AdvanSix Inc. 10-K

Item 1. Business In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, unless the context otherwise dictates, “AdvanSix”, the “Company”, “we” or “our” means AdvanSix Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. Corporate History On October 1, 2016, Honeywell International Inc. (“Honeywell”) completed the separation of AdvanSix. The separation was completed by Honeywell distributing (the "Distribution") all of the then outstanding shares of common stock of AdvanSix on October 1, 2016 (the “Distribution Date”) through a dividend in kind of AdvanSix common stock, par value $0.01 per share, to holders of Honeywell common stock as of the close of business on the record date of September 16, 2016 who held their shares through the Distribution Date (the “Spin-Off”). Description of Business AdvanSix plays a critical role in global supply chains, innovating and delivering essential products for our customers in a wide variety of end markets and applications that touch people’s lives, such as building and construction, fertilizers, plastics, solvents, packaging, paints, coatings, adhesives and electronics. Our reliable and sustainable supply of quality products emerges from the vertically integrated value chain of our three U.S.-based manufacturing facilities. AdvanSix strives to deliver best-in-class customer experiences and differentiated products in the industries of nylon solutions, chemical intermediates, and plant nutrients, guided by our core values of Safety, Integrity, Accountability and Respect. Our four key product lines are as follows : • Nylon – We sell our Nylon 6 resin globally, primarily under the Aegis® brand name. Nylon 6, is a polymer resin which is a synthetic material used by our customers to produce fibers, filaments, engineered plastics and films that, in turn, are used in such end-products as carpets, automotive and electric components, sports apparel, food packaging and other industrial applications. In addition, our Nylon 6 resin is used to produce nylon films which we sell to our customers primarily under the Capran® brand name. • Caprolactam – Caprolactam is the key monomer used in the production of Nylon 6 resin. We internally polymerize caprolactam into Aegis® Nylon 6 Resins, and we also market and sell the caprolactam that is not consumed internally to customers who use it to manufacture polymer resins to produce nylon fibers, films and other nylon products. Our Hopewell manufacturing facility is one of the world’s largest single-site producers of caprolactam as of December 31, 2020. • Chemical Intermediates – We manufacture, market and sell a number of other chemical products that are derived from the chemical processes within our integrated supply chain. Most significant is acetone which is used by our customers in the production of adhesives, paints, coatings, solvents, herbicides and engineered plastic resins. Other intermediate chemicals that we manufacture, market and sell include phenol, alpha-methylstyrene (“AMS”), cyclohexanone, oximes (methyl ethyl ketoxime, acetaldehyde oxime and 2-pentanone oxime), cyclohexanol, sulfuric acid, ammonia and carbon dioxide. • Ammonium Sulfate – Our ammonium sulfate is used by customers as a fertilizer containing nitrogen and sulfur, two key plant nutrients. Ammonium sulfate fertilizer is derived from the caprolactam manufacturing process. Because of our Hopewell facility’s size, scale and technology design, we are the world’s largest single-site producer of ammonium sulfate fertilizer as of December 31, 2020. We market and sell ammonium sulfate primarily to North American and South American distributors, farm cooperatives and retailers to fertilize crops. Each of these product lines represented the following approximate percentage of total sales: Years Ended December 31, 2020 2019 2018 Nylon 24% 27% 28% Caprolactam 19% 22% 19% Chemical Intermediates 32% 28% 33% Ammonium Sulfate 25% 23% 20% 100% 100% 100% 1 The following charts illustrate the distribution of our sales by product line and by region, measured by the destination of each sale, for the year ended December 31, 2020: For information concerning revenues and assets by geographic region, see “Note 3. Revenue” to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form 10-K, which is incorporated herein by reference. Our manufacturing process is backward integrated. We use cumene, a chemical compound produced from benzene and propylene, to manufacture phenol, acetone and AMS at our Frankford, Pennsylvania plant. The majority of the phenol we manufacture is further processed at our Hopewell facility through an integrated series of unit operations, which also consume natural gas and sulfur, to produce caprolactam and ammonium sulfate. In recent years, approximately 55% of the caprolactam we have produced at our facility in Hopewell, Virginia has been shipped to our facility in Chesterfield, Virginia where it has been polymerized into Aegis® Nylon 6 resins. Our integrated manufacturing process, scale and the quantity and range of our products make us one of the most efficient manufacturers in our industry. We consistently focus on and invest in improving production yields from our various manufacturing processes to build on our leading cost position. Our global logistics infrastructure enables a reliable intra-plant supply chain and consistent and timely delivery to our customers. In addition, we strive to understand the product applications and end-markets into which our products are sold, which helps us upgrade the quality, chemical properties and packaging of our products in ways which enable us to attract price premiums and greater demand. 2 We serve approximately 400 customers globally located in more than 50 countries. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, we had sales of $1,158 million, $1,297 million and $1,515 million with net income of $46 million, $41 million and $66 million, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, our international sales were $267 million, $240 million and $244 million, respectively. AdvanSix is a single operating segment and a single reportable segment, operating through three integrated U.S.-based manufacturing sites located in Frankford, Pennsylvania and Hopewell and Chesterfield, Virginia. The Company's headquarters is located in Parsippany, New Jersey. Competitive Strengths Low Cost Position Driven by Integrated Manufacturing Footprint, Large Scale, Favorable Geographical Location, and High Utilization Rates . Our backward integrated manufacturing facilities, scale, access to lower cost raw materials, and high plant utilization rates help us maintain our position as the world’s lowest cost producer of caprolactam. First, we are backward integrated into several key feedstock materials necessary to produce caprolactam, particularly phenol, ammonia and oleum/sulfuric acid, which we believe is a unique advantage in our industry. Backward integration contributes to higher operating margins by lowering raw material transportation, handling and storage costs. It also allows us to remain flexible, while optimizing sales from our diverse portfolio of products. Second, we operate one of the world’s largest single-site caprolactam and ammonium sulfate production facilities, which is a competitive advantage in our fragmented industry. Our scale provides operating leverage and the opportunity to achieve stronger business performance than our competitors in several ways. Most fundamentally, it enables us to spread fixed and overhead costs across more pounds of production, thereby enabling us to produce caprolactam at a lower per pound cost than our competitors, as well as benefiting our procurement activities for raw materials and services. We believe that our reputation as one of the world’s largest producers of caprolactam, Nylon 6 resin, ammonium sulfate, and associated chemical intermediates attracts potential new customers who seek greater stability with respect to their supply requirements. Third, the location of our manufacturing operations in the United States affords us access to the world’s lowest cost natural gas, which is a key raw material needed to manufacture the ammonia used in the production of caprolactam as well as the source of energy for our manufacturing operations. By contrast, a significant number of our competitors are in geographic locations where energy prices are substantially higher. Our footprint also provides access to a number of higher value end markets across our product lines. Finally, our long-term customer relationships and contracts enable us to maintain high plant utilization rates, which, along with our large scale, provide significant operating and purchasing leverage. Diverse Revenue Sources from the Sale of Fertilizer, Acetone and Other Chemical Intermediates. Due to our specific chemical manufacturing processes, backward integration and scale, we produce ammonium sulfate fertilizer, acetone and a wide range of other chemical intermediates that enable us to diversify our revenue sources. Most significantly, for every pound of caprolactam produced, we produce approximately four pounds of ammonium sulfate, a fertilizer used by farmers around the world. For the past two decades, we have employed agronomists to educate growers and retailers in the Americas on the yield value of using ammonium sulfate fertilizer on key crops including corn, wheat, coffee, sugar, cotton and rice. Sales of ammonium sulfate in 2020 were $288 million and represented 25% of our total sales. We are among the most significant suppliers of acetone to a variety of end-markets in North America. Sales of acetone in 2020 were approximately $184 million and represented 16% of our total sales. In addition to fertilizer and acetone, other products from our manufacturing process include high-purity phenol, AMS, cyclohexanone, oximes, cyclohexanol, sulfuric acid, ammonia and carbon dioxide. The diversity of our sales portfolio helps to mitigate, to some extent, the cyclicality in our end-markets. Global Reach. The global reach of our sales and marketing capabilities enables us to compete everywhere nylon resin, caprolactam, ammonium sulfate and chemical intermediates are consumed. In 2020, approximately 23% of our sales were outside the United States. Our freight and logistics capabilities and terminal locations position us well to serve global markets, including the dock and loading facility at our Hopewell facility which serves ocean-going dry-bulk freight vessels. Our global reach enables us to arbitrage geographic price variations to ensure we are receiving the highest value for our products. Technical Know-How, Customer Intimacy and Application Development Capabilities. Intimate knowledge of our customers and end-market applications, combined with our technical know-how, enables us to develop differentiated products that are often valued higher by customers compared to commodity products. We have a Research and Development ("R&D") department consisting of scientists and engineers with degrees in polymer and chemical synthesis, catalysis and chemical engineering, who work not only on developing new products for nylon resins but also driving unique offerings for our chemical intermediates and ammonium sulfate customers. Our R&D team has expanded our capabilities to test and scale production of copolymer Nylon 6/66 resin, which is used in food packaging films and other applications. Our agronomists provide the latest scientific information on the importance of sulfur nutrition for crops and how to optimize the benefits of ammonium sulfate fertilizer to our global customers through a variety of channels including webinars, technical training sessions for retailers and direct grower meetings. Further, members of our technical marketing team, representing each of our major product lines, present at various industry events and conferences to demonstrate our breadth of product offerings and capabilities. 3 Business Strategies Operational Excellence and Improving Through-Cycle Profitability . Through our backward integration, size, access to low-cost raw materials, and high utilization rates, we seek to build on our low-cost leadership position and expand operating margins by reducing our Nylon 6 resin, caprolactam, ammonium sulfate and other chemical intermediate production costs. Our focus on operational excellence and ongoing productivity improvements concentrate on the following: • Increasing production volume through asset reliability, flexibility and capacity; • Investing in intermediate chemical buffer storage capacity to mitigate the unfavorable impact of routine maintenance and unplanned interruptions; • Energy and direct material initiatives aimed at increasing plant productivity and lowering costs; and • Procurement processes, competitive bidding and supplier diversification to reduce raw material and indirect costs. Enhancing Portfolio Resiliency. Our diverse portfolio serves us well particularly during times of uncertainty. Over the past several years, we have invested in capabilities to increase the value of our product portfolio and meet customer specifications in certain high value industries including high-purity applications, high-value intermediates and differentiated nylon. Although many of these products are still in early stages of development, we have had successes across the portfolio including our oximes-based EZ-Blox™ anti-skinning agent used in paints and strong growth momentum for our Nadone® cyclohexanone product line, which is a solvent used in various high-value applications. Growing off a small base, we have also seen commercial success with our Nylon-based wire and cable offerings. Supporting our differentiated nylon portfolio, we installed a production line at our Chesterfield facility that is capable of producing multiple grades of higher value Nylon 6 resin as well as copolymer Nylon 6/66 resin, which are used in engineered plastics for the automotive industry, films for food packaging, as well as other higher value applications. Our customers typically buy nylon resin and caprolactam for compounding or extruding with additives and other materials, to increase strength or flexibility or to add color to make the resin more suitable for use in their end products such as textiles, packaging and industrial materials. We leverage our R&D investments, customer intimacy and knowledge of product applications to develop new resin products to better serve our customers and increase the value of our resin products portfolio. For example, engineered plastics that utilize Nylon 6 and Nylon 66 resin are being increasingly used in automobiles to reduce weight as automobile manufacturers strive to meet stricter fuel efficiency standards. We work with our customers serving this market to develop resin products specifically tailored for these product applications. Another focus of our R&D initiatives includes nylon resin processing technologies that can produce existing high value resins at lower costs. Our R&D team works with existing and potential customers to understand end-use applications, build application development capabilities and protect the value proposition of our new products. In addition, as a result of recent efforts and enhancements in crystallizer technology and operations, we are now producing more high-quality granular grade ammonium sulfate to meet the growing demand of our customers. Strong Capital Stewardship. We have developed and are executing against a multi-year pipeline of high-return growth and cost savings capital projects. These efforts target improvement in production rate, cost, quality and yield. We are focused on improving our return on invested capital and remain disciplined in our approach as we support long-term shareholder value. On an ongoing basis we evaluate options to return cash to shareholders while also pursuing a highly-selective acquisition and alliance strategy to supplement our organic sales by broadening our customer base, developing our technology and product portfolios, expanding our geographic reach and enhancing our cash flow profile and margin stability. Industry Overview Nylon Solutions. Global demand for Nylon 6 resin spans a variety of end-uses such as textiles, engineered plastics, industrial filament, food and industrial films, and carpet. The market growth typically tracks global GDP growth over the long-term but varies by end-use. Generally, prices for Nylon 6 resin and caprolactam reflect supply and demand in the marketplace as well as the value of the basic raw materials used in the production of caprolactam, consisting primarily of benzene and, depending on the manufacturing process utilized, natural gas and sulfur. The global prices for nylon resin typically track a spread over the price of caprolactam, which in turn tracks as a spread over benzene because the key feedstock materials for caprolactam, phenol or cyclohexane, are derived from benzene. This price spread has historically experienced cyclicality as a result of global changes in supply and demand. Generally, Nylon 6 resin prices track the cyclicality of caprolactam prices, although prices set above the spread are achievable when nylon resin manufacturers, like AdvanSix, formulate and produce differentiated nylon resin products. Our differentiated Nylon 6 products are typically valued at a higher level than commodity resin products. We believe that Nylon 6 end-market growth will continue to generally track global GDP over the long-term. Applications such as engineered plastics and packaging have potential to grow at faster rates given certain macrotrends. Additionally, one of our strategies is to continue developing higher-value, differentiated Nylon 6 products, such as our wire and cable and co-polymer offerings, in current and new customer applications. 4 The global market for Nylon 6 resin and caprolactam has undergone significant change over the past decade. Following a peak in 2011 through the first half of 2016, nylon and caprolactam prices experienced a cyclical period of downturn as Chinese manufacturers entered the market and increased global supply at a time when demand growth remained relatively stable. As a result of the increased capacity and competitive intensity, industry margins for Nylon 6 resin and caprolactam compressed over this period to a low point in mid-2016. In the second half of 2016, capacity reductions by our competitors occurred in North America and Europe improving supply / demand fundamentals in North America with continued dynamic conditions globally. Industry spreads had fluctuated near marginal producer cost since 2016, but, slowing global growth and soft end-market demand, combined with capacity increases and an uncertain macro environment, pressured pricing and spreads during the second half of 2019 and throughout 2020. Chemical Intermediates. Chemical intermediates are used as key inputs for a variety of end-market products including construction materials, paints and coatings, packaging and consumer applications. The primary products are acetone, phenol, AMS and cyclohexanone. Acetone and phenol represent approximately 50% and 10%, respectively, of our chemical intermediates sales. In the United States, where we primarily sell our acetone, there were elevated levels of acetone imports during 2018 and 2019 given high industry operating rates globally, which pressured regional pricing and spreads. Prices for acetone are influenced by its own supply and demand dynamics but can also be influenced by the underlying move in propylene input costs. As a result of the anti-dumping filing and final ruling, acetone imports into the U.S. declined beginning mid-2019 and continued at lower levels through 2020, creating more favorable supply / demand conditions for the product. Supply and demand conditions for the remaining intermediates we sell are generally balanced or favorable. Plant Nutrients. Ammonium sulfate fertilizer products are primarily sold in North and South America. Ammonium sulfate is used as a fertilizer providing the key nutrients of sulfur and nitrogen for major agricultural crops globally such as corn, wheat, coffee, sugar, cotton and rice. As of December 31, 2020, ammonium sulfate fertilizer accounts for approximately 5% of the global market for nitrogen fertilizer and over 40% of the global market for sulfur fertilizer. Global prices for ammonium sulfate are influenced by several factors including the price of urea, which is the most widely used source of nitrogen-based fertilizer in the world. Other global factors driving ammonium sulfate fertilizer demand are general agriculture trends, including the price of crops. Our ammonium sulfate product is positioned with the added value proposition of sulfur nutrition to increase yields of key crops. In addition, due to its nutrient density, the typical ammonium sulfate product delivers pound for pound the most readily available sulfur and nitrogen to crops than other fertilizers. We recently expanded our offering to directly supply packaged ammonium sulfate to customers, primarily in North and South America, and diversified and optimized our offerings to include spray-grade adjuvant to support crop protection, as well as other specialty fertilizers and products for industrial use. We produce ammonium sulfate fertilizer continuously throughout the year as part of our manufacturing process, but quarterly sales experience seasonality based on the timing and length of the growing seasons in North and South America. North America ammonium sulfate prices are typically strongest during second quarter fertilizer application and then typically decline seasonally with new season fill in the third quarter. Due to the ammonium sulfate fertilizer sales cycle, we occasionally build up higher inventory balances because our production is continuous and not tied to seasonal demand for fertilizers. Sales of most of our other products have generally been subject to minimal, or no, seasonality. Competition Competition across our product offerings is based on a variety of factors including price, reliability of supply, product innovation, and quality. Other competitive factors include breadth of product line, R&D efforts and technical and managerial capability. While the competitive position of our individual products varies, we believe we are a significant competitor in each major product class. AdvanSix competes with integrated manufacturers, such as Highsun Group Holdings Ltd., BASF Corporation, Sinopec Limited, DOMO Chemicals GmbH, LANXESS AG and Ube Industries, Ltd. We also compete with manufacturers such as Li Peng Enterprise Co. Ltd. and Zig Sheng Industrial Co., Ltd. that produce only polymer resin; synthetic manufacturers of ammonium sulfate, such as Pasadena Commodities International and Nutrien Ltd.; and stand-alone phenol producers, such as Ineos and Altivia. A number of our products are sold in markets with many competitors, some of whom have substantial financial resources and significant technological capabilities. Additionally, our competitors include companies with global operations as well as those operating only within specific geographic regions. Product Overview Nylon and Caprolactam We manufacture our Nylon 6 resin in our Chesterfield plant. We sell our Nylon 6 resin globally, primarily under the Aegis® brand name. In addition, we sell our Nylon 6 resin to a nylon film producer from whom we purchase films to sell to our customers under the Capran® brand name. In 2020, our Nylon products generated $285 million of sales. In 2020, 2019 and 2018, Nylon sales were 24%, 27% and 28% of our total sales, respectively. 5 We produce caprolactam, the key monomer used in the production of Nylon 6 resin, at our Hopewell plant using phenol produced at our Frankford plant and sulfur and natural gas obtained from third-party suppliers. In 2020, caprolactam generated $216 million of sales. In 2020, 2019 and 2018, caprolactam sales were 19%, 22% and 19% of our total sales, respectively. Chemical Intermediates We produce and sell chemical intermediates to a range of customers for use in many different types of end-products. In 2020, our chemical intermediates generated $369 million of sales, of which $296 million, or 80%, came from sales of acetone, phenol and cyclohexanone, and $73 million, or 20%, came from sales of our other chemical intermediates. In 2020, 2019 and 2018, sales of chemical intermediates were 32%, 28% and 33% of our total sales, respectively. The phenol we produce at our Frankford plant is a key chemical intermediate used in our caprolactam manufacturing process. Approximately 82% of the phenol we produce is used in production of caprolactam and other chemical intermediates at Hopewell, and approximately 18% of our phenol is sold to customers for use in their product applications such as resins, epoxies and Bisphenol A. All our acetone is sold to customers for use in end-products such as adhesives, paints, coatings, solvents, herbicides and engineered plastic resins. Acetone is typically used by our customers as a key raw material in the production of a variety of other chemicals which are then used in the applications listed above. We also produce and sell AMS, cyclohexanone, oximes and cyclohexanol. We use some of these products in our manufacturing process and sell some to customers for use in end-products such as resins, inks, paints, coatings and agricultural chemical intermediates and electronic components. Ammonium Sulfate Ammonium sulfate fertilizer is produced simultaneously with caprolactam as part of our integrated caprolactam manufacturing process at our Hopewell plant. We manufacture this product in a ratio of approximately four pounds of ammonium sulfate to one pound of caprolactam. Our competitors typically produce approximately two pounds or less of ammonium sulfate for each pound of caprolactam. We are targeting conversion of approximately 65% of the ammonium sulfate we produce in higher-value granular form, an increase of approximately 5% compared to historical targets. We sell ammonium sulfate under the brand name Sulf-N®, and in 2020, our ammonium sulfate products generated $288 million of sales. In 2020, 2019 and 2018, ammonium sulfate sales were 25%, 23% and 20% of our total sales, respectively. Raw Materials The primary raw material used in our manufacturing process is cumene, which is produced from benzene and propylene. We purchase cumene from multiple suppliers to ensure stability of supply and optimal terms. Other important raw materials used in our manufacturing process are natural gas and sulfur, which are used to produce caprolactam and ammonium sulfate. We purchase natural gas and sulfur from a diverse set of suppliers. Historically, we have been able to renew contracts with our suppliers and obtain sufficient quantities of cumene, sulfur, natural gas and any other key raw materials. Global supply and demand can significantly impact the price of our key raw materials, and historically prices have been cyclical. We mitigate our exposure to commodity price risk primarily through the use of medium and long-term, formula-based price contracts with our suppliers and formula-based price agreements with customers. Sales, Marketing and Distribution We have a global sales force with long-standing customer relationships and deep expertise with our products, product applications and end-markets. We predominantly sell directly to our customers, primarily under contracts but also through spot transactions under purchase orders and through distributors. Our products are supported by our global logistics capability that we employ to ensure reliable and timely delivery to our customers while maximizing distribution resources and efficiency. Customers Globally, we serve approximately 400 customers in a wide variety of industries located in more than 50 countries. In 2020, the Company's 10 largest customers accounted for approximately 43% of total sales. Our largest customer is Shaw Industries Group Inc. ("Shaw"), one of the world's largest consumers of caprolactam and Nylon 6 resin. We sell Nylon 6 resin and caprolactam to Shaw under a long-term agreement. Sales to Shaw were 14% of our total sales for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 22% of our total 6 sales for each of the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018. We typically sell to our other customers under master services agreements, with primarily one-year terms, or by purchase orders. We have historically experienced low customer turnover. Seasonality We produce ammonium sulfate fertilizer continuously throughout the year as part of our manufacturing process, but quarterly sales fluctuate based on the timing and length of the growing seasons in North and South America. North America ammonium sulfate prices are typically strongest during second quarter fertilizer application and then typically decline seasonally with new season fill in the third quarter. Due to the ammonium sulfate fertilizer sales cycle, we occasionally build up higher inventory balances because our production is continuous and not tied to seasonal demand for fertilizers. Sales of most of our other products have generally been subject to minimal, or no, seasonality. Research & Development and Intellectual Property We believe success in our industry is driven not only by operational excellence and cost position but also through technological strength and innovation. Our R&D activities focus on improving our chemical manufacturing processes to increase efficiency, capacity, productivity, and lowering our production and operating costs, as well as innovating and developing new product applications. We benefit from numerous patents and trademarks that we own. We sell our Nylon 6 resin under the Aegis® brand name, our nylon films under the Capran® brand name and our ammonium sulfate fertilizer under the Sulf-N® brand name. Chemical intermediates are sold under the brand names of Nadone®, Naxol® and EZ-Blox™. We also benefit from technology covered by trade secrets, including know-how and other proprietary information relating to many of our products, processes and technologies. We do not consider any individual patent, trademark or licensing or distribution rights related to a specific process or product to be of material importance in relation to our total business. In our judgment, our intellectual property rights are adequate for the conduct of our business. We intend to continue taking steps as necessary to protect our intellectual property, including when appropriate, filing patent applications for inventions that are deemed important to our business. In 2020, we conducted R&D at technology centers with researchers at our sites in Frankford, Pennsylvania and Chesterfield, Virginia where our former Colonial Heights R&D facility relocated in early 2020 enabling an improved configuration of our labs to drive productivity, increased connectivity with our resin manufacturing and more effective collaboration with customers. Regulation and Environmental Matters We are subject to various federal, state, local and foreign government requirements regarding protection of human health and the environment. Compliance with these laws and regulations results in higher capital expenditures and costs. We believe that, as a general matter, our policies, practices and procedures are properly designed to prevent unreasonable risk of environmental impact, and any resulting financial liability. Some risk of environmental impact is, however, inherent in some of our operations and products, as it is with other companies engaged in similar businesses. We are and have been engaged in the handling, manufacture, use and disposal of many substances classified as hazardous by one or more regulatory agencies. It is possible that future knowledge or other developments, such as improved capability to detect substances in the environment or increasingly strict environmental laws, standards and enforcement policies, could bring into question our current or past handling, manufacture, use or disposal of these substances. Among other environmental laws and regulations, we are subject to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act; the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and similar state, foreign and global laws for management and remediation of hazardous materials; the Clean Air Act (“CAA”) and the Clean Water Act, for protection of air and water resources; the Toxic Substance Control Act (“TSCA”), for regulation of chemicals in commerce and reporting of potential known adverse effects. There are also numerous other federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations governing materials transport and packaging, under which we may be designated as a potentially responsible party liable for cleanup costs associated with current operating sites and various hazardous waste sites. Our business may be impacted by potential climate change legislation, regulation or international treaties or accords in the foreseeable future. We will continue to monitor emerging developments in this area. Our accounting policy for environmental expenditures is discussed in “Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to the audited Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form 10-K. We continuously seek to improve our health, safety and environmental performance. We have expended funds to comply with environmental laws and regulations and expect to continue to do so. 7 Our Frankford and Hopewell facilities are regulated facilities under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (“MTSA”) due to the nature of our operations and the proximity of the facilities to adjacent waterways. As a result, we are required to comply with numerous regulations administered by the Department of Homeland Security, including the development and implementation of compliant security procedures and protocols. Additionally, sales of acetone, which is a List II Chemical under the TSCA, are regulated by the Drug Enforcement Act. This classification subjects us to audits by the Drug Enforcement Administration and ongoing restrictions on our sales activities with respect to acetone. See “Risk Factors – Extensive environmental, health and safety laws and regulations applicable to our operations, including initiatives related to discharges into the air and water, hazardous waste, sustainability, global warming and climate change, may result in substantial costs and unanticipated loss or liability, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations” in Item 1A. Human Capital Management As a company, we recognize that our people are our greatest asset and the foundation of our success. We feel a deep sense of responsibility to provide a safe, inclusive and engaging workplace for all our employees and contractors, and strive for a zero-incident safety culture. Our core values of Safety, Integrity, Accountability and Respect guide our day-to-day activities and inform our broader business strategy as we drive safe, stable and sustainable operations through an ownership mentality aligned to shareholder value creation. Our Board of Directors (“Board”), along with management and cross-functional teams, work closely to evaluate and proactively address human capital management topics such as safety, inclusion and diversity, employee development, employee benefits and employee engagement. Employees As of December 31, 2020, the Company employed approximately 1,400 people. Of this total, approximately 605 are salaried employees and approximately 795 are hourly employees. Approximately 705 employees are covered under collective bargaining agreements that expire between 2021 and 2024. The Company strives to maintain positive and productive relationships with all of its employees, including the unions representing those employees. Oversight and Management Our Board and Board committees provide oversight on various human capital management matters. As noted in their respective charters: • Our Health, Safety, Environmental and Sustainability Committee oversees policies and programs relating to compliance with health, safety, environmental, and sustainability matters, including process safety, supply chain security, asset reliability, product stewardship, community engagement and government affairs, as well as such other matters regarding the Company’s role as a responsible corporate citizen. • Our Nominating and Governance Committee annually evaluates the effectiveness of our governance framework and social responsibility policies, goals and programs. • Our Audit Committee exercises oversight of enterprise risk assessments and risk management including with respect to current and emerging labor and human capital management risks and seeks to mitigate exposure to those risks. • Our Compensation and Leadership Development Committee is responsible for oversight of the performance, development and retention of management necessary to support the growth and success of the Company. Health and Safety At AdvanSix, safety is our number one core value — we “Live Safety” in all we do. “Live Safety” is an interdependent concept meaning that employees care not only for their own safety, but for the safety of their teammates and communities in which we operate. AdvanSix is a Responsible Care® company with a focus on personal and process safety and advancing as a sustainable enterprise. Responsible Care® is the environmental, health, safety and security performance initiative of the American Chemistry Council (ACC). AdvanSix has demonstrated its commitment to the Responsible Care® Guiding Principles, which encourage ethical leadership, product safety, a culture which reduces and manages process safety risk, reduction of pollution and waste, and continuous improvement in environmental, health, safety and security performance. As an organization, we maintain a relentless focus on continuous improvement and our expectation is zero injuries for employees and contractors. Toward the end of 2019, we launched a new program, CARE — Courage to Act, Respond and Engage — as the next step in our safety journey and to inspire us to Live Safety in all we do. We use the industry standard Total Case Incident Rate ("TCIR") to 8 measure our ongoing safety performance and compare with benchmarks. TCIR is defined as the number of occupational injuries and illnesses per 100 employees. Our TCIR was 0.91 in 2020, 0.86 in 2019 and 0.76 in 2018. In the first quarter of 2020, the Company began executing its business continuity plans with dedicated teams chartered to proactively implement measures to mitigate COVID-19 impacts while continuing to operate all of its manufacturing facilities to meet customer demand. In response to COVID-19, the Company took many actions during 2020 to protect its employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders and surrounding communities including, but not limited to: (i) 100% thermal screening process at all facilities and restrictions on non-essential visitors; (ii) telecommuting across all sites, where possible; (iii) prohibiting all non-essential domestic and international business travel; (iv) establishing social distancing while limiting the number of employees in control rooms, labs and in-person meetings; and (v) maintaining policies and practices consistent with CDC and government guidelines including upgraded personal protective equipment, face coverings at all facilities, and exposure management protocols. Our telecommuting policies have been designed to allow for continued operation of non-production business-critical functions, including financial reporting systems and internal controls. The Company has protocols in place at all sites, including on-site medical personnel at manufacturing facilities to actively monitor employees and contractors who report symptoms of or exposure to COVID-19. In addition, the Company has trained a contingent workforce to operate the plants as part of its business continuity planning. The Company continued its execution of these measures at all sites through the end of 2020 and intends to continue to do so through the duration of the pandemic. Inclusion and Diversity At AdvanSix, we strive for an inclusive work environment that fosters respect for all our coworkers, customers, suppliers and business partners. We value the diversity reflected in the various backgrounds, experiences, and ideas of our employees, contractors, and other stakeholders. Our Code of Conduct outlines our commitment to provide employees a workplace that is free from discrimination or harassment (specifically related to gender, race, disability, ethnicity, nationality, religion and sexual orientation) or personal behavior not conducive to a productive work climate. We believe it is important that each employee feels a sense of belonging and valued as part of the organizational culture we are cultivating, and we feel it is important that each employee sees diverse representation across our AdvanSix team. AdvanSix joined hundreds of companies in signing the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion pledge, which centers around three main commitments: to have complex discussions about diversity and inclusion, implement and expand upon unconscious bias education and share diversity and inclusion practices. AdvanSix also seeks to improve gender equality in the manufacturing industry, starting with supporting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and work in related fields. In 2019, a group of employees formed Supporting Women in Manufacturing (SWiM), an AdvanSix Employee Resource Group, to promote women in manufacturing, female leadership and growth in STEM-related fields. SWiM seeks to raise awareness on these matters through programs, events and discussions, including networking, professional development, outreach, volunteering and internal programs highlighting leadership and career paths in multiple disciplines. AdvanSix is committed to pay equity for its employees and regularly performs reviews of its compensation practices to evaluate and maintain pay equity in several respects, including by gender, ethnicity and race. At a national level, AdvanSix not only participates as a Board member, but is a patron level supporter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ (AIChE) “Doing a World of Good” initiative that actively supports five high priority pillars within the chemical engineering field that align closely with sustainability and ESG principles including equity, diversity and inclusion. In addition, AdvanSix has supported and participated in the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative ("FOSSI"), a national, industry-wide program which provides scholarships to students pursuing STEM degrees at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and connections to internships, leadership development and mentoring opportunities. During 2020, we introduced a number of key actions to progress inclusion and diversity within the organization including focus group discussions, review of our talent pipeline and overall development programs. Notably, we enhanced our recruiting processes by implementing a program mandating a diverse candidate slate with the goal to increase our organization’s workforce diversity and improve outreach in the local communities where we operate. In addition, we introduced unconscious bias training at leadership and managerial levels enterprise-wide to enhance our recruitment efforts and the evaluation process of candidates. Our senior leadership team was comprised of over 50% women in 2020, including our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Human Resource Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Chief Information Officer, Vice President, Nylon Solutions and Vice President, Business Development. Two of our eight-member Board of Directors are women. Employee Development AdvanSix seeks to attract the best talent from a diverse range of sources in order to meet the needs of our business now and in the future. We have established strong relationships with community colleges, universities, professional associations and industry groups with a focus on technical positions and development in order to attract talent including by utilizing co-op, internship programs and university relations as a talent pipeline. Early career development and continual learning is part of our employee engagement strategy. To support the advancement of our employees, we promote development through training that broadens work-related skills and 9 believe that the most effective model combines an “experience, exposure, and education” approach. We acknowledge that learning is a career-long endeavor and place the greatest emphasis on learning by doing, supported by feedback, training, and self-reflection. AdvanSix promotes development through training that broadens work-related skills. These include: • Core competencies for all employees to develop and apply • Leadership competencies needed by all employees managing people • Functional competencies that are position specific and used to inform job progression We support the continued development of our employees through semi-annual performance and development reviews, including annual enterprise-wide talent development assessments. We conduct safety and environmental training modules for new employees as part of Health, Safety and Environmental ("HSE") orientation, along with job-specific training aligned to roles. We have instituted an initiative to empower our First Line Supervisors ("FLS") to be HSE leaders within our organization including serving as decision makers and chief communicators on shift, while developing, coaching and mentoring their shift teammates. On an annual basis, senior leadership recognizes the FLS who demonstrates excellence with this initiative with an FLS of the Year Award. We also hold an annual Technical Career Progression event in order to recognize those employees who have displayed technical capability and regularly deliver in three key areas — results, behaviors and capability. A highly trained and engaged workforce is essential for AdvanSix to be our customers’ trusted partner, and those partnerships are built by delivering best-in-class experiences that result in satisfied customers and support shareholder return. Employee Benefits Our compensation programs are designed to align employee compensation with Company performance and to provide appropriate incentives in order to attract, retain and motivate our employees. We believe that in order to maintain the strength of our workforce, it is critical to monitor and assess the current business environment and labor market to refine our compensation and benefits programs and other resources available to our employees. We seek to offer compensation that is competitive and consistent with employee positions, skill levels, experience and geographic location. In addition to offering competitive base salaries, AdvanSix structures its compensation programs to balance incentive earnings for both short-term and long-term performance. Our compensation and benefit programs are designed to support our business strategy through four key objectives: • Attract and retain world-class talent; • Drive and pay for performance that creates superior results and sustainable stockholder value; • Manage risk through oversight and sound management; and • Nurture a culture of employee health and wellness. Information about our Executive Officers The executive officers of AdvanSix, listed as follows, are appointed annually by the Board of Directors (the "Board"). Ms. Kane, Mr. Preston and Mr. Gramm were each first appointed as an executive officer in 2016, Mr. Blindenbach was first appointed as an executive officer in 2019, and Ms. Slieter and Mr. Kintiroglou were each appointed as executive officers in 2020. There are no family relationships among them. Name, Age Position Business Experience Erin N. Kane, 43 Chief Executive Officer and Director Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Kane served as vice president and general manager of Honeywell Resins and Chemicals since October 2014. She joined Honeywell in 2002 as a Six Sigma Blackbelt of Honeywell’s Specialty Materials business. In 2004, she was named product marketing manager of Honeywell’s Specialty Additives business. From 2006 until 2008, Ms. Kane served as global marketing manager of Honeywell’s Authentication Technologies business, and in 2008 she was named global marketing manager of Honeywell’s Resins and Chemicals business. In 2011, she was named business director of chemical intermediates of Honeywell’s Resins and Chemicals business. Prior to joining Honeywell, Ms. Kane held Six Sigma and process engineering positions at Elementis Specialties and Kvaerner Process. Ms. Kane serves on the Boards of Directors of AdvanSix Inc., the Chemours Company, the American Chemistry Council, and the AIChE. Ms. Kane brings to the Board her extensive leadership experience as well as knowledge of AdvanSix’s business, industry, health, safety and environmental processes, and operations. 10 Michael Preston, 49 Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Preston held various finance roles with Honeywell for over 15 years. Mr. Preston served as vice president and chief financial officer for Honeywell’s UOP division from 2013 to 2016. Prior to this role, Mr. Preston was vice president of business analysis & planning from 2012 to 2013. Mr. Preston also held several finance leadership roles within Honeywell, including chief financial officer of the Fluorine Products business, director of financial planning & analysis for the Performance Materials and Technologies segment, and director of business analysis & planning for Honeywell corporate. Mr. Preston began his career with Honeywell in September of 2001 as manager of investor relations. Prior to joining Honeywell, he spent seven years in investor relations consulting. Mr. Preston is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder and is a member of the CFA Institute and CFA Society New York. Achilles B. Kintiroglou, 42 Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Prior to being named to his current role, Mr. Kintiroglou was the deputy general counsel of AdvanSix since the spin-off in 2016. Before joining AdvanSix, he was a corporate and securities partner at Day Pitney LLP and a corporate and finance associate at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP and Pitney Hardin LLP. Kelly J. Slieter, 46 Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Slieter served as vice president of human resources of Honeywell International Inc. since 2018. She joined Honeywell in 1997 as an intern and subsequently served in various human resources roles through 2003, including as M&A integration leader and as HR manager for multiple business units. From 2003 to 2004, she served as human resources manager at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. From 2004 to 2005, she served as organization development manager for Tyco International. Ms. Slieter rejoined Honeywell in 2005 and served in roles with increasing responsibility through 2015, including, director of HR functional excellence, corporate; director of organization development & learning for the Automation & Control Solutions business; director of human resources for Honeywell Building Solutions; and senior director, human resources corporate. From 2015 through 2018, she served as vice president, human resources of the Honeywell UOP business. Christopher Gramm, 51 Vice President, Controller Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Gramm served as vice president and controller of the aerospace and corporate government compliance divisions at Honeywell. From August 2014 to November 2015, Mr. Gramm served as vice president of finance for the integrated supply chain of the aerospace division at Honeywell. Beginning in March 2011, he was vice president and controller of the aerospace division at Honeywell. Over the course of the period from 1997 to March 2011, Mr. Gramm held several positions at Honeywell, including controller and chief financial officer of various divisions focused on areas including specialty materials and resins and chemicals. He joined Honeywell in 1997 as a senior staff accountant. Before joining Honeywell, Mr. Gramm was a manager at Corning Life Sciences. Willem L. Blindenbach, 52 Senior Vice President, Integrated Supply Chain Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Blindenbach served as Vice President of Mobil International Company Operations Manager, EMEA since 2018. He joined ExxonMobil in 1994 and served in several roles with increasing responsibility including Sales Engineer, Technical Support Supervisor, Pernis Plant Operations Manager, Europe Project Advisor, Europe Supply Manager, and Global Operations Project Advisor. From 2006 to 2007, he served as Executive Advisor to the President of ExxonMobil Lubes and Fuels. From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Blindenbach served as Manager, Supply and Distribution for EMEA. From 2010 to 2011, he served as Vice President, ExxonMobil Lubricants, Trading and Supply Manager, Global Basestocks. From 2011 to 2012, he served as Manager of Global Product Integrity. From 2012 to 2013, he served as Project Executive. From 2013 to 2014, he served as Manager of Midstream Business. From 2014 through 2017, he served as Manager, Manufacturing, Lubes, Americas. Other Information Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports are available free of charge on our website (www.AdvanSix.com) under the heading Investors (see SEC filings) immediately after they are filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). In addition, in this Form 10-K, the Company incorporates by reference certain information from parts of its Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of 11 Stockholders, which will also be available free of charge on our website. Information contained on, or that may be accessed through, our website does not and will not constitute part of this Form 10-K. Our filings with the SEC are also available on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. We are a Delaware corporation that was incorporated on May 4, 2016. Our principal executive offices are located at 300 Kimball Drive, Suite 101, Parsippany, NJ 07054. Our telephone number is (973) 526-1800. Our website address is www.AdvanSix.com. 12