Item 1A. Risk Factors
A number of significant risk factors could materially affect our business operations and cause our performance to differ materially from any future results projected or implied by our prior statements, including those described below. Many of these risk factors are also identified in connection with the more specific descriptions of our business and results of operations contained throughout this report. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic conditions may increase many of these risks.
Customers and Revenue Growth Risks
We seek to generate new business revenues to support our ongoing operations.
Our businesses generally require a higher level of new business revenues than we currently have in order to operate profitably. We are working to increase our revenues with new and existing customers. However, if we are not successful in significantly increasing over overall net revenues, we may be unable to maintain the critical mass of capital investments or talented employees that are needed to succeed in our chosen markets or to maintain our existing facilities, which could result in additional restructuring or exit costs. As we expand our customers and our products, we must also effectively manage a more diverse production schedule to avoid slowing our production output. As we are awarded new products with new customers, we must onboard new operational processes in an effective and efficient manner. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in increasing our revenues with new and existing customers to a level necessary to maintain or return to profitability.
Even when we are chosen by a new or existing customer for new business, there can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully complete final contract negotiations on acceptable terms or at all. In many cases, we announce significant contract “orders”, “wins” or “awards” before final contract negotiations are complete, and there is a chance that these new announced contract orders, wins or awards may not result in a definitive agreement or the expected amount of revenues or profits. We cannot guarantee that any particular contract with a customer will result in the anticipated level revenue or profitability.
We depend on a few key customers in challenging industries for most of our revenues.
Our five largest customers in 2020 were Northrop Grumman, Sistemas, Detroit Diesel, ADI and SubCom, which in the aggregate accounted for 64% of net revenue. The loss of any of these customers or any other significant customer, or the renewal of business on less favorable terms, would have a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations. Due to our customer concentration, if one or more of our major customers were to experience difficulties in fulfilling their obligations to us, cease doing business with us, significantly reduce the amount of their purchases from us, favor competitors or new entrants or change their purchasing patterns, our business may be harmed.
The truck components and assemblies industry has experienced consolidation, credit risk, highly cyclical market demand, labor unrest, rising steel costs, extensive raw material lead-times, bankruptcy and other obstacles. The demand for our energy-related products lines, historically, has risen and fallen with the prices of oil and/or natural gas, as our customers’ capital expenditures budgets tend to be dependent upon energy prices. We depend on the continued growth and financial stability of customers in these industries and our core markets, as well as general economic conditions. Adverse changes affecting these customers, markets or economic conditions could harm our operating results.
The aerospace and defense electronics industry has experienced consolidation, increased competition, disruptive new technologies and uncertain funding levels. The aerospace and defense industry is also pressured by cyclicality, rapid technological change, shortening product life cycles, decreasing margins, component obsolescence and shortages and government procurement and certification processes. Our aerospace and defense business faces reduced revenues in the final phases of several key legacy programs which must be replenished with new technologies if we are to successfully maintain or expand our market share. Our failure to address any of these factors could impair our ability to grow and diversify our base of customers in this segment.
There can be no assurance that any of our customers will not default on, delay or dispute payment of, or seek to reject our outstanding invoices in bankruptcy or otherwise. In addition, the existence of these factors may result in fewer customers in our target markets due to consolidation, bankruptcy, competitive or other market reasons, making it more difficult to obtain new clients and diversify our customer base in the near future.
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Customer contracts could be less profitable than expected.
We generally bear the risk that our contracts could be unprofitable or less profitable than planned, despite our estimates of revenues and future costs to complete such contracts.
A material portion of our business, historically, has been conducted under multi-year contracts, which generally include fixed prices or periodic price reductions without minimum purchase requirements. Over time, our revenues may not cover any increases in our operating costs which could adversely impact our results. Our financial results are at greater risk when we accept contractual responsibility for raw material or component prices, when we cannot offset price reductions, freight penalties, importation fees and cost increases with operating efficiencies or other savings, when we must submit contract bid prices before all key design elements are finalized or when we are subjected to other competitive pressures which erode our margins. The profitability of our contracts also can be adversely affected by unexpected start-up costs on new programs, inability to negotiate milestone billings, operating inefficiencies, scheduling constraints, ineffective capital investments, inflationary pressures or inaccurate forecasts of future unit costs.
Unexpected changes in our customers’ demand levels and our ability to execute our production efficiently have harmed our operating results in the past and could do so in the future. Many of our customers will not commit to firm production or delivery schedules. Inaccurate forecasting of our customers’ requirements can disrupt the efficient utilization of our manufacturing capacity, inventories or workforce and can cause increases in our inventory and working capital levels. If we receive unanticipated orders or rapid increases in demand, these incremental volumes could be unprofitable due to the higher costs of operating above our optimal capacity. Disagreements over pricing, quality, delivery, capacity, exclusivity or trade credit terms could disrupt order schedules. Orders may also fluctuate due to changing global capacity and demand, new products, changes in market share, reorganizations or bankruptcies, material shortages, labor disputes, freight costs, tariffs or other factors that discourage outsourcing. These forces could increase, decrease, accelerate, delay or cancel our delivery schedules.
Our ability to stabilize employee retention and execute on existing customer orders could put current revenues at risk as we proceed with the execution of our plans. If we lose anticipated revenues, we might not succeed in redeploying our substantial capital investments and other fixed costs, potentially forcing additional plant closures, impairments of long-lived and other assets or increased losses.
Congressional budgetary constraints or reallocations could reduce our government related sales.
Sypris Electronics serves as a contractor for large aerospace and defense companies such as Northrop Grumman and L3Harris, typically under federally funded programs, which represented approximately 37% and 23% of net revenue in 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Sypris Electronics was adversely affected by declines in the overall government defense market due to the effects of sequestration in the past, and may be further affected if funding for programs in which we participate, either by selling products directly to U.S. government agencies or as a subcontractor to prime contractors such as Northrop Grumman, L3Harris, SubCom, LLC (SubCom) and ADI, is reduced, delayed or cancelled. Our ability to obtain new contract awards also could be negatively affected by funding and budgeting for such programs.
Competition Risks
Increasing competition could limit or reduce our market share.
As an outsourced manufacturer, we operate in highly competitive environments that often include our customers’ internal capabilities. We believe that the principal competitive factors in our markets include the availability of manufacturing capacity, increasingly unfavorable currency exchange rates (especially in low-cost countries), technological strength, speed and flexibility in responding to design or schedule changes, price, quality, delivery, cost management and financial strength. Our earnings could decline if our competitors or customers can provide comparable speed and quality at a lower cost, or if we fail to adequately invest in the range and quality of products and manufacturing capabilities our customers require.
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Most of our competitors are larger and have greater financial and organizational resources, geographic breadth and range of products, customer bases and brand recognition than we do. As a result, our competitors may respond more quickly to technological changes or customer needs, consume lower fixed and variable unit costs, negotiate reduced component prices, and obtain better terms for financing growth. If we fail to compete in any of these areas, we may lose market share and our business could be seriously harmed. There can be no assurance that we will not experience increased competition or that we will be able to achieve profitability as these new challenges arise.
Our technologies could become obsolete, reducing our revenues and profitability.
The markets for our products are characterized by changing technology and continuing process development. The future of our business will depend in large part upon the continuing relevance of our technological capabilities. We could fail to make required capital investments, develop or successfully market products that meet changing customer needs and anticipate or respond to technological changes in a cost-effective and timely manner. Our inability to successfully launch or sustain new or next generation programs or product features, especially in accordance with budgets or committed delivery schedules, could materially adversely affect our financial results. We could encounter competition from new or developing technologies that render our technologies and equipment less profitable or obsolete in our chosen markets and our operating results may suffer. In particular, the Company is currently developing new products and pursuing new programs in an attempt to increase Sypris Electronics’ revenue stream. However, commercializing the new products and programs is costly and has been slower than anticipated. The launch of any new products or programs within Sypris Electronics may not be successful.
Execution Risks
Contract terminations or delays could harm our business.
We often provide products under contracts that contain detailed specifications, quality standards and other terms. If we are unable to perform in accordance with such terms, our customers might seek to terminate such contracts, demand price concessions or other financial consideration or downgrade our performance ratings or eligibility for new business. Moreover, many of our contracts are subject to termination for convenience or upon default. These provisions could provide only limited recoveries of certain incurred costs or profits on completed work and could impose liability for our customers’ costs in procuring undelivered items from another source. If any of our significant contracts were to be repudiated, terminated or not renewed, we could lose substantial revenues, and our operating results as well as prospects for future business opportunities could be adversely affected.
We are subject to various audits, reviews and investigations, including private party “whistleblower” lawsuits, relating to our compliance with federal and state laws. Should our business be charged with wrongdoing, or determined not to be a “presently responsible contractor,” we could be temporarily suspended or debarred from receiving new government contracts or government-approved subcontracts.
We must operate more efficiently.
If we are unable to improve the cost, efficiency and yield of our operations, and if we are not able to control costs, our financial results could suffer and we could be forced to sell additional assets, take on additional debt at higher costs or take other measures to restructure our operations or capital structure. A number of major obstacles could include:
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● inflationary pressures;
● increased borrowing due to declines in sales;
● the need to identify and eliminate our root causes of scrap;
Our management or systems could be inadequate to support our existing or future operations, especially as we downsize our operating staff to reduce expenses while we work to increase revenues. New customers or new contracts, particularly with new product offerings, could require us to invest in additional equipment or other capital expenditures which exceed our budgeted plans. We may have limited experience or expertise in installing or operating such equipment, which could negatively impact our ability to deliver products on time or with acceptable costs. In addition, a material portion of our manufacturing equipment requires significant maintenance to operate effectively, and we may experience maintenance and repair issues. The risk of technical failures, nonconformance with customer specifications, an inability to deliver next generation products or other quality concerns could materially impair our operating results. Similarly, expanding production for our energy-related products without effective process or quality controls could materially increase scrap rates and may impact the safety of our operating environment or expose our business to warranty risks and contractual violations.
Cyber security risks could negatively affect operations and result in increased costs.
Sypris Electronics, as a U.S. defense contractor, and our Company overall, face cyber security threats, threats to the physical security of our facilities and employees and terrorist or criminal acts, as well as the potential for business disruptions associated with information technology failures and natural disasters.
We routinely experience cyber security threats, threats to our information technology infrastructure and attempts to gain access to our sensitive information, as do our customers, suppliers and subcontractors. Prior cyber attacks directed at us have not had a material impact on our financial results. The techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service or sabotage systems are constantly evolving and often are not recognized until launched against a target, or even some time after. We may be unable to anticipate these techniques, implement adequate preventative measures or remediate any intrusion on a timely or effective basis even if our security measures are appropriate, reasonable, and/or comply with applicable legal requirements. Certain efforts may be state-sponsored and supported by significant financial and technological resources, making them even more sophisticated and difficult to detect. Insider or employee cyber and security threats are also a significant concern for all companies, including ours.
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Although we work cooperatively with our customers and our suppliers, subcontractors, and other partners to seek to minimize the impacts of cyber threats, other security threats or business disruptions, we must rely on the safeguards put in place by those entities, and those safeguards might not be effective.
The costs related to cyber security or other security threats or disruptions may not be fully insured or indemnified by other means. Occurrence of any of these events could adversely affect our internal operations, the products we provide to customers, loss of competitive advantages derived from our research and development efforts, early obsolescence of our products, our future financial results, our reputation or our stock price.
Supplier Risks
Interruptions in the supply of key components and quality systems could disrupt production.
Some of our products require one or more components that are available from a limited number of providers or from sole-source providers. In the past, some of the materials we use, including steel, certain forgings or castings, capacitors and memory and logic devices, have been subject to industry-wide shortages or capacity allocations. As a result, suppliers have been forced to allocate available quantities among their customers, and we have not been able to obtain all of the materials desired. Some of our suppliers have struggled to implement reliable quality control systems which can negatively impact our operating efficiency and financial results. In downward business cycles, the tightening of credit markets has threatened the financial viability of an increasing number of suppliers of key components and raw materials and forced unanticipated shutdowns. Our inability to reliably obtain these or any other materials when and as needed has in the past and could in the future slow production or assembly, delay shipments to our customers, cause noncompliance with product certifications, impair the recovery of our fixed costs and increase the costs of recovering to customers’ schedules, including overtime, expedited freight, equipment maintenance, operating inefficiencies, higher working capital and the obsolescence risks associated with larger buffer inventories. Each of these factors could adversely affect operating results.
Shortages or increased costs of utilities could harm our business and our customers.
We and our customers depend on a constant supply of electricity and natural gas from utility providers for the operation of our respective businesses and facilities. In the past, we have experienced power outages which reduced our ability to deliver products and meet our customers’ demand for those products. If we or our customers experience future interruptions in service from these providers, our production and/or delivery of products could be negatively affected. We have experienced increased costs due to the heavy consumption of energy in our production process, which have been offset through revised production schedules. However, if the cost of energy continues to increase, our results of operations and those of certain customers could be negatively impacted.
Fluctuations in the price of raw materials, including tariffs or other trade restrictions on imported steel or other goods, could negatively impact us.
For significant portions of our business, we purchase raw materials and component parts which have been designated or specified by our customers, at prices negotiated by our customers. Raw material price fluctuations and volatility in the commodity markets, including tariffs and trade restriction could impact prices in the future. While our customers have generally agreed to reimburse us for the cost of such materials, this could change in the future, and our risks will continue to include the timely communication and successful collection of any such reimbursements. In any event, for a growing part of our business, we arrange our own suppliers and we could be impacted by the risks of any landed price increases, trade restrictions or production delays. Increases in the costs of steel or other supplies could also increase our working capital requirements, scrap expenses and borrowing costs.
In general, there can be no assurance that any price fluctuations relating to tariffs or trade restrictions will not reduce demand, slow production, delay shipments to our customers or increase our costs in the future, any of which could adversely affect our financial results.
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Access to Capital and Acquisitions Risks
Until we have returned to sustained levels of profitability, our access to capital may be limited.
Until the Company becomes profitable again, there can be no assurances that the Company will succeed in attracting new, acceptable sources of debt or equity capital. If we are unable to become profitable on a timely basis, we may need to use existing cash resources or other assets to fund operating losses. While we have borrowed from Gill Family Capital Management, Inc. (“GFCM”), an entity controlled by the Gill family which beneficially owns approximately 15.3% of our common stock, on acceptable terms in the past, there can be no assurances that such debt financing would be available in the future.
We have incurred indebtedness under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) which may be subject to audit, may not be forgivable and may eventually have to be repaid. Any repayment of such indebtedness may limit the funds available to us and may restrict our flexibility in operating our business.
The Company entered into a promissory note with BMO Harris Bank National Association (“BMO”), effective May 1, 2020, that provides for a loan in the amount of $3.6 million (the “PPP Loan”) pursuant to expansion of the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) 7(a) loan program (the “Paycheck Protection Program” or “PPP”), established under the CARES Act. The PPP Loan is subject to forgiveness under the PPP upon submission and review of a loan forgiveness application, to the extent that PPP Loan proceeds have been used to pay expenses permitted by the PPP, including payroll costs, covered rent and mortgage obligations, and covered utility payments. Amounts outstanding under the loan bear a fixed interest rate of 1.0% per annum with a maturity date of May 1, 2022, two years from the commencement date.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and SBA have announced that SBA will conduct audits for PPP loans that exceed $2 million. Should we be audited or reviewed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the SBA as a result of the PPP Loan or filing an application for forgiveness or otherwise, such audit or review could result in the diversion of management’s time and attention, generate negative publicity and cause us to incur legal and reputational costs. If we were to be audited and receive an adverse outcome in such an audit, we could be required to return the full amount of the PPP Loan and may potentially be subject to civil and criminal fines and penalties. We may not have the resources to repay the PPP Loan if required to do so by the federal government.
On November 24, 2020, the Company submitted an application for forgiveness of the entire amount due on the PPP Loan. There can be no assurance that the principal and interest amounts under the PPP Loan will be forgiven. If all or substantially all of the PPP Loan is not forgiven or it is subsequently determined that it must be repaid, we may be required to use a substantial portion of our cash flows from operations or proceeds from the sale of our assets to pay interest and principal on the PPP Loan. Any such repayment of the PPP Loan will reduce the funds available to us for working capital and other corporate purposes and may limit our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital or divert funds that are otherwise necessary to run our business. We cannot assure that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or that future financing will be available to us in amounts sufficient to enable us to make required and timely repayments on our indebtedness, or to fund our operations. Additionally, though we believe we are eligible recipients of the PPP Loan under the PPP and our use of PPP Loan proceeds has been in compliance with PPP rules and guidance, our receipt of the PPP Loan and the use of PPP Loan proceeds could result in negative publicity, or expose us to claims or potential liability under the federal False Claims Act, which prohibits the known filing of a false claim or the known use of false statements to obtain payment from the federal government, if it is determined that we were in fact not eligible to take the PPP Loan in the first instance.
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Our ability to finance expansion or new business opportunities may be limited.
Our future liquidity and capital requirements depend on numerous factors other than bank borrowings or debt financing, including the pace at which we can effectively cut costs, increase revenues or successfully launch new products. One method we have historically used to increase our revenues and obtain multi-year supply agreements is to buy a customer’s non-core manufacturing assets, or to acquire alternative, but equivalent, production capabilities and to produce products for such customers under a multi-year contract. We have also pursued strategies that rely on research and development efforts to develop and commercialize our new products. We may not have the financial resources or be able to raise funds necessary to pursue these strategies under any future debt agreements which could further limit our ability to replace the loss of revenues.
Our growth strategies could be ineffective due to the risks associated with further acquisitions.
Our growth strategy has included acquiring complementary businesses. We could fail to identify, obtain financing or complete suitable acquisitions on acceptable terms and prices. Acquisition efforts entail a number of risks, including: diversion of management’s attention; difficulties in integrating systems, operations and cultures; potential loss of key employees and customers of the acquired companies; lack of experience operating in the geographic market of the acquired business; an increase in our expenses and working capital requirements; risks of entering into markets or producing products where we have limited or no experience; difficulties in integrating purchased technologies and products with our technologies and products; our ability to improve productivity and implement cost reductions; our ability to secure collective bargaining agreements with employees; and exposure to unanticipated liabilities.
Our discovery of, or failure to discover, material issues during due diligence investigations of acquisition targets, either before closing with regard to potential risks of the acquired operations, or after closing with regard to the timely discovery of breaches of representations or warranties, or of certain indemnified environmental conditions, could seriously harm our business.
We could fail to fully implement our growth plans.
As the Company seeks to expand its revenues and strategically diversify its customer base, we could fail to adequately overcome significant obstacles such as slowing markets, the loss of key employees, unexpected increases in costs, or new competitors or technologies in our key markets, among other risks. The failure to fully implement our growth plans could materially adversely affect our revenues, operating results and financial condition.
Labor Relations Risks
We must attract and retain qualified employees while successfully managing related costs.
Our future success in a changing business environment, including during rapid changes in the size, complexity or skills required of our workforce, as we experienced in 2018 and 2017 and again in 2021, will depend to a large extent upon the efforts and abilities of our executive, managerial and technical employees. The loss of key employees, especially in a strong economic environment, and our ability to effectively train existing employees, could have a material adverse effect on our operations. Our future success will also require an ability to attract and retain qualified employees, especially those with engineering or production expertise in our core business lines.
Changes in our labor costs such as salaries, wages and benefits, or the cost of providing pension and other employee benefits, changes in health care costs, investment returns on plan assets and discount rates used to calculate pension and related liabilities or other requirements to accelerate the level of our pension fund contributions to reduce or eliminate underfunded liabilities, could lead to increased costs or disruptions of operations in any of our business units.
Disputes with labor unions could disrupt our business plans.
As of December 31, 2020, we had collective bargaining agreements covering approximately 386 employees (all of which were in Sypris Technologies), or 58% of our total employees. Excluding certain Mexico employees covered under an annually ratified agreement, there are no collective bargaining agreements expiring within the next 12 months. Certain Mexico employees are covered by an annually ratified collective bargaining agreement. These employees in Mexico represented approximately 53% of the Company’s workforce, or 350 employees at December 31, 2020. Our ability to maintain our workforce depends on our ability to attract and retain new and existing customers as well as maintain good relations with our employees and labor unions. We could experience a work stoppage or other disputes which could disrupt our operations or the operations of our customers and could harm our operating results.
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Regulatory Risks
Environmental, natural disasters, health and safety risks could expose us to potential liability.
We are subject to a variety of environmental regulations relating to the use, storage, discharge and disposal of hazardous chemicals and substances used in our operations. If we fail to comply with present or future regulations, we could be forced to alter, suspend or discontinue our manufacturing processes and pay substantial fines or penalties.
Groundwater and other contamination has occurred at certain of our current and former facilities during the operation of those facilities by their former owners, and this contamination may occur at future facilities we operate or acquire. There is no assurance that environmental indemnification agreements we have secured from the former owners of certain of these properties will be adequate to protect us from liability. Additionally, certain property we sold which was designated as Brownfields has been approved for development by the current owners and could expose us to future costs.
Our business is also subject to potential liabilities with respect to health and safety matters. We are required to comply with federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations governing the health and safety of our workforce, and we could be held liable for damages arising out of human exposure to hazardous substances or other dangerous working conditions. Health and safety laws and regulations are complex and change frequently. As a result, our future costs to comply with such laws or the liabilities incurred in the event of any violations may increase significantly.
A natural disaster could disrupt our operations, or our customers’ or suppliers’ operations and could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Although we have plans designed to mitigate the impact of natural disasters on our operations, those plans may be insufficient, and any catastrophe may disrupt our ability to manufacture and deliver products to our customers, resulting in an adverse impact on our business and results of operations. In addition, our global operations expose us to risks associated with public health crises, such as pandemics and epidemics, which could harm our business and cause our operating results to suffer. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in travel disruption, trade disruption and has effected many companies’ operations globally. Infections may continue to be widespread, including in the countries where we have operations, and travel restrictions may remain or worsen, all of which could lead to reduced demand for our products and services, disruptions in our supply chain, any of which could have a negative impact on our business and operating results. Under our self-insured employee health program, the costs associated with a large number of employees infected could significantly impact our results.
Changes in interest rates and asset returns could increase our pension funding obligations and reduce our profitability.
We have unfunded obligations under certain of our defined benefit pension plans. The valuation of our future payment obligations under the plans and the related plan assets are subject to significant adverse changes if the credit and capital markets cause interest rates and projected rates of return to decline. Such declines could also require us to make significant additional contributions to our pension plans in the future. A material increase in the unfunded obligations of these plans could also result in a significant increase in our pension expense in the future.
We may incur additional tax expense or become subject to additional tax exposure.
Our provision for income taxes and the cash outlays required to satisfy our income tax obligations in the future could be adversely affected by numerous factors. These factors include changes in the level of earnings in the tax jurisdictions in which we operate, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, changes in our plans to repatriate the earnings of our non-U.S. operations to the U.S. and changes in tax laws and regulations.
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In December 2017, the U.S. introduced broad ranging tax reform with the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Act”) legislation. Among the tax reforms was a reduction of the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. Although the tax reform in the U.S. reduced the statutory tax rate to 21% for 2018, the effects of the lower rate were offset in part by the effects of increased nondeductible expenses and the global intangible low taxed income (“GILTI”) provisions which result in a certain amount of foreign earnings being subjected to U.S. tax. Considering the exclusion of foreign subsidiary dividends from taxation in the U.S., we believe the Act will provide some greater flexibility to repatriate future earnings of our foreign operations.
Our income tax returns are subject to examination by federal, state and local tax authorities in the U.S. and tax authorities outside the U.S. The results of these examinations and the ongoing assessments of our tax exposures could also have an adverse effect on our provision for income taxes and the cash outlays required to satisfy our income tax obligations.
Adverse regulatory developments or litigation could harm our business.
Our businesses operate in heavily regulated environments. We must successfully manage the risk of changes in or adverse actions under applicable law or in our regulatory authorizations, licenses and permits, governmental security clearances or other legal rights to operate our businesses, to manage our work force or to import and export goods and services as needed. Our business activities expose us to the risks of litigation with respect to our customers, suppliers, creditors, stockholders or from warranty claims or product liability, environmental or asbestos-related matters. We also face the risk of other adverse regulatory actions, compliance costs or governmental sanctions, as well as the costs and risks related to our ongoing efforts to design and implement effective internal controls.
General Risks
The COVID-19 pandemic has and could continue to materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
COVID-19, which has spread to every state in the United State and every county and has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization underscores certain risks we face, including those described above. COVID-19 has resulted in authorities imposing, and businesses and individuals implementing, numerous unprecedented measures to try to contain the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter-in-place/stay-at-home and social distancing orders, and shutdowns. These measures have impacted and may further impact our workforce and operations, the operations of our customers, and those of our respective vendors, suppliers, and partners. We have manufacturing operations in the U.S. and Mexico, and each of these countries has been materially affected by the outbreak and taken measures to try to contain it. While we believe that, based on the various standards published to date, the work our employees are performing for the aerospace and defense, energy and transportation markets is essential, there can be no assurance that governmental authorities will not impose restrictions on the operations of our facilities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or that our facilities will continue to operate during the pandemic. If our operations or the operations of our suppliers are restricted, we may be unable to perform fully on our contracts and our costs may increase as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. These cost increases may result in unfavorable changes in estimates which may not be fully recoverable or adequately covered by insurance. The ultimate impact and efficacy of government measures and potential future measures is currently unknown.
There is considerable uncertainty regarding the business impacts from such measures and potential future measures. Shelter-in-place orders and other measures, including work-from-home and social distancing policies implemented to protect employees, have resulted in reduced workforce availability at some of our sites, and reduced capacity at some of our vendors and suppliers. Restrictions on our access to or operation of our manufacturing facilities or on our support operations or workforce, or similar limitations for our vendors and suppliers, can impact our ability to meet customer demand and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations, particularly if prolonged. Similarly, current, and future restrictions or disruptions of transportation, such as reduced availability of air transport, port closures or delays, and increased border controls, delays or closures, can also impact our ability to meet demand and could materially adversely affect us. Our customers have experienced, and may continue to experience, disruptions in their operations and supply chains, which can result in delayed, reduced, or canceled orders, or collection risks, and which may adversely affect our results of operations.
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The pandemic has significantly increased economic and demand uncertainty. The current outbreak and continued spread of COVID-19 has caused an economic slowdown, and it is possible that it could cause a global recession. There is a significant degree of uncertainty and lack of visibility as to the extent and duration of any such slowdown or recession. We have seen and may continue to see negative impacts on demand in some of our markets, particularly automotive and oil and gas. Given the significant economic uncertainty and volatility created by the pandemic, it is difficult to predict the nature and extent of impacts on our business but it has and may continue to have a materially adverse effect on our financial condition and result of operations.
The spread of COVID-19 has caused us to modify our business practices (including employee travel, employee work locations, cancellation of physical participation in meetings, events and conferences, and social distancing measures), and we may take further actions as may be required by government authorities or that we determine are in the best interests of our employees, customers, partners, vendors, and suppliers. Work-from-home and other measures introduce additional operational risks, including cybersecurity risks, which could have an adverse effect on our operations. There is no certainty that such measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks posed by the virus, and illness and workforce disruptions could lead to unavailability of key personnel and harm our ability to perform critical functions.
Recently, the market price for our common stock has been volatile.
The market price of our common stock is subject to wide price fluctuations in response to various factors, many of which are beyond our control and may be unrelated to our financial condition, operating performance, prospects or other indicators of value. The factors include:
● sales of stock by us, our officers or directors; and
● general economic market conditions.
Our insurance coverage may be inadequate to cover all significant risk exposures.
We carry a range of insurance policies intended to protect our assets and operations, including general liability insurance and property damage insurance. While we endeavor to purchase insurance coverage appropriate to our risk assessment, we are unable to predict with certainty the frequency, nature or magnitude of claims for direct or consequential damages, and as a result our insurance program may not fully cover us for losses we may incur. In addition, as a result of a number of catastrophic weather and other events in the United States, insurance companies have incurred substantial losses and accordingly in many cases they have substantially reduced the nature and amount of insurance coverage available to the market, have broadened exclusions, and/or have substantially increased the cost of such coverage. It is likely that the tight insurance market will continue into the foreseeable future. Our business requires that we maintain various types of insurance. If such insurance is not available or not available on economically acceptable terms, our business could be materially and adversely affected.
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We face other factors which could seriously disrupt our operations.
Many other risk factors beyond our control could seriously disrupt our operations, including: risks relating to war, future terrorist activities, or political uncertainties; risks relating to another pandemic, natural disasters or other casualties which could shut down our domestic or foreign facilities, disrupt transportation of products or supplies, increase the costs under our self-insurance program or change the timing and availability of funding in our aerospace and defense electronics markets; risks inherent in operating abroad, including foreign currency exchange rates, adverse regulatory developments, and miscommunications or errors due to inaccurate foreign language translations or currency exchange rates; or our failure to anticipate or to adequately insure against other risks and uncertainties present in our businesses including unknown or unidentified risks.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
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Item 2. Properties
Our principal manufacturing operations are engaged in electronics manufacturing for our aerospace and defense customers and industrial manufacturing for our truck components and assemblies and oil and gas pipeline component customers. The following chart indicates the significant facilities that we own or lease, the location and size of each such facility and the manufacturing certifications that each facility possesses. The facilities listed below (other than the corporate office) are used principally as manufacturing facilities.
Corporate Office:
Manufacturing Facilities:
Below is a listing and description of the various manufacturing certifications or specifications that we utilize at various of our facilities.
Certification/Specification Description
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Certification/Specification Description
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
Groundwater and other contamination has occurred at certain of our current and former facilities during the operation of those facilities by their former owners, and this contamination may occur at future facilities we operate or acquire. There is no assurance that environmental indemnification agreements we have secured from the former owners of certain of these properties will be adequate to protect us from liability. No administrative or judicial proceedings with respect to these or any other environmental regulations or conditions are pending against the Company or known by the Company to be contemplated by Government authorities.
The Company is subject to other legal proceedings and claims that have not been fully resolved and that have arisen in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, there was not at least a reasonable possibility the Company may have incurred a material loss, or a material loss in excess of a recorded accrual, with respect to loss contingencies for these other asserted legal and other claims. However, the outcome of legal proceedings and claims brought against the Company is subject to significant uncertainty. In addition, there may be other potential claims, liabilities, materials or design defects, or other customer complaints that have not been asserted, but which could adversely impact us in the future. Therefore, although management considers the likelihood of such an outcome to be remote, if one or more of these other legal matters or potential matters were resolved against the Company in a reporting period for amounts in excess of management’s expectations, the Company’s consolidated financial statements for that reporting period could be materially adversely affected.
The information set forth in Note 16 to the consolidated financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K is incorporated by reference into this Item 3.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
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PART II
We are a smaller reporting company as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K and thus are not required to provide the performance graph required in paragraph (e) of Item 201 of Regulation S-K.
Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “SYPR.”
As of March 10, 2021, there were 593 holders of record of our common stock. No cash dividends were declared during 2020 or 2019.
Dividends may be paid on common stock only when, as and if declared by our Board of Directors in its sole discretion. We do not anticipate paying dividends in 2021.
The following table summarizes the shares of common stock that were repurchased by the Company – all from its current or former employees for withholding tax purposes – during the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2020:
Total Number of Maximum
Total Average Shares Purchased Dollar Value of Shares
Number Price as a Part of that May Yet Be
of Shares Paid per Publicly Announced Purchased Under the
Period Purchased (a) Share Plans or Programs Plans or Programs
Item 6. Selected Financial Data
We are a smaller reporting company as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K and thus are not required to report the selected financial data in Item 301 of Regulation S-K.
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The following discussion of our consolidated results of operations and financial condition should be read together with the other financial information and consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from the results anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Overview
We are a diversified provider of truck components, oil and gas pipeline components and aerospace and defense electronics. We offer a wide range of manufactured products, often under multi-year sole-source contracts.
We are organized into two business segments, Sypris Technologies and Sypris Electronics. Sypris Technologies, which is comprised of Sypris Technologies, Inc. and its subsidiaries, generates revenue primarily from the sale of forged, machined, welded and heat-treated steel components primarily for heavy commercial vehicle and high-pressure energy pipeline applications. Sypris Electronics, which is comprised of Sypris Electronics, LLC, generates revenue primarily through circuit card and full “box build” manufacturing, high reliability manufacturing, systems assembly and integration, design for manufacturability and design to specification work.
We focus on those markets where we believe we have the expertise, qualifications and leadership position to sustain a competitive advantage. We target our resources to support the needs of industry participants that embrace technological innovation and flexibility, coupled with multi-year contractual relationships, as a strategic component of their supply chain management. These contracts, many of which are sole-source by part number, have historically created opportunities to invest in leading-edge processes or technologies to help our customers remain competitive. The productivity and innovation that can result from such investments helps to differentiate us from our competition when it comes to cost, quality, reliability and customer service.
Impact of COVID-19 on Our Business
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted, and is likely to continue to result, in significant economic disruption and has and will likely continue to adversely affect our business. As of the date of this filing, significant uncertainty exists concerning the continued impact and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company has continued to operate at each location and sought to remain compliant with government regulations imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company began to experience lower revenue late in the first quarter of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a more significant impact in the second quarter, especially within the Sypris Technologies group. During periods of lower production, the Company performed certain preventative maintenance procedures on its equipment and utilized resources to continue to make progress on certain strategic initiatives. Towards the end of the second quarter, some state and local jurisdictions started to lift mandatory stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders and started gradually to ease restrictions. While the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the Company’s results of operations, cash flows and financial position in 2020, management implemented actions to mitigate the financial impact, to protect the health of its employees and to comply with government regulations at each of our locations. Factors deriving from the COVID-19 response that have and may continue to negatively impact sales and gross margin in the future include, but are not limited to: limitations on the ability of our suppliers to manufacture, or procure from manufacturers, the material components we utilize in the manufacture of the products we sell, or to meet delivery requirements and commitments; limitations on the ability of our employees to perform their work due to illness caused by the pandemic or local, state, or federal orders requiring employees to remain at home; limitations on the ability of our customers to conduct their business and purchase our products; and limitations on the ability of our customers to pay us on a timely basis.
We experienced disruptions in our business as we implemented modifications to preserve adequate liquidity and ensure that our business continued to operate during this uncertain time. With respect to liquidity, we evaluated and took actions to reduce costs and spending across our organization. This included reducing hiring activities, reducing compensation of our Chairman, President and CEO, certain other senior leadership and corporate personnel and our Board of Directors, and limiting discretionary spending. In addition, under the CARES Act, we have deferred certain payroll taxes into future years. We also reduced spending on capital investment projects and managed working capital to preserve liquidity during this crisis. In addition to these activities, during the second quarter, the Company secured a $3.6 million term loan with BMO, pursuant to the PPP under the CARES Act. Proceeds from the PPP Loan have been used to retain workers and maintain payroll and make lease and utility payments.
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While we are unable to determine or predict the nature, duration or scope of the overall impact the COVID-19 pandemic will have on our business, results of operations, liquidity or capital resources, we will continue to actively monitor the situation and may take further actions that alter our business operations as may be required by federal, state or local authorities or that we determine are in the best interests of our employees, customers, suppliers and shareholders.
Sypris Technologies Outlook
After two years of record high volumes, the commercial vehicle market softened materially during the fourth quarter of 2019, impacting production rates as customers responded to the demand reduction and balanced inventory levels. This anticipated cyclical decline, coupled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in a significant decline in North American Class 4-8 shipments in 2020, with Class 8 production dropping nearly 31% from the prior year. In 2020, Sypris Technologies experienced a significant reduction in demand from customers serving the automotive, commercial vehicle, sport utility vehicle and off-highway markets, and the significant drop in oil prices has created uncertainty for many of the energy infrastructure projects utilizing the components we produce and sell. Sypris Technologies’ revenue was negatively impacted at the end of the first quarter of 2020 and was more significantly impacted during the second quarter contributing to a 55.9% decline from the second quarter of 2019. However, demand improved during the second half of 2020, declining only 15.7% from the second half of 2019. We are anticipating year-over-year growth in 2021. We believe that the market diversification Sypris Technologies has accomplished over recent years by adding new programs in the automotive, sport-utility and off-highway markets has benefited and will continue to benefit the Company, as demand for our products in these markets did not decline as dramatically as demand declined in the Class 8 commercial vehicle market.
Depressed oil and gas prices coupled with reduced travel, business closures, and other economic impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic are suppressing near-term oil and natural gas demand, which has adversely impacted the oil and gas markets served by our Tube Turns® brand of engineered product lines. This is causing major pipeline developers to significantly scale back near term capital investments in new pipeline infrastructure. This has resulted in reduced demand for our products for the oil and gas markets. However, we expect oil and gas sector spending to improve in 2021 compared to 2020.
We will continue to pursue new business in a wide variety of markets from light automotive to new energy related product lines to achieve a more balanced portfolio across our customers, markets and products.
Sypris Electronics Outlook
In accordance with the DoD guidance issued in March 2020 designating the Defense Industrial Base as a critical infrastructure workforce, our Sypris Electronics production facility continued to operate in support of essential products and services required to meet national security commitments to the U.S. Government and the U.S. military.
The U.S. Government has taken actions in response to COVID-19 to increase progress payments in new and existing contracts and accelerate contract awards through increased use of Undefinitized Contracting Actions (UCAs) to provide cash flow and liquidity for companies in the Defense Industrial Base, including large prime contractors and smaller suppliers. Certain of the large prime contractors are implementing multiple actions to help support certain suppliers affected by COVID-19, including accelerating payments to subcontractors, such as Sypris Electronics.
In the past few years, we have faced challenges within Sypris Electronics, including certain electronic component shortages and extensive lead-time manufacturing issues. This had a negative impact on our production schedules and margin performance in 2019. However, these negative impacts did not persist in 2020, as many of the component shortages and issues were resolved in 2019 and in early 2020. The majority of the government aerospace and defense programs that we support require specific components that are sole-sourced to specific suppliers; therefore, the resolution of supplier constraints requires coordination with our customers or the end-users of the products. We have partnered with our customers to qualify alternative components or suppliers and will continue to focus on our supply chain to attempt to mitigate the impact of supply component shortages on our business. While the COVID-19 outbreak did not have a material impact on our supply chain in 2020, overall component shortages may become a challenge in 2021. We may not be successful in addressing these shortages and other issues.
During 2019 and 2020, we announced new program awards as a contractor for Sypris Electronics, with certain programs contributing to revenue in 2020 and continuing into 2022. In addition to contract awards from U.S. Department of Defense (“DoD”) prime contractors related to weapons systems, electronic warfare and infrared countermeasures in our traditional aerospace and defense markets, we have also been awarded subcontracts related to the communication and navigation markets, which align with our advanced capabilities for delivering products for complex, high cost of failure platforms.
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On December 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed the fiscal year (FY) 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, providing annual funding for the DoD, other government agencies, and COVID-19 relief. The appropriations provide $741 billion in discretionary funding for national defense (including DoD funding and defense-related spending in energy and water development, homeland security, and military construction appropriations), of which $671 billion is in base funding and $69 billion is OCO/emergency funding (OCO and emergency supplemental funding do not count toward discretionary spending caps). Of the $741 billion, the DoD was allocated $704 billion, composed of $635 billion in base funding and $69 billion in OCO and emergency funding. The appropriations adhere to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019 (BBA 2019), which increased the spending limits for both defense and non-defense discretionary funds for the final two years (FY 2020 and FY 2021) of the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA).
It remains uncertain when the government will approve FY 2021 appropriations and what government programs will be funded and at what levels. We expect to compete for follow-on business opportunities as a subcontractor on future builds of several existing government programs. However, the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on government budgets and other funding priorities that impact demand for our products and services and our business are difficult to predict.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires that we make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. Changes in facts and circumstances could have a significant impact on the resulting estimated amounts included in our consolidated financial statements. We believe the following critical accounting policies affect our more complex judgments and estimates. We also have other policies that we consider to be key accounting policies, such as our policies for revenue recognition for Sypris Technologies, including cost of sales; however, these policies do not meet the definition of critical accounting policies because they do not generally require us to make estimates or judgments that are difficult or subjective. The following discussion of accounting estimates is intended to supplement the Summary of Significant Accounting Policies presented as Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements in Item 8.
Net Revenue and Cost of Sales. The Company recognizes revenue when it satisfies a performance obligation by transferring control of a promised product or rendering a service to a customer. The amount of revenue recognized reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for the product or service (the “transaction price”). The Company’s transaction price in its contracts with customers is generally fixed; no payment discounts, rebates or refunds are included within its contracts. The Company does not provide service-type warranties, nor does it allow customer returns. In connection with the sale of various parts to customers, the Company is subject to typical assurance warranty obligations covering the compliance of the electronics parts produced to agreed-upon specifications (See Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K). Customer returns, when they occur, relate to quality rework issues and are not connected to any repurchase obligation of the Company.
A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct product or render a service to a customer and is the unit of account to which the transaction price is allocated under ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. When a contract contains multiple performance obligations, we allocate the transaction price to the individual performance obligations using the price at which the promised goods or services would be sold to customers on a standalone basis. For most sales within our Sypris Technologies segment and a portion of sales within Sypris Electronics, control transfers to the customer at a point in time. Indicators that control has transferred to the customer include the Company having a present right to payment, the customer obtaining legal title and the customer having the significant risks and rewards of ownership. The Company’s principal terms of sale are FOB Shipping Point, or equivalent, and, as such, the Company primarily transfers control and records revenue for product sales upon shipment.
For contracts where Sypris Electronics serves as a contractor for aerospace and defense companies under federally funded programs, we generally recognize revenue over time as we perform due to the continuous transfer of control to the customer. This continuous transfer of control to the customer is supported by clauses in the contracts that allow the customer to unilaterally terminate the contract for convenience, pay us for costs incurred plus a reasonable profit and take control of any work in process. Because control is transferred over time, revenue is recognized based on the extent of progress towards completion of the performance obligation. We use labor hours incurred as a measure of progress for these contracts because it best depicts the Company’s performance of the obligation to the customer, which occurs as we incur labor on our contracts. Under this measure of progress, the extent of progress towards completion is measured based on the ratio of labor hours incurred to date to the total estimated labor hours at completion of the performance obligation.
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Our contract profit margins may include estimates of revenues for goods or services on which the customer and the Company have not reached final agreements, such as contract changes, settlements of disputed claims, and the final amounts of requested equitable adjustments permitted under the contract. These estimates are based upon management’s best assessment of the totality of the circumstances and are included in our contract profit based upon contractual provisions and our relationships with each customer.
Long-lived asset impairment. We perform periodic impairment analysis on our long-lived amortizable assets whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. When indicators are present, we compare the estimated future undiscounted net cash flows of the operations to which the assets relate to their carrying amount. If the operations are unable to recover the carrying amount of their assets, the long-lived assets are written down to their estimated fair value. Fair value is determined based on discounted cash flows, third party appraisals or other methods that provide appropriate estimates of value. A considerable amount of management judgment and assumptions are required in performing the impairment test, principally in determining whether an adverse event or circumstance has triggered the need for an impairment review. The Company did not have any long-lived assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis as of December 31, 2020 or 2019.
Pension Plan Funded Status. Our U.S. defined benefit pension plans are closed to new entrants and only $5,000 of service-related cost was recorded in 2020 related to a small number of participants who are still accruing benefits in the Louisville Hourly and Salaried Plans. Changes in our net obligations are principally attributable to changing discount rates and the performance of plan assets. Pension obligations are valued using discount rates established annually in consultation with our outside actuarial advisers using a theoretical bond portfolio, adjusted according to the timing of expected cash flows for our future obligations. Plan liabilities at December 31, 2020 are based upon a discount rate of 2.25% which reflects the Above Mean Mercer Yield Curve rate as of December 31, 2020 rounded to the nearest 5th basis point. Declining discount rates increase the present value of future pension obligations; a 25 basis point decrease in the discount rate would increase our U.S. pension liability by about $0.9 million. As indicated above, when establishing the expected long-term rate of return on our U.S. pension plan assets, we consider historical performance and forward looking return estimates reflective of our portfolio mix and investment strategy. Based on the most recent analysis of projected portfolio returns, we concluded that the use of 3.15% for the Louisville Hourly Plan, 3.40% for the Marion Plan and 3.05% for the Louisville Salaried Plan as the expected return on our U.S. pension plan assets for 2020 was appropriate. A change in the assumed rate of return on plan assets of 100 basis points would result in a $0.3 million change in the estimated 2020 pension expense.
At December 31, 2020, we have $13.3 million of unrecognized losses relating to our U.S. pension plans. Actuarial gains and losses, which are primarily the result of changes in the discount rate and other assumptions and differences between actual and expected asset returns, are deferred in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income and amortized to expense following the corridor approach. We use the average remaining service period of active participants unless almost all of the plan’s participants are inactive, in which case we use the average remaining life expectancy for all active and inactive participants.
Based on the current funded status of our U.S. plans, we expect to contribute approximately $0.6 million during 2021, which represents the minimum funding amounts required by federal law.
Reserve for Excess, Obsolete and Scrap Inventory. We record inventory at the lower of cost, determined under the first-in, first-out method, or net realizable value, and we reserve for excess, obsolete or scrap inventory. These reserves are primarily based upon management’s assessment of the salability of the inventory, historical usage of raw materials, historical demand for finished goods and estimated future usage and demand. An improper assessment of salability or improper estimate of future usage or demand, or significant changes in usage or demand could result in significant changes in the reserves and a positive or a negative impact on our consolidated results of operations in the period the change occurs.
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Stock-based Compensation. We account for stock-based compensation in accordance with the fair value recognition provisions using the Black-Scholes option-pricing method, which requires the input of several subjective assumptions. These assumptions include estimating the length of time employees will retain their vested stock options before exercising them (expected term) and the estimated volatility of our common stock price over the expected term. The dividend yield is assumed to be zero as we have not paid dividends nor do we anticipate paying any dividends in the foreseeable future. Changes in the subjective assumptions can materially affect the fair value estimate of stock-based compensation and consequently, the related expense recognized in the consolidated statements of operations.
Income Taxes. We account for income taxes as required by the provisions of ASC 740, Income Taxes, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the tax effects of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities measured using enacted tax rates.
Management judgment is required in determining income tax expense and the related balance sheet amounts. In addition, under ASC 740-10, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes, judgments are required concerning the ultimate outcome of uncertain income tax positions. Actual income taxes paid may vary from estimates, depending upon changes in income tax laws, actual results of operations and the final audit of tax returns by taxing authorities. Tax assessments may arise several years after tax returns have been filed. We believe that our recorded income tax liabilities adequately provide for the probable outcome of these assessments.
Deferred tax assets are also recorded for operating losses and tax credit carryforwards. However, ASC 740 requires that a valuation allowance be recorded when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. This assessment is largely dependent upon projected near-term profitability including the effects of tax planning. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined separately for each tax jurisdiction in which we conduct our operations or otherwise incur taxable income or losses. The Company evaluates its deferred tax position on a quarterly basis and valuation allowances are provided as necessary. During this evaluation, the Company reviews its forecast of income in conjunction with other positive and negative evidence surrounding the realizability of its deferred tax assets to determine if a valuation allowance is needed. Based on its current forecast, the Company believes it will have sufficient future taxable income to realize the deferred tax assets recorded by its Mexican subsidiaries. Therefore, the Company reversed its valuation allowance recorded in prior years against certain Mexican net deferred tax assets and recognized an income tax benefit of $3.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2020.
Based on its current forecast, the Company has established a valuation allowance against all U.S. deferred tax assets. Until an appropriate level and characterization of profitability is attained, the Company expects to continue to maintain a valuation allowance on its net deferred tax assets related to future U.S. tax benefits. If we determine that we would be able to realize our deferred tax assets in the future in excess of the net recorded amount, an adjustment to reduce the valuation allowance would increase net income in the period that such determination is made.
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Results of Operations
We operate in two segments, Sypris Technologies and Sypris Electronics. The table presented below compares our segment and consolidated results of operations from 2020 to 2019. The table presents the results for each year, the change in those results from one year to another in both dollars and percentage change and the results for each year as a percentage of net revenue.
In addition, as used in the table, “NM” means “not meaningful.”
Year Ended December 31, 2020 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2019
Year Over Results as Percentage of
Year Over Year Net Revenue for the
Year Ended Year Percentage Year Ended
December 31, Change Change December 31,
Favorable Favorable
(in thousands, except percentage data)
Net revenue:
Cost of sales:
Gross profit:
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Net Revenue. Sypris Technologies derives its revenue from the sale of forged and finished steel components and subassemblies and high-pressure closures and other fabricated products. Net revenue for Sypris Technologies decreased $16.4 million from the prior year to $45.3 million in 2020 as a result of the expected cyclical decline in the commercial vehicle market and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as noted above. The net revenue decrease for the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily attributable to decreased sales volumes of $13.8 million primarily with customers in the commercial vehicle market and decreased energy related product sales of $6.7 million, partially offset by growth in the automotive, light truck and sport utility markets of $4.1 million. Revenue for Sypris Technologies is expected to increase in 2021, primarily attributable to the expected improvement in the commercial vehicle market and the addition of new program launches.
Sypris Electronics derives its revenue primarily from circuit card and full “box build” manufacturing, high reliability manufacturing and systems assembly and integration. Net revenue for Sypris Electronics increased $10.8 million to $37.0 million in 2020. The year over year revenue growth reflects increased demand for a government funded product, shipments on a weapons system program that was in development and early build during 2019 and increased orders on certain commercial subsea communications components. Revenue for 2019 was partially affected by shortages of certain electronic components and extensive lead-time issues in the electronic manufacturing industry. Revenue for 2019 was also impacted by shipments accelerated into the fourth quarter of 2018 as the Company planned for the implementation of a new ERP system effective in January 2019. Most of the challenges faced during 2019 with electronic component shortages have been resolved and production rebounded to more normal run rates during 2020. The majority of programs that generated revenue in 2020 will continue to generate revenue into 2021.
Gross Profit. Sypris Technologies’ gross profit decreased $3.6 million to $6.2 million in 2020 as compared to $9.8 million in the prior year. The net decrease in volumes contributed to a decrease in gross profit of $6.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Partially offsetting this decrease were improvements in productivity, utilities, scrap and rework expense. During 2019, the results for the period were negatively impacted by additional start-up costs on new programs, including lower productivity, higher supply consumption and scrap and rework expense. Additionally, utility costs were higher in 2019 as more production occurred during peak electrical rate periods. Management implemented programs to control variable and fixed spend during 2020 in response to the sharp decline in revenue attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the operations most dramatically impacted by the reduction in demand, these programs included initiatives to retain the workforce necessary to support future demand in anticipation of reduced impacts of COVID-19.
Sypris Electronics’ gross profit increased $5.3 million to $5.4 million as compared to $0.1 million in the prior year. The increase in gross profit was primarily as a result of the growth in revenue during 2020. Certain programs contributing to the improvement in revenue and gross margin for the year reached their expected quarterly run rates during 2020 and allowed management to more efficiently balance production and to improve overhead absorption. The order backlog for Sypris Electronics supported a stable revenue rate during the year ended December 31, 2020 and price increases on certain programs also contributed to margin expansion in comparison with the previous year.
Selling, General and Administrative. Selling, general and administrative expense decreased $2.3 million to $11.4 million in 2020 as compared to $13.7 million in 2019 as a result of a reduction in spending across the Company. This included reducing hiring activities, reducing compensation for our Chairman, President and CEO and certain other senior leadership and corporate personnel and our Board of Directors, and limiting discretionary spending. We also had a reduction in consultation costs associated with the Company’s new ERP implementation effective in January 2019.
Severance, Relocation and Other Costs. Severance, relocation and other costs were $0.1 million and $0.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The charges for 2020 and 2019 were primarily related to mothball costs associated with the closure of the Broadway Plant (see Note 4 to the consolidated financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K).
Other Expense (Income), Net. Other expense (income), net, was expense of $0.5 million in 2020 as compared to income of $1.3 million for 2019. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company completed the sale of the Broadway Plant real estate for $1.7 million and other idle assets for $0.3 million and recognized net gains of $0.8 million (see Note 4 to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K). The $0.8 million gain on disposal was offset by a loss on the abandonment of assets of $0.6 million and pension expense of $0.7 million. Foreign currency related expenses were not material for the year ended December 31, 2020.
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During 2019, the Company recognized a gain in other income of $1.5 million related to a settlement agreement reached with one of its customers during the year (see Note 5 to the consolidated financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K). Additionally, the Company recognized a net gain of $0.7 million related to the sale of idle assets within Sypris Technologies, offset by pension expense of $1.0 million.
Income Taxes. The 2020 income tax provision consists of current tax expense of $0.1 million and a deferred tax benefit of $3.1 million. The current tax expense in 2020 and 2019 includes taxes paid by our Mexican subsidiaries and domestic state income taxes and adjustments. The 2020 deferred tax benefit includes a $3.7 million benefit from the change in the valuation allowance for our Mexican subsidiaries, partially offset by net changes in the foreign deferred tax assets during the year. The 2019 deferred tax benefit includes a $0.2 million benefit recorded due to the required intraperiod tax allocation resulting from the loss from continuing operations and other comprehensive income.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined separately for each tax jurisdiction in which we conduct our operations or otherwise incur taxable income or losses. The Company evaluates its deferred tax position on a quarterly basis and valuation allowances are provided as necessary. During this evaluation, the Company reviews its forecast of income in conjunction with other positive and negative evidence surrounding the realizability of its deferred tax assets to determine if a valuation allowance is needed. Based on its current forecast, the Company believes it will have sufficient future taxable income to realize the deferred tax assets recorded by its Mexican subsidiaries. Therefore, the Company reversed its valuation allowance recorded in prior years against certain Mexican net deferred tax assets and recognized an income tax benefit of $3.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2020.
Based on its current forecast, the Company has established a valuation allowance against all U.S. deferred tax assets. Until an appropriate level and characterization of profitability is attained, the Company expects to continue to maintain a valuation allowance on its net deferred tax assets related to future U.S. tax benefits. If we determine that we would be able to realize our deferred tax assets in the future in excess of the net recorded amount, an adjustment to reduce the valuation allowance would increase net income in the period that such determination is made.
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Quarterly Results
The following table presents our unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations data for each of the eight quarters in the two-year period ended December 31, 2020. The quarterly results are presented on a 13-week period basis. We have prepared this data on the same basis as our audited consolidated financial statements and, in our opinion, have included all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of this information. You should read these unaudited quarterly results in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The consolidated results of operations for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for any subsequent period. The sum of quarterly earnings per share may differ from the full-year amounts due to rounding.
First Second Third Fourth First Second Third Fourth
Net revenue: (in thousands, except per share data)
Cost of sales:
Gross profit (loss):
(Loss) income per common share:
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Paycheck Protection Program. The Company secured the PPP Loan under the CARES Act during the second quarter of 2020. Proceeds from the PPP Loan have been used to retain workers and maintain payroll and make lease and utility payments. The PPP Loan is evidenced by a promissory note in favor of BMO, as lender, with a principal amount of $3.6 million that bears interest at a fixed annual rate of 1.00%. The term of the PPP Loan is two years, with no payments due under the PPP Loan until July 2021, although interest will accrue during the deferment period. Beginning July 2021, the Company will pay equal monthly installments of principal and interest in the amount necessary to fully amortize the PPP Loan through the Maturity Date, less any amount of potential forgiveness. Recent legislation under the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 provides for an extension of the maturity date up to five years, an extension of the principal and interest deferral period to the date of a loan forgiveness determination and modifications to the debt amortization schedule if the Company and BMO reach an agreement on modified terms. The PPP Loan may be accelerated upon the occurrence of an event of default.
Under the terms of the CARES Act, all or a portion of the principal of the PPP Loan may be forgiven. Such forgiveness will be determined, subject to limitations, based on the use of the PPP Loan proceeds for payroll costs, mortgage interest payments, lease payments or utility payments. On November 24, 2020, the Company submitted an application for forgiveness of the entire amount due on the PPP Loan. As of December 31, 2020, the Company has not made any principal or interest payments related to the PPP Loan. The Company cannot provide assurance that the principal and interest amounts under the PPP Loan will be forgiven. See Item 1A. Risk Factors of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Gill Family Capital Management Note. The Company has received the benefit of cash infusions from GFCM in the form of secured promissory note obligations totaling $6.5 million in principal as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 (the “Note”). GFCM is an entity controlled by the Company’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey T. Gill and one of our directors, R. Scott Gill. GFCM, Jeffrey T. Gill and R. Scott Gill are significant beneficial stockholders of the Company.
During the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company amended its secured promissory note obligation with GFCM to, among other things: (i) extend the maturity dates by one year for (a) $2.5 million of the obligation from April 1, 2021 to April 1, 2022, (b) $2.0 million of the obligation from April 1, 2023 to April 1, 2024 and (c) the balance of the obligation from April 1, 2025 to April 1, 2026; (ii) extend the allowance for up to an 18-month deferral of payment for up to 60% of the interest due on the notes maturing in April of 2022 and 2024; (iii) provide for the reinstatement of a first security interest in the assets of Sypris Electronics, LLC; and (iv) provide for payment on January 4, 2021 of any accrued but unpaid interest for 2020. All other terms of the Note, as amended, remain in place. The Note provides for a first security interest in substantially all of the Company’s assets, including those in Mexico (see Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K).
Finance Lease Obligations. On March 9, 2016, the Company completed the sale of its 24-acre Toluca property for 215 million Mexican Pesos, or approximately $12.2 million in U.S. dollars. Simultaneously, the Company entered into a ten-year lease of the 9 acres and buildings currently occupied by the Company and needed for its ongoing business in Toluca. As a result of the Toluca Sale-Leaseback, the Company has a finance lease obligation of $2.1 million for the building as of December 31, 2020.
In February 2019, the Company entered into a finance lease for $0.3 million for new machinery at its Sypris Technologies facility in the U.S. The balance of the lease obligation as of December 31, 2020 was $0.2 million.
Purchase Commitments. We also had purchase commitments totaling approximately $15.4 million at December 31, 2020, primarily for inventory.
Cash Balance. At December 31, 2020, we had approximately $11.6 million of cash and cash equivalents, of which $3.2 million was held in jurisdictions outside of the U.S. that, if repatriated, could result in withholding taxes. We expect existing cash and cash flows of operations to continue to be sufficient to fund our operating activities and cash commitments for investing and financing activities, such as capital expenditures, for at least the next 12 months.
We have projected that our cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to allow us to continue operations for the next 12 months. Significant changes from our current forecasts, including, but not limited to: (i) meaningful shortfalls in our projected revenues, (ii) unexpected costs or expenses, and/or (iii) operating difficulties which cause unexpected delays in scheduled shipments, could require us to seek additional funding or force us to make further reductions in spending, extend payment terms with suppliers, liquidate assets where possible and/or suspend or curtail planned programs. Any of these actions could materially harm our business, results of operations and future prospects.
Cash Flows from Operating, Investing and Financing Activities
Operating Activities. Net cash provided by operating activities was $3.6 million in 2020, as compared to net cash used of $5.9 million in 2019. The aggregate decrease in accounts receivable in 2020 resulted in a source of cash of $0.2 million as a result of a $1.4 million early payment by a customer at the end of 2020 partially offset by an increase in fourth quarter revenue with customers in the commercial vehicle market. The decrease in inventory in 2020 resulted in a source of cash of $4.2 million. The decrease in inventory primarily relates to inventory within Sypris Electronics, as shipments on programs using inventory procured in prior periods increased in 2020. Additionally, there was a decrease in accounts payable during 2020, which resulted in a usage of cash of $2.6 million. Prepaid expenses and other assets increased during 2020, resulting in a usage of cash of $0.2 million, primarily as a result of an increase in contract assets. Accrued and other liabilities increased during 2020, resulting in a source of cash of $0.4 million, primarily as a result of an increase in pension related liabilities.
Investing Activities. Net cash provided by investing activities was $0.4 million in 2020 as compared to $1.0 million in 2019. Net cash provided by investing activities for the year ended December, 31, 2020 includes proceeds of $2.0 million from the sale of idle assets by Sypris Technologies during the period partially offset by capital expenditures of $1.5 million.
31
Net cash provided by investing activities for the year ended December, 31, 2019 includes proceeds of $1.9 million from the sale of idle assets by Sypris Technologies during the period partially offset by capital expenditures of $0.9 million.
Financing Activities. Net cash provided by financing activities was $2.7 million in 2020 as compared to net cash used of $0.8 million in 2019. Net cash provided by financing activities in 2020 included proceeds of $3.6 million under the PPP Loan, as described above, partially offset by finance lease payments of $0.7 million and payments of $0.1 million for minimum statutory tax withholdings on stock-based compensation. Net cash used in financing activities in 2019 included finance lease payments of $0.6 million and payments of $0.2 million for minimum statutory tax withholdings on stock-based compensation.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
On December 31, 2020, we had no material off-balance sheet arrangements.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements for a full description of recent accounting pronouncements, including the respective dates of adoption and effects on our results of operations and financial condition.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
We are a smaller reporting company as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K and thus are not required to provide the quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk specified in Item 305 of Regulation S-K.
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Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 34
Consolidated Statements of Operations 35
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) 36
Consolidated Balance Sheets 37
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 38
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity 39
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 40
33
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Stockholders and the Board of Directors of Sypris Solutions, Inc.
Louisville, Kentucky
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Sypris Solutions, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the years then ended, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
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 Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“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. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
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 Matters
Critical audit matters are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. We determined that there are no critical audit matters.
/s/ Crowe LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2014.
Louisville, Kentucky
March 18, 2021
34
SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(in thousands, except for per share data)
Year ended December 31,
Severance, relocation and other costs 124 509
Operating income (loss) 90 (4,306 )
Other expense (income), net 544 (1,256 )
Loss before income taxes (1,292 ) (3,953 )
Income tax benefit, net (2,960 ) (4 )
Income (loss) per common share:
Cash dividends per common share $ 0 $ 0
Weighted average shares outstanding:
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
35
SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(in thousands)
Year ended December 31,
Other comprehensive (loss) income:
Other comprehensive (loss) income (647 ) 791
Comprehensive income (loss) $ 1,021 $ (3,158 )
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
36
SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except for share data)
December 31,
ASSETS
Current assets:
Operating lease right-of-use assets 6,103 7,014
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Operating lease liabilities, current portion 965 841
Finance lease obligations, current portion 393 684
Note payable – PPP Loan, current portion 1,186 0
Operating lease obligations, net of current portion 5,941 6,906
Finance lease obligations, net of current portion 1,927 2,351
Note payable – PPP Loan, net of current portion 2,372 0
Stockholders’ equity:
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (24,698 ) (24,051 )
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 60,708 $ 60,056
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
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SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
Year ended December 31,
Cash flows from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization 2,503 2,671
Deferred income taxes (3,070 ) (260 )
Deferred loan costs amortized 14 11
Net gain on disposal or abandonment of assets (236 ) (654 )
Provision for excess and obsolete inventory 222 616
Other noncash items (1 ) 52
Contributions to pension plans (862 ) (382 )
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Prepaid expenses and other assets (204 ) 756
Accrued and other liabilities 424 (1,537 )
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 3,648 (5,853 )
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures (1,542 ) (859 )
Net cash provided by investing activities 427 999
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal payments on finance lease obligations (715 ) (632 )
Proceeds from Paycheck Protection Program loan 3,558 0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 2,740 (788 )
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash balances (304 ) 33
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 6,511 (5,609 )
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 5,095 10,704
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year $ 11,606 $ 5,095
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for finance lease obligations $ 0 $ 269
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
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SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(in thousands, except for share data)
Accumulated
Additional Other
Common Stock Paid-In Accumulated Comprehensive Treasury
Shares Amount Capital Deficit Loss Stock
Adoption of new accounting standard 0 0 0 1,442 0 0
Employee benefit related, net of tax 0 0 0 0 447 0
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax 0 0 0 0 344 0
Employee benefit related, net of tax 0 0 0 0 (423 ) 0
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax 0 0 0 0 (224 ) 0
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
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SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2020 and 2019
(1) Organization and Significant Accounting Policies
Consolidation Policy
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Sypris Solutions, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively, “Sypris” or the “Company”) and have been prepared by the Company in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company’s operations are domiciled in the United States (U.S.) and Mexico and serve a wide variety of domestic and international customers. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
Nature of Business
Sypris is a diversified provider of truck components, oil and gas pipeline components and aerospace and defense electronics. The Company produces a wide range of manufactured products, often under multi-year, sole-source contracts with corporations and government agencies. The Company offers such products through its two business segments, Sypris Technologies, Inc. (“Sypris Technologies”) and Sypris Electronics, LLC (“Sypris Electronics”). Sypris Technologies derives its revenue primarily from the sale of forged, machined, welded and heat-treated steel components primarily for heavy commercial vehicle and high-pressure energy pipeline applications. Sypris Electronics derives its revenue primarily from circuit card and box build manufacturing, high reliability manufacturing and systems assembly and integration. Most products are built to the customer’s design specifications. The Company also provides engineering design services and repair or inspection services. See Note 21 for additional information regarding our segments.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported and the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the uncertainty with respect to developing these estimates and assumptions. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to rapidly evolve and the ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is highly uncertain and subject to change. Changes in facts and circumstances could have a significant impact on the resulting estimated amounts included in our consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
Fair Value Estimates
The Company estimates fair value of its financial instruments utilizing an established three-level hierarchy. The hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date as follows: Level 1 – Valuation is based upon unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets. Level 2 – Valuation is based upon quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, or other inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instruments. Level 3 – Valuation is based upon other unobservable inputs that are significant to the fair value measurements.
Cash Equivalents
Cash equivalents include all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased.
Inventory
Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or estimated net realizable value. Costs for raw materials, work in process and finished goods is determined under the first-in, first-out method. Indirect inventories, which include perishable tooling, repair parts and other materials consumed in the manufacturing process but not incorporated into finished products are classified as raw materials.
The Company’s reserve for excess and obsolete inventory is primarily based upon forecasted demand for its product sales, and any change to the reserve arising from forecast revisions is reflected in cost of sales in the period the revision is made.
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SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – CONTINUED
Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost. Depreciation of property, plant and equipment is generally computed using the straight-line method over their estimated economic lives. For land improvements, buildings and building improvements, the estimated economic life is generally 40 years. Estimated economic lives range from three to fifteen years for machinery, equipment, furniture and fixtures. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of their economic life or the respective lease term using the straight-line method. Expenditures for maintenance, repairs and renewals of minor items are expensed as incurred. Major rebuilds and improvements are capitalized. Also included in plant and equipment are assets under finance lease, which are stated at the present value of minimum lease payments.
Long-lived Assets
The Company reviews the carrying value of amortizable long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held for sale and held for use is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of the asset to the undiscounted future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If facts and circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset or groups of assets, as applicable, is impaired, the long-lived asset or groups of long-lived assets are written down to their estimated fair value.
Held for sale
The Company classifies long-lived assets or disposal groups as held for sale in the period: management commits to a plan to sell; the long-lived asset or disposal group is available for immediate sale in its present condition subject only to terms that are usual and customary for sales of such long-lived assets or disposal groups; an active program to locate a buyer and other actions required to complete the plan to sell have been initiated; the sale is probable within one year; the asset or disposal group is being actively marketed for sale at a price that is reasonable in relation to its current fair value; and it is unlikely that significant changes to the plan will be made or that the plan will be withdrawn. Long-lived assets and disposal groups classified as held for sale are measured at the lower of their carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell. See Note 4 for further discussion of our assets held for sale.
Leases
Our lease portfolio represents leases of real estate, including manufacturing, assembly and office facilities, while the remainder represents leases of personal property, including manufacturing and information technology equipment. We have lease agreements with lease and non-lease components, which are accounted for as a single lease component. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet, and we recognize lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Generally, we use our incremental borrowing rate in determining the present value of lease payments, unless the implicit rate is readily available.
Stock-based Compensation
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with the fair value recognition provisions using the Black-Scholes option-pricing method, which requires the input of several subjective assumptions. These assumptions include estimating the length of time employees will retain their vested stock options before exercising them (expected term) and the estimated volatility of our common stock price over the expected term. Changes in the subjective assumptions can materially affect the fair value estimate of stock-based compensation and consequently, the related expense is recognized in the consolidated statements of operations.
Income Taxes
The Company uses the liability method in accounting for income taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded for temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the consolidated financial statements, using the statutory tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. A valuation allowance is recorded to reduce the carrying amounts of deferred tax assets unless it is more likely than not that such assets will be realized.
41
SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – CONTINUED
In the ordinary course of business there is inherent uncertainty in quantifying the Company’s income tax positions. The Company assesses its income tax positions and records tax benefits for all years subject to examination based upon management’s evaluation of the facts, circumstances, and information available at the reporting dates. For those tax positions where it is more-likely-than-not that a tax benefit will be sustained, the Company has recorded the largest amount of tax benefit with a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. For those income tax positions where it is not more-likely-than-not that a tax benefit will be sustained, no tax benefit has been recognized in the financial statements. Where applicable, associated interest has also been recognized.
The Company recognizes liabilities or assets for the deferred tax consequences of temporary differences between the tax bases of assets or liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements in accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes. The Company recognizes interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense. Penalties, if incurred, would be recognized as a component of income tax expense.
Net Revenue and Cost of Sales
The Company recognizes revenue when it satisfies a performance obligation by transferring control of a promised product or rendering a service to a customer. The amount of revenue recognized reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for the product or service (the “transaction price”). The Company’s transaction price in its contracts with customers is generally fixed; no payment discounts, rebates or refunds are included within its contracts. The Company does not provide service-type warranties nor does it allow customer returns. In connection with the sale of various parts to customers, the Company is subject to typical assurance warranty obligations covering the compliance of the electronics parts produced to agreed-upon specifications. Customer returns, when they occur, relate to quality rework issues and are not connected to any repurchase obligation of the Company.
A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct product or render a service to a customer and is the unit of account to which the transaction price is allocated under ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”). When a contract contains multiple performance obligations, we allocate the transaction price to the individual performance obligations using the price at which the promised goods or services would be sold to customers on a standalone basis. For most sales within our Sypris Technologies segment and a portion of sales within Sypris Electronics, control transfers to the customer at a point in time. Indicators that control has transferred to the customer include the Company having a present right to payment, the customer obtaining legal title and the customer having the significant risks and rewards of ownership. The Company’s principal terms of sale are FOB Shipping Point, or equivalent, and, as such, the Company primarily transfers control and records revenue for product sales upon shipment.
For contracts where Sypris Electronics serves as a contractor for aerospace and defense companies under federally funded programs, we generally recognize revenue over time as we perform due to the continuous transfer of control to the customer. This continuous transfer of control to the customer is supported by clauses in the contracts that allow the customer to unilaterally terminate the contract for convenience, pay us for costs incurred plus a reasonable profit and take control of any work in process. Because control is transferred over time, revenue is recognized based on the extent of progress towards completion of the performance obligation. We use labor hours incurred as a measure of progress for these contracts because it best depicts the Company’s performance of the obligation to the customer, which occurs as we incur labor on our contracts. Under this measure of progress, the extent of progress towards completion is measured based on the ratio of labor hours incurred to date to the total estimated labor hours at completion of the performance obligation.
Our contract profit margins may include estimates of revenues for goods or services on which the customer and the Company have not reached final agreements, such as contract changes, settlements of disputed claims, and the final amounts of requested equitable adjustments permitted under the contract. These estimates are based upon management’s best assessment of the totality of the circumstances and are included in our contract profit based upon contractual provisions and our relationships with each customer.
42
SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – CONTINUED
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
An allowance for uncollectible trade receivables is recorded when accounts are deemed uncollectible based on consideration of write-off history, aging analysis, and any specific, known troubled accounts.
Product Warranty Costs
The provision for estimated warranty costs is recorded at the time of sale and is periodically adjusted to reflect actual experience. The Company’s warranty liability, which is included in accrued liabilities in the accompanying balance sheets, as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, was $638,000 and $569,000, respectively. The Company’s warranty expense for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $294,000 and $156,000, respectively.
Concentrations of Credit Risk
Financial instruments which potentially expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of accounts receivable. The Company’s customer base consists of a number of customers in diverse industries across geographic areas, primarily in North America and Mexico, and aerospace and defense companies under contract with the U.S. Government. The Company performs periodic credit evaluations of its customers’ financial condition and does not require collateral on its commercial accounts receivable. Credit losses are provided for in the consolidated financial statements and consistently have been within management’s expectations. Approximately 53% of accounts receivable outstanding at December 31, 2020 is due from four customers. More specifically, Sistemas, Detroit Diesel, CECO Peerless and Tremec comprise 17%, 14%, 11% and 11%, respectively, of December 31, 2020 outstanding accounts receivables. Approximately 27% of accounts receivable outstanding at December 31, 2019 is due from two customers. More specifically, SubCom and Detroit Diesel comprise 17% and 10%, respectively, of December 31, 2019 outstanding accounts receivables.
The Company’s largest customers for the year ended December 31, 2020 were Northrop Grummon, Sistemas, and Detroit Diesel, which represented approximately 22%, 14% and 12%, respectively, of the Company’s total net revenue. Detroit Diesel and Sistemas are both customers within the Sypris Technologies segment and Northrop Grummon is a customer within the Sypris Electronics segment. Sistemas, Detroit Diesel and Northrop Grummon were the Company’s largest customers for the year ended December 31, 2019, which represented approximately 22%, 14% and 11%, respectively, of the Company’s total net revenue. No other single customer accounted for more than 10% of the Company’s total net revenue for the years ended December 31, 2020 or 2019.
Foreign Currency Translation
The functional currency for the Company’s Mexican subsidiaries is the Mexican peso. Assets and liabilities are translated at the period end exchange rate, and income and expense items are translated at the weighted average exchange rate. The resulting translation adjustments are recorded in comprehensive loss as a separate component of stockholders’ equity. Remeasurement gains or losses for U.S. dollar denominated accounts of the Company’s Mexican subsidiaries are included in other income, net.
Collective Bargaining Agreements
Approximately 386, or 58% of the Company’s employees, all within Sypris Technologies, were covered by collective bargaining agreements at December 31, 2020. Excluding certain Mexico employees covered under an annually ratified agreement, there are no collective bargaining agreements expiring within the next 12 months. Certain Mexico employees are covered by an annually ratified collective bargaining agreement. These employees represented approximately 53% of the Company’s workforce, or 350 employees as of December 31, 2020.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-14, Compensation – Retirement Benefits – Defined Benefit Plans – General, Disclosure Framework – Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans. The guidance eliminated certain disclosures about defined benefit plans, added new disclosures, and clarified other requirements. This guidance became effective January 1, 2020. As this standard relates only to financial disclosures, its adoption did not have an impact to our operating results, financial position or cash flows.
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SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – CONTINUED
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software: Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That is a Service Contract (ASU 2018-15). ASU 2018-15 aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. The Company adopted ASU 2018-48 prospectively on January 1, 2020, and the adoption did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements or disclosures. All future implementation costs in such arrangements will be capitalized and amortized over the life of the arrangement, which may have a material impact in those future periods if such costs are material.
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Credit Losses – Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, new guidance for the accounting for credit losses on certain financial instruments. This guidance introduces a new approach to estimating credit losses on certain types of financial instruments and modifies the impairment model for available-for-sale debt securities. This guidance, which becomes effective January 1, 2023, is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes – Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. This guidance is intended to simplify various aspects of income tax accounting including the elimination of certain exceptions related to the approach for intraperiod tax allocation, the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences. The new guidance also simplifies aspects of the accounting for franchise taxes and enacted changes in tax laws or rates and clarifies the accounting for transactions that result in a step-up in the tax basis of goodwill. This guidance becomes effective January 1, 2021 and early adoption is permitted. Adoption of this guidance requires certain changes to primarily be made prospectively, with some changes to be made retrospectively. The Company did not early adopt this standard. The adoption is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Reclassifications
Certain amounts in the Company’s 2019 consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the 2020 presentation, which had no impact to the previously reported net loss and stockholder’s equity.
(2) Leases
The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at its inception. The Company has entered into operating leases for real estate. These leases have initial terms which range from 10 years to 11 years, and often include one or more options to renew. These renewal terms can extend the lease term by 5 years, and will be included in the lease term when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise the option. The Company’s existing leases do not contain significant restrictive provisions; however, certain leases contain provisions for payment of real estate taxes, insurance and maintenance costs by the Company. The lease agreements do not contain any residual value guarantees. Some of the real estate lease agreements include periods of rent holidays and payments that escalate over the lease term by specified amounts. All operating lease expenses are recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. For finance leases, interest expense is recognized on the lease liability and the right-of-use asset is amortized over the lease term.
Some leases may require variable lease payments based on factors specific to the individual agreements. Variable lease payments for which we are typically responsible for include real estate taxes, insurance and common area maintenance expenses based on the Company’s pro-rata share, which are excluded from the measurement of the lease liability. Additionally, one of the Company’s real estate leases has lease payments that adjust based on annual changes in the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”). The leases that are dependent upon CPI are initially measured using the index or rate at the commencement date and are included in the measurement of the lease liability. Incremental payments due to changes in the index are treated as variable lease costs and expensed as incurred.
These operating leases are included in “Operating lease right-of-use assets” on the Company’s December 31, 2020 consolidated balance sheet, and represent the Company’s right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. The Company’s obligations to make lease payments are included in “Operating lease liabilities, current portion” and “Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion” on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Operating lease right-of-use assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As of December 31, 2020, total right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities were approximately $6,103,000 and $6,906,000, respectively. As of December 31, 2019, total right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities were approximately $7,014,000 and $7,747,000, respectively.
44
SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – CONTINUED
We primarily use our incremental borrowing rate, which is updated quarterly, based on the information available at commencement date, in determining the present value of lease payments. If readily available, we would use the implicit rate in a new lease to determine the present value of lease payments. The Company has certain contracts for real estate which may contain lease and non-lease components which it has elected to treat as a single lease component.
The Company has entered into various short-term operating leases, primarily for office equipment with an initial term of twelve months or less. Lease payments associated with short-term leases are expensed as incurred and are not recorded on the Company’s balance sheet. The related lease expense for short-term leases was not material for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
The following table presents information related to lease expense for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands):
December 31,
Finance lease expense:
Amortization expense $ 425 $ 481
The following table presents supplemental cash flow information related to leases for the year ended December 31, 2020 (in thousands):
December 31,
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:
Operating cash flows from operating leases $ 1,363 $ 1,436
Operating cash flows from finance leases 261 348
Financing cash flows from finance leases 715 632
The annual future minimum lease payments as of December 31, 2020 are as follows (in thousands):
Operating Finance
Leases Leases
Less imputed interest (1,820 ) (671 )
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SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – CONTINUED
The following table presents certain information related to lease terms and discount rates for leases as of December 31, 2020 and 2019:
December 31,
Weighted-average remaining lease term (years):
Operating leases 6.2 7.1
Finance leases 4.9 5.3
Weighted-average discount rate (percentage):
Operating leases 8.0 8.0
(3) Revenue from Contracts with Customers
The Company recognizes revenue when it satisfies a performance obligation by transferring control of a promised product or rendering a service to a customer. The amount of revenue recognized reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for the product or service (the “transaction price”). The Company’s transaction price in its contracts with customers is generally fixed; no payment discounts, rebates or refunds are included within its contracts. The Company also does not provide service-type warranties nor does it allow customer returns. In connection with the sale of various parts to customers, the Company is subject to typical assurance warranty obligations covering the compliance of the electronics parts produced to agreed-upon specifications (See Note 1). Customer returns, when they occur, relate to quality rework issues and are not connected to any repurchase obligation of the Company.
A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct product or render a service to a customer and is the unit of account to which the transaction price is allocated under ASC 606. When a contract contains multiple performance obligations, we allocate the transaction price to the individual performance obligations using the price at which the promised goods or services would be sold to customers on a standalone basis. For most sales within our Sypris Technologies segment and a portion of sales within Sypris Electronics, control transfers to the customer at a point in time. Indicators that control has transferred to the customer include the Company having a present right to payment, the customer obtaining legal title and the customer having the significant risks and rewards of ownership. The Company’s principal terms of sale are FOB Shipping Point, or equivalent, and, as such, the Company primarily transfers control and records revenue for product sales upon shipment.
For contracts where Sypris Electronics serves as a contractor for aerospace and defense companies under federally funded programs, we generally recognize revenue over time as we perform because of continuous transfer of control to the customer. This continuous transfer of control to the customer is supported by clauses in the contracts that allow the customer to unilaterally terminate the contract for convenience, pay us for costs incurred plus a reasonable profit and take control of any work in process. Because control is transferred over time, revenue is recognized based on the extent of progress towards completion of the performance obligation. We use labor hours incurred as a measure of progress for these contracts because it best depicts the Company’s performance of the obligation to the customer, which occurs as we incur labor on our contracts. Under this measure of progress, the extent of progress towards completion is measured based on the ratio of labor hours incurred to date to the total estimated labor hours at completion of the performance obligation.
Our contract profit margins may include estimates of revenues for goods or services on which the customer and the Company have not reached final agreements, such as contract changes, settlements of disputed claims, and the final amounts of requested equitable adjustments permitted under the contract. These estimates are based upon management’s best assessment of the totality of the circumstances and are included in our contract profit based upon contractual provisions and our relationships with each customer.
Many of Sypris Electronics’ contractual arrangements with customers are for one year or less. For the remaining population of non-cancellable contracts greater than one year we had $30,324,000 of remaining performance obligations as of December 31, 2020, all of which were long-term Sypris Electronics’ contracts. We expect to recognize approximately 61% of our remaining performance obligations as revenue in 2021 and the balance in 2022.
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SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
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Disaggregation of Revenue
The following table summarizes revenue from contracts with customers for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019:
December 31,
Sypris Technologies – transferred point in time $ 45,321 $ 61,683
Sypris Electronics – transferred point in time 6,550 6,201
Sypris Electronics – transferred over time 30,475 20,007
Differences in the timing of revenue recognition, billings and cash collections results in billed accounts receivable, unbilled receivables (contract assets) and deferred revenue, customer deposits and billings in excess of revenue recognized (contract liabilities) on the consolidated balance sheets.
Contract assets – Contract assets include unbilled amounts typically resulting from sales under contracts where revenue is recognized over time and revenue recognized exceeds the amount billed to the customer, and the right to payment is subject to conditions other than the passage of time. Contract assets are generally classified as current assets in the consolidated balance sheet. The balance of contract assets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 were $1,240,000 and $906,000, respectively, and are included within other current assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
Contract liabilities – Some of the Company’s contracts within Sypris Electronics are billed as work progresses in accordance with the contract terms and conditions, either at periodic intervals or upon achievement of certain milestones. Often this results in billing occurring prior to revenue recognition resulting in contract liabilities. Additionally, the Company occasionally receives cash payments from customers in advance of the Company’s performance resulting in contract liabilities. These contract liabilities are classified as either current or long-term in the consolidated balance sheet based on the timing of when the Company expects to recognize revenue. As of December 31, 2020, the contract liabilities balance was $7,339,000, of which $6,816,000 was included within accrued liabilities and $523,000 was included within other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. As of December 31, 2019, the contract liabilities balance was $7,504,000, of which $5,769,000 was included within accrued liabilities and $1,735,000 was included within other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Payments received from customers in advance of revenue recognition are not considered to be significant financing components because they are used to meet working capital demands that can be higher in the early stages of a contract.
The Company recognized revenue from contract liabilities of $7,619,000 and $5,109,000 during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Practical expedients and exemptions
Sales commissions are expensed when incurred because the amortization period would have been one year or less. These costs are recorded in selling, general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations.
We do not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for contracts with original expected lengths of one year or less.
(4) Assets Held for Sale
On February 21, 2017, the Board of Directors approved a modified exit or disposal plan with respect to the Company’s Louisville, Kentucky automotive and commercial vehicle manufacturing plant (the “Broadway Plant”), which included the relocation of production to other Company facilities and the closure of the plant. The Company has relocated certain assets from the Broadway Plant to other manufacturing facilities to serve its existing and target customer base within the Sypris Technologies segment. Additionally, the Company identified underutilized or non-core assets for disposal. The assets identified for disposal, including the Broadway real estate, were included in assets held for sale in the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2019.
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SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – CONTINUED
On April 13, 2020, the Company completed the sale of the Broadway Plant real estate for $1,700,000. The Company also sold other equipment during 2020 for $268,000 while certain equipment at the Broadway Plant was abandoned as of December 31, 2020. Management continues to market certain other equipment located at its facility in Toluca, Mexico, which has been included in assets held for sale as of December 31, 2020.
All assets held for sale are within the Sypris Technologies segment. The following assets have been segregated and included in assets held for sale in the consolidated balance sheets (in thousands):
December 31,
Property, plant and equipment $ 1,387 $ 13,346
Accumulated depreciation (975 ) (11,113 )
Property, plant and equipment, net $ 412 $ 2,233
(5) Other Expense (Income), Net
The Company recognized other expense of $544,000 during the year ended December 31, 2020. During the year ended, December 31, 2020, the Company completed the sale of the Broadway Plant real estate for $1,700,000 and other idle assets for $268,000 and recognized net gains of $813,000 (see Note 4). The $813,000 gain on disposal was offset by a loss on the abandonment of assets of $577,000 and pension expense of $728,000. Foreign currency related expenses were not material for the year ended December 31, 2020.
The Company recognized other income of $1,256,000 during the year ended December 31, 2019. During 2019, the Company recognized a gain of $1,500,000 as a result of a settlement agreement with one of its customers to resolve various outstanding disputes between the two parties. As a result of the agreement, the customer paid the Company $1,500,000 in compensation during 2019. Additionally, the Company recognized a net gain of $654,000 in the year ended December 31, 2019 related to the sale of idle assets and foreign currency related gains of $152,000 related to the net U.S. dollar denominated monetary asset position of our Mexican subsidiaries for which the Mexican peso is the functional currency. This was offset by pension expense of $970,000.
(6) Accounts Receivable
Accounts receivable consists of the following (in thousands):
December 31,
Allowance for doubtful accounts (30 ) (50 )
(7) Inventory
Inventory consists of the following (in thousands):
December 31,
Reserve for excess and obsolete inventory (1,854 ) (1,919 )
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SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
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(8) Other Current Assets
Other current assets consist of the following (in thousands):
December 31,
Included in other current assets are income and VAT taxes refundable, tools, spare parts and other items, none of which exceed 5% of total current assets.
(9) Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment consists of the following (in thousands):
December 31,
Land and land improvements $ 43 $ 50
Buildings and building improvements 7,747 8,108
Machinery, equipment, furniture and fixtures 55,620 55,520
Construction in progress 609 371
Depreciation expense, including amortization of assets recorded under finance leases, totaled approximately $2,503,000 and $2,671,000 for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Capital expenditures included in accounts payable or accrued liabilities were not material at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Included within property, plant and equipment were assets under finance leases as follows (in thousands):
December 31,
Buildings and building improvements $ 2,955 $ 3,128
Machinery, equipment, furniture and fixtures 269 1,546
Accumulated depreciation (1,522 ) (1,495 )
(10) Other Assets
Other assets consist of the following (in thousands):
December 31,
Long term spare parts $ 494 $ 183
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SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – CONTINUED
(11) Accrued Liabilities
Accrued liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):
December 31,
Salaries, wages, employment taxes and withholdings $ 2,793 $ 2,416
Accrued professional fees 695 966
Income, property and other taxes 253 355
Deferred gain from sale-leaseback 296 313
Included in other accrued liabilities are accrued operating expenses, accrued warranty expenses, accrued interest, and other items, none of which exceed 5% of total current liabilities.
(12) Other Liabilities
Other liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):
December 31,
Noncurrent pension liability $ 4,290 $ 4,026
Deferred gain from sale leaseback 1,231 1,616
Included in other liabilities are long-term contract liabilities and other items, none of which exceed 5% of total liabilities.
Long-term obligations consists of the following (in thousands):
December 31,
Current:
Finance lease obligation, current portion $ 393 $ 684
PPP Loan, current portion 1,186 0
Current portion of long term debt and finance lease obligations $ 1,579 $ 684
Long Term:
Finance lease obligations $ 1,927 $ 2,351
Less unamortized debt issuance and modification costs (23 ) (37 )
The weighted average interest rate for outstanding borrowings at December 31, 2020 and 2019 was 5.5% and 8.0%, respectively. The Company had no capitalized interest in 2020 or 2019. Interest paid during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 totaled approximately $369,000 and $526,000, respectively.
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SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – CONTINUED
Paycheck Protection Program
During the second quarter of 2020, the Company secured a $3,558,000 term loan (the “PPP Loan”) with BMO Harris Bank National Association (“BMO”). Proceeds from the PPP Loan have been used to retain workers and maintain payroll and make lease and utility payments. The PPP Loan is evidenced by a promissory note in favor of BMO, as lender, with a principal amount of $3,558,000 that bears interest at a fixed annual rate of 1.00%. The term of the PPP Loan is two years, with no payments due under the PPP Loan until July 2021, although interest will accrue during the deferment period. Beginning July 2021, the Company will pay equal monthly installments of principal and interest in the amount necessary to fully amortize the PPP Loan through the Maturity Date, less any amount of potential forgiveness. Recent legislation under the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 provides for an extension of the maturity date up to five years, an extension of the principal and interest deferral period to the date of a loan forgiveness determination and modifications to the debt amortization schedule if the Company and BMO reach an agreement on modified terms. The PPP Loan may be accelerated upon the occurrence of an event of default.
The PPP Loan is unsecured and guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (the “SBA”). The Company may apply for forgiveness of the PPP Loan, with the amount which may be forgiven equal to the sum of payroll costs, covered rent and mortgage obligations, and covered utility payments incurred by the Company during the 24-week period beginning upon receipt of funds from the PPP Loan, subject to limitations and calculated in accordance with the terms of the CARES Act. Any forgiveness of the PPP Loan shall be subject to approval of the SBA and will require the Company and BMO to apply to the SBA for such treatment in the future. During the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company applied for forgiveness for the total amount due on the PPP Loan, but no assurance can be provided that we will obtain forgiveness of the PPP Loan in whole or in part. As a result, the Company is taking the approach that a portion of the PPP Loan is short-term and a portion is long-term, and has reflected such borrowing on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet, as appropriate. The Company will record any amounts of the loan that are forgiven as a gain on extinguishment in the period in which legal release is received.
Note Payable – Related Party
The Company has received the benefit of cash infusions from Gill Family Capital Management, Inc. (“GFCM”) in the form of secured promissory note obligations totaling $6,500,000 in principal as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. GFCM is an entity controlled by the Company’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey T. Gill, and one of our directors, R. Scott Gill. GFCM, Jeffrey T. Gill and R. Scott Gill are significant beneficial stockholders of the Company. The promissory note bears interest at a rate of 8.0% per year through March 31, 2019 and, thereafter is reset on April 1st of each year, at the greater of 8.0% or 500 basis points above the five-year Treasury note average during the preceding 90-day period, in each case, payable quarterly. The note allows for up to an 18-month deferral of payment for up to 60% of the interest due on the portion of the notes maturing in April of 2021 and 2023. During the first quarter of 2020, the Company provided notice to GFCM of its intention to elect to defer the specified portion of the interest payments due beginning on April 6, 2020.
During the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company amended its secured promissory note obligation with GFCM to, among other things: (i) extend the maturity dates by one year for (a) $2,500,000 of the obligation from April 1, 2021 to April 1, 2022, (b) $2,000,000 of the obligation from April 1, 2023 to April 1, 2024 and (c) the balance of the obligation from April 1, 2025 to April 1, 2026; (ii) extend the allowance for up to an 18-month deferral of payment for up to 60% of the interest due on the notes maturing in April of 2022 and 2024; (iii) provide for the reinstatement of a first security interest in the assets of Sypris Electronics, LLC; and (iv) provide for payment on January 4, 2021 of any accrued but unpaid interest for 2020. All other terms of the promissory note, as amended, remain in place.
Obligations under the promissory note are guaranteed by all of the subsidiaries and are secured by a first priority lien on substantially all assets of the Company, including those in Mexico.
Finance Lease Obligations
On March 9, 2016, the Company completed the sale of its 24-acre Toluca property for 215,000,000 Mexican Pesos, or approximately $12,182,000 in U.S. dollars. Simultaneously, the Company entered into a ten-year lease of the 9 acres and buildings currently occupied by the Company and needed for its ongoing business in Toluca. As a result of the Toluca Sale-Leaseback, the Company has a finance lease obligation of $2,139,000 for the building as of December 31, 2020.
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SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – CONTINUED
In February 2019, the Company entered into a 60-month capital lease for $269,000 for new machinery at its Sypris Technologies facility in the U.S. The balance of the finance lease obligation as of December 31, 2020 was $181,000.
(14) Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities are reflected in the consolidated financial statements at their carrying amount which approximates fair value because of the short-term maturity of those instruments. The carrying amount of debt outstanding at December 31, 2020 approximates fair value, and is based upon a market approach (Level 2).
(15) Employee Benefit Plans
Sypris Technologies sponsors noncontributory defined benefit pension plans (the “Pension Plans”) covering certain of its employees. The Pension Plans covering salaried and management employees provide pension benefits that are based on the employees’ highest five-year average compensation within ten years before retirement. The Pension Plans covering hourly employees and union members generally provide benefits at stated amounts for each year of service. All of the Company’s pension plans are frozen to new participants and certain plans are frozen to additional benefit accruals. The Company’s funding policy is to make the minimum annual contributions required by the applicable regulations. The Pension Plans’ assets are primarily invested in equity securities and fixed income securities.
The following table details the components of pension (income) expense (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
Service cost $ 5 $ 4
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation 1,084 1,407
Net amortization of actuarial loss 631 666
Expected return on plan assets (987 ) (1,103 )
Net periodic benefit cost $ 733 $ 974
The net periodic cost of the defined benefit pension plans incurred during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 are reflected in the following captions in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
Service cost:
Selling, general and administrative expenses $ 5 4
Other net periodic benefit costs:
Other expense (income), net 728 970
The following are summaries of the changes in the benefit obligations and plan assets and of the funded status of the Pension Plans (in thousands):
December 31,
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year $ 36,050 $ 34,690
Service cost 5 4
Benefit obligation at end of year $ 36,859 $ 36,050
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SYPRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – CONTINUED
December 31,
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year $ 31,738 $ 30,199
Fair value of plan assets at end of year $ 32,353 $ 31,738
Underfunded status of the plans $ (4,506 ) $ (4,312 )
Balance sheet assets (liabilities):
Accrued liabilities (596 ) (893 )
Net amount recognized $ (4,506 ) $ (4,312 )
Pension plans with accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets:
December 31,
Projected benefit obligation and net periodic pension cost assumptions: