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Seasonality and Management Use of Estimates
3 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2020
Seasonality [Abstract]  
Seasonality and Management Use of Estimates
The market for educational furniture is marked by extreme seasonality, with approximately 50% of the Company’s total sales typically occurring from June to August each year, the Company’s peak season. Hence, the Company typically builds and carries significant amounts of inventory during and in anticipation of this peak summer season to facilitate the rapid delivery requirements of customers in the educational market. This requires a large up-front investment in inventory, labor, storage and related costs as inventory is built in anticipation of peak sales during the summer months. As the capital required for this build-up generally exceeds cash available from operations, the Company has generally relied on third-party bank financing to meet cash flow requirements during the build-up period immediately preceding the peak season. In addition, the Company typically is faced with a large balance of accounts receivable during the peak season. This occurs for two primary reasons. First, accounts receivable balances typically increase during the peak season as shipments of products increase. Second, many customers during this period are educational institutions and government entities, which tend to pay accounts receivable slower than commercial customers.

The Company’s working capital requirements during and in anticipation of the peak summer season require management to make estimates and judgments that affect assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates, including those related to market demand, labor costs and stocking inventory. Significant estimates made by management include, but are not limited to, valuation of inventory; deferred tax assets and liabilities; useful lives of property, plant and equipment; liabilities under pension, warranty, self-insurance and environmental claims; and the accounts receivable allowance for doubtful accounts. Due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making assumptions and estimates, events and changes in circumstances arising after April 30, 2020, including those resulting from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, may result in actual outcomes that differ from those contemplated by our assumptions and estimates.