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Systemax Inc.

syx · NYSE Industrials
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Ticker syx
Exchange NYSE
Sector Industrials
Industry Industrial - Distribution
Employees 1001-5000
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FY2012 Annual Report · Systemax Inc.
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Proxy Statement and 
2012 Annual Report to Stockholders

Dear Fellow Stockholders,

During  2012  we  made  important  progress  toward  strengthening  our  business  and  supporting  our  long-term
performance. While our financial results for the year were disappointing due to weakness in our North American
technology business, we executed on key strategic initiatives and proactively managed our strong balance sheet.
We increased our cash position and, in December, returned approximately $9 million to our shareholders through
a special $0.25 per share cash dividend.

Key  initiatives  undertaken  this  past  year  included  consolidating  our  U.S.  consumer  technology  brands  under
TigerDirect, exiting our private label personal computer manufacturing business, opening a new distribution center
for the Industrial Products Group (IPG) and realigning our European operations, including establishing our new
shared services center in Hungary. These actions will help us optimize our business, sharpen our operational focus
and capitalize on the growth opportunities we see in Europe and our IPG business.

IPG delivered an outstanding year and led the way for our business-to-business (B2B) operations, posting its third
consecutive  year  with  more  than  25%  organic  revenue  growth.  Since  2009,  we  have  doubled  the  size  of  this
business in both revenue and profitability as we gained market share in core categories and significantly expanded
our products and category offerings. IPG’s SKU count increased approximately 38% in 2012 and we continue to
make operational adjustments to fully capitalize on the capabilities of our new distribution center. Our outlook for
IPG remains strong and we are focused on aggressively driving the growth of this business in the year ahead.

In Europe, our B2B technology business had another solid year driven by our two largest markets, the UK and
France, which generated double digit revenue increases as we continued to gain market share and attracted new
customers in both markets. We have made a number of investments in this business as we position ourselves to
better  capitalize  on  the  opportunities  we  see  in  our  existing  markets  and  the  region  overall.  We  built  out  our
European  team  to  support  our  growth  and  pursue  a  broader  and  more  cohesive  pan-European  strategy,  which
includes  the  opening  of  our  European  shared  services  center  in  Budapest,  Hungary  later  this  spring.  This  new
leased facility, our first in Central Europe, will drive operational efficiencies, support our continued growth and
eventually serve as the hub of our Central European sales and marketing operations.

In our North American technology business, which is comprised of both B2B and consumer operations, the year
was  challenging.  Our  B2B  operations  softened  after  a  solid  first  half  of  the  year,  reflecting  a  tepid  personal
computer  market.  We  are  focused  on  the  future  and  our  management  team  is  committed  to  improving  our
performance.  We  continue  to  make  investments  in  our  sales  teams  and  leverage  our  strong  position  within  our
small and medium business customer target market.

On the North American consumer front, buying patterns remained challenged throughout the year. Maturation of
categories like televisions, consumer migration away from traditional PCs, and a highly competitive and disruptive
pricing  environment  are  all  contributing  to  difficult  market  conditions.  We  are  focusing  on  improving  the
operational performance of this business and strengthening our competitive position. We have recently placed our
North American Technology business under the leadership of Robert Leeds, the founding Chief Executive Officer
of  our  Technology  Products  business  and  the  current  Vice  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Directors.  He  will  work
closely  with  Systemax  Vice  Chairman  Bruce  Leeds  and  myself  as  we  seek  to  restore  performance  in  our  web
business, prudently manage our retail store footprint, and diversify our vendor and category offerings in the TV
shopping channel.

Beyond the important strategic and operational initiatives in North American Technology, we are working across
the company to drive better top and bottom line results. A thorough review of our businesses from a strategic and
operating perspective is ongoing, and we will make additional investments to strengthen our position in order to
build upon our successes and drive future growth.

We believe we have a strong company, diverse both in product lines and geographic footprint. With ongoing efforts
to optimize our performance, we will become even stronger. We enjoy good market positions in our businesses, an
attractively  growing  B2B  operation  and  a  healthy  balance  sheet  –  these  help  comprise  a  solid  foundation  upon
which  to  build.  I  would  like  to  thank  all  of  our  shareholders  for  their  support,  and  our  employees  for  their
dedication and commitment.

Sincerely,

Richard Leeds
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
April 29, 2013

TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY
PLEASE SEND A WRITTEN REQUEST TO:

CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS:
Systemax Inc.
11 Harbor Park Drive
Port Washington, NY 11050
516-608-7000 ext. 7181
Email: investinfo@systemax.com
Web Site: http://www.systemax.com

INVESTOR RELATIONS:
Brainerd Communicators, Inc.
1370 Broadway, 14th Floor
New York, NY 10018
Attention: Mike Smargiassi
(212) 986-6667
Email: smarg@braincomm.com
Website: http://www.braincomm.com

TRANSFER AGENT:
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company LLC
6201 15th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11219
Phone: 718-921-8124
Email: info@amstock.com
Web Site: http://www.amstock.com

SEND CERTIFICATES FOR TRANSFER AND ADDRESS CHANGES TO:
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company LLC
6201 15th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11219

STOCK EXCHANGE:
The Company’s shares are traded on the
New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SYX.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Copies of the Company’s 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K, Proxy Statement for the 2013 Annual Meeting,
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission are available online at www.systemax.com or to stockholders without charge upon written request
to the Company’s address listed above, Attention: Investor Relations. In addition, on the Corporate Governance
page of the Company’s website, www.systemax.com, stockholders can view the Company’s Corporate Ethics
Policy, Audit  Committee  Charter,  Compensation  Committee  Charter,    Nominating/Corporate  Governance
Committee Charter and Corporate Governance Guidelines and Principles.

Systemax  Inc.  (www.systemax.com),  a  Fortune  1000  company,  sells  personal  computers,  computer
components and supplies, consumer electronics and industrial products through a system of branded
e-Commerce websites, retail stores, relationship marketers and direct mail catalogs in North America
and Europe. The primary brands are TigerDirect, Global Industrial, MISCO and inmac wstore.

UNITED STATES 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON, DC 20549 

SCHEDULE 14A 

(RULE 14a-101) 

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION 

Proxy Statement pursuant to Section 14(a) of the 
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 

Filed by the Registrant [X] 
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant [_] 

Check the appropriate box: 
[_]  Preliminary Proxy Statement 
[_]  Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) 
[X]  Definitive Proxy Statement 
[_]  Definitive Additional Materials 
[_]  Soliciting Material under Rule 14a-12 

Systemax Inc. 
(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter) 

________________ 
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant) 

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box): 
[X]  No fee required 
[_]  Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11 

Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies 
(1) 
___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: 
(2) 

___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
(3) 

Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed 
pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which 
the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined): 

___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: 
(4) 

___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
(5) 

Total fee paid: 

[_]  Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. 

[  ]  Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing 
for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, 
or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing. 

Amount Previously Paid: 

(1) 
___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
(2) 

Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: 

___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
(3) 

Filing Party: 

___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
(4) 

Date Filed: 

 
 
 
Systemax Inc. 
11 Harbor Park Drive 
Port Washington, New York 11050 

April 30, 2013 

Dear Stockholders: 

You  are  cordially  invited  to  attend  the  2013  Annual  Meeting  of  Stockholders  of  Systemax  Inc.  (the 
“Company”)  which  will  be  held  at  the  Company’s  corporate  offices,  located  at  11  Harbor  Park  Drive,  Port 
Washington, New York at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, June 10, 2013.  I look forward to greeting those stockholders who 
are able to attend.  On the following pages you will find the formal Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement. 

For  the  Annual  Meeting,  we  are  pleased  to  use  the  “Notice  Only”  rule  adopted  by  the  Securities  and 
Exchange  Commission  to  furnish  proxy  materials  to  stockholders  over  the  Internet.    We  believe  this  process  will 
provide you with an efficient and quick way to access your proxy materials and vote your shares, while allowing us 
to reduce the environmental impact and the costs of printing and distributing the proxy materials.  On or about April 
30, 2013, we mailed to most stockholders only a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials that tells them 
how to access and review information contained in the proxy materials and our annual report for fiscal year 2012 
and vote electronically over the Internet.  If you received only the Notice in the mail, you will not receive a printed 
copy of the proxy materials in the mail unless you request the materials by following the instructions included in the 
Notice. 

At the Annual Meeting, you will be asked to: (1) elect seven Directors; and (2) ratify the appointment of 
Ernst  &  Young  LLP  as  the  Company’s  auditors  for  the  fiscal  year  ending  December  31,  2013.    Your  Board  of 
Directors  recommends  that  you  vote  your  shares  “FOR”  proposals  (1)  and  (2).    These  proposals  are  more  fully 
described in the accompanying proxy statement. 

Whether or not you plan to attend the meeting in person, it is important that your shares be represented and 
voted at the Annual Meeting.  Accordingly, please vote your shares over the internet at www.proxyvote.com or by 
telephone at (800) 690-6903 until 11:59 PM (EDT) on June 9, 2013, or if you received a paper proxy card, date, sign 
and  return  the  proxy  card  as  soon  as  possible  in  the  envelope  provided  or  to  the  address  set  forth  in  the  voting 
instructions therein.  Your cooperation will ensure that your shares are voted. 

If your shares are held in “street name” in a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee, 
you  must  provide  your  broker  with  instructions  on  how  to vote  your  shares  in  order  for  your  shares  to  be 
voted on important matters presented at the Annual Meeting.  If you do not instruct your broker on how to 
vote in the election of directors and on compensation matters, your shares will not be voted on these matters. 

I hope that you will attend the Annual Meeting, and I look forward to seeing you there. 

Sincerely, 
RICHARD LEEDS 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 

2 

 
Systemax Inc. 
11 Harbor Park Drive 
Port Washington, New York 11050 

____________ 

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS 
To Be Held On June 10, 2013 

Dear Stockholders: 

The  2013  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Stockholders  of  Systemax  Inc.  (the  “Company”)  will  be  held  at  the 
Company’s offices, 11 Harbor Park Drive, Port Washington, New York, on Monday June 10, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. for 
the following purposes, as more fully described in the accompanying proxy statement: 

1.  To elect the Company’s Board of Directors; 
2.  To consider and vote upon a proposal to ratify the appointment of Ernst & 

Young LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accountants; and 
3.  To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting and 

any and all adjournments or postponements thereof. 

The  Board  of  Directors  has  fixed  the  close  of  business  on  April  15,  2013  as  the  record  date  for  the 
determination  of  the  stockholders  entitled  to  notice  of  and  to  vote  at  the  meeting  and  at  any  adjournment  or 
postponement thereof. 

Stockholders are invited to attend the meeting.  Whether or not you expect to attend, we urge you to vote 
your  shares.    YOU  CAN  VOTE  YOUR  SHARES  OVER  THE  INTERNET  AT  www.proxyvote.com  OR  BY 
TELEPHONE AT (800) 690-6903 UNTIL 11:59 PM (EDT) ON JUNE 9, 2013. IF YOU RECEIVED  A PAPER 
PROXY CARD BY MAIL, YOU MAY ALSO VOTE BY SIGNING, DATING, AND RETURNING THE PROXY 
CARD  IN  THE  ENVELOPE  PROVIDED  OR  TO  THE  ADDRESS  SET  FORTH  IN  THE  VOTING 
INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED THEREIN. If you attend the meeting, you may vote your shares in person, which 
will revoke any previously executed proxy. 

If your shares are held of record by a broker, bank or other nominee and you wish to attend the meeting you 
must obtain a letter from the broker, bank or other nominee confirming your beneficial ownership of the shares and 
bring it to the meeting.  In order to vote your shares at the meeting, you must obtain from the record holder a proxy 
issued in your name. 

Regardless of how many shares you own, your vote is very important.  PLEASE VOTE YOUR SHARES 
OVER THE INTERNET OR BY TELEPHONE OR IF YOU RECEIVED A PAPER PROXY CARD BY MAIL, 
SIGN, DATE, AND RETURN THE PROXY CARD IN THE ENVELOPE PROVIDED TODAY. 

Sincerely, 

ERIC LERNER 
Senior Vice President and General Counsel 

Port Washington, New York 
April 30, 2013 

3 

 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE  ANNUAL 
MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON JUNE 10, 2013....................................................................... 5 
Voting Procedures ........................................................................................................................................... 6 
PROPOSAL NO. 1 ELECTION OF DIRECTORS ...................................................................................................... 9 
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE ................................................................................................................................. 11 
Independence of Directors ............................................................................................................................. 11 
Meetings of Non-Management Directors ...................................................................................................... 11 
Corporate Governance Guidelines ................................................................................................................ 11 
Corporate Ethics Policy ................................................................................................................................. 12 
Communications with Directors .................................................................................................................... 12 
Director Attendance at Annual Meetings ...................................................................................................... 12 
Board Meetings ............................................................................................................................................. 12 
Committees of the Board ............................................................................................................................... 13 
Board Leadership Structure ........................................................................................................................... 15 
Risk Oversight ............................................................................................................................................... 16 
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE* ............................................................................................................... 17 
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS ........................................................................................................................................... 18 
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT ................................ 19 
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance ......................................................................... 20 
TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS ...................................................................................................... 21 
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION .............................................................................................. 22 
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION ............................................................................................................................... 23 
Compensation Discussion and Analysis ........................................................................................................ 23 
Compensation Committee Report to Stockholders*...................................................................................... 35 
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation .................................................................... 35 
SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE .................................................................................................... 36 
GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS ..................................................................................................... 37 
OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR END 2012 ..................................................... 38 
OPTION EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED .......................................................................................... 39 
POTENTIAL PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION OR CHANGE IN CONTROL ................................. 39 
Termination of Employment Without Change In Control ............................................................................. 41 
Change In Control Payments ......................................................................................................................... 42 
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION ................................................................................................................................. 43 
Director Compensation For Fiscal Year 2012 ............................................................................................... 43 
PROPOSAL NO. 2 RATIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS ................ 44 
ADDITIONAL MATTERS ......................................................................................................................................... 45 

4 

 
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE 

ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON JUNE 10, 2013. 

Our Proxy Statement and Annual Report are available online at: 

www.proxyvote.com 

5 

 
 
 
 
Systemax Inc. 
11 Harbor Park Drive 
Port Washington, New York 11050 

______________ 

PROXY STATEMENT 
______________ 

This proxy statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies on behalf of the Board of 
Directors (the “Board”) of Systemax Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), for the 2013 Annual Meeting of 
Stockholders of the Company to be held on June 10, 2013 (the  “Annual Meeting”).  The Company  has  made the 
proxy  materials  available  to  stockholders  of  record  as  of  the  close  of  business  on  April  15,  2013  at 
www.proxyvote.com beginning on April 30, 2013 and is first mailing such materials to stockholders that requested 
printed copies of such materials on or about April 30, 2013. 

You  can  ensure  that  your  shares  are  voted  at  the  meeting  by  voting  your  shares  over  the  internet  at 
www.proxyvote.com or by telephone at (800) 690-6903 until 11:59 PM (EDT) on June 9, 2013 or by signing, dating 
and  promptly  returning  a  proxy,  if  you  received  a  proxy  by  mail,  in  the  envelope  provided  or  to  the  address 
contained in the voting instructions therein. Voting  your shares over the internet, by telephone or by sending in a 
signed proxy will not affect your right to attend the meeting and vote in person.  Stockholders of record may revoke 
their proxy at any time before it is voted by notifying the Company’s Transfer Agent, American Stock Transfer & 
Trust  Company  LLC,  6201  15th  Avenue,  Brooklyn,  NY  11219,  Attention:  Proxy  Department,  in  writing,  or  by 
executing and delivering a subsequently dated proxy to the address contained in the voting instructions in the proxy, 
which  revokes  your  previously  executed  proxy.    Beneficial  holders  whose  shares  are  held  of  record  by  a  broker, 
bank or other nominee may revoke their proxy at any time before it is voted by following the instructions of their 
broker, bank or other nominee. 

The  Company’s  principal  executive  offices  are  located  at  11  Harbor  Park  Drive,  Port  Washington,  New 

York 11050. 

Voting Procedures 

Proxies will be voted as specified by the stockholders.  Where specific choices are not indicated, proxies 
will be voted, per the Board of Directors’ recommendations, FOR proposals 1 and 2.  If any other matters properly 
come before the Annual Meeting, the persons named in the proxy will vote at their discretion. 

Under  the  Delaware  General  Corporation  Law  and  the  Company’s  Amended  and  Restated  Certificate  of 
Incorporation and By-Laws, (1) the affirmative vote of a plurality of the outstanding shares of common stock of the 
Company (the “Shares”) entitled to vote and present, in person or by properly executed proxy, at a meeting at which 
a  quorum  is  present  will  be  required  to  elect  the  nominated  directors  of  the  Board  (Proposal  1);  and  (2)  the 
affirmative  vote  of  a  majority  of  the  outstanding  Shares  entitled  to  vote  and  present,  in  person  or  by  properly 
executed  proxy,  at  a  meeting  at  which  a  quorum  is  present  will  be  required  to  ratify  the  appointment  of  Ernst  & 
Young LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accountants (Proposal 2). 

Richard Leeds, Bruce Leeds and Robert Leeds (each a director and officer of the Company), together with 
trusts  for  the  benefit  of  certain  members  of  their  respective  families  and  other  entities  controlled  by  them,  as 
applicable, beneficially owned as of our record date more than 50% of the shares of common stock, and they have 
each separately advised us that they intend to vote all of such shares of common stock they each have the power to 
vote in accordance with the recommendations of the Board of Directors on each of the items of business identified 
above,  which  will  be  sufficient  to  constitute  a  quorum  and  to  determine  the  outcome  of  each  item  under 
consideration. 

A  quorum  is  representation  in  person  or  by  proxy  at  the  Annual  Meeting  of  at  least  a  majority  of  the 
outstanding Shares.  Abstentions will have no effect on the election of directors (Proposal 1).  Abstentions on other 
matters will be treated as votes cast on particular matters as well as shares present and represented for purposes of 
establishing a quorum, with the result that an abstention has the same effect as a negative vote regarding such other 

6 

 
 
 
 
matters.    Where  nominee  record  holders  do  not  vote  on  specific  issues  because  they  did  not  receive  specific 
instructions on such issues from the beneficial owners, such broker non-votes will not be treated as votes cast on a 
particular matter, and will therefore have no effect on the vote, but will be treated as shares present or represented 
for purposes of establishing a quorum. 

If  your shares are held through a broker, bank or other nominee,  you  must provide voting instructions to 
such  record  holder  in  accordance  with  such  record  holder’s  requirements  in  order  to  ensure  that  your  shares  are 
properly  voted.  Please  note  that  the  rules  regarding  how  brokers  may  vote  your  shares  have  recently  changed. 
Brokers may no longer vote your shares on the election of directors, or any other non-routine matters, in the absence 
of your specific instructions as to how to vote. We encourage you to provide instructions to your broker regarding 
the voting of your shares.  If you do not provide your broker or other nominee with instructions on how to vote your 
“street  name”  shares,  your  broker  or  nominee  will  not  be  permitted  to  vote  them  on  such  non-routine  matters  (a 
broker “non-vote”).  Please note that Item 1 (Election of Directors) is a non-routine matter, and so Shares subject to 
a broker “non-vote” will not be considered entitled to vote with respect to Item 1 and will not affect the outcome of 
the vote on that Item. 

A list of stockholders of the Company satisfying the requirements of Section 219 of the Delaware General 
Corporation Law  shall be available for inspection for any  purpose germane to the  Annual Meeting during  normal 
business hours at the offices of the Company at least ten days prior to the Annual Meeting. 

Revocability of Proxies 

Any person signing a proxy in the form accompanying this proxy statement has the power to revoke it prior 
to the Annual Meeting or at the Annual Meeting prior to the vote pursuant to the proxy.  A proxy may be revoked by 
any of the following methods: 

• 

• 

• 

by writing a letter delivered to Eric Lerner, General Counsel of the Company, stating that the proxy is 
revoked; 

, by signing and submitting a new proxy card or by 
by submitting another proxy with a later date (i.e.
re-voting by phone or by Internet as instructed above); only your latest proxy card, phone or Internet 
vote will be counted; or 

by attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person. 

Please note, however, that if a stockholder’s shares are held of record by a broker, bank or other nominee 
and that stockholder wishes to vote at the Annual Meeting, the stockholder must bring to the Annual Meeting a letter 
from the broker, bank or other nominee confirming that stockholder’s beneficial ownership of the shares. 

On  April  15,  2013,  the  record  date,  there  were  outstanding  and  entitled  to  vote  (excluding  Company 
treasury  shares)  36,679,472  Shares,  entitled  to  one  vote  per  Share.    Only  stockholders  of  record  at  the  close  of 
business  on  the  record  date  will  be  entitled  to  vote  at  the  Annual  Meeting  and  at  any  and  all  adjournments  or 
postponements thereof.  Stockholders will not be entitled to appraisal rights in connection with any of the matters to 
be voted on at the Annual Meeting. 

Internet Posting of Proxy Materials 

Why did I receive a notice regarding the internet availability of proxy materials instead of paper copies 

of the proxy materials? 

We have implemented the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, “Notice Only” rule that allows us 
to  furnish  our  proxy  materials  over  the  Internet  to  our  stockholders  instead  of  mailing  paper  copies  of  those 
materials  to  each  stockholder.    As  a  result,  beginning  on  or  about  April  30,  2013,  we  sent  to  most  of  our 
stockholders by mail a “Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials” containing instructions on how to access 
our proxy materials over the Internet and vote online.  This notice is not a proxy card and cannot be used to vote 
your shares.  If you received a notice this year, you will not receive paper copies of the proxy materials unless you 
request the materials by following the instructions on the notice or on the website referred to in the notice. 

7 

If you own shares of common stock in more than one account—for example, in a joint account with your 
spouse and in your individual brokerage account—you may have received more than one notice.  To vote all of your 
shares by proxy, please follow each of the separate proxy  voting instructions that  you received for your shares of 
common stock held in each of your different accounts. 

How can I access the proxy materials over the Internet? 

Your Notice of the Internet Availability of the proxy materials, proxy card or voting instruction card will 
contain  instructions  on  how  to  view  our  proxy  materials  for  the  Annual  Meeting  on  the  Internet.    Our  proxy 
materials and annual report on Form 10-K for fiscal year 2012, as well as the means to vote by Internet, are available 
at www.proxyvote.com 

How may I obtain a paper copy of the proxy materials? 

If  you  receive  a  Notice  of  the  Internet  Availability  of  the  proxy  materials,  you  will  find  on  your  notice 
instructions  about  how  to  obtain  a  paper  copy  of  the  proxy  materials.  If  you  did  not  receive  the  notice,  you  will 
receive a paper copy of the proxy materials by mail. 

What is “householding”? 

SEC  rules  allow  a  single  copy  of  the  proxy  materials  or  the  Notice  of  Internet  Availability  of  proxy 
materials to be delivered to  multiple  stockholders sharing the same address and last name, or  who  we reasonably 
believe  are  members  of  the  same  family  in  a  manner  provided  by  such  rules.    This  practice  is  referred  to  as 
“householding”  and  can  result  in  significant  savings  of  paper  and  mailing  costs.    In  accordance  with  SEC  rules, 
stockholders  sharing  the  same  address  and  last  name,  or  who  we  reasonably  believe  are  members  of  the  same 
family, will receive one copy of the proxy materials or notice of internet availability of proxy materials. 

How can I find voting results of the Annual Meeting? 

We  will  announce  preliminary  voting  results  at  the  Annual  Meeting  and  we  will  publicly  disclose  the 
results  on  a  Form  8-K  within  four  business  days  of  the  Annual  Meeting,  as  required  by  Securities  and  Exchange 
Commission rules. 

8 

PROPOSAL NO. 1 
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS 

At the Annual Meeting, seven Directors are to be elected to serve until their successors have been elected 

and qualified.  Information regarding such nominees is set forth below. 

The  accompanying  proxy  will  be  voted  for  the  election  of  the  Board’s  nominees  unless  contrary 
instructions  are  given.    If  any  Board  nominee  is  unable  to  serve,  which  is  not  anticipated,  the  persons  named  as 
proxies  intend  to  vote,  unless  the  Board  of  Directors  reduces  the  number  of  nominees,  for  such  other  person  or 
persons as the Board of Directors may designate. 

Each of the nominees served as a director during fiscal year 2012.  If voting by proxy with respect to the 
election  of  Directors,  stockholders  may  vote  in  favor  of  all  nominees,  withhold  their  votes  as  to  all  nominees  or 
withhold their votes for specific nominees. 

There were no arrangements or understandings between any Director or nominee for Director and any other 
person  pursuant  to  which  such  person  was  selected  as  a  Director  or  nominee  for  Director.    There  are  no  family 
relationships among any of our Directors or executive officers or nominees for Director or executive officer, except 
that Richard Leeds, Bruce Leeds and Robert Leeds are brothers. 

Nominees 

Name of Nominee 
Richard Leeds 

Bruce Leeds 
Robert Leeds 

Lawrence Reinhold 

Principal Occupation 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of 
the Company 
Vice Chairman of the Company 
Vice Chairman of the Company and Chief 
Executive of the Company’s North 
American Technology Products Group  
Executive Vice President and Chief 
Financial Officer of the Company 

Age  Director Since 
53 

April 1995 

57 
57 

April 1995 
April 1995 

53 

March 2009 

Robert D. Rosenthal  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of 

64 

July 1995 

Stacy Dick 

First Long Island Investors LLC 
Chief Financial Officer of Julian Robertson 
Holdings 

56 

November 1995 

Marie Adler-Kravecas  Retired President of Myron Corporation 

53 

June 2009 

Richard Leeds joined the Company in 1982 and has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the 
Company  since  April 1995.  Mr. Leeds  graduated  from New  York University  with a B.S. degree in Finance.  Mr. 
Leeds, together  with  his brothers Bruce and  Robert Leeds, are the  majority  stockholders of  the Company and the 
sons  of  one  of  the  Company’s  founders.    Mr.  Leeds  was  selected  to  serve  as  Chairman  of  our  Board  due  to  his  
experience    and  depth  of  knowledge  of  the  Company  and  the  direct  marketing,  computer  and  industrial  products 
industries,  his role in developing and managing the Company’s business strategies and operations,  as well as his 
exceptional business judgment and leadership qualities. 

Bruce Leeds joined the Company in 1977 and has served as Vice Chairman of the Company since  April 
1995.  Mr. Leeds graduated from Tufts University with a B.A. degree in Economics. Mr. Leeds, together with his 
brothers  Richard  and  Robert  Leeds,  are  the  majority  stockholders  of  the  Company  and  the  sons  of  one  of  the 
Company’s founders.  Mr. Leeds was selected to serve as a director on our Board due to his experience and depth of 
knowledge  of  the  Company  and  the  direct  marketing,  computer  and  industrial  products  industries,  his  role  in 
developing and managing the Company’s business strategies and operations, his experience in international business 
as well as his exceptional business judgment. 

Robert Leeds joined the Company in 1977 and has served as Vice Chairman of the Company since April 
1995.  From April 18, 2011 to October 2011, Mr. Leeds served as the Interim Chief Executive of the Company’s 
North  American  Technology  Products  Group.    On  March  1,  2013,  Mr.  Leeds  was  selected  to  serve  as  the  Chief 
Executive  of  the  Company’s  North  American  Technology  Products  Group.    Mr.  Leeds  graduated  from  Tufts 
University with a B.S. degree in Computer Applications Engineering. Mr. Leeds, together with his brothers Richard 

9 

 
 
and Bruce  Leeds, are the  majority stockholders of the Company and the  sons of one of the Company’s  founders.  
Mr. Leeds was selected to serve as a director on our Board because of his experience and depth of knowledge of the 
Company and the direct marketing, computer and industrial products industries, his role in developing and managing 
the Company’s business strategies and operations, his significant computer and technology industry experience as 
well as his exceptional business judgment. 

Lawrence Reinhold joined the Company in January 2007 and has served as Executive Vice President and 
Chief Financial Officer since that date. Additionally, Mr. Reinhold has served as a Director since March 2009.  Prior 
to  joining  the  Company,  Mr.  Reinhold  was  the  Chief  Financial  Officer  of  a  publicly  traded  developer  and 
manufacturer  of  medical  devices;  the  Chief  Financial  Officer  of  a  publicly  traded  communications  software 
company;  and  a  regional  Managing  Partner  of  a  Big  4  International  Public  Accounting  Firm.  He  received  his 
B.S.B.A.  degree,  summa  cum  laude,  and  M.B.A.  degree  from  San  Diego  State  University.   Mr.  Reinhold  is  a 
Certified Public Accountant.  He also serves on the board of directors and audit committee of Pulse Electronics, a 
publicly traded electronics manufacturer. Mr. Reinhold was selected to serve as a director on our Board due to his 
contributions since joining the Company and his extensive experience and expertise in business, strategy, finance, 
accounting, SEC reporting, public company management, mergers and acquisitions and financial systems as well as 
his serving as a CFO of other public technology companies and a partner with an international accounting firm. 

Robert D. Rosenthal has served as an independent Director of the Company since July 1995.  He has been 
the lead independent director since October 2006.  Mr. Rosenthal is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First 
Long Island Investors LLC, which he co-founded in 1983.  Mr. Rosenthal is a 1971 cum laude graduate of Boston 
University and a 1974 graduate of Hofstra University  Law School.  Mr. Rosenthal is the chairman and  CEO of a 
wealth management company that invests in numerous public companies and is also an attorney and member of the 
bar of the State of New York.  Mr. Rosenthal was selected to serve as a director on our Board due to his financial, 
investment and legal experience and acumen. 

Stacy S. Dick has served as an independent Director of the Company since November 1995. Mr. Dick has 
served  as  Chief  Financial  Officer  of  Julian  Robertson  Holdings  since  November  2008  and,  since  2011,  as  Chief 
Financial Officer of Tiger Management Advisors LLC.  Mr. Dick was a Managing Director of Rothschild Inc. from 
2001  to  2008  and  served  as  an  executive  of  other  entities  controlled  by  Rothschild  family  interests.  Mr.  Dick 
graduated from Harvard University with an A.B. degree magna cum laude and a Ph.D. in Business Economics.  He 
has  served  as  an  adjunct  professor  of  finance  at  the  Stern  School  of  Business  (NYU)  since  2004.    Mr.  Dick  was 
selected  to  serve  as  a  director  on  our  Board  due  to  his  exceptional  knowledge  and  experience  in  the  areas  of 
business, finance and economics. 

Marie Adler-Kravecas has served as an independent Director of the Company since June 2009.  Ms. Adler-
Kravecas joined Myron Corporation, an international, business-to-business direct marketing company, in 1984 and 
served  as  President  from  1999  to  2004.   In  2005,  Ms.  Adler-Kravecas  founded  Wellconnected,  LLC,  a  consumer 
direct marketing company which was sold in 2008.  Ms. Adler-Kravecas is currently retired.  Ms. Adler-Kravecas 
received  a  B.S.  degree  in  Marketing  and  Business  Administration  from  George  Washington  University.  She  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Young  President’s  Organization  since  2003  and  The  Executive  Group  from  2004  to  2008.  
Ms.  Adler-Kravecas  has  been  on  the  Board  of  the  Children’s  Aid  and  Family  Service  since  2004.    Ms.  Adler-
Kravecas was selected to serve as a director on our Board due to her practical experience in direct marketing and 
international business. 

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR THE ELECTION OF 
ALL THE DIRECTOR NOMINEES, WHICH IS DESIGNATED AS PROPOSAL NO. 1. 

10 

 
 
Independence of Directors 

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 

In connection with its annual review of director independence, the Board has determined that each of the 
following Directors or nominees of the Company meets the standards for independence required by the New York 
Stock  Exchange  and  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  rules:  Robert  D.  Rosenthal,  Stacy  S.  Dick  and  Marie 
Adler-Kravecas.  The Board made this determination based on (a) the absence of any of the express disqualifying 
criteria relating to director independence set forth in Section 303A of the Corporate Governance Rules of the New 
York  Stock  Exchange  and  (b)  the  criteria  for  independence  required  of  audit  committee  directors  by  Section 
10A(m)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which we refer to as the Exchange Act. 

Although the Board has not adopted categorical standards of materiality for independence purposes (other 
than those set forth in the NYSE listing standards and the Exchange Act), information provided by the Directors to 
the Company did not indicate any relationships (e.g., commercial, industrial, banking, consulting, legal, accounting, 
charitable, or familial) which would impair the independence of any of the non-employee Directors. The Board has 
determined that there is no  material relationship between the  Company and each of  Mr. Rosenthal, Mr. Dick and 
Ms. Adler-Kravecas (directly or as a partner, stockholder, or officer of an organization that has a relationship with 
the  Company)  and  that  each  of  them  is  independent  pursuant  to  the  NYSE  listing  standards.  In  making  its 
determination,  the  Board  took  into  consideration  that  a  private  partnership,  in  which  Messrs.  Richard,  Bruce  and 
Robert Leeds are general partners, has invested funds with a private investment firm, of which Robert D. Rosenthal 
is Chairman and CEO. The Board (in each case with Mr. Rosenthal and Messrs. Richard, Bruce and Robert Leeds 
being  recused)  determined  that  such  relationship  was  not  material  to  Messrs.  Richard,  Bruce  and  Robert  Leeds 
individually or collectively or to Mr. Rosenthal. 

As a “controlled company,” the Company is exempt from the New York Stock Exchange requirement that 
listed companies  have a  majority of independent directors.    A  “controlled company”  is defined by  the New  York 
Stock Exchange as a company of which more than 50% of the voting power for the election of directors is held by 
an  individual,  group  or  other  company.    The  Company  is  a  “controlled  company”  in  that  more  than  50%  of  the 
voting  stock  for  the  election  of  directors  of  the  Company,  in  the  aggregate,  is  owned  by  certain  members  of  the 
Leeds family (including Richard Leeds, Bruce Leeds and Robert Leeds, each of whom is an officer and Director of 
the Company) and certain Leeds’ family trusts (collectively, the “Leeds Group”).  The members of the Leeds Group 
have entered into a Stockholders Agreement with respect to certain Shares they each own.  See “Transactions With 
Related Persons” below. 

Meetings of Non-Management Directors 

The  New  York  Stock  Exchange  requires  the  “non-management  directors”  or  independent  directors  of  a 
NYSE-listed  company  to  meet  at  regularly  scheduled  executive  sessions  without  management  and  to  disclose  in 
their annual proxy statements (1) the name of the non-management director who is chosen to preside at all regularly-
scheduled  executive  sessions  of  the  non-management  members  of  the  board  of  directors  and  (2)  a  method  for  all 
interested  parties  to  communicate  directly  with  the  presiding  director  or  with  the  non-management  directors  as  a 
group (this method is described below under “Communications with Directors”). The Board’s non-management or 
independent  directors  meet  separately  in  executive  sessions,  chaired  by  the  Lead  Independent  Director  (currently 
Robert D. Rosenthal), at least quarterly. 

Corporate Governance Guidelines 

The  Company  has  adopted  Corporate  Governance  Guidelines,  which  are  available  on  the  Corporate 
Governance page of our website at www.systemax.com.  The Corporate Governance Guidelines were last amended 
in April 2010. 

Our  Corporate  Governance  Guidelines  establish  our  corporate  governance  principles  and  practices  on  a 
  The 
responsibilities,  composition  and 
variety  of 
Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee assesses the Guidelines annually and makes recommendations to the 
Board on any changes to implement.  Our Guidelines address, among other things: 

functioning  of 

the  Board. 

including 

topics, 

the 

• 

the role and functions of our Board of Directors and management; 

11 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

director qualifications, including our director independence standards and director nomination and 
selection; 

the requirement to hold separate executive sessions of the independent directors; 

the conduct of Board meetings; 

policies for setting director compensation; 

director orientation and continuing education; 

policies regarding director access to management, employees and independent advisors; and 

the annual self-assessment of the Board to evaluate its own effectiveness. 

Corporate Ethics Policy 

The  Company  has  adopted  a  Corporate  Ethics  Policy  that  applies  to  all  employees  of  the  Company, 
including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Controller, its principal accounting 
officer.  The Corporate Ethics Policy is designed to deter wrongdoing and to promote honest and ethical conduct, 
compliance  with  applicable  laws  and  regulations,  full  and  accurate  disclosure  of  information  requiring  public 
disclosure and the prompt reporting of Policy violations.  The Company’s Corporate Ethics Policy is available on 
the Company’s website (www.systemax.com).  We intend to disclose on our website, in accordance with applicable 
laws and regulations, amendments to, or waivers from, our Corporate Ethics Policy.  Our Corporate Ethics Policy 
was last amended in August 2012. 

Communications with Directors 

Stockholders  of  the  Company  who  wish  to  communicate  with  the  Board  or  any  individual  Director  can 
write to Systemax Inc., Attention: Investor Relations, 11 Harbor Park Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050 or send an 
email to investinfo@systemax.com.  Your letter or email should indicate that you are a stockholder of the Company.  
Depending on the subject  matter of  your inquiry,  management  will  forward the communication to the Director or 
Directors  to  whom  it  is  addressed;  attempt  to  handle  the  inquiry  directly,  as  might  be  the  case  if  you  request 
information  about  the  Company  or  it  is  a  stockholder  related  matter;  or  not  forward  the  communication  if  it  is 
primarily commercial in nature or if it relates to an improper or irrelevant topic.  Interested parties, including non-
stockholders wishing to communicate directly with the Lead Independent Director or the non-management members 
of the Board as a  group should address their  inquiries by  mail  sent to the attention of  Robert D. Rosenthal,  Lead 
Independent  Director,  at  the  Company’s  principal  executive  office  located  at  11  Harbor  Park  Drive,  Port 
Washington, NY 11050.  All communications will be promptly relayed to the appropriate recipient(s). 

Interested  parties,  including  non-stockholders  wishing  to  communicate  directly  with  the  Chairman  of  the 
Audit Committee or the Audit Committee as a group should address their inquiries by mail to the attention of Stacy 
S. Dick, Audit Committee Chairman, at the Company’s principal executive office located at 11 Harbor Park Drive, 
Port Washington, NY 11050.  All communications will be promptly relayed to the appropriate recipient(s). 

Director Attendance at Annual Meetings 

At last year’s annual meeting, held on June 11, 2012, three Directors attended the meeting, including the 
Chairman of the Board and the Lead Independent Director.  The Company does not have a policy with regards to 
Directors’ attendance at annual stockholder meetings. 

Board Meetings 

During fiscal year 2012, the Board of Directors held six meetings, the Audit Committee held nine meetings, 
the  Compensation  Committee  held  six  meetings,  the  Nominating/Corporate  Governance  Committee  held  six 
meetings, and the Executive Committee held six meetings.  All of the Directors attended at least 75% of all of the 
meetings of the Board and the respective committees of the Board of which they were members. 

12 

Committees of the Board 

The Board of Directors has the following standing committees: 

Audit Committee 

The Audit Committee is appointed by the Board to assist the Board with oversight of (i) the integrity of the 
financial statements of the Company, (ii) the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, (iii) the 
independence  and  qualifications  of  the  Company’s  external  auditors,  and  (iv)  the  performance  of  the  Company’s 
internal audit  function and external auditors.  It is the  Audit Committee’s responsibility  to retain or terminate  the 
Company’s  independent  registered  public  accountants,  who  audit  the  Company’s  financial  statements,  and  to 
prepare  the  Audit  Committee  report  that  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  requires  to  be  included  in  the 
Company’s Annual Proxy Statement.  (See “Report of the Audit Committee” below.)  As part of its activities, the 
Audit Committee meets with the Company’s independent registered public accountants at least annually to review 
the scope and results of the annual audit and quarterly to  discuss the review of the quarterly financial results.  In 
addition, the Audit Committee receives and considers the independent registered public accountants’ comments and 
recommendations as to internal controls, accounting staff, management performance and auditing procedures.  The 
Audit  Committee  is  also  responsible  for  establishing  procedures  for  (i)  the  receipt,  retention  and  treatment  of 
complaints  received  by  the  Company  regarding  accounting,  internal  accounting  controls  and  auditing  matters  and 
(ii)  the  confidential,  anonymous  submission  by  employees  of  the  Company  of  concerns  regarding  questionable 
accounting or auditing matters. 

In  addition,  the  Audit  Committee  is  responsible  for  reviewing,  and  discussing  with  management  and 
reporting to the Board regularly, the Company’s risk assessment and risk management processes.  While it is the job 
of senior  management to assess and  manage the  Company’s exposure to risk  under the  oversight of the Board of 
Directors, the Audit Committee reviews and discusses with management the Company’s risk management process.  
In  addition,  the  Audit  Committee  works  together  with  the  Compensation  Committee  regarding  the  Company’s 
compensation policies for all of the Company’s employees as the policies relate to the Company’s risk management 
goals  and  objectives.  The  Audit  Committee  also  discusses  with  management  the  Company’s  major  financial  risk 
exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor and control such exposures. 

The Audit Committee Charter was last amended in August 2012. A copy of the Audit Committee Charter is 

available on the Company’s website, www.systemax.com. 

The current members of the Audit Committee are Stacy S. Dick (chairman), Robert D. Rosenthal and Marie 
Adler-Kravecas.  None of the current members or nominees of the Audit Committee are officers or employees of the 
Company.  The Committee meets regularly both with and without management participation.  As noted above, in the 
judgment of the Board, each of the members of the Audit Committee meets the standards for independence required 
by the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the New York Stock Exchange.  In addition, the Board 
has determined that Mr. Dick and Mr. Rosenthal are “audit committee financial experts” as defined by regulations of 
the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

The  Company  does  not  have  a  standing  policy  on  the  maximum  number  of  audit  committees  of  other 
publicly owned companies on which the members of the Audit Committee may serve.  However, if a member of the 
Audit Committee simultaneously serves on the audit committee of more than two other publicly-owned companies, 
the Board must determine whether such simultaneous service would impair the ability of such member to effectively 
serve on the Audit Committee.  Any such determination will be disclosed in the Company’s annual proxy statement. 

Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee 

The  Nominating/Corporate  Governance  Committee’s  responsibilities  include,  among  other  things  (i) 
identifying individuals qualified to become Board members and recommending to the Board nominees to stand for 
election at any meeting of stockholders, (ii) identifying and recommending nominees to fill any vacancy, however 
created, in the Board, and (iii) developing and recommending to the Board a code of business conduct and ethics and 
a  set  of  corporate  governance  principles  (including  director  qualification  standards,  responsibilities  and 
compensation)  and  periodically 
the 
Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee are Robert D. Rosenthal (Chairman), Stacy S. Dick and Marie Adler-
Kravecas.  In nominating candidates to become Board members, the Committee shall take into consideration such 

  The  current  members  of 

the  code  and  principles. 

reviewing 

13 

factors  as  it  deems  appropriate,  including  the  experience,  skill,  integrity  and  background  of  the  candidates.    The 
Committee  may  consider  candidates  proposed  by  management  or  stockholders  but  is  not  required  to  do  so.    The 
Committee  does  not  have  any  formal  policy  with  regard  to  the  consideration  of  any  Director  candidates 
recommended  by  the  security  holders  or  any  minimum  qualifications  or  specific  procedure  for  identifying  and 
evaluating  nominees  for  Director  as  the  Board  does  not  believe  that  such  a  formalistic  approach  is  necessary  or 
appropriate at this time. 

The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for developing and recommending to the 
Board a set of risk management policies and procedures, including the Company’s compensation policies for all its 
employees as they relate to risk management, and to review these policies and procedures annually. 

The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee, in seeking qualified Board members, does not have a 
policy  regarding  utilizing  diversity,  however  defined,  in  its  selection  process.    The  Nominating/Corporate 
Governance  Committee  looks  for  individuals  who  have  very  high  integrity,  significant  business  experience  and  a 
deep genuine interest in the Company.  We believe that each of the director nominees and other directors bring these 
qualifications to our Board of Directors.  Moreover, they provide our board with a diverse complement of specific 
business skills, experience and perspectives. 

The  Nominating/Corporate  Governance  Committee  Charter  was  last  amended  in  August  2012.    The 
Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee Charter is available on the Company’s website (www.systemax.com). 

Stockholder Nominations for Director 

Stockholders  may  propose  candidates  for  Board  membership  by  writing  to  Systemax  Inc.,  Attention: 
Nominating/Corporate  Governance  Committee,  11  Harbor  Park  Drive,  Port  Washington,  NY  11050  so  that  the 
nomination is received by the Company by December 31, 2013 to be considered for the 2014 annual meeting.  Any 
such proposal shall contain the name, Company security holdings (direct or indirect; of record and/or beneficially) 
and contact information of the person making the nomination; a description of all direct and indirect related party 
transactions, compensation and other material monetary arrangements, agreements or understandings during the past 
three  years,  and  any  other  material  relationship,  if  any,  between  the  stockholder  and  its  respective  affiliates  or 
associates,  or  others  with  whom  they  are  acting  in  concert,  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  nominee  and  his  or  her 
respective affiliates, associates and others with whom they are acting in concert, on the other hand; the nominee’s 
name, age, address and other contact information; any direct or indirect holdings, beneficially and/or of record, of 
the  Company’s  securities  by  the  nominee;  any  information  regarding  the  nominee  required  to  be  disclosed  about 
directors under applicable securities laws and/or stock exchange requirements; information regarding related party 
transactions with the Company and/or the stockholder submitting the nomination and/or the nominee; any actual or 
potential  conflicts  of  interest;  the  nominee’s  biographical  data,  current  public  and  private  company  affiliations, 
employment history (including current principal employment) and qualifications and status as “independent” under 
applicable securities laws and stock exchange requirements.  Nominees proposed by stockholders  will receive the 
same consideration as other nominees. 

Compensation Committee 

The  Compensation  Committee’s  responsibility  is  to  review  and  approve  corporate  goals  relevant  to  the 
compensation of the Chief Executive Officer and, after an evaluation of the Chief Executive Officer’s performance 
in light of such goals, to set the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer.  The Compensation Committee also 
approves (a) the annual compensation of the other executive officers of the Company, (b) the annual compensation 
of  certain  subsidiary  managers,  and  (c)  all  individual  stock-based  incentive  grants.    The  Committee  is  also 
responsible  for  reviewing  and  making  periodic  recommendations  to  the  Board  with  respect  to  the  general 
compensation,  benefits  and  perquisite  policies  and  practices  of  the  Company  including  the  Company’s  incentive-
based  and  equity-based  compensation  plans.    The  Compensation  Committee  also  prepares  an  annual  report  on 
executive  compensation  for  inclusion  in  the  annual  proxy  statement.    (See  “Compensation  Committee  Report  to 
Stockholders” below.) The current members of the Compensation Committee are Robert D. Rosenthal (Chairman), 
Stacy S. Dick and Marie Adler-Kravecas. 

In  addition,  it  is  the  Compensation  Committee’s  responsibility  to  consider,  and  work  together  with  the 
Company’s Audit Committee regarding, the Company’s compensation policies for all its employees in the context 
of how such policies affect and promote the Company’s risk management goals and objectives. 

14 

The  Compensation  Committee  Charter  was  last  amended  in  April  2010.    The  Compensation  Committee 

Charter is available on the Company’s website (www.systemax.com). 

Executive Committee 

The Executive  Committee consists of the Chairman of the Board and any Vice Chairman and such other 
Directors as  may be named thereto by the Board.  The current  members of the Executive  Committee are Messrs. 
Richard Leeds, Bruce Leeds, Robert Leeds and Robert D. Rosenthal, the Lead Independent Director. Among other 
duties as  may be assigned by the Board from time to time, the Executive Committee is authorized to oversee the 
operations of the Company, supervise the executive officers of the Company, review and make recommendations to 
the  Board  regarding  the  strategic  direction  of  the  Company  and  review  and  make  recommendations  to  the  Board 
regarding  all  possible  acquisitions  or  other  significant  business  transactions.    The  Executive  Committee  is  also 
authorized to  manage the affairs of the Corporation between  meetings of the Board; the Committee  has all of the 
powers of the Board not inconsistent with any provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Company’s 
Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws or other resolutions adopted by the Board, but does not generally exercise 
such authority. 

Board Leadership Structure 

As  noted  above,  our  Board  currently  includes  three  independent  Directors.  Richard  Leeds  has  served  as 
Chairman  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  since  April  1995.    Our  independent  directors  have  designated,  Robert  D. 
Rosenthal, one of the independent directors, to be the Lead Independent Director. We believe that the current mix of 
employee  directors  and  non-employee  independent  directors  that  make  up  our  Board,  along  with  the  independent 
oversight of our Lead Independent Director, benefits the Company and its stockholders. 

Although the Board does not have an express policy on whether or not the roles of Chief Executive Officer 
and Chairman of the Board should be separate and if they are to be separate, whether the Chairman of the Board 
should be selected from the non-employee Directors or be an employee, the Board believes that it should have the 
flexibility to make a determination from time to time in a manner that is in the best interests of the Company and its 
stockholders  at  the  time  of  such  determination.    At  this  time,  the  Board  of  Directors  believes  that  Mr.  Leeds’s 
service  as  both  Chairman  of  the  Board  and  CEO  is  in  the  best  interest  of  the  Company  and  its  stockholders.  Mr. 
Leeds  possesses  in-depth  knowledge  of  the  issues,  opportunities  and  challenges  facing  the  Company  and  its 
businesses and is thus best positioned to develop agendas that ensure that the Board’s time and attention are focused 
on the matters that are most critical to the Company and its stockholders.  His combined role has produced decisive 
leadership,  ensures  clear  accountability,  and  enhances  the  Company’s  ability  to  communicate  its  message  and 
strategy  clearly  and  consistently  to  the  Company’s  stockholders,  employees,  customers  and  suppliers,  particularly 
during times of turbulent economic conditions. 

The Board believes that the independent directors provide effective oversight of management. Moreover, in 
addition to feedback provided during the course of Board meetings, the independent directors have regular executive 
sessions.  Following an executive session of independent directors, the Lead Independent Director acts as a liaison 
between  the  independent  directors  and  the  Chairman  regarding  any  specific  feedback  or  issues,  provides  the 
Chairman with input regarding agenda items for Board and Committee meetings, and coordinates with the Chairman 
regarding information to be provided to the independent directors in performing their duties. The Board believes that 
this approach appropriately and effectively complements the combined CEO/Chairman structure. 

We  recognize  that  different  board  leadership  structures  may  be  appropriate  for  companies  in  different 
situations and believe that no one structure is suitable for all companies. We believe our current Board leadership 
structure is optimal  for us because it demonstrates to our  employees,  suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders 
that the Company is under strong leadership, with a single person setting the tone and having primary responsibility 
for managing our operations. Having a single leader for both the Company and the Board eliminates the potential for 
confusion or duplication of efforts, and provides clear leadership for the Company. We believe the Company, like 
many U.S. companies, has been well-served by this leadership structure. 

Lead Independent Director 

The  independent  Directors  elect  one  independent  Director  to  serve  as  a  Lead  Independent  Director.  In 
addition  to  presiding  at  executive  sessions  of  nonemployee  Directors,  the  Lead  Independent  Director  has  the 

15 

responsibility to coordinate the activities of the independent Directors, and to perform the following functions: (a) 
advise  the  Chairman  of  the  Board  as  to  an  appropriate  schedule  of  Board  meetings,  seeking  to  ensure  that  the 
independent  Directors  can  perform  their  duties  responsibly  while  not  interfering  with  the  flow  of  the  Company’s 
operations;  (b)  provide  the  Chairman  with  input  as  to  the  preparation  of  agendas  for  the  Board  and  committee 
meetings;  (c)  advise  the  Chairman  as  to  the  quality,  quantity,  and  timeliness  of  the  flow  of  information  from  the 
Company’s management that is necessary for the independent directors to effectively and responsibly perform their 
duties, and although the Company’s management is responsible for the preparation of materials for the Board, the 
Lead  Independent  Director  may  specifically  request  the  inclusion  of  certain  material;  (d)  recommend  to  the 
Chairman  the  retention  of  consultants  who  report  directly  to  the  Board;  (e)  assist  the  Board  and  the  Company’s 
officers  in  assuring  compliance  with  and  implementation  of  the  corporate  governance  policies;  and  be  principally 
responsible for recommending revisions to the corporate governance policies; (f) coordinate and develop the agenda 
for, and moderate executive sessions of, the independent directors of  the Board, and act as principal liaison between 
the  independent  directors  and  the  Chairman  on  sensitive  issues;  and  (g)  recommend  to  the  Chairman  the 
membership of the various Board committees. 

Our  Board  conducts  an  annual  evaluation  in  order  to  determine  whether  it  and  its  committees  are 
functioning  effectively.  As  part  of  this  annual  self-evaluation,  the  Board  evaluates  whether  the  current  leadership 
structure continues to be optimal for the Company and its stockholders. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines, as 
amended in April 2010, provide the flexibility for our Board to modify or continue our leadership structure in the 
future, as it deems appropriate. 

Risk Oversight 

Our Board as a whole is responsible for overseeing the Company’s risk management process. The Board 
focuses  on  the  Company’s  general  risk  management  strategy,  the  most  significant  risks  facing  the  Company,  and 
seeks to ensure that appropriate risk mitigation strategies are implemented by management.  Risk management is a 
recurring  Audit  Committee  and  Board  quarterly  agenda  item,  and  is  considered  part  of  strategic  planning.    The 
Board is also apprised of particular risk management matters in connection with its general oversight and approval 
of  corporate  matters  and  receives  information  relating  to  material  Company  risk  from  management  and  from  the 
Company’s Legal, Risk Management/Insurance and Internal Audit Departments. 

The  Board  has  delegated  to  each  of  its  committees  oversight  of  certain  aspects  of  the  Company’s  risk 
management  process.    Among  its  duties,  the  Audit  Committee  reviews  with  management  (a)  Company  processes 
with respect to risk assessment and management of risks that may be material to the Company, (b) the Company’s 
system  of  disclosure  controls  and  system  of  internal  controls  over  financial  reporting,  and  (c)  the  Company’s 
compliance  with  legal  and  regulatory  requirements.    The  Compensation  Committee  is  responsible  for  considering 
and  working  together  with  the  Audit  Committee  regarding  the  Company’s  compensation  policies  for  all  its 
employees  in  the  context  of  how  such  policies  affect  and  promote  the  Company’s  risk  management  goals  and 
objectives. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for developing and recommending to 
the Board a set of risk management policies and procedures, including the Company’s compensation policies for all 
its  employees  as  they  relate  to  risk  management,  and  to  review  these  policies  and  procedures  annually.  All 
committees  report  to  the  full  Board  as  appropriate,  including  when  a  matter  rises  to  the  level  of  a  material  or 
enterprise level risk. 

The  Company’s  senior  management  is  responsible  for  day-to-day  risk  management.  Our  Internal  Audit 
Department serves as the primary monitoring and testing function for company-wide policies and procedures, and 
manages the day-to-day oversight of the risk management strategy for the ongoing business of the Company. This 
oversight includes identifying, evaluating, and addressing potential risks that may exist at the enterprise, strategic, 
financial, operational, compliance and reporting levels.  The Internal Auditor reports directly to our Chief Financial 
Officer and  Audit Committee quarterly, and the  Audit Committee considers risk  management issues as part of its 
quarterly agenda. 

We believe the division of risk  management responsibilities described above is an effective approach for 

addressing the risks facing the Company and that our Board leadership structure supports this approach. 

16 

 
 
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE* 

The Audit Committee of the Board operates under its Charter, which was originally adopted by the Board 
in 2000 and was most recently revised in August 2012.  As set forth in its Charter, the Audit Committee’s job is one 
of oversight.  Management is responsible for the Company’s financial statements, internal accounting and financial 
controls, the financial reporting process, the internal audit function and compliance with the Company’s policies and 
legal  requirements.    The  Company’s  independent  registered  public  accountants  are  responsible  for  performing  an 
independent  audit  of  the  Company’s  consolidated  financial  statements  in  accordance  with  standards  of  the  Public 
Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and for issuance of a report thereon, and for monitoring the 
effectiveness  of  the  Company’s  internal  controls;  they  also  perform  limited  reviews  of  the  Company’s  unaudited 
quarterly financial statements. 

The Audit Committee’s responsibility is to engage the independent registered public accountants, monitor 
and  oversee  these  accounting,  financial  and  audit  processes  and  report  its  findings  to  the  full  Board.    It  also 
investigates  matters  related  to  the  Company’s  financial  statements  and  controls  as  it  deems  appropriate.    In  the 
performance of these oversight functions, the members of the Audit Committee rely upon the information, opinions, 
reports  and  statements  presented  to  them  by  Company  management  and  by  the  independent  registered  public 
accountants, as well as by other experts that the Committee hires. 

The  Audit  Committee  met  with  the  Company’s  independent  auditors  to  review  and  discuss  the  overall 
scope and plans for the audit of the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 
2012.    The  Audit  Committee  has  considered  and  discussed  with  management  and  the  independent  auditors  (both 
alone and with management present) the audited financial statements as well as the independent auditors’ evaluation 
of the Company’s internal controls and the overall quality of the Company’s financial reporting. 

Management represented to the Audit Committee that the Company’s consolidated financial statements for 
fiscal  year  2012  were  prepared  in  accordance  with  U.S.  generally  accepted  accounting  principles.    In  connection 
with  these  responsibilities,  the  Audit  Committee  met  with  management  and  Ernst  &  Young  LLP  to  review  and 
discuss the December 31, 2012 audited consolidated financial statements. The Audit Committee also discussed with 
Ernst  &  Young  LLP  the  matters  required  to  be  discussed  by  Statement  on  Auditing  Standards  No.  61  
Communication with Audit Committees), as amended and as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight 
Board in Rule 3200T. The Audit  Committee also received  written disclosures and  the letter from Ernst  & Young 
LLP  required  by  Rule  3526  of  the  Public  Company  Accounting  Oversight  Board  (Communications  with  Audit 
Committees  Concerning  Independence),  and  the  Audit  Committee  discussed  with  Ernst  &  Young  LLP  the  firm’s 
independence.  

Based  on  the  review  of  the  representations  of  management,  the  discussions  with  management  and  the 
independent  registered  public  accountants  and  the  review  of  the  Report  of  Ernst  &  Young  LLP,  Independent 
Registered  Public  Accounting  Firm,  to  the  Committee,  the  Audit  Committee  recommended  to  the  Board  that  the 
financial  statements  of  the  Company  for  fiscal  year  2012  as  audited  by  Ernst  &  Young  LLP  be  included  in  the 
Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

AUDIT COMMITTEE 
Stacy S. Dick (Chairman) 
Robert D. Rosenthal 
Marie Adler-Kravecas 

* 

The information contained in this Audit Committee Report shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or to 
be  “filed”  with  the  SEC,  nor  shall  such  information  be  incorporated  by  reference  into  any  filings  under  the 
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, which we refer to as the Securities Act, or under the Exchange Act, except 
to the extent that we specifically incorporate this information by reference into any such filing. 

17 

 
 
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS 

There are no arrangements or understandings between any officer and any other person pursuant to which 

such person was selected as an officer. 

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the executive officers of the Company as of April 
15, 2013. 

Name 

Richard Leeds 

Bruce Leeds 

Robert Leeds 

Lawrence Reinhold 

Perminder Dale 

Robert Dooley 

Eric Lerner 

Thomas Axmacher 

Age 

Position 

53 

57 

57 

53 

52 

57 

55 

54 

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; Director 

Vice Chairman; Director 

Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the Company’s 
North American Technology Products Group; Director 

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; 
Director 

Chief Executive of the Company’s European 
Technology Products Group 

President of the Company’s subsidiaries comprising 
the Global Industrial business 

Senior Vice President and General Counsel  

Vice President and Controller 

For biographical information about Richard Leeds, Bruce Leeds, Robert Leeds and Lawrence Reinhold, see pages 8 
and 9 of this Proxy Statement. 

Perminder  Dale  joined  the  Company  in  January  2012  as  Chief  Executive  of  the  Company’s  European 
Technology Products Group. Mr. Dale has over 20 years of experience in the information technology industry: from 
1996  to  2010  Mr.  Dale  held  various  significant  executive  positions  with  Dell  Computer  Corporation,  including 
Director of Server Business for Europe, Middle East and Africa, Director of UK Corporate Sales, Vice President and 
General  Manager  of  Emerging  Markets  (2000  to  2008)  and  Vice  President  and  General  Manager  of  Global 
Distribution  Channels  (2008  to  2010).  Mr.  Dale  also  held  various  management  positions  with  other  well-known 
technology  companies,  including  Sun  Microsystems,  Siemins  NixDorf  and  Hewlett  Packard.  Mr.  Dale  earned  his 
M.B.A. in international business and marketing from University of Bradford Business School. 

Robert  Dooley  was  appointed  President  of  the  Company’s  subsidiaries  comprising  the  Global  Industrial 
business in January 2012.  Mr. Dooley originally joined the Company in 1982 and served in numerous roles until 
March 2004, including Senior Vice President, Worldwide Computer Sales and Marketing.  He also was a Director of 
the Company from June 1995 through March 2004.  Mr. Dooley left the Company in 2004 but returned in December 
2007  as  Vice  President,  Internet  Marketing  for  the  Global  Industrial  business.    Mr.  Dooley  graduated  from 
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a B.S. in Physics. 

Eric Lerner was appointed Senior Vice President and General Counsel in May 2012. He was previously a 
senior  corporate  partner  at  Kramer  Levin  Naftalis  &  Frankel,  a  corporate  partner,  Co-Chair  of  the  National 
Corporate Department and member of the Board of Directors of Katten Muchin Zavis Rosenman, and a corporate 
partner  and  Chair  of  the  Corporate  Department  of  Rosenman  &  Colin.  He  received  his  JD  degree  from  the 
University of Chicago and his undergraduate degree from SUNY Binghamton.  

Thomas Axmacher was appointed Vice President and Controller of the Company in October 2006.  He was 
previously  Chief  Financial  Officer  of  Curative  Health  Services,  Inc.,  a  publicly  traded  health  care  company,  and 
Vice President and Controller of Tempo Instrument Group, an electronics manufacturer.  Mr. Axmacher received his 
B.S. degree in Accounting from Albany University and his M.B.A. from Long Island University. 

18 

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL 
OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT 

The  following  table  provides  certain  information  regarding  the  beneficial  ownership  of  the  Shares  as  of 
April  15,  2013,  by  (i)  each  of  the  Directors,  (ii)  each  of  the  named  executive  officers  listed  in  the  summary 
compensation table, (iii) all current Directors and executive officers as a group and (iv) each person known to the 
Company to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of any class of the Company’s voting securities. 

As used in this table “beneficial ownership” means the sole or shared power to vote or direct the voting or 
to  dispose  or  direct  the  disposition  of  any  security.    A  person  is  deemed  as  of  any  date  to  have  “beneficial 
ownership”  of  any  security  that  such  person  owns  or  has  a  right  to  acquire  within  60  days  after  such  date.    Any 
security  that  any  person  named  above  has  the  right  to  acquire  within  60  days  is  deemed  to  be  outstanding  for 
purposes of calculating the ownership percentage of such person, but is not deemed to be outstanding for purposes 
of calculating the ownership percentage of any other person.  Unless otherwise stated, each person owns the reported 
shares directly and has the sole right to vote and determine whether to dispose of such shares. 

A total of 36,679,472  Shares were outstanding as of April 15, 2013. 

Richard Leeds (1) 
Bruce Leeds (2) 
Robert Leeds (3) 
Lawrence Reinhold (4) 
Robert D. Rosenthal (5) 
Stacy S. Dick(6) 
Marie Adler-Kravecas (7) 
All current Directors and executive officers of the Company (11 persons)(8) 

Amount 
and Nature 
of 
Beneficial 
Ownership 
(a) 
12,643,830 
9,438,869 
10,546,169 
327,920 
64,681 
37,557 
20,453 
25,874,838 

Percent of 
Class 

34.5% 
            25.7% 
28.8% 
* 
* 
* 
* 
70.5% 

Other Beneficial Owners of 5% or More of the Company’s Voting Stock 
Prescott General Partners LLC (9) 

2,054,411 

5.6% 

(a) 

* 

 (1) 

(2) 

Amounts listed in this column may include shares held in partnerships or trusts that are counted in more 
than one individual’s total. 

less than 1% 

Includes  2,091,087  shares  owned  by  Mr.  Richard  Leeds  directly,  1,647,908  shares  owned  by  the  Richard 
Leeds 2011 GRAT and 1,613,081 shares owned by the Richard Leeds 2010 GRAT. Also includes 1,838,583 
shares owned by a limited partnership of which Richard Leeds is the general partner, 235,850 shares owned 
by  a  limited  partnership  of  which  a  limited  liability  company  controlled  by  Richard  Leeds  is  the  general 
partner, 4,697,521 shares owned by trusts for the benefit of his brothers’ children for which Richard Leeds 
acts as co-trustee and 519,800 shares owned by a limited partnership in which Richard Leeds has an indirect 
pecuniary  interest.    Richard  Leeds’  mailing  address  is  Richard  Leeds,  c/o  Systemax  Inc.,  11  Harbor Park 
Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050. 

Includes 2,739,357 shares owned by Mr. Bruce Leeds directly, 1,005,753 shares owned by the Bruce Leeds 
2011 GRAT and 1,041,952 shares owned by the Bruce Leeds 2010 GRAT. Also includes 4,132,007 shares 
owned  by  trusts  for  the  benefit  of  his  brothers’  children  for  which  Bruce  Leeds  acts  as  co-trustee  and 
519,800  shares  owned  by  a  limited  partnership  in  which  Bruce  Leeds  has  an  indirect  pecuniary  interest.  
Bruce Leeds’ mailing address is Bruce Leeds, c/o Systemax Inc., 11 Harbor Park Drive, Port Washington, 
NY 11050. 

19 

 
 
 
 
 
(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

Includes 137,168 shares owned by Mr. Robert Leeds directly, 1,219,590 shares owned by the Robert Leeds 
2012 GRAT, 1,897,117 shares owned by the Robert Leeds 2011 GRAT and 2,086,838 shares owned by the 
Robert Leeds 2010 GRAT.  Also includes 4,685,656 shares owned by trusts for the benefit of his brothers’ 
children  for  which  Robert  Leeds  acts  as  co-trustee  and  519,800  shares  owned  by  a  limited  partnership  in 
which Robert Leeds has an indirect pecuniary interest.  Robert Leeds’ mailing address is Robert Leeds, c/o 
Systemax Inc., 11 Harbor Park Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050. 

Includes  options  to  acquire  a  total  of  262,500  shares  that  are  currently  exercisable  or  become  exercisable 
within 60 days pursuant to the terms of the Company’s 1999 Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan and 17,500 
restricted  stock  units  granted  pursuant  to  the  Company’s  2010  Long-Term  Incentive  Plan  that  will  vest 
within 60 days.  Also includes 500 shares held by Mr. Reinhold’s spouse, of which Mr. Reinhold disclaims 
beneficial ownership. 

Includes  options  to  acquire  a  total  of  9,000  shares  that  are  currently  exercisable  or  become  exercisable 
within  60  days  pursuant  to  the  terms  of  the  Company’s  1995  and  2006  Stock  Incentive  Plans  for  Non-
Employee  Directors  and  3,170  restricted  stock  units  granted  pursuant  to  the  Company’s  2006  Stock 
Incentive Plan for Non-Employee Directors that will vest within 60 days. 

Includes  options  to  acquire  a  total  of  9,000  shares  that  are  currently  exercisable  or  become  exercisable 
within  60  days  pursuant  to  the  terms  of  the  Company’s  1995  and  2006  Stock  Incentive  Plans  for  Non-
Employee  Directors  and  3,170  restricted  stock  units  granted  pursuant  to  the  Company’s  2006  Stock 
Incentive Plan for Non-Employee Directors that will vest within 60 days. 

Includes  options  to  acquire  a  total  of  5,000  shares  that  are  currently  exercisable  or  become  exercisable 
within  60  days  pursuant  to  the  terms  of  the  Company’s  2006  Stock  Incentive  Plan  for  Non-Employee 
Directors and 3,170 restricted stock units granted pursuant to the Company’s 2006 Stock Incentive Plan for 
Non-Employee Directors that will vest within 60 days. 

Includes  options  to  acquire  a  total  of  85,625  shares  that  are  currently  exercisable  or  become  exercisable 
within  60  days  and  5,000  restricted  stock  units  granted  pursuant  to  the  Company’s  2010  Long-Term 
Incentive Plan.   

(9)  Based  on  information  supplied  by  Prescott  General  Partners  LLC,  Thomas  W.  Smith  and  Scott  J. 
Vassalluzzo in a  Schedule 13G/A  filed  with the SEC on February 14, 2013. The address of the parties is 
2200 Butts Road, Suite 320, Boca Raton, FL 33431. Prescott General Partners LLC and Messrs Smith and 
Vassalluzzo  have  the  shared  power  to  vote  or  dispose  or  to  direct  the  vote  or  the  disposal  of  2,054,411, 
768,518 and 192,018, respectively. In addition, Prescott General Partners LLC has the sole power to vote or 
to direct the vote of 0 shares and the sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of 0 shares, Mr. Smith 
has the sole power to vote or to direct the vote of 600,000 shares and the sole power to dispose or to direct 
the disposition of 600,000 shares, and Mr. Vassalluzo has the sole power to vote or to direct the vote of 0 
 shares and the sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of 0 shares. The 13G/A is Amendment No. 
4  to  the  joint  filing  on  Schedule  13G  by  Thomas  W.  Smith,  Scott  J.  Vassalluzzo  and  Steven  M.  Fischer 
originally  filed  with  the SEC on July 13, 2009, as amended by  Amendment  No. 1  filed  with the  SEC on 
February 16, 2010, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on February 14, 2011 and Amendment No. 3 filed 
with the SEC on January 12, 2012.  

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance 

Section  16(a)  of  the  Exchange  Act  requires  the  Company’s  executive  officers  and  Directors  and  persons 
who own more than ten percent of a registered class of the Company’s equity securities to file reports of ownership 
and  changes  in  ownership  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission.  Executive  officers,  Directors  and  ten-
percent stockholders are required by SEC regulation to furnish the Company with copies of all Section 16(a) forms 
they file.  Based solely on its review of the copies of Section 16(a) forms received by it, or written representations 
from certain reporting persons, the Company believes its Executive Officers, Directors and ten-percent stockholders 
complied with all such filing requirements for fiscal year 2012, except for the following filings made on behalf of 
the named Directors that were inadvertently filed late by the Company: a Form 3 filing for Robert Dooley made on 
February 2, 2012 and a Form 4 filing for Benjamin White made on March 5, 2012. 

20 

 
TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS 

Under  the  Company’s  Corporate  Ethics  Policy,  all  officers,  Directors  and  employees  (collectively  the 
“Company  Representatives”)  are  required  to  avoid  conflicts  of  interest,  appearances  of  conflicts  of  interest  and 
potential  conflicts  of  interest.    A  “conflict  of  interest”  occurs  when  a  Company  Representative’s  private  interest 
interferes in any way with the interests of the Company.  A conflict can arise when a Company Representative takes 
actions or has interests that may make it difficult to perform his or her Company work objectively and effectively.  
Conflicts of interest also arise when a Company Representative, or a member of his or her family, receives improper 
personal  benefits  as  a  result  of  his  or  her  position  in  the  Company.    Company  Representatives  cannot  allow  any 
consideration such as the receipt of gifts or financial interests in other businesses or personal or family relationships 
to interfere with the independent exercise of his or her business judgment and work activities to the benefit of the 
Company.  Loans to, or guarantees of obligations of, Company Representatives are prohibited unless permitted by 
law and authorized by the Board or a Committee designated by the Board.  If a Company Representative becomes 
aware  of  a  potential  conflict  of  interest  he  or  she  must  communicate  such  potential  conflict  of  interest  to  the 
Company. 

The Company’s written corporate approval policy requires transactions with related persons, including but 
not  limited  to  leases  with  related  persons  and  sales  or  purchases  of  Company  assets  by  related  persons,  to  be 
reviewed and approved or ratified by the Company’s Audit Committee as well as by the Company’s Chief Executive 
Officer, Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel.  In this regard, all such transactions are first discussed with 
the Chief Financial Officer and are submitted to the General Counsel’s office, including for an initial determination 
of whether such further related person transaction review is required.  The Company utilizes the definition of related 
persons  under  applicable  SEC  rules,  defined  as  any  executive  officer,  director  or  nominee  for  director  of  the 
Company, any beneficial owner of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, or any 
immediate family member of any such person.  In reviewing these transactions, the Company strives to assure that 
the  terms  of  any  agreement  between  the  Company  and  a  related  party  is  at  arm’s  length,  fair  and  at  least  as 
beneficial  to  the  Company  as  could  be  obtained  from  third  parties.    The  Audit  Committee,  in  its  discretion,  may 
consult with third party appraisers, valuation advisors or brokers to make such determination. 

Leases 

The Company has leased its facility in Port Washington, NY since 1988 from an entity owned by Richard 
Leeds,  Bruce  Leeds  and  Robert  Leeds,  Directors  of  the  Company.    Rent  expense  under  this  lease  totaled 
approximately  $937,123  for  fiscal  year  2012.    The  Company  believes  that  these  payments  were  no  higher  than 
would be paid to an unrelated lessor for comparable space. 

Stockholders Agreement 

Certain members of the Leeds family (including Richard Leeds, Bruce Leeds and Robert Leeds) and family 
trusts of Messrs. Leeds entered into a stockholders agreement pursuant to which the parties agreed to vote in favor 
of the nominees for the Board designated by the holders of a majority of the Shares held by such stockholders at the 
time  of  the  Company’s  initial  public  offering  of  the  Shares.    In  addition,  the  agreement  prohibits  the  sale  of  the 
Shares without the consent of the holders of a majority of the Shares held by all parties to the agreement, subject to 
certain exceptions, including sales pursuant to an effective registration statement and sales made in accordance with 
Rule  144.    The  agreement  also  grants  certain  drag-along  rights  in  the  event  of  the  sale  of  all  or  a  portion  of  the 
Shares held by holders of a majority of the Shares.  As of the end of fiscal year 2012, the parties to the stockholders 
agreement beneficially owned 25,286,700 Shares subject to such agreement (constituting approximately 69% of the 
Shares outstanding). 

Pursuant  to  the  stockholders  agreement,  the  Company  granted  to  the  parties  demand  and  incidental,  or 
“piggy-back,” registration rights with respect to the Shares.  The demand registration rights generally provide that 
the holders of a majority of the Shares may require, subject to certain restrictions regarding timing and number of 
Shares  that  the  Company  register  under  the  Securities  Act  all  or  part  of  the  Shares  held  by  such  stockholders.  
Pursuant to the incidental registration rights, the Company is required to notify such stockholders of any proposed 
registration  of  any  Shares  under  the  Securities  Act  and  if  requested  by  any  such  stockholder  to  include  in  such 
registration any number of shares of Shares held by it subject to certain restrictions.  The Company has agreed to 
pay  all  expenses  and  indemnify  any  selling  stockholders  against  certain  liabilities,  including  under  the  Securities 
Act, in connection with the registration of Shares pursuant to such agreement. 

21 

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION 

Information for our equity compensation plans in effect as of the end of fiscal year 2012 is as follows: 

(a) 

(b) 

Number of 
securities to 
be issued 
upon 
exercise of 
outstanding 
options, 
warrants 
and rights 

Weighted-
average 
exercise price 
of outstanding 
options, 
warrants and 
rights 

(c) 
Number of 
securities 
remaining 
available for 
future 
issuance 
under equity 
compensation 
plans 
(excluding 
securities 
reflected in 
column (a)) 

Plan category 

Equity compensation plans approved by security holders 
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders 
Total 

1,353,059 
— 
1,353,059 

$15.88 
— 
$15.88 

6,512,500 
— 
6,512,500 

22 

 
 
 
 
 
 
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION 

Compensation Discussion and Analysis 

In this section, we discuss the material elements of our compensation programs and policies, including the 
objectives  of  our  compensation  programs  and  the  reasons  why  we  pay  each  element  of  our  executives’ 
compensation.  Following this discussion, you will find a series of tables containing more specific details about the 
compensation  earned  by,  or  awarded  to,  the  following  individuals,  whom  we  refer  to  as  the  Named  Executive 
Officers or NEOs.  This discussion focuses on compensation practices relating to the NEOs for our 2012 fiscal year. 

Our NEOs in 2012 (based on total 2012 compensation earned) were as follows: 

Name of NEO 
Richard Leeds 

Title 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 

Bruce Leeds 
Robert Leeds 

Vice Chairman 
Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the 
Company’s North American Technology 
Products Group 

Lawrence Reinhold  Executive Vice President and Chief 

David Sprosty* 

Financial Officer 
Former Chief Executive of the North 
American Technology Products Group 

* 

Mr.  Sprosty’s  employment  terminated  in  March  2013  at  which  time  he  was  replaced  by  Robert 
Leeds.    Compensation  information  for  Mr.  Sprosty  has  been  included,  as  he  was  a  NEO  as  of 
December 31, 2012. 

Central Objectives and Philosophy of Our Executive Compensation Programs 

The  Company’s  executive  compensation  programs  are  designed  to  achieve  a  number  of  important 
objectives,  including  attracting  and  retaining  individuals  of  superior  ability  and  managerial  talent,  rewarding 
individual contributions to the achievement of the Company’s short and long-term financial and business objectives, 
promoting integrity and good corporate governance, and motivating our executive officers to manage the Company 
in a manner that will enhance its growth and financial performance for the benefit of our stockholders, customers 
and employees.  Accordingly, in determining the amount and mix of compensation, the Compensation Committee 
seeks both to provide a competitive compensation package and to structure annual and long-term incentive programs 
that  reward  achievement  of  performance  goals  that  directly  correlate  to  the  enhancement  of  sustained,  long-term 
stockholder value, as well as to promote executive retention. 

Our  Compensation  Committee  seeks  to  design  compensation  programs  with  features  that  mitigate  risk 
without diminishing the incentive nature of the compensation.  The Company’s variable pay programs are designed 
to  reward  outstanding  individual  and  team  performance  while  mitigating  risk  taking  behavior  that  might  affect 
financial results.  Risk taking behavior includes the risk that an executive will take action that is detrimental to the 
Company’s long-term interest in order to increase the executive’s short-term performance-based compensation.  We 
believe our programs encourage and reward prudent business judgment and appropriate risk-taking over the  long-
term.  We believe the following factors are effective in mitigating risk relating to our compensation programs: 

•  Multiple Performance factors.  We use multiple performance factors that encourage executives to focus on 

the overall health of the business rather than a single financial measure. 

•  Award  Cap.    Our  2010,  2011,  2012  and  2013  NEO  Cash  Bonus  Plans  each  cap  the  maximum  award 

payable to any individual. 

23 

 
 
 
 
•  Clawback  Provision.    Our  NEO  Cash  Bonus  Plans  provide  the  Company  the  ability  to  recapture  all  or  a 
portion of cash awards (i) from our executive officers to the extent a bonus resulted from reported financial 
results  that  upon  restatement  of  such  results  (other  than  as  a  result  of  changes  in  accounting  principles) 
would  not  have  generated  the  bonus  or  would  have  generated  a  lower  bonus  or  (ii)  from  an  executive 
officer  if  the  Board  learns  of  any  misconduct  by  the  executive  officer  that  contributed  to  the  Company 
having  to  restate  all  or  a  portion  of  its  financial  statements.    In  addition,  the  Board  may  recapture  cash 
bonus  awards  from  an  executive  if  the  Board  determines  that  the  executive  engaged  in  serious  ethical 
misconduct. 

•  Management Processes.  Board and management processes are in place to oversee risk associated with the 
Company’s  operations.    Our  Board  as  a  whole  is  responsible  for  overseeing  the  Company’s  risk 
management  process.  The  Board  focuses  on  the  Company’s  general  risk  management  strategy,  the  most 
significant  risks  facing  the  Company,  and  seeks  to  ensure  that  appropriate  risk  mitigation  strategies  are 
implemented  by  management.    The  Company  has  enhanced  its  risk  management  processes,  and  risk 
management is now a recurring Audit Committee and Board quarterly agenda item, and is considered part 
of strategic planning.  The Board is also apprised of particular risk management matters in connection with 
its general oversight and approval of corporate matters and receives information relating to material risks 
affecting  the  Company  from  management  and  from  our  Legal,  Risk  Management/Insurance  and  Internal 
Audit departments. 

•  Long-Term  Equity  Compensation.    A  number  of  factors  mitigate  risks  inherent  in  long-term  equity 
compensation, specifically the vesting period for stock options and restricted stock unit grants, which we 
believe causes our executives to focus on long-term achievements and on building stockholder value. 

We  believe  that  our  compensation  policies  for  employees  generally  throughout  our  organization  are  not 
reasonably  likely  to  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our  company.    From  time  to  time  a  limited  number  of  key 
managers  are  eligible  to  receive  stock  options  and/or  restricted  stock  units  in  varying  amounts  based  on  the 
judgment of the Compensation Committee.  However, all awards are subject to years long vesting periods. 

Elements of Our Executive Compensation Programs 

To promote the objectives described above, our executive compensation programs consist of the following 

principal elements: 

•  Base salary; 

•  Non-equity incentive cash compensation, referred to for discussion purposes as bonuses; 

•  Stock–based incentives and 

•  Benefits, perquisites and other compensation. 

The Committee does not maintain formal policies for specifically allocating compensation among current 
and  long-term  compensation  or  among  cash  and  non-cash  compensation  elements.    Instead,  the  Committee 
maintains flexibility and adjusts different elements of compensation based upon its evaluation of the Company’s key 
compensation goals set forth above.  The Company does not have a formal policy regarding internal pay equity. 

Base Salary - Salary levels are subjectively determined based on individual and Company performance as 
well as an objective assessment of prevailing salary levels for comparable companies, derived from widely available 
published reports of the average of prevailing salary levels for comparable companies (based on industry, revenues, 
number  of  employees,  location  and  similar  factors)  in  the  Company’s  geographic  regions.    Such  reports  do  not 
identify  the  component  companies.    Mr.  Reinhold’s  and  Mr.  Sprosty’s  minimum  salary  is  set  pursuant  to  their 
respective employment agreements. 

Cash  Bonuses  -  Incentive  cash  compensation  of  the  Company’s  NEOs  under  the  2010,  2011,  2012  and 
2013  NEO  Cash  Bonus  Plans  described  below  (and  implemented  under  our  2010  Long-Term  Incentive  Plan, 

24 

described  below)  is  based  primarily  upon  an  evaluation  of  Company  performance  as  it  relates  to  three  general 
business areas: 

•  Operational  and  Financial  Performance  (utilizing  standard  metrics  such  as  net  sales,  operating  income, 
consolidated  net  income,  earnings  before  interest  and  taxes  (“EBIT”),  gross  margin,  operating  margin, 
earnings  per  share,  working  capital,  return  on  invested  capital,  stockholder  equity  and  peer  group 
comparisons); 

•  Strategic  Accomplishments  (including  growth  in  the  business,  implementation  of  systems,  process  and 
technology  improvements,  and  growth  in  the  value  of  the  Company’s  assets,  including  through  strategic 
acquisition transactions); and 

•  Corporate  Governance  and  Oversight  (encompassing  legal  and  regulatory  compliance  and  adherence  to 
Company  policies  including  the  timely  filing  of  periodic  reports  with  the  SEC,  the  Sarbanes-Oxley  Act, 
environmental, employment and safety laws and regulations and the Company’s corporate ethics policy). 

Pursuant  to  SEC  rules,  the  Company  is  not  disclosing  the  specific  performance  targets  and  actual 
performance  measures  for  the  goals  used  in  its  2010,  2011,  2012  and  2013  Bonus  Plans  because  they  represent 
confidential financial information that the Company does not disclose to the public, and the Company believes that 
disclosure  of  this  information  would  cause  us  competitive  harm.  The  Company  believes  that  these  performance 
goals were reasonably challenging to achieve.  Targets are set such that only exceptional performance will result in 
payouts  above  the  target  incentive  and  poor  performance  will  result  in  no  incentive  payment.    We  set  the  target 
performance  goals  at  a  level  for  which  there  is  a  reasonable  chance  of  achievement  based  upon  forecasted 
performance.  Scenarios were developed based upon a range of assumptions used to build our annual budget.  We 
did not perform specific analysis on the probability of the achievement of the target performance goals given that the 
market is difficult to predict.  Rather, we relied upon our experience in setting the goals guided by our objective of 
setting a reasonably attainable and motivationally meaningful goal. 

In determining the compensation of a particular executive, consideration is given to the specific corporate 

responsibilities that such executive is charged with as they relate to the foregoing business areas. 

Stock-Based Incentives -  Stock-based incentives, at the present time consisting of (a)  non-qualified stock 
options granted at 100% of the stock’s fair market value on the grant date (based on the NYSE closing price of the 
Company’s  common  stock  on  that  date)  and/or  (b)  restricted  stock  units  granted  subject  to  certain  conditions, 
constitute  the  long-term  portion  of  the  Company’s  executive  compensation  package.    Stock  based  compensation 
provides an incentive for executives to manage the Company with a view to achieving results which would increase 
the  Company’s  stock  price  over  the  long-term  and,  therefore,  the  return  to  the  Company’s  stockholders.    Stock 
option, restricted stock and restricted stock unit grants must be approved by the Compensation Committee; however, 
the Compensation Committee is permitted to delegate this authority to officers of the Company regarding awards to 
employees  who  are  not  officers  or  directors  of  the  Company  and  who  are  not,  and  are  not  expected  to  become, 
“covered employees” under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).  We 
do  not  use  any  specific  allocation  percentage  or  formula  in  determining  the  size  of  the  cash  and  equity  based 
components of compensation in relation to each other. 

The  Compensation  Committee  is  cognizant  of  the  timing  of  the  grant  of  stock  based  compensation  in 
relation  to  the  publication  of  Company  earnings  releases  and  other  public  announcements.    Stock  based 
compensation grants will not be made effective generally, until after the Company has disclosed, and the market has 
had an opportunity to react to, material, potentially market-moving, information concerning the Company. 

Richard Leeds, Bruce Leeds and Robert Leeds have not historically received stock options or other stock-
based incentives as part of their compensation since the Company’s initial public offering, and did not receive any 
such compensation in 2010, 2011 or 2012.  As described below, Mr. Reinhold received stock options in 2009 and 
2011  and  restricted  stock  units  in  2010  and  2011.    As  described  below,  Mr.  Sprosty  received  stock  options  and 
restricted stock units in 2011 in connection with his hiring. 

Benefits, Perquisites and Other Compensation - The Company provides various employee benefit programs 
to its employees, including NEOs.  These benefits include medical, dental, life and disability insurance benefits and 
our  401(k) plan,  which  includes Company contributions.   The Company also provides  Company-owned or leased 

25 

cars  or  automobile  allowances  and  related  reimbursements  to  certain  NEOs  and  certain  other  Company  managers 
which are not provided to all employees.  Certain Company executives also have or are entitled to receive severance 
payments,  and/or  change  of  control  payments  pursuant  to  negotiated  employment  agreements  they  have  with  the 
Company (see below).  The Company does not provide to executive officers any (a) pension benefits or (b) deferred 
compensation under any defined contribution or other plan on a basis that is not tax-qualified. 

Tax  Deductibility  Considerations.    It  is  our  policy  generally  to  qualify  compensation  paid  to  executive 
officers  for  deductibility  under  section  162(m)  of  the  Code.    Section  162(m)  generally  prohibits  deducting  the 
compensation of executive officers that exceeds $1,000,000 unless that compensation is based on the satisfaction of 
objective performance goals.  Our long-term incentive plans (the 1995 Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan, the 1999 
Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan, as amended, the 1995 Stock Option Plan for Non-Employee Directors, the 2006 
Stock  Incentive  Plan  for  Non-Employee  Directors,  and  the  2010  Long-Term  Incentive  Plan)  and  the  Systemax 
Executive  Incentive  Plan  are  structured  to  permit  awards  under  such  plans  to  qualify  as  performance-based 
compensation  and  to  maximize  the  tax  deductibility  of  such  awards.    However,  we  reserve  the  discretion  to  pay 
compensation to our executive officers that may not be deductible. 

Role of the Compensation Committee and CEO in Compensation Decisions 

The  Compensation  Committee’s  responsibility  is  to  review  and  approve  corporate  goals  relevant  to  the 
compensation of the Chief Executive Officer and, after an evaluation of the Chief Executive Officer’s performance 
in light of such goals, to set the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer.  The Compensation Committee also 
approves,  upon  the  recommendation  of  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  (following  consultation  with  the  two  Vice 
Chairmen,  the  Chief  Financial  Officer,    the  Chief  Executives  of  the  North  American  and  European  Technology 
Products  Groups  and  the  President  of  the  subsidiaries  comprising  the  Global  Industrial  business),  (a)  the  annual 
compensation  of  the  other  executive  officers  of  the  Company,  (b)  the  annual  compensation  of  certain  subsidiary 
managers, and (c) all individual stock incentive grants to other executive officers.  The Compensation Committee is 
also  responsible  for  reviewing  and  making  periodic  recommendations  to  the  Board  with  respect  to  the  general 
compensation,  benefits  and  perquisite  policies  and  practices  of  the  Company,  including  the  Company’s  stock-
incentive  based  compensation  plans.    The  Compensation  Committee  has  the  authority  to  retain  third  party 
compensation  consultants  to  provide  assistance  with  respect  to  compensation  strategies,  market  practices,  market 
research  data  and  the  Company’s  compensation  goals.    The  Compensation  Committee  did  not  retain  any  such 
consultant in 2010, 2011 or 2012.  

“Say on Pay” Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation 

We  provided  stockholders  a  “say  on  pay”  advisory  vote  on  executive  compensation  at  our  2011  annual 
meeting  of  stockholders  on  June  10,  2011,  as  required  under  the  Dodd-Frank  Wall  Street  Reform  and  Consumer 
Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”).  Our 2011 “say on pay” proposal to approve the compensation of 
the Company’s NEOs, as disclosed in the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2011 Annual Meeting, received 87% 
approval from stockholders. We take this strong stockholder support as an assurance that our executive pay program 
and  practices  are  reasonable  and  well-aligned  with  stockholder  expectations.  The  Compensation  Committee  and 
management  considered  the  results  of  that  vote,  and  given  the  high  approval  level,  our  executive  compensation 
program for fiscal 2013 will be consistent with our 2011 program.  Further, and in response to our stockholders vote 
on the frequency of say on pay advisory votes, we will hold an advisory vote on executive compensation every three 
years.  The  next  such  vote  will  be  held  at  the  2014  annual  meeting.    We  are  committed  to  being  responsive  to 
stockholder  feedback,  and  the  results  of  our  say  on  pay  votes  help  inform  the  Committee’s  discussions  about  the 
executive pay program. 

2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan 

In  2010,  the  Board  of  Directors  approved,  and  the  stockholders  of  the  Company  approved  at  the  2010 
Annual  Meeting,  the  2010  Long-Term  Incentive  Plan  in  order  to  promote  the  interests  of  the  Company  and  its 
stockholders  by  (i)  attracting  and  retaining  exceptional  executive  personnel  and  other  key  employees,  including 
consultants and advisors to the Company and its affiliates; (ii) motivating such employees, consultants and advisors 
by  means  of  performance-related  incentives  to  achieve  longer-range  performance  goals;  and  (iii)  enabling  such 
employees, consultants and advisors to participate in the long-term growth and financial success of the Company. 

26 

 
 
The  2010  Long-Term  Incentive  Plan  provides  for  the  granting  of  incentive  stock  options,  non-qualified 
stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance awards (which may be 
in  the  form  of  cash)  or  other  stock-based  awards.    Any  of  the  foregoing  is  referred  to as  an  “Award.”  Subject  to 
adjustment in the case of certain corporate changes, Awards may be granted under the 2010 Long-Term Incentive 
Plan with respect to an aggregate of 7,500,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock.  During a calendar year, 
Awards  may be granted to any individual  with respect to a  maximum  of 1,500,000 shares (or $10,000,000 in the 
case of cash performance awards). 

Any  employee  of  the  Company  or  of  any  affiliate  and  any  individual  providing  consulting  or  advisory 
services to the Company or an affiliate, is eligible to receive an award under the 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan.  
The Compensation Committee administers the Plan and determines, in its sole discretion, the terms and conditions 
of any  Award.  The Compensation  Committee or the Board of Directors  may delegate to one or  more officers or 
managers  of  the  Company  the  authority  to  designate  the  individuals  who  will  receive  Awards  under  the  Plan 
provided that the Compensation Committee shall itself grant all Awards to those individuals who could reasonably 
be considered to be subject to the insider trading provisions of Section 16 of the 1934 Act or whose Awards could 
reasonably be expected to be subject to the deduction limitations of Section 162(m) of the Code. 

The  Compensation  Committee  determines  the  persons  who  will  receive  Awards,  the  type  of  Awards 
granted, and the number of shares subject to each Award.  The Compensation Committee also determines the prices, 
expiration dates, vesting schedules, forfeiture provisions and other material features of Awards.  The Compensation 
Committee  has  the  authority  to  interpret  and  construe  any  provision  of  the  Plan  and  to  adopt  such  rules  and 
regulations for administering the Plan as it deems necessary or appropriate.  All decisions and determinations of the 
Compensation Committee are final, binding and conclusive on all parties. 

The 2010  Long-Term Incentive Plan provides that granting or vesting of restricted stock, restricted stock 
units and performance awards may be conditioned on the achievement of specified performance goals.  These goals 
must be established by the Compensation Committee within 90 days of the beginning of the year (or other period to 
which the performance goals relate) or, if shorter, within the first 25% of the performance period. 

The performance goals may be based on one or more of:  share price, revenues, earnings (including but not 
limited to EBITDA), earnings per share, return on equity, expenses, and objective strategic and governance business 
goals.  Each such performance goal may (1) be expressed with respect to the Company as a whole or with respect to 
one  or  more  divisions  or  business  units,  (2)  be  expressed  on  a  pre-tax  or  after-tax  basis,  (3)  be  expressed  on  an 
absolute  and/or  relative  basis,  (4)  employ  comparisons  with  past  performance  of  the  Company  (including  one  or 
more divisions) and/or (5) employ comparisons with the current or past performance of other companies, and in the 
case of earnings-based measures, may employ comparisons to capital, stockholders’ equity and shares outstanding. 

To the extent applicable, the measures used in performance goals set under the 2010 Long-Term Incentive 
Plan are determined in a manner consistent with the methods used in the Company’s Forms 10-K and 10-Q, except 
that adjustments will be made for certain items, including special, unusual or non-recurring items, acquisitions and 
dispositions and changes in accounting principles. 

2013 NEO Cash Bonus Plan 

In  March  2013,  pursuant  to  the  2010  Long-Term  Incentive  Plan  previously  adopted  by  the  Board  of 
Directors and by the stockholders at the 2010 Annual Meeting, our Compensation Committee, with input from our 
Chief Executive Officer, established our 2013 NEO Cash Bonus Plan (“2013 Bonus Plan
”) providing for target cash 
bonuses for the NEOs based on the achievement of certain financial and non-financial performance-based criteria in 
2013.  The 2013 Bonus Plan implements for 2013 the 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan and pertains specifically to 
the payment of non-equity incentive compensation to NEOs for 2013. The following discussion applies to 100% of 
the  2012  total  non-equity  incentive  compensation  for  each  of  Mr.  Richard  Leeds,  Mr.  Bruce  Leeds,  Mr.  Robert 
Leeds and Mr. Reinhold, and to the 25% portion of Mr. Dooley’s 2013 total non-equity incentive compensation that 
is based on the 2013 Bonus Plan. (Mr. Dooley is anticipated to be a Named Executive Officer for 2013). 

For 2013, such financial and non-financial goals, the percentage of the executive’s entire cash bonus tied to 

such goals and the weighting of each component under such goal, are as follows: 

•  Financial Goals (80% of total cash bonus target) 

27 

 
 
–  Adjusted Operating Income Growth (60%): the Compensation Committee believes this is the most 

important individual component and aligns the interests of our executives with those of our 
stockholders, in addition to building long-term value. Adjusted Operating Income is defined as 
operating income adjusted for unusual or nonrecurring items as determined by our Compensation 
Committee. 

–  Sales Growth (20%): the Compensation Committee believes top line sales growth is key to our 
Company achieving the scale necessary to remain competitive with larger companies.  Sales are 
defined as sales revenue net of returns on a constant currency basis. 

•  Non-Financial Goals for 2013 (20% of total cash bonus target) 

–  Strategic Accomplishments (seven specific goals weighted at an aggregated 80% of the total non-

financial goal): These goals relate to various strategic initiatives including enhancing both the North 
American and European Technology Product Group’s information technology systems, reducing our 
costs in Europe, including implementing our shared services center in Hungary, expanding the 
Industrial business through foreign sales initiatives and  the commercial launch of  a new online 
revenue channel for the Industrial business and the implementation of website enhancements and retail 
strategy initiatives to enhance North American Technology sales.  The Compensation Committee 
believes these initiatives will enhance the Company’s operational infrastructure and efficiency. 

–  Corporate Governance Goals for 2013 (three specific goals weighted at 20% of the total non-financial 
goal):   These goals relate to continuing improvements in our internal control  processes, ethics 
compliance procedures and safety protocols that the Compensation Committee believes will generally 
benefit stockholders. 

Achievement of each of the target  financial goals  generates a  variable target bonus payment (base case); 
reduced bonuses are payable on a pro rata basis for each financial goal component.  The bonus for the sales target 
financial  component  is  payable  starting  at  achievement  of  in  excess  of  80%  of  the  sales  target  financial  goal 
component amount  up to 140% of the sales target financial goal component amount.  Each 1%  variance in actual 
achievement  from  the  100%  level  generates  a  5%  variance  in  the  target  bonus  amount.  No  bonus  is  payable  in 
respect of this component if achievement is 80% or less of the sales target while increased bonuses (up to 300% of 
the  target  bonus  amount)  are  payable  on  a  pro  rata  basis  for  over  achievement  of  the  sales  target  financial  goal 
component.    The adjusted operating income financial goal component is payable at a level of 100% if the target is 
achieved.   Each  $1  million  variance  in  actual  achievement  below  the  100%  level  will  generate  a  5%  negative 
variance in the target bonus amount.  Each $750 thousand variance in actual achievement above the 100% level will 
generate a 5% positive variance in the target bonus amount up to 300% of the target bonus for this target financial 
component.  The non-financial goals are measured based on whether or not the goal is either accomplished or not 
accomplished during the fiscal year. 

 Under the 2013 Bonus Plan, the Compensation Committee set the following cash bonus target amounts for 
each  of  Mr.  Richard  Leeds,  Mr.  Bruce  Leeds,  Mr.  Robert  Leeds  and  Mr.  Reinhold,  assuming  achievement  of  the 
2013  Cash  Bonus  Plan  financial  and  non-financial  goals  at  100%  base  case  target  levels,  and  in  the  case  of  Mr. 
Dooley  (anticipated  to  be  a  Named  Executive  Officer  for  2013)  achievement  of  such  2013  Bonus  Plan  goals  at 
100% base case target levels (25% of the bonus) as well as achievement of the financial and non-financial goals of 
the Industrial Products Group at 100% base case target levels (75% of the bonus), as discussed above: 

Richard Leeds 
Bruce Leeds 
Robert Leeds 
Lawrence Reinhold 
Robert Dooley 

$1,100,000 
$   750,000 
$   750,000 
$   825,000 
$   414,000 

The Compensation Committee believes these bonus levels are appropriate for each of our named executive 
officers; these bonus levels are the same as those that were set for the named executive officers in 2012 (other than 
for  Mr.  Dooley).    The  2013  salary  increases  reflect  the  Compensation  Committee’s  view  that  such  increases  are 
appropriate in light of 2013 NEO bonuses being set at the same level as 2012. 

28 

 
The 2013 Bonus Plan imposes a cap on the total bonus that could be payable to any executive at 260% of 
the  target  base  case  bonus.    The  Compensation  Committee  has  the  discretion  to  adjust  financial  targets  based  on 
such  events  as  acquisitions  or  other  one-time  charges  or  gains,  or  other  unforeseen  circumstances  that  can  skew 
normal operating results.  Targets and bonuses are also subject to adjustment to prevent unreasonable results in the 
strict  application  of  these  formulas.    Executives  must  generally  be  employed  with  the  Company  at  the  time  the 
bonuses are paid out to receive the bonus. 

In addition, the Board can demand repayment to the Company of any cash bonuses paid in the event that (i) 
the  executive’s  misconduct  caused  the  Company  to  restate  its  reported  financial  results;  (ii)  the  reported  results 
created a bonus that would not have been paid based on the restated results, or (ii) the executive engages in serious 
ethical misconduct. 

2012 NEO Cash Bonus Plan 

In  March  2012,  pursuant  to  the  2010  Long-Term  Incentive  Plan  previously  adopted  by  the  Board  of 
Directors and by the stockholders at the 2010 Annual Meeting, our Compensation Committee, with input from our 
Chief Executive Officer, established our 2012 NEO Cash Bonus Plan (“2012 Bonus Plan
”) providing for target cash 
bonuses for the NEOs based on the achievement of certain financial and non-financial performance-based criteria in 
2012.  The 2012 Bonus Plan implemented for 2012 the 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan and pertains specifically to 
the payment of non-equity incentive compensation to NEOs for 2012. The following discussion applies to 100% of 
the  2012  total  non-equity  incentive  compensation  for  each  of  Mr.  Richard  Leeds,  Mr.  Bruce  Leeds,  Mr.  Robert 
Leeds and Mr. Reinhold, and to the 25% portion of Mr. Sprosty’s 2012 total non-equity incentive compensation that 
is based on the 2012 NEO Cash Bonus Plan, as discussed below. 

For 2012, such financial and non-financial goals, the percentage of the executive’s entire cash bonus tied to 

such goals and the weighting of each component under such goal, were as follows: 

•  Financial Goals (80% of total cash bonus target) 

–  Adjusted Operating Income Growth (60%): the Compensation Committee believes this is the most 

important individual component and aligns the interests of our executives with those of our 
stockholders, in addition to building long-term value. Adjusted Operating Income is defined as 
operating income adjusted for unusual or nonrecurring items as determined by our Compensation 
Committee. 

–  Sales Growth (20%): the Compensation Committee believes top line sales growth is key to our 
Company achieving the scale necessary to remain competitive with larger companies.  Sales are 
defined as sales revenue net of returns on a constant currency basis. 

•  Non-Financial Goals for 2012 (20% of total cash bonus target) 

–  Strategic Accomplishments (eight specific goals weighted at an aggregated 80% of the total non-

financial goal): These goals relate to various strategic initiatives including enhancing both the North 
American and European Technology Product Group’s information technology systems, reducing our 
costs in Europe, expanding the Industrial business’s distribution capacity through the operation of our 
new distribution center, the  development of  a new online revenue channel for the Industrial business 
and the creation and implementation of a long-term incentive compensation program for the 
Company’s senior management .  The Compensation Committee believes these initiatives will enhance 
the Company’s operational infrastructure and efficiency. 

–  Corporate Governance Goals for 2012 (three specific goals weighted at 20% of the total non-financial 
goal):   These goals relate to continuing improvements in our internal control  processes, ethics 
compliance procedures and safety protocols that the Compensation Committee believes will generally 
benefit stockholders. 

Achievement of each of the target  financial goals  generates a  variable target bonus payment (base case); 
reduced  bonuses  are  payable  on  a  pro  rata  basis  for  each  financial  goal  component,  starting  at  achievement  of  in 
excess  of  80%  of  the  target  financial  goal  component  amount  up  to  140%  of  the  target  financial  goal  component 

29 

 
 
amount.  Each 1% variance in actual achievement from the 100% level generates a 5% variance in the target bonus 
amount for that component, and no bonus is payable in respect of these components if achievement is 80% or less of 
the target financial component goal amount.  Increased bonuses (up to 300% of the target bonus amount for each 
component) are payable on a pro rata basis for each financial goal component amount achieved.  The non-financial 
goals are measured based on whether or not the goal is either accomplished or not accomplished during the fiscal 
year. 

 Under the 2012 Bonus Plan, the Compensation Committee set the following cash bonus target amounts for 
each  of  Mr.  Richard  Leeds,  Mr.  Bruce  Leeds,  Mr.  Robert  Leeds  and  Mr.  Reinhold,  assuming  achievement  of  the 
2012 NEO Cash Bonus Plan financial and non-financial goals at 100% base case target levels, and in the case of Mr. 
Sprosty, achievement of such 2012 NEO Cash Bonus Plan goals at 100% base case target levels (25% of the bonus) 
as well as achievement of the financial and non-financial goals of the North American Technology Products Group 
at 100% base case target levels (75% of the bonus), as discussed above: 

Richard Leeds 
Bruce Leeds 
Robert Leeds 
Lawrence Reinhold 
David Sprosty 

$1,100,000 
$   750,000 
$   750,000 
$   825,000 
$   700,000 

The Compensation Committee believes these bonus levels are appropriate for each of our named executive 
officers; these bonus levels are the same as those that were set for the named executive officers in 2011.  The 2012 
salary  increases  reflect  the  Compensation  Committee’s  view  that  such  increases  are  appropriate  in  light  of  2012 
NEO bonuses being set at the same level as 2011. 

The 2012 Bonus Plan imposed a cap on the total bonus that could be payable to any executive at 260% of 
the  target  base  case  bonus.    The  Compensation  Committee  has  the  discretion  to  adjust  financial  targets  based  on 
such  events  as  acquisitions  or  other  one-time  charges  or  gains,  or  other  unforeseen  circumstances  that  can  skew 
normal operating results.  Targets and bonuses are also subject to adjustment to prevent unreasonable results in the 
strict  application  of  these  formulas.    Executives  must  generally  be  employed  with  the  Company  at  the  time  the 
bonuses are paid out to receive the bonus. 

In addition, the Board can demand repayment to the Company of any cash bonuses paid in the event that (i) 
the  executive’s  misconduct  caused  the  Company  to  restate  its  reported  financial  results;  (ii)  the  reported  results 
created a bonus that would not have been paid based on the restated results, or (ii) the executive engages in serious 
ethical misconduct. 

2011 NEO Cash Bonus Plan 

In  March  2011,  pursuant  to  the  2010  Long-Term  Incentive  Plan  previously  adopted  by  the  Board  of 
Directors and by the stockholders at the 2010 Annual Meeting, our Compensation Committee, with input from our 
Chief Executive Officer, established our 2011 NEO Cash Bonus Plan (“2011 Bonus Plan
”) providing for target cash 
bonuses for the NEOs based on the achievement of certain financial and non-financial performance-based criteria in 
2011.  The 2011 Bonus Plan implemented for 2011 the 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan and pertains specifically to 
the payment of non-equity incentive compensation to NEOs for 2011. 

For 2011, such financial and non-financial goals, the percentage of the executive’s entire cash bonus tied to 

such goals and the weighting of each component under such goal, were as follows: 

•  Financial Goals (80% of total cash bonus target) 

–  Adjusted Operating Income Growth (60%): the Compensation Committee believes this is the most 

important individual component and aligns the interests of our executives with those of our 
stockholders, in addition to building long-term value. Adjusted Operating Income is defined as 
operating income adjusted for unusual or nonrecurring items as determined by our Compensation 
Committee. 

30 

 
–  Sales Growth (20%): the Compensation Committee believes topline sales growth is key to our 

Company achieving the scale necessary to remain competitive with larger companies.  Sales are 
defined as sales revenue net of returns on a constant currency basis. 

•  Non-Financial Goals for 2011 (20% of total cash bonus target) 

–  Strategic Accomplishments (seven specific goals weighted at an aggregated 70% of the total non-

financial goal): These goals relate to various strategic initiatives relating to enhancing our management 
and business information systems, and implementing distribution/warehouse system improvements.  
The Compensation Committee believes these initiatives will enhance the Company’s operational 
infrastructure and efficiency. 

–  Corporate Governance Goals for 2011 (three specific goals weighted at 30% of the total non-financial 

goal):   These goals relate to continuing improvements in our internal processes and procedures that the 
Compensation Committee believes will generally benefit stockholders. 

Under the 2011 Bonus Plan, the Compensation Committee set the following cash bonus target amounts for 
each of the following  NEOs, assuming achievement of the 2011 financial and non-financial goals at 100% base case 
target levels: 

Richard Leeds 
Bruce Leeds 
Robert Leeds 
Lawrence Reinhold 

$1,100,000 
$   750,000 
$   750,000 
$   825,000 

The Compensation Committee believes these bonus levels are appropriate for each of our named executive 
officers; these bonus levels are the same as those that were set for the named executive officers for 2010, and take 
into account the 2011 base salary increases.  The 2011 salary increases reflect the Compensation Committee’s view 
that  such  increases  were appropriate in light of 2011 NEO bonuses being set at the  same level as 2010 and 2010 
NEO base salary having been held at the same level as 2009. 

David  Sprosty,  a  former  named  executive  officer,  joined  the  Company  in  October,  2011,  and  left  the 
Company’s  employ  in  March  2013.    See  “Employment  Arrangements  with  Named  Executive  Officers”  and 
“Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change of Control.” 

Under the 2011 Bonus Plan,  achievement of each of the target financial goals generates a variable target 
bonus  payment  (base  case);  reduced  bonuses  are  payable  on  a  pro  rata  basis  for  each  financial  goal  component, 
starting at achievement of in excess of 80% of the target financial goal component amount up to 140% of the target 
financial goal component amount.  Each 1%  variance in actual achievement  from the 100% level  generates a 5% 
variance in the target bonus amount for that component, and no bonus is payable in respect of these components if 
achievement is 80% or less of the target financial component goal amount.  Increased bonuses (up to 300% of the 
target bonus amount for each component) are payable on a pro rata basis for each financial goal component amount 
achieved.    The  non-financial  goals  are  measured  based  on  whether  or  not  the  goal  is  either  accomplished  or  not 
accomplished during the fiscal year. 

The 2011 Bonus Plan imposed a cap on the total bonus that could be payable to any executive at 260% of 
the  target  base  case  bonus.    The  Compensation  Committee  had  the  discretion  to  adjust  financial  targets  based  on 
such  events  as  acquisitions  or  other  one-time  charges  or  gains,  or  other  unforeseen  circumstances  that  can  skew 
normal operating results.  Targets and bonuses are also subject to adjustment to prevent unreasonable results in the 
strict  application  of  these  formulas.    Executives  must  generally  be  employed  with  the  Company  at  the  time  the 
bonuses are paid out to receive the bonus. 

In  addition,  under  the  2011  Bonus  Plan,  the  Board  can  demand  repayment  to  the  Company  of  any  cash 
bonuses paid in the event that (i) the executive’s  misconduct caused the  Company to restate its reported financial 
results; (ii) the reported results created a bonus that would not have been paid based on the restated results, or (ii) the 
executive engages in serious ethical misconduct. 

31 

 
 
2010 NEO Cash Bonus Plan 

In March 2010, pursuant to the 2010 Long-Term Incentive Plan, our Compensation Committee, with input 
from our Chief Executive Officer, established our 2010 NEO Cash Bonus Plan (“2010 Bonus Plan
”) providing for 
target  cash  bonuses  for  the  NEOs  based  on  the  achievement  of  certain  financial  and  non-financial  performance-
based  criteria  in  2010.    The  2010  Bonus  Plan  implemented  for  2010  the  2010  Long-Term  Incentive  Plan  and 
pertains specifically to the payment of non-equity incentive compensation to NEOs for 2010. 

For 2010, such financial and non-financial goals, the percentage of the executive’s entire cash bonus tied to 

such goals and the weighting of each component under such goal, were as follows: 

•  Financial Goals (80% of total cash bonus target) 

–  Adjusted Operating Income Growth (50%): the Compensation Committee believes this is the most 

important individual component and aligns the interests of our executives with those of our 
stockholders, in addition to building long-term value. Adjusted Operating Income is defined as 
operating income adjusted for unusual or nonrecurring items as determined by our Compensation 
Committee. 

–  Sales Growth (20%): the Compensation Committee believes top line sales growth is key to our 

Company remaining competitive with larger companies.  Sales are defined as sales revenue net of 
returns on a constant currency basis. 

–  Return on Invested Capital Growth (10%): the Compensation Committee believes this will encourage 

management to pursue operational efficiencies in establishing strategic goals and planning for growth.  
Return on Invested Capital is defined as adjusted operating income divided by the sum of (i) the book 
value of stockholders’ equity plus the book value of interest-bearing obligations minus total cash and 
cash equivalents. 

•  Non-Financial Goals for 2010 (20% of total cash bonus target) 

–  Strategic Accomplishments (six specific goals weighted at an aggregated 80% of the total non-

financial goal): These goals relate to various strategic initiatives that the Compensation Committee 
believes will enhance the Company’s operational infrastructure. 

–  Corporate Governance Goals for 2010 (two specific goals weighted at 20% of the total non-financial 

goal):   These goals relate to continuing improvements in our internal processes that the Compensation 
Committee believes will generally benefit stockholders. 

Under the 2010 Bonus Plan, the Compensation Committee set the following cash bonus target amounts for 
each of the following NEOs, assuming achievement of the 2010 financial and non-financial goals at 100% base case 
target levels: 

Richard Leeds 
Bruce Leeds 
Robert Leeds 
Lawrence Reinhold 

$1,100,000 
$   750,000 
$   750,000 
$   825,000 

Under the 2010 Bonus Plan,  achievement of each of the target financial goals generates a variable target 
bonus  payment  (base  case);  reduced  bonuses  are  payable  on  a  pro  rata  basis  for  each  financial  goal  component, 
starting at achievement of in excess of 80% of the target financial goal component amount up to 140% of the target 
financial goal component amount.  Each 1%  variance in actual achievement  from the 100% level  generates a 5% 
variance in the target bonus amount for that component, and no bonus is payable in respect of these components if 
achievement is 80% or less of the target financial component goal amount.  Increased bonuses (up to 300% of the 
target bonus amount for each component) are payable on a pro rata basis for each financial goal component amount 
achieved.    The  non-financial  goals  are  measured  based  on  whether  or  not  the  goal  is  either  accomplished  or  not 
accomplished during the fiscal year. 

32 

 
The 2010 Bonus Plan imposed a cap on the total bonus that could be payable to any executive at 260% of 
the  target  base  case  bonus.    The  Compensation  Committee  had  the  discretion  to  adjust  financial  targets  based  on 
such  events  as  acquisitions  or  other  one-time  charges  or  gains,  or  other  unforeseen  circumstances  that  can  skew 
normal operating results.  Targets and bonuses are also subject to adjustment to prevent unreasonable results in the 
strict  application  of  these  formulas.    Executives  must  generally  be  employed  with  the  Company  at  the  time  the 
bonuses are paid out to receive the bonus. 

In addition, under the 2010 Bonus Plan, the Board can demand repayment to the Company of any cash 

bonuses paid in the event that (i) the executive’s misconduct caused the Company to restate its reported financial 
results; (ii) the reported results created a bonus that would not have been paid based on the restated results, or (ii) the 
executive engages in serious ethical misconduct. 

Compensation of NEOs in 2012 

In  determining  the  compensation  of  the  Company’s  Chief  Executive  Officer  for  fiscal  year  2012  and 
approving  the  compensation  of  the  Company’s  other  NEOs,  the  Committee  considered,  among  the  other  factors 
discussed above, the achievement of the performance based criteria established under the 2012 Bonus Plan. 

The Compensation Committee determined that the Company and management had performed adequately, 
particularly given trends in the general economic environment that had affected the Company’s business throughout 
fiscal 2012, and that management had executed acceptably on strategic business initiatives to position the Company 
for  growth  while  managing  risk.    Based  on  Company  and  individual  performance,  the  Compensation  Committee 
believes  that  compensation  levels  for  fiscal  year  2012  were  consistent  with  the  philosophy  and  objectives  of  the 
Company’s  compensation  programs.    The  Company  met  certain  of  its  2012  corporate  governance  non-financial 
goals described above; however, the Compensation Committee exercised discretion under the 2012 Bonus Plan to 
defer  or  eliminate  certain  of  the  original  strategic  goals  to  take  account  of  the  difficulties  faced  by  the  North 
American Technology Products Group business in 2012 in order to focus management on other initiatives, resulting 
in  full  payout  of  the  portion  of  the  bonus  allocated  to  non-financial  goals.    Furthermore,  the  Company  did  not 
achieve  its 2012 minimum adjusted operating income and/or its target  sales growth financial  goals.   Accordingly, 
pursuant  to  the  2012  Bonus  Plan  formulas,  2012  non-equity  incentive  plan/bonus  compensation  for  each  named 
executive officer was paid at only 36% of the target level. 

The  2012  threshold,  target  and  maximum  bonus  amounts  for  each  of  our  named  executive  officers  are 

found in the “Grants of Plan-Based Awards” table on page 36. 

Employment Arrangements of the Named Executive Officers 

Richard Leeds 

Richard Leeds has no employment agreement and is an “at will” employee.  Base salary accounted for 61% 
and bonus accounted for 39% of Mr. Leeds total cash compensation for 2012.  Mr. Leeds salary for 2013 is set at 
$667,000.    See  the  discussion  of  our  2011  Bonus  Plan  and  2012  Bonus  Plan  regarding  Mr.  Leeds  non-equity 
incentive awards for 2011 and 2012. 

Bruce Leeds 

Bruce Leeds has no employment agreement and is an “at will” employee.  Base salary accounted for 66% 
and bonus accounted for 34% of Mr. Leeds total cash compensation for 2012.  Mr. Leeds salary for 2013 is set at 
$543,000.    See  the  discussion  of  our  2012  Bonus  Plan  and  2013  Bonus  Plan  regarding  Mr.  Leeds  non-equity 
incentive awards for 2012 and 2013. 

Robert Leeds 

Robert Leeds has no employment agreement and is an “at will” employee.  Base salary accounted for 66%  
and bonus accounted for 34%  of Mr. Leeds total cash compensation for 2012.  Mr. Leeds salary for 2013 is set at 
$555,000.    See  the  discussion  of  our  2012  Bonus  Plan  and  2013  Bonus  Plan  regarding  Mr.  Leeds  non-equity 
incentive awards for 2012 and 2013. 

33 

Lawrence Reinhold 

The  Company  entered  into  an  employment  agreement  with  Mr.  Reinhold  on  January  17,  2007.    The 
agreement  provides  for  a  minimum  base  salary  of  $400,000  (which  may  be  increased  at  the  discretion  of  the 
Company)  and  a  bonus  (which  the  agreement  states  is  expected  to  be  at  least  equal  to  50%  of  the  base  salary) 
assuming  Mr.  Reinhold  meets  certain  performance  objectives  (including  the  Company’s  financial  performance 
objectives) established for him by the Company.  He is entitled to receive a car allowance or a Company-leased car. 

Mr.  Reinhold’s  bonus  for  2012  was  determined  as  described  above  under  the  heading  2012  Named 
Executive Officer Cash Bonus Plan.  Mr. Reinhold received a grant of equity compensation in 2011 in the form of 
stock options. The decision by the Compensation Committee to award Mr. Reinhold stock options was based on Mr. 
Reinhold’s significant accomplishments  in 2011 as  well as a desire to further align  his interests  with those of the 
Company’s stockholders.  Base salary accounted for 67% and bonus accounted for 33% of Mr. Reinhold’s total cash 
compensation  for 2012.  In 2010, Mr. Reinhold received a grant of 175,000 restricted stock  units under the 2010 
Long-Term  Incentive  Plan.    The  restricted  stock  units  vest  in  ten  equal  annual  installments  of  17,500  units  each, 
beginning on May 15, 2011.  In 2011, Mr. Reinhold received a grant of 100,000 restricted stock units that vest in ten 
equal installments beginning on November 14, 2012. The Compensation Committee decided to make these equity 
awards  in  recognition  of  Mr.  Reinhold’s  accomplishments  in  2010  and  2011  and  in  order  to  further  align  his 
interests with those of our stockholders.  His salary for 2013 is set at $628,000. 

Compensation  that  may  become  payable  following  the  termination  of  his  employment  or  a  change  in 
control of the company, and other terms of the employment agreement related to such events, are discussed below 
under “—Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control.” 

David Sprosty 

The  Company  entered  into  an  employment  agreement  with  Mr.  Sprosty  on  October  3,  2011,  whose 
employment  with  the  Company  terminated  on  March  1,  2013.    The  agreement  provided  for  a  base  salary  of 
$700,000 and cash bonuses. Under the employment agreement,  Mr. Sprosty was eligible for (i) a target cash bonus 
of $700,000 during each year of employment (prorated for the first year and based on assumed achievement at target 
level) assuming Mr. Sprosty met certain performance objectives established for him by the Company; 75% of the 
bonus was based on performance objectives of the North American Technology Products Group for the applicable 
year and 25% of the bonus was based on certain Company financial performance objectives under the Company’s 
Named  Executive  Officer  Cash  Bonus  Plan  for  the  applicable  year;  and  (ii)  a  special  one-time  cash  bonus  of 
$2,000,000  upon  the  North  American  Technology  Products  Group’s  achievement  of  profitability  targets,  as 
determined pursuant to the agreement, for two consecutive full fiscal years, with the first year being no later than 
December 31, 2014.  Of the 75% portion of Mr. Sprosty’s bonus that was based on performance objectives of the 
North American Technology Products Group, 60% (45% of the total bonus) was based on achieving financial goals 
for  increasing  operating  income  and  sales,  and  40%  (30%  of  the  total  bonus)  was  based  on  non-financial  goals 
involving implementing various information technology enhancements and retail store improvements. Achievement 
of the target  financial  goals  set for Mr.  Sprosty  generated a variable target bonus payment (base case); a reduced 
bonus  was  payable  for  the    financial  goal  component,  starting  at  achievement  of  in  excess  of  70%  of  the  target 
financial goal component amount up to 150% of the target financial goal component amount.  No bonus was payable 
in respect of these components if achievement was 70% or less of the target financial component goal amount.  An 
increased bonus (up to 200% of the target bonus amount for each component) was payable for each financial goal 
component amount achieved.  The non-financial goals were measured based on whether or not the goal was either 
accomplished or not accomplished during the fiscal year. 

In 2012 Mr. Sprosty received a one-time cash relocation bonus of $300,000 upon his relocation to Miami, 
Florida, plus $250,000 of additional reimbursements for his relocation to Miami. Mr. Sprosty has also been granted 
an option to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock pursuant to the Company’s Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan 
(vesting over a period of four years with 25% of the options vesting on the first, second, third and fourth anniversary 
dates of the grant date; only the first installment vested prior to his termination), and a grant of 100,000 restricted 
stock  units  of  the  Company’s  common  stock  in  accordance  with  the  Company’s  2010  Long-Term  Incentive  Plan 
(vesting over ten years in equal installments on each of the first ten anniversaries of the grant date; as of the date of 
Mr.  Sprosty’s  termination,  Mr.  Sprosty  became  immediately  vested  in  all  non-vested  restricted  stock  units  and 

34 

 
became immediately entitled to a distribution of that number of shares of common stock of the Company that was 
represented by those vested restricted stock units).  He was also entitled to receive a car allowance or a Company-
leased car. 

Base salary accounted for 85% and bonus accounted for 15% of Mr. Sprosty’s total cash compensation for 

2012.  Mr. Sprosty was not employed by the Company in 2010. 

Compensation became payable to Mr. Sprosty following the termination of his employment in March 2013, 

as described below under “—Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control.” 

Compensation Committee Report to Stockholders* 

The Compensation Committee of the Board has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and 
Analysis required by Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K, which appears in this proxy statement, with our management.  
Based  on  this  review  and  discussion,  the  Compensation  Committee  recommended  to  the  Board  that  the 
Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this proxy statement on Schedule 14A. 

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE 
Robert D. Rosenthal (Chairman) 
Stacy S. Dick 
Marie Adler-Kravecas 

*    The information contained in this Compensation Committee Report shall not be deemed to be “soliciting 
material” or to be “filed” with the SEC, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any 
filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, which we refer to as the Securities Act, or under the 
Exchange Act, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate this information by reference into any 
such filing. 

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation 

The  members  of  the  Company’s  Compensation  Committee  for  fiscal  year  2012  were  Marie  Adler-
Kravecas,  Robert  D.  Rosenthal  and  Stacy  S.  Dick.    The  Company  does  not  employ  any  member  of  the 
Compensation  Committee  and  no  member  of  the  Compensation  Committee  has  ever  served  as  an  officer  of  the 
Company.    In  addition,  none  of  our  directors  serving  on  the  Compensation  Committee  has  any  relationship  that 
requires disclosure under SEC regulations. 

35 

 
 
 
SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE 

The f ollowing t able s ets  forth t he co mpensation ear ned  by t he  Chief E xecutive  Officer ( “CEO”, o ur 
principal ex ecutive o fficer),  Chief F inancial O fficer ( “CFO”, o ur p rincipal f inancial o fficer), an d t he t hree  most 
highly compensated executive officers other than the CEO and CFO (collectively the “Named Executive Officers”) 
for fiscal years 2010, 2011 and 2012: 

Name and 
Principal 
Position 
Richard Leeds 
Chairman and 
Chief Executive 
Officer 

Bruce Leeds 
Vice Chairman  

Year 
2012 
2011 
2010 

2012 
2011 
2010 

2012 
2011 
2010 

Robert Leeds 
Vice Chairman and 
Chief Executive-
North American 
Technology 
Products Group 

Salary 
    ($) 
648,000 
609,000 
567,000 

526,000 
499,000 
470,000 

538,000 
506,000 
470,000 

Bonus 
    ($) 

Stock 
Awards 
    ($) 

Option 
Awards 
($) (1) 

Non-Equity 
Incentive Plan 
Compensation 
($) (2) 

396,000 
781,000 
462,000 

270,000 
533,000 
315,000 

270,000 
533,000 
315,000 

All Other 
Compensation 
($) 
21,477(3) 
18,958 
23,704 

Total 
($) 
1,065,477 
1,408,958 
1,052,704 

21,600(3) 
21,600 
20,349 

21,600(3) 
21,600 
19,064 

    817,600 
 1,053,600 
    798,291 

    829,600 
 1,060,600 
    797,006 

2012 
2011 
2010 

608,000 
500,000 
471,912 

1,430,000 
2,168,250 

    489,025 

297,000 
586,000 
346,500 

82,850(4) 
29,709 
23,776 

    987,850 
 3,031,996 
 3,010,438 

Lawrence 
Reinhold 
Executive Vice 
President and 
Chief Financial 
Officer 

718,000 
145,385(6)  

1,164,000  1,018,210 

124,000 
175,000 

47,850(4) 
5,953 

    889,850 
 2,517,522 

2012 
2011 

David Sprosty 
Former Chief 
Executive  
– North American 
Technology 
Products  Group(5) 

(1) 

This column represents the f air value of  the s tock option on t he grant date determined in accordance with the 
provisions  of A SC  718. A s pe r S EC r ules r elating t o e xecutive c ompensation di sclosure, t he a mounts s hown 
exclude t he i mpact  of f orfeitures r elated t o s ervice b ased v esting co nditions. T hese a mounts w ere cal culated 
using  the B lack-Scholes opt ion-pricing m odel.  F or a dditional i nformation r egarding a ssumptions m ade i n 
calculating t he am ount r eflected i n t his co lumn, p lease r efer  to N ote 9 t o o ur a udited c onsolidated  financial 
statements, included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal year 2012. 

 (2)         The 2010  figures in t his c olumn r epresent the a mount e arned  in  fiscal  year 2010 ( although  paid i n f iscal  year 
2011) pursuant to the 2010 Bonus Plan, the 2011 f igures in this column represent the amount earned in f iscal 
year 2011 ( although pa id i n f iscal  year 2012)  pur suant t o t he 2011 B onus P lan a nd t he 20 12 f igures i n t his 
column represent the amount earned in fiscal year 2012 (although paid in fiscal year 2013) pursuant to the 2012 
Bonus Plan.  For more information, see the Grants of Plan-Based Awards table below.  Because these payments 
were based on predetermined performance metrics, these amounts are reported in the Non-Equity Incentive Plan 
column. 

(3)          Auto-related expenses. 

(4)          Includes auto-related e xpenses,  Company 401(k)  contributions  and dividend  equivalent  payments on r estricted 

stock awards. 

(5)            Mr. Sprosty’s employment commenced in October 2011 and terminated on M arch 1, 2013. See “Employment 
Arrangements of the Named Executive Officers – David Sprosty” and “Potential Payments Upon Termination or 
Change in Control.” 

(6)           The amount presented for 2011 is Mr. Sprosty’s $700,000 base salary pro-rated for 2011. 

36 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS 

The following table sets forth the estimated possible payouts under the cash incentive awards granted to our 

named executive officers in respect of 2012 performance. 

Name 

Grant 
Date 

Estimated Future Payouts Under Non-
Equity Incentive Plan Awards (1) 

Richard Leeds 

Threshold 
($) 

264,000 

Target 
($) 
1,100,000 

Maximum 
($) 
2,860,000 

Bruce Leeds 

180,000 

750,000 

1,950,000 

Robert Leeds 

180,000 

750,000 

1,950,000 

Lawrence Reinhold   

198,000 

825,000 

2,145,000 

David Sprosty(2) 

168,000 

700,000 

1,295,000 

All Other 
Stock 
Awards: 
Number of 
Shares of 
Stock or 
Units 
(#) 
- 

All Other 
Option 
Awards: 
Number of 
Securities 
Underlying 
Options 
(#) 
- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

Exercise or 
Base Price  
of Option 
Awards 

Grant Date 
Fair Value 
of Stock  
Award 
($/Sh) 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

(1) 

(2) 

Amounts presented assume payment of threshold, target and maximum awards at the applicable level. 

Mr. Sprosty’s employment with the Company terminated on March 1, 2013.  

37 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR END 2012 

The  following  table  sets  forth  information  regarding  stock  option  and  restricted  stock  awards  previously 

granted which were outstanding at the end of fiscal year 2012. 

The market value of the stock award is based on the closing price of one share of our common stock as of 

December 31, 2012, which was $9.65. 

Option Awards 
Number of 
Securities 
Underlying 
Unexercised 
Options 
(#) 
Exercisable 
(b) 
100,000 

Number of 
Securities 
Underlying 
Unexercised 
Options 
(#) 
Unexercisable 
(c) 
- 

Option 
Exercise 
Price 
($) 
(e) 
$20.15 

Option 
Expiration 
Date 
(f) 
  1/17/17 

Stock Awards 
Number of 
Shares 
or Units of 
Stock That 
Have Not 
Vested 
(#) 
(g) 
- 

Market Value 
of Shares or 
Units of Stock 
That Have Not 
Vested 
($) 
(h) 
- 

50,000 
75,000 
12,500 

25,000(1) 
37,500(1) 

$11.51 
$13.19 
$14.30 

  3/13/18 
  5/18/19 
11/14/21 

- 
140,000(2) 
90,000 (3) 

- 
$1,351,000 
$868,500 

Name 
(a) 
Lawrence 
Reinhold 

David Sprosty 

25,000 

75,000(4) 

$11.64 

 10/3/21 

90,000(5) 

$868,500 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

Options vest 25% per year over four years from date of grant. 

Restricted stock units vest in ten equal annual installments of 17,500 beginning May 5, 2011. 

Restricted stock units vest in ten equal annual installments of 10,000 beginning November 14, 2012. 

Options vest 25% per year over four years from date of grant.  Mr. Sprosty’s employment terminated on 
March 1, 2013, with the first installment being vested and the remainder being forfeited. 

Restricted stock units vest in ten equal annual installments of 10,000 commencing on October 3, 2012.  Mr. 
Sprosty’s employment terminated on March 1, 2013, and vesting of all restricted stock units accelerated on 
such date. 

38 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
OPTION EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED 

The  following  table  sets  forth  information  regarding  exercise  of  options  to  purchase  shares  of  the 
Company’s  common  stock  and  vesting  of  restricted  stock  units  by  the  named  executive  officers  that  exercised 
options or whose restricted stock units vested during fiscal year 2012: 

Option Awards 

Restricted Stock Units Awards 

Name 
(a) 

Lawrence Reinhold 

David Sprosty 

Number of Shares 
Acquired on Exercise 
(#) 
(b) 
- 

Value Realized on 
Exercise 
($) 
(c) 
- 

Number of Shares 
Acquired on Vesting 
(#) 
(d) 
17,500(2) 
10,000(3) 

Value Realized 
on Vesting 
($) (1) 
(e) 
$232,050 
$105,500 

10,000(4)  

$119,900 

 (1)  

(2)  

(3) 

(4) 

The amount in this column reflects the aggregate dollar amount realized upon the vesting of the restricted 
stock unit, determined by the market value of the underlying shares of common stock on the vesting date. 

Pursuant to a grant of restricted stock units on August 25, 2010, the restricted stock units vest in ten equal 
annual installments of 17,500 units each, beginning on May 15, 2011. 

Pursuant  to  a  grant  of  restricted  stock  units  on  November  14,  2011,  the  restricted  stock  units  vest  in  ten 
equal annual installments of 10,000 units each, beginning on November 14, 2012. 

Pursuant to a grant of restricted stock units on October 3, 2011, the restricted stock units vest in ten equal 
annual  installments  of  10,000  units  each,  beginning  on  October  3,  2012.    Mr.  Sprosty’s  employment 
terminated on March 1, 2013, and vesting of all restricted stock units accelerated on such date. 

POTENTIAL PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION OR CHANGE IN CONTROL 

Lawrence Reinhold 

Mr.  Reinhold’s  employment  agreement  is  terminable  upon  death  or  total  disability,  by  the  Company  for 
“cause”  (as  defined)  or  without  cause,  or  by  Mr.  Reinhold  voluntarily  for  any  reason  or  for  “good  reason”  (as 
defined).    In  the  event  of  termination  for  death,  disability,  cause  or  voluntary  termination  by  Mr.  Reinhold,  the 
Company will owe no further payments other than accrued but unpaid base salary as applicable under disability or 
medical plans and any accrued but unused vacation time (up to four weeks). In the event of termination for disability 
or death, Mr. Reinhold would also receive the pro rata portion of any bonus which would otherwise be paid based on 
the  average  annual  bonus  received  for  the  prior  two  years.    If  Mr.  Reinhold  resigns  for  good  reason  or  if  the 
Company terminates him for any reason other than disability, death or cause, he shall also receive in addition to the 
payments  paid  for  other  terminations,  severance  payments  equal  to  12  months’  base  salary  (or  24  months’  base 
salary if termination is within 60 days prior to or one year following a “change of control,” as defined), one year’s 
bonus  based  on  his  average  annual  bonus  for  the  prior  two  years    and  a  reimbursement  of  costs  for  COBRA 
insurance  coverage.    A  “Change  in  Control”  means:  (i)  approval  by  the  stockholders  of  the  Company  of  (I)  a 
reorganization, merger, consolidation or other form of corporate transaction or series of transactions, in each case, 
with respect to which the Majority Stockholders (as defined) cease to own, directly or indirectly, in the aggregate at 
least forty percent (40%) of the then outstanding shares of the Parent’s common stock or the combined voting power 
entitled  to  vote  generally  in  the  election  of  directors  of  the  reorganized,  merged  or  consolidated  company’s  then 
outstanding  voting  securities,  in  substantially  the  same  proportions  as  their  ownership  immediately  prior  to  such 
reorganization, merger, consolidation or other transaction, or (II) the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of 
the  Company;  (ii)  the  acquisition  by  any  person,  entity  or  “group”,  within  the  meaning  of  Section  13(d)(3)  or 
14(d)(2)  of  the  Securities  Exchange  Act,  of  beneficial  ownership  within  the  meaning  of  Rule  13-d  promulgated 
under  the  Securities  Exchange  Act  which  would  result  in  the  Majority  Stockholders  ceasing  to  own,  directly  or 
indirectly, in the aggregate, at least forty percent (40%) of the then outstanding shares of the Company’s common 

39 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
stock;  or  (iii)  the  approval  by  the  stockholders  of  the  Company  of  the  complete  liquidation  or  dissolution  of  the 
Company. 

If Mr. Reinhold is terminated for cause, any unvested portion of his restricted stock units will terminate and 
be forfeited. In the event of a change in control, Mr. Reinhold will become immediately vested in all of the restricted 
stock units held by him as of the date of the change in control. If Mr. Reinhold’s employment is terminated without 
cause or for good reason, he will become immediately vested in all non-vested units and will become immediately 
entitled to a distribution of that number of shares of common stock of the Company that are represented by those 
vested  restricted  stock  units.  If  Mr.  Reinhold’s  employment  is  terminated  due  to  disability  or  death,  his  estate  or 
designated  beneficiary(ies),  whichever  is  applicable,  will  become  immediately  vested  in  50%  of  the  non-vested 
restricted stock units. 

Pursuant  to  the  Company’s  standard  option  agreements,  in  the  event  Mr.  Reinhold’s  employment  is 
terminated for any reason other than death, disability or cause, the vested portions of his options will be exercisable 
for  up  to  three  months,  and  the  unvested  portion  will  be  forfeited.   In  the  event  of  death  or  disability,  the  vested 
portion of his option will be exercisable for up to one year, and the unvested portion will be forfeited.  In the event 
of termination for cause, all unexercised options (vested and unvested) will be forfeited.   

David Sprosty 

Mr. Sprosty’s employment agreement is terminable upon “death” or “total disability” (as defined), by the 
Company  for  “cause”  or  “without  cause”  (as  defined),  or by  Mr.  Sprosty  voluntarily  for  any  reason  or  for  “good 
reason” (as defined).  As a result of the termination of Mr. Sprosty’s employment in March 2013 “without cause”, as 
of the date of termination, the Company became obligated to pay Mr. Sprosty all accrued but unpaid base salary to 
the  date  of  termination,  and  any  accrued  but  unused  vacation  time  (up  to  four  weeks)  and  severance  payments 
(contingent  upon  and  as  express  consideration  for  compliance  with  his  non-compete,  non-solicitation  and  other 
confidentiality obligations) equal to (a) twelve (12) months’ base salary; (b) an amount equal to the annual target 
amount of the annual bonus; and (c) a reimbursement of costs for COBRA insurance coverage.   

As a result of the termination of Mr. Sprosty’s employment in March 2013 “without cause”, as of the date 
of  termination,  Mr.  Sprosty  became  immediately  vested  in  all  non-vested  restricted  stock  units  and  became 
immediately  entitled  to  a  distribution  of  that  number  of  shares  of  common  stock  of  the  Company  that  was 
represented by those vested restricted stock units.  

As  a  result  of  the  termination  of  Mr.  Sprosty’s  employment  in  March  2013  “without  cause”  he  may 
exercise (to the extent exercisable) his vested options in whole or in part at any time within three months after the 
date of termination.  All unvested options at the time of such termination were forfeited. 

40 

 
 
 
Termination of Employment Without Change In Control 

The table below sets forth the severance payments that would have been made had the employment of Mr. 
Reinhold or Mr. Sprosty been terminated by the Company without cause or by them for “good reason” in a situation 
not involving a change in control, based on a hypothetical termination date of December 31, 2012, the last day of the 
Company’s  fiscal  year  2012,  and  using  the  closing  price  of  our  common  stock  on  December  31,  2012.    These 
amounts are estimates and the actual amounts to be paid can only be determined at the time of the termination of the 
officer’s employment. 

Cash Compensation 
(Salary and Bonus) 
($) 
1,049,500 (1) 
1,418,000 (4) 

Value of Accelerated 
Vesting 
of Stock Awards 
($) 
2,219,500 (2) 
868,500 (5) 

Medical and 
Other Benefits 
($) 
20,091(6) 
30,966 (6) 

Total 
($) 
3,289,091 
2,317,466 

Name 
Lawrence Reinhold 
David Sprosty(3) 

(1)  

(2) 

Represents  one  year’s  salary  of  $608,000  and  an  average  yearly  cash  bonus  of  $441,500  paid  to  Mr. 
Reinhold for fiscal years 2011 and 2012. Mr. Reinhold would also receive the bonus amount in the event of 
his death or disability. 

Represents  accelerated  vesting  of  230,000  unvested  restricted  stock  units  granted  to  Mr.  Reinhold  if 
terminated  without cause or  for good reason. In the event  of Mr.  Reinhold’s death or disability, 115,000 
restricted stock units (50% of the unvested restricted stock units at December 31, 2012) would vest, having 
a value of $1,109,750, based on a termination date of December 31, 2012 and using a closing price of our 
stock on December 31, 2012.  

(3)    Mr. Sprosty’s employment commenced in October 2011 and terminated on March 1, 2013.  

(4) 

(5)   

Represents one year’s salary of $718,000 and a target cash bonus amount of $700,000 (as Mr. Sprosty was 
employed for less than two years).  

Represents  accelerated  vesting  of  90,000  unvested  restricted  stock  units  granted  to  Mr.  Sprosty  if  he  is 
terminated  without  cause  or  resigns  for  good  reason.  In  the  event  of  Mr.  Sprosty’s  death  or  disability, 
45,000 restricted stock units (50% of the unvested restricted stock units at December 31, 2012) would vest, 
having a value of $435,600, based on a termination date of December 31, 2012 and using a closing price of 
our stock on December 31, 2012. 

(6)  

Represents reimbursement of medical and dental insurance payments under COBRA for one year. 

41 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Change In Control Payments 

The  table  below  sets  forth  the  change  in  control  payments  that  would  have  been  made  based  on  a 
hypothetical change of control date of December 31, 2012, the last day of the Company’s fiscal year 2012, and using 
the closing price of our common stock on December 31, 2012.  These amounts are estimates and the actual amounts 
to be paid can only be determined at the time of the change of control. 

Name 
Lawrence Reinhold 
David Sprosty(3) 

Cash Compensation 
(Salary and Bonus) 
($) 
1,657,500 (1)(2) 
1,418,000 (5)(6) 

Value of 
Accelerated Vesting 
of Stock Awards 
($) 
  2,219,500 (4) 
 868,500 (7) 

Medical and 
Other Benefits 
($) 
30,136 (8) 
46,450 (8) 

Total 
($) 
3,907,136 
2,332,950 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

Represents two years’ salary of $608,000 per year and an average yearly cash bonus of $441,500 paid to 
Mr. Reinhold for the fiscal years 2011 and 2012. 

Payments are to Mr. Reinhold only if he is terminated without “cause” or resigns for “good reason” within 
60 days prior to, or one year following, a Change of Control. 

Mr. Sprosty’s employment commenced in October 2011 and terminated on March 1, 2013. 

Represents accelerated vesting of 230,000 unvested restricted stock units.  

Represents one year’s salary of $718,000 and a target cash bonus amount of $700,000 (as Mr. Sprosty was 
employed for less than two years).  

Payments  are  to  Mr.  Sprosty  only  if  terminated  without  “cause”  or  resigns  for  “good  reason”  within  six 
months following a Change of Control.  

Represents accelerated vesting of 90,000 unvested restricted stock units and accelerated vesting of 75,000 
unvested stock options.   

(8)  

Represents reimbursement of medical and dental insurance payments under COBRA for 18 months. 

42 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION 

The Company’s policy is not to pay compensation to Directors who are also employees of the Company or 
its  subsidiaries.  Each  non-employee  Director  receives  annual  compensation  as  follows:    $65,000  per  year  as  base 
compensation,  $10,000  per  year  for  each  committee  chair,  except  for  the  Audit  Committee  Chair  who  receives 
$20,000, and a grant each year of shares of Company stock (restricted for sale for two years) in an amount equal to 
$40,000  divided  by  the  fair  market  value  of  such  stock  on  the  date  of  grant.    The  Lead  Independent  Director, 
currently Robert D. Rosenthal, also receives an additional $20,000 per year.  The restricted stock grants are made 
pursuant  to  the  Company’s  2006  Stock  Incentive  Plan  for  Non-Employee  Directors,  which  was  approved  by  the 
Company’s stockholders at the 2006 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting.  Directors are reimbursed for reasonable travel 
and  out-of-pocket  expenses  incurred  for  attending  Board  and  Committee  meetings  and  are  covered  by  our  travel 
accident insurance policy for such travel. 

Director Compensation For Fiscal Year 2012 

The following table sets forth compensation information regarding payments in 2012 to our non-employee 

Directors: 

Name 
(a) 

Robert D. Rosenthal 
Stacy S. Dick 
Marie Adler-Kravecas 

Fees Earned 
or Paid in 
Cash 
($) 
(b) 
      105,000 
        98,350  
        65,000 

Stock Awards 
($) (1) 
(c) 

Total 
($) 
(h) 

      40,000 
      40,000 
      40,000 

       145,000 
       138,500 
       105,000 

(1)   

This  column  represents  the  fair  value  of  the  stock  award  on  the  grant  date  determined  in 
accordance with the provisions of ASC 718. As per SEC rules relating to executive compensation 
disclosure, the amounts  shown exclude the impact of  forfeitures related to service based vesting 
conditions.  For  additional  information  regarding  assumptions  made  in  calculating  the  amount 
reflected in this column, please refer to Note 9  to our audited consolidated  financial statements, 
included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal year 2012. 

The following table presents the aggregate number of outstanding stock awards and stock option awards 

held by each of our non-employee Directors at the end of fiscal year 2012: 

Name : 
Marie Adler-Kravecas 
Robert D. Rosenthal 
Stacy S. Dick 

Stock Awards 
     8,035 
   12,263 
   12,263 

Option Awards 
      5,000 
      9,000 
      9,000 

43 

 
 
 
 
 
 
PROPOSAL NO. 2 
RATIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS 

Action is to be taken at the Annual Meeting to ratify the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as independent 

registered public accountants for the Company for fiscal year 2013. 

Representatives  of  Ernst  &  Young  LLP  are  expected  to  be  present  at  the  Annual  Meeting  and  to  be 

available to respond to appropriate questions.  They will have an opportunity to make a statement if they so desire. 

Principal Accounting Fees and Services 

The following are the fees billed by Ernst & Young LLP for services rendered during fiscal years 2011 and 

2012: 

Audit and Audit-related Fees 

Ernst  &  Young  billed  the  Company  $1,605,238  for  professional  services  rendered  for  the  audit  of  the 
Company’s  annual  consolidated  financial  statements  for  fiscal  year  2012  and  its  reviews  of  the  interim  financial 
statements included in the Company’s Forms 10-Q for that fiscal year and $1,771,069 for such services rendered for 
fiscal year 2011. 

In accordance with the SEC’s definitions and rules, “audit fees” are fees that were billed to the Company 
by Ernst & Young for the audit of the Company’s annual financial statements, to be included in the Form 10-K, and 
review  of  financial  statements  included  in  the  Form  10-Qs;  for  the  audit  of  the  Company’s  internal  control  over 
financial reporting with the objective of obtaining reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over 
financial  reporting  was  maintained  in  all  material  respects;  for  the  attestation  of  management’s  report  on  the 
effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting; and for services that are normally provided by the auditor 
in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements.  “Audit-related fees” are fees for assurance and 
related  services  that  are  reasonably  related  to  the  performance  of  the  audit  or  review  of  the  company’s  financial 
statements and internal control over financial reporting, including services in connection with assisting the company 
in its compliance with its obligations under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and related regulations. 

Tax Fees 

Tax  fees  included  services  for  international  tax  compliance,  planning  and  advice.    Ernst  &  Young  LLP 
billed the Company for professional services rendered for tax compliance, planning and advice in 2011 and 2012 an 
aggregate of $0 and $0, respectively. 

All Other Fees 

Other  fees  (

i.e.

,  those  that  are  not  audit  fees,  audit  related  fees,  or  tax  fees)  of  $2,167  and  $2,665  were 

billed by Ernst & Young LLP for fiscal years 2011 and 2012. 

The  Audit  Committee  is  responsible  for  approving  every  engagement  of  the  Company’s  independent 
registered  public  accountants  to  perform  audit  or  non-audit  services  on  behalf  of  the  Company  or  any  of  its 
subsidiaries  before  such  accountants  can  be  engaged  to  provide  those  services.    The  Audit  Committee  does  not 
delegate its pre-approval authority.  The Audit Committee has reviewed the services provided to the Company by 
Ernst & Young LLP and believes that the non-audit/review services it has provided are compatible with maintaining 
the auditor’s independence. 

Stockholder ratification of the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as the Company’s independent registered 
public accountants is not required by the Company’s By-Laws or other applicable legal requirement.  However, the 
Board  is  submitting  the  selection  of  Ernst  &  Young  LLP  to  the  stockholders  for  ratification  as  a  matter  of  good 
corporate practice.  If the stockholders fail to ratify the selection, the Audit Committee will reconsider whether or 
not to continue to retain that firm.  Even if the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee at its discretion may direct 
the appointment of different independent registered public accountants at any time during the year or thereafter if it 
determines that such a change would be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. 

44 

Vote Required for Approval 

Ratification  of  the  selection  of  Ernst  &  Young  LLP  as  the  Company’s  independent  registered  public 
accountants will require the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Shares present in person or by proxy 
and entitled to vote on the issue.  There are no rights of appraisal or dissenter’s rights as a result of a vote on this 
issue. 

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR THE RATIFICATION 
OF THE APPOINTMENT OF ERNST & YOUNG AS THE COMPANY’S INDEPENDENT REGISTERED 
PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS FOR FISCAL 2013, WHICH IS DESIGNATED AS PROPOSAL NO. 2. 

Solicitation of Proxies 

ADDITIONAL MATTERS 

We are using the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, Notice and Access rule that allows us to 
furnish our proxy materials over the internet to our stockholders instead of mailing paper copies of those materials to 
each stockholder.  As a result, beginning on or about April 30, 2013, we sent to most of our stockholders by mail a 
notice containing instructions on how to access our proxy materials over the internet and vote online.  This notice is 
not a proxy card and cannot be used to vote your shares.  If you received only a notice this year, you will not receive 
paper copies of the proxy materials unless you request the materials by following the instructions on the notice or on 
the website referred to in the notice. 

The  proxy  statement  and  annual  report  on  Form  10-K  for  fiscal  year  2012  are  available  at 

www.proxyvote.com. 

The  cost  of  soliciting  proxies  for  the  Annual  Meeting  will  be  borne  by  the  Company.    In  addition  to 
solicitation by mail and over the internet, solicitations may also be made by personal interview, fax and telephone.  
Arrangements will be made with brokerage houses and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries to send proxies 
and proxy material to their principals, and the Company will reimburse them for expenses in so doing.  Consistent 
with the Company’s confidential voting procedure, Directors, officers and other regular employees of the Company, 
as yet undesignated, may also request the return of proxies by telephone or fax, or in person. 

Stockholder Proposals 

Stockholder  proposals  intended  to  be  presented  at  the  Annual  Meeting,  including  proposals  for  the 
nomination  of  Directors,  must  be  received  by  December  31,  2013,  to  be  considered  for  the  2014  annual  meeting 
pursuant  to  Rule  14a-8  under  the  Exchange  Act.  Stockholders  proposals  should  be  mailed  to  Systemax  Inc., 
Attention: Investor Relations, 11 Harbor Park Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050. 

Other Matters 

The Board does not know of any matter other than those described in this proxy statement that will be presented 
for action at the meeting.  If other matters properly come before the meeting, the persons named as proxies intend to 
vote the Shares they represent in accordance with their judgment. 

A COPY OF THE COMPANY’S FORM 10-K FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012 IS INCLUDED AS PART OF THE 
COMPANY’S  ANNUAL  REPORT  ALONG  WITH  THIS  PROXY  STATEMENT,  WHICH  ARE 
AVAILABLE AT www.proxyvote.com. 

Available Information 

The Company maintains an internet web site at  www.systemax.com.  The Company files reports with the 
Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  and  makes  available  free  of  charge  on  or  through  this  web  site  its  annual 
reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, including all amendments 
to  those  reports.    These  are  available  as  soon  as  is  reasonably  practicable  after  they  are  filed  with  the  SEC.    All 
reports  mentioned  above  are  also  available  from  the  SEC’s  web  site  (www.sec.gov).    The  information  on  the 

45 

Company’s  web  site  or  any  report  the  Company  files  with,  or  furnishes  to,  the  SEC  is  not  part  of  this  proxy 
statement. 

The  Board  has  adopted  the  following  corporate  governance  documents  (the  “Corporate  Governance 

Documents”): 

•  Corporate Ethics Policy for officers, Directors and employees; 

•  Charter for the Audit Committee of the Board; 

•  Charter for the Compensation Committee of the Board; 

•  Charter for the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee of the Board; and 

•  Corporate Governance Guidelines and Principles. 

In accordance with the corporate governance rules of the New York Stock Exchange, each of the Corporate 

Governance Documents is available on the Company’s Company web site (www.systemax.com). 

46 

SYSTEMAX INC. 
11 HARBOR PARK DRIVE 
PORT WASHINGTON, NY 11050 

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03 Robert Leeds 
07 Marie Adler-Kravecas 

04 Lawrence Reinhold 

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2.  A Proposal to ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the Company’s 

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SYSTEMAX INC. 
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD 
OF DIRECTORS 
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS – JUNE 10, 2013 

The stockholder(s) hereby appoint(s) Eric Lerner and Thomas Axmacher, or either of them, as proxies, each with the power to appoint 
his substitute, and hereby authorizes them to represent and to vote, as designated on the reverse side of this ballot, all of the shares of 
Common Stock of SYSTEMAX INC. that the stockholder(s) is/are entitled to vote at the Annual meeting of Stockholder(s) to be held 
at 2:00 PM, EDT on June 10, 2013, at the Company’s Corporate Offices 11 Harbor Park Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050, and any 
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION  WASHINGTON , D.C. 20549       FORM  10-K   (Mark One)    For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012   or    For the transition period from         to            Commission File Number: 1-13792    Systemax Inc.   (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)    11 Harbor Park Drive  Port Washington, New York   11050  (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)   Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (516) 608-7000        Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:    Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: NONE        Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes (cid:1) 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 (cid:1) 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  (cid:1)   Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted 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 and post such files). Yes  No (cid:1)   Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best knowledge of the registrant, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment of this Form 10-K.     Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (Check one):       ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934  (cid:1) (cid:1) (cid:1) (cid:1)  TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934  Delaware    11-3262067  (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)    (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)  Title of each class    Name of each exchange on which registered  Common Stock, par value $ .01 per share    New York Stock Exchange    Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2). Yes (cid:1)  No    The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2012, which is the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $125,641,055. For purposes of this computation, all executive officers and directors of the Registrant and all parties to the Stockholders Agreement dated as of June 15, 1995 have been deemed to be affiliates. Such determination should not be deemed to be an admission that such persons are, in fact, affiliates of the Registrant.   The number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock as of February 28, 2013 was 36,568,472 shares.  Documents incorporated by reference: Portions of the Proxy Statement of Systemax Inc. relating to the 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference in Part III hereof.   Large Accelerated Filer (cid:1)    Accelerated Filer   Non-Accelerated Filer  (cid:1)    Smaller reporting company  (cid:1)       TABLE OF C ONTENTS      Part I      Item 1.  Business  4   General  4   Products  4   Sales and Marketing  5   Customer Service, Order Fulfillment and Support  6   Suppliers  6   Competition and Other Market Factors  6   Employees  7   Environmental Matters  7   Financial Information About Foreign and Domestic Operations  7   Available Information  8 Item 1A. Risk Factors  8 Item 1B.  Unresolved Staff Comments  15 Item 2.  Properties  15 Item 3.  Legal Proceedings  15 Item 4.  Mine Safety Disclosures  16       Part II      Item 5.  Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities  17 Item 6.  Selected Financial Data  18 Item 7.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations  18 Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk  30 Item 8.  Financial Statements and Supplementary Data  31 Item 9.  Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure  31 Item 9A. Controls and Procedures  31 Item 9B.  Other Information  32       Part III      Item 10.  Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance  33 Item 11.  Executive Compensation  33 Item 12.  Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters  33 Item 13.  Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence  33 Item 14.  Principal Accounting Fees and Services  33       Part IV      Item 15.  Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules  33         Signatures  37        PART I   Unless otherwise indicated, all references herein to Systemax Inc. (sometimes referred to as “Systemax,” the “Company” or “we”) include its subsidiaries.   Forward Looking Statements   This report contains forward looking statements within the meaning of that term in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934).  Additional written or oral forward looking statements may be made by the Company from time to time in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission or otherwise.  Statements contained in this report that are not historical facts are forward looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Forward looking statements may include, but are not limited to, projections of revenue, income or loss and capital expenditures, statements regarding future operations, expansion or restructuring plans, financing needs, compliance with financial covenants in loan agreements, plans for reorganizing our European operations, including timely opening and integration of our new shared services center in Hungary, plans for acquisition or sale of assets or businesses and consolidation of operations of newly acquired businesses, and plans relating to products or services of the Company, assessments of materiality, predictions of future events and the effects of pending and possible litigation, as well as assumptions relating to the foregoing.  In addition, when used in this report, the words “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” and “plans” and variations thereof and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements.   Forward looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified based on current expectations.  Consequently, future events and results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward looking statements contained in this report.  Statements in this report, particularly in “Item 1. Business,” “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” “Item 3. Legal Proceedings,” “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements describe certain factors, among others, that could contribute to or cause such differences.   Other factors that may affect our future results of operations and financial condition include, but are not limited to, unanticipated developments in any one or more of the following areas, as well as other factors which may be detailed from time to time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings:    Table of Contents    •  risks involved with e-commerce, including possible loss of business and customer dissatisfaction if outages or other computer-related problems should preclude customer access to our products and services     •  the Company’s management information systems and other technology platforms supporting our sales, procurement and other operations are critical to our operations and disruptions would have a material adverse effect on us     •  general economic conditions, such as decreased consumer confidence and spending, reductions in manufacturing capacity and inflation could result in our failure to achieve our historical sales growth rates and profit level     •  the markets for our products and services are extremely competitive and if we are unable to successfully respond to our competitors’ strategies our sales and gross margins will be adversely affected     •  sales tax laws or government enforcement priorities may be changed which could result in ecommerce and direct mail retailers having to collect sales taxes in states where the current laws and interpretations do not require us to do so     •  goodwill and intangible assets may become impaired resulting in a charge to earnings     •  our substantial international operations are subject to risks such as fluctuations in currency rates, foreign regulatory requirements, political uncertainty and the management of our expanding international operations infrastructure, including our ability to timely and effectively open and transition certain support operations to our new shared services center in Hungary and effectively implement distribution logistics initiatives in Europe     •  managing various inventory risks, such as being unable to profitably resell excess or obsolete inventory and/or the loss of product return rights and price protection from our vendors     •  effective management of our retail stores in North America     •  meeting credit card industry compliance standards in order to maintain our ability to accept credit cards     •  significant changes in the computer products retail industry, especially relating to the distribution and sale of such products     •  timely availability of existing and new products     •  risks associated with delivery of merchandise to customers by utilizing common delivery services     •  borrowing costs or availability     •  pending or threatened litigation and investigations     •  the availability of key personnel     •  the continuation of key vendor  relationships     •  the ability to maintain satisfactory credit arrangements    3    Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward looking statements contained in this report, which speak only as of the date of this report.  We undertake no obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions to these forward looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unexpected events.   Item 1. Business.   General   Systemax is primarily a direct marketer of brand name and private label products. Our operations are organized in two reportable business segments — Technology Products and Industrial Products.   Our Technology Products segment sells computers, computer supplies and consumer electronics which are marketed in North America and Europe. Most of these products are manufactured by other companies; however, we do offer a selection of products that are manufactured for us to our own design and marketed on a private label basis. Technology Products accounted for 89%, 91% and 93% of our net sales in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.   Our Industrial Products segment sells a wide array of industrial products and supplies which are marketed in North America. Most of these products are manufactured by other companies. Some products are manufactured for us to our own design and marketed on a private label basis . Industrial products accounted for 11%, 9%, and 7% of our net sales in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.   Recent developments   The Company conducted an evaluation of its Technology Products multi-brand United States consumer strategy and the intangible assets used in that strategy and concluded that the Company’s future North American consumer business would be optimized by consolidating its United States consumer operations under TigerDirect, its leading and largest brand.  This brand consolidation was effected in the fourth quarter of 2012 resulting in a write off of the intangible assets and goodwill of CompUSA and Circuit City of approximately $35.3 million.   The Company exited the PC manufacturing business during the fourth quarter of 2012 after conducting an evaluation of its operations and concluded that the Company’s North American technology results will be enhanced by exiting the computer manufacturing business.  The exit resulted in a fourth quarter of 2012 asset write down of the carrying cost of the Company’s computer manufacturing facilities, related equipment and inventory of approximately $4.6 million.   The Company is opening a shared services center in Budapest, Hungary in 2013 to facilitate the continued growth of its European Technology business.  This new facility will provide certain administrative and back office services for the existing European business and will help drive operational efficiencies and better serve the Company’s pan-European operating strategy and will serve as the sales location for future business in Eastern Europe. Exit, severance and startup costs to implement the facility together with other cost reduction initiatives in Europe, aggregated $4.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2012.   The Company exited the Software Solutions segment in June 2009.  One customer remained being served by the Company until the second quarter of 2012.  The termination of this customer has resulted in all current and prior period results for this business segment being classified as discontinued operations.  Balance sheet amounts reflecting this change are not shown due to their immateriality.   See Note 12 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional financial information about our business s as well as information about our geographic operations.   The Company was incorporated in Delaware in 1995. Certain predecessor businesses which now constitute part of the Company have been in business since 1949. Our headquarters office is located at 11 Harbor Park Drive, Port Washington, New York.   Products   We offer hundreds of thousands of brand name and private label products. We endeavor to expand and keep current the breadth of our product offerings in order to fulfill the increasingly wide range of product needs of our customers.   Products offered by our Technology Products segment include individual technology products in the following categories:  computers; computer parts; Tablets; TV and video; audio; cameras and surveillance; car and GPS; cell phones; software; video games and toys; home and electronics accessories.   Table of Contents   4    Products offered by our Industrial Products segment include individual industrial products in the following categories:  material handling; storage and shelving; workbench and shop desks; packaging and supplies; furniture and office; foodservice and appliances; janitorial and maintenance; tools and instruments; fasteners and hardware; motors and power transmission; HVAC/R and fans; electrical and bulbs; plumbing supplies; and safety and medical items.   Sales and Marketing   We market our products to both individual consumers and business customers. Our business customers include for-profit businesses, educational organizations and government entities. We have developed numerous proprietary customer and prospect databases.   To reach our individual consumer customers, we use online methods such as website campaigns, banner ads and e-mail campaigns. We are able to monitor and evaluate the results of our various advertising campaigns to enable us to execute them in the most cost-effective manner. We combine our use of e-commerce initiatives with catalog mailings, which generate online orders and calls to inbound sales representatives. These sales representatives use our information and distribution systems to fulfill orders and explore additional customer product needs. Sales to individual consumers are generally fulfilled from our own stock, requiring us to carry more inventory than we would for our business customers. We also periodically take advantage of attractive product pricing by making opportunistic bulk inventory purchases with the objective of turning them quickly into sales. We have also successfully increased our sales to individual consumers by using retail outlet stores.   We have established a multi-faceted direct marketing system to business customers, consisting primarily of our relationship marketers, catalog mailings and proprietary internet websites, the combination of which is designed to maximize sales. Our relationship marketers focus their efforts on our business customers by establishing a personal relationship between such customers and a Systemax account manager. The goal of the relationship marketing sales force is to increase the purchasing productivity of current customers and to actively solicit newly targeted prospects to become customers. With access to the records we maintain, our relationship marketers are prompted with product suggestions to expand customer order values. In certain countries, we also have the ability to provide such customers with electronic data interchange (“EDI”) ordering and customized billing services, customer savings reports and stocking of specialty items specifically requested by these customers. Our relationship marketers’ efforts are supported by frequent catalog mailings and e-mail campaigns, both of which are designed to generate inbound telephone sales, and our interactive websites, which allow customers to purchase products directly over the Internet. We believe that the integration of our multiple marketing methods enables us to more thoroughly penetrate our business, educational and government customer base. We believe increased internet exposure leads to more internet-related sales and also generates more inbound telephone sales; just as we believe catalog mailings and email campaigns which feature our websites results in greater internet-related sales.   E-commerce   The worldwide growth in active internet users has made e-commerce a significant opportunity for sales growth.   The increase in our internet-related sales enables us to leverage our advertising spending. We currently operate multiple e-commerce sites, including:    We are continually upgrading the capabilities and performance of these websites. Our internet sites feature on-line catalogs of hundreds of thousands of products, allowing us to offer a wider variety of computer and industrial products than our printed catalogs.  Our customers have around-the-clock, on-line access to purchase products and we have the ability to create targeted promotions for our customers’ interests.   Table of Contents North America    Europe        www.tigerdirect.com    www.misco.co.uk  www.tigerdirect.ca    www.misco.de  www.infotelusa.com    www.misco.fr  www.globalcomputer.com    www.misco.nl  www.globalgoved.com    www.misco.it  www.globalindustrial.com    www.misco.es  www.globalindustrial.ca    www.misco.se  www.nexelwire.com    www.misco.at      www.misco.ch      www.misco.be      www.misco.ie      www.inmac-wstore.com      www.dealopro.com    5    In addition to our own e-commerce websites, we have partnering agreements with several of the largest internet shopping and search engine providers who feature our products on their websites or provide “click-throughs” from their sites directly to ours.  These arrangements allow us to expand our customer base at an economical cost.   Catalogs   We currently produce a total of 13 full-line or direct mail publications in North America and Europe under distinct titles.  Our portfolio of catalogs includes such established brand names as TigerDirect.com™, Global Computer Supplies™, TigerDirect.ca™, Misco®, Global Industrial™, Nexel™ and Inmac WStore®.   We mail catalogs to both businesses and individual consumers.  In the case of business mailings, we mail our catalogs to many individuals at a single business location, providing us with multiple points-of-contact.  Our in-house staff designs all of our catalogs, which reduces overall catalog expense and shortens catalog production time.  Our catalogs are printed by third parties under fixed pricing arrangements.  The commonality of certain core pages of our catalogs also allows for economies of scale in catalog production.   Continuing our focus on internet advertising, the distribution of our catalogs decreased to 18.5 million in 2012, which was 39.5% less than in the prior year.  In 2012, we mailed approximately 13.0 million catalogs in North America, a 46.4% decrease from last year and approximately 5.5 million catalogs in Europe, or 13.9% fewer than mailed in 2011.   Customer Service, Order Fulfillment and Support   We receive orders through the Internet, by telephone, electronic data interchange and by fax.  We generally provide toll-free telephone number access for our customers in countries where it is customary.  Certain domestic call centers are linked to provide telephone backup in the event of a disruption in phone service.   Certain of our products are carried in stock, and orders for such products are fulfilled on a timely basis directly from our distribution centers, typically within one day of the order.  We utilize numerous sales and distribution facilities in North America and Europe. Orders are generally shipped by third-party delivery services.  We maintain relationships with a number of large distributors in North America and Europe that also deliver products directly to our customers.   We provide extensive technical telephone support to our private label PC customers.  We maintain a database of commonly asked questions for our technical support representatives, enabling them to respond quickly to similar questions.  We conduct regular on-site training seminars for our sales representatives to help ensure that they are well trained and informed regarding our latest product offerings.   Suppliers   We purchase substantially all of our products and components directly from manufacturers and large wholesale distributors. In 2012, no vendor accounted for 10% of more of our purchases.  One vendor accounted for 11.5% and 10.0% of our purchases in 2011 and 2010, respectively.  The loss of these vendors, or any other key vendors, could have a material adverse effect on us.   Most private label products are manufactured by third parties to our specifications.   Competition and Other Market Factors   Technology Products   The North American and European technology product markets are highly competitive, with many U.S., Asian and European companies vying for market share.  There are few barriers to entry, with these products being sold through multiple channels of distribution, including direct marketers, local and national retail computer stores, computer resellers, mass merchants, over the Internet and by computer and office supply superstores.   Timely introduction of new products or product features are critical elements to remaining competitive. Other competitive factors include product performance, quality and reliability, technical support and customer service, marketing and distribution and price. Some of our competitors have stronger brand-recognition, broader product lines and greater financial, marketing, manufacturing and technological resources than us.   Conditions in the market for technology products remain highly competitive, resulting in our frequent discounting of product sales price as well as offering free or highly discounted freight.  These actions have and may continue to adversely affect our revenues and profits.  Additionally, we rely in part upon the introduction of new technologies and products by other manufacturers in order to sustain long-term sales growth and profitability.  There is no assurance that the rapid rate of such technological advances and product development will continue.   Table of Contents   6    Current economic conditions in the United States, including eroding consumer demand, as well as ongoing difficulties in the various European countries where we operate, raise additional concerns as we believe the loss of consumer confidence in the Company’s markets together with the effects of the fiscal cliff and budget discussions in the U.S. has resulted in a decrease of spending in the categories of products we sell.  It is also possible that as manufacturers react to the marketplace they may reduce manufacturing capacity and create shortages of product.   Industrial Products   The market for the sale of industrial products in North America is highly fragmented and is characterized by multiple distribution channels such as small dealerships, direct mail distribution, internet-based resellers, large warehouse stores and retail outlets.  We also face competition from manufacturers’ own sales representatives, who sell industrial equipment directly to customers, and from regional or local distributors.  Many high volume purchasers, however, utilize catalog distributors as their first source of product. In the industrial products market, customer purchasing decisions are primarily based on price, product selection, product availability, level of service and convenience.  We believe that direct marketing via sales representatives, catalog and the Internet are effective and convenient distribution methods to reach mid-sized facilities that place many small orders and require a wide selection of products.  In addition, because the industrial products market is highly fragmented and generally less brand oriented, it is well suited to private label products.   Employees   As of December 31, 2012, we employed a total of approximately 5,300 employees, of whom 3,800 were in North America and 1,500 were in Europe and Asia.   Seasonality   As the Company has a significant portion of its sales in the North America consumer business market, the fourth quarter has represented the greatest portion of annual sales.  Net sales have historically been modestly weaker during the second and third quarters as a result of lower business activity during those months.  See Item 7, “Management’s Discussions and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations; Seasonality”.   Environmental Matters   Under various national, state and local environmental laws and regulations in North America and Western Europe, a current or previous owner or operator (including the lessee) of real property may become liable for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous substances at such real property. Such laws and regulations often impose liability without regard to fault.  We lease most of our facilities.  In connection with such leases, we could be held liable for the costs of removal or remedial actions with respect to hazardous substances.  Although we have not been notified of, and are not otherwise aware of, any material real property environmental liability, claim or non-compliance, there can be no assurance that we will not be required to incur remediation or other costs in connection with real property environmental matters in the future.   Financial Information About Foreign and Domestic Operations   We currently sell our products in North America (the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada) and Europe.  Approximately 37.8%, 36.0%, and 35.1% of our net sales during 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively were made by subsidiaries located outside of the United States.  For information pertaining to our international operations, see Note 12, “Segment and Related Information,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K. The following sets forth selected information with respect to our operations, excluding discontinued operations, in those two geographic markets (in millions):      Table of Contents   North  America    Europe    Total    2012              Net sales    $ 2,417.9     $ 1,126.7     $ 3,544.6   Operating (loss) income    $ (63.6 )   $ 23.7     $ (39.9 ) Identifiable assets    $ 642.9     $ 319.4     $ 962.3                             2011                          Net sales    $ 2,580.8     $ 1,099.8     $ 3,680.6   Operating income    $ 45.0     $ 35.8     $ 80.8   Identifiable assets    $ 643.9     $ 245.8     $ 889.7                             2010                          Net sales    $ 2,542.1     $ 1,047.0     $ 3,589.1   Operating income    $ 47.8     $ 21.0     $ 68.8   Identifiable assets    $ 665.7     $ 228.4     $ 894.1     7    See Item 7, “Management’s Discussions and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”, for further information with respect to our operations.   Available Information   We maintain an internet website at www.systemax.com. We file reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission and make available free of charge on or through this website our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, including all amendments to those reports.  These are available as soon as is reasonably practicable after they are filed with the SEC.  All reports mentioned above are also available from the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov). The information on our website is not part of this or any other report we file with, or furnish to, the SEC.   Our Board of Directors has adopted the following corporate governance documents with respect to the Company (the “Corporate Governance Documents”):    In accordance with the listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange, each of the Corporate Governance Documents is available on our Company website (www.systemax.com).   Item 1A. Risk Factors.   There are a number of factors and variables described below that may affect our future results of operations and financial condition. Other factors of which we are currently not aware or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our results of operations and financial position.  Risks Related to the Economy and Our Industries    Current economic conditions may cause the loss of consumer confidence in the Company’s domestic and international markets which may result in a decrease of spending in the categories of products we sell, as occurred in 2012. With conditions in the market for technology products remaining highly competitive, reductions in our selling prices, as we have experienced in recent years, have adversely affected our revenues and profits and could continue to do so in the future.  It is also possible that as manufacturers react to the marketplace they may reduce manufacturing capacity or allocations to their customers creating shortages of product.  Both we and our customers are subject to global political, economic and market conditions, including inflation, interest rates, energy costs, the impact of natural disasters, military action and the threat of terrorism.  Our consolidated results of operations are directly affected by economic conditions in North America and Europe.  We may experience a decline in sales as a result of poor economic conditions and the lack of visibility relating to future orders, as occurred in 2012.  Our results of operations depend upon, among other things, our ability to maintain and increase sales volumes with existing customers, our ability to limit price reductions and maintain our margins, our ability to attract new customers and the financial condition of our customers.  A decline in the economy that adversely affects our customers, causing them to limit or defer their spending, would likely adversely affect our sales, prices and profitability as well, as occurred in 2012.  We cannot predict with any certainty whether we will be able to maintain or improve upon historical sales volumes with existing customers, or whether we will be able to attract new customers.   In response to economic and market conditions, from time to time we have undertaken initiatives to reduce our cost structure where appropriate.  These initiatives, as well as any future workforce and facilities reductions, may not be sufficient to meet current and future changes in economic and market conditions and allow us to continue to achieve the growth rates and re-attain the levels of profitability we experienced prior to the recent market downturns.  In addition, costs actually incurred in connection with our restructuring actions, including launching and integrating the new shared services facility in Hungary, may be higher than our estimates of such costs and/or may not lead to the anticipated cost savings.     Table of Contents   •  Corporate Ethics Policy for officers, directors and employees    •  Charter for the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors    •  Charter for the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors    •  Charter for the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors    •  Corporate Governance Guidelines and Principles    •  General economic conditions, such as decreased consumer confidence and spending, reductions in manufacturing capacity, and inflation could result in our failure to achieve our historical sales growth rates and profit levels.    8     We may not be able to compete effectively with current or future competitors.  The markets for our products and services are intensely competitive and subject to constant technological change.  We expect this competition to further intensify in the future. Competitive factors include price, availability, service and support.  We compete with a wide variety of other resellers and retailers, including internet marketers, as well as manufacturers.  Many of our competitors are larger companies with greater financial, marketing and product development resources than ours.  The market for the sale of industrial products in North America is highly fragmented and is characterized by multiple distribution channels such as small dealerships, direct mail distribution, internet-based resellers, large warehouse stores and retail outlets.  We also face competition from manufacturers’ own sales representatives, who sell industrial equipment directly to customers, and from regional or local distributors. In addition, new competitors may enter our markets.  This may place us at a disadvantage in responding to competitors’ pricing strategies, technological advances and other initiatives, resulting in our inability to increase our revenues or maintain our gross margins in the future.   In most cases our products compete directly with those offered by other manufacturers and distributors.  If any of our competitors were to develop products or services that are more cost-effective or technically superior, demand for our product offerings could decrease.   Our gross margins are also dependent on the mix of products we sell and could be adversely affected by a continuation of our customers’ shift to lower-priced products.    Our United States subsidiaries collect and remit sales tax in states in which the subsidiaries have physical presence or in which we believe sufficient nexus exists which obligates us to collect sales tax.  Other states may, from time to time, claim that we have state-related activities constituting physical nexus to require such collection.  Additionally, many other states seek to impose sales tax collection or reporting obligations on companies that sell goods to customers in their state, or directly to the state and its political subdivisions, regardless of physical presence.  Such efforts by states have increased recently, as states seek to raise revenues without increasing the income tax burden on residents. We rely on United States Supreme Court decisions which hold that, without Congressional authority, a state may not enforce a sales tax collection obligation on a company that has no physical presence in the state and whose only contacts with the state are through the use of interstate commerce such as the mailing of catalogs into the state and the delivery of goods by mail or common carrier.  We cannot predict whether the nature or level of contacts we have with a particular state will be deemed enough to require us to collect sales tax in that state nor can we be assured that Congress or individual states will not approve legislation authorizing states to impose tax collection or reporting obligations on all e-commerce and/or direct mail transactions.  A successful assertion by one or more states that we should collect sales tax on the sale of merchandise could result in substantial tax liabilities related to past sales would result in considerable administrative burdens and costs for us and may reduce demand for our products from customers in such states when we charge customers for such taxes.    We insure for certain property and casualty risks consisting primarily of physical loss to property, business interruptions resulting from property losses, worker’s compensation, comprehensive general liability, and auto liability.  Insurance coverage is obtained for catastrophic property and casualty exposures as well as those risks required to be insured by law or contract.  Although we believe that our insurance coverage is reasonable, significant events such as acts of war and terrorism, economic conditions, judicial decisions, legislation, natural disasters and large losses could materially affect our insurance obligations and future expense.   Table of Contents   •  The markets for our products and services are extremely competitive and if we are unable to successfully respond to our competitors’ strategies our sales and gross margins will be adversely affected.    •  Sales tax laws may be changed or interpreted differently which could result in ecommerce and direct mail retailers having to collect sales taxes in states where the current laws do not require us to do so.  This could reduce demand for our products in such states and could result in us having substantial tax liabilities for past sales.    •  Events such as acts of war or terrorism, natural disasters, changes in law, or large losses could adversely affect our insurance coverage and insurance expense, resulting in an adverse affect on our profitability and financial condition.    9  Risks Related to Our Company    We rely on a variety of information and telecommunications systems in our operations.  Our success is dependent in large part on the accuracy and proper use of our information systems, including our telecommunications systems.  To manage our growth, we continually evaluate the adequacy of our existing systems and procedures.  We anticipate that we will regularly need to make capital expenditures to upgrade and modify our management information systems, including software and hardware, as we grow and the needs of our business change.  The occurrence of a significant system failure, electrical or telecommunications outages or our failure to expand or successfully implement new systems could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.   Our information systems networks, including our websites, and applications could be adversely affected by viruses or worms and may be vulnerable to malicious acts such as hacking.  The availability and efficiency of sales via our websites could also be adversely affected by “denial of service” attacks and other unfair competitive practices.  Although we take preventive measures, these procedures may not be sufficient to avoid harm to our operations, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.    We have announced that we will be launching our new shared services center in Budapest, Hungary during the second quarter of 2013. The new facility will provide certain administrative and back office services to our European business and will help drive operational efficiencies and better serve the Company's pan-European operating strategy. Our efforts to operate our European business in a more centralized manner, rather than on an individual country by country basis, will require us to implement changes in our business processes, eliminate redundancies, relocate and/or hire new personnel, transition our information management systems, and integrate the new operation into our existing business seamlessly and without disruption to our operations, customers and vendors. However, changes in economic, regulatory or political conditions in Hungary, delays in launching or integrating the facility, a lower than expected impact of the facility on the Company’s European operations, costs and capital expenditures, the ability to timely hire and train new employees in Hungary, and delays, impediments or other problems associated with its establishment, could all have a material adverse effect on our European operations and our results of operations.    We purchase substantially all of our technology products from major distributors and directly from large manufacturers who may deliver those products directly to our customers.  These relationships enable us to make available to our customers a wide selection of products without having to maintain large amounts of inventory.  The termination or interruption of our relationships with any of these suppliers could materially adversely affect our business.   We purchase a number of our products from vendors outside of the United States.  Difficulties encountered by one or several of these suppliers could halt or disrupt production and delay completion or cause the cancellation of our orders. Delays or interruptions in the transportation network could result in loss or delay of timely receipt of product required to fulfill customer orders.  Our ability to find qualified vendors who meet our standards and supply products in a timely and efficient manner is a significant challenge, especially with respect to goods sourced from outside the U.S.  Political or financial instability, merchandise quality issues, product safety concerns, trade restrictions, work stoppages, tariffs, foreign currency exchange rates, transportation capacity and costs, inflation, civil unrest, outbreaks of pandemics and other factors relating to foreign trade are beyond our control.  These and other issues affecting our vendors could materially adversely affect our revenue and gross profit .   Many product suppliers provide us with co-operative advertising support in exchange for featuring their products in our catalogs and on our internet sites.  Certain suppliers provide us with other incentives such as rebates, reimbursements, payment discounts, price protection and other similar arrangements.  These incentives are offset against cost of goods sold or selling, general and administrative expenses, as applicable.  The level of co-operative advertising support and other incentives received from suppliers may decline in the future, which could increase our cost of goods sold or selling, general and administrative expenses and have an adverse effect on results of operations and cash flows.     Table of Contents   •  W e rely to a great extent on our information and telecommunications systems, and significant system failures or outages, or our failure to properly evaluate, upgrade or replace our systems, or the failure of our security/safety measures to protect our systems and websites, could have an adverse affect on our results of operations.    •  The establishment and integration of our new shared service center in Hungary exposes us to various technology, regulatory and economic risks.    •  We rely on third party suppliers for most of our products and services. The loss or interruption of these relationships could impact our sales volumes, the levels of inventory we must carry, and/or result in sales delays and/or higher inventory costs from new suppliers.  Co-operative advertising and other sales incentives provided by our suppliers could decrease in the future thereby increasing our expenses and adversely affecting our results of operations and cash flows.    10     The acquisition of certain assets of CompUSA, Circuit City and the purchase of the stock of WStore Europe SA resulted in the recording of significant intangible assets and/or goodwill. We are required to test goodwill and intangible assets annually to determine if the carrying values of these assets are impaired or on a more frequent basis if indicators of impairment exist. If any of our goodwill or intangible assets are determined to be impaired we may be required to record a significant charge to earnings in the period during which the impairment is discovered.  In the fourth quarter of 2012, the Company did record one-time, non-cash impairment charges of approximately $35.3 million related to the intangible assets and goodwill of CompUSA and Circuit City.    We operate internationally and as a result, we are subject to risks associated with doing business globally, such as risks related to the differing legal, political and regulatory requirements and economic conditions of many jurisdictions.  Risks inherent to operating internationally include:   •        Changes in a country’s economic or political conditions  •        Changes in foreign currency exchange rates  •        Difficulties with staffing and managing international operations  •        Unexpected changes in regulatory requirements  •        Changes in transportation and shipping costs  •        Enforcement of intellectual property rights   We conduct our business and incur costs in the local currency of most of the countries in which we operate.  The financial condition and results of operations of each foreign operating subsidiary are reported in the relevant local currency and then translated to U.S. Dollars at the applicable currency exchange rate for inclusion in our consolidated financial statements. Changes in exchange rates between these foreign currencies and the U.S. Dollar will affect the recorded levels of our assets, liabilities, net sales, cost of goods sold and operating margins and could result in exchange gains or losses. The primary currencies to which we have exposure are the European Union Euro, Canadian Dollar, British Pound Sterling, and the U.S. Dollar. Exchange rates between these currencies and the U.S. Dollar in recent years have fluctuated significantly and may do so in the future.  Our operating results and net income may be affected by any volatility in currency exchange rates and our ability to manage effectively our currency transaction and translation risks. For example, we currently have operations located in numerous countries outside the United States, and non-U.S. sales (Europe and Canada) accounted for approximately 37.8% of our revenue during 2012.  To the extent the U.S. dollar strengthens against foreign currencies, our foreign revenues and profits will be reduced when translated into U.S. dollars.    Our inventory is subject to risk due to technological change and changes in market demand for particular products. If we fail to manage our inventory of older products we may have excess or obsolete inventory.  We may have limited rights to return purchases to certain suppliers and we may not be able to obtain price protection on these items.  The elimination of purchase return privileges and lack of availability of price protection could lower our gross margin or result in inventory write-downs.   We also take advantage of attractive product pricing by making opportunistic bulk inventory purchases; any resulting excess and/or obsolete inventory that we are not able to re-sell could have an adverse impact on our results of operations. Any inability to make such bulk inventory purchases may significantly impact our sales and profitability.     Table of Contents   •  Goodwill and intangible assets may become impaired resulting in a charge to earnings.    •  Our substantial international operations are subject to risks such as fluctuations in currency rates (which can adversely impact foreign revenues and profits when translated to US Dollars), foreign regulatory requirements, political uncertainty and the management of our growing international operations .    •  We are exposed to various inventory risks, such as being unable to profitably resell excess or obsolete inventory and/or the loss of product return rights and price protection from our vendors; such events could lower our gross margins or result in inventory write-downs that would reduce reported future earnings.    11     We require significant levels of capital in our business to finance accounts receivable and inventory.  We maintain credit facilities in the United States to finance increases in our working capital if available cash is insufficient.  The amount of credit available to us at any point in time may be adversely affected by the quality or value of the assets collateralizing these credit lines.  In addition, in recent years global financial markets have experienced diminished liquidity and lending constraints.  Our ability to obtain future and/or increased financing to satisfy our requirements as our business expands could be adversely affected by economic and market conditions, credit availability and lender perception of our Company and industry .   However, we currently have no reason to believe that we will not be able to renew or replace our facilities when they reach maturity.    Our United States revolving credit agreement contains covenants restricting or limiting our ability to, among other things:   •       incur additional debt  •       create or permit liens on assets  •       make capital expenditures or investments  •       pay dividends   If we fail to comply with the covenants and other requirements set forth in the credit agreement, we would be in default and would need to negotiate a waiver agreement with the lenders.  Failure to agree on such a waiver could result in the lenders terminating the credit agreement and demanding repayment of any outstanding borrowings, which could adversely affect our cash position and adversely affect the availability of financing to us, which could materially impact our operations.    As of December 31, 2012, we had approximately 5,300 employees, 1,500 of which are located in Europe and Asia. We have workers’ councils representing the employees of our France, Germany, and Netherlands operations, and trade unions representing our employees in Italy and Sweden and elected employee representatives for our employees in the United Kingdom and Spain. Most of these European employees are employed in countries in which employment laws provide greater bargaining or other rights to employees than the laws of the U.S. Such employment rights require us to work collaboratively with the legal representatives of the employees to effect any changes to labor arrangements. For example, most of our employees in Europe are represented by unions or workers’ councils that must approve certain changes in conditions of employment, including salaries and benefits and staff changes, and may impede efforts to restructure our workforce. The establishment of our shared services center in Hungary regarding related reductions in force is subject to discussion with and approval of certain of the workers councils. We believe that we have a generally good relationship with these councils and unions. We have entered into consultation processes under local laws at our Germany, France, Netherlands and Italy locations for, among other things, restructuring our operations and effecting reductions in force in connection with implementing our shared services center in Hungary. Although we believe that we have a good working relationship with our employees, a strike, work stoppage or slowdown by our employees or significant dispute with our employees could result in a significant disruption of our operations or higher ongoing labor costs.    We currently have 41 retail stores operating in North America at December 31, 2012.  The Company needs to effectively manage its cost structure including the additional inventory needs, retail point of sales IT systems, retail personnel and leased facilities.  Future growth in retail will also be dependent on the ability to attract customers and build brand loyalty.  The retail computer and consumer electronics business is highly competitive and has narrow gross margins.  If we fail to manage our growth and cost structure while maintaining high levels of service and meeting competitive pressures adequately, our business plan  may not be achieved and may lead to reduced profitability .   Table of Contents   •  We depend on bank credit facilities to address our working capital and cash flow needs from time to time, and if we are unable to renew or replace these facilities, or borrowing capacity were to be reduced our liquidity and capital resources may be adversely affected.    •  If we fail to observe certain restrictions and covenants under our credit facilities the lenders could refuse to waive such default, terminate the credit facility and demand immediate repayment, which would adversely affect our cash position and materially adversely affect our operations.    •  Our European employees are represented by unions or workers’ councils or are employed subject to local laws that are less favorable to employers than the laws of the U.S.    •  We operate retail stores in North America and we must effectively manage our cost structure, such as inventory needs, point of sales systems, personnel and lease expense.    12     Similar to other companies in the technology products industry, we advertise manufacturers’ mail-in rebates on many products we sell and, in some cases, offer our own rebates.  These rebates are processed through third party vendors and in house.  If these rebates are not processed in a timely and satisfactory manner by either third party vendors or our in house operations, our reputation in the marketplace could be negatively impacted.    The computer and consumer electronics industry is highly price competitive and gross profit margins are narrow and variable.  The Company’s ability to further reduce prices in reaction to competitive pressure is limited.  Additionally, gross margins and operating margins are affected by changes in factors such as vendor pricing, vendor rebate and/or price protection programs, product return rights, and product mix.  In 2012 pricing pressure continued to be prevalent in the markets we serve and we expect this to continue.  We may not be able to mitigate these pricing pressures and resultant declines in sales and gross profit margin with cost reductions in other areas or expansion into new product lines.  If we are unable to proportionately mitigate these conditions our operating results and financial condition may suffer.    In processing our sales orders we often collect personal information and credit card information from our customers.  The Company has privacy and data security policies in place which are designed to prevent security breaches, however, if a third party or a rogue employee or employees are able to bypass our network security, “hack into” our systems or otherwise compromise our customers’ personal information or credit card information, we could be subject to liability.  This liability may include claims for identity theft, unauthorized purchases and claims alleging misrepresentation of our privacy and data security practices or other related claims.  While the Company believes it conforms to appropriate Payment Card Industry (“PCI”) security standards for its various businesses, any breach involving the loss of credit card information may lead to PCI related fines in the millions of dollars.  In the event of a severe breach, credit card providers may prevent our accepting of credit cards. Any such liability related to the aforementioned risks could lead to reduced profitability and damage our brand(s) and/or reputation.    The use of individually identifiable consumer data is regulated at the state, federal and international levels and we incur costs associated with information security – such as increased investment in technology and the costs of compliance with consumer protection laws.  Additionally, our internet operations and website sales depends upon the secure transmission of confidential information over public networks, including the use of cashless payments.  While we have taken significant steps to protect customer and confidential information, there can be no assurance that advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography, the efforts of “hackers” and cyber criminals or other developments will prevent the compromise of our customer transaction processing capabilities and our customers’ personal data.  If any such compromise of our security were to occur, it could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, operating results and financial condition and could subject us to litigation.    Failure to adequately control fraudulent credit card transactions could increase our expenses.  Increased sales to individual consumers, which are more likely to be paid for using a credit card, increases our exposure to fraud.  We employ technology solutions to help us detect the fraudulent use of credit card information.  However, if we are unable to detect or control credit card fraud, we may suffer losses as a result of orders placed with fraudulent credit card data, which could adversely affect our business.   Table of Contents   •  The failure to timely and satisfactorily process manufacturers’ and our own rebate programs could negatively impact our customer satisfaction levels .    •  We may be unable to reduce prices in reaction to competitive pressures, or implement cost reductions or new product line expansion to address gross profit and operating margin pressures; failure to mitigate these pressures could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition .    •  We would be exposed to liability, including substantial fines and penalties and, in extreme cases, loss of our ability to accept credit cards, in the event our privacy and data security policies and procedures are inadequate to prevent security breaches of our consumer personal information and credit card information records.    •  Failure to protect the integrity, security and use of our customers’ information could expose us to litigation and materially damage our standing with our customers.    •  Sales to individual customers expose us to credit card fraud, which impacts our operations.  If we fail to adequately protect ourselves from credit card fraud, our operations could be adversely impacted.    13   Our business depends largely on the efforts and abilities of certain key senior management.  The loss of the services of one or more of such key personnel could have a material adverse affect on our business and financial results.  We do maintain key man insurance policies on one of our executive officers, Lawrence P. Reinhold.    From time to time, we are involved in lawsuits or other legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business. These may relate to, for example, patent, trademark or other intellectual property matters, employment law matters product liability, commercial disputes, consumer sales practices, or other matters. In addition, as a public company we could from time to time face claims relating to corporate or securities law matters.  The defense and/or outcome of such lawsuits or proceedings could have a material adverse affect on our business. See “Legal Proceedings”.    Changes in our income tax expense due to changes in the mix of U.S. and non-U.S. revenues and profitability, changes in tax rates or exposure to additional income tax liabilities could affect our profitability.  We are subject to income taxes in the United States and various foreign jurisdictions.  Our effective tax rate could be adversely affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, restrictions on utilization of tax benefits, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, changes in tax laws or by material audit assessments.  The carrying value of our deferred tax assets, which are primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom, is dependent on our ability to generate future taxable income in those jurisdictions.  In addition, the amount of income taxes we pay is subject to audit in our various jurisdictions and a material assessment by a tax authority could affect our profitability.    A change in accounting standards or practices can have a significant effect on our reported results of operations.  New accounting pronouncements and interpretations of existing accounting rules and practices have occurred and may occur in the future.  Changes to existing rules may adversely affect our reported financial results.      Richard Leeds, Robert Leeds, and Bruce Leeds (each a director and executive officer of the Company), together with trusts for the benefit of certain members of their respective families and other entities controlled by them, control in excess of 70% of the voting power of our outstanding common stock. Due to such holdings, the Leeds brothers together with these trusts and entities are able to determine the outcome of virtually all matters submitted to stockholders for approval, including the election of directors, the appointment of management, amendment of our articles of incorporation, significant corporate transactions (such as a merger or other sale of our company or our assets), the payments of dividends on our common stock and the entering into of extraordinary transactions.  Further, as a "controlled company" under NYSE rules,  the Company has elected to opt-out of certain New York Stock Exchange listing standards that, among other things, require listed companies to have a majority of independent directors on their board; the Company does however currently have an independent Audit, Compensation Committee and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees.      Our common stock is currently listed on the NYSE and is thinly traded. Volatility of thinly traded stocks is typically higher than the volatility of more liquid stocks with higher trading volumes. The trading of relatively small quantities of shares of common stock by our stockholders may disproportionately influence the price of those shares in either direction. This may result in volatility in our stock price and could exacerbate the other volatility-inducing factors described below. The market price of our common stock could be subject to significant fluctuations as a result of being thinly traded.   Table of Contents   •  Our business is dependent on certain key personnel.    •  We are subject to litigation risk due to the nature of our business, which may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and business.    •  Our profitability can be adversely affected by changes in our income tax exposure due to changes in tax rates or laws, changes in our effective tax rate due to changes in the mix of earnings among different countries, restrictions on utilization of tax benefits and changes in valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities.     •  Changes in accounting standards or practices, as well as new accounting pronouncements or interpretations, may require us to account for and report our financial results in a different manner in the future, which may be less favorable than the manner used historically.    •  Concentration of Ownership and Control Limits Stockholders Ability to Influence Corporate Actions    •  Risk of Thin Trading and Volatility of our Common Stock Could Impact Stockholder Value    14    Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.   None.   Item 2. Properties.   We operate our business from numerous facilities in North America, Europe and Asia.  These facilities include our headquarters location, administrative offices, telephone call centers, distribution centers, computer assembly and retail stores.  Certain facilities handle multiple functions.  Most of our facilities are leased; certain are owned by the Company.   North America   As of December 31, 2012 we have six distribution centers in North America which aggregate approximately 2.0 million square feet, all of which are leased.  Our headquarters, administrative offices and call centers aggregate approximately 382,000 square feet, all of which are leased.  Our computer assembly facility is approximately 300,000 square feet and is owned by the Company and is currently available for sale.   The following table summarizes the geographic location of our North America stores at the end of 2012:    All of our retail stores are leased.  The retail stores average 22,506 square feet.   Europe   As of December 31, 2012, we have five distribution centers in Europe which aggregate approximately 264,000 square feet.  Four of these, aggregating approximately 191,000 square feet, are leased; one distribution center of approximately 73,000 square feet is owned by the Company.  Our administrative offices and call centers aggregate approximately 330,000 square feet, of which 252,000 square feet are leased and 77,000 square feet are owned by the Company.   Asia   As of December 31, 2012, we leased administrative offices in Asia of approximately 58,000 square feet.   Please refer to Note 11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information about leased properties, including aggregate rental expense for these properties.   Item 3. Legal Proceedings.   The Company and its subsidiaries are involved in various lawsuits, claims, investigations and proceedings including commercial, employment, consumer, personal injury and health and safety law matters, which are being handled and defended in the ordinary course of business.  In addition, the Company is subject to various assertions, claims, proceedings and requests for indemnification concerning intellectual property, including patent infringement suits involving technologies that are incorporated in a broad spectrum of products the Company sells. The Company is also audited by (or has initiated voluntary disclosure agreements with) numerous governmental agencies in various countries, including U.S. Federal and state authorities, concerning potential income tax, sales tax and unclaimed property liabilities.  These matters are in various stages of investigation, negotiation and/or litigation, and are being vigorously defended.  In this regard, the Company is being audited by the state of Texas regarding its claim that certain of the company’s consumer electronics e-commerce sales are subject to sales tax in Texas; the Company is defending this matter, believes it has strong defenses, and has established reserves for this matter. Results for year ended December 31, 2012 were positively impacted by approximately $7.6 million of which $2.6 million related to the favorable resolution of contingent liabilities which were recorded in the second quarter of 2012 and $5.0 million related to an insurance recovery relating to action taken by a former officer and director, and negatively impacted by $1.8 million of patent claim settlements with non-practicing entities which were recorded in the third and fourth quarter of 2012.   Table of Contents Location    Stores Open – 12/31/11    Store Openings/   (Store Closings)    Stores Open – 12/31/12    Delaware    2        2    Florida    18    (1)    17    Georgia    1        1    Illinois    5        5    North Carolina    2        2    Puerto Rico    1    1    2    Texas    7    (1)    6    Ontario, Canada    6        6        42    (1)    41      15    Although the Company does not expect, based on currently available information, that the outcome in any of these matters, individually or collectively, will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operations, the ultimate outcome is inherently unpredictable. Therefore, judgments could be rendered or settlements entered, that could adversely affect the Company’s operating results or cash flows in a particular period.  The Company routinely assesses all of its litigation and threatened litigation as to the probability of ultimately incurring a liability, and records its best estimate of the ultimate loss in situations where it assesses the likelihood of loss as probable and estimable.   Audit Committee Investigation and Gilbert Fiorentino’s Resignation and Settlement .   In January and February 2011 the Company received anonymous whistleblower allegations concerning the Company’s Miami Florida operations involving the actions of Mr. Gilbert Fiorentino, then the Chief Executive of the Company’s Technology Products Group. In response to the allegations, the Company commenced an internal investigation of the whistleblower allegations, which was conducted by the Company’s Audit Committee of the Board of Directors with the assistance of independent counsel.   On April 18, 2011, following the independent investigation, the Company delivered a Cause Notice to Mr. Fiorentino pursuant to the terms of his Employment Agreement dated October 12, 2004. The Cause Notice advised Mr. Fiorentino that the Company intended to terminate him for “Cause” (as defined in the Employment Agreement) at a meeting of its Executive Committee scheduled for May 3, 2011, at which meeting Mr. Fiorentino and his counsel could appear, and that Mr. Fiorentino was being placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of that meeting. In the Cause Notice, the Company advised Mr. Fiorentino that the Audit Committee investigation had identified grounds to terminate him for Cause under his Employment Agreement, and set forth the following findings by the Audit Committee constituting such grounds:   i) Mr. Fiorentino personally removed or caused to be removed from the Company’s Miami premises product inventory, and/or kept or caused others to receive at his direction such removed product inventory, without payment to the Company and for his own personal gain;  ii) Mr. Fiorentino caused substantial amounts of Company inventory purchases to be effected through Company credit cards in order to accrue and/or use “reward points” for his personal benefit and which he improperly converted to his own use;  iii) Mr. Fiorentino caused his mother to be identified as an employee of the Company in positions for which she had no bona fide job responsibility or function, and caused the Company to pay her a salary and employee benefits, including extended COBRA reimbursements; and  iv) Mr.   Fiorentino engaged in fraudulent “kickback” arrangements with certain of the Company’s vendors, to the detriment of the Company   The Company stated in the Cause Notice that the foregoing activities were in violation of Company policy, the Company’s Corporate Ethics Policy, his fiduciary duties and applicable law. The Audit Committee’s independent investigation determined that the matters described above did not have any material impact on our previously reported financial results and were limited to the Company’s Miami operations.   On May 9, 2011, following several meetings of the Executive Committee and after extensive discussions with Mr. Fiorentino and his counsel, the Company announced that it had accepted the resignation of Mr. Fiorentino, and that it had executed an agreement with Mr. Fiorentino, effective May 6, 2011, under which Mr. Fiorentino surrendered certain assets to the Company valued at approximately $11 million at May 9, 2011: these assets included the surrender of 1,130,001 shares of Systemax common stock and $480,000 in cash. The shares surrendered consisted of 580,001 shares of fully vested unexercised stock options, 2) 100,000 shares of fully vested restricted stock awards and 3) 450,000 shares directly owned by Mr. Fiorentino. The shares surrendered were valued at fair value on May 6, 2011 in the case of the stock options and restricted stock awards and at fair value on May 12, 2011 in the case of the owned shares. The agreement also required Mr. Fiorentino to disclose his and his immediate family’s personal assets; forfeit undisclosed assets discovered by the Company; disclose information regarding certain matters that led to his being notified of the Company’s intent to terminate him; and to fully cooperate with the Company in the future. Mr. Fiorentino and the Company also exchanged mutual general releases and nondisparagement commitments, and Mr. Fiorentino agreed to a 5 year noncompetition obligation. The $11 million settlement value included a financial statement benefit to the Company related to the surrender of shares and cash payment of approximately $8.4 million which was recorded in the second quarter of 2011 under special (gains) charges, net of related legal and professional fees of approximately $1.3 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2011 and $1.8 million for the first six months of 2011. The remainder of the settlement value, approximately $2.6 million, was the intrinsic value of the fully vested unexercised stock options on the date of the settlement agreement for which there is no financial statement impact. The amount of the settlement with Mr. Fiorentino was based on negotiation with him, and was not based on any specific level or nature of damages incurred by the Company, and does not constitute restitution.   On June 21, 2011 Systemax Inc. received notice that the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has initiated a formal investigation into the matters discovered by the Audit Committee’s internal investigation. The Company fully cooperated with the SEC in its formal investigation and in February 2013 the SEC advised the Company that it had concluded its investigation and would not be recommending that any action be taken against the Company.     Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.   Not applicable.   Table of Contents   16  PART II   Item 5.  Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities   Systemax common stock is traded on the NYSE Euronext Exchange under the symbol “SYX.”  The following table sets forth the high and low closing sales price of our common stock as reported on the New York Stock Exchange for the periods indicated.    On December 29, 2012, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the New York Stock Exchange was $9.30 per share.  As of December 29, 2012, we had 186 shareholders of record.   On November 29, 2012, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a special dividend of $0.25 per share payable on December 21, 2012 to shareholders of record on December 12, 2012.  This special dividend is the fourth dividend we have paid since our initial public offering.   Depending in part upon profitability, the strength of our balance sheet, our cash position and the need to retain cash for the development and expansion of our business, we may decide to declare special dividends in the future, subject to availability limitations under our credit facilities.  See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources” and Note 4 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.   Information regarding securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans and a performance graph relating to the Company’s common stock is set forth in the Company’s Proxy Statement relating to the 2013 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and is incorporated by reference herein.   Table of Contents     High      Low    2012              First Quarter    $ 20.57     $ 16.33   Second Quarter      17.71       11.41   Third Quarter      12.80       10.60   Fourth Quarter      12.35       9.16                     2011                  First Quarter    $ 14.80     $ 12.25   Second Quarter      15.18       12.37   Third Quarter      17.01       11.90   Fourth Quarter      16.97       11.64     17    Item 6. Selected Financial Data.   The following selected financial information is qualified by reference to, and should be read in conjunction with, the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and the notes thereto, and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” contained elsewhere in this report.  The selected statement of operations data, excluding discontinued operations, for fiscal years 2012, 2011 and 2010 and the selected balance sheet data as of December 2012 and 2011 are derived from the audited consolidated financial statements which are included elsewhere in this report.  The selected balance sheet data as of December 2010, 2009 and 2008 and the selected statement of operations data for fiscal years 2009 and 2008 are derived from the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company which are not included in this report.      Item 7.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.   Overview   Systemax is primarily a direct marketer of brand name and private label products. Our operations are organized in two reportable business segments — Technology Products and Industrial Products.   Our Technology Products segment sells computers, computer supplies and consumer electronics which are marketed in North America, Puerto Rico and Europe. Most of these products are manufactured by other companies; however, we do offer a selection of products that are manufactured for us to our own design and marketed on a private label basis.  Technology products accounted for 89%, 91% and 93% of our net sales in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.     The Company conducted an evaluation of its Technology Products multi-brand United States consumer strategy and the intangible assets used in that strategy and concluded that the Company’s future North American consumer business would be optimized by consolidating its United States consumer operations under TigerDirect, its leading and largest brand.  This consolidation was effected in the fourth quarter of 2012 resulting in a write off of the intangible assets and goodwill of CompUSA and Circuit City of approximately $35.3 million.   The Company exited the PC manufacturing operations during the fourth quarter of 2012 after conducting an evaluation of its operations and concluded that the Company’s North American technology results will be enhanced by exiting the computer manufacturing business.  The exit resulted in a fourth quarter of 2012 asset write down of the carrying cost of the Company’s computer manufacturing facilities, related equipment and inventory of approximately $4.6 million.   The Company is opening a shared services center in Budapest, Hungary in 2013 to facilitate the continued growth of its European Technology Products business.  This new facility will provide certain administrative and back office services for the existing European business, will help drive operational efficiencies and better serve the Company’s pan-European operating strategy, and will serve as the sales location for future business in Eastern Europe. Exit, severance and start up costs to implement the facility together with other cost reduction initiatives in Europe, aggregated to $4.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2012.   Our Industrial Products segment sells a wide array of industrial products and supplies which are marketed in North America. Most of these products are manufactured by other companies. Some products are manufactured for us to our own design and marketed under the trademarks Global™ , GlobalIndustrial.com™ and Nexel™. Industrial products accounted for 11%, 9% and   7% of our net sales in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. In both of these product groups, we offer our customers a broad selection of products, prompt order fulfillment and extensive customer service.   Table of Contents     Years Ended December 31,        (In millions, except per share data)        2012      2011      2010      2009      2008    Statement of Operations Data :                                Net sales    $ 3,544.6     $ 3,680.6     $ 3,589.1     $ 3,163.0     $ 3,031.2   Gross profit    $ 488.1     $ 530.5     $ 489.5     $ 453.4     $ 456.3   Operating (loss) income from continuing operations    $ (39.9 )   $ 80.8     $ 68.8     $ 80.1     $ 101.6   Net income from continuing operations    $ (8.0 )   $ 54.6     $ 42.6     $ 49.2     $ 77.3   Per Share Amounts :                                          Net income (loss) — diluted    $ (0.22 )   $ 1.47     $ 1.13     $ 1.32     $ 2.05   Weighted average common shares — diluted      36.9       37.1       37.6       37.3       37.7   Cash dividends declared per common share    $ 0.25     $ -    $ -    $ 0.75     $ 1.00   Balance Sheet Data :                                          Working capital    $ 360.8     $ 354.8     $ 300.9     $ 250.1     $ 253.1   Total assets    $ 962.3     $ 889.7     $ 894.1     $ 816.9     $ 702.5   Long-term debt, excluding current portion    $ 5.3     $ 7.1     $ 7.4     $ 1.2     $ 1.4   Shareholders’ equity    $ 446.3     $ 454.3     $ 409.3     $ 364.7     $ 334.0     18    We exited the Software Solutions segment in June 2009.  One customer remained being serviced by the Company until the second quarter of 2012  The termination of this customer has resulted in all current and prior period results have for this business segment to be classified as discontinued operations.  See Note 12 to the Consolidated   Financial Statements included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional financial information about our business segments as well as information about our geographic operations.   The market for computer products and consumer electronics is subject to intense price competition and is characterized by narrow gross profit margins. The North American industrial products market is highly fragmented and we compete against multiple distribution channels. Distribution is working capital intensive, requiring us to incur significant costs associated with the warehousing of many products, including the costs of maintaining inventory, leasing warehouse space, inventory management systems, and employing personnel to perform the associated tasks. We supplement our on-hand product availability by maintaining relationships with major distributors and manufacturers, utilizing a combination of stock and drop-shipment fulfillment.   The primary component of our operating expenses historically has been employee-related costs, which includes items such as wages, commissions, bonuses, employee benefits and stock option expenses. We continually assess our operations to ensure that they are efficient, aligned with market conditions and responsive to customer needs.   In the discussion of our results of operations we refer to business to business sales, consumer channel sales and period to period constant currency comparisons. Business to business sales are sales made direct to other businesses through managed business relationships, outbound call centers and extranets. Sales in the Industrial Products segment and Corporate and other are considered to be business to business sales. Consumer channel sales are sales from retail stores, consumer websites, inbound call centers and television shopping channels. Constant currency refers to the adjustment of the results of our foreign operations to exclude the effects of period to period fluctuations in currency exchange rates.   Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates   Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K. Certain accounting policies require the application of significant judgment by management in selecting the appropriate assumptions for calculating financial estimates. By their nature, these judgments are subject to an inherent degree of uncertainty, and as a result, actual results could differ materially from those estimates. These judgments are based on historical experience , observation of trends in the industry, information provided by customers and information available from other outside sources, as appropriate. Management believes that full consideration has been given to all relevant circumstances that we may be subject to, and the consolidated financial statements of the Company accurately reflect management’s best estimate of the consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows of the Company for the years presented. We identify below a number of policies that entail significant judgments or estimates, the assumptions and or judgments used to determine those estimates and the potential effects on reported financial results if actual results differ materially from these estimates.   Table of Contents Accounting policy    Assumptions and uncertainties    Quantification and analysis of effect on actual results if estimates differ materially  Revenue Recognition. We recognize product sales when persuasive evidence of an order arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the sales price is fixed or determinable and collectibility is reasonably assured. Generally, these criteria are met at the time of receipt by customers when title and risk of loss both are transferred, except in our Industrial Products segment where title and risk pass at time of shipment. Sales are presented net of returns and allowances, rebates and sales incentives.  Reserves for estimated returns and allowances are provided when sales are recorded, based on historical experience and current trends.       Our revenue recognition policy contains assumptions and judgments made by management related to the timing and amounts of future sales returns. Sales returns are estimated based upon historical experience and current known trends.          We have not made any material changes to our sales return reserve policy in the past three years and we do not anticipate making any material changes to this policy in the future. However if our estimates are materially different than our actual experience we could have a material gain or loss adjustment.        Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable . We record an allowance for doubtful accounts to reflect our estimate of the collectibility of our trade accounts receivable. While bad debt allowances have been within expectations and the provisions established, there can be no guarantee that we will continue to experience the same allowance rate we have in the past.       Our allowance for doubtful accounts policy contains assumptions and judgments made by management related to collectibility of aged accounts receivable and chargebacks from credit card sales. We evaluate the collectibility of accounts receivable based on a combination of factors, including an analysis of the age of customer accounts and our historical experience with accounts receivable write-offs. The analysis also includes the financial condition of a specific customer or industry, and general economic conditions.  In circumstances where we are aware of customer credit card charge-backs   We have not made any material changes to our allowance for doubtful accounts receivable reserve policy in the past three years and we do not anticipate making any material changes to this policy in the future. However if our estimates are materially different than our actual experience we could have a material gain or loss adjustment.     A change of 10% in our allowance for doubtful accounts reserve at December 31, 2012 would impact net income by approximately $0.6 million.     or a specific customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations, a specific reserve for bad debts applicable to amounts due to reduce the net recognized receivable to the amount management reasonably believes will be collected is recorded. In those situations with ongoing discussions, the amount of bad debt recognized is based on the status of the discussions.    19       Table of Contents Accounting policy    Assumptions and uncertainties    Quantification and analysis of effect on actual results if estimates differ materially  Inventory valuation .  We value our inventories at the lower of cost or market, cost being determined on the first-in, first-out method except in Europe and retail locations where an average cost is used. Excess and obsolete or unmarketable merchandise are written down based on historical experience, assumptions about future product demand and market conditions. If market conditions are less favorable than projected or if technological developments result in accelerated obsolescence, additional write-downs may be required. While obsolescence and resultant markdowns have been within expectations, there can be no guarantee that we will continue to experience the same level of markdowns we have in the past.       Our inventory reserve policy contains assumptions and judgments made by management related to inventory aging, obsolescence, credits that we may obtain for returned merchandise, shrink and consumer demand.    We have not made any material changes to our inventory reserve policy in the past three years and we do not anticipate making any material changes to this policy in the future. However if our estimates are materially different than our actual experience we could have a material loss adjustment.     A change of 10% in our inventory reserves at December 31, 2012 would impact net income by approximately $1.0 million.     Goodwill and Intangible Assets. We apply the provisions of relevant accounting guidance in our valuation of goodwill, trademarks, domain names, client lists and other intangible assets. Relevant accounting guidance requires that goodwill and indefinite lived intangibles be reviewed at least annually for impairment or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. The amount of an impairment loss would be recognized as the excess of the asset’s carrying value over its fair value.       Our impairment testing involves judgments and uncertainties, quantitative and qualitative, related to the use of discounted cash flow models and forecasts of future results, both of which involve significant judgment and may not be reliable. Significant management judgment is necessary to evaluate the operating environment and economic conditions that exist to develop a forecast for a reporting unit. Assumptions related to the discounted cash flow models we use include the inputs used to determine the Company’s weighted average cost of capital including a market risk premium, the beta of a reporting unit, reporting unit specific risk premiums and terminal growth values.   Critical assumptions related to the forecast inputs used in our discounted cash flow models include projected sales growth, same store sales growth, gross margin percentages, new business opportunities, working capital requirements, capital expenditures and growth in selling, general and administrative expense. We also use our company's market capitalization and comparable company market data to validate our reporting unit valuations.                We have not made any material changes to our goodwill policy in the past three years and we do not anticipate making any material changes to this policy in the future.     We recorded goodwill and intangible impairment charges in 2012 (see below) and have approximately $11.1 million in goodwill and intangible assets at December 31, 2012.We do not believe it is reasonably likely that the estimates or assumptions used to determine whether any of our remaining goodwill or intangible assets are impaired will change materially in the future. However if the inputs used in our discounted cash flow models or our forecasts are materially different than actual experience we could incur impairment charges that are material.     The Company conducted an evaluation of its Technology Products multi-brand United States consumer strategy and the intangible assets used in that strategy and concluded that the Company’s future North American consumer business would be optimized by consolidating its United States consumer operations under TigerDirect, its leading and largest brand.  As a result an impairment charge of approximately $35.3 million related to the trademarks, domain names and goodwill of CompUSA and Circuit City was taken in the fourth quarter of 2012.    20       Table of Contents Accounting policy    Assumptions and uncertainties    Quantification and analysis of effect on actual results if estimates differ materially  Long-lived Assets. Management exercises judgment in evaluating our long-lived assets for impairment and in their depreciation and amortization methods and lives. We believe we will generate sufficient undiscounted cash flow to more than recover the investments made in property, plant and equipment.    The impairment analysis for long lived assets requires management to make judgments about useful lives and to estimate fair values of long lived assets. It may also require us to estimate future cash flows of related assets using discounted cash flow model Our estimates of future cash flows involve assumptions concerning future operating performance and economic conditions. While we believe that our estimates of future cash flows are reasonable, different assumptions regarding such cash flows could materially affect our evaluations.    We have not made any material changes to our long lived assets policy in the past three years and we do not anticipate making any material changes to this policy in the future.     We do not believe it is reasonably likely that the estimates and assumptions used to determine long lived asset impairment will vary materially in the future. However if our estimates are materially different than our actual experience we could have a material gain or loss adjustment.    A change of 10% in the carrying value of our long lived assets would impact net income by approximately $6.3 million.     Vendor Accruals. Our contractual agreements with certain suppliers provide us with funding or allowances for costs such as price protection, markdowns and advertising as well funds or allowances for purchasing volumes.     Generally, allowances received as a reimbursement of identifiable costs are recorded as an expense reduction when the cost is incurred. Sales related allowances are generally determined by our level of purchases of product and are deferred and recorded as a reduction of inventory carrying value and are ultimately included as a reduction of cost of goods when inventory is sold.    Management makes assumptions and exercises judgment in estimating period end funding and allowances earned under our various agreements. Estimates are developed based on the terms of our vendor agreements and using existing expenditures for which funding is available, determining products whose market price would indicate coverage for markdown or price protection is available and estimating the level of our performance under agreements that provide funds or allowances for purchasing volumes. Estimates of funding or allowances for purchasing volume will include projections of annual purchases which are developed using current actual purchase data and historical purchase trends. Accruals in interim periods could be materially different if actual purchase volumes differ from projections.    We have not made any material changes to our vendor accrual policy in the past three years nor do we anticipate making any material changes to this policy in the future.     If actual results are different from the projections used we could have a material gain or loss adjustment.     A change of 10% in our vendor accruals at December 31, 2012 would impact net income by approximately $1.6 million.    21     Table of Contents Accounting policy    Assumptions and uncertainties    Quantification and analysis of effect on actual results if estimates differ materially   Income Taxes. We are subject to taxation from federal, state and foreign jurisdictions and the determination of our tax provision is complex and requires significant management judgment. We conduct operations in numerous U.S. states and foreign locations. Our effective tax rate depends upon the geographic distribution of our pre-tax income or losses among locations with varying tax rates and rules. As the geographic mix of our pre-tax results among various tax jurisdictions changes, the effective tax rate may vary from period to period. We are also subject to periodic examination from domestic and foreign tax authorities regarding the amount of taxes due. These examinations include questions regarding the timing and amount of deductions and the allocation of income among various tax jurisdictions. We establish as needed, and periodically reevaluate, an estimated income tax reserve on our consolidated balance sheet to provide for the possibility of adverse outcomes in income tax proceedings. While management believes that we have identified all reasonably identifiable exposures and whether or not a reserve is appropriate, it is possible that additional exposures exist and/or that exposures may be settled at amounts different than the amounts reserved.       The determination of deferred tax assets and liabilities and any valuation allowances that might be necessary requires management to make significant judgments concerning the ability to realize net deferred tax assets. The realization of net deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income. In estimating future taxable income there are judgments and uncertainties related to the development of forecasts of future results that may not be reliable. Significant management judgment is also necessary to evaluate the operating environment and economic conditions that exist to develop a forecast for a reporting unit. Where management has determined that it is more likely than not that some portion or the entire deferred tax asset will not be realized, we have provided a valuation allowance. If the realization of those deferred tax assets in the future is considered more likely than not, an adjustment to the deferred tax assets would increase net income in the period such determination is made.    We have not made any material changes to our income tax policy in the past three years and we do not anticipate making any material changes to this policy in the future.     We do not believe it is reasonably likely that the estimates or assumptions used to determine our deferred tax assets and liabilities and related valuation allowances will change materially in the future. However if our estimates are materially different than our actual experience we could have a material gain or loss adjustment. In 2012 we reversed approximately $15.1 million in valuation allowances against the deferred tax assets of our French subsidiary as a result of the subsidiary no longer being in a cumulative loss position.     A change of 5% in our effective tax rate at December 31, 2012 would impact net income by approximately $2.1 million.  Reorganization and other charges.   We have recorded reorganization, restructuring and other charges in the past and could in the future commence further reorganization, restructuring and other activities which result in recognition in charges to income.    The recording of reorganization, restructuring and other charges may involve  assumptions and judgments about future costs and  timing for amounts  related to personnel terminations, stay bonuses, lease termination costs, lease sublet revenues, outplacement services, contract termination costs, asset impairments and other exit costs. Management may estimate these costs using existing contractual and other data or may rely on third party expert data.    When we incur a liability related to these actions, we estimate and record all appropriate expenses. We do not believe it is reasonably likely that the estimates or assumptions used to determine our reorganization, restructuring and other charges will change materially in the future. However if our estimates are materially different than our actual experience we could have a material gain or loss adjustment.     For the year ended December 31, 2012 the Company recorded reorganization and other charges of approximately $46.3 million for reorganization, restructuring and asset impairment and other charges.    22    Recently Adopted and Newly Issued Accounting Pronouncements   Public companies in the United States are subject to the accounting and reporting requirements of various authorities, including the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). These authorities issue numerous pronouncements, most of which are not applicable to the Company’s current or reasonably foreseeable operating structure. Below are the new authoritative pronouncements that management believes are relevant to the Company’s current operations.   In July 2012, the FASB issued an update related to annual impairment testing for indefinite-lived intangible assets which provides companies with the option to perform a qualitative impairment assessment for their indefinite-lived intangible assets that may allow them to skip the annual fair value calculation.  The qualitative assessment is similar to the screen companies can use to determine whether they must perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. Companies must identify and evaluate changes in economic, industry and company-specific events and circumstances that could affect the significant inputs used in determining the fair value of these assets.  This ASU is effective for annual and interim impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012.   In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-05, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Presentation of Comprehensive Income . ASU 2011-05 eliminates the option to report other comprehensive income and its components in the statement of changes in shareholders’ equity and requires that all items of net income, items of other comprehensive income and total comprehensive income be presented in either a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The Company adopted this ASU in the first quarter of 2012. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.   Highlights from 2012  The discussion of our results of operations and financial condition that follows will provide information that will assist in understanding our financial statements and information about how certain accounting principles and estimates affect the consolidated financial statements. This discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements included herein.    Table of Contents    •  Sales declined 3.7%, 1.9% on a constant currency basis, to $3.5 billion in 2012 compared to 2011.     •  Business to business channel sales grew 5.1%, 8.0% on a constant currency basis, to $2.1 billion in 2012 over 2011.     •  Consumer channel sales declined 14.0%, 13.7% on a constant currency basis, to $1.5 billion in 2012 compared to 2011.     •  Movements in exchange rates negatively impacted European sales by approximately $57.6 million and Canadian sales by approximately $7.1 million.     •  Special one-time asset impairment charges of $35.3 million related to intangible assets and goodwill of CompUSA and Circuit City.     •  Special one-time asset write downs of $4.6 million related to the exit from the PC manufacturing business.    23    Results of Operations   Key Performance Indicators* (in millions):         NET SALES   SEGMENTS:   The Technology Products net sales decrease is attributable to weakness in North American consumer web, television and retail store sales which were only partially offset by our European business to business sales growth. We have made a number of investments in the European market to better capitalize on the opportunities we see in those existing markets and we have built out our European team to support anticipated growth.  On a constant currency basis, sales declined 4.6% or $155.2 million.   The Industrial Products net sales increase in 2012 is attributable to increased product offerings on the Company’s websites, including the recently opened Canadian website, and the addition of business to business sales personnel to strengthen our sales teams.   Table of Contents     Years Ended December 31,        2012      2011      %  Change      2011      2010      %  Change    Net sales by segment:                                      Technology Products    $ 3,137.6     $ 3,357.4       (6.5 )%   $ 3,357.4     $ 3,336.9       0.6 % Industrial Products      401.9       319.9       25.6 %     319.9       250.0       28.0 % Corporate and other      5.1       3.3       54.5 %     3.3       2.2       50.0 % Consolidated net sales    $ 3,544.6     $ 3,680.6       (3.7 )%   $ 3,680.6     $ 3,589.1       2.5 % Net sales by channel:                                                  Business to business    $ 2,085.8     $ 1,984.4       5.1 %   $ 1,984.4     $ 1,769.7       12.1 % Consumer      1,458.8       1,696.2       (14.0 )%     1,696.2       1,819.4       (6.8 )% Consolidated net sales    $ 3,544.6     $ 3,680.6       (3.7 )%   $ 3,680.6       3,589.1       2.5 % Consolidated gross margin      13.8 %     14.4 %     (0.6 )%     14.4 %     13.6 %     0.8 % Consolidated SG&A costs**    $ 528.0     $ 449.7       17.4 %   $ 449.7     $ 420.7       6.9 % Consolidated SG&A costs** as % of sales      14.9 %     12.2 %     2.7 %     12.2 %     11.7 %     0.5 % Operating income (loss) from continuing operations by segment:**                                                 Technology Products    $ (47.2 )   $ 68.0       (169.4 )%   $ 68.0     $ 65.0       4.6 % Industrial Products      29.9       35.1       (14.8 )%     35.1       24.1       45.6 % Corporate and other      (22.6 )     (22.3 )     (1.3 )%     (22.3 )     (20.3 )     (9.9 )% Consolidated operating income (loss)    $ (39.9 )   $ 80.8       (149.4 )%   $ 80.8     $ 68.8       17.4 % Operating margin from continuing operations by segment :**                                                  Technology Products      (1.5 )%     2.0 %     (3.5 )%     2.0 %     1.9 %     0.1 % Industrial Products      7.4 %     11.0 %     (3.6 )%     11.0 %     9.6 %     1.4 % Consolidated operating margin from continuing operations      (1.1 )     2.2 %     (3.3 )%     2.2 %     1.9 %     0.3 % Effective income tax rate      80.8 %     30.9 %     49.9 %     30.9 %     35.6 %     (4.7 )% Net income (loss) from continuing operations    $ (8.0 )   $ 54.6       (114.7 )%   $ 54.6     $ 42.6       28.2 % Net margin from continuing operations      (0.2 )%     1.5 %     (1.7 )%     1.5 %     1.2 %     0.3 % *  excludes discontinued operations  ** includes special charges (gains), net (See Note 7 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements).    24    The Technology Products net sales increase in 2011 compared to 2010 is attributable to the effects of currency movements and improved business to business sales offset by decreased consumer channel sales.  On a constant currency basis, sales declined 1.0% or $33.5 million. This decline is due to lower sales in certain geographies, primarily North America and certain channels, primarily unassisted web and television shopping.  The Industrial Products segment net sales increase in 2011 compared to 2010 is attributable to more products offered on the Company’s website and the addition of new sales personnel.   CHANNEL SALES:   The increase in consolidated business to business channel sales was driven by the Industrial Products segment’s additional products offered and new product categories on the Company’s website and addition of sales personnel. On a constant currency basis, worldwide business to business channel sales grew 8.0%.   The decline in consolidated consumer-channel sales resulted from softness in television shopping, internet and retail stores in North America. Consumer-channel sales declines were primarily the result of declines in sales of personal computers and televisions, driven by both volume and selling price erosion.  On a constant currency basis, worldwide consumer channel sales declined 14.8%.   The worldwide business to business channel sales increase in 2011 resulted primarily from the Industrial Products segment’s additional product lines and the addition of business to business sales personnel in both the Technology Products and Industrial Products segments. On a constant currency basis, worldwide business to business channel sales grew 9.7% in 2011.  The worldwide consumer-channels, defined as revenues from retail stores, consumer websites, inbound call centers and shopping channels, decline resulted primarily from European and North American unassisted web and television shopping sales. On a constant currency basis, worldwide consumer channel sales declined 7.4% in 2011.   The Company exited the Software Solutions segment in June 2009.  One customer remained being served by the Company until the second quarter of 2012.  The termination of this customer has resulted in all prior period results for this business segment to be classified as discontinued operations in the second quarter of 2012.   GROSS MARGIN   The consolidated gross margin decrease in 2012 is due to increased promotional freight campaigns and competitive pricing pressures within our North American Technology business offset by changes in the segment and channel mix, with Industrial Products sales, which are typically higher margin than Technology Products, contributing a larger percentage to gross profit dollars.  Gross margin is dependent on variables such as product mix, vendor price protection and other sales incentives, competition, pricing strategy, cooperative advertising funds required to be classified as a reduction to cost of sales, freight discounting and other variables, any or all of which may result in fluctuations in gross margin .   The consolidated gross margin increase in 2011 was due to changes in the segment and channel mix, with Industrial Products sales, which are typically higher margin than Technology Products, contributing a larger percentage to gross profit dollars. Modest improvements in our freight margin in Technology Products contributed to the improved margin from our ongoing freight and logistics initiatives.     SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES   The selling, general and administrative expenses increase in 2012 primarily resulted from the increased Industrial Products sales volume and increases in facility and other operating costs related to the Industrial Products segment compared to 2011.  Significant expense increases include approximately $4.5 million of increased payroll and related costs due to additional contract labor expenses, approximately $2.3 million in expenses related to ongoing sales tax and other regulatory audits in our North American Technology business; additional rent and related costs of approximately $1.4 million due to the opening of a new distribution center in the Industrial Products segment and new sales and administrative offices in the United Kingdom, approximately $6.9 million of reduced vendor co-operative funding partially offset by savings in catalog and store advertising costs, and increased internet advertising of $11.4 million.  The Company incurred approximately $0.6 million of additional depreciation and amortization compared to 2011 due to the addition of our Industrial Products segment distribution center and extensive data storage upgrades and fabrication materials acquired in that segment.     Table of Contents   25    The selling, general and administrative expenses increase in 2011 primarily resulted from the increased sales volume, increases in facility and other operating costs related to the retail stores being opened a full year compared to 2010 and hiring of additional sales personnel.  Significant expense increases include approximately $21.4 million of increased payroll, and related costs due to additional sales personnel and additional retail stores operating for the full year of 2011 compared to 2010, additional rent and related costs of approximately $2.8 million and $10.1 million of increased internet, store space ads advertising and reduced cooperative advertising funding on catalogs, offset by decreased spending on catalogs compared to 2010. The Company incurred approximately $2.8 million of additional depreciation and amortization compared to 2010 due to significant additions to our second distribution center, expenditures in our retail stores and amortization of intangible assets.   SPECIAL CHARGES (GAINS), NET   The Company recorded net special charges of approximately $46.3 million primarily related to asset impairment charges of $39.9 million in the North American Technology Products business which includes the write off of $35.3 million of intangible assets and goodwill of CompUSA and Circuit City and $4.6 million related to the closing of the Company’s computer manufacturing location.  The North American Technology Products business also incurred $0.5 million of severance costs related to the exit from the computer manufacturing business as well as $1.8 million related to patent settlements with non-practicing entities (see Notes 2 and 7 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements).  These charges were partially offset by net recoveries of $3.9 million for litigation costs and settlements related to a former officer and director of the Company.  There were also $8.0 million of severance related charges incurred in the Technology Products business and the Industrial Products segment.   In 2011 the Company recorded a net special gain of approximately $5.6 million primarily related to the investigation and settlement with a former officer and director of the Company (see Note 8 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements).  A special gain of approximately $8.4 million related to the Settlement Agreement was recorded in the second quarter of 2011.  This gain was partially offset by charges for related investigative, legal and professional fees of approximately $2.8 million for the year.   OPERATING MARGIN   The decline in Technology products operating margin was primarily due to $39.9 million of asset impairment charges, $6.4 million of severance and other reorganization related charges, $1.8 million of patent settlements with non-practicing entities offset by net recoveries of $3.9 million for litigation costs and settlements related to a former officer and director of the Company.  Excluding these net charges, Technology Products operating margin would have declined compared to 2011 due to the soft demand for personal computers and consumer electronics, a decline in vendor co-operative funding within the North America technology business, and lower sales and gross profit to cover fixed selling, general and administrative expenses, partially offset by continued strength in business to business operations.   Technology products operating margin increased 10 basis points in 2011 versus 2010 due to the effect of a special gain recorded in 2011 related to the investigation of the former officer and director of the Company and the special charges incurred in 2010 for the WStore integration. Excluding these gains and charges, Technology products operating margin would have declined compared to 2010 due to continuing price promotions offered and increased spending related to the retail stores, additional headcount and a full year of operation of the second distribution center.   The decline in Industrial Products operating margin was due to a shift towards drop shipped products which tend to lower consolidated profit margins, a decline in freight margins, costs incurred for the new distribution and call center which opened in the second quarter 2012, and sales and other personnel costs as the segment continues to expand into newer product categories.   Industrial products operating margin increased 140 basis points in 2011 due to increased demand for the segment’s various products, the availability of additional products on the Company’s websites and in its catalogs and additional sales personnel.   The increase in Corporate and other loss primarily resulted from increased overhead expenses. Corporate and other operating costs increased 13.2% during 2011 primarily as a result of increased personnel costs and increased tax and accounting fees offset by savings in general consulting fees.   Table of Contents   26    The discontinued operations of Software Solutions incurred a loss of approximately $0.3 million, $0.2 million and $0.0 million, net of tax, for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.   INTEREST EXPENSE   Interest expense was $1.7 million, $2.2 million, and $1.8 million for 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The interest expense decrease is attributable to decreasing balances owed on the Recovery Zone Bond facility and outstanding capital lease obligations.  The increase in 2011 compared to 2010 is primarily the result of a full year of interest on the Recovery Zone Bond entered into to finance the equipment for the second Technology Products distribution center opened in 2010.   INCOME TAXES   The Company’s effective tax rate was an 80.8% benefit in 2012 as compared to a 30.9% provision in 2011. The tax benefit in 2012 is primarily due to the reversal of approximately $15.1 million of valuation allowances against deferred tax assets of the Company’s French subsidiary as a result of the subsidiary no longer being in a cumulative loss position and operating losses in the United States, including impacts of the asset impairment charges recorded.   The effective tax rate in 2011 was 30.9% compared to 35.6% in 2010. The lower tax rate in 2011 is primarily the result of the company’s France operations having sufficient income to partially utilize net operating loss carryforwards that had a full valuation allowance applied.   Seasonality   The Company’s  fourth quarter has represented a greater portion of annual sales than historically.  Net sales have historically been modestly weaker during the second and third quarters as a result of lower business activity during those months. The following table sets forth the net sales seasonality, excluding discontinued operations, for each of the quarters since January 1, 2010 (amounts in millions) .    Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources   Selected liquidity data (in millions):    Table of Contents     Quarter Ended        March 31      June 30      September 30     December 31   2012                          Net sales    $ 913.6     $ 849.5     $ 846.3     $ 935.2   Percentage of year’s net sales      25.8 %     24.0 %     23.9 %     26.3 %                                   2011                                  Net sales    $ 929.8     $ 872.2     $ 900.2     $ 978.4   Percentage of year’s net sales      25.3 %     23.7 %     24.4 %     26.6 %                                   2010                                  Net sales    $ 914.9     $ 806.0     $ 862.6     $ 1,005.6   Percentage of year’s net sales      25.5 %     22.5 %     24.0 %     28.0 %     December 31,              2012      2011      $ Change    Cash    $ 150.7     $ 97.3     $ 53.4   Accounts receivable, net    $ 297.4     $ 269.0     $ 28.4   Inventories    $ 367.2     $ 372.2     $ (5.0 ) Assets available for sale    $ 2.3     $ -    $ 2.3   Prepaid expenses and other current assets    $ 21.2     $ 18.2     $ 3.0   Accounts payable    $ 405.3     $ 336.5     $ 68.8   Accrued expenses and other current liabilities    $ 83.5     $ 72.4     $ 11.1   Current portion of long term debt    $ 2.8     $ 2.6     $ 0.2   Working capital    $ 360.8     $ 354.8     $ 6.0     27    Our primary liquidity needs are to support working capital requirements in our business, including working capital for the exit from the PC manufacturing business, opening a shared services center in Hungary, reorganizing our European operations, including separation costs, the new distribution and call center for our Industrial Products segment, funding capital expenditures, including those related to our retail stores and information technology systems, implementing new inventory and warehouse functions in Europe, continued investment in upgrading and expanding our technological capabilities, repaying outstanding debt, special dividends declared by our Board of Directors and acquisitions. We rely principally upon operating cash flows to meet these needs. We believe that cash flows from operations and our availability under credit facilities will be sufficient to fund our working capital and other cash requirements for the next twelve months.  We believe our current capital structure and cash resources are adequate for our internal growth initiatives.  To the extent our growth initiatives expand, including major acquisitions, we would seek to raise additional capital.  We believe that, if needed, we can access public or private funding alternatives to raise additional capital.   Our working capital increase in 2012 is primarily the result of increased cash, accounts receivable, and prepaid balances offset by increased accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities balances compared to 2011.  Accounts receivable days outstanding were at 29.0 in 2012 up from 27.0 in 2011. We expect that future accounts receivable and inventory balances will fluctuate with net sales and the mix of our net sales between consumer and business customers.   Net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations was $75.4 million, $18.4 million, and $64.7 million during 2012, 2011, and 2010, respectively.  The increase in cash provided by operating activities in 2012 compared to 2011 resulted from a $104.2 million increase in our working capital accounts, primarily the result of increased payable balances at year end offset by a $47.2 million decrease in net income adjusted by non-cash items, such as asset impairment charges, depreciation and provision for deferred income taxes.  The decrease in cash provided by operating activities in 2011 compared to 2010 resulted from changes in our working capital accounts which used $49.2 million offset by a $2.9 million increase in net income adjusted by other non-cash items, such as depreciation expense.  Net cash used in operating activities from discontinued operations during 2012 and 2011 was $0.4 million and $0.2 million, respectively and net cash provided by discontinued operations in 2010 was $0.2 million.   Net cash used in investing activities from continuing operations was $12.0 million for 2012 and were for warehouse racking systems for the new distribution center, network upgrades, fabrication equipment, expenditures for a new retail store opening, upgrades and enhancements to our information and communications systems hardware. In 2011, net cash used in investing activities was $12.3 million, primarily for upgrades and enhancements to our information and communication systems hardware and software and expenditures in retail stores in North America. In 2010, net cash used in investing activities was $24.7 million, primarily for capital expenditures including expenditures for the second North American distribution center for the Technology Products segment.   Net cash used in financing activities from continuing operations was $11.1 million in 2012, $0.5 million in 2011 and $4.5 million in 2010.  In 2012, we paid a special dividend of $9.1 million and repaid approximately $2.8 million of capital lease obligations. Net proceeds and excess tax benefits from stock option exercises provided $0.8 million.  In 2011, we borrowed and repaid approximately $10.9 million from revolving credit and short term debt facilities. We repaid approximately $2.5 million in capital lease obligations. Net proceeds and excess tax benefits from stock option exercises provided $0.5 million and we received proceeds of approximately $1.5 million from the Recovery Zone Facility Bond.  In 2010, we borrowed and repaid approximately $261.7 million against our credit facilities. We repaid approximately $13.2 million in short term debt and approximately $1.3 million in capital lease obligations and received proceeds of approximately $7.9 million from the Recovery Zone Facility Bond. Net proceeds and excess tax benefits from stock option exercises provided approximately $2.1 million of cash. Net cash used in financing activities from discontinued operations was $0 million, $0.2 million and $0.2 million for 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.   The Company maintains a $125.0 million (which may be increased to $200.0 million, subject to certain conditions) secured revolving credit agreement with a group of financial institutions which provides for borrowings in the United States. The credit facility has a five year term and expires in October 2015. Borrowings are secured by substantially all of the Company’s assets, including accounts receivable, inventory and certain other assets, subject to limited exceptions. The credit agreement contains certain operating, financial and other covenants, including limits on annual levels of capital expenditures, availability tests related to payments of dividends and stock repurchases and fixed charge coverage tests related to acquisitions. The revolving credit agreement requires that a minimum level of availability be maintained. If such availability is not maintained, the Company will be required to maintain a fixed charge coverage ratio (as defined). The borrowings under the agreement are subject to borrowing base limitations of up to 85% of eligible accounts receivable and up to 40% of qualified inventories. The interest rate under this facility is computed at applicable market rates based on LIBOR or the Prime Rate, plus an applicable margin. The applicable margin varies based on borrowing base availability. As of December 31, 2012, eligible collateral under this agreement was $110.6 million, total availability was $104.6 million, total outstanding letters of credit were $6.0 million and there were no outstanding advances. The Company was in compliance with all of the covenants under this facility as of December 31, 2012.   Table of Contents   28    The Company’s WStore subsidiary maintained a revolving credit agreement with a financial institution in France which was secured by WStore accounts receivable balances.  This credit facility was terminated by the Company on June 9, 2012.  Available amounts for borrowing under this facility included all accounts receivable balances not over 60 days past due reduced by the greater of €4.0 million or 10% of the eligible accounts receivable.   The Company (through a subsidiary) has an outstanding Bond financing with the Development Authority of Jefferson, Georgia (the “Authority”).  The Bonds were issued by the Authority and initially purchased by GE Government Finance Inc., and mature on October 1, 2018.  The proceeds from the Bonds were used to finance capital equipment purchased for the Company’s distribution facility located in Jefferson, Georgia.  The purchase and installation of the equipment for the facility was completed by December 31, 2011.  Pursuant to the transaction, the Company transferred to the Authority, for consideration consisting of the Bonds proceeds, ownership of the equipment and the Authority leased the equipment to the Company’s subsidiary pursuant to a capital equipment lease expiring October 1, 2018.  Under the capital equipment lease the Company has the right to acquire ownership of the equipment at any time for a purchase price sufficient to pay off all principal and interest on the Bonds, plus $1.00.  As a result of the capital lease treatment for this transaction, the leased equipment is included in property, plant and equipment in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet.  As of December 31, 2012, the Company had $5.9 million outstanding against this financing facility.   Our earnings and cash flows are seasonal in nature, with the fourth quarter of the fiscal year generating higher earnings and cash flows than the other quarters. Levels of earnings and cash flows are dependent on factors such as consolidated gross margin and selling, general and administrative costs as a percentage of sales, product mix and relative levels of domestic and foreign sales. Unusual gains or expense items, such as special (gains) charges and settlements, may impact earnings and are separately disclosed. We expect that past performance may not be indicative of future performance due to the competitive nature of our Technology Products segment where the need to adjust prices to gain or hold market share is prevalent.   Macroeconomic conditions, such as business and consumer sentiment, may affect our revenues, cash flows or financial condition.  However, we do not believe that there is a direct correlation between any specific macroeconomic indicator and our revenues, cash flows or financial condition.  We are not currently interest rate sensitive, as we have significant cash balances and minimal debt.   The expenses and capital expenditures described above will require significant levels of liquidity, which we believe can be adequately funded from our currently available cash resources. In 2013 we anticipate capital expenditures of approximately $15.6 million, though at this time we are not contractually committed to incur these expenditures.  Over the past several years we have engaged in opportunistic acquisitions, choosing to pay the purchase price in cash, and may do so in the future as favorable situations arise.  However, a deep and prolonged period of reduced consumer and/ or business to business spending could adversely impact our cash resources and force us to either forego future acquisition opportunities or to pay the purchase price in shares of our common stock, which could have a dilutive effect on our earnings per share. In addition we anticipate cash needs for implementation of the financial systems.  We believe that our cash balances, future cash flows from operations and our availability under credit facilities will be sufficient to fund our working capital and other cash requirements for at least the next twelve months.   We maintain our cash and cash equivalents primarily in money market funds or their equivalent. As of December 31, 2012, all of our investments had maturities of less than three months.  Accordingly, we do not believe that our investments have significant exposure to interest rate risk.   We are obligated under non-cancelable operating leases for the rental of most of our facilities and certain of our equipment which expire at various dates through 2032.  We have sublease agreements for unused space we lease in the United Kingdom.  In the event the sub lessee is unable to fulfill its obligations, we would be responsible for rents due under the leases.   Table of Contents   29    Following is a summary of our contractual obligations for future principal payments on our debt, minimum rental payments on our non-cancelable operating leases and minimum payments on our other purchase obligations as of December 31, 2012 (in millions):      Our purchase and other obligations consist primarily of certain employment agreements and service agreements.   In addition to the contractual obligations noted above, we had $6.0 million of standby letters of credit outstanding as of December 2012.   We are party to certain litigation, the outcome of which we believe, based on discussions with legal counsel, will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements.   Tax contingencies are related to uncertain tax positions taken on income tax returns that may result in additional tax, interest and penalties being paid to taxing authorities. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had no material uncertain tax positions.   In January 2013, the Company entered into a lease for the European Technology Products segment’s shared services center.  The facility, located in Budapest, Hungary, is approximately 52,000 square feet and is leased through March 2023.  The following table details the contractual obligations related to this lease (in millions):    Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements   We have not created, and are not party to, any special-purpose or off-balance sheet entities for the purpose of raising capital, incurring debt or operating our business. We do not have any arrangements or relationships with entities that are not consolidated into the financial statements that are reasonably likely to materially affect our liquidity or the availability of capital resources.   The Company currently leases its facility in Port Washington, NY from Addwin Realty Associates, an entity owned by Richard Leeds, Bruce Leeds, and Robert Leeds, senior executives, Directors and controlling shareholders of the Company.   Item 7A.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.   We are exposed to market risks, which include changes in U.S. and international interest rates as well as changes in currency exchange rates (principally British Pounds Sterling, European Union Euros and Canadian Dollars) as measured against the U.S. Dollar and each other.   The translation of the financial statements of our operations located outside of the United States is impacted by movements in foreign currency exchange rates. Changes in currency exchange rates as measured against the U.S. dollar may positively or negatively affect income statement, balance sheet and cash flows as expressed in U.S. dollars. Sales would have fluctuated by approximately $140.0 million and pretax income would have fluctuated by approximately $4.0 million if average foreign exchange rates changed by 10% in 2012. We have limited involvement with derivative financial instruments and do not use them for trading purposes. We may enter into foreign currency options or forward exchange contracts aimed at limiting in part the impact of certain currency fluctuations, but as of December 31, 2012 we had no outstanding forward exchange contracts.     Table of Contents     Total      Less than  1 year      1-3 years      3-5 years      More than  5 years    Contractual Obligations:                                                                Capital lease obligations    $ 9.7       3.3       6.2       0.2       -                                            Non-cancelable operating leases, net of subleases      233.3       28.4       75.3       59.3       70.3                                             Purchase & other obligations      46.8       28.2       9.6       9.0       -                                            Total contractual obligations    $ 289.8       59.9       91.1       68.5       70.3       Payments due by period        2013      2014      2015      2016      2017      After 2017    Shared services center operating lease     $ 0.3      $ 0.9      $ 1.1      $ 1.1      $ 1.1      $ 5.5     30  Our exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates relates primarily to our variable rate debt. Our variable rate debt consists of short-term borrowings under our credit facilities. As of December 31, 2012, there were no outstanding balances under our variable rate credit facility. A hypothetical change in average interest rates of one percentage point is not expected to have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows over the next fiscal year.   Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.   The information required by Item 8 of Part II is incorporated herein by reference to the Consolidated Financial Statements filed with this report; see Item 15 of Part IV.   Item 9. Changes In and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.   None.   Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.   Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures   Under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s management, including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the Company carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2012. Based upon this evaluation, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective.   Inherent Limitations of Internal Controls over Financial Reporting   The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is 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. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that: (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the Company’s assets; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that the Company’s receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of the Company’s management and directors; and (iii) 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 Company’s financial statements.   Management, including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that the Company’s internal controls will prevent or detect all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of internal controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected. Also, any evaluation of the effectiveness of controls in future periods are subject to the risk that those internal controls may become inadequate because of changes in business conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.   Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting   The Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting.   Under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the Company evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of its internal control over financial reporting based on the framework established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on that evaluation, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2012.   Table of Contents   31    The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP, has issued an attestation report on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2012, a copy of which is included in this report on Form 10-K.   Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting   There have been no changes in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting for the quarter ended December 31, 2012 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.   Item 9B. Other Information.   None.   Table of Contents   32  PART III   Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.   The information required by Item 10 of Part III is hereby incorporated by reference to the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. (the “Proxy Statement”).   Item 11. Executive Compensation.   The information required by Item 11 of Part III is hereby incorporated by reference to the Proxy Statement.   Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.   The information required by item 12 of Part III is hereby incorporated by reference to the Proxy Statement.   Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence   The information required by Item 10 of Part III is hereby incorporated by reference to the Proxy Statement.   Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services.   The information required by Item 14 of Part III is hereby incorporated by reference to the Proxy Statement.   PART IV   Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.       Table of Contents   (a) 1.  Consolidated Financial Statements of Systemax Inc.  Reference              Reports of Ernst & Young LLP Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm  38      Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2012 and 2011  40      Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010  41     Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010  42      Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010  43      Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity for the Years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010  45      Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements  46           2.  Financial Statement Schedules:                The following financial statement schedule is filed as part of this report and should be read together with our consolidated financial statements:                Schedule II — Valuation and Qualifying Accounts  60   Schedules not included with this additional financial data have been omitted because they are not applicable or the required information is shown in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto.      33    Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.         Table of Contents   3.  Exhibits.    Exhibit      No.    Description        3.1    Composite Certificate of Incorporation of Registrant, as amended (incorporated by reference to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001)  3.2    Amended and Restated By-laws of Registrant (effective as of December 29, 2007, incorporated by reference to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007)  3.3    Amendment to the Bylaws of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to the Company’s report on Form 8-K dated March 3, 2008)  4.1    Stockholders Agreement (incorporated by reference to the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 1995)  10.1    Form of 1995 Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan* (incorporated by reference to the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1) (Registration No. 333-1852)  10.2    Form of 1995 Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors* (incorporated by reference to the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1) (Registration No. 333-1852)  10.3    Form of 1999 Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan as amended* (incorporated by reference to the Company’s report on Form 8-K dated May 20, 2003)  10.4    Form of 2006 Stock Incentive Plan for Non-Employee Directors* (incorporated by reference to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006)  10.5    Form of 2005 Employee Stock Purchase Plan* (incorporated by reference to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006)  10.6    Lease Agreement dated September 20, 1988 between the Company and Addwin Realty Associates (Port Washington facility) (incorporated by reference to the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1) (Registration No. 33-92052)  10.7    First Amendment to Lease Agreement dated September 20, 1998 between the Company and Addwin Realty Associates (Port Washington facility) (incorporated by reference to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998)  10.8    Second Amendment to Lease Agreement dated September 20, 1988 between the Company and Addwin Realty Associates (Port Washington facility) (incorporated by reference to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007)  10.9    Build-to-Suit Lease Agreement dated April, 1995 among the Company, American National Bank and Trust Company of Chicago (Trustee for the original landlord) and Walsh, Higgins & Company (Contractor) (“Naperville Illinois Facility Lease”) (incorporated by reference to the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1) (Registration No. 33-92052)  10.10    First Amendment, dated as of February 1, 2006, to the Naperville Illinois Facility Lease between the Company and Ambassador Drive LLC (current landlord) (incorporated by reference to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005)  10.11    Lease Agreement dated September 17, 1998 between Tiger Direct, Inc. and Keystone Miami Property Holding Corp. (Miami facility) (incorporated by reference to the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 1998)  10.12    First Amendment, dated as of September 5, 2003, to the Lease Agreement between Tiger Direct, Inc. and Keystone Miami Property Holding Corp. (Miami facility) (incorporated by reference to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010)  10.13    Second Amendment, dated March 22, 2007, to the Lease Agreement between Tiger Direct, Inc. and Keystone Miami Property Holding Corp. (Miami facility) (incorporated by reference to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010)    34       Table of Contents 10.14    Third Amendment, dated as of June 26, 2009, to the Lease Agreement between Tiger Direct, Inc. and Mota Associates Limited Partnership (successor in interest to landlord Keystone Miami Property Holding Corp.) (Miami facility) (incorporated by reference to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010)  10.15    Lease agreement, dated December 8, 2005, between the Company and Hamilton Business Center, LLC (Buford, Georgia facility) (incorporated by reference to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005)  10.16    First Amendment, dated as of June 12, 2006, to the Lease Agreement between the Company and Hamilton Business Center, LLC (Buford, Georgia facility) (incorporated by reference to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005)  10.18    Employment Agreement, dated as of October 3, 2011, between Systemax Inc. and David Sprotsy* (incorporated by reference to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011)  10.19    Executive Directors Service Agreement, dated December 15, 2011, between Misco UK Limited and Perminder Dale* (incorporated by reference to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011)  10.20    Employment Agreement, dated as of January 17, 2007, between the Company and Lawrence P. Reinhold*(incorporated by reference to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006)  10.21    Amendment No.1, dated December 30, 2009, to the Employment Agreement between the Company and Lawrence P. Reinhold* (incorporated by reference to the Company’s report on Form 8-K dated December 30, 2009)  10.25    Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of October 27, 2010, by and among Systemax Inc. and certain affiliates thereof and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as U.S. Administrative Agent, J.P. Morgan Europe Limited, as UK Administrative Agent, J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc. as Sole Bookrunner and Sole Lead Arranger, and the lenders from time to time party thereto (incorporated by reference to the Company’s report on Form 8-K dated November 2, 2010)  10.26    Amendment No. 1 and Waiver, dated as of December 15, 2011, to the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement by and among Systemax Inc. and certain affiliates thereof and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as U.S. Administrative Agent, J.P. Morgan Europe Limited, as UK Administrative Agent and the lenders from time to time party thereto (incorporated by reference to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011)  10.27    Lease Agreement, dated as of September 1, 2010, among Development Authority of Jefferson,  Georgia, GE Government Finance Inc. and SYX Distribution Inc. (incorporated by reference to the Company’s report on Form 8-K dated September 24, 2010)  10.28    Corporate Guaranty and Negative Pledge Agreement, dated as of September 1, 2010, among Systemax Inc., Development Authority of Jefferson, Georgia and GE Government Finance Inc. (incorporated by reference to the Company’s report on Form 8-K dated September 24, 2010).  10.29    Escrow Agreement, dated as of September 1, 2010, among Marshall & Ilsley Trust Company, N.A. (as escrow agent), GE Government Finance Inc., Development Authority of Jefferson, Georgia and SYX Distribution Inc. (incorporated by reference to the Company’s report on Form 8-K dated September 24, 2010)  10.30    Lease Agreement, dated February 27, 2012 between PR I Washington Township NJ, LLC as Landlord and Global Equipment Company Inc. as Tenant (Robbinsville, NJ facility) (incorporated by reference to the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2012)  10.31    Form of 2010 Long Term Incentive Plan* (incorporated by reference to the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement filed April 29, 2010)  14    Corporate Ethics Policy for Officers, Directors and Employees (revised as of August, 2012) (filed herewith)  21    Subsidiaries of the Registrant (filed herewith)  23    Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (filed herewith)  31.1    Certification of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith)  31.2    Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith)  32.1    Certification of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith)  32.2    Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith)    35    *   Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement   Table of Contents  101.INS    XBRL Instance Document   101.SCH   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document   101.CAL   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document   101.DEF   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document   101.LAB   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document   101.PRE   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document    36    SIGNATURES   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.      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.    Table of Contents   SYSTEMAX INC.        By: /s/ RICHARD LEEDS        Richard Leeds    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer        Date: March 14, 2013  Signature    Title    Date            /s/ RICHARD LEEDS    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer    March 14, 2013  Richard Leeds    (Principal Executive Officer)                /s/ BRUCE LEEDS    Vice Chairman and Director    March 14, 2013  Bruce Leeds                    /s/ ROBERT LEEDS    Vice Chairman and Director    March 14, 2013  Robert Leeds                        Executive Vice President, Chief Financial     /s/ LAWRENCE P. REINHOLD    Officer    March 14, 2013  Lawrence P. Reinhold    and Director          (Principal Financial Officer)                /s/ THOMAS AXMACHER    Vice President and Controller    March 14, 2013  Thomas Axmacher    (Principal Accounting Officer)                /s/ ROBERT D. ROSENTHAL    Director    March 14, 2013  Robert D. Rosenthal                    /s/ STACY DICK    Director    March 14, 2013  Stacy Dick                    /s/ MARIE ADLER-KRAVECAS    Director    March 14, 2013  Marie Adler-Kravecas            37  Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm   The Board of Directors and Shareholders of Systemax Inc.   We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Systemax Inc. and subsidiaries (“the Company”) as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), shareholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2012. Our audits also included the financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a). These financial statements and financial statement schedule are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and schedule based on our audits.   We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.   In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of Systemax Inc. and subsidiaries at December 31, 2012 and 2011, and the consolidated results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2012, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Also, in our opinion, the related financial statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly in all material respects the information set forth therein.       We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), Systemax Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2012, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated March 14, 2013 expressed and unqualified opinion thereon.   /s/ Ernst & Young LLP  New York, New York  March 14, 2013   Table of Contents   38    Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm   The Board of Directors and Shareholders of Systemax Inc.   We have audited Systemax Inc. and subsidiaries (“the Company”) internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2012, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the COSO criteria). 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 Report. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.   We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). 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.   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.   In our opinion, Systemax Inc. and subsidiaries maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2012, based on the COSO criteria.   We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets of Systemax Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2012 and 2011 and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), shareholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2012 and our report dated March 14, 2013 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.    /s/ Ernst & Young LLP  New York, New York  March 14, 2013   Table of Contents   39  SYSTEMAX INC.  CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS  (in millions, except for share data)    See notes to consolidated financial statements.   Table of Contents     December 31,        2012      2011                  ASSETS:              Current assets:              Cash    $ 150.7     $ 97.3   Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $15.5 and $14.7      297.4       269.0   Inventories      367.2       372.2   Assets available for sale      2.3       -  Prepaid expenses and other current assets      21.2       18.2   Deferred income taxes      13.6       9.6   Total current assets      852.4       766.3                     Property, plant and equipment, net      63.0       70.7   Deferred income taxes      30.2       -  Goodwill and intangibles      11.1       47.8   Other assets      5.6       4.9                     Total assets    $ 962.3     $ 889.7                     LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY:                  Current liabilities:                  Accounts payable    $ 405.3     $ 336.5   Accrued expenses and other current liabilities      83.5       72.4   Current portion of long term debt      2.8       2.6   Total current liabilities      491.6       411.5                     Long term debt      5.3       7.1   Deferred income taxes      -      2.3   Other liabilities      19.1       14.5   Total liabilities      516.0       435.4                     Commitments and contingencies                                    Shareholders’ equity:                  Preferred stock, par value $.01 per share, authorized 25 million shares; issued none                  Common stock, par value $.01 per share, authorized 150 million shares; issued 38,861,992 and 38,861,992 shares; outstanding 36,554,972 and 36,398,523 shares      0.4       0.4   Additional paid-in capital      183.0       180.5   Treasury stock at cost —2,307,020 and 2,463,496 shares      (28.6 )     (30.5 ) Retained earnings      290.5       307.9   Accumulated other comprehensive gain (loss)      1.0       (4.0 ) Total shareholders’ equity      446.3       454.3                     Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity    $ 962.3     $ 889.7     40  SYSTEMAX INC.  CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS  (in millions, except per share data)    See notes to consolidated financial statements.   Table of Contents     Year Ended December 31,        2012      2011      2010    Net sales    $ 3,544.6     $ 3,680.6     $ 3,589.1   Cost of sales      3,056.5       3,150.1       3,099.6   Gross profit      488.1       530.5       489.5   Selling, general and administrative expenses      481.7       455.3       416.4   Special (gains) charges, net      46.3       (5.6 )     4.3   Operating income (loss) from continuing operations      (39.9 )     80.8       68.8   Foreign currency exchange loss      0.3       1.0       1.7   Interest and other income, net      (0.3 )     (1.4 )     (0.8 ) Interest expense      1.7       2.2       1.8   Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes      (41.6 )     79.0       66.1   Provision for (benefit from) income taxes      (33.6 )     24.4       23.5   Income (loss) from continuing operations      (8.0 )     54.6       42.6   Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax      (0.3 )     (0.2 )     (-) Net income    $ (8.3 )   $ 54.4     $ 42.6                             Income (loss) from continuing operations per common share:                          Basic    $ (0.22 )   $ 1.48     $ 1.15   Diluted    $ (0.22 )   $ 1.47     $ 1.13   Net income (loss) per common share:                          Basic    $ (0.22 )   $ 1.48     $ 1.15   Diluted    $ (0.22 )   $ 1.47     $ 1.13                             Weighted average common and common equivalent shares:                          Basic      36.9       36.8       37.0   Diluted      36.9       37.1       37.6                             Dividends declared    $ 0.25       -      -    41  SYSTEMAX INC.  CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)  (in millions)      See notes to consolidated financial statements.   Table of Contents     Year Ended December 31,        2012      2011      2010    Net income (loss)    $ (8.3 )   $ 54.4     $ 42.6   Other comprehensive income (loss):                          Foreign currency translation      5.0       (2.8 )     (2.6 ) Total comprehensive income (loss)    $ (3.3 )   $ 51.6     $ 40.0     42  SYSTEMAX INC.  CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS  (in millions)      See notes to consolidated financial statements.   Table of Contents     Year Ended December 31,        2012      2011      2010    CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:                    Income (loss) from continuing operations    $ (8.0 )   $ 54.6     $ 42.6   Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:                          Depreciation and amortization      18.0       17.5       14.5   Asset impairment charges      39.9       -      -  Provision for deferred income taxes      (36.6 )     0.2       4.6   Provision for returns and doubtful accounts      5.0       3.2       3.3   Compensation expense related to equity compensation plans      4.1       1.9       2.5   Return of common stock-special gain      -      (7.9 )     -  Excess tax benefit from exercises of stock options      (0.5 )     (0.2 )     (1.1 ) Loss on dispositions and abandonment      0.3       0.1       0.1                             Changes in operating assets and liabilities:                          Accounts receivable      (25.4 )     (0.4 )     (45.1 ) Inventories      5.0       (4.1 )     (5.9 ) Prepaid expenses and other current assets      (18.7 )     (4.5 )     6.4   Income taxes payable (receivable)      12.9       4.8       (3.3 ) Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities      79.4       (46.8 )     46.1   Net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations      75.4       18.4       64.7   Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities from discontinued operations      (0.4 )     (0.2 )     0.2   Net cash provided by operating activities      75.0       18.2       64.9                             CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:                          Purchases of property, plant and equipment      (12.1 )     (12.3 )     (24.7 ) Proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment      0.1       -      -  Net cash used in investing activities      (12.0 )     (12.3 )     (24.7 )                           CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:                          Borrowings on credit facility and short term debt      -      10.9       261.7   Repayments of borrowings on credit facility and short term debt      -      (10.9 )     (274.9 ) Proceeds from recovery zone bond      -      1.5       7.9   Repayments of capital lease obligations      (2.8 )     (2.5 )     (1.3 ) Dividends paid      (9.1 )     -      -  Proceeds from issuance of common stock      0.3       0.3       1.0   Excess tax benefit from exercises of stock options      0.5       0.2       1.1   Net cash used in financing activities from continuing operations      (11.1 )     (0.5 )     (4.5 ) Net cash used in financing activities from discontinued operations      -      (0.2 )     (0.2 ) Net cash used in financing activities      (11.1 )     (0.7 )     (4.7 )                           EFFECTS OF EXCHANGE RATES ON CASH      1.5       -      (1.7 )                           NET INCREASE IN CASH      53.4       5.2       33.8   CASH – BEGINNING OF YEAR      97.3       92.1       58.3                             CASH – END OF YEAR    $ 150.7     $ 97.3     $ 92.1   Supplemental disclosures:                          Interest paid    $ 1.4     $ 1.7     $ 1.3   Income taxes paid    $ 11.4     $ 19.2     $ 21.7   Supplemental disclosures of non-cash investing and financing activities:                          Acquisitions of equipment through capital leases    $ 1.3     $ 2.4     $ 9.4     43  SYSTEMAX INC.  CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY  (in millions, except share data in thousands)    See notes to consolidated financial statements.   Table of Contents     Common Stock                                Number  of Shares  Outstanding     Amount      Additional  Paid-in  Capital      Treasury  Stock,  At Cost      Retained  Earnings      Accumulated  Other  Comprehensive Income (Loss)                                          Balances, December 31, 2009      36,451     $ 0.4     $ 180.5     $ (28.5 )   $ 210.9     $ 1.4   Stock-based compensation expense                      2.4                           Issuance of restricted stock      106               (0.4 )     1.2                   Restricted stock withheld for employee taxes      (36 )             (0.4 )     (0.4 )                 Exercise of stock options      234               (1.8 )     2.8                   Income tax benefit on stock-based compensation                      1.2                           Change in cumulative translation adjustment                                              (2.6 ) Net income                                      42.6           Balances, December 31, 2010      36,755     $ 0.4     $ 181.5     $ (24.9 )   $ 253.5     $ (1.2 ) Stock-based compensation expense                      1.8                           Issuance of restricted stock      126               (1.4 )     1.5                   Exercise of stock options      68               (0.5 )     0.8                   Return of Common Stock      (550 )                     (7.9 )                 Surrender of fully vested options                      (1.1 )                         Income tax benefit on stock-based compensation                      0.2                           Change in cumulative translation adjustment                                              (2.8 ) Net income                                      54.4           Balances, December 31, 2011      36,399     $ 0.4     $ 180.5     $ (30.5 )   $ 307.9     $ (4.0 ) Stock-based compensation expense                      4.0                           Issuance of restricted stock      47               (0.4 )     0.6                   Exercise of stock options      109               (1.0 )     1.3                   Surrender of fully vested options                      (0.7 )                         Income tax benefit on stock-based compensation                      0.6                           Change in cumulative translation adjustment                                              5.0   Dividends Paid                                      (9.1 )         Net income (loss)                                      (8.3 )         Balances, December 31, 2012      36,555     $ 0.4     $ 183.0     $ (28.6 )   $ 290.5     $ 1.0     44  SYSTEMAX INC.  NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS    Principles of Consolidation — The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Systemax Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company” or “Systemax”).  All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.   Reclassifications   — Certain prior year amounts were reclassified to conform to current year presentation.   Use of Estimates In 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 that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.   Fiscal Year — The Company’s fiscal year ends at midnight on the Saturday closest to December 31. For clarity of presentation herein, all fiscal years are referred to as if they ended on December 31. The fiscal year will be divided into four fiscal quarters that each end at midnight on a Saturday. Fiscal quarters will typically include 13 weeks, but the fourth quarter will include 14 weeks in a 53 week fiscal year. For clarity of presentation herein, all fiscal quarters are referred to as if they ended on the traditional calendar month.   Foreign Currency Translation — The Company has operations in numerous foreign countries. The functional currency of each foreign country is the local currency.  The financial statements of the Company’s foreign entities are translated into U.S. dollars, the reporting currency, using year-end exchange rates for assets and liabilities, average exchange rates for the statement of operations items and historical rates for equity accounts. Translation gains or losses are recorded as a separate component of shareholders’ equity.   Cash — The Company considers amounts held in money market accounts and other short-term investments, including overnight bank deposits, with an original maturity date of three months or less to be cash. Cash overdrafts are classified in accounts payable.   Inventories — Inventories consist primarily of finished goods and are stated at the lower of cost or market value. Cost is determined by using the first-in, first-out method except in Europe and retail locations where an average cost is used.   Assets available for sale — Assets available for sale consist of our ISO-9001: 2008 certified PC manufacturing facility located in Fletcher, Ohio, including land and land improvements.  The cost of the land, land improvements and building has been adjusted to fair market value.   Property, Plant and Equipment — Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost. Furniture, fixtures and equipment, including equipment under capital leases, are depreciated using the straight-line or accelerated method over their estimated useful lives ranging from three to ten years. Buildings are depreciated using the straight-line method over estimated useful lives of 30 to 50 years.  Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the useful lives or the term of the respective leases.   Evaluation of Long-lived Assets — Long-lived assets are evaluated for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that an asset may have been impaired. In evaluating an asset for recoverability, the Company estimates the future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset and eventual disposition. If the sum of the expected future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) is less than the carrying amount of the asset, an impairment loss, equal to the excess of the carrying amount over the fair market value of the asset is recognized.   Goodwill and intangible assets — Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of acquired assets over the fair value of assets acquired. The Company tests goodwill and intangibles for impairment annually or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. The Company assesses the carrying value of its definite-lived intangible assets if circumstances indicate that those values may not be recoverable. In addition, goodwill is required to be tested for impairment after a portion of the goodwill is allocated to a business targeted for disposal. The Company’s identifiable intangible assets consist of trademarks, trade and domain names, technology, retail leases and customer lists (See Note 2). The Company conducted an evaluation of its Technology Products multi-brand United States consumer strategy and the intangible assets used in that strategy and concluded that the Company’s future North American consumer business would be optimized by consolidating its United States consumer operations under TigerDirect, its leading and largest brand.  As a result an impairment charge of approximately $35.3 million related to the trademarks, domain names and goodwill of CompUSA and Circuit City was taken in the fourth quarter of 2012.   Table of Contents 1.   SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES    45  Accruals — Management makes estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. These estimates are based upon various factors such as the number of units sold, historical and anticipated results and data received from third party vendors. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Our most significant estimates include those related to the costs of vendor drop shipments, sales returns and allowances, cooperative advertising and customer rebate reserves, and other vendor and employee related costs.   Income Taxes — Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the effect of temporary differences between the book and tax bases of recorded assets and liabilities and for tax loss carry forwards. The realization of net deferred tax assets is dependent upon our ability to generate sufficient future taxable income. Where it is more likely than not that some portion or the entire deferred tax asset will not be realized, we have provided a valuation allowance. If the realization of those deferred tax assets in the future is considered more likely than not, an adjustment to the deferred tax assets would increase net income in the period such determination is made.   The Company provides for uncertain tax positions and related interest and penalties based upon management’s assessment of whether a tax benefit is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by tax authorities. To the extent the Company prevails in matters for which a liability for an unrecognized tax benefit is established or is required to pay amounts in excess of the liability, the Company’s effective tax rate in a given financial statement period may be affected.   Revenue Recognition and Accounts Receivable — The Company recognizes sales of products, including shipping revenue, when persuasive evidence of an order arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the sales price is fixed or determinable and collectibility is reasonably assured. Generally, these criteria are met at the time the product is received by the customers when title and risk of loss have transferred except in our Industrial Products segment where title and risk pass at time of shipment. Allowances for estimated subsequent customer returns, rebates and sales incentives are provided when revenues are recorded. Costs incurred for the shipping and handling of its products are recorded as cost of sales. Revenue from extended warranty and support contracts on the Company’s assembled PCs is deferred and recognized over the contract period. The Company evaluates collectibility of accounts receivable based on numerous factors, including past transaction history with customers and their credit rating and provides a reserve for accounts that are potentially uncollectible. Trade receivables are generally written off once all collection efforts have been exhausted. Accounts receivable are shown in the consolidated balance sheets net of allowances for doubtful collections and subsequent customer returns.   Advertising Costs — Expenditures for internet, television, local radio and newspaper advertising are expensed in the period the advertising takes place. Catalog preparation, printing and postage expenditures are amortized over the period of catalog distribution during which the benefits are expected, generally one to four months.   Net advertising expenses were $57.7 million, $40.2 million and $31.7 million during 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and are included in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. The Company utilizes advertising programs to support vendors, including catalogs, internet and magazine advertising, and receives payments and credits from vendors, including consideration pursuant to volume incentive programs and cooperative marketing programs. The Company accounts for consideration from vendors as a reduction of cost of sales unless certain conditions are met showing that the funds are used for specific, incremental, identifiable costs, in which case the consideration is accounted for as a reduction in the related expense category, such as advertising expense. The amount of vendor consideration recorded as a reduction of selling, general and administrative expenses totaled $47.8 million, $59.4 million and $65.6 million during 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.   Table of Contents   46    Prepaid expenses as of December 2012 and 2011 include deferred advertising costs of $1.5 million and $1.7 million, respectively which are reflected as an expense during the periods benefited, typically the subsequent fiscal quarter.   Stock based compensation — The Company recognizes the fair value of share based compensation in the consolidated statement of operations over the requisite employee service period. Stock-based compensation expense includes an estimate for forfeitures and is recognized over the expected term of the award.   Net Income Per Common Share – Net income per common share - basic was calculated based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the respective periods presented using the two class method of computing earnings per share. The two class method was used as the Company has outstanding restricted stock with rights to dividend participation for unvested shares.  Net income per common share - diluted was calculated based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding and included the equivalent shares for dilutive options outstanding during the respective periods, including unvested options. The dilutive effect of outstanding options and restricted stock issued by the Company is reflected in net income per share - diluted using the treasury stock method. Under the treasury stock method, options will only have a dilutive effect when the average market price of common stock during the period exceeds the exercise price of the options. The weighted average number of stock options outstanding included in the computation of diluted earnings per share was zero for the year ended December 31, 2012 and 0.3 million and 0.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The weighted average number of restricted stock awards included in the computation of diluted earnings per share was 0.0 million for the year December 31, 2012 and 0.1 million and 0.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The weighted average number of stock options outstanding excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share was  1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 and 0.8 million and 0.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, due to their antidilutive effect.   Employee Benefit Plans - The Company’s U.S. subsidiaries participate in a defined contribution 401(k) plan covering substantially all U.S. employees.  Employees may invest 1% or more of their eligible compensation, limited to maximum amounts as determined by the Internal Revenue Service.  The Company provides a matching contribution to the plan, determined as a percentage of the employees’ contributions.  Aggregate expense to the Company for contributions to such plans was approximately $1.0 million, $1.0 million and $0.9 million in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.   Fair Value Measurements - Financial instruments consist primarily of investments in cash, trade accounts receivable debt and accounts payable.  The Company estimates the fair value of financial instruments based on interest rates available to the Company and by comparison to quoted market prices.  At December 31, 2012 and 2011, the carrying amounts of cash, accounts receivable and accounts payable are considered to be representative of their respective fair values due to their short-term nature. The Company’s debt is considered to representative of its fair value because of its variable interest rate.   The fair value of goodwill and non-amortizing intangibles is measured on a non-recurring basis in connection with the Company’s annual impairment testing.  For goodwill, the fair value of the reporting unit to which the goodwill has been assigned is determined using a discounted cash flow model.  A discounted cash flow model is also used to determine fair value of indefinite-lived intangibles using projected cash flows of the intangible. Unobservable inputs related to these discounted cash flow models include projected sales growth, same store sales growth, gross margin percentages, new business opportunities, working capital requirements, capital expenditures and growth in selling, general and administrative expense and are classified in accordance with ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures”, within Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy.   Significant Concentrations-   Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash, and accounts receivable.  The Company’s excess cash balances are invested with money center banks.  Concentrations of credit risk with respect to accounts receivable are limited due to the large number of customers and their geographic dispersion comprising the Company’s customer base.  The Company also performs on-going credit evaluations and maintains allowances for potential losses as warranted.   We purchase substantially all of our products and components directly from manufacturers and large wholesale distributors.  In 2012, no vendor accounted for 10% of more of our purchases.  One vendor accounted for 11.5% and 10.0% of our purchases in 2011 and 2010, respectively.  The loss of these vendors, or any other key vendors, could have a material adverse effect on us.   Table of Contents   47  Recent Accounting Pronouncements   Public companies in the United States are subject to the accounting and reporting requirements of various authorities, including the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). These authorities issue numerous pronouncements, most of which are not applicable to the Company’s current or reasonably foreseeable operating structure. Below are the new authoritative pronouncements that management believes are relevant to Company’s current operations.   In July 2012, the FASB issued an update related to annual impairment testing for indefinite-lived intangible assets which provides companies with the option to perform a qualitative impairment assessment for their indefinite-lived intangible assets that may allow them to skip the annual fair value calculation.  The qualitative assessment is similar to the screen companies can use to determine whether they must perform the two-step goodwill impairment test.  Companies must identify and evaluate changes in economic, industry and company-specific events and circumstances that could affect the significant inputs used in determining the fair value of these assets.  This ASU is effective for annual and interim impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012.   In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-05, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Presentation of Comprehensive Income . This ASU eliminates the option to report other comprehensive income and its components in the statement of changes in shareholders’ equity and requires that all items of net income, items of other comprehensive income and total comprehensive income be presented in either a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The Company adopted this ASU in the first quarter of 2012. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.         Goodwill :   The following table provides information related to the carrying value of goodwill (in millions):       Indefinite-lived intangible assets:   The following table summarizes information related to indefinite-lived intangible assets (in millions):      Table of Contents 2.   GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLES     The Company conducted an evaluation of its Technology Products multi-brand United States consumer strategy and the intangible assets used in that strategy and concluded that the Company’s future North American consumer business would be optimized by consolidating its United States consumer operations under TigerDirect, its leading and largest brand.  As a result an impairment charge of approximately $35.3 million related to the trademarks, domain names and goodwill of CompUSA and Circuit City was taken in the fourth quarter of 2012.      December 31,     December 31,       2012      2011    Balance January 1    $ 3.3     $ 3.3   Impairment charges      (0.9 )     -  Balance December 31    $ 2.4     $ 3.3      For the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company incurred one-time impairment charges related to goodwill of approximately $0.9 million.  This impairment charge was recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Operations as special charges within the Technology Products segment.      Gross Carrying Amount:  Trademarks      Gross Carrying Amount:  Domain Names   Balance January 1    $ 24.1     $ 14.7   Impairment charges      (18.7 )     (14.7 ) Balance December 31    $ 5.4     $ -    48    For the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company incurred one-time impairment charges related to indefinite-lived intangible assets of approximately $33.4 million.  This impairment charge was recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Operations as special charges within the Technology Products segment.     Definite-lived intangible assets:     The following table summarizes information related to definite-lived intangible assets (in millions):         The aggregate amortization expense for these intangibles was approximately $1.4 million in 2012. The estimated amortization for future years ending December 31 is as follows (in millions):       Property, plant and equipment, net consist of the following (in millions):    Included in property, plant and equipment are assets under capital leases, as follows (in thousands):    Depreciation charged to operations for property, plant and equipment including capital leases in 2012, 2011, and 2010 was $16.6 million, $15.9 million and $12.9 million, respectively.   Table of Contents     December 31,      December 31,        2012      2011        Gross Carrying Amount      Accumulated Amortization     Gross Carrying Amount      Accumulated Amortization   Retail store leases    $ 3.4     $ 1.3     $ 3.4     $ 1.0   Client lists      2.6       1.7       5.9       3.1   Technology      1.0       0.7       1.0       .5   Total    $ 7.0     $ 3.7     $ 10.3     $ 4.6      For the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company incurred one-time impairment charges related to definite-lived intangible assets of approximately $1.0 million.  This impairment charge was recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Operations as special charges within the Technology Products segment  2013    $ 1.0   2014      0.8   2015      0.3   2016 and after      1.2   Total    $ 3.3   3.  PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT      December 31,        2012      2011    Land and buildings    $ 19.4     $ 27.7   Furniture and fixtures, office, computer and other equipment and software      133.1       131.6   Leasehold improvements      30.6       27.2         183.1       186.5   Less accumulated depreciation and amortization      120.1       115.8   Property, plant and equipment, net    $ 63.0     $ 70.7       2012      2011    Furniture and fixtures, office, computer and other equipment    $ 17.4     $ 17.2   Less: Accumulated amortization      9.4       7.8       $ 8.0     $ 9.4     49   The Company maintains a $125.0 million (which may be increased to $200.0 million, subject to certain conditions) secured revolving credit agreement with a group of financial institutions which provides for borrowings in the United States. The credit facility has a five year term and expires in October 2015. Availability is subject to a borrowing base formula that takes into account eligible receivables and eligible inventory. Borrowings are secured by substantially all of the Company’s assets, including accounts receivable, inventory and certain other assets, subject to limited exceptions. The credit agreement contains certain operating, financial and other covenants, including limits on annual levels of capital expenditures, availability tests related to payments of dividends and stock repurchases and fixed charge coverage tests related to acquisitions. The revolving credit agreement requires that a minimum level of availability be maintained. If such availability is not maintained, the Company will be required to maintain a fixed charge coverage ratio (as defined). The borrowings under the agreement are subject to borrowing base limitations of up to 85% of eligible accounts receivable and up to 40% of qualified inventories. The interest rate under this facility is computed at applicable market rates based on LIBOR or the Prime Rate, plus an applicable margin. The applicable margin varies based on borrowing base availability. As of December 31, 2012, eligible collateral under this agreement was $110.6 million, total availability was $104.6 million, total outstanding letters of credit were $6.0 million and there were no outstanding advances. The Company was in compliance with all of the covenants under this facility as of December 31, 2012.   The Company’s WStore subsidiary maintained a revolving credit agreement with a financial institution in France which was secured by WStore accounts receivable balances. This credit facility was terminated by the Company on June 9, 2012.  Available amounts for borrowing under this facility included all accounts receivable balances not over 60 days past due reduced by the greater of €4.0 million or 10% of the eligible accounts receivable.   The weighted average interest rate on short-term borrowings was   4.3%, 4.5%, and 3.5% in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.      Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consist of the following (in millions):       The Company (through a subsidiary) has an outstanding Bond financing with the Development Authority of Jefferson, Georgia (the “Authority”).  The Bonds were issued by the Authority and purchased by GE Government Finance Inc., and mature on October 1, 2018.  The proceeds from the Bond were used to finance capital equipment purchased for the Company’s distribution facility located in Jefferson, Georgia.  The purchase and installation of the equipment for the facility was completed by December 31, 2011. Pursuant to the transaction, the Company transferred to the Authority, for consideration consisting of the Bond proceeds, ownership of the equipment and the Authority leased the equipment to the Company’s subsidiary pursuant to a capital equipment lease expiring October 1, 2018.  Under the capital equipment lease, the Company has the right to acquire ownership of the equipment at any time for a purchase price sufficient to pay off all principal and interest on the Bonds, plus $1.00.  As of December 31, 2012, there was $5.9 million outstanding against this financing facility.   Table of Contents 4.   CREDIT FACILITIES  5.   ACCRUED EXPENSES AND OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES      December 31,        2012      2011    Payroll and employee benefits    $ 29.7     $ 32.5   Freight      4.0       3.1   Advertising      9.0       7.6   Sales and VAT tax payable      9.7       5.3   Income taxes payable      5.1       4.7   Other      26.0       19.2       $ 83.5     $ 72.4   6.   LONG-TERM DEBT    50    Long-term debt consists of (in millions):    The aggregate maturities of long-term debt outstanding at December 31, 2012 are as follows (in millions):       The Company’s Industrial Products segment incurred severance, personnel and other exit costs related to the planned closing and relocation of one of our smaller distribution centers to a new, significantly larger distribution and call center in the second quarter of 2012.  These costs were recorded as special charges within the Industrial Products segment.  The balance of the restructuring reserves is included in the Consolidated Balance Sheet within accrued expenses and other current liabilities and other liabilities. The Company anticipates incurring minimal additional costs related to this facility closing and relocation.   The following table details the associated liabilities incurred related to this plan (in millions):      The Company’s North America Technology Products segment incurred $35.3 million of one-time impairment charges related to certain intangible assets and goodwill of CompUSA and Circuit City in the fourth quarter of 2012 (See Note 2 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements), costs associated with senior staffing changes for which no future services will be rendered, and additional legal and professional fees related to the previously disclosed completed investigation and settlement with a former officer and director and in pursuing related matters.  The legal and professional fees and restructuring costs, for the year ended December 31, 2012, were approximately $2.2 million and were offset by a $5.0 million insurance recovery relating to action taken by a former officer and director.  The Company also incurred $1.8 million of patent settlements with non-practicing entities.  These costs were recorded as special charges in the Technology Products segment.   The Company’s North America Technology Products segment also incurred severance and other exit costs and asset write downs of approximately $0.5 million and $4.6 million, respectively, related to the exit from the PC manufacturing business in the fourth quarter of 2012.  These costs were recorded as special charges in the Technology Products segment. The balance of the exit costs of $0.5 million is included in the Consolidated Balance Sheet within accrued expenses and other current liabilities. The Company anticipates incurring minimal additional costs related to this facility closing.   The Company’s European Technology Products segment incurred severance and other exit costs related to workforce reductions in order to implement the shared services center in Europe.  These costs, incurred in the fourth quarter of 2012, were approximately $4.7 million and were included as special charges.  The balance of the restructuring reserves is included in the Consolidated Balance Sheet within accrued expenses and other current liabilities. The Company anticipates incurring additional costs related to this restructuring..   Table of Contents     December 31,        2012      2011    Capitalized equipment lease obligations    $ 8.1     $ 9.7   Less: current portion      2.8       2.6       $ 5.3     $ 7.1       2013      2014      2015      2016      2017    Maturities    $ 2.8     $ 2.5     $ 2.2     $ 0.6     $ -  7.   SPECIAL CHARGES (GAINS), NET      Severance and  Personnel Costs     Other Exit   Costs      Total    Balance January 1, 2012    $ -    $ -    $ -  Charged to expense      0.3       1.9       2.2   Paid or otherwise settled      (0.1 )     (0.3 )     (0.4 ) Balance December 31, 2012    $ 0.2     $ 1.6     $ 1.8     51    The following table details the associated liabilities incurred related to this plan (in millions):       Audit Committee Investigation and Gilbert Fiorentino’s Resignation and Settlement.   In January and February 2011 the Company received anonymous whistleblower allegations concerning the Company’s Miami Florida operations involving the actions of Mr. Gilbert Fiorentino, then the Chief Executive of the Company’s Technology Products Group. In response to the allegations, the Company commenced an internal investigation of the whistleblower allegations, which was conducted by the Company’s Audit Committee of the Board of Directors with the assistance of independent counsel.   On April 18, 2011, following the independent investigation, the Company delivered a Cause Notice to Mr. Fiorentino pursuant to the terms of his Employment Agreement dated October 12, 2004. The Cause Notice advised Mr. Fiorentino that the Company intended to terminate him for “Cause” (as defined in the Employment Agreement) at a meeting of its Executive Committee scheduled for May 3, 2011, at which meeting Mr. Fiorentino and his counsel could appear, and that Mr. Fiorentino was being placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of that meeting. In the Cause Notice, the Company advised Mr. Fiorentino that the Audit Committee investigation had identified grounds to terminate him for Cause under his Employment Agreement, and set forth the following findings by the Audit Committee constituting such grounds:   i) Mr. Fiorentino personally removed or caused to be removed from the Company’s Miami premises product inventory, and/or kept or caused others to receive at his direction such removed product inventory, without payment to the Company and for his own personal gain;  ii) Mr. Fiorentino caused substantial amounts of Company inventory purchases to be effected through Company credit cards in order to accrue and/or use “reward points” for his personal benefit and which he improperly converted to his own use;  iii) Mr. Fiorentino caused his mother to be identified as an employee of the Company in positions for which she had no bona fide job responsibility or function, and caused the Company to pay her a salary and employee benefits, including extended COBRA reimbursements; and iv) Mr.   Fiorentino engaged in fraudulent “kickback” arrangements with certain of the Company’s vendors, to the detriment of the Company   The Company stated in the Cause Notice that the foregoing activities were in violation of Company policy, the Company’s Corporate Ethics Policy, his fiduciary duties and applicable law. The Audit Committee’s independent investigation determined that the matters described above did not have any material impact on our previously reported financial results and were limited to the Company’s Miami operations.   On May 9, 2011, following several meetings of the Executive Committee and after extensive discussions with Mr. Fiorentino and his counsel, the Company announced that it had accepted the resignation of Mr. Fiorentino, and that it had executed an agreement with Mr. Fiorentino, effective May 6, 2011, under which Mr. Fiorentino surrendered certain assets to the Company valued at approximately $11 million at May 9, 2011: these assets included the surrender of 1,130,001 shares of Systemax common stock and $480,000 in cash. The shares surrendered consisted of 580,001 shares of fully vested unexercised stock options, 2) 100,000 shares of fully vested restricted stock awards and 3) 450,000 shares directly owned by Mr. Fiorentino. The shares surrendered were valued at fair value on May 6, 2011 in the case of the stock options and restricted stock awards and at fair value on May 12, 2011 in the case of the owned shares. The agreement also requires Mr. Fiorentino to disclose his and his immediate family’s personal assets; forfeit undisclosed assets discovered by the Company; disclose information regarding certain matters that led to his being notified of the Company’s intent to terminate him; and to fully cooperate with the Company in the future. Mr. Fiorentino and the Company also exchanged mutual general releases and nondisparagement commitments, and Mr. Fiorentino agreed to a 5 year noncompetition obligation. The $11 million settlement value included a financial statement benefit to the Company related to the surrender of shares and cash payment of approximately $8.4 million which was recorded in the second quarter of 2011 under special (gains) charges, net of related legal and professional fees of approximately $1.3 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2011 and $1.8 million for the first six months of 2011. The remainder of the settlement value, approximately $2.6 million, was the intrinsic value of the fully vested unexercised stock options on the date of the settlement agreement for which there is no financial statement impact. The amount of the settlement with Mr. Fiorentino was based on negotiation with him, and was not based on any specific level or nature of damages incurred by the Company, and does not constitute restitution.   Table of Contents     Severance and  Other Exit Costs   Balance January 1, 2012    $ -   Charged to expense      4.7   Paid or otherwise settled      (0.9)   Balance December 31, 2012    $ 3.8   8.  SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT    52    On June 21, 2011 Systemax Inc. received notice that the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) had initiated a formal investigation into the matters discovered by the Audit Committee’s internal investigation. The Company fully cooperated with the SEC in its formal investigation and  in February_2013, the SEC advised the Company that it had concluded its investigation and would not be recommending that any action be taken against the Company.      Stock based compensation plans   The Company currently has five equity compensation plans which reserve shares of common stock for issuance to key employees, directors, consultants and advisors to the Company. The following is a description of these plans:   The 1995 Long-term Stock Incentive Plan - This plan, adopted in 1995, allowed the Company to issue qualified, non-qualified and deferred compensation stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock and restricted unit grants, performance unit grants and other stock based awards authorized by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. Options issued under this plan expire ten years after the options are granted. The ability to grant new awards under this plan ended on December 31, 2005 but awards granted prior to such date continue until their expiration. A total of 25,359 options were outstanding under this plan as of December 31, 2012.   The 1995 Stock Option Plan for Non-Employee Directors - This plan, adopted in 1995, provides for automatic awards of non-qualified options to directors of the Company who are not employees of the Company or its affiliates. All options granted under this plan will have a ten year term from grant date and are immediately exercisable. A maximum of 100,000 shares may be granted for awards under this plan. The ability to grant new awards under this plan ended on October 12, 2006 but awards granted prior to such date continue until their expiration. A total of 12,250 options were outstanding under this plan as of December 31, 2012.   The   1999 Long-term Stock Incentive Plan, as amended (“1999 Plan”) - This plan was adopted on October 25, 1999 with substantially the same terms and provisions as the 1995 Long-term Stock Incentive Plan. The Company increased the number of shares that may be granted under this plan to a maximum of 7,500,000 from 5,000,000 shares. The maximum number of shares granted per type of award to any individual may not exceed 1,500,000 in any calendar year and 3,000,000 in total. The ability to grant new awards under this plan ended on December 31, 2009 but awards granted prior to such date continue until their expiration.  A total of 607,950 options were outstanding under this plan as of December 31, 2012.     The 2006 Stock Incentive Plan For Non-Employee Directors - This plan, adopted by the Company’s stockholders on October 11, 2006, replaces the 1995 Stock Option Plan for Non-Employee Directors. The Company adopted the plan so that it could offer directors of the Company who are not employees of the Company or of any entity in which the Company has more than a 50% equity interest (“independent directors”) an opportunity to participate in the ownership of the Company by receiving options to purchase shares of common stock at a price equal to the fair market value at the date of grant of the option and restricted stock awards. Awards for a maximum of 200,000 shares may be granted under this plan. A total of 15,000 options were outstanding under this plan as of December 31, 2012.   The 2010 Long-term Stock Incentive Plan (“2010 Plan”) - This plan was adopted on April 23, 2010 with substantially the same terms and provisions as the 1999 Long-term Stock Incentive Plan. The maximum number of shares granted per type of award to any individual may not exceed 1,500,000 in any calendar year. Restricted stock grants and common stock awards reduce stock options otherwise available for future grant. Awards for a maximum of 7,500,000 shares may be granted under this plan. A total of 692,500 options and 420,000 restricted stock units were outstanding under this plan as of December 31, 2012.   Table of Contents 9.  SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY    53    Shares issued under our share-based compensation plans are usually issued from shares of our common stock held in the treasury.   The fair value of employee share options is recognized in expense over the vesting period of the options, using the graded attribution method.  The fair value of employee share options is determined on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Company has used historical volatility in its estimate of expected volatility. The expected life represents the period of time (in years) for which the options granted are expected to be outstanding. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve.   Compensation cost related to non-qualified stock options recognized in operating results (selling, general and administrative expense) for 2012, 2011 and 2010 was $2.5 million, $1.0 million, and $1.5 million respectively. The related future income tax benefits recognized for 2012, 2011 and 2010 were $1.4 million, $0.6 million and $0.6 million, respectively.   Stock options   The following table presents the weighted-average assumptions used to estimate the fair value of options granted in 2012, 2011 and 2010:             The following table summarizes information concerning outstanding and exercisable options:    The total intrinsic value of options exercised was $1.4 million, $0.7 million and $3.2 million respectively, for 2012, 2011 and 2010.   The following table summarizes information about options vested and exercisable or nonvested that are expected to vest (nonvested outstanding less expected forfeitures) at December 31, 2012:      Table of Contents     2012      2011      2010                        Expected annual dividend yield      0 %     0 %     0 % Risk-free interest rate      1.10 %     2.02 %     1.37 % Expected volatility      57.3 %     59.8 %     61.1 % Expected life in years      6.3       8.0       4.8       Weighted Average        2012      2011      2010        Shares      Exercise  Price      Shares      Exercise  Price      Shares      Exercise  Price    Outstanding at beginning of year      1,285,115     $ 13.39       1,900,698     $ 10.60       2,102,459     $ 9.87   Granted      772,500     $ 15.00       277,000     $ 12.61       40,000     $ 14.18   Exercised      (109,466 )   $ 3.12       (67,758 )   $ 4.18       (234,011 )   $ 4.34   Cancelled or expired      (595,090 )   $ 11.71       (824,825 )   $ 7.45       (7,750 )   $ 19.39   Outstanding at end of year      1,353,059     $ 15.88       1,285,115     $ 13.39       1,900,698     $ 10.60                                                     Options exercisable at year end      682,809               914,365               1,559,872           Weighted average fair value per option granted during the year    $ 7.90             $ 7.81             $ 7.24             Range of Exercise Prices     Number  Exercisable        Weighted  Average  Exercise  Price        Weighted  Average  Remaining  Contractual Life       Aggregate  Intrinsic  Value (in  millions)      $ 1.76   to   $ 5.00     24,000     $ 2.07       0.22     $ 0.2     $ 5.01   to   $ 15.00     522,003     $ 12.40       7.31       0.1     $ 15.01   to   $ 20.00     624,402     $ 18.43       6.97       -    $ 20.01   to   $ 20.15     100,000     $ 20.15       4.05       -    $ 1.76   to   $ 20.15     1,270,405     $ 15.78       6.75     $ 0.3     54    The aggregate intrinsic value in the tables above represents the total pretax intrinsic value (the difference between the closing stock price on the last day of trading in 2012 and the exercise price) that would have been received by the option holders had all options been exercised on December 31, 2012. This value will change based on the fair market value of the Company’s common stock.   The following table reflects the activity for all unvested stock options during 2012:    At December 31, 2012, there was approximately $2.8 million of unrecognized compensation costs related to unvested stock options, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.87 years. The total fair value of stock options vested during 2012, 2011 and 2010 was $1.1 million, $2.2 million and $2.6 million, respectively.   Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units   In October 2004, the Company granted 1,000,000 restricted stock units under the 1999 Plan to a former officer and director (See Note 8 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements). A restricted stock unit represents the right to receive a share of the Company’s common stock. The restricted stock units have none of the rights as other shares of common stock, other than rights to cash dividends, until common stock is distributed. The restricted stock unit award was a non-performance award which vested at the rate of 20% on May 31, 2005 and 10% per year on April 1, 2006 and each year thereafter. The share-based expense for restricted stock awards was determined based on the market price of the Company’s stock at the date of the award.  Compensation expense related to the restricted stock award was $0 in 2012, $0.1 million in 2011 and $0.6 million in 2010.  As part of the settlement agreement (see Note 8 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements), no less than 300,000 shares or units of restricted stock were terminated and of no further force and effect.   In August 2010, the Company granted 175,000 restricted stock units under the 2010 Plan to a key employee who is also a Company director. A restricted stock unit represents the right to receive a share of the Company’s common stock. The restricted stock units have none of the rights as other shares of common stock, other than rights to cash dividends, until common stock is distributed. The restricted stock unit award was a non-performance award which vests in ten equal annual installments of 17,500 units beginning May 15, 2011 and each May 15, thereafter. The share-based expense for restricted stock awards was determined based on the market price of the Company’s stock at the date of the award. Compensation expense related to the restricted stock award was approximately $0.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2012.   In October 2011 and November 2011, the Company granted 100,000 restricted stock units under the 2010 Plan to two key employees, one of whom is a Company director. A restricted stock unit represents the right to receive a share of the Company’s common stock. The restricted stock units have none of the rights as other shares of common stock, other than rights to cash dividends, until common stock is distributed. The restricted stock unit award was a non-performance award which vests in ten equal annual installments of 10,000 units beginning October 3, 2012 and November 14, 2012, respectively, and each October 3 and November 14, respectively, thereafter. The share-based expense for restricted stock awards was determined based on the market price of the Company’s stock at the date of the award. Compensation expense related to these restricted stock awards was approximately $0.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2012.   In January 2012 and March 2012, the Company granted 50,000 restricted stock units under the 2010 Plan to two key employees.  A restricted stock unit represents the right to receive a share of the Company’s common stock. The restricted stock units have none of the rights as other shares of common stock, other than rights to cash dividends, until common stock is distributed. The restricted stock unit award was a non-performance award which vests in ten equal annual installments of 10,000 units beginning January 3, 2013 and March 1, 2013, respectively, and each January 3 and March 1, thereafter.  The share-based expense for restricted stock awards was determined based on the market price of the Company’s stock at the date of the award. Compensation expense related to these restricted stock awards was approximately $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2012.   Table of Contents     Shares    Weighted  Average Grant- Date Fair Value Unvested at January 1, 2012      370,750     $ 8.29   Granted      772,500     $ 7.90   Vested      (123,250 )   $ 8.54   Forfeited      (349,750 )   $ 5.96   Unvested at December 31, 2012      670,250     $ 9.01     55    Share-based compensation expense for restricted stock issued to Directors was $0.1 million in each of 2012, 2011 and 2010.    The components of income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes are as follows (in millions):        The (benefit) provision for income taxes consists of the following (in millions):      Income taxes are accrued and paid by each foreign entity in accordance with applicable local regulations. The Company recorded tax (benefit) expense of $(0.2) million, $0.1 million and $0.0 million in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively, related to discontinued operations.    A reconciliation of the difference between the income tax expense and the computed income tax expense based on the Federal statutory corporate rate is as follows (in millions):      Table of Contents 10.     INCOME TAXES      Year Ended December 31,        2012      2011      2010    United States    $ (66.5 )   $ 43.5     $ 43.5   Foreign      24.9       35.5       22.6   Total    $ (41.6 )   $ 79.0     $ 66.1       Year Ended December 31,        2012      2011      2010    Current:                    Federal    $ (5.4 )   $ 13.6     $ 9.5   State      0.3       2.2       2.3   Foreign      8.1       8.4       7.1   Total current      3.0       24.2       18.9                             Deferred:                          Federal      (16.5 )     0.5       4.7   State      (3.3 )     0.4       (0.2 ) Foreign      (16.8 )     (0.7 )     0.1   Total deferred      (36.6 )     0.2       4.6   TOTAL    $ (33.6 )   $ 24.4     $ 23.5       Year Ended December 31 ,         2012        2011        2010                                                      Income tax at Federal statutory rate    $ (14.5 )     (35.0 )%   $ 27.6       35.0 %   $ 23.1       35.0 % Foreign taxes at rates different from the U.S. rate      (3.7 )     (8.9 )     (0.9 )     (1.1 )     (1.4 )     (2.0 ) State and local income taxes, net of federal tax benefit      (2.1 )     (5.0 )     1.3       1.6       1.4       2.0   Changes in valuation allowances      (13.3 )     (31.9 )     (3.7 )     (4.7 )     (0.1 )     (0.2 ) Non-deductible items      0.1       0.2       0.1       0.1       0.7       1.1   Other items, net      (0.1 )     (0.2 )     -      -      (0.2 )     (0.3 ) Income tax at Federal statutory rate    $ (33.6 )     80.8 %   $ 24.4       30.9 %   $ 23.5       35.6 %   56    The deferred tax assets and liabilities are comprised of the following (in millions):      The Company has not provided for federal income taxes applicable to the undistributed earnings of its foreign subsidiaries of approximately $127.4 million as of December 31, 2012, since these earnings are considered indefinitely reinvested. The Company has foreign net operating loss carryforwards which expire through 2030. The Company records these benefits as assets to the extent that utilization of such assets is more likely than not; otherwise, a valuation allowance has been recorded. The Company has also provided valuation allowances for certain state deferred tax assets and net operating loss carryforwards where it is not likely they will be realized.   As of December 31, 2012, the Company has approximately $1.2 million in foreign tax credit carryforwards expiring in years through 2022 and various amounts of state and foreign net operating loss carryforwards expiring through 2032. The company has recorded valuation allowances of approximately $11.1 million, including valuations against foreign tax credits of $1.2 million, tax effected net operating loss carryforwards in foreign and state jurisdictions of $5.0 million and $4.2 million, respectively, and deductible temporary differences of $0.7 million for state deductible temporary differences.   The Company is routinely audited by federal, state and foreign tax authorities with respect to its income taxes. The Company regularly reviews and evaluates the likelihood of audit assessments. The Company’s federal income tax returns have been audited through 2009. The Company has not signed any consents to extend the statute of limitations for any subsequent years. The Company’s significant state tax returns have been audited through 2006. The Company considers its significant tax jurisdictions in foreign locations to be the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Italy and Germany. The Company remains subject to examination in the United Kingdom for years after 2010, in Canada for years after 2006, in France for years after 2007, in Italy for years after 2007, in Netherlands for years after 2005 and in Germany for years after 2007.   In accordance with the guidance for accounting for uncertainty in income taxes the Company recognizes the tax benefits from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefit of an uncertain tax position that meets the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold is measured as the largest amount that is greater than 50% likely to be realized upon settlement with the tax authority. To the extent we prevail in matters for which accruals have been established or are required to pay amounts in excess of accruals, our effective tax rate in a given financial statement period could be affected. As of December 31, 2012 the Company had no uncertain tax positions. There were no accrued interest or penalty charges related to unrecognized tax benefits recorded in income tax expense in 2012 or 2011.   Table of Contents     December 31,        2012      2011    Assets:              Current:              Accrued expenses and other liabilities    $ 12.1     $ 13.6   Inventory      6.2       2.6   Valuation allowances      (2.2 )     (1.5 ) Total current assets    $ 16.1     $ 14.7                     Non-current:                  Net operating loss and credit carryforwards    $ 25.7     $ 23.4   Depreciation      2.6       3.6   Intangible & other      22.4       7.6   Valuation allowances      (8.9 )     (28.4 ) Total non-current assets    $ 41.8     $ 6.2                     Liabilities :                  Current :                  Deductible assets    $ 2.5     $ 0.8   Other      -      4.3   Total current liabilities    $ 2.5     $ 5.1                     Non-current:                  Amortization    $ 6.2     $ 8.0   Depreciation      5.4       -  Other      -      0.5   Total non-current liabilities    $ 11.6     $ 8.5     57   Leases   - The Company is obligated under operating lease agreements for the rental of certain office and warehouse facilities and equipment which expire at various dates through July 2030. The Company currently leases its headquarters office/warehouse facility in New York from an entity owned by the Company’s three principal shareholders and senior executive officers. The Company believes that these payments were no higher than would be paid to an unrelated lessor for comparable space. The Company also acquires certain computer, communications equipment, and machinery and equipment pursuant to capital lease obligations.   At December 31, 2012, the future minimum annual lease payments for capital leases and related and third-party operating leases were as follows (in millions):    Annual rent expense aggregated approximately $33.4 million, $30.8 million and $31.1 million in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Included in rent expense was $0.9 million, $0.9 million and $0.9 million in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively, to related parties. Rent expense is net of sublease income of $0.2 million, $0.2 million and $0.2 million for 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.     Other Matters   The Company and its subsidiaries are involved in various lawsuits, claims, investigations and  proceedings including commercial, employment, consumer, personal injury and health and safety law matters, which are being handled and defended in the ordinary course of business.  In addition, the Company is subject to various assertions, claims, proceedings and requests for indemnification concerning intellectual property, including patent infringement suits involving technologies that are incorporated in a broad spectrum of products the Company sells. The Company is also audited by (or has initiated voluntary disclosure agreements with) numerous governmental agencies in various countries, including U.S. Federal and state authorities, concerning potential income tax, sales tax and unclaimed property liabilities. These matters are in various stages of investigation, negotiation and/or litigation, and are being vigorously defended. In this regard, the Company is being audited by the state of Texas regarding its claim that certain of the company’s consumer electronics e-commerce sales are subject to sales tax in Texas; the Company is defending this matter, believes it has strong defenses, and has established reserves for this matter. Although the Company does not expect, based on currently available information, that the outcome in any of these matters, individually or collectively, will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operations, the ultimate outcome is inherently unpredictable.  Therefore, judgments could be rendered or settlements entered, that could adversely affect the Company’s operating results or cash flows in a particular period.   The Company routinely assesses all of its litigation and threatened litigation as to the probability of ultimately incurring a liability, and records its best estimate of the ultimate loss in situations where it assesses the likelihood of loss as probable and estimable.   Table of Contents 11.   COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND OTHER MATTERS      Capital  Leases      Operating  Leases      Total                        2013    $ 3.3     $ 28.5     $ 31.8   2014      2.9       26.2       29.1   2015      2.5       25.6       28.1   2016      0.8       23.5       24.3   2017      0.2       23.0       23.2   2018-2022             63.3       63.3   2023-2027             26.1       26.1   Thereafter              17.2       17.2   Total minimum lease payments      9.7       233.4       243.1   Less: sublease rental income              0.1       0.1   Lease obligation net of subleases      9.7     $ 233.3       243.0   Less: amount representing interest      1.6                   Present value of minimum capital lease payments (including current portion of $2.8)   $ 8.1                     58   The Company operates and is internally managed in two operating segments, Technology Products and Industrial Products. The Company’s chief operating decision-maker is the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. The Company evaluates segment performance based on income from operations before net interest, foreign exchange gains and losses, special (gains) charges and income taxes. Corporate costs not identified with the disclosed segments are grouped as “Corporate and other expenses.” The chief operating decision-maker reviews assets and makes significant capital expenditure decisions for the Company on a consolidated basis only. The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those of the Company described in Note 1.   Financial information relating to the Company’s operations by reportable segment was as follows (in millions):      Financial information relating to the Company’s operations by geographic area was as follows (in millions):        Net sales are attributed to countries based on location of selling subsidiary.   Table of Contents 12.   SEGMENT AND RELATED INFORMATION      Year Ended December 31,        2012      2011      2010    Net Sales:                    Technology Products    $ 3,137.6     $ 3,357.4     $ 3,336.9   Industrial Products      401.9       319.9       250.0   Corporate and other      5.1       3.3       2.2   Consolidated    $ 3,544.6     $ 3,680.6     $ 3,589.1                             Depreciation and Amortization Expense:                          Technology Products    $ 15.1     $ 15.0     $ 12.1   Industrial Products      1.9       1.3       1.6   Corporate and other      1.0       1.2       .8   Consolidated    $ 18.0     $ 17.5     $ 14.5                             Operating Income (Loss):                          Technology Products    $ (47.2 )   $ 68.0     $ 65.0   Industrial Products      29.9       35.1       24.1   Corporate and other expenses      (22.6 )     (22.3 )     (20.3 ) Consolidated    $ (39.9 )   $ 80.8     $ 68.8                             Total Assets                          Technology Products    $ 564.4     $ 546.7     $ 574.0   Industrial Products      157.7       127.2       136.9   Corporate and other      240.2       215.8       183.2   Consolidated    $ 962.3     $ 889.7     $ 894.1       Year Ended December 31,        2012      2011      2010    Net Sales:                    United States    $ 2,203.5     $ 2,353.3     $ 2,328.6   United Kingdom      491.7       442.5       418.9   Other Europe      635.0       657.3       628.1   Other North America      214.4       227.5       213.5   Consolidated    $ 3,544.6     $ 3,680.6     $ 3,589.1                             Long-lived Assets:                          United States    $ 42.0     $ 50.7     $ 51.5   United Kingdom      16.6       15.4       16.0   Other Europe and Asia      2.8       2.5       3.4   Other North America      1.6       2.1       2.9   Consolidated    $ 63.0     $ 70.7     $ 73.8     59    Financial information relating to the Company’s entity-wide product category sales was as follows (in millions):         Quarterly financial data, excluding discontinued operations, is as follows (in millions, except for per share amounts):    Table of Contents     Year Ended December 31,      2012      %      2011      %      2010      %    Product Category                                      Computers    $ 1,048.3       29.6 %     1,047.6       28.5 %     878.4       24.5 % Computer accessories & software      970.8       27.4 %     1,025.0       27.8 %     982.8       27.4 % Consumer electronics      619.7       17.5 %     746.5       20.3 %     856.3       23.8 % Computer components      407.6       11.5 %     453.8       12.3 %     551.0       15.3 % Industrial products      401.9       11.3 %     319.9       8.7 %     250.0       7.0 % Other      96.3       2.7 %     87.8       2.4 %     70.6       2.0 % Consolidated    $ 3,544.6       100 %   $ 3,680.6       100 %     3,589.1       100 % 13.   QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)      First Quarter     Second Quarter     Third Quarter     Fourth Quarter   2012:                          Net sales    $ 913.6     $ 849.5     $ 846.3     $ 935.2   Gross profit    $ 130.7     $ 118.0     $ 119.0     $ 120.4   Net income    $ 7.3     $ (2.2 )   $ 13.9     $ (27.0 ) Net income per common share:                                  Basic    $ 0.20     $ (0.06 )   $ 0.38     $ (0.73 ) Diluted    $ 0.20     $ (0.06 )   $ 0.38     $ (0.73 )                                   2011:                                  Net sales    $ 929.8     $ 872.2     $ 900.2     $ 978.4   Gross profit    $ 130.4     $ 128.9     $ 131.3     $ 139.9   Net income    $ 13.6     $ 15.6     $ 10.6     $ 14.8   Net income per common share:                                  Basic    $ 0.37     $ 0.42     $ 0.29     $ 0.40   Diluted    $ 0.36     $ 0.42     $ 0.29     $ 0.40     60  SYSTEMAX INC.   SCHEDULE II - VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS   For the years ended December:  (in millions)      (1)      WStore opening balance sheet adjustment.     61  Table of Contents Description    Balance at  Beginning of Period      Charged to  Expenses      Write-offs      Other        Balance at  End of Period   Allowance for sales returns and doubtful accounts                                  2012    $ 14.7     $ 5.0     $ (4.2 )   $ -      $ 15.5   2011    $ 17.9     $ 3.2     $ (6.4 )   $ -      $ 14.7   2010    $ 22.5     $ 3.3     $ (6.8 )   $ (1.1 )  (1)   $ 17.9                                               Allowance for deferred tax assets                                            2012                                            Current    $ 1.5     $ 0.7     $ -    $ -      $ 2.2   Noncurrent    $ 28.4     $ (19.5 )   $ -    $ -      $ 8.9   2011                                            Current    $ 1.5     $ -    $ -    $ -      $ 1.5   Noncurrent    $ 27.7     $ 0.6     $ -    $ 0.1       $ 28.4   2010                                            Current    $ 1.5     $ -    $ -    $ -      $ 1.5   Noncurrent    $ 28.3     $ -    $ --    $ (0.6 )     $ 27.7   Exhibit 31.1  CERTIFICATION UNDER SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002   CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER   I, Richard Leeds, certify that:   1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Systemax Inc. (the “registrant”);   2. 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;   3. 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 l report;   4. 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.   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: March 14, 2013        /s/ RICHARD LEEDS    Richard Leeds, Chief Executive Officer    Exhibit 31.2  CERTIFICATION UNDER SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002   CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER   I, Lawrence P. Reinhold, certify that:   1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Systemax Inc. (the “registrant”);   2. 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 l report;   3. 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;   4. 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.   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 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: March 14, 2013        /s/ LAWRENCE P. REINHOLD    Lawrence P. Reinhold, Chief Financial Officer    Exhibit 32.1  CERTIFICATION UNDER SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002   The undersigned, the Chief Executive Officer of Systemax Inc., hereby certifies that Systemax Inc.’s Form 10-K for the Year Ended December 31, 2012 fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m or 78 (o)(d)) and that the information contained in such Form 10-K fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of Systemax Inc.           Dated: March 14, 2013        /s/ RICHARD LEEDS    Richard Leeds, Chief Executive Officer    Exhibit 32.2  CERTIFICATION UNDER SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002   The undersigned, the Chief Financial Officer of Systemax Inc., hereby certifies that Systemax Inc.’s Form 10-K for the Year Ended December 31, 2012 fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m or 78 (o)(d)) and that the information contained in such Form 10-K fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of Systemax Inc.            Dated: March 14, 2013        /s/ LAWRENCE P. REINHOLD    Lawrence P. Reinhold, Chief Financial Officer    Stock Performance Graph

Financial Summary

(In millions except Diluted Net Income Per Share)

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Net sales
$3,031.2
Operating income (loss) from continuing operations $   101.6 
$   77.3 
Net income from continuing operations
$   2.05 
Diluted net income (loss) per share

$3,163.0
$   80.1
$   49.2
$   1.32

$3,589.0
$
68.8
$  42.6
1.13
$

$3,680.6
80.8
$
54.6
$
1.47
$

$3,544.6
$ (39.9)
(8.0)
$
(.22)
$

Forward-Looking  Statements: Certain  statements  in  this  Annual  Report  constitute  “forward-looking  statements”  within  the  meaning  of  the  Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors as set forth
within the Form 10K forming a part of this document.

ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS:

The 2013 Annual Meeting will be held on 

Monday, June 10, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at

Systemax Inc.

11 Harbor Park Drive

Port Washington, NY 11050

STOCK EXCHANGE:
The Company's shares are traded on the 
New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SYX.

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS:
ERNST & YOUNG LLP

New York, NY

DIRECTORS
Richard Leeds
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Bruce Leeds
Vice Chairman

Robert Leeds
Vice Chairman

Lawrence Reinhold 
Executive Vice President and 
Chief Financial Officer

Robert Rosenthal
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, 
First Long Island Investors

Stacy Dick 
Chief Financial Officer
Julian Robertson Holdings

Marie Adler-Kravecas
Retired President of Myron Corporation

CORPORATE EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Richard Leeds
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Bruce Leeds
Vice Chairman

Robert Leeds
Vice Chairman

Lawrence Reinhold
Executive Vice President and 
Chief Financial Officer

Thomas Axmacher
Vice President and Controller

Eric Lerner
Senior Vice President and General Counsel

SEGMENT EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Robert Leeds
North American Technology Products Group
Chief Executive
Perminder Dale
European Technology Products Group
Chief Executive

Robert Dooley
Industrial Products Group
Chief Executive

Systemax Inc. Corporate Headquarters
11 Harbor Park Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050

Industrial Products Headquarters
Global Equipment Company Inc.
11 Harbor Park Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050

North American Technology Products Headquarters

SYX Services, Inc.
7795 West Flagler Street, Miami, FL 33144

European Technology Products Headquarters

Systemax House
Dashwood Lang Road,
5 Bourne Business Park, 
Addlestone KT15 2NY
United Kingdom

2012 Annual Report