Item 1A. RISK FACTORS
Risks related to the Coal Mining segment
Termination of or default under long-term mining contracts could materially reduce the Company's profitability.
Substantially all of the Coal Mining segment's profits are derived from long-term mining contracts. Although the Company has long-term contracts, numerous regulatory authorities, along with well-funded political and environmental activist groups, are devoting substantial resources to anti-coal activities to minimize or eliminate the use of coal as a source of electricity generation. As a result of such activities, the Coal Mining segment's customers could prematurely retire certain coal-fired generating units. Any customer's premature facility closure could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
On May 7, 2020, Great River Energy ("GRE"), Falkirk Mine's customer, and the Company's second largest customer, announced its intent to retire the Coal Creek Station power plant in the second half of 2022 and modify the Spiritwood Station power plant to be fueled by natural gas. On November 5, 2020, American Electric Power announced its affiliate, Southwestern Electric Power Company's (“SWEPCO”), intends to retire the Henry W. Pirkey Plant (the “Pirkey Plant”) in 2023. The Sabine Mining Company, (“Sabine”) operates the Sabine Mine in Texas and all production from Sabine is delivered to SWEPCO's Pirkey Plant. See “Item 1. Business — Business Developments" on page 2 in this Form 10-K for further discussion.
State implementation of the EPA’s Regional Haze Rule (“RHR”) could require Coyote Creek’s customers to incur significant new costs at the Coyote Station power plant, which could, dependent on determinations by state regulatory commissions on approval to recover such costs from the customers of Coyote Creek’s customer, negatively impact Coyote Creek’s customers’ net income, financial position and cash flows. The Company understands that the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (“NDDEQ”) could require sources subject to RHR Round 2 reasonable progress determinations, including Coyote Station, to undertake emissions control measures. If NDDEQ requires significant emissions controls at Coyote Station by December 31, 2028, it may not be economically feasible for Coyote Creek's customers to invest in such equipment and an early retirement of Coyote Station and the Coyote Creek mine could be necessary. NDDEQ’s state implementation plan is due to be submitted to the EPA by July 2021. Preliminary modeling favors minimal additional emissions control measures for all North Dakota sources. The Company expects NDDEQ to further evaluate additional preliminary control scenarios for regional visibility modeling in the first quarter of 2021 and prepare a draft state implementation plan available for public comment the first half of 2021.
Under certain circumstances of default or termination of Coyote Creek’s Lignite Sales Agreement (“LSA”), the Company would be obligated for payment of a "make-whole" amount to Coyote Creek’s third-party lenders. The “make-whole” amount is based on the excess, if any, of the discounted value of the remaining scheduled debt payments over the principal amount. In addition, in the event Coyote Creek’s LSA is terminated on or after January 1, 2024 by Coyote Creek’s customers, the Company is obligated to purchase Coyote Creek’s dragline and rolling stock for the then net book value of those assets. Any decision by Coyote Creek’s customers to reduce operations or prematurely close the Coyote Creek mine would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial position and cash flows.
The loss of, or significant reduction in, purchases by our coal customers could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operation and cash flows.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Coal Mining segment derived approximately 60% of earnings of unconsolidated operations from two customers, Basin Electric Power Cooperative and GRE. GRE announced its intent to close Coal Creek station in 2022. There are inherent risks whenever a significant percentage of total earnings are concentrated with a limited number of customers. Earnings from the Coal Mining segment's customers may fluctuate from time to time based on numerous factors, including market conditions and the realignment of customers' power generation portfolios that reduce the electric power generated from coal, which may be outside of the Company's control. If any of the Coal Mining segment's customers experience declining demand due to market, economic, regulatory or competitive conditions, it could have an adverse effect on the Company's profitability, cash flows and financial position. In addition, if any customers were to significantly reduce or eliminate their purchases of coal from us or if the Company is unable to renew expiring long-term sales agreements with existing customers or enter into new supply agreements, the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be adversely affected. See “Item 1. Business — Business Developments" on page 2 in this Form 10-K for further discussion. Further, in large part as a result of increasing and frequently changing regulation and the realignment of customers' power generation portfolios that reduce the electric power generated from coal, electric power generators may be less willing to enter into long-term coal supply contracts. Any shift away from long-term supply contracts could adversely affect the Company's profitability, cash flows and financial position.
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Mississippi Lignite Mining Company ("MLMC") is subject to risks associated with its capital investment, operating and equipment costs, growing use of alternative generation that competes with coal fired generation, changes in customer demand and inflationary adjustments.
The profitability of MLMC is subject to the risk of loss of investment in this operation, increases in the cost of mining, changes in customer demand, growing competition from alternative power generation that competes with coal-fired generation and the emergence of adverse mining conditions. At MLMC, the costs of mining operations are not reimbursed by MLMC's customer. As such, increased costs at MLMC or decreased revenues could materially reduce the Company's profitability. Any reduction in customer demand at MLMC, including reductions related to reduced mechanical availability of the customer’s power plant, would adversely affect the Company's operating results and could result in significant impairments. MLMC has approximately $135 million of long-lived assets, including property, plant and equipment and its coal supply agreement intangible asset, which are subject to periodic impairment analysis and review. Identifying and assessing whether impairment indicators exist, or if events or changes in circumstances have occurred, including assumptions about future power plant dispatch levels, changes in operating costs and other factors that impact anticipated revenue and customer demand, requires significant judgment. Actual future operating results could differ significantly from these estimates, which may result in an impairment charge in a future period, which could have a substantial impact on the Company’s results of operations.
MLMC sells lignite at contractually agreed upon prices which are subject to changes in the level of established indices over time. The price of diesel fuel is heavily-weighted among these indices. As such, a substantial decline in diesel prices could materially reduce MLMC's profitability, as the decline in revenue will only be partially offset by the effect of lower diesel prices on production costs.
MLMC delivers coal to the Red Hills Power Plant in Ackerman, Mississippi. The Red Hills Power Plant supplies electricity to TVA under a long-term PPA. MLMC’s contract with its customer runs through 2032. TVA’s power portfolio includes coal, nuclear, hydroelectric, natural gas and renewables. In 2019, TVA published its updated Integrated Resource Plan ("IRP"). The IRP indicates TVA plans to increase its reliance on solar power. A decrease in the number of days TVA dispatches the Red Hills Power Plant would reduce MLMC's customer's demand for coal. The decision of which power plants to dispatch is determined by TVA. TVA has dispatched Red Hills Power Plant at a lower rate in 2019 and 2020 than in previous years.
Choctaw Generation Limited Partnership ("CGLP") leases the Red Hills Power Plant from a Southern Company subsidiary pursuant to a leveraged lease arrangement. CGLP's ability to make required payments to the Southern Company subsidiary is dependent on the operational performance of the Red Hills Power Plant. Southern Company recently publicly disclosed that while all CGLP lease payments have been paid in full through December 31, 2020, operational and other risks have resulted in cash liquidity challenges at the Red Hills Power Plant, and based on current forecasts of energy prices in the years following the expiration of the PPA in 2032, concerns exist regarding the lessee's ability to make the remaining semi-annual lease payments through the end of the lease term in 2047. During the fourth quarter of 2019, Southern Company concluded that it was no longer probable that all of the payments would be received over the term of the lease and therefore recognized an impairment charge to reduce the value of the lease investment. During the second quarter of 2020, Southern Company revised the estimated cash flows to be received under the leveraged lease which resulted in a full impairment of the lease investment. If any future lease payment is not paid in full, the Southern Company subsidiary may be unable to make its corresponding payment to the holders of the underlying non-recourse debt related to the Red Hills Power Plant. Failure to make the required payment to the debtholders could represent an event of default that would give the debtholders the right to foreclose on, and take ownership of, the Red Hills Power Plant from the Southern Company subsidiary. A foreclosure of the Red Hills Power Plant could have a material adverse effect on MLMC's financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Similar to the Company's unconsolidated mines, all production costs at MLMC are capitalized into inventory and recognized in cost of sales as tons are delivered. In periods of limited or no deliveries, MLMC may be required to reduce its inventory carrying value using the lower of cost or net realizable value approach, which could adversely affect MLMC’s results of operations.
Changes in customer demand for any reason, including, but not limited to, reduced mechanical availability of the customer’s power plant, dispatch of power generated by other energy sources ahead of coal, fluctuations in demand due to unanticipated weather conditions, regulations or comparable policies which may promote planned and unplanned outages at the Red Hills Power Plant, economic conditions, including an economic slowdown and a corresponding decline in the use of electricity, governmental regulations and inflationary adjustments could have a material adverse effect on MLMC's financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
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The Coal Mining segment's Unconsolidated Subsidiaries are subject to risks created by changes in customer demand and inflationary adjustments.
The contracts with the Unconsolidated Subsidiaries' customers are primarily based on a "management fee" approach, whereby compensation includes reimbursement of all operating costs, plus a fee based on the amount of coal delivered. The fees earned adjust over time in line with various indices which reflect general U.S. inflation rates. During the production stage, the Unconsolidated Subsidiaries' customers pay the Company its agreed upon fee only for the coal delivered to them for consumption or use. As a result, reduced coal usage by customers for any reason, including, but not limited to, fluctuations in demand due to unanticipated weather conditions, scheduled and unscheduled outages at the Coal Mining segment's customers' facilities, unplanned equipment failures, economic conditions or governmental regulations or comparable policies which may promote dispatch of power generated by renewables, such as wind or solar, and the realignment of customers' power generation portfolios that reduce the electric power generated from coal could have a material adverse effect on the Company's results of operations. Because of the contractual price formulas for the management fees at these Unconsolidated Subsidiaries, the profitability of these operations is also subject to fluctuations in inflationary adjustments (or lack thereof) that can impact the agreed upon management fees. These factors could materially reduce the Company's profitability.
Changes in coal consumption patterns of U.S. electric power generators could adversely affect the Company's profitability.
The amount of coal consumed by the electric power generation industry is affected by general economic conditions; overall demand for electricity; availability of transmission; competition from alternative fuel sources for power generation, such as natural gas, nuclear, hydroelectric, wind and solar power, and the location, availability, quality and price of those alternative fuel sources; environmental and other governmental regulations, including those impacting coal-fired power plants; and energy conservation efforts and related governmental policies.
Changes in the utility and coal mining industry that affect our customers could also adversely affect the Company. Lower natural gas prices and increased availability of renewables have contributed to a reduction in demand for coal-fired electric power generation. Competition from natural gas-fired plants that are relatively more efficient, less expensive to construct and less difficult to permit than coal-fired plants has the most potential to continue to displace a significant amount of coal-fired electric power generation in the near term. Federal and state mandates for increased use of electricity derived from renewable energy sources have also adversely affected demand for coal-fired electric power generation. Such mandates make alternative fuel sources more competitive with coal-fired electric power generation.
Changes in federal and state mandates that would include an acceleration in the use of electricity derived from renewable energy sources could result in a decrease in coal consumption by the electric power generation industry and the Company’s customers.
Certain of the Coal Mining segment’s customers, including MLMC's customer, benefit or have benefited from a tax credit under Section 45 of the Internal Revenue Code. The benefit results in a reduction to the cost of coal-fired electric power generation. The elimination or expiration of the Section 45 tax credit would increase the cost of the coal-fired electric power generation from these facilities and could result in the power these facilities produce being less economical than other sources of power generation, which could reduce demand and result in a decrease in coal consumption.
Any of these risks could result in a decrease in coal consumption by the Company’s customers and could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
Government regulations could impose costly requirements on the Company and its customers.
The coal mining industry and the electric generation industry are subject to extensive regulation by federal, state and local authorities on matters concerning the health and safety of employees, land use, stream and wetland protection, permit and licensing requirements, air and water quality standards, plant and wildlife protection, reclamation and restoration of mining properties after mining, the discharge of GHGs and other materials into the environment, surface subsidence from underground mining and the effects that mining has on groundwater quality and availability. Legislation mandating certain benefits for current and retired coal miners also affects the industry. Mining operations require numerous governmental permits and approvals. The Company is required to prepare and present to federal, state or local authorities data pertaining to the impact the production and combustion of coal may have upon the environment. The public, including non-governmental organizations, opposition groups and individuals, have statutory rights to comment upon and submit objections to requested permits and approvals and to legally challenge certain permits subsequent to their issuance. Compliance with these requirements is costly and time-consuming and may delay commencement or continuation of development or production. New legislation and/or
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regulations and orders may materially adversely affect the Company's mining operations or its cost structure, or its customers. All of these factors could significantly reduce the Company's profitability. See “Item 1. Business — Government Regulation" on page 16 in this Form 10-K for further discussion.
The Company is subject to burdensome federal and state mining regulations and the assumptions underlying the Company's reclamation and mine closure obligations could be materially inaccurate.
Federal and state statutes require the Company to restore mine property in accordance with specified standards and an approved reclamation plan, and require that the Company obtain and periodically renew permits for mining operations. Regulations require the Company to incur the cost of reclaiming current mine disturbance at operations where the Company holds the mining permit. Estimates of the Company's total reclamation and mine closing liabilities are based upon permit requirements and the Company's engineering expertise related to these requirements. While management regularly reviews the estimated reclamation liabilities and believes that appropriate accruals have been recorded for all expected reclamation and other costs associated with closed mines, the estimate can change significantly if actual costs vary from assumptions or if governmental regulations change significantly. Such changes could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and could significantly reduce its profitability.
The Clean Air Act ("CAA") and the Affordable Clean Energy ("ACE") Rule could reduce the demand for coal.
The process of burning coal can cause many compounds and impurities in the coal to be released into the air, including carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, particulates and other matter. The CAA, ACE and the corresponding state laws that extensively regulate the emissions of materials into the air affect coal mining operations both directly and indirectly. Direct impacts on coal mining operations occur through CAA permitting requirements and/or ACE emission control requirements relating to air contaminants, especially particulate matter. Indirect impacts on coal mining operations occur through regulation of the air emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, particulate matter and other compounds emitted by coal-fired power plants. The EPA has promulgated or proposed regulations that impose tighter emission restrictions on a number of these compounds, some of which are currently subject to litigation. The general effect of tighter restrictions is to reduce demand for coal. A reduction in coal’s share of the capacity for power generation could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. See “Item 1. Business — Government Regulation" on page 16 in this Form 10-K for further discussion.
The Coal Mining segment's customers' operations require significant capital expenditures.
Maintaining and installing environmental controls on power plants requires significant capital expenditures. Any delay or reduction in making capital expenditures to maintain or upgrade coal-fired power plants by the Coal Segment's customers, principally electric utilities, could result in an increase in outage days and a corresponding decrease in coal consumption. A decrease in coal consumption could have a material adverse effect on the Coal Mining segment's financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Mining operations are vulnerable to weather and other conditions that are beyond the Company's control.
Many conditions beyond the Company's control can decrease the delivery, and therefore the use, of coal to the Company's customers. These conditions include weather, pandemics, adverse mining conditions, unexpected maintenance problems and shortages of replacement parts, which could significantly reduce the Company's profitability.
Estimates of the Company's recoverable coal reserves involve uncertainties, and inaccuracies in these estimates could result in lower than expected revenues, higher than expected costs, decreased profitability and asset impairments.
The Company estimates recoverable coal reserves based on engineering and geological data assembled and analyzed by internal and, less frequently, external engineers and geologists. The Company's estimates as to the quantity and quality of the coal in its reserves are updated annually to reflect production of coal from the reserves and new drilling, engineering or other data. These estimates depend upon a variety of factors and assumptions, many of which involve uncertainties and factors beyond the Company's control, such as geological and mining conditions that may not be fully identified by available exploration data or that may differ from experience in current operations.
For these reasons, estimates of the recoverable quantities and qualities attributable to any particular group of properties, classifications of reserves based on risk of recovery and estimates of net cash flows expected from particular reserves may vary substantially. In addition, coal tonnage recovered from identified reserve areas or properties and revenues and expenditures with respect to the Company's reserves may vary materially from estimates. Accordingly, the Company's estimates may vary from
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the actual reserves. Any inaccuracy in the reserve estimates could result in lower than expected revenues, higher than expected costs, decreased profitability and asset impairments.
A defect in title or the loss of a leasehold interest in certain property could limit the Company's ability to mine coal reserves or result in significant unanticipated costs.
The Company conducts a significant part of its coal mining operations on leased properties. A title defect or the loss of a lease could adversely affect the ability to mine the associated coal reserves. The Company may not verify title to leased properties or associated coal reserves until the Company has committed to developing those properties or coal reserves. The Company may not commit to develop property or coal reserves until the Company has obtained necessary permits and completed exploration. As such, the title to property that the Company intends to lease or mine may contain defects prohibiting the ability to conduct mining operations. Similarly, leasehold interests may be subject to superior property rights of third parties. In order to conduct mining operations on properties where these defects exist, the Company may incur unanticipated costs. In addition, some leases require the Company to produce a minimum quantity of coal and/or pay minimum production royalties. The Company's inability to satisfy those requirements may cause the leasehold interest to terminate.
Risks related to the NAMining segment
The Company has experienced growth in its NAMining business in recent periods and it may not be able to sustain growth or manage future growth effectively.
The Company has expanded its overall NAMining business, operations and headcount in recent periods. NAMining’s operating expenses may continue to increase as the Company scales the NAMining business, including growth outside of Florida and providing general and administrative resources to support NAMining’s growth. As NACCO continues to grow the NAMining business, the Company must effectively integrate, develop and motivate new employees, as well as existing employees who are promoted or moved into new roles, while maintaining the effectiveness of its business execution. In part, NAMining’s success depends on its ability to integrate new customers in an efficient and effective manner. The Company anticipates that it will continue to incur costs and capital expenditures associated with future growth prior to realizing the full measure of anticipated long-term benefits, and the return on these investments may be lower, may develop more slowly than expected or may never be realized. If the Company is unable to manage this growth effectively, the Company may not be able to take advantage of market opportunities. The Company may also fail to execute on its business plan or respond to competitive pressures, any of which could adversely affect the NAMining business, operating results and financial condition.
The Company is subject to the high costs and risks involved in the development of new mining projects.
From time to time, the Company seeks to develop new mining projects, including the Thacker Pass project. The costs and risks associated with such projects can be substantial. New mining projects can take up to several years to complete, are complex and require significant capital expenditures. These projects are subject to significant risks, including delays, extreme weather events, unexpected increases in the cost of required materials, and disputes with third party providers of materials, equipment or services, and a completed project may not yield the anticipated operational or financial benefit, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
NAMining faces competition from aggregates producers that choose to self-perform mining operations and from other mining companies.
NAMining faces competition from existing and prospective customers that are capable of performing, or engaging other companies to perform the services NAMining provides. NAMining cannot be certain that its existing customers will continue to outsource these services to NAMining in the future, which could adversely affect the NAMining business, operating results and financial condition.
Risks related to the Minerals Management segment
The Company has no control over the timing of the development and operation of its natural gas, oil and coal reserves extracted by third parties.
The Company owns mineral and royalty interests in the continental United States. The Company does not develop oil and gas reserves and is not a natural gas and oil producer. The Company derives income from royalty-based leases under which lessees make payments to the Company based on their sale of natural gas, oil and coal. In recent years, a significant portion of the Minerals Management segment's income has been derived from lease signing bonus and production payments associated with
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assets in the Utica Shale in Ohio. During 2020, the Company acquired additional mineral interests in the Permian Basin in Texas. Future royalty-based income is dependent on the number of oil and gas wells being developed and operated on the Company’s mineral acreage in Ohio and Texas. The decision to pursue development and operation of oil and gas wells is made by third-party operators, not by the Company, and depends on a number of factors outside of the Company's control, including fluctuations in commodity prices (primarily natural gas), regulatory risk, the Company's lessees' willingness and ability to incur well-development and other operating costs, the rate of production of the reserves and changes in the availability and continuing development of infrastructure. Lower commodity prices may reduce the amount of oil and natural gas that third-party operators can produce economically. In the event that new federal or state restrictions relating to the hydraulic fracturing process are adopted in areas where the Company owns mineral and royalty interests, the Company’s lessees’ may incur additional costs or permitting requirements to comply with such federal requirements that may be significant and could result in added restrictions, delays or curtailments in the pursuit of exploration, development, or production activities. In addition, if a lessee were to experience financial difficulty, the lessee might not be able to pay its royalty payments or continue operations. A failure on the part of the lessee to make royalty payments gives the Company the right to terminate the lease, repossess the property and enforce payment obligations under the lease. If the Company repossessed any of its properties, it would seek a replacement lessee. However, the Company may not be able to find a replacement lessee and, if it did, the Company might not be able to enter into a new lease on favorable terms within a reasonable period of time. In addition, if the Company is able to enter into a new lease with a new lessee, the replacement lessee may not achieve the same levels of production or sales prices as the lessee it replaced. Any of these risks could materially reduce the Company’s expected royalty income and the Company’s profitability.
The Company’s producing mineral and royalty interests are located predominantly in the Utica Shale Basin in Ohio and the Permian Basin in Texas, making the Company vulnerable to risks associated with operating in limited geographic areas.
The majority of the Company's producing mineral and royalty interests are located predominantly in the Utica Shale Basin in Ohio and the Permian Basin in Texas. As a result of this concentration, the Company may be disproportionately exposed to the impact of regional supply and demand factors, pricing differentials, delays or interruptions of production from wells in these areas caused by governmental regulation, processing or transportation capacity constraints, availability of equipment, facilities, personnel or services market limitations or interruption of the processing or transportation of crude oil, natural gas or natural gas liquids. This concentration could result in a relatively greater impact on results of operations than on other companies that have a more diversified portfolio of mineral and royalty interests. Such impacts could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s expected royalty income and the Company’s profitability.
Unless the Company replaces existing mineral and royalty interests with new mineral and royalty interests and third-party lessees develop those mineral and royalty interests, the Company’s reserves and royalty income will decline.
Producing oil and natural gas reservoirs are generally characterized by declining production rates that vary depending upon reservoir characteristics and other factors. Unless the Company’s third-party lessees conduct successful ongoing well development activities or the Company continually acquires mineral and royalty interests, the Company’s mineral and royalty interests will decline as those reserves are produced. The future cash flow and results of operations of the Minerals Management segment are highly dependent on third-party operators’ success in developing the Company’s current and future mineral and royalty interests. The Company may not be able to acquire or find sufficient additional mineral and royalty interests to replace third-party operators' current and future production. Further, the decline curve the Company uses to project future royalty income is subject to numerous assumptions and limitations. Natural gas wells have high initial production rates and follow a natural decline before settling into relatively stable, long-term production. Decline rates can vary due to factors like well depth, well length, formation pressure, and facility design. Any of these risks could materially reduce the Company’s expected royalty income and the Company’s profitability.
Substantially all of the Minerals Management segment’s revenues are derived from royalty payments that are based on the price at which oil and natural gas produced from the acreage underlying the Company’s interests are sold. Prices of oil and natural gas are volatile due to factors beyond the Company’s control. A substantial or extended decline in commodity prices may adversely affect the Minerals Management segment’s financial condition or results of operations.
The Minerals Management segment’s revenues and operating results depend significantly upon the prevailing prices for oil and natural gas. Historically, oil and natural gas prices have been volatile and are subject to fluctuations in response to changes in supply and demand, market uncertainty and a variety of additional factors that are beyond our control; market expectations about future prices of oil and natural gas; the level of oil and natural gas exploration and production; the cost of exploring for, developing, producing and delivering oil and natural gas; the price and quantity of foreign imports and U.S. exports of oil and
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natural gas; the level of U.S. domestic production; political and economic conditions in oil producing regions, including the Middle East, Africa, South America and Russia; the ability of members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to agree to and maintain oil price and production controls; trading in oil and natural gas derivative contracts; the level of consumer product demand; weather conditions and natural disasters; technological advances affecting energy consumption, energy storage and energy supply; domestic and foreign governmental regulations and taxes; the continued threat of terrorism and the impact of military and other action, including U.S. military operations in the Middle East and economic sanctions such as those imposed by the U.S. on oil and gas exports from Iran; the proximity, cost, availability and capacity of oil and natural gas pipelines and other transportation facilities; the price and availability of alternative fuels; and overall domestic and global economic conditions. A substantial or extended decline in commodity prices may adversely affect the Minerals Management segment’s financial condition or results of operations.
Risks related to corporate structure
The Company’s stock repurchase program could affect the price of NACCO’s common stock and increase volatility and may not enhance long-term shareholder value.
The Company’s Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program. The timing and amount of any repurchases under the stock repurchase program are determined at the discretion of the Company's management based on a number of factors, including the availability of capital, other capital allocation alternatives, market conditions for the Company's Class A common stock and other legal and contractual restrictions. The stock repurchase program does not require the Company to acquire any specific number of shares and may be modified, suspended, extended or terminated by the Company without prior notice and may be executed through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise.
Repurchases under the stock repurchase program could affect the price of the Company's Class A common stock. The existence of a stock repurchase program could cause the price of the Company's Class A common stock to be higher than it would be in the absence of such a program and could potentially reduce the market liquidity for the Company’s Class A common stock. There can be no assurance that any stock repurchases will enhance shareholder value because the market price of the Company’s Class A common stock may decline below the levels at which the Company repurchased the shares. Although the stock repurchase program is intended to enhance long-term shareholder value, there is no assurance that it will do so and short-term price fluctuations in the Class A common stock could reduce the program’s effectiveness. Furthermore, the stock repurchase program does not obligate the Company to repurchase any dollar amount or number of shares of the Company's Class A common stock, and it may be suspended or discontinued at any time and any suspension or discontinuation could cause the market price of the Company's Class A common stock to decline.
The price of NACCO's securities may be volatile.
The price of the Company's common stock may fluctuate due to a variety of market and industry factors that may materially reduce the market price of NACCO's common stock regardless of operating performance, including, among others: (i) actual or anticipated fluctuations in the Company's quarterly and annual results and those of other public companies in the industry; (ii) industry cycles and trends; (iii) changes in government regulation; (iv) potential or actual military conflicts or acts of terrorism; (v) announcements concerning NACCO or its competitors; (vi) lack of trading liquidity; and (vii) the general state of the securities market. In addition, the stock market in general has experienced significant volatility that often has been unrelated to the operating performance of companies whose shares are traded. These market fluctuations could adversely affect the trading price of our common stock, regardless of NACCO's actual operating performance. As a result of all of these factors, investors in the Company's common stock may not be able to resell their stock at or above the price they paid or at all. Further, NACCO could be the subject of securities class action litigation due to any such stock price volatility, which could divert management’s attention and have a material adverse effect on the Company's operating results.
The amount and frequency of dividend payments made on NACCO's common stock could change.
The Board of Directors has the power to determine the amount and frequency of the payment of dividends. Decisions regarding whether or not to pay dividends and the amount of any dividends are based on earnings, capital and future expense requirements, financial conditions, contractual limitations and other factors the Board of Directors may consider. Accordingly, holders of NACCO's common stock should not rely on past payments of dividends in a particular amount as an indication of the amount of dividends that will be paid in the future.
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NACCO's certificate of incorporation and by-laws include provisions that may discourage a takeover attempt.
Provisions contained in the Company's certificate of incorporation and by-laws and Delaware law could make it more difficult for a third-party to acquire the Company, even if doing so might be beneficial to NACCO's stockholders. Provisions of the Company's by-laws and certificate of incorporation impose various procedural and other requirements that could make it more difficult for stockholders to affect certain corporate actions. These provisions could limit the price that certain investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of NACCO's common stock and may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control.
NACCO is a smaller reporting company and cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to smaller reporting companies will make the Company's common stock less attractive to investors.
The Company is currently a “smaller reporting company” as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and thus allowed to provide simplified executive compensation disclosures and other decreased disclosure in SEC filings. The reduced disclosures may make it more difficult to compare the Company's performance with other public companies.
NACCO cannot predict whether investors will find our common stock less attractive because of these exemptions. If some investors find NACCO's common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for the Company's common stock and the stock price may be more volatile.
Certain members of the Company's extended founding family own a substantial amount of its Class A and Class B common stock and, if they were to act in concert, could control the outcome of director elections and other stockholder votes on significant corporate actions.
The Company has two classes of common stock: Class A common stock and Class B common stock. Holders of Class A common stock are entitled to cast one vote per share and, as of December 31, 2020, accounted for approximately 26 percent of the voting power of the Company. Holders of Class B common stock are entitled to cast ten votes per share and, as of December 31, 2020, accounted for the remaining voting power of the Company. As of December 31, 2020, certain members of the Company's extended founding family held approximately 34 percent of the Company's outstanding Class A common stock and approximately 98 percent of the Company's outstanding Class B common stock. On the basis of this common stock ownership, certain members of the Company's extended founding family could have exercised approximately 82 percent of the Company's total voting power. Although there is no voting agreement among such extended family members, in writing or otherwise, if they were to act in concert, they could control the outcome of director elections and other stockholder votes on significant corporate actions, such as certain amendments to the Company's certificate of incorporation and sales of the Company or substantially all of its assets. Because certain members of the Company's extended founding family could prevent other stockholders from exercising significant influence over significant corporate actions, the Company may be a less attractive takeover target, which could adversely affect the market price of its common stock.
General Risk Factors
The Company’s effective income tax rate could be volatile and materially change as a result of changes in tax laws, mix of earnings and other factors.
The Company is subject to income taxes in the United States and the effective income tax rate is impacted by certain U.S. federal income tax benefits currently available to coal mining and oil and gas exploration and development companies. Future results of operations could be affected by changes in the Company’s effective income tax rate as a result of an increase in the statutory tax rate or the reduction or elimination of percentage depletion as well as changes in the mix of earnings between entities that benefit from percentage depletion and those that do not.
Current and future capital and credit market conditions could adversely affect the Company’s ability to obtain bank financing on reasonable terms.
The Company may be unable to obtain financing on reasonable terms. Historically, the Company has addressed its liquidity needs (including funds required to pay dividends and fund working capital and planned capital expenditures) with operating cash flow and borrowings under credit facilities. The Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, NACoal, has an unsecured revolving line of credit of up to $150.0 million that expires in August 2022. The Company’s ability to access the capital markets and the costs and terms of available financing depends on many factors, including perceived credit risks of companies with coal and/or oil and gas exposure. The volatility in the energy industry combined with recent bankruptcies and additional perceived credit risks of companies with coal and/or oil and gas exposure has resulted in traditional bank lenders seeking to
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reduce or eliminate their lending exposure to these companies. An inability to obtain bank financing, or obtaining a refinancing with terms that are not as favorable as the existing terms of such indebtedness, could have a material adverse effect on the Company's operating results and financial condition.
Insurance coverage is increasingly expensive, contains more stringent terms and may be difficult to obtain in the future. A number of global insurance companies have taken action to limit coverage for companies in the coal mining industry, which could result in significant increases in costs of insurance or in the Company’s ability to maintain insurance coverage at current levels.
The Company holds a number of insurance policies, including director and officers’ liability and property and casualty insurance coverages. Because the Company is involved in the coal mining industry, costs of insurance may increase substantially or insurance carriers may decide not to insure the Company in the future. In addition, if the Company makes significant insurance claims, its ability to obtain future insurance coverage at commercially reasonable rates could be materially adversely affected. An inability to obtain insurance coverage, significant increases in the premiums or deductibles of insurance the Company obtains, or losses in excess of its liability insurance coverage limits, which may go down in the future, could have a material adverse effect on the Company's operating results and financial condition.
Increasing scrutiny and changing expectations with respect to the Company’s environmental, social and governance practices may impose additional costs on the Company or expose the Company to new or additional risks.
Companies across all industries are facing increasing scrutiny from stakeholders related to their environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) practices. Investor advocacy groups, certain institutional investors, investment funds and other influential investors are also increasingly focused on ESG practices. The Company could face pressures from investors, who are increasingly focused on climate change, to prioritize sustainable energy practices, reduce the Company’s carbon footprint and promote sustainability. Investors may request the Company implement ESG procedures or standards as a condition to maintain their investment or to make further investments. Lenders and insurers may also limit lending to and insuring of companies that do not meet certain ESG measures endorsed by them. Additionally, the Company may face reputational challenges in the event its ESG practices are inconsistent with the third party views of acceptable ESG practices. Companies which do not adapt to or comply with investor or stakeholder expectations and standards, which are evolving, or which are perceived to have not responded appropriately, may suffer from reputational damage and the business, financial condition, and/or stock price of such a company could be materially and adversely affected.
The Company’s business could suffer if NACCO’s information technology systems are disrupted, cease to operate effectively or if the Company experiences a security breach, a cyber incident or cyber attack.
Like many other companies, the Company is the target of malicious cyber attack attempts in the normal course of business. Cybersecurity incidents involving businesses and other institutions are on the rise. Cyber threats are rapidly evolving and those threats and the means for obtaining access to information in digital and other storage media are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Cyber threats and cyber attackers can be sponsored by nation states or sophisticated criminal organizations or be the work of independent hackers.
As cyber threats evolve and become more difficult to detect and successfully defend against, one or more cyber attacks might defeat the Company's or a third-party service provider's security measures in the future. Employee error or other irregularities may also result in a failure of security measures and a breach of information systems. Moreover, hardware, software or applications the Company may use have inherent defects of design, manufacture or operations or could be inadvertently or intentionally implemented or used in a manner that could compromise information security.
A security breach and loss of information may not be discovered for a significant period of time after it occurs. Any compromise of data security could result in a violation of applicable privacy and other laws or standards, the loss of valuable business data, or a disruption of the Company's business. A security breach involving the misappropriation, loss or other unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential information could give rise to unwanted media attention, materially damage customer relationships and the Company's reputation, and result in fines, fees, or liabilities, which may not be covered by insurance policies.
The Company relies on information technology systems to operate its business and to record and process transactions; respond to customer inquiries; purchase supplies; deliver inventory on a timely basis; and maintain cost-efficient operations. Despite the Company's efforts, the Company’s information technology systems may be vulnerable, from time to time, to damage or interruption from computer viruses, power outages, third-party intrusions and other technical malfunctions.
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Through the Company’s business operations, the Company collects and stores confidential information from its customers and vendors and personal information and other confidential information from its employees. Although the Company has taken steps designed to safeguard such information, there can be no assurance that such information will be protected against unauthorized access, use or disclosure. Unauthorized parties may penetrate the Company’s or its vendors’ network security and, if successful, misappropriate such information. Additionally, methods to obtain unauthorized access to confidential information change frequently and may be difficult to detect, which can impact the Company’s ability to respond appropriately.
The Company could be subject to liability for failure to comply with privacy and information security laws, for failing to protect personal information or for failing to respond appropriately. Loss, unauthorized access to, or misuse of confidential or personal information could disrupt the Company’s operations, damage the Company’s reputation, and expose the Company to claims from customers, financial institutions, regulators, employees and other persons, any of which could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
Security breaches, cyber incidents or cyber attacks could include, among other things, computer viruses, malicious or destructive code, ransomware, social engineering attacks (including phishing and impersonation), hacking, denial of service attacks and other attacks. Cybersecurity threats to, and incidents involving, vendors and other third-parties who support the Company's activities could impact us. For example, although the Company has not experienced any material impacts from the SolarWinds Orion cybersecurity breach that was widely publicized in December 2020, similar future events could have a material impact to the Company. The Company is continuously installing new and upgrading existing information technology systems. The Company uses employee awareness training around phishing, malware, and other cyber risks. The Company believes these incidents are likely to continue and is unable to predict the direct or indirect impact of future attacks or breaches to business operations.
The Company’s results of operations, financial condition, cash flows and stock price could be adversely affected by pandemics, epidemics or other public health emergencies, such as the global outbreak of COVID-19.
The Company’s results of operations, financial condition, cash flows and stock price could be adversely affected by pandemics, epidemics or other public health emergencies, such as the global outbreak of COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in governments around the world implementing stringent measures to help control the spread of the virus, including quarantines, "shelter in place" and "stay at home" orders, travel restrictions, business curtailments, school closures, and other measures.
Throughout the pandemic, the Company has continued to operate as an essential business because it supports critical infrastructure industries, as defined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Although the Company has continued to operate facilities consistent with federal guidelines and state and local orders, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the preventive or protective actions taken by governmental authorities may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operations, work force, supply chain or customers, including business shutdowns or disruptions. The extent to which COVID-19 may adversely impact the Company's businesses depends on future developments, which are highly uncertain and unpredictable, including the extent of new outbreaks, the extent to which additional actions to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic may be needed, the nature of government public health guidelines and the public's adherence to those guidelines, and the timing for proven treatments and availability of vaccines for COVID-19. Any resulting financial impact cannot reasonably be estimated at this time, but could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
Even after the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, the Company may experience material adverse effects due to a decline in economic activity.
The Company’s operations could be disrupted by natural or human causes beyond its control.
The Company’s operations are subject to disruption from natural or human causes beyond its control, including physical risks from hurricanes, severe storms, floods and other forms of severe weather, accidents, fires, earthquakes, terrorist acts and epidemic or pandemic diseases such as the coronavirus, any of which could result in suspension of operations or harm to people or the environment. While all of the Company’s operations are located in the United States, the Company participates in a global supply chain, and if a disease spreads sufficiently to cause a pandemic (or to cause the fear of a pandemic to rise) or governments regulate or restrict the flow of labor or products or impede the travel of Company personnel, the Company’s ability to conduct normal business operations could be impacted which could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations and liquidity.
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Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
Item 2. PROPERTIES
NACCO leases office space in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, which serves as its corporate headquarters.
NACoal leases its corporate headquarters office space in Plano, Texas.
NAMining leases office and warehouse space in Medley, Florida.
Proven and probable coal reserves and deposits are estimated at approximately 1.9 billion tons (including the Unconsolidated Subsidiaries), all of which are lignite coal deposits, except for approximately 58.0 million tons of bituminous coal. Reserves are estimates of quantities of coal, made by the Company's geological and engineering staff, which are considered mineable in the future using existing operating methods. Developed reserves are those which have been allocated to mines which are in operation; all other reserves are classified as undeveloped. Information concerning mine type, reserve data and coal quality characteristics are set forth on the table on pages 9 and 10 under “Item 1. Business — SEC Industry Guide 7 Information .”
Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any material legal proceeding other than ordinary routine litigation incidental to its respective business.
Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Information concerning mine safety violations or other regulatory matters required by Section 1503(a) of The Dodd-Frank Act and Item 104 of Regulation S-K is included in Exhibit 95 filed with this Form 10-K.
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PART II
Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
NACCO's Class A common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “NC.” Because of transfer restrictions, no trading market has developed, or is expected to develop, for the Company's Class B common stock. The Class B common stock is convertible into Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis.
At December 31, 2020, there were 705 Class A common stockholders of record and 132 Class B common stockholders of record.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities (1)
(1) On November 6, 2019, the Company's Board of Directors approved a stock purchase program ("2019 Stock Repurchase Program") providing for the purchase of up to $25.0 million of the Company’s outstanding Class A common stock through December 31, 2021. See Note 12 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for a discussion of the Company's stock repurchase programs.
Item 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
As a “smaller reporting company” as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Company is not required to provide this information.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Tabular Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share and Percentage Data)
OVERVIEW
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon management's current expectations and are subject to various uncertainties and changes in circumstances. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements are set forth below under the heading “Forward-Looking Statements."
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations include NACCO Industries, Inc.® (“NACCO” or the “Company”). NACCO, through a portfolio of mining and natural resources businesses, operates under three business segments: Coal Mining, North American Mining ("NAMining") and Minerals Management. The Coal Mining segment operates surface coal mines under long-term contracts with power generation companies and an activated carbon producer pursuant to a service-based business model. The NAMining segment provides value-added contract mining and other services for producers of aggregates, lithium and other minerals. The Minerals Management segment acquires and promotes the development of oil, gas and coal mineral interests, generating income primarily from royalty-based lease payments from third parties. In addition, the Company has a business providing stream and wetland mitigation solutions.
The Company has items not directly attributable to a reportable segment which are not included as part of the measurement of segment operating profit, which are primarily administrative costs related to public company reporting requirements at the parent company and the financial results of Mitigation Resources of North America® (“MRNA”) and Bellaire Corporation (“Bellaire”). MRNA generates and sells stream and wetland mitigation credits (known as mitigation banking) and provides services to those engaged in permittee-responsible stream and wetland mitigation. Bellaire manages the Company’s long-term liabilities related to former Eastern U.S. underground mining activities.
As of January 1, 2020, the Company retrospectively changed its computation of segment operating profit to reclassify certain expenses, primarily related to executive and board compensation. These expenses are now included in unallocated items. The change in segment reporting reflected a decision to evaluate the financial performance of the Company’s segments excluding executive and board compensation. All prior period segment information has been reclassified to conform to the new presentation. This segment reporting change has no impact on consolidated operating results.
All financial statement line items below operating profit (other income, including interest expense and interest income, the provision for income taxes and net income) are presented and discussed within this Form 10-K on a consolidated basis.
See “Item 1. Business" beginning on page 1 in this Form 10-K for further discussion of NACCO's subsidiaries. Additional information relating to financial and operating data on a segment basis (including unallocated items) is set forth in Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in this Form 10-K.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
The Company's discussion and analysis of its financial condition and results of operations are based upon the Company's consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation of these financial statements requires the Company to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities (if any). On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates based on historical experience, actuarial valuations and various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from those estimates.
The Company believes the following critical accounting policies affect its more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of its consolidated financial statements.
Revenue recognition: Revenues are recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to the Company’s customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The Company accounts for revenue in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 606, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers." See Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for further discussion of the Company's revenue recognition.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Tabular Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share and Percentage Data)
Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations: The Company's asset retirement obligations are principally for costs to close its surface mines and reclaim the land it has disturbed as a result of its normal mining activities as well as for costs to dismantle certain mining equipment at the end of the life of the mine. Under certain federal and state regulations, the Company is required to reclaim land disturbed as a result of mining. The Company determined the amounts of these obligations based on cost estimates, adjusted for inflation, projected to the estimated closure dates, and then discounted using a credit-adjusted risk-free interest rate. Changes in any of these estimates could materially change the Company's estimates for these asset retirement obligations causing a related increase or decrease in reported net operating results in the period of change in the estimate. The accretion of the liability is being recognized over the estimated life of each individual asset retirement obligation. The Company has capitalized an asset’s retirement cost as part of the cost of the related long-lived asset. These capitalized amounts are subsequently amortized to expense using a systematic and rational method.
Bellaire is a non-operating subsidiary of the Company with legacy liabilities relating to closed mining operations, primarily former Eastern U.S. underground coal mining operations. These legacy liabilities include obligations for water treatment and other environmental remediation that arose as part of the normal course of closing these underground mining operations. The Company determined the amounts of these obligations based on cost estimates, adjusted for inflation, and then discounted using a credit-adjusted risk-free interest rate. The accretion of the liability is recognized over the estimated life of the asset retirement obligation. Since Bellaire's properties are no longer active operations, no associated asset has been capitalized.
Changes in any of these estimates could materially change the Company's estimates for these asset retirement obligations causing a related increase or decrease in reported net operating income in the period of change in the estimate. See Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for further discussion of the Company's asset retirement obligations.
Long-lived assets: The Company periodically evaluates long-lived assets for impairment when changes in circumstances or the occurrence of certain events indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Upon identification of indicators of impairment, the Company evaluates the carrying value of the asset by comparing the estimated future undiscounted cash flows generated from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition with the asset's net carrying value. If the carrying value of an asset is considered impaired, an impairment charge is recorded for the amount that the carrying value of the long-lived asset exceeds its fair value. Fair value is estimated as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.
The Company regularly performs reviews of potential future development projects and identified certain undeveloped properties where market conditions related to any future development deteriorated during 2020.As a result, the Company recognized charges of $7.3 million in the Minerals Management segment and $1.1 million in the Coal Mining segment to write-off certain capitalized leasehold costs, prepaid royalties and other assets during 2020.
At MLMC, the costs of mining operations are not reimbursed by MLMC's customer. As such, increased costs at MLMC or decreased revenues could materially reduce the Company's profitability. Any reduction in customer demand at MLMC, including reductions related to reduced mechanical availability of the customer’s power plant, would adversely affect the Company's operating results and could result in significant impairments. MLMC has approximately $135 million of long-lived assets, including property, plant and equipment and its coal supply agreement intangible asset, which are subject to periodic impairment analysis and review. Identifying and assessing whether impairment indicators exist, or if events or changes in circumstances have occurred, including assumptions about future power plant dispatch levels, changes in operating costs and other factors that impact anticipated revenue and customer demand, requires significant judgment. Actual future operating results could differ significantly from these estimates, which may result in an impairment charge in a future period, which could have a substantial impact on the Company’s results of operations.
Income taxes: Tax law requires certain items to be included in the tax return at different times than the items are reflected in the financial statements. Some of these differences are permanent, such as expenses that are not deductible for tax purposes, and some differences are temporary, reversing over time, such as depreciation expense. These temporary differences create deferred tax assets and liabilities using currently enacted tax rates. The objective of accounting for income taxes is to recognize the amount of taxes payable or refundable for the current year, and deferred tax liabilities and assets for the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the financial statements or tax returns. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in the provision for income taxes in the period that includes the enactment date. Management is required to estimate the timing of the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities, make assumptions about the future deductibility of deferred tax assets and assess deferred tax liabilities based on enacted laws and tax rates for the appropriate tax jurisdictions to determine the amount of such deferred tax assets and liabilities. Changes in the
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Tabular Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share and Percentage Data)
calculated deferred tax assets and liabilities may occur in certain circumstances, including statutory income tax rate changes, statutory tax law changes, or changes in the structure or tax status.
The Company's tax assets, liabilities, and tax expense are supported by historical earnings and losses and the Company's best estimates and assumptions of future earnings. The Company assesses whether a valuation allowance should be established against its deferred tax assets based on consideration of all available evidence, both positive and negative, using a more likely than not standard. This assessment considers, among other matters, scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations. The assumptions about future taxable income require significant judgment and are consistent with the plans and estimates the Company is using to manage the underlying businesses. When the Company determines, based on all available evidence, that it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is established.
Since significant judgment is required to assess the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the Company's financial statements or tax returns, the ultimate resolution of these events could result in adjustments to the Company's financial statements and such adjustments could be material. The Company believes the current assumptions, judgments and other considerations used to estimate the current year accrued and deferred tax positions are appropriate. If the actual outcome of future tax consequences differs from these estimates and assumptions, due to changes or future events, the resulting change to the provision for income taxes could have a material impact on the Company's results of operations and financial position.
See Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for further discussion of the Company's income taxes.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Tabular Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share and Percentage Data)
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The results of operations for NACCO were as follows for the years ended December 31:
Revenues:
Operating profit (loss):
Income from other unconsolidated affiliates (239) (1,300)
Gain on equity securities (1,226) (1,545)
Income before income tax (benefit) provision 14,258 43,399
Income tax (benefit) provision (535) 3,767
Effective income tax rate (3.8) % 8.7 %
The components of the change in revenues and operating profit are discussed below in "Segment Results."
Other (income) expense, net
North American Coal Corporation India Private Limited ("NACC India") was formed to provide technical business advisory services to the third-party owner of a coal mine in India. During 2014, NACC India's customer defaulted on its contractual payment obligations and as a result of this default, NACC India terminated its contract with the customer and began pursuing contractual remedies. During 2019, the Company received payment of $2.7 million from NACC India's customer, of which $1.4 million related to past invoices and has been reported on the line Other, net, and $1.3 million represented interest income and has been reported on the line Interest income. During 2020, the Company received an additional payment of $1.0 million from NACC India's customer which has been reported on the line, Other, net. Both of these lines are in the Other (income) expense section of the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company does not expect to receive any additional payments from NACC India’s customer.
Interest expense increased $0.5 million due to higher average borrowings during 2020 compared with 2019.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Tabular Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share and Percentage Data)
Interest income decreased $2.4 million primarily due to the interest income related to the NACC India customer payment the Company received in 2019 and lower interest rates on invested cash during 2020 compared with 2019.
Income from other unconsolidated affiliates represents the financial results of NoDak. NoDak operated and maintained a coal drying system at a customer’s power plant. The NoDak contract expired on January 31, 2020, resulting in a decrease of $1.1 million in Income from other unconsolidated affiliates during 2020 compared with 2019.
Gain on equity securities represents changes in the market price of invested assets reported at fair value. See Note 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for further discussion of the Mine Water Treatment Trust.
Other, net, increased $0.6 million primarily due to the absence of $0.9 million in settlement expense for the Combined Defined Benefit Plan recognized during 2019. See Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for further discussion of the Company's pension and postretirement expense.
Income Taxes
The Company recorded an income tax benefit of $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 on income before income tax of $14.3 million, or (3.8%), compared to income tax expense of $3.8 million on income before income tax of $43.4 million, or 8.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2019. The year ended December 31, 2020 includes $7.3 million of discrete tax charges primarily related to settlement of tax examinations, reserves for uncertain tax positions and return to provision adjustments partially offset by a benefit of $4.7 million, primarily due the rate differential related to carrying back losses under the provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ("CARES Act"). The CARES Act allows net operating tax losses incurred in 2018, 2019, and 2020 to be carried back to each of the five preceding taxable years to generate a refund of previously paid income taxes. The Company generated a net tax operating loss in 2020 primarily due to the realization of certain deferred tax assets. Discrete tax items in the year ended December 31, 2019 were a benefit of $2.5 million primarily resulting from changes in prior year estimates and the effective settlement of certain discrete tax items from on-going examinations.
The Company’s effective income tax rate, excluding the CARES Act and discrete items, was (22.0%) and 14.5% for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The effective income tax rate differs from the U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to the benefit from percentage depletion. The benefit of percentage depletion is not directly related to the amount of pre-tax income recorded in a period. Accordingly, as a result of the $29.1 million reduction in income before income tax in 2020 compared to 2019, the proportional effect of the benefit from percentage depletion on the effective income tax rate in 2020 resulted in a significantly lower effective tax rate in 2020 compared to 2019.
See Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for further discussion of the Company's income taxes.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Tabular Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share and Percentage Data)
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Cash Flows
The following tables detail the change in cash flow for the years ended December 31:
Operating activities:
Inventory impairment charge 1,973 — 1,973
Other asset impairment charge 8,359 — 8,359
Net cash (used by) provided by operating activities (2,486) 52,784 (55,270)
Investing activities:
The $55.3 million decrease in net cash provided by operating activities was primarily the result of unfavorable working capital changes and the decrease in net income, partially offset by impairment charges. Working capital changes primarily included:
•Increased payments made under deferred compensation and long-term incentive compensation plans during 2020 compared with 2019.
•An increase in Accounts receivables during 2020 compared to a decrease during 2019. The large decrease in 2019 was primarily due to the timing of customer requirements at MLMC.
•A decrease in Accounts payable during 2020 compared to an increase during 2019 due to a change in timing.
The increase in net cash used for investing activities was primarily attributable to $14.2 million in acquisitions of mineral and royalty interests at the Minerals Management segment during 2020 compared with none during 2019.
Financing activities:
Net cash provided by financing activities $ 14,028 $ 5,113 $ 8,915
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Tabular Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share and Percentage Data)
The change in net cash provided by financing activities was primarily due to increased borrowings during 2020 compared with 2019.
Financing Activities
Financing arrangements are obtained and maintained at the subsidiary level. NACCO has not guaranteed any borrowings of NACoal. The borrowing agreements at NACoal allow for the payment to NACCO of dividends and advances under certain circumstances. Dividends (to the extent permitted by NACoal's borrowing agreement) and management fees are the primary sources of cash for NACCO and enable the Company to pay dividends to stockholders.
The Company believes funds available from cash on hand, the NACoal Facility and operating cash flows will provide sufficient liquidity to meet its operating needs and commitments arising during the next twelve months and until the expiration of the NACoal Facility.
NACoal has an unsecured revolving line of credit of up to $150.0 million (the “NACoal Facility”) that expires in August 2022. Borrowings outstanding under the NACoal Facility were $30.0 million at December 31, 2020. At December 31, 2020, the excess availability under the NACoal Facility was $117.0 million, which reflects a reduction for outstanding letters of credit of $3.0 million.
The NACoal Facility has performance-based pricing, which sets interest rates based upon NACoal achieving various levels of debt to EBITDA ratios, as defined in the NACoal Facility. Borrowings bear interest at a floating rate plus a margin based on the level of debt to EBITDA ratio achieved. The applicable margins, effective December 31, 2020, for base rate and LIBOR loans were 0.75% and 1.75%, respectively. The NACoal Facility has a commitment fee which is based upon achieving various levels of debt to EBITDA ratios. The commitment fee was 0.30% on the unused commitment at December 31, 2020. The weighted average interest rate applicable to the NACoal Facility at December 31, 2020 was 1.88% including the floating rate margin.
The NACoal Facility contains restrictive covenants, which require, among other things, NACoal to maintain a maximum debt to EBITDA ratio of 3.00 to 1.00 and an interest coverage ratio of not less than 4.00 to 1.00. The NACoal Facility provides the ability to make loans, dividends and advances to NACCO, with some restrictions based on maintaining a maximum debt to EBITDA ratio of 2.00 to 1.00, or if greater than 2.00 to 1.00, a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of 1.10 to 1.00, in conjunction with maintaining unused availability thresholds of borrowing capacity, as defined in the NACoal Facility, of $15.0 million. At December 31, 2020, NACoal was in compliance with all financial covenants in the NACoal Facility.
NACoal’s variable interest payments are calculated based upon NACoal’s anticipated payment schedule and the December 31, 2020 base rate and applicable margins, as defined in the NACoal Facility. A 1/8% increase in the base rate would increase NACoal’s estimated total annual interest payments on the NACoal Facility by less than $0.1 million.
Expenditures for property, plant and equipment and mineral interests
Following is a table which summarizes actual and planned expenditures (in millions):
Planned Actual Actual
Planned expenditures for 2021 are expected to be approximately $46 million, primarily consisting of $27 million in the Coal Mining segment, $10 million in the Minerals Management segment and $9 million in the NAMining segment.
In the Coal Mining segment, elevated levels of expected capital expenditures through 2021 are primarily related to spending at MLMC as it develops a new mine area. In the Minerals Management segment, expected expenditures in 2021 are primarily for the acquisition of mineral interests. In the NAMining segment, expected capital expenditures in 2021 are primarily for the acquisition, relocation and refurbishment of draglines.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Tabular Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share and Percentage Data)
Expenditures are expected to be funded from internally generated funds and/or bank borrowings.
Capital Structure
NACCO's consolidated capital structure is presented below:
December 31
Debt to total capitalization 13 % 8 % 5 %
The increase in other net tangible assets was primarily due to increases in Property, plant and equipment as well as payments made for deferred compensation and accrued incentive compensation during 2020.
Contractual Obligations, Contingent Liabilities and Commitments
NACCO adopted ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)," on January 1, 2019. ASC 842 required a lessee to recognize a right-of-use asset and a corresponding lease liability for substantially all leases. See Note 10 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for further information on the Company's leases.
Pension and postretirement funding can vary significantly each year due to plan amendments, changes in the market value of plan assets, legislation and the Company’s decisions to contribute above the minimum regulatory funding requirements. The Company does not expect to contribute to its pension plan in 2021. NACCO maintains one supplemental retirement plan that pays monthly benefits to participants directly out of corporate funds and expects to pay benefits of approximately $0.5 million in 2021 and approximately $0.5 million per year from 2022 through 2030. Benefit payments beyond that time cannot currently be estimated. All other pension benefit payments are made from assets of the pension plan. NACCO also expects to make payments related to its other postretirement plans of approximately $0.2 million per year from 2021 through 2030. Benefit payments beyond that time cannot currently be estimated.
NACCO has asset retirement obligations. See Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for further discussion of the Company's asset retirement obligations.
NACCO has unrecognized tax benefits, including interest and penalties. See Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for further discussion of the Company's income taxes.
NACoal is a party to certain guarantees related to Coyote Creek. The Company believes that the likelihood of NACoal’s future performance under the guarantees is remote, and no amounts related to these guarantees have been recorded. See Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for further discussion of the Company's guarantees.
ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS
The Company is affected by the regulations of numerous agencies, particularly the Federal Office of Surface Mining, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and associated state regulatory authorities. In addition, the Company closely monitors proposed legislation and regulation concerning SMCRA, CAA, ACE, CWA, RCRA, CERCLA and other regulatory actions.
Compliance with these increasingly stringent regulations could result in higher expenditures for both capital improvements and operating costs. The Company’s policies stress environmental responsibility and compliance with these regulations. Based
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Tabular Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share and Percentage Data)
on current information, management does not expect compliance with these regulations to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations. See Item 1 in Part I of this Form 10-K for further discussion of these matters.
SEGMENT RESULTS
COAL MINING SEGMENT
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Tons of coal delivered by the Coal Mining segment were as follows for the years ended December 31 (in millions):
Consolidated mines 2.5 2.6
Total coal reserves were as follows at December 31:
(in billions of tons)
Unconsolidated mines 1.0 1.0
Consolidated mines 0.9 1.0
Total coal reserves 1.9 2.0
(1)Amount includes 0.1 billion of coal reserves owned or controlled by customers as of both December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019. The Company conducts activities to extract these customer-owned and controlled reserves.
The results of operations for the Coal Mining segment were as follows for the years ended December 31:
Earnings of unconsolidated operations(a) 56,584 60,678
Selling, general and administrative expenses 30,216 27,394
Amortization of intangible assets 2,572 2,614
Gain on sale of assets (4) (179)
(a) See Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for a discussion of the Company's unconsolidated subsidiaries, including summarized financial information.
2020 Compared with 2019
Revenues increased 4.9% in 2020 compared with 2019 primarily due to an increase in price per ton attributable to reimbursable costs at MLMC. The sales price at MLMC is index-based and includes adjustments for coal quality and reimbursable costs.
Also contributing to the increase is reclamation revenue from Caddo Creek. On September 30, 2020, Caddo Creek's customer, a division of Cabot Corporation, entered into a long-term supply agreement with a subsidiary of Advanced Emissions Solutions (“AES”) as well as an agreement for the sale of the Marshall Mine, operated by Caddo Creek, to a subsidiary of
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Tabular Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share and Percentage Data)
AES. AES announced its intent to close the Marshall Mine. Caddo Creek entered into a contract with a subsidiary of AES to perform the required mine reclamation. As a result of these changes, Caddo Creek financial results are now consolidated within the Coal Mining segment.
The following table identifies the components of change in operating profit for 2020 compared with 2019:
Operating Profit
Increase (decrease) from:
Earnings of unconsolidated operations (4,094)
MLMC 's inventory impairment charge (1,973)
Voluntary separation program ("VSP") charge (1,475)
Selling, general and administrative expenses, excluding VSP charge (1,347)
Net gain on sale of assets (175)
Revisions to Centennial's asset retirement obligation 2,079
Amortization of intangibles 42
Operating profit decreased $8.7 million in 2020 compared with 2019. The change in operating profit was primarily due to:
•A decrease in earnings of unconsolidated operations, mainly due to a reduction in tons delivered as a result of decreases in customer demand and the termination of the Camino Real contract mining agreement during 2020.
•A $2.0 million inventory impairment charge at MLMC as mining costs exceeded net realizable value.
•A reduction in gross profit due to wind-down and employee-related expenses at Camino Real.
•During the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company implemented a voluntary separation program for employees who met certain age and service requirements to reduce overall headcount. As a result of this program, the Coal Mining segment recorded a charge of $1.5 million related to one-time termination benefits.
•An increase in selling, general and administrative expenses due to a $1.1 million asset impairment charge, higher professional fees, outside service fees and insurance costs, partially offset by lower employee-related expenses.
•The favorable net change in Centennial's asset retirement obligation is attributable to the absence of a $2.5 million unfavorable revision that occurred during 2019, partially offset by a $0.4 million unfavorable revision that occurred during 2020. See Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for further discussion of the Company's asset retirement obligations.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Tabular Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share and Percentage Data)
NORTH AMERICAN MINING ("NAMining") SEGMENT
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Tons of limestone delivered by the NAMining segment were as follows for the years ended December 31 (in millions):
Unconsolidated operations 9.4 8.3
Consolidated operations 36.5 36.4
The results of operations for the NAMining segment were as follows for the years ended December 31:
Earnings of unconsolidated operations(a) 3,619 3,205
Selling, general and administrative expenses 5,138 4,921
Gain on sale of assets (265) (27)
Operating profit (loss) $ 1,872 $ (564)
(a) See Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for a discussion of the Company's unconsolidated subsidiaries, including summarized financial information.
2020 Compared with 2019
Revenues decreased 1.0% in 2020 compared with 2019, primarily due to lower reimbursed costs, which have an offsetting amount in cost of goods sold and have no impact on operating profit. The decrease was partially offset by favorable changes in the mix of customer requirements and work related to the Thacker Pass lithium project.
The following table identifies the components of change in operating profit (loss) for 2020 compared with 2019.
Operating Profit (Loss)
Increase (decrease) from:
Earnings of unconsolidated operations 414
Net gain on sale of assets 238
Selling, general and administrative expenses (217)
NAMining reported operating profit of $1.9 million in 2020 compared with an operating loss of $0.6 million in 2019. The change is primarily due to an increase in gross profit and in earnings of unconsolidated operations. Both variances are due to changes in the mix of customer requirements.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Tabular Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share and Percentage Data)
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SEGMENT
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The results of operations for the Minerals Management segment were as follows for the years ended December 31:
Selling, general and administrative expenses 8,886 933
2020 Compared with 2019
Revenues and operating profit decreased in 2020 compared with 2019 as 2019 included significant royalty income generated by a large number of new gas wells put into commission in Ohio during 2018 and early 2019. These wells are operated by third parties to extract natural gas from the Company's Ohio Utica shale mineral reserves. Since new wells have high initial production rates and follow a natural decline before settling into relatively stable, long-term production, royalty income in 2020 decreased substantially from 2019 levels. Lower commodity prices in 2020 compared with 2019 also contributed to the reduction in revenues and operating profit. The increase in selling, general and administrative expenses is due to a $7.3 million asset impairment charge during 2020. The Company regularly performs reviews of potential future development projects and identified certain undeveloped properties where market conditions related to any future development deteriorated during 2020.As a result, the Company wrote-off certain capitalized leasehold costs and prepaid royalties related to legacy coal interests in 2020.
UNALLOCATED ITEMS AND ELIMINATIONS
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Unallocated Items and Eliminations were as follows for the years ended December 31:
2020 Compared with 2019
The $3.1 million decrease in operating loss during 2020 compared with 2019 was primarily due to lower employee-related expenses.
During the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company implemented a voluntary separation program for employees who met certain age and service requirements to reduce overall headcount. As a result of this program, the 2020 operating loss includes a charge of $0.3 million related to one-time termination benefits.
NACCO Industries, Inc. Outlook
Coal Mining Outlook - 2021
In 2021, the Company expects coal deliveries to be comparable to 2020 based on current expectations of customer requirements.
Coal Mining operating profit in 2021 is expected to decrease significantly from 2020. This decrease is primarily attributable to substantially lower earnings expected at MLMC and reduced earnings at the unconsolidated Coal Mining operations. MLMC
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Tabular Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share and Percentage Data)
earnings are expected to be lower as a result of an anticipated increase in the cost per ton of coal delivered in 2021 compared with 2020, due in part to an increase in depreciation expense associated with development of a new mine area. The anticipated reduction in earnings at the unconsolidated Coal Mining operations is expected to be mainly driven by a reduction in fee-based earnings at the Liberty Mine, as the scope of final mine reclamation activities is reduced. Lower operating profit is expected to be partially offset by a decrease in operating expenses primarily due to lower employee-related costs resulting from the 2020 voluntary separation program partially offset by higher insurance expense.
Changes in customer power plant dispatch, including changes related to natural gas price fluctuations and the continued increase in renewable generation, particularly wind, could reduce customer demand below anticipated levels, which could further unfavorably affect the Company’s 2021 outlook.
In May 2020, GRE, Falkirk Mine's customer and the Company's second largest customer, announced its intent to retire the Coal Creek Station power plant in the second half of 2022. GRE is willing to consider opportunities to sell Coal Creek Station, and NACCO is actively engaged in the exploration of options that could, if successful, allow for transfer of ownership of the power plant to one or more third parties, which would preserve jobs at both Coal Creek Station and the Falkirk Mine. Falkirk Mine is the sole supplier of lignite coal to Coal Creek Station pursuant to a long-term contract. The terms of the contract between the Company and GRE specify that GRE is responsible for all costs related to mine closure, including but not limited to, final mine reclamation costs, post-retirement medical benefits and pension costs with respect to Falkirk employees. This closure is not expected to affect 2021 results.
The owner of the power plant served by the Company's Sabine Mine in Texas intends to retire the power plant in 2023. The Sabine Mine contributed approximately $3.9 million to Earnings from Unconsolidated Operations in 2020. The terms of the contract between the Company and the customer specify that the customer is responsible for all costs related to mine closure, including but not limited to, final mine reclamation costs, post-retirement medical benefits and pension costs with respect to Sabine employees.
The closure of the power plants that are served by the Falkirk and Sabine Mines would have a material adverse effect on the future Earnings of unconsolidated operations of the Coal Mining segment and on the long-term earnings and cash flows of NACCO.
Capital expenditures are expected to be approximately $27 million in 2021. The elevated levels of capital expenditures in the Coal Mining segment from 2019 through 2021 relate to the development of a new mine area at MLMC. These increased capital expenditures will result in higher depreciation that will unfavorably affect operating profit in future periods. Capital expenditures for MLMC are expected to return to lower levels beginning in 2022 and continue through 2032, the end of the current contract term.
NAMining Outlook
In 2021, NAMining expects full year operating profit to increase moderately over 2020 with its existing customer contracts. NAMining is pursuing a number of growth initiatives that if successful would be accretive to future earnings.
Capital expenditures are expected to be approximately $9 million for the 2021 full year primarily for the acquisition, relocation and refurbishment of draglines.
In 2019, NAMining's subsidiary, Sawtooth Mining, LLC, entered into a mining agreement to serve as the exclusive contract miner for the Thacker Pass lithium project in northern Nevada, owned by Lithium Nevada Corp., a subsidiary of Lithium Americas Corp. (TSX: LAC) (NYSE: LAC). In January 2021, Thacker Pass received a Record of Decision from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for the Thacker Pass project following the completion of the National Environmental Policy Act Process. This decision represents an important milestone in the development and the permitting of the Thacker Pass project. More permitting decisions are expected later in 2021 with production expected to begin in the second half of 2022.
Minerals Management Outlook
The Minerals Management segment derives income from royalty-based leases under which lessees make payments to the Company based on their sale of natural gas and, to a lesser extent, oil, natural gas liquids and coal, extracted primarily by third parties. Excluding the impact of the $6.7 million write-off taken in 2020, operating profit in the Minerals Management
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Tabular Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share and Percentage Data)
segment is expected to be down substantially in 2021 from 2020. This decrease is primarily related to a reduction in royalty income from existing Ohio mineral and royalty assets as a result of expected lower natural gas prices, fewer expected new wells in Ohio, lower commodity prices and the natural production decline that occurs early in the life of a well. Another sustained decline in natural gas prices could unfavorably affect the Company’s outlook.
Decline rates for individual wells can vary due to factors like well depth, well length, formation pressure and facility design. In addition, royalty income can fluctuate favorably or unfavorably in response to a number of factors outside of the Company's control, including the number of wells being operated by third parties, fluctuations in commodity prices (primarily natural gas), fluctuations in production rates associated with operator decisions, regulatory risks, the Company's lessees' willingness and ability to incur well-development and other operating costs, and changes in the availability and continuing development of infrastructure.
In 2020, the Minerals Management segment acquired mineral and royalty interests for approximately 65.5 thousand gross acres and 1.2 thousand net royalty acres in the Permian Basin in Texas for a total purchase price of approximately $14.2 million. The acquired interests align with the Company’s strategy of selectively acquiring mineral and royalty interests with a balance of near-term cash flow yields and long-term growth potential, in oil-rich basins offering diversification from the Company’s legacy mineral interests in predominately natural gas-rich basins. Including the 2020 acquisitions, total mineral and royalty interests include approximately 109.2 thousand gross acres and 58.1 thousand net royalty acres. Minerals Management is targeting additional investments in mineral and royalty interests of approximately $10 million in 2021. These investments are expected to be accretive to earnings, but each investment's contribution to earnings is dependent on the characteristics of each investment, including the size and type of interests acquired and the stage and timing of mineral development.
Consolidated 2021 Outlook
While the Company expects consolidated net income in 2021 to decrease significantly from 2020, management still continues to view the long-term business outlook positively because of a strong pipeline of potential new projects. The COVID-19 pandemic slowed certain business development initiatives in 2020, but the outlook for growth in the NAMining and Minerals Management segments and in the Company's Mitigation Resources of North America® business remains strong. Excluding the favorable impact of potential business development activities, the Company expects substantially lower pre-tax earnings as a result of lower operating profit, an anticipated increase in interest expense and a reduction in interest income. These lower pre-tax results are expected to be partially offset by an increase in the benefit from income taxes primarily due to the benefit from percentage depletion at certain of the Company's mining operations. Pre-tax income and net income are expected to be higher in the second half of 2021 than in the first half of 2021, primarily due to current expectations on the timing of customer requirements in the Coal Mining segment.
In light of ongoing regulatory, economic and public opinion challenges facing the coal-fired power generation industry, the Company commenced a voluntary separation program for certain corporate employees in the 2020 fourth quarter. The program was substantially completed by December 31, 2020. Estimated net benefits from this voluntary separation program are expected to be between $1.5 and $2.5 million annually beginning in 2021. As a result of this program and natural attrition, the number of headquarters employees was reduced by approximately 25%.
The Company’s cash flow before financing activities varies with changes in customer demand, particularly in the Coal Mining segment, as well as changes in earnings of the Minerals Management segment, working capital changes, capital expenditures, investments in royalty and mineral interests and changes in income taxes, as well as other factors. Cash flow before financing activities in 2020 included a significant use of cash related to changes in working capital, capital expenditures and the acquisition of mineral royalty interests. The Company anticipates positive cash flow before financing activities in 2021 but at a level still below the cash generated in 2019. Consolidated capital expenditures are expected to be approximately $46 million in 2021.
Significant uncertainties remain regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts the Company going forward will depend on numerous factors, including but not limited to the extent of new outbreaks, the extent to which additional stay-at-home orders may be imposed, the nature of the government public health guidelines and the public's adherence to those guidelines, the success of businesses reopening fully, the timing for proven treatments and the availability of vaccines for COVID-19. While the Company's existing mining operations to date have not been materially affected by the
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Tabular Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share and Percentage Data)
pandemic, future developments, which are highly uncertain and unpredictable, could significantly and rapidly cause a deterioration in the Company’s results, supply chain channels and customer demand.
Growth and Diversification
The Company is pursuing growth and diversification by strategically leveraging its core mining and natural resources management skills to build a strong portfolio of affiliated businesses.
NAMining is pursuing growth and diversification by expanding the scope of its business development activities to include potential customers who require a broad range of minerals and materials and by leveraging the Company’s core mining skills to expand the range of contract mining services it provides. In addition, NAMining is pursuing opportunities to provide comprehensive mining services to operate entire mines when appropriate, as is the case at the new lithium project in Nevada.
The Minerals Management segment continues its efforts to grow and diversify by pursuing acquisitions of additional mineral and royalty interests in the United States, in what the Company believes is a buyer-friendly market. Once mineral and royalty interests have been acquired, the Minerals Management segment will benefit from the continued development of its mineral properties without additional capital investment. This business model can deliver higher average operating margins over the life of a reserve than traditional oil and gas companies that bear the cost of exploration, production and/or development.
MRNA continues to expand its business, which creates and sells stream and wetland mitigation credits and provides services to those engaged in permittee-responsible mitigation. This business offers opportunity for growth and diversification in an industry where the Company has substantial knowledge and expertise and a strong reputation. The MRNA business has achieved several successes and is positioned for additional growth.
The Company also continues to pursue activities which can strengthen the resiliency of its existing coal mining operations. The Company remains focused on managing coal production costs and maximizing efficiencies and operating capacity at mine locations to help customers with management fee contracts be more competitive. These activities benefit both customers and the Company's Coal Mining segment, as fuel cost is a significant driver for power plant dispatch. Increased power plant dispatch results in increased demand for coal by the Coal Mining segment's customers.
The Company continues to look for opportunities to expand its coal mining business where it can apply its management fee business model to assume operation of existing surface coal mining operations in the United States. However, opportunities are very limited in the current environment. Low natural gas prices and growth in renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, are likely to continue to unfavorably affect the amount of electricity dispatched from coal-fired power plants. In addition, the political and regulatory environment is not receptive to development of new coal-fired power generation projects which would create opportunities to build and operate new coal mines.
The Company is committed to maintaining a conservative capital structure while it grows and diversifies without unnecessary risk, which will allow for strategic growth and increased free cash flow to re-invest in and expand the businesses. The Company also continues to maintain the highest levels of customer service and operational excellence, with an unwavering focus on safety and environmental stewardship.
RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS
See Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for a description of recently issued accounting standards, if any, including actual and expected dates of adoption and effects to the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Tabular Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share and Percentage Data)
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The statements contained in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and elsewhere throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are made subject to certain risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those presented. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof. Among the factors that could cause plans, actions and results to differ materially from current expectations are, without limitation: (1) changes to or termination of a long-term mining contract, or a customer default under a contract, (2) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, (3) a significant reduction in purchases by the Company's customers, including changes in coal consumption patterns of U.S. electric power generators, or changes in the power industry that would affect demand for the Company's coal and other mineral reserves, (4) changes in tax laws or regulatory requirements, including changes in mining or power plant emission regulations and health, safety or environmental legislation, (5) the ability of the Company to access credit in the current economic environment, or obtain financing at reasonable rates, or at all, as a result of current market sentiment for fossil fuels, (6) failure to obtain adequate insurance coverages at reasonable rates, (7) changes in costs related to geological and geotechnical conditions, repairs and maintenance, new equipment and replacement parts, fuel or other similar items, (8) regulatory actions, changes in mining permit requirements or delays in obtaining mining permits that could affect deliveries to customers, (9) weather conditions, extended power plant outages, liquidity events or other events that would change the level of customers' coal or aggregates requirements, (10) weather or equipment problems that could affect deliveries to customers, (11) failure or delays by the Company's lessees in achieving expected production of natural gas and other hydrocarbons; the availability and cost of transportation and processing services in the areas where the Company's oil and gas reserves are located; federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing; and the ability of lessees to obtain capital or financing needed for well development operations and leasing and development of oil and gas reserves on federal lands, (12) changes in the costs to reclaim mining areas, (13) costs to pursue and develop new mining and value-added service opportunities, (14) delays or reductions in coal or aggregates deliveries, (15) changes in the prices of hydrocarbons, particularly diesel fuel, natural gas and oil, (16) the ability to successfully evaluate investments and achieve intended financial results in new business and growth initiatives, (17) the effects of receiving low sustainability scores which could result in the exclusion of the Company's securities from consideration by certain investment funds, and (18) disruptions from natural or human causes, including severe weather, accidents, fires, earthquakes and terrorist acts, any of which could result in suspension of operations or harm to people or the environment.
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Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
As a “smaller reporting company” as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Company is not required to provide this information.
Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
The information required by this Item 8 is set forth in the Financial Statements and Supplementary Data contained in Part IV of this Form 10-K and is hereby incorporated herein by reference to such information.
Item 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
There were no disagreements with accountants on accounting and financial disclosure for the two-year period ended December 31, 2020 that require disclosure pursuant to this Item 9.
Item 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures: An evaluation was carried out under the supervision and with the participation of the Company's management, including the principal executive officer and the principal financial officer, of the effectiveness of the Company's disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on that evaluation, these officers have concluded that the Company's disclosure controls and procedures are effective.
Management's report on internal control over financial reporting: Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Under the supervision and with the participation of management, including the principal executive officer and principal financial officer, the Company conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework). Based on this evaluation under the framework, management concluded that the Company's internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2020. The Company's effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020 has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in its report, which is included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K and incorporated herein by reference.
Changes in internal control: There have been no changes in the Company's internal control over financial reporting, that occurred during the fourth quarter of 2020, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company's internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None.
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PART III
Item 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Information with respect to Directors of the Company will be set forth in the 2021 Proxy Statement under the subheadings “Part III — Proposals To Be Voted On At The 2021 Annual Meeting — Proposal 1 — Election of Directors,” which information is incorporated herein by reference.
Information with respect to the audit review committee and the audit review committee financial expert will be set forth in the 2021 Proxy Statement under the subheading “Part I — Corporate Governance Information — Directors' Meetings and Committees,” which information is incorporated herein by reference.
Information with respect to compliance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by the Company's Directors, executive officers and holders of more than ten percent of the Company's equity securities will be set forth in the 2021 Proxy Statement under the subheading “Part IV — Other Important Information — Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports,” which information is incorporated herein by reference.
The Company has adopted a code of business conduct and ethics applicable to all Company personnel, including the principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or other persons performing similar functions. The code of business conduct and ethics, entitled the “Code of Corporate Conduct,” is posted on the Company's website at www.nacco.com under “Corporate Governance.” If the Company makes any amendments to or grants any waivers from the code of business conduct and ethics which are required to be disclosed pursuant to the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the Company will make such disclosure on the NACCO website.
Item 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Information with respect to executive compensation will be set forth in the 2021 Proxy Statement under the headings “Part II — Executive Compensation Information” and “Part III — Proposals To Be Voted On At The 2021 Annual Meeting — Proposal 1 — Election of Directors,” which information is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
Information with respect to security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management will be set forth in the 2021 Proxy Statement under the subheading “Part IV — Other Important Information — Beneficial Ownership of Class A Common and Class B Common,” which information is incorporated herein by reference.
Information with respect to compensation plans (including individual compensation arrangements) under which equity securities are authorized for issuance will be set forth in the 2021 Proxy Statement under the subheading “Part IV — Other Important Information — Equity Compensation Plan Information," which information is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
Information with respect to certain relationships and related transactions will be set forth in the 2021 Proxy Statement under the subheadings “Part I — Corporate Governance Information — Review and Approval of Related-Person Transactions,” which information is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
Information with respect to principal accountant fees and services will be set forth in the 2021 Proxy Statement under the heading “Part III — Proposals To Be Voted On At The 2021 Annual Meeting — Proposal 4 — Ratification of the Appointment of Company's Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm,” which information is incorporated herein by reference.
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PART IV
Item 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(a) (1) and (2) The response to Item 15(a)(1) and (2) is set forth beginning at page F-1 of this Form 10-K.
(b) Financial Statement Schedules — The response to Item 15(c) is set forth beginning at page F-39 of this Form 10-K.
(c) Exhibits required by Item 601 of Regulation S-K
Exhibit Number Exhibit Description
(3) Articles of Incorporation and By-laws.
(4) Instruments defining the rights of security holders, including indentures.
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Exhibit Number Exhibit Description
(10) Material contracts
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Exhibit Number Exhibit Description
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Exhibit Number Exhibit Description
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(21) Subsidiaries. A list of the subsidiaries of the Company is attached hereto as Exhibit 21.
(23) Consents of experts and counsel.
23.1 Consents of experts and counsel.
(24) Powers of Attorney.
(31) Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certifications.
(95) Mine Safety Disclosure Exhibit is attached hereto as Exhibit 95.
101.INS Inline XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
** Filed herewith.
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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.
NACCO Industries, Inc.
By: /s/ Elizabeth I. Loveman
Elizabeth I. Loveman
Vice President and Controller (principal financial and accounting officer)
March 3, 2021
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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.
J.C. Butler, Jr.
Elizabeth I. Loveman
*John S. Dalrymple Director March 3, 2021
John S. Dalrymple
* John P. Jumper Director March 3, 2021
John P. Jumper
* Dennis W. LaBarre Director March 3, 2021
Dennis W. LaBarre
* Michael S. Miller Director March 3, 2021
Michael S. Miller
* Richard de J. Osborne Director March 3, 2021
Richard de J. Osborne
* Alfred M. Rankin, Jr. Director March 3, 2021
Alfred M. Rankin, Jr.
* Matthew M. Rankin Director March 3, 2021
Matthew M. Rankin
* Roger F. Rankin Director March 3, 2021
Roger F. Rankin
*Lori J. Robinson Director March 3, 2021
Lori J. Robinson
*Robert S. Shapard Director March 3, 2021
Robert S. Shapard
* Britton T. Taplin Director March 3, 2021
Britton T. Taplin
* Elizabeth I. Loveman, by signing her name hereto, does hereby sign this Form 10-K on behalf of each of the above named and designated directors of the Company pursuant to a Power of Attorney executed by such persons and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
/s/ Elizabeth I. Loveman March 3, 2021
Elizabeth I. Loveman, Attorney-in-Fact
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ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
ITEM 8, ITEM 15(a)(1) AND (2), AND ITEM 15(c)
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
LIST OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020
NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC.
CLEVELAND, OHIO
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FORM 10-K
ITEM 15(a)(1) AND (2)
NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
LIST OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
The following consolidated financial statements of NACCO Industries, Inc. and Subsidiaries are incorporated by reference in Item 8:
Consolidated Statements of Operations F-6
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) F-7
Consolidated Balance Sheets F-8
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows F-9
Consolidated Statements of Equity F-10
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements F-11
The following consolidated financial statement schedules of NACCO Industries, Inc. and Subsidiaries are included in Item 15(c):
Schedule I — Condensed Financial Information of the Parent
Schedule II — Valuation and Qualifying Accounts
All other schedules for which provision is made in the applicable accounting regulation of the SEC are not required under the related instructions or are inapplicable, and therefore have been omitted.
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of NACCO Industries, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of NACCO Industries, Inc. and Subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), equity and cash flows for the years then ended, and the related notes and the financial statement schedules listed in the Index at Item 15(a) (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) and our report dated March 3, 2021 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit review committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the account or disclosure to which it relates.
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Asset Retirement Obligations Liability
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2002.
Cleveland, Ohio
March 3, 2021
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of NACCO Industries, Inc.
Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited NACCO Industries, Inc. and Subsidiaries’internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework)(the COSO criteria). In our opinion, NACCO Industries, Inc. and Subsidiaries (the Company) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on the COSO criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the 2020 consolidated financial statements of the Company and our report dated March 3, 2021 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s report on internal control over financial reporting in Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Cleveland, Ohio
March 3, 2021
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NACCO INDUSTRIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
Year Ended December 31
(In thousands, except per share data)
Earnings of unconsolidated operations 60,203 63,883
Operating expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses 53,062 53,783
Amortization of intangible assets 2,572 2,614
Gain on sale of assets (269) (206)
Asset impairment charges 8,359 —
Other (income) expense
Income from other unconsolidated affiliates (239) (1,300)
Gain on equity securities (1,226) (1,545)
Income before income tax (benefit) provision 14,258 43,399
Income tax (benefit) provision (535) 3,767