Aldila, Inc. felt a mid-teens decline in its overall net sales result from a 19% drop in sales of golf and related products for the third quarter. Management said in its comments that the average selling price of golf shafts decreased 9% in Q3 with a 12% decrease in units sold. Branded golf shaft sales decreased 32% and co-branded sales decreased by 73%. On a brighter note, composite pre-preg material sales increased 14% and the company’s backlog of sales orders at September 30 was $11.5 million as compared to $9.7 million at the same point last year.

Another bright spot was the announcement that hockey sales were up 91%, though management felt this result was “well below where [they] believe it can be,” especially given the comparison against last year’s lock-out.

The company reported that third quarter net sales declined 15.5% to $16.3 million, compared to $19.3 million in the comparable period of 2005. Net income was down 23.7% to $2.9 million, or 51 cents per diluted share. Net income was buoyed by a $2.2 million pre-tax settlement that lifted income up from $1.4 million, or 26 cents per diluted share.