inc., each as 
guarantors. 
Second Amendment, dated February 10, 2017, to the Third Amended and Restated Credit and Security 
Agreement, among Citizens Bank of Massachusetts, as lender and as agent, other financial institutions 
party thereto from time to time, as lenders, PC Connection, Inc., as borrower, GovConnection, Inc., PC 
Connection Sales Corporation, MoreDirect, Inc., and Professional Computer Center, Inc., each as 
guarantors. 

10.29(1) 

  Amended and Restated Lease between the Registrant and G&H Post, LLC, dated December 29, 1997, 

for property located at Route 101A, Merrimack, New Hampshire. 

10.30(2) 

  Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Lease between the Registrant and G&H Post, LLC, dated 

10.31(14) 

  Amendment No. 2 to Amended and Restated Lease between the Registrant and G&H Post, LLC, dated 

December 29, 1998, for property located at Route 101A, Merrimack, New Hampshire. 

10.32(20) 

10.33(12) 

10.34(22) 

10.35(3) 

10.36(3) 

10.37(3) 

10.38(3) 

10.39(6) 

10.40(8) 

10.41(13) 

December 29, 1998, for property located at Route 101A, Merrimack, New Hampshire. 

  Amendment No. 3, dated May 9, 2014, to Amended and Restated Lease between the Registrant and 
G&H Post, LLC, dated December 29, 1998, for property located at Route 101A, Merrimack, New 
Hampshire. 
Lease between the Merrimack Services Corporation and G&H Post LLC, dated August 11, 2008, for 
property located at Merrimack, New Hampshire. 
Lease Agreement between the Registrant and Wilmington Investors, LLC, dated August 27, 2014, for 
property located at 3188 Progress Way, Building 11, Wilmington, Ohio. 
Lease between ComTeq Federal, Inc. and Rockville Office/Industrial Associates dated December 14, 
1993, for property located at 7503 Standish Place, Rockville, Maryland. 
First Amendment, dated November 1, 1996, to the Lease Agreement between ComTeq Federal, Inc. 
and Rockville Office/Industrial Associates, dated December 14, 1993, for property located in 
Rockville, Maryland. 
Second Amendment, dated March 31, 1998, to the Lease Agreement between ComTeq Federal, Inc. 
and Rockville Office/Industrial Associates, dated December 14, 1993, for property located in 
Rockville, Maryland. 
Third Amendment, dated August 31, 2000, to the Lease Agreement between ComTeq Federal, Inc. and 
Rockville Office/Industrial Associates, dated December 14, 1993, property located in Rockville, 
Maryland. 
Fourth Amendment, dated November 20, 2002, to the Lease Agreement between GovConnection, Inc. 
(formerly known as ComTeq Federal, Inc.) and Metro Park I, LLC (formerly known as Rockville 
Office/Industrial Associates), dated December 14, 1993, for property located in Rockville, Maryland. 
Fifth Amendment, dated December 12, 2005, to the Lease Agreement between GovConnection, Inc. 
and Metro Park I, LLC, dated December 14, 1993, for property located in Rockville, Maryland. 
Sixth Amendment, dated September 18, 2008, to the Lease Agreement between GovConnection, Inc. 
and Metro Park I, LLC, dated December 14, 1993, for property located in Rockville, Maryland. 

44 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.42(17) 

10.43(26)* 
10.44(26)* 
10.45(27) 

Seventh Amendment, dated May 21, 2012, to the Lease Agreement between GovConnection, Inc. and 
Metro Park I, LLC, dated December 14, 1993, for property located in Rockville, Maryland. 
Employment Agreement, dated March 1, 2019, between the Registrant and Thomas Baker 
Letter Agreement, dated February 28, 2019, between the Registrant and Stephen Sarno. 

  Amendment No. 1, dated April 16, 2015, to Lease Agreement between the Registrant and Wilmington 
Investors, LLC, dated August 27, 2014, for property located at 3336 Progress Way, Building 11, 
Wilmington, OH 

10.46(27) 

  Amendment No. 2, dated August 29, 2019, to Lease Agreement between the Registrant and 

21.1 
23.1 
31.1 

31.2 

32.1 

32.2 

Wilmington Investors, LLC, dated August 27, 2014, for property located at 3336 Progress Way, 
Building 11, Wilmington, OH 
Subsidiaries of Registrant. 

  Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP. 
  Certification of the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the 

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. 

  Certification of the Company’s Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer pursuant 

to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. 

  Certification of the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 

1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. 

  Certification of the Company’s Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer pursuant 
to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. 

101.INS    **   XBRL Instance Document. 
101.SCH   **   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document. 
101.CAL  **    XBRL Taxonomy Calculation Linkbase Document. 
101.LAB  **    XBRL Taxonomy Label Linkbase Document. 
101.PRE   **   XBRL Taxonomy Presentation Linkbase Document. 
101.DEF   **   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document. 

(1)  Incorporated by reference from the exhibits filed with the Company’s registration statement (333-41171) on Form 

S-1 filed under the Securities Act of 1933. 

(2)  Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, File Number 

0-23827, filed on March 31, 1999. 

(3)  Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, File Number 

0-23827, filed on March 30, 2001. 

(4)  Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company’s proxy statement pursuant to Section 14(a), File 

Number 0-23827, filed on April 17, 2001. 

(5)  Incorporated by reference from the exhibits filed with the Company’s registration statement (333-63272) on Form 

S-4 filed under the Securities Act of 1933.  

(6)  Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, File Number 

0-23827, filed on March 31, 2003. 

(7)  Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, File Number 

0-23827, filed on March 30, 2004. 

(8)  Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, File Number 

0 - 23827, filed on March 30, 2006. 

(9)  Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q, filed on August 

10, 2007. 

(10) Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed on January 9, 

2008. 

(11) Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q, filed on May 12, 

2008. 

(12) Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q, filed on 

August 11, 2008. 

(13) Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q, filed on 

November 10, 2008. 

(14) Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, File Number 

0 - 23827, filed on March 16, 2009. 

45 

 
 
 
 
 
(15) Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q, filed on November 

10, 2010. 

(16) Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, File Number 

0 - 23827, filed on February 28, 2012. 

(17) Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q, filed on August 8, 

2012. 

(18) Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company's annual report on Form 10-K, File Number 0-

23827, filed on March 4, 2013. 

(19) Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed on May 29, 

2013. 

(20) Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q, filed on May 9, 

2014. 

(21) Incorporated by reference from Appendix A filed with the Company’s proxy statement pursuant to Section 14(a), 

File Number 0-23827, filed on April 9, 2019. 

(22) Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q, filed on October 

31, 2014. 

(23) Incorporated by reference from Appendix B filed with the Company’s proxy statement pursuant to Section 14(a), 

File Number 0-23827, filed on April 9, 2019. 

(24) Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed on February 16, 

2017. 

(25) Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company's annual report on Form 10-K, File Number 

0-23827, filed on March 3, 2017. 

(26) Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q, filed on May 2, 

2019. 

(27) Incorporated by reference from exhibits filed with the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q, filed on 

October 30, 2019.  

*     Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement. 
**   Submitted electronically herewith. 

Attached as Exhibit 101 to this report are the following formatted in XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting 
Language): (i)  Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, (ii) Consolidated 
Statements of Income for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, (iii)  Consolidated Statements of Changes 
in Stockholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, (iv) Consolidated Statements of Cash 
Flows for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, and (v) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. 

46 

 
 
 
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant 

has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. 

SIGNATURES 

Date:  February 6, 2020 

PC CONNECTION, INC. 

By: 

/s/ TIMOTHY J. MCGRATH 
Timothy J. McGrath 
President and Chief Executive Officer 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by 

the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated. 

Name 

Title 

Date 

/s/ TIMOTHY J. MCGRATH 
Timothy J. McGrath 

/s/ THOMAS C. BAKER 

Thomas C. Baker 

  President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal 

February 6, 2020 

Executive Officer) 

  Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and 
Treasurer (Principal Financial and Accounting 
Officer) 

February 6, 2020 

/s/ PATRICIA GALLUP 
Patricia Gallup 

Chairman of the Board 

February 6, 2020 

/s/ DAVID BEFFA-NEGRINI 

David Beffa-Negrini 

Director 

/s/ BARBARA DUCKETT 

Barbara Duckett 

/s/ JACK FERGUSON 

Jack Ferguson 

/s/ DAVID HALL 
David Hall 

Director 

Director 

Director 

February 6, 2020 

February 6, 2020 

February 6, 2020 

February 6, 2020 

47 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PC CONNECTION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 
Consolidated Statements of Income for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017 
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, 
and 2017  
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 

Page 
F-2 
F-3 
F-4 

F-5 
F-6 
F-7 

F-1 

 
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 

To the stockholders and the Board of Directors of PC Connection, Inc.  

Opinion on the Financial Statements 

We  have  audited  the  accompanying  consolidated  balance  sheets  of  PC  Connection,  Inc.  and  subsidiaries  (the  "Company")  as  of 
December 31, 2019 and 2018, the related consolidated statements of income, changes in stockholders' equity, and cash flows, for each 
of  the  three  years  in  the  period  ended  December  31,  2019,  and  the  related  notes  and  the  schedule  listed  in  the  Index  at  Item  15 
(collectively referred to as the "financial statements"). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the 
financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the 
three years in the period ended December 31, 2019, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of 
America. 

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), 
the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control — 
Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated 
February 6, 2020, expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting. 

Change in Accounting Principle  

As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company has changed its method of accounting for revenue contracts effective 
January 1, 2018 due to the adoption of Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, using the 
modified retrospective method. 

Basis for Opinion 

These  financial  statements  are  the  responsibility  of  the  Company's  management.  Our  responsibility  is  to  express  an  opinion  on  the 
Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be 
independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of 
the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit 
to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. 
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error 
or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding 
the  amounts  and  disclosures  in  the  financial  statements.  Our  audits  also  included  evaluating  the  accounting  principles  used  and 
significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that 
our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. 

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP 

Boston, Massachusetts  

February 6, 2020 

We have served as the Company's auditor since 1984. 

F-2 

 
 
 
 
PC CONNECTION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS 
(amounts in thousands, except per share data) 

ASSETS 

Current Assets: 

Cash and cash equivalents 
Accounts receivable, net 
Inventories, net 
Income taxes receivable 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 

Total current assets 
Property and equipment, net 
Right-of-use assets 
Goodwill 
Intangibles assets, net 
Other assets 

Total Assets 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY 

Current Liabilities: 

Accounts payable 
Accrued payroll 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities 

Total current liabilities 

Deferred income taxes 
Noncurrent operating lease liabilities 
Other liabilities 

Total Liabilities 

Stockholders’ Equity: 

Common Stock, $.01 par value, 100,000 shares authorized, 28,870 and 28,787 issued, 
26,345 and 26,396 outstanding at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively  
Additional paid-in capital 
Retained earnings 
Treasury stock at cost, 2,526 and 2,391 shares at December 31, 2019 and 2018, 
respectively 

Total Stockholders’ Equity 
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity 

See notes to consolidated financial statements. 

December 31,  

2019 

2018 

$ 
 90,060 
   549,626 
   124,666 
 1,388 
 10,671 
   776,411 
 64,226 
 13,842 
 73,602 
 8,307 
 947 
$  937,335 

$ 
 91,703 
   447,698 
   119,195 
 922 
 9,661 
   669,179 
 51,799 
 — 
 73,602 
 9,564 
 1,211 
$  805,355 

$  235,641 
 28,050 
 45,232 
   308,923 
 20,170 
 10,330 
 600 
   340,023 

$  201,640 
 24,319 
 33,840 
   259,799 
 17,184 
 — 
 2,469 
   279,452 

 288 
   118,045 
   514,694 

 288  
   115,842 
   441,010 

 (35,715)
   597,312 
$  937,335 

 (31,237)
   525,903 
$  805,355 

F-3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
PC CONNECTION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME 
(amounts in thousands, except per share data) 

Net sales 
Cost of sales 

Gross profit  

Selling, general and administrative expenses 
Restructuring and other charges 
Income from operations 

Other income, net 

Income before taxes 

Income tax provision 
Net income 

Earnings per common share: 

Basic 
Diluted 

Shares used in computation of earnings per common share: 

Basic 
Diluted 

Years Ended December 31,  
2018 

2019 

$  2,820,034  $  2,699,489 
   2,288,403 
   2,368,724 
 411,086 
 451,310 
 324,433 
 338,635 
 967 
 703 
 85,686 
 111,972 
 2,978 
 707 
 88,664 
 112,679 
 (24,072)
 (30,568)
 64,592 
 82,111  $ 

$ 

2017 
 $  2,911,883 
     2,529,807 
 382,076 
 300,913 
 3,636 
 77,527 
 98 
 77,625 
 (22,768)
 54,857 

 $ 

$ 
$ 

 3.12  $ 
 3.10  $ 

 2.42 
 2.41 

 $ 
 $ 

 2.05 
 2.04 

 26,335 
 26,505 

 26,717 
 26,854 

 26,771 
 26,891 

See notes to consolidated financial statements. 

F-4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
     
 
  
  
   
  
  
   
 
 
 
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
   
  
  
   
 
 
 
PC CONNECTION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY 
(amounts in thousands) 

  Common Stock 

  Additional 

  Retained 

  Treasury Shares 

     Shares     Amount     Paid-In Capital      Earnings      Shares      Amount        Total 

Balance - December 31, 2016 
Stock options exercised 
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock 
Purchase Plan 
Stock-based compensation expense 
Restricted stock units vested 
Shares withheld for taxes paid on stock awards 
Dividend declaration 
Net income  
Balance - December 31, 2017 
Cumulative effect of adoption of ASC 606 
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock 
Purchase Plan 
Stock-based compensation expense 
Restricted stock units vested 
Shares withheld for taxes paid on stock awards 
Repurchase of common stock for treasury 
Dividend declaration 
Net income  
Balance - December 31, 2018 
Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock 
Purchase Plan 
Stock-based compensation expense 
Restricted stock units vested 
Shares withheld for taxes paid on stock awards 
Repurchase of common stock for treasury 
Dividend declaration 
Net income  
Balance - December 31, 2019 

 28,465 
 157 

$ 

 285 
 2 

$ 

 111,081 
 1,748 

 47 
 — 
 40 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 28,709 
 — 

 41 
 — 
 37 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 28,787 

 32 
 — 
 51 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 28,870 

 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 287 
 — 

 1 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 288 

 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 288 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

 1,197 
 741 
 — 
 (613) 
 — 
 — 
 114,154 
 — 

 1,246 
 1,080 
 — 
 (638) 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 115,842 

 1,253 
 1,863 
 — 
 (913) 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 118,045 

$  337,938      (1,856) $  (15,862)
 — 

 —    

 — 

 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 

 — 
 —    
 —    
 —    
 (9,122)   
 54,857    

 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
$  383,673      (1,856) $  (15,862)
 — 

 1,197    

 — 

 — 
 —    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 (8,452)   
 64,592    

 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
    (15,375)
 — 
 — 
$  441,010      (2,391) $  (31,237)

 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 (535)
 — 
 — 

 — 
 —    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 (8,427)   
 82,111    

 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 (4,478)
 — 
 — 
$  514,694      (2,526) $  (35,715)

 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 (135)
 — 
 — 

 $  433,442 
 1,750 

 1,197 
 741 
 — 
 (613)
 (9,122)
 54,857 
 $  482,252 
 1,197 

 1,247 
 1,080 
 — 
 (638)
     (15,375)
 (8,452)
 64,592 
 $  525,903 

 1,253 
 1,863 
 — 
 (913)
 (4,478)
 (8,427)
 82,111 
 $  597,312 

See notes to consolidated financial statements. 

F-5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
 
 
 
PC CONNECTION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS 
(amounts in thousands)  

Years Ended December 31,  
2018 

2019 

2017 

Cash Flows provided by Operating Activities: 

Net income 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) 
operating activities: 

Depreciation and amortization 
Provision for doubtful accounts 
Stock-based compensation expense 
Deferred income taxes 
Loss on disposal of fixed assets 

Changes in assets and liabilities: 

Accounts receivable 
Inventories 
Prepaid expenses, income tax receivables and other current assets 
Other non-current assets 
Accounts payable 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities 

Net cash provided by operating activities 

Cash Flows used in Investing Activities: 

Purchases of equipment and capitalized software 
Net cash used in investing activities 

Cash Flows (used in) provided by Financing Activities: 

Proceeds from short-term borrowings 
Repayment of short-term borrowings 
Purchase of treasury shares 
Dividend payment 
Proceeds from exercise of stock options 
Issuance of stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan 
Payment of payroll taxes on stock-based compensation through shares 
withheld 
Net cash used in financing activities 
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year 
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year 

Non-cash Investing and Financing Activities: 

Accrued capital expenditures 
Dividend declaration 

Supplemental Cash Flow Information: 

Income taxes paid 

  $ 

 82,111 

 $   64,592  $   54,857 

 13,314 
 25 
 1,863 
 2,986 
 213 

     14,063 
 1,680 
 1,080 
 1,488 
 51 

    11,839 
 1,658 
 741 
 (3,906)
 24 

     (101,953)
 (5,471)
 (1,476)
 264 
 34,960 
 9,767 
 36,603 

     14,872 
    (23,311)
 (1,045)
 2,403 
 5,722 
 5,244 
     86,839 

   (39,457)
   (16,218)
 (2,097)
 (4,265)
    15,807 
 337 
    19,320 

 (25,656)
 (25,656)

   (21,238)
    (21,238)

 (11,803)
   (11,803)

 — 
 — 
 (4,478)
 (8,452)
 — 
 1,253 

 859 
 (859)
   (15,375)
 (9,122)
 — 
 1,247 

 — 
 — 
 — 
 (9,041)
 1,750 
 1,197 

 (913)
 (12,590)
 (1,643)
 91,703 
 90,060 

 (613)
 (638)
 (6,707)
    (23,888)
 810 
     41,713 
     49,990 
    49,180 
 $   91,703  $   49,990 

 1,463 
 8,427 

 $ 

 2,422  $ 
 8,452 

 699 
 9,122 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

 28,460 

 $   19,945  $   28,927 

See notes to consolidated financial statements. 

F-6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
     
     
     
  
 
 
 
 
    
    
   
  
    
   
  
    
   
  
    
   
  
 
 
    
    
   
  
    
   
  
    
   
    
   
  
    
 
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
    
    
   
  
    
   
  
 
 
    
   
  
    
  
    
  
    
 
   
  
 
 
 
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
PC CONNECTION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 
(amounts in thousands, except per share data) 

1.   SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES 

PC Connection, Inc. is a leading solutions provider of a wide range of information technology, or IT, solutions. The 

Company help its customers design, enable, manage, and service their IT environments. The Company provides IT 
products, including computer systems, software and peripheral equipment, networking communications, and other 
products and accessories that it purchases from manufacturers, distributors, and other suppliers. The Company also 
offers services involving design, configuration, and implementation of IT solutions. These services are performed by the 
Company’s personnel and by first-party service providers. The Company operates through three sales segments: (a) the 
Business Solutions segment, which serves small- to medium-sized businesses, through its PC Connection Sales 
subsidiary, (b) the Enterprise Solutions segment, which serves large enterprise customers, through its MoreDirect 
subsidiary, and (c) the Public Sector Solutions segment, which serves federal, state, and local governmental and 
educational institutions, through its GovConnection subsidiary. 

The following is a summary of the Company’s significant accounting policies: 

Principles of Consolidation 

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of PC Connection, Inc. and its subsidiaries, all of which 

are wholly-owned. Intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated in consolidation. 

Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United 
States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions affect the 
reported amounts and disclosures of assets and liabilities and the reported amounts and disclosures of revenue and 
expenses during the period. By nature, estimates are subject to an inherent degree of uncertainty. Actual results could 
differ from those estimates and assumptions. 

Reclassification of Prior Year Presentation 

Certain 2017 amounts have been reclassified for consistency with current year presentation. Restructuring and other 

charges have been separated from selling, general, and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of 
Income. These charges amount to $703, $967, and $3,636 for the years ending December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, 
respectively. This change in classification does not affect previously reported net income or earnings per share figures in 
the Consolidated Statements of Income. 

Revenue Recognition 

On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASC 606—Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”), which 

replaced existing revenue recognition rules with a comprehensive revenue measurement and recognition standard and 
expanded disclosure requirements.  

Revenue is recognized upon transfer of control of promised products or services to customers in an amount that 
reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for those products or services. The Company 
enters into contracts that can include various combinations of products and services, which are generally capable of 
being distinct and accounted for as separate performance obligations. In most instances, when several performance 
obligations are aggregated into one single transaction, these performance obligations are fulfilled at the same point in 
time. The Company accounts for an arrangement when it has approval and commitment from both parties, the rights are 
identified, the contract has commercial substance, and collectability of consideration is probable. The Company 

F-7 

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
generally obtains oral or written purchase authorizations from its customers for a specified amount of product at a 
specified price, which constitutes an arrangement. Revenue is recognized at the amount expected to be collected, net of 
any taxes collected from customers, which are subsequently remitted to governmental authorities. The Company 
generally invoices for its products at the time of shipping, and accordingly there is not a significant financing component 
included in our arrangements. 

Prior to the adoption of ASC 606, revenue on product sales was recognized at the point in time when persuasive 

evidence of an arrangement existed, the price was fixed or determinable, delivery had occurred, and there was a 
reasonable assurance of collection of the sales proceeds. Service revenue was recognized over time as the services were 
performed. The Company evaluated such engagements to determine whether it or the third party assumed the general 
risk and reward of ownership in these transactions. This evaluation was the basis by which we determined that revenue 
from these transactions would be recognized on a gross or a net basis. 

In multiple-element revenue arrangements, each service performed and product delivered was considered a separate 

deliverable and qualified as a separate unit of accounting. For material multiple element arrangements, the Company 
allocated revenue based on vendor-specific objective evidence of fair value of the underlying services and products. In 
the absence of vendor-specific objective evidence, the Company would utilize third-party evidence to allocate the selling 
price. If neither vendor-specific objective evidence nor third-party evidence was available, the Company would estimate 
the selling price based on market price and company-specific factors. 

Cost of Sales and Certain Other Costs 

Cost of sales includes the invoice cost of the product, direct employee and third party cost of services, direct costs of 
packaging, inbound and outbound freight, and provisions for inventory obsolescence, adjusted for discounts, rebates, and 
other vendor allowances.  

Cash and Cash Equivalents 

The Company considers all highly liquid short-term investments with original maturities of 90 days or less to be 
cash equivalents. The carrying value of our cash equivalents approximates fair value. The majority of payments due 
from credit card processors and banks for third-party credit card and debit card transactions process within one to five 
business days. All credit card and debit card transactions that process in less than seven days are classified as cash and 
cash equivalents. Amounts due from banks for credit card transactions classified as cash equivalents totaled $5,553 and 
$2,651 at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. 

Accounts Receivable  

The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers and adjusts credit limits based on payment 
history and customer creditworthiness. The Company maintains an allowance for estimated doubtful accounts based on 
its historical experience and the customer credit issues identified. The Company’s customers do not post collateral for 
open accounts receivable. The Company monitors collections regularly and adjusts the allowance for doubtful accounts 
as necessary to recognize any changes in credit exposure. Trade receivables are written off in the period in which they 
are deemed uncollectible. Recoveries of trade receivables previously charged are recorded when received.  

Inventories 

Inventories (all finished goods) consisting of software packages, computer systems, and peripheral equipment, are 
stated at cost (determined under a weighted-average cost method which approximates the first-in, first-out method) or 
net realizable value, whichever is lower. Inventory quantities on hand are reviewed regularly, and allowances are 
maintained for obsolete, slow moving, and nonsalable inventory. 

F-8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vendor Consideration 

The Company receives funding from merchandise vendors for price protections, discounts, product rebates, and 
other programs. These allowances are treated as a reduction of the vendor’s prices and are recorded as adjustments to 
cost of sales. Allowances for product rebates that require certain volumes of product sales or purchases are recorded as 
the related milestones are probable of being met. 

Advertising Costs and Vendor Consideration 

Vendors have the ability to fund advertising activities for which the Company receives advertising consideration. 

This vendor consideration, to the extent that it represents specific reimbursements of incremental and identifiable costs, 
is offset against SG&A expenses. Advertising consideration that cannot be associated with a specific program or that 
exceeds the fair value of advertising expense associated with that program is classified as an offset to cost of sales. The 
Company’s vendor partners generally consolidate their funding of advertising and other marketing programs, and 
accordingly, the Company classifies substantially all vendor consideration as a reduction of cost of sales rather than a 
reduction of advertising expense. Other advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising expense, which is 
classified as a component of SG&A expenses, totaled $19,407, $16,244, and $14,437, for the years ended December 31, 
2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively. 

Property and Equipment 

Property and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and 
amortization is provided for financial reporting purposes over the estimated useful lives of the assets ranging from three 
to seven years. Computer software, including licenses and internally developed software, is capitalized and amortized 
over lives generally ranging from three to seven years. Depreciation is recorded using the straight-line method. 
Leasehold improvements and facilities under capital leases are amortized over the terms of the related leases or their 
useful lives, whichever is shorter, whereas for income tax reporting purposes, they are amortized over the applicable tax 
lives.  

Costs incurred to develop internal-use software during the application development stage are recorded in property 
and equipment at cost. External direct costs of materials and services consumed in developing or obtaining internal-use 
computer software and payroll-related costs for employees developing internal-use computer software projects, to the 
extent of their time spent directly on the project and specific to application development, are capitalized. 

When events or circumstances indicate a potential impairment, the Company evaluates the carrying value of 

property and equipment based upon current and anticipated undiscounted cash flows. The Company recognizes 
impairment when it is probable that such estimated future cash flows will be less than the asset carrying value. 

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets 

The Company’s intangible assets consist of (1) goodwill, which is not subject to amortization; (2) an internet 
domain name, which is an indefinite-lived intangible not subject to amortization; and (3) amortizing intangibles, which 
consist of customer lists, trade names, and customer relationships, which are being amortized over their useful lives. 

Note 3 describes the annual impairment methodology that the Company uses each year in calculating the 

recoverability of goodwill and non-amortizing intangibles. This same impairment test is performed at other times during 
the course of a year should an event occur or circumstance change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value 
of a reporting unit below its carrying amount.     

Recoverability of amortizing intangible assets is assessed only when events have occurred that may give rise to 
impairment. When a potential impairment has been identified, forecasted undiscounted net cash flows of the operations 
to which the asset relates are compared to the current carrying value of the long-lived assets present in that operation. If 
such cash flows are less than such carrying amounts, long-lived assets including such intangibles, are written down to 
their respective fair values. 

F-9 

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Concentrations 

Concentrations of credit risk with respect to trade account receivables are limited due to the large number of 
customers comprising the Company’s customer base. No single customer accounted for more than 4% of total net sales 
in 2019, 2018, and 2017. While no single agency of the federal government comprised more than 3% of total sales, 
aggregate sales to the federal government as a percentage of total net sales were 6.9%, 5.4%, and 7.8% in 2019, 2018, 
and 2017, respectively.  

Product purchases from Ingram Micro, Inc. (“Ingram”), the Company’s largest supplier, and Synnex accounted for 
approximately 21% and 14%, respectively, of the Company’s total product purchases in 2019. No other vendor supplied 
more than 10% of the Company’s total product purchases in the year. In addition to these vendors, product purchases 
from other distributors, such as Dell, HP Inc. and Tech Data comprised a total of 59% of our product purchases in 2019. 
The Company believes that, while it may experience some short-term disruption if products from Ingram, Synnex, or 
any of its other large suppliers become unavailable to us, alternative sources for these products are available.  

Products manufactured by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP Inc. collectively represented approximately 19% of 

the Company’s net sales in 2019, 18% in 2018 and 20% in 2017. We believe that in the event we experience either a 
short-term or permanent disruption of supply of HP products, such disruption would likely have a material adverse effect 
on the Company’s results of operations and cash flows. 

Restructuring and other charges 

Restructuring and other charges are presented separately from SG&A expenses. Costs incurred were as follows: 

Employee separations 
Lease termination costs 
Relocation expenses 
Employee compensation 
Other 

Total restructuring and other charges 

  Year Ended December 31,  
2017 
  2019 
     2018 
 640 
$   553  $   967  $ 
 — 
    150 
 84 
 — 
   2,800 
 — 
 112 
 — 
$   703  $   967  $  3,636 

 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 

The restructuring and other charges recorded in 2019 were related to a reduction in workforce in our 

Headquarters/Other group and included cash severance payments and other related benefits. These costs will be paid 
within a year of termination and any unpaid amounts are included in accrued expenses at December 31, 2019. Also 
included in net restructuring charges were exit costs incurred associated with the closing of one of our office facilities. 

The restructuring and other charges recorded in 2018 were related to a reduction in workforce at our Business 
Solutions, Public Sector Solutions, and Headquarter segments and included cash severance payments and other related 
benefits.  

The restructuring and other charges recorded in 2017 were primarily driven by a reduction in workforce at our 

Headquarters segment, along with costs related to the Softmart business, which was acquired in 2016, including 
expenses to retain certain key personnel brought over in the acquisition. Also in 2017, we incurred additional expense of 
$2,700 related to a one-time cash bonus paid to all non-executive employees at the end of the year. 

F-10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
Overall, restructuring and other charges consist primarily of employee termination benefits, which are accrued in the 

period incurred and paid within a year of termination. Included in accrued expenses at December 31, 2019, 2018, and 
2017 were $110, $784, and $2, respectively, related to unpaid employee termination benefits. The amount accrued as of 
December 31, 2019 is expected to be paid in 2020. 

Other restructuring-related charges such as acquisition costs, relocation expenses and significant marketing 

campaigns are expensed and paid as incurred. 

All planned restructuring and other charges were incurred as of December 31, 2019 and we have no ongoing 

restructuring plans. 

Earnings Per Share 

Basic earnings per common share is computed using the weighted average number of shares outstanding. Diluted 
earnings per share is computed using the weighted average number of shares outstanding adjusted for the incremental 
shares attributable to nonvested stock units and stock options outstanding, if dilutive.   

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share: 

Numerator: 

Net income 
Denominator: 

Denominator for basic earnings per share 
Dilutive effect of employee stock awards  
Denominator for diluted earnings per share 

Earnings per share: 

Basic 
Diluted 

2019 

2018 

2017 

  $  82,111 

$  64,592 

$  54,857 

      26,335 
 170 
      26,505 

    26,717 
 137 
    26,854 

    26,771 
 120 
    26,891 

  $ 
  $ 

 3.12 
 3.10 

$ 
$ 

 2.42 
 2.41 

$ 
$ 

 2.05 
 2.04 

For the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, the Company did not exclude any outstanding nonvested 
stock units or stock options from the computation of diluted earnings per share because including them would have had 
an anti-dilutive effect. 

Other Income, Net 

Other income, net for the year ended December 31, 2019 consisted of interest income of $810, which was partially 

offset by interest expense of $103. 

Other income, net for the year ended December 31, 2018 consisted of $2,255 related to a gain, net of costs incurred 
of $745, that was realized upon execution of a favorable $3,000 cash resolution of a contract dispute that arose in 2017. 

F-11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
   
 
   
 
 
  
     
     
  
 
 
    
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
The Company included the $3,000 it was owed in other assets as of December 31, 2018. Also included in other income, 
net for the year ended December 31, 2018 was interest income of $868, offset partially by interest expense of $145. 

Other income, net for the year ended December 31, 2017 consisted of interest income of $224, which was partially 

offset by interest expense of $126. 

Comprehensive Income 

The Company had no items of comprehensive income, other than its net income for each of the periods presented. 

Adoption of Recently Issued Financial Accounting Standards 

ASC 842 

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or the FASB, issued ASC 842 - Leases, which 
amended the accounting standards for leases. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should establish a right-
of-use (ROU) model that requires a lessee to record a ROU asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases 
with terms longer than twelve months. 

The Company adopted ASC 842 effective January 1, 2019 using a modified retrospective transition approach to 

each lease that existed as of the adoption date and any leases entered into after that date. The Company elected the 
package of practical expedients which permits it to not reassess (1) whether any expired or existing contracts are or 
contain leases, (2) the lease classification of any expired or existing leases, and (3) any initial direct costs for any 
existing leases as of the effective date. The Company also elected the hindsight practical expedient, which allows it to 
use hindsight in determining the lease term. The adoption did not result in a cumulative adjustment to opening equity. 
The comparative information has not been restated and continues to be reported under the accounting standards in effect 
for those periods. 

In assessing the impact of the adoption, the Company elected to apply the short-team lease exception to any leases 

with contractual obligations of one year or less. In accordance with the new accounting standard, these leases will not 
have a ROU asset and associated lease liability on the balance sheet. Instead, rent will be recognized on a straight-line 
basis over the term of the lease. Consequently, the adoption resulted in the capitalization of a number of the Company’s 
office leases as of January 1, 2019, for which it recognized a lease liability of $18,835, which was based on the present 
value of the future payments for these leases. The Company recorded a corresponding right-of-use asset of $18,723, 
which was adjusted for $114 of remaining unamortized lease incentives as of December 31, 2018. Only those 
components that were considered integral to the right to use an underlying asset were considered lease components when 
determining the amounts to capitalize. None of the nonlease components identified were capitalized and are instead 
expensed as incurred. In accordance with ASC 842, the discount rates used in the present value calculations for each 
lease should be the rates implicit in the lease, if readily available. Since none of the lease agreements contain an implicit 
rate that is readily available, the Company utilized estimated rates that it would have incurred to borrow, over a similar 
term, the funds necessary to purchase the respective leased asset with cash. The remaining contractual term for these 
leases as of January 1, 2019 ranged from 20 to 197 months. Options to renew were considered in determining the present 
value of the future lease payments in the event the Company believed it was reasonably certain it will assert its 
respective options to renew. 

ASC 606 

On May 28, 2014, the FASB issued ASC 606 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which amended the 
accounting standards for revenue recognition and expanded our disclosure requirements. The core principle of the 
guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in 
an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or 
services. 

F-12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
On January 1, 2018 the Company adopted ASC 606 using the modified retrospective transition method, which 
resulted in an adjustment at January 1, 2018 to retained earnings for the cumulative effect of applying the standard to all 
contracts not completed as of the adoption date. Upon adoption we recorded $1,197 as an increase to retained earnings. 
The comparative information has not been restated and continues to be reported under the accounting standards in effect 
for those periods. 

The adoption resulted in an acceleration of the timing of revenue recognized for certain transactions where product 
that remained in the Company’s possession has been recognized as of the transaction date when all revenue recognition 
criteria have been met. 

The following table presents the effect of the adoption of ASC 606 on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as 

of January 1, 2018: 

Balance at 

  December 31, 2017 

     Adjustments      
due to 
ASC 606 

Balance at 

  January 1, 2018

Balance Sheet 
Assets 
Accounts receivable, net 
Inventories 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 
Long-term accounts receivable 
Other assets 

Liabilities 
Accounts payable 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities 
Accrued payroll 
Deferred income taxes 

Stockholders' Equity 
Retained earnings 

$ 

 449,682 $ 
 106,753   
 5,737   
 —  
 5,638   

 14,568 $ 
 (10,869)  
 (132)  
 1,890  
 (3,914)  

 464,250 
 95,884 
 5,605 
 1,890 
 1,724 

 194,257   
 31,096   
 22,662   
 15,696   

 (62)  
 (312)  
 291   
 429   

 194,195 
 30,784 
 22,953 
 16,125 

$ 

 383,673 $ 

 1,197 $ 

 384,870 

In addition to the timing of revenue recognition impacted by the above-described transactions, upon adoption of 
ASC 606, the amount of revenue to be recognized prospectively was affected by the presentation of revenue transactions 
as an agent instead of principal in certain transactions. Specifically, revenue related to the sale of cloud products, as well 
as certain security software, is now being recognized net of costs as the Company determined that it acts as an agent in 
these transactions. These sales are recorded on a net basis at a point in time when the Company’s vendor and the 
customer accept the terms and conditions in the sales arrangement. In addition, the Company sells third-party software 
maintenance that is delivered over time either separately or bundled with the software license. The Company has 
determined that software maintenance is a distinct performance obligation that it does not control, and accordingly, the 
Company acts as an agent in these transactions and recognizes the related revenue on a net basis under ASC 606. The 
Company previously recognized revenue for cloud products, security software, and software maintenance on a gross 
basis (i.e., acting as a principal). This change reduced both net sales and cost of sales with no impact on reported gross 
profit as compared to the Company’s prior accounting policies. 

F-13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
     
     
   
  
     
     
   
  
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
     
     
   
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
     
     
   
 
 
The following tables present the effect of the adoption of ASC 606 on the Company’s consolidated income 
statement and balance sheet for the year ended December 31, 2018 and as of December 31, 2018, respectively: 

Income statement 
Revenues 
Net sales 

Costs and expenses 
Cost of sales 

Income from operations 
Income before taxes 
Net income 

Balance Sheet 
Assets 
Accounts receivable, net 
Inventories 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 
Other assets 

Liabilities 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities 
Accrued payroll 
Deferred income taxes 

Stockholders' Equity 
Retained earnings 

Year Ended December 31, 2018 

    Balances without 

As  
Reported 

  Adjustments  

Adoption of 
ASC 606 

$ 2,699,489  $ 404,690 

$ 3,104,179 

 2,288,403    

 403,737    

 2,692,140 

 85,686    
 88,664    
 64,592 

 750    
 750    
 526 

 86,436 
 89,414 
 65,118 

December 31, 2018 

    Balances without 

As 

Reported    Adjustments  

Adoption of 
ASC 606 

 $ 447,698 
   119,195 
 9,661 
 1,211 

$ (6,949)
 4,798 
 148 
 3,914 

$ 440,749 
 123,993 
 9,809 
 5,125 

  $ 33,840 
 24,319 
 17,184 

$ 2,904 
 (116)
 (219)

$ 36,744 
 24,203 
 16,965 

 $ 441,010 

$ (657)

$ 440,353 

The Company has elected the use of certain practical expedients in its adoption of the new standard, which includes 

continuing to record revenue reported net of applicable taxes imposed on the related transaction and the application of 
the new standard to all arrangements not completed as of the adoption date. The Company has also elected to use the 
practical expedient to not account for the shipping and handling as separate performance obligations. Adoptions of the 
standard related to revenue recognition had no net impact on our consolidated statement of cash flows. 

ASU 2016-09 

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. The 

Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2017. The new standard simplifies several aspects of the accounting for 
employee share-based payment transactions, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, and statutory tax 
withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. Under this guidance, a company 
recognizes all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies as income tax expense or benefit in the income statement. This 
change eliminates the notion of the additional paid-in capital pool and reduces the complexity in accounting for excess 
tax benefits and tax deficiencies. The primary impact of the adoption was the recognition of excess tax benefits related to 
equity compensation in the Company’s provision for income taxes rather than paid-in capital, which is a change required 
to be applied on a prospective basis in accordance with the new guidance. There were no unrecognized excess tax 
benefits at implementation. Accordingly, the Company recorded discrete income tax benefits in the consolidated 

F-14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
     
     
   
  
      
     
   
 
 
 
 
  
      
      
   
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
  
     
     
   
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
   
   
   
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
   
   
   
 
 
 
statements of income of $1,054 in the year ended December 31, 2017, for excess tax benefits related to equity 
compensation. The corresponding cash flows were reflected in cash provided by operating activities instead of financing 
activities, as was previously required. The Company adopted the cash flow presentation that requires presentation of 
excess tax benefits within operating activities on a prospective basis. Additionally, under ASU 2016-09, the Company 
has elected to continue to estimate equity award forfeitures expected to occur to determine the amount of compensation 
cost to be recognized in each period. Additional amendments to the accounting for income taxes and minimum statutory 
withholding tax requirements had no impact on the Company’s results of operations. The presentation requirements for 
cash flows related to employee taxes paid for withheld shares also had no impact to any of the periods presented in the 
Company’s consolidated statements of cash flows since such cash flows have historically been presented as a financing 
activity. 

Recently Issued Financial Accounting Standards 

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which simplifies 

the accounting for goodwill impairments by eliminating step two from the goodwill impairment test. Instead, if the 
carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss shall be recognized in an amount equal to 
that excess, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. ASU 2017-04 also clarifies the 
requirements for excluding and allocating foreign currency translation adjustments to reporting units related to an entity's 
testing of reporting units for goodwill impairment and clarifies that an entity should consider income tax effects from 
any tax-deductible goodwill on the carrying amount of the reporting unit when measuring the goodwill impairment loss, 
if applicable. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning January 1, 2020 for both interim and annual 
reporting periods. The Company expects to adopt this standard in the first quarter of 2020 and it does not expect the 
adoption to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. 

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses, which adds an impairment 
model for financial instruments, including trade receivables, that is based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. 
Under the new guidance, an entity recognizes as an allowance its estimate of lifetime expected losses, which is expected 
to result in more timely recognition of such losses. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after 
December 15, 2019 for both interim and annual reporting periods. The Company has evaluated the requirements of this 
ASU and determined that the potential exposure is limited to the impact this standard may have on its trade receivables. 
The Company does not currently have any other financial instruments that would be affected by this standard. Customers 
are evaluated for their credit worthiness at the time of contract inception. Based on the results of the assessment, the 
Company will extend credit under its standard payment terms or may request alternative early payment actions. In 
addition, the Company analyzes its aged receivables for collectability at least quarterly, and if necessary, records a 
reserve against those receivable it determines may not be collectable. As such, the Company does not expect the 
adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.  

2.   REVENUE 

Nature of Products and Services 

Information technology (“IT”) products typically represent a distinct performance obligation, and revenue is 
recognized at the point in time when control is transferred to the customer which is generally upon delivery to the 
customer. The Company recognizes revenue as the principal in the transaction with the customer (i.e., on a gross basis), 
as it controls the product prior to delivery to the customer and derive the economic benefits from the sales transaction 
given the Company’s control over customer pricing. 

The Company does not recognize revenue for goods that remain in its physical possession before the customer has 

the ability to direct the use of, and obtain substantially all of the remaining benefits from the products, the goods are 
ready for physical transfer to and identified as belonging to the customer, and when the Company has no ability to use 
the product or to direct it to another customer. 

F-15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Licenses for on-premise software provide the customer with a right to take possession of the software. Customers 
may purchase perpetual licenses or enter into subscriptions to the licensed software. The Company is the principal in 
these transactions and recognizes revenue for the on-premise license at the point in time when the software is made 
available to the customer and the commencement of the term of the software license or when the renewal term begins, as 
applicable.  

For certain on-premise licenses for security software, the customer derives substantially all of the benefit from these 

arrangements through the third-party delivered software maintenance, which provides software updates and other 
support services. The Company does not have control over the delivery of these performance obligations, and 
accordingly the Company is the agent in these transactions. The Company recognizes revenue for security software net 
of the related costs of sales at the point in time when its vendor and customer accept the terms and conditions in the sales 
arrangement. Cloud products allow customers to use hosted software over the contractual period without taking 
possession of the software and are provided on a subscription basis. The Company does not exercise control over these 
products or services and therefore is an agent in these transactions. The Company recognizes revenue for cloud products 
net of the related costs of sales at the point in time when its vendor and customer accept the terms and conditions in the 
sales arrangements.  

Certain software sales include on-premise licenses that are combined with software maintenance. Software 

maintenance conveys rights to updates, bug fixes and help desk support, and other support services transferred over the 
underlying contract period. On-premise licenses are considered distinct performance obligations when sold with the 
software maintenance, as the Company sells these items separately. The Company recognizes revenue related to the 
software maintenance as the agent in these transactions because it do not have control over the on-going software 
maintenance service. Revenue allocated to software maintenance is recognized at the point in time when the Company’s 
vendor and customer accept the terms and conditions in the sales arrangements.  

Certain of the Company’s larger customers are offered the opportunity by vendors to purchase software licenses and 

maintenance under enterprise agreements (“EAs”). Under EAs, customers are considered to be compliant with 
applicable license requirements for the ensuing year, regardless of changes to their employee base. Customers are 
charged an annual true-up fee for changes in the number of users over the year. With most EAs, the Company’s vendors 
will transfer the license and bill the customer directly, paying resellers, such as the Company, an agency fee or 
commission on these sales. The Company records these agency fees as a component of net sales as earned and there is 
no corresponding cost of sales amount. In certain instances, the Company invoices the customer directly under an EA 
and account for the individual items sold based on the nature of each item. The Company’s vendors typically dictate how 
the EA will be sold to the customer.  

The Company also offers extended service plans (“ESP”) on IT products, both as part of the initial arrangement and 
separately from the IT products. The Company recognizes revenue related to ESP as the agent in the transaction because 
it does not have control over the on-going ESP service and does not provide any service after the sale. Revenue allocated 
to ESP is recognized at the point in time when the Company’s vendor and customer accept the terms and conditions in 
the sales arrangement.  

The Company uses its own engineering personnel to assist in projects involving the design and installation of 

systems and networks, and also engages third-party service providers to perform warranty maintenance, 
implementations, asset disposal, and other services. Service revenue is recognized in general over time as the Company 
performs the underlying services and satisfies its performance obligations. The Company evaluates such engagements to 
determine whether it is the principal or the agent in each transaction. For those transactions in which we do not control 
the service, the Company acts as an agent and recognizes the transaction revenue on a net basis at a point in time when 
the vendor and customer accept the terms and conditions in the sales arrangement. 

All amounts billed to a customer in a sales transaction related to shipping and handling, if any, represent revenues 
earned for the goods provided, and these amounts have been included in net sales. Costs related to shipping and handling 
billing are classified as cost of sales. Sales are reported net of sales, use, or other transaction taxes that are collected from 
customers and remitted to taxing authorities. 

F-16 

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Significant Judgments 

The Company’s contracts with customers often include promises to transfer multiple products or services to a 

customer. Determining whether the Company is the agent or the principal and whether products and services are 
considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately versus together may require 
significant judgment. 

The Company estimates the standalone selling price (“SSP”) for each distinct performance obligation when a single 

arrangement contains multiple performance obligations and the fulfillment occurs at different points of times. The 
Company maximizes the use of observable inputs in the determination of the estimate for SSP for the items that it does 
not sell separately, including on-premise licenses sold with software maintenance, and IT products sold with ESP. In 
instances where SSP is not directly observable, such as when the Company does not sell the product or service 
separately, the Company determines the SSP using information that may include market conditions and other observable 
inputs.  

The Company provides its customers with a limited thirty-day right of return, which is generally limited to defective 
merchandise, and gives rise to variable consideration. Revenue is recognized based on the most likely amount to which it 
is expected to be entitled. The estimated variable consideration is included in the transaction price to the extent it is 
probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur once the uncertainty is resolved. The 
Company makes estimates of product returns based on significant historical experience. The Company records its sales 
return reserve as a reduction of revenues and either as reduction of accounts receivable or, for customers who have 
already paid, as accrued expenses and as a reduction of cost of sales and an associated right of return asset. 

Description of Revenue 

The Company disaggregates revenue from its arrangements with customers by type of products and services, as it 
believes this method best depicts how the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows are affected 
by economic factors.  

The following tables represent a disaggregation of revenue from arrangements with customers for the twelve months 

ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, along with the reportable segment for each category. 

Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2019 

Total 

Business 
Solutions 

Enterprise 
Solutions 

Public Sector
Solutions 
 166,132   $  805,944 
 345,924 
 63,949  
 334,827 
 54,956  
 238,396 
 60,334  
 219,301 
 52,776  
 250,022 
 56,183  
 357,309 
 46,647  
 268,311 
 65,188  
  $ 1,060,049   $ 1,193,820   $  566,165   $ 2,820,034 

  $  317,282   $  322,530  
 154,602  
 133,584  
 72,445  
 72,185  
 105,172  
 211,772  
 121,530  

 127,373  
 146,287  
 105,617  
 94,340  
 88,667  
 98,890  
 81,593  

Notebooks/Mobility 
Desktops 
Software 
Servers/Storage 
Net/Com Products 
Displays and Sound 
Accessories 
Other Hardware/Services 
Total net sales 

F-17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
    
    
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
 
  
  
 
  
Notebooks/Mobility 
Desktops 
Software 
Servers/Storage 
Net/Com Products 
Displays and Sound 
Accessories 
Other Hardware/Services 
Total net sales 

Contract Balances  

Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2018 

Total 

Business 
Solutions 

Enterprise 
Solutions 

Public Sector
Solutions 
 138,818   $  710,654 
 288,308 
 53,569  
 314,856 
 45,365  
 273,421 
 59,653  
 224,049 
 52,287  
 252,036 
 52,760  
 353,140 
 43,696  
 283,025 
 60,281  
  $ 1,027,918   $ 1,165,142   $  506,429   $ 2,699,489 

  $  299,247   $  272,589  
 126,643  
 135,420  
 102,209  
 62,060  
 109,497  
 214,102  
 142,622  

 108,096  
 134,071  
 111,559  
 109,702  
 89,779  
 95,342  
 80,122  

The following table provides information about contract liabilities from arrangements with customers as of 

December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018: 

Contract liabilities, which are included in "Accrued expenses and other liabilities"    $ 

     December 31, 2019      December 31, 2018 
 2,679 

 5,942   $ 

Significant changes in the contract liability balances during the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 are as 

follows (in thousands): 

Balances at December 31, 2017 
Cash received in advance and not recognized as revenue 
Amounts recognized as revenue as performance obligations satisfied 
Balances at December 31, 2018 

Balances at December 31, 2018 
Cash received in advance and not recognized as revenue 
Amounts recognized as revenue as performance obligations satisfied 
Balances at December 31, 2019 

k 

3.   GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS 

Goodwill 

2018 

 2,914 
 16,279 
 (16,514)
 2,679 

2019 

 2,679 
 15,835 
 (12,572)
 5,942 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives are subject to an annual impairment test as of November 30 and 

tested more frequently if events or circumstances occur that would indicate a potential decline in fair value. For 2018 
and 2017, using both income and market valuation approaches, the Company has performed a two-step quantitative test 
to compare the fair value of its reporting units with their respective carrying values, including goodwill. If the fair values 
were determined to be less than the carrying values, the second step would be performed to measure the amounts, if any, 
of the impairment. 

For 2019, the Company performed a qualitative “Step 0” analysis. ASC 350—Intangible – Goodwill and Other 
states that an entity may assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a 
reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill. This analysis allows the Company to consider 
qualitative factors that might impact the carrying amount of its goodwill to determine whether a more detailed 

F-18 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
    
    
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
 
  
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
quantitative analysis would be necessary. Factors considered when performing the “Step 0” impairment assessment 
included the Company’s performance relative to historical and projected future operating results, macroeconomic 
conditions, industry and market trends, cost factors that may have a negative impact on earnings and cash flows, changes 
in the Company’s stock price and market capitalization, and other relevant entity-specific events. Based on the analysis, 
there were no indications that an impairment was more than likely to exist. 

Goodwill is held by the Company’s Large Account and SMB segments. The Company concluded that the fair values 

of the domain name and the two reporting units each exceeded the respective carrying values, and accordingly, an 
impairment was not identified in the annual test. The Company also did not identify any events or circumstances that 
would indicate that it is more likely than not that the carrying values of the reporting units or the domain name were in 
excess of the respective fair values during the year ended December 31, 2019.  

The carrying amount of goodwill for the periods presented is detailed below: 

Balance at December 31, 2018 
Goodwill, gross 
Accumulated impairment losses 
Net balance 

Balance at December 31, 2019 
Goodwill, gross 
Accumulated impairment losses 
Net balance 

Intangible Assets 

SMB 

$   8,539  $ 
   (1,173) 
$   7,366  $ 

SMB 

$   8,539  $ 
   (1,173) 
$   7,366  $ 

     Large Account       Public Sector      Total 
 $ 

 66,236 
─ 
 66,236 

 7,634  $  82,409 
    (8,807) 
 (7,634)
 —  $  73,602 

     Large Account       Public Sector      Total 
 $ 

 66,236 
─ 
 66,236 

 7,634  $  82,409 
    (8,807) 
 (7,634)
 —  $  73,602 

 $ 

 $ 

At December 31, 2019, the Company’s intangible assets included a domain name for $450, which has an indefinite 

life and is not subject to amortization. In addition, in 2016 the Company acquired customer relationships from its 
Softmart and GlobalServe acquisitions, which will be amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives 
of 10 years. The Company’s remaining intangible assets are amortized in proportion to the estimates of the future cash 
flows underlying the valuation of the assets. Intangible assets and related accumulated amortization are detailed below: 

Customer list 
Tradename 
Customer relationships 
Total intangible assets 

8 
5 
10 

      Estimated      
  Useful Lives   Amount 

Gross 

December 31, 2019 

    Accumulated       Net 
  Amortization    Amount 
 — 
 — 
     7,857 
 $   7,857 

 3,400 
 1,190 
 4,343 
 8,933 

 $ 

$ 

 3,400  $ 
 1,190 
 12,200 
$   16,790  $ 

      Gross 
  Amount 
 $   3,400 
 1,190 
    12,200 
 $  16,790 

Net 

December 31, 2018 
     Accumulated     
  Amortization    Amount 
 36 
 3,364  $ 
 $ 
 — 
 1,190 
 9,078 
 3,122 
 9,114 
 7,676  $ 

 $ 

In 2019, 2018, and 2017, the Company recorded amortization expense of $1,257, $1,461, and $1,561, respectively. 
The estimated amortization expense relating to intangible assets in each of the five succeeding years and thereafter is as 
follows: 

For the Years Ended December 31,  
2020 
2021 
2022 
2023 
2024 
2025 and thereafter 

  $   1,220   
 1,220   
 1,220   
 1,220   
 1,220   
 1,757   
  $   7,857   

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4.   ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE 

Accounts receivable consisted of the following: 

Trade 
Vendor consideration, returns and other 
Due from employees 
Total gross accounts receivable 
Allowances for: 
Sales returns 
Doubtful accounts 
Accounts receivable, net 

5.   PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT 

Property and equipment consisted of the following: 

December 31,  

2019 

2018 

  $  498,721  $  401,530 
 52,560 
 107 
    454,197 

 56,459 
 114 
    555,294 

 (3,466)
 (2,202)

 (3,397)
 (3,102)
  $  549,626  $  447,698 

Computer software, including licenses and internally-developed software 
Furniture and equipment 
Leasehold improvements 
Total 
Accumulated depreciation and amortization 
Property and equipment, net 

December 31,  

2019 

  $   95,214 
 36,098 
 8,516 
    139,828 
    (75,602)
  $   64,226 

2018 
 $   75,528 
 36,147 
 8,102 
    119,777 
     (67,978)
 $   51,799 

We recorded depreciation and amortization expense for property and equipment of $12,057, $12,602, and $10,278 

in 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively. 

6.   LEASES 

The Company leases certain facilities from a related party, which is affiliated with the Company through common 

ownership. Included in the right-of-use asset as of December 31, 2019 was $4,689 and a corresponding lease liability of 

F-20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
     
     
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
     
 
 
  
   
 
  
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
$4,689 associated with related party leases. As of December 31, 2019, the Company had no leases that were classified as 
financing leases and there were no additional operating or financing leases that have not yet commenced. 

Lease Cost 
Capitalized operating lease cost 
Short-term lease cost 
Total lease cost 

Other Information 
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities and 
capitalized operating leases: 
Operating cash flows 

Weighted-average remaining lease term (in years): 

Capitalized operating leases 

Weighted-average discount rate: 
Capitalized operating leases 

Twelve months ended December 31, 2019 

Related Parties    Others 

Total 

$ 

$ 

 1,516 
 163 
 1,679 

$ 

$ 

 3,173 
 7 
 3,180 

$ 

$ 

 4,689 
 170 
 4,859 

$ 

 1,516 

$ 

 3,420 

$ 

 4,936 

 3.88 

 6.54 

 5.69 

3.92%  

3.92%  

3.92% 

As of December 31, 2019, future lease payments over the remaining term of capitalized operating leases were as 

follows: 

For the Years Ended December 31,  
2020 
2021 
2022 
2023 
2024 
2025 
Thereafter 

       Related Parties         Others          Total 
 1,385    $   3,382    $   4,767 
  $ 
 3,735 
 1,253      
 2,737 
 1,253      
 2,183 
 1,149      
 1,043 
 —   
 —   
 876 
 584 
 —   
 5,040    $  10,885    $  15,925 

 2,482      
 1,484      
 1,034      
 1,043   
 876   
 584   

  $ 

Imputed interest 
Lease liability balance at December 31, 2019 

     (1,279)
  $  14,646 

As of December 31, 2019, the ROU asset had a balance of $13,842. The long-term lease liability was $10,330 and 

the short-term lease liability, which is included in accrued expenses and other liabilities in the consolidated balance 
sheets, was $4,316. 

Future aggregate minimum annual lease payments as of December 31, 2018 reported in our 2018 Form 10-K under 

the previous lease accounting standard were as follows:  

For the Years Ended December 31,  
2020 
2021 
2022 
2023 
2024 and thereafter 

       Related Parties         Others          Total 
 1,407    $   3,386    $   4,793 
  $ 
 3,719 
 1,253        2,466      
 2,743 
 1,253        1,490      
 1,969 
 1,149      
 820      
 1,395 
 —   
 1,395   
 5,062    $   9,557    $  14,619 

  $ 

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7.   ACCRUED EXPENSES AND OTHER LIABILITIES 

Accrued expenses and other liabilities consisted of the following: 

Customer and vendor deposits 
Dividends payable 
Sales taxes 
Short-term lease liability 
Other 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities 

8.   BANK BORROWINGS 

December 31,  

2019 
  $  13,871   $ 
 8,427 
 9,374 
 4,316 
 9,244 

2018 
 8,880 
 8,453 
 7,632 
 — 
 8,875 
  $  45,232  $  33,840 

 The Company has a $50,000 credit facility collateralized by its account receivables that expires February 10, 2022. 
This facility can be increased, at the Company’s option, to $80,000 for permitted acquisitions or other uses authorized by 
the lender on substantially the same terms. Amounts outstanding under this facility bear interest at the one-month 
London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) (1.76% at December 31, 2019) , plus a spread based on our funded debt 
ratio, or in the absence of LIBOR, the prime rate (4.75% at December 31, 2019). The credit facility includes various 
customary financial ratios and operating covenants, including minimum net worth and maximum funded debt ratio 
requirements, and default acceleration provisions. The credit facility does not include restrictions on future dividend 
payments. Funded debt ratio is the ratio of average outstanding advances under the credit facility to Adjusted EBITDA 
(Earnings Before Interest Expense, Taxes, Depreciation, Amortization, and Special Charges). The maximum allowable 
funded debt ratio under the agreement is 2.0 to 1.0. Decreases in the Company’s consolidated Adjusted EBITDA could 
limit its potential borrowing capacity under the credit facility. The Company had no outstanding bank borrowings at 
December 31, 2019 or 2018, and accordingly, the entire $50,000 facility was available for borrowings under the credit 
facility. 

9.   STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY AND SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION 

Preferred Stock 

The Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Restated Certificate”) authorizes the 
issuance of up to 10,000 shares of preferred stock, $.01 par value per share (the “Preferred Stock”). Under the terms of 
the Restated Certificate, the Board is authorized, subject to any limitations prescribed by law, without stockholder 
approval, to issue by a unanimous vote such shares of Preferred Stock in one or more series. Each such series of 
Preferred Stock shall have such rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions, including voting rights, dividend rights, 
redemption privileges, and liquidation preferences, as shall be determined by the Board. There were no preferred shares 
outstanding at December 31, 2019 or 2018. 

Share Repurchase Authorization 

On December 17, 2018, the Company’s Board approved a new share repurchase program authorizing up to $25,000 
in additional share repurchases. There is no fixed termination date for this repurchase program. Purchases may be made 
in open-market transactions, block transactions on or off an exchange, or in privately negotiated transactions. The timing 
and amount of any share repurchases will be based on market conditions and other factors. 

In 2019, the Company repurchased 135 shares for $4,478 under Board-authorized repurchase programs. As of 
December 31, 2019, the Company has repurchased an aggregate of 2,351 shares for $32,086 under Board-authorized 
repurchase programs, and the maximum approximate dollar value of shares that may yet be purchased under the 
Company’s existing Board-authorized program is $22,914. 

F-22 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
    
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dividend Payments 

The following table summarizes the Company’s special cash dividends declared in the three years ended December 

31, 2019: 

Dividend per share 
Stockholder record date 
Total dividend 
Payment date 

  $ 

2019 
 0.32 

2018 
  $
 0.32 
    12/27/2019      12/28/2018      12/29/2017  
  $
 8,452 
    1/10/2020       1/11/2019       1/12/2018   

2017 
 0.34 

 9,122 

 8,427 

  $

  $ 

  $

The dividends paid in January 2020, 2019 and 2018 were included in accrued expenses and other liabilities at 

December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Company has no current plans to pay additional cash dividends on 
its common stock in the foreseeable future, and declaration of any future cash dividends will depend upon the 
Company’s financial position, strategic plans, and general business conditions. 

Equity Compensation Plan Descriptions 

In 2007, the Board adopted and the Company’s stockholders approved the 2007 Stock Incentive Plan. In 2010, the 
Board adopted and the stockholders approved the Amended and Restated 2007 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2007 Plan”), 
which, among other things, extended the term of the 2007 Plan to 2020. In May 2019, the Company’s stockholders 
approved an amendment to the 2007 Plan, which authorized the issuance of 1,900 shares of common stock. Under the 
terms of the 2007 Plan, the Company is authorized, for a ten-year period, to grant options, stock appreciation rights, 
nonvested stock, nonvested stock units, and other stock-based awards to employees, officers, directors, and consultants. 
As of December 31, 2019, there were 85  shares eligible for future grants under the 2007 Plan.  

1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan 

In November 1997, the Board adopted and the Company’s stockholders approved the 1997 Employee Stock 
Purchase Plan (the “Purchase Plan”). The Purchase Plan authorizes the issuance of common stock to participating 
employees. Under the Purchase Plan, as amended, employees are eligible to purchase company stock at 95% of the 
purchase price as of the last business day of each six-month offering period. An aggregate of 1,203 shares of common 
stock has been reserved for issuance under the Purchase Plan, of which 1,188 shares have been purchased. 

Accounting for Share-Based Compensation 

 The Company measures the grant date fair value of equity awards given to employees and recognize that cost, 
adjusted for forfeitures, over the period that services are performed. The Company values grants with multiple vesting 
periods as a single award, estimate expected forfeitures based upon historical patterns of employee turnover, and record 
share-based compensation as a component of SG&A expenses. In 2018 and in 2019, the Company granted nonvested 
stock units. No equity awards were granted in 2017. 

The following table summarizes the components of share-based compensation recorded as expense for the three 

years ended December 31, 2019: 

Pre-tax expense for nonvested units 
Tax benefit 
Net effect on net income 

      2019 
  $  1,863 
 (505)
  $  1,358 

2018 
 $   1,080 
 (293)
 787 

 $ 

      2017 

 $ 
 741 
     (297)
 444 
 $ 

In 2018 and in 2019, the Company issued nonvested stock units that settle in stock and vest over periods up to ten 
years. No awards were issued in 2017. Recipients of nonvested stock units do not possess stockholder rights. The fair 

F-23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
    
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
  
 
  
   
 
 
value of nonvested stock units is based on the end of day market value of our common stock on the grant date. The 
following table summarizes our nonvested stock unit activity in 2019: 

Nonvested at January 1, 2019 
Granted 
Vested 
Canceled 
Nonvested at December 31, 2019 

Nonvested Stock Units 

     Weighted-Average  

Shares 
 423  $ 
 153 
 (73)
 (30)
 473 

Grant Date 
Fair Value 

 23.16 
 42.06 
 21.73 
 27.71 
 29.20 

The weighted-average grant-date fair value of nonvested stock units granted in 2019 and 2018 was $42.06 and 
$24.90, respectively. No awards were granted in 2017. The total fair value of nonvested stock units that vested in 2019, 
2018, and 2017 was $3,476, $1,635, and $1,638, respectively. Unearned compensation cost related to the nonvested 
portion of outstanding nonvested stock units was $12,379 as of December 31, 2019, and is expected to be recognized 
over a weighted-average period of approximately 5.6 years. The aggregate intrinsic value of the nonvested stock units at 
December 31, 2019, which is calculated based on the positive difference between the fair value of the Company’s stock 
on December 31, 2019 and the grant price of the underlying awards, was $23,489. 

Stock Equivalent Units 

The Company has also issued stock equivalent units, (“SEUs”), which settle in cash and vest ratably over four years, 

to non-executive employees. The fair value of these liability awards is based on the closing market price of the 
Company’s common stock, and is remeasured at the end of each reporting period until the SEUs vest. The Company 
reports the compensation as a component of SG&A expense and the related liability as accrued payroll on the 
consolidated balance sheets. 

Units issued 
Compensation expense 

10.   INCOME TAXES 

The provision for income taxes consisted of the following:  

2019 

2018 

      2017 

 —    
  $  1,802  $  1,871 

 —    

 100 
 $ 1,429 

Years Ended December 31,  
2018 

2019 

2017 

Current: 
Federal 
State 
Total current 
Deferred: 
Federal 
State 
Total deferred 
Net provision 

  $   20,481 
 7,101 
    27,582 

 $  16,643 
 6,370 
    23,013 

 $  21,813  
 4,861  
    26,674  

 2,186 
 800 
 2,986 
  $   30,568 

 1,087 
 (28)
 1,059 
 $  24,072 

     (5,132)  
 1,226  
     (3,906)  
 $  22,768  

F-24 

 
 
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
    
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
     
     
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
    
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
   
 
  
   
   
 
  
   
 
The components of the deferred taxes at December 31, 2019 and 2018 are as follows: 

Deferred tax assets: 
Provisions for doubtful accounts 
Inventory costs capitalized for tax purposes 
Inventory valuation reserves 
Sales return reserves 
Deductible expenses, primarily employee-benefit related 
Accrued compensation 
Operating lease liability 
Other 
Compensation under non-statutory stock option agreements 
State tax loss carryforwards 
Federal benefit for uncertain state tax positions 

Total gross deferred tax assets 
Less: Valuation allowance 
Net deferred tax assets 

Deferred tax liabilities: 
Goodwill and other intangibles 
Property and equipment 
Right-of-use assets 
Prepaid expenses 

Total gross deferred tax liabilities 
Net deferred tax liability 

Current deferred tax assets 
Noncurrent deferred tax liability 
Net deferred tax liability 

2019 

2018 

  $ 

 581 
 134 
 253 
 134 
 177 
 2,448 
 3,858 
 1,503 
 143 
 1,091 
 — 
    10,322 
 (992)
 9,330 

$ 

 825 
 112 
 280 
 132 
 319 
 2,014 
 — 
 1,254 
 82 
 958 
 177 
 6,153 
 (839)
 5,314 

   (13,287)
 (12,482)
 (3,647)
 (84)
   (29,500)
  $  (20,170)

   (12,850)
 (9,548)
 — 
 (100)
   (22,498)
$  (17,184)

  $ 

 — 
   (20,170)
  $  (20,170)

$ 
 — 
   (17,184)
$  (17,184)

The Company has deferred tax assets from state net operating loss carryforwards aggregating $1,381 at December 

31, 2019 representing state tax benefits, net of federal taxes, of approximately $1,091. These loss carryforwards are 
subject to between five, fifteen, and twenty-year carryforward periods, with $4 expiring after 2020, $3 expiring after 
2021, $3 expiring after 2022, $3 expiring after 2023, $3 expiring after 2024, $1,292 expiring beyond 2024, and $73 with 
no expiration. The Company has provided valuation allowances of $992 and $839 at December 31, 2019 and 2018, 
respectively, against the state tax loss carryforwards, representing the portion of carryforward losses that the Company 
believes are not likely to be realized. The net change in the total valuation allowance reflects a $153, $94, and $260 
increase in 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively. The valuation allowance was increased in 2019, 2018, and 2017 to offset 
the corresponding increase to the deferred tax asset associated with state net operating loss carryforwards. 

A reconciliation of the Company’s 2019, 2018, and 2017 income tax provision to total income taxes at the statutory 

federal tax rate is as follows: 

Federal income taxes, at statutory tax rate  
State income taxes, net of federal benefit 
Nondeductible expenses 
Remeasurement of net deferred tax balances 
Other, net 
Income tax provision 

2017 

2019 
2018 
 23,663  $  18,619  $  27,169   
 3,843   
 5,157 
 6,977 
 (113)  
 454 
 651 
 (7,815)  
 — 
 — 
 (316)  
 (158) 
 (723) 
 30,568  $  24,072  $  22,768   

  $ 

  $ 

F-25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
     
  
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
   
  
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
    
    
  
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
 
On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted comprehensive tax legislation (the “Tax Act”), which 
significantly revises the ongoing U.S. corporate income tax law by lowering the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate 
from 35.0% to 21.0%, and setting limitations on deductibility of certain costs. This rate reduction, which took effect on 
January 1, 2018, required the revaluation of the Company’s net deferred tax liability. The revaluation resulted in the 
recording of an income tax benefit of $7.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2017. 

The Company files one consolidated U.S. Federal income tax return that includes all of its subsidiaries as well as 
several consolidated, combined, and separate company returns in many U.S. state tax jurisdictions. The tax years 2015-
2018 remain open to examination by the major state taxing jurisdictions in which the Company files. The tax years 
2016-2018 remain open to examination by the Internal Revenue Service. 

A reconciliation of unrecognized tax benefits for 2019, 2018, and 2017, is as follows: 

Balance at January 1, 
Additions on tax positions of prior years 
Lapses of applicable statute of limitations 
Settlements 
Balance at December 31,  

2019 

2018 

2017 

  $ 

  $ 

 368 
 — 
 (368)
 — 
 — 

$ 

$ 

 368 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 368 

$ 

$ 

 684 
 — 
 (159)
 (157)
 368 

The unrecognized tax benefits decreased by $368 related to the expiration of various state statute of limitation 

periods. 

Previously, the Company recognized interest and penalties related to unrecognized income tax benefits as a 
component of income tax expense, and the corresponding accrual was included as a component of our liability for 
unrecognized income tax benefits. At December 31, 2018 and 2017, accrued interest aggregated $481 and accrued 
penalties aggregated $93. The Company did not recognize any interest and penalties during the years ended December 
31, 2019, 2018 or 2017. 

11.   EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN 

The Company has a contributory profit-sharing and employee savings plan covering all qualified employees. No 
contributions to the profit-sharing element of the plan were made by the Company in 2019, 2018, or 2017. The Company 
made matching contributions to the employee savings element of such plan of $2,778, $2,538, and $2,396  in 2019, 
2018, and 2017, respectively. 

12.   COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES 

Contingencies 

The Company is subject to various legal proceedings and claims, including patent infringement claims, which have 

arisen during the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, the outcome of such matters is not expected 
to have a material effect on our business, financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. 

The Company records a liability when its believes that a loss is both probable and reasonably estimable. On a 
quarterly basis, the Company reviews each of these legal proceedings to determine whether it is probable, reasonably 
possible, or remote that a liability has been incurred and, if it is at least reasonably possible, whether a range of loss can 
be reasonably estimated. Significant judgment is required to determine both the likelihood of there being a loss and the 
estimated amount of such loss. Until the final resolution of such matters, there may be an exposure to loss in excess of 
the amount recorded, and such amounts could be material. The Company expenses legal fees in the period in which they 
are incurred. 

F-26 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
     
     
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Company is subject to audits by states on sales and income taxes, employment matters, and other assessments. 

Additional liabilities for these and other audits could be assessed, and such outcomes could have a material negative 
impact on our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. 

13.   SEGMENT AND RELATED DISCLOSURES 

The internal reporting structure used by the Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) to assess 

performance and allocate resources determines the basis for our reportable operating segments. The Company’s CODM 
is its Chief Executive Officer, and he evaluates operations and allocates resources based on a measure of operating 
income. 

The Company’s operations are organized under three reporting segments—the Business Solutions segment, which 

serves primarily small- and medium-sized businesses; the Enterprise Solutions segment, which serves primarily 
medium-to-large corporations; and the Public Sector Solutions segment, which serves primarily federal, state, and local 
government and educational institutions. In addition, the Headquarters/Other group provides services in areas such as 
finance, human resources, information technology, marketing, and product management. Most of the operating costs 
associated with the Headquarters/Other group functions are charged to the operating segments based on their estimated 
usage of the underlying functions. The Company reports these charges to the operating segments as “Allocations.” 
Certain headquarters costs relating to executive oversight and other fiduciary functions that are not allocated to the 
operating segments are included under the heading of Headquarters/Other in the tables below. 

F-27 

 
 
 
 
 
Net sales presented below exclude inter-segment product revenues. Segment information applicable to the 
Company’s reportable operating segments for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017 is shown below:  

Net sales: 
Business Solutions 
Enterprise Solutions 
Public Sector Solutions 

Total net sales 

Operating income (loss): 
Business Solutions 
Enterprise Solutions 
Public Sector Solutions 
Headquarters/Other 

Total operating income 

Other income, net 

Income before taxes 

Selected operating expense: 
Depreciation and amortization:  
Business Solutions 
Enterprise Solutions 
Public Sector Solutions 
Headquarters/Other 

Total depreciation and amortization 

Total assets:  
Business Solutions 
Enterprise Solutions 
Public Sector Solutions 
Headquarters/Other 
Total assets 

Years Ended December 31,  
2018 

2017 

2019 

 $  1,060,049   $   1,027,918   $  1,158,639 
    1,131,823 
     1,193,820  
 621,421 
 566,165  
 $  2,820,034   $   2,699,489   $  2,911,883 

 1,165,142  
 506,429  

 $ 

 $ 

 $ 

 $ 

 $ 

 $ 

 52,557   $ 
 67,837  
 7,319  
 (15,741) 
 111,972  
 707  
 112,679   $ 

 40,188   $ 
 61,663  
 (2,260) 
 (13,905) 
 85,686  
 2,978  
 88,664   $ 

 40,425 
 50,163 
 953 
 (14,014)
 77,527 
 98 
 77,625 

 596   $ 

 2,474  
 89  
 10,155  
 13,314   $ 

 632   $ 

 2,318  
 112  
 11,001  
 14,063   $ 

 592 
 2,163 
 159 
 8,925 
 11,839 

 308,522 
 548,666 
 91,826 
 (11,679)
 937,335 

 $ 

 $ 

 274,202 
 477,296 
 66,000 
 (12,143)
 805,355 

The assets of the Company’s operating segments presented above consist primarily of accounts receivable, net 
intercompany receivable, goodwill, and other intangibles. Goodwill of $66,236 and $7,366 is held by the Enterprise 
Solutions and Business Solutions segments, respectively, as of December 31, 2019. Assets reported under the 
Headquarters/Other group are managed by corporate headquarters, including cash, inventory, property and equipment 
and intercompany balance, net. Total assets for the Headquarters/Other group are presented net of intercompany 
balances eliminations of $39,813 and $19,019 for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The 
Company’s capital expenditures consist largely of IT hardware and software purchased to maintain or upgrade its 
management information systems. These systems serve all of the Company’s subsidiaries, to varying degrees, and as a 
result, the CODM does not evaluate capital expenditures on a segment basis. 

Substantially, all of the Company’s sales in 2019, 2018, and 2017 were made to customers located in the United 
States. Shipments to customers located in foreign countries were not more than 2% of total net sales in 2019, 2018, and 
2017. All of the Company’s assets at December 31, 2019 and 2018 were located in the United States. The Company’s 
primary target customers are SMBs, medium-to-large corporate accounts, and federal, state, and local government 
agencies, educational institutions, and medium-to-large corporate accounts. No single customer accounted for more than 
4% of total net sales in 2019, 2018, or 2017. While no single agency of the federal government comprised more than 3% 
of total sales, aggregate sales to the federal government were 6.9%, 5.4%, and 7.8% in 2019, 2018, and 2017, 
respectively. 

F-28 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
     
    
 
    
 
   
 
   
  
   
  
  
    
 
   
 
   
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
    
 
   
 
   
    
 
   
 
   
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
14.    QUARTERLY FINANCIAL RESULTS (UNAUDITED) 

The following table sets forth certain unaudited quarterly data of the Company for each of the calendar quarters in 

2019 and 2018. This information has been prepared on the same basis as the annual financial statements, and all 
necessary adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, have been included in the amounts stated below 
to present fairly the selected quarterly information when read in conjunction with the annual financial statements and the 
notes thereto included elsewhere in this document. The quarterly operating results are not necessarily indicative of future 
results of operations.  

Net sales 
Cost of sales 
Gross profit 
Selling, general and administrative expenses 
Restructuring and other charges 
Income from operations 
Other income, net 
Income before taxes 
Income tax provision 
Net income  
Earnings per common share: 
Basic 
Diluted 
Weighted average common shares outstanding: 
Basic 
Diluted 

Net sales 
Cost of sales 
Gross profit 
Selling, general and administrative expenses 
Restructuring and other charges 
Income from operations 
Interest income, net 
Income before taxes 
Income tax provision 
Net income  
Earnings per common share: 
Basic 
Diluted 
Weighted average common shares outstanding: 
Basic 
Diluted 

     March 31,         June 30,  

    September 30,       December 31,   

Quarters Ended 

2019 

2019 

  $  632,921 
   533,574 
 99,347 
 81,235 
 703 
 17,409 
 198 
 17,607 
 (4,880)
  $   12,727 

 $  741,076  $ 
    624,089 
    116,987 
 84,664 
 — 
 32,323 
 184 
 32,507 
 (8,839) 
 $   23,668  $ 

2019 
 729,410 
 610,547 
 118,863 
 86,226 
 — 
 32,637 
 62 
 32,699 
 (8,949)
 23,750 

  $ 
  $ 

 0.48 
 0.48 

 $ 
 $ 

 0.90  $ 
 0.89  $ 

 0.90 
 0.90 

2019 
 716,627 
 600,514 
 116,113 
 86,510 
 — 
 29,603 
 263 
 29,866 
 (7,900)
 21,966 

 0.84 
 0.83 

 $ 

 $ 

 $ 
 $ 

 26,359 
 26,525 

 26,337 
 26,494 

 26,323 
 26,479 

 26,322 
 26,523 

     March 31,        June 30,  

     September 30,       December 31,   

Quarters Ended 

2018 

2018 

  $  624,895  $  706,570 
   599,102 
   107,468 
 82,521 
 — 
 24,947 
 182 
 25,129 
 (6,903)
  $   11,300  $   18,226 

   528,523 
 96,372 
 80,900 
 — 
 15,472 
 116 
 15,588 
 (4,288)

  $ 
  $ 

 0.42  $ 
 0.42  $ 

 0.68 
 0.68 

 $ 

 $ 

 $ 
 $ 

2018 
 658,504 
 558,060 
 100,444 
 81,494 
 — 
 18,950 
 114 
 19,064 
 (5,298)
 13,766 

2018 
 $   709,520 
 602,718 
 106,802 
 79,518 
 967 
 26,317 
 2,566 
 28,883 
 (7,583)
 21,300 

 $ 

 0.52 
 0.51 

 $ 
 $ 

 0.80 
 0.80 

 26,835 
 26,916 

 26,685 
 26,820 

 26,716 
 26,902 

 26,632 
 26,766 

F-29 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
 
  
  
   
 
  
   
  
   
 
 
 
 
  
   
  
   
 
  
   
  
   
 
  
   
  
   
 
  
   
  
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
  
   
 
  
   
  
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
  
   
   
 
  
  
   
   
 
 
 
 
  
  
   
   
 
  
  
   
   
 
  
  
   
   
 
  
  
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
   
   
 
  
  
   
   
 
 
 
PC CONNECTION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

SCHEDULE II—VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS 
(amounts in thousands) 

Description 
Allowance for Sales Returns 
Year Ended December 31, 2017 
Year Ended December 31, 2018 
Year Ended December 31, 2019 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts 
Year Ended December 31, 2017 
Year Ended December 31, 2018 
Year Ended December 31, 2019 

    Balance at     Charged to    
  Beginning    Costs and 
  Expenses 
  of Period 

  Deductions/
  Write-Offs 

     Balance at   
  End of 
Period 

$ 
$ 
$ 

$ 
$ 
$ 

 3,709 
 3,308 
 3,397 

 32,399 
 28,504 
 27,943 

   (32,800) $ 
   (28,415) $ 
   (27,874) $ 

 3,308 
 3,397 
 3,466 

 2,310 
 2,726 
 3,102 

 1,658 
 1,680 
 25 

 (1,242) $ 
 (1,304) $ 
 (925) $ 

 2,726 
 3,102 
 2,202 

S-1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Description of Securities Registered Under Section 12 of the Exchange Act 

Exhibit 4.2 

Description of Common Stock 

General 

The Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Restated Certificate”) of PC Connection, Inc. (the “Company,” “us,” 
“we,” or “our”), as amended, authorizes the issuance of up to 100,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share 
(“Common Stock”), and up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Preferred Stock”). Our Common 
Stock is registered under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. 

Voting Rights 

Holders of Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders and do not 
have cumulative voting rights. Accordingly, holders of a majority of the shares of Common Stock entitled to vote in any election of 
directors may elect all of the directors standing for election. 

Dividends 

Holders of Common Stock are entitled to receive ratably such dividends, if any, as may be declared by our Board of Directors (the 
“Board”) out of funds legally available therefore, subject to any preferential dividend rights of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock. 

Rights Upon Liquidation 

Upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, the holders of Common Stock are entitled to receive ratably the net 
assets of the Company available after the payment of all debts and other liabilities and subject to the prior rights of any outstanding 
shares of Preferred Stock. 

Other Rights 

Holders of Common Stock have no preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights. There are no sinking fund provisions 
applicable to shares of our Common Stock. The outstanding shares of Common Stock are fully paid and nonassessable. 

Preferred Stock 

Under the terms of the Restated Certificate, the Board is authorized, subject to any limitations prescribed by law, without stockholder 
approval, to issue by a unanimous vote shares of Preferred Stock in one or more series. Each such series of Preferred Stock shall have 
such rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions, including voting rights, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges 
and liquidation preferences, as shall be determined by the Board. 

The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of Common Stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the 
holders of shares of any series of Preferred Stock which the Company may designate and issue in the future. In addition, the issuance 
of Preferred Stock could impede the completion of a merger, tender offer or other takeover attempt. 

 
 
 
Other Provisions of Our Restated Certificate and Bylaws and the General Corporation Law of Delaware 

Board Vacancies 

Under the Restated Certificate, any vacancy on the Board, however occurring, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of 
the Board, may be filled by vote of a majority of the directors then in office. 

Special Meetings 

Our Amended and Restated Bylaws (the “Bylaws”) provide that special meetings of the stockholders may only be called by the 
Chairman of the Board (or, if there is no Chairman of the Board, the Vice Chairman of the Board), the Board or the holders of shares 
representing at least forty percent of all the shares of our capital stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at such meeting. 

Bylaw Amendments 

Our Bylaws provide that the Bylaws may be amended by the unanimous vote of the Board or by the affirmative vote of the holders of 
a majority of the shares of our capital stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at a stockholder meeting. 

Advance Notice Provisions 

Under our Bylaws, in order for any matter to be considered “properly brought” before a stockholder meeting, stockholders must 
comply with certain requirements regarding advance notice to the Company unless such stockholders hold at least forty percent of all 
the shares of our capital stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote with respect to such matter. 

Action by Written Consent 

Under the General Corporation Law of Delaware and our Bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of 
the Company at a properly brought meeting may be taken by the written consent in lieu of a meeting executed by holders having 
sufficient shares to approve such action. 

Director Liability 

The Restated Certificate contains certain provisions permitted under the General Corporation Law of Delaware relating to the liability 
of directors. The provisions eliminate a director's liability for monetary damages for a breach of fiduciary duty, except in certain 
circumstances involving wrongful acts, such as the breach of a director’s duty of loyalty or acts or omissions which involve intentional 
misconduct or a knowing violation of law. Further, the Restated Certificate contains provisions to indemnify our directors and officers 
to the fullest extent permitted by the General Corporation Law of Delaware. 

Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware 

We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware. Section 203 prohibits a publicly-held 
Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years after the 
date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a 
prescribed manner. A “business combination” includes mergers, asset sales and other transactions resulting in a financial benefit to the 
interested stockholder. Subject to certain exceptions, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and 
associates, owns, or within three years did own, 15% or more of the Company’s voting stock. 

 
CORPORATE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE:  

PC Connection, Inc., a Delaware corporation, is the parent company of the following wholly-owned subsidiaries:  

EXHIBIT 21.1 

1.  PC Connection Sales Corporation, a Delaware corporation.  

2.  GovConnection, Inc., a Maryland corporation.  

3. 

 MoreDirect, Inc., a Florida corporation. 

4. 

 GlobalServe, Inc., a Delaware corporation. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM  

We consent to the incorporation by reference in Registration Statement Nos. 333-209915, 333-194458, 333-187061, 
333-179797, 333-166645, 333-144065, 333-161172, 333-130389, 333-179796, 333-202642, 333-223688, and 333-
231824 on Form S-8 of our reports dated February 6, 2020, relating to the financial statements and financial statement 
schedule of PC Connection, Inc. and subsidiaries (which report expresses an unqualified opinion), and the effectiveness 
of PC Connection Inc. and subsidiaries internal control over financial reporting, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 
10-K of PC Connection, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2019.  

Exhibit 23.1 

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP  

Boston, Massachusetts  
February 6, 2020 

 
 
 
 
  
 
Exhibit 31.1 

I, Timothy J. McGrath, certify that:  

CERTIFICATIONS 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of PC Connection, Inc.;  

Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state 
a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such 
statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;  

Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, 
fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows of the 
registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;  

The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure 
controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control 
over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and 
have:  

a)  Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures 

to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, 
including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, 
particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;  

b)  Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial 
reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the 
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in 
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;  

c) 

Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in 
this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of 
the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and  

d)  Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that 

occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the 
case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the 
registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and  

5. 

The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal 
control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board 
of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):  

a)  All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control 
over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to 
record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and  

b)  Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a 

significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.  

Date: February 6, 2020 

/S/ TIMOTHY J. MCGRATH 
Timothy J. McGrath 
President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I, Thomas C. Baker, certify that:  

CERTIFICATIONS 

Exhibit 31.2 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of PC Connection, Inc.;  

Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state 
a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such 
statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;  

Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, 
fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows of the 
registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;  

The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure 
controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control 
over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and 
have:  

a) 

b) 

c) 

d) 

Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures 
to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, 
including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, 
particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;  

Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial 
reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the 
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in 
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;  

Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in 
this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of 
the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and  

Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that 
occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the 
case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the 
registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and  

5. 

The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal 
control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board 
of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):  

a) 

b) 

All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control 
over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to 
record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and  

Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a 
significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.  

Date: February 6, 2020 

/S/ THOMAS C. BAKER 
Thomas C. Baker 
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer (Principal 
Financial and Accounting Officer) 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,  

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO  

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002  

Exhibit 32.1  

In connection with the annual report on Form 10-K of PC Connection, Inc. (the “Company”) for the year ended 

December 31, 2019 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), the 
undersigned, Timothy J. McGrath, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, hereby certifies, pursuant to 
18 U.S.C. Section 1350, that to the best of his knowledge:  

(1) the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 

1934; and  

(2) the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and 

results of operations of the Company.  

Date: February 6, 2020 

/S/ TIMOTHY J. MCGRATH 
Timothy J. McGrath 
President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,  

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO  

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002  

Exhibit 32.2  

In connection with the annual report on Form 10-K of PC Connection, Inc. (the “Company”) for the year ended 

December 31, 2019 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), the 
undersigned, Thomas C. Baker, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, hereby certifies, 
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, that to the best of his knowledge:  

(1) the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 

1934; and  

(2) the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and 

results of operations of the Company.  

Date: February 6, 2020 

/S/ THOMAS C. BAKER 
Thomas C. Baker 
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer (Principal 
Financial and Accounting Officer) 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Shareholder Information

The Investor Relations Department is responsible for shareholder communications and welcomes 

shareholder inquiries about PC Connection, Inc. either by telephone or in writing. The Annual 

Report filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as well as general information 

can be obtained upon written request to the address below or by visiting the PC Connection 

website at www.connection.com:

Investor Relations 

PC Connection, Inc. 

730 Milford Road  
Merrimack, NH 03054-4631 
(603) 683-2505 

American Stock Transfer &  

Trust Company, LLC 

6201 15th Avenue 

Brooklyn, NY 11219 

(800) 937-5449

In the early 1980s, the Connection raccoon mascot made his (official) debut 

in computer magazines everywhere. The raccoon symbolized adaptability, 

innovativeness, and tenacity—traits that underlie Connection’s remarkable 

success. Today, Connection is one of the nation’s largest and most respected 

providers of a full range of information technology solutions to business, 

government, healthcare, and education markets.

©2020 PC Connection, Inc.  All rights reserved. Connection, PC Connection, GovConnection,  

MacConnection, MoreDirect, GlobalServe and the raccoon characters are trademarks of 

PC Connection, Inc. or its subsidiaries.  

This  Annual  Report  contains  forward-looking  statements  as  that  term  is  defined  in  the  Private 
Securities  Litigation  Reform  Act  of  1995.    When  used  in  this  Annual  Report,  the  words  “should,” 
“will,”  “expects,”  “anticipates,”  “believe,”  “predict,”  and  similar  expressions  are  intended  to  identify 
such  forward-looking  statements.    Such  forward-looking  statements  are  subject  to  risks  and 
uncertainties,  which  could  cause  actual  results  to  differ  materially  from  those  anticipated.    Such 
risks  and  uncertainties  include,  but  are  not  limited  to,  the  Company’s  future  capital  needs  and 
resources,  fluctuations  in  customer  demand,  intensity  of  competition  from  other  vendors,  timing 
and  acceptance  of  new  product  introductions,  delays  or  difficulties  in  programs  designed  to 
increase  sales  and  profitability,  general  economic  and  industry  conditions,  and  other  risks  set 
forth  in  the  Company’s  filings  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission,  and  the  information 
set  forth  herein  should  be  read  in  light  of  such  risks.    In  addition,  any  forward-looking  statements 
represent the Company’s estimates only as of the date of this Annual Report and should not be relied  
upon as representing the Company’s estimates as of any subsequent date. While the Company may 
elect  to  update  forward-looking  statements  at  some  point  in  the  future,  the  Company  specifically 
disclaims any obligation to do so, even if its estimates change.

 
 
 
 
 
CORPORATE OFFICES
CORPORATE OFFICES

PC Connection, Inc.
PC Connection, Inc.
Corporate Headquarters
Corporate Headquarters
730 Milford Road
730 Milford Road
Merrimack, NH  03054
Merrimack, NH  03054

Connection® 
Connection® 
Business Solutions
Business Solutions
730 Milford Road
730 Milford Road
Merrimack, NH  03054
Merrimack, NH  03054

Connection® 
Connection® 
Public Sector Solutions
Public Sector Solutions
7503 Standish Place
7503 Standish Place
Rockville, MD  20855
Rockville, MD  20855

Connection®
Connection®
Enterprise Solutions
Enterprise Solutions
Suite 200
Suite 200
1001 Yamato Road
1001 Yamato Road
Boca Raton, FL 33431
Boca Raton, FL 33431

GlobalServe
A Connection® Company  
440 Sylvan Avenue, Suite 260
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632

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