BRIDGFORD FOODS CORP 10-K

Item 1A. Risk Factors In addition to the other matters set forth in this Report, the continuing operations and the price of our common stock are subject to the following risks, each of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. The risks described below are only the risks that we currently believe are material to our business. However, additional risks not presently known, or risks that are currently believed to be immaterial, may also impair our business operations. We are subject to general risks in the food industry, including, among other things, risk relating to changes in consumer preferences and product contamination as well as general economic conditions, any of which risks, if realized, could negatively impact our operating results and financial position. The food industry, and the markets within the food industry in which we compete, are subject to various risks, including the following: evolving consumer preferences, nutritional and health-related concerns, federal, state, and local food inspection and processing controls, consumer product liability claims, risks of product tampering, and the availability and expense of liability insurance. The meat and poultry industries are subject to scrutiny due to the association of meat and poultry products with recent outbreaks of illness, and on rare occasions even death, caused by food borne pathogens. Product recalls are sometimes required in the food industry to withdraw contaminated or mislabeled products from the market. Additionally, the failure to identify and react appropriately to changes in consumer trends, demands and preferences could lead to, among other things, reduced demand, and price reduction for our products. Further, we may be adversely affected by changes in domestic or foreign economic conditions, including inflation or deflation, interest rates, availability of capital markets, consumer spending rates, and energy availability and costs (including fuel surcharges). These and other general risks related to the food industry, if realized by us, could have a significant adverse effect on demand for our products, as well as the costs and availability of raw materials, ingredients, and packaging materials, thereby negatively affecting our operating results and financial position. 6 Climate change and related climate change regulations, including with respect to greenhouse gas effects, may negatively affect our results of operations. Climate change and rising global temperatures may contribute to changing weather patterns, droughts, heavier or more frequent storms and wildfires, and increased frequency and severity of natural disasters. If such climate change has a negative impact on agricultural productivity, we may have decreased availability or less favorable pricing for the raw materials necessary for our operations. Increased frequency or duration of extreme weather conditions could cause disruptions in our operations and supply chain, or impact demand for our products. Increasing concern over climate change also may result in additional legal or regulatory requirements designed to manage greenhouse gas emissions, climate risks, and resulting environmental impacts. If such requirements are enacted, we could experience significant cost increases in our operations and supply chain. Further, such requirements may obligate us to make certain climate-related disclosures and set goals for reducing our carbon footprint. While we are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and to manage greenhouse gas emissions, there can be no assurance that we will accomplish such goals. If we fail to achieve any such goals related to climate change or the related expectations from stakeholders and consumers are not met, the resulting negative publicity could adversely impact our results of operations in part as a consequence of changes in consumer preferences for our products. Fluctuations in commodity prices and the availability of raw materials could negatively impact our financial results. We purchase large quantities of commodity pork, beef, and flour. Historically, market prices for products we process have fluctuated in response to a number of factors, including changes in the United States government farm support programs, changes in international agricultural and trading policies, weather, and other conditions during the growing and harvesting seasons. Our operating results are heavily dependent upon the prices paid for raw materials, as well as the available supply of commodities. Commodity costs have and may continue to fluctuate due to political and economic conditions, including the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. The marketing of our value-added products does not lend itself to instantaneous changes in selling prices. In addition, if we increase prices to offset higher costs, we could experience lower demand for our products and sales volumes. Conversely, decreases in our commodity and other input costs may create pressure on us to decrease our prices. Changes in selling prices are relatively infrequent and do not compare with the volatility of commodity markets. Production and pricing of commodities, on the other hand, are determined by constantly changing market forces of supply and demand over which we have limited or no control. Such factors include, among other things, weather patterns throughout the world, outbreaks of disease, the global level of supply inventories and demand for grains and other feed ingredients, as well as agricultural and energy policies of domestic and foreign governments. While fluctuations in significant cost structure components, such as ingredient commodities and fuel prices, have had a significant impact on profitability over the last three years, the impact of general price inflation on our financial position and results of operations has not been significant. However, current inflationary market conditions may have a negative impact on future earnings. Future volatility of general price inflation or deflation and raw material cost and availability could adversely affect our financial results. We are subject to extensive government regulations and a failure to comply with such regulations could negatively impact our financial results. Our operations are subject to extensive inspection and regulation by the USDA, FDA and by other federal, state, and local authorities regarding the processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, and labeling of products that are manufactured, produced, and processed by us. Our processing facilities and products are subject to continuous inspection by the USDA and/or other federal, state, and local authorities. The USDA has issued strict regulations concerning the control of listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat meat and poultry products and contamination by food borne pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella and implemented a system of regulation known as the HACCP program. The HACCP program requires all meat and poultry processing plants to develop and implement sanitary operating procedures and other program requirements. OSHA oversees safety compliance and establishes certain employer responsibilities to help “assure safe and healthful working conditions” and keep the workplace free of recognized hazards or practices likely to cause death or serious injury. We believe that we are currently in compliance with governmental laws and regulations and that we maintain necessary permits and licenses relating to our operations. A failure to obtain or a loss of necessary permits and licenses could delay or prevent us from meeting current product demand and could adversely affect our operating performance. Furthermore, we are routinely subject to new or modified laws, regulations, and accounting standards. If found to be out of compliance with applicable laws and regulations in these or other areas, we could be subject to civil remedies, including fines, injunctions, recalls, or asset seizures, as well as potential criminal sanctions, any of which could have a significant adverse effect on our financial results. We depend on our key management, the loss of which could negatively impact our operations. Our executive officers and certain other key employees have been primarily responsible for the development and expansion of our business, and the loss of the services of one or more of these individuals could adversely affect us. Our success will be dependent in part upon our continued ability to recruit, motivate, and retain qualified personnel. We cannot assure that we will be successful in this regard. We have no employment or non-competition agreements with key personnel. However, we have consulting agreements with each of (1) our former Vice President and current director Allan L. Bridgford Sr., (2) our former Chief Financial Officer and current director Raymond F. Lancy, (3) our former director and President of Bridgford Food Processing Corporation Allan Bridgford Jr. 7 Labor shortages and increased turnover or increases in employee and employee-related costs could have adverse effects on our profitability. We have recently experienced increased labor shortages at some of our production facilities and other locations. We have historically experienced some level of ordinary course of business turnover of employees. A number of factors have had and may continue to have adverse effects on the labor force available to us, including reduced employment pools, federal unemployment subsidies, and other government regulations, which include laws and regulations related to workers’ health and safety, wage and hour practices and immigration. Labor shortages and increased turnover rates within our team members have led to and could in the future lead to increased costs, such as increased overtime to meet demand and increased wage rates to attract and retain employees and could negatively affect our ability to efficiently operate our production facilities or otherwise operate at full capacity. An overall or prolonged labor shortage, lack of skilled labor, increased turnover or labor inflation could have a material adverse impact on our operations, results of operations, liquidity, or cash flows. We depend on our major customers and any loss of such customers could have a negative impact on our profitability. Sales to Wal-Mart® comprised 29.1% of revenues in fiscal year 2023 and 26.5% of total accounts receivable was due from Wal-Mart® as of November 3, 2023. Sales to Dollar General® comprised 16.3% of revenues in fiscal year 2023 and 20.5% of total accounts receivable was due from Dollar General® as of November 3, 2023. Many of our customers, such as supermarkets, warehouse clubs, and food distributors have consolidated in recent years. Such consolidation has produced large, sophisticated customers with increased buying power who are more capable of operating with reduced inventories while demanding lower pricing and increased promotional programs. These customers also may use their shelf space for their own private label products. Failure to respond to these trends could reduce our volume and cause us to lower prices or increase promotional spending for our product lines, which could adversely affect our profitability. With approximately 80% of our stock beneficially owned by the Bridgford family, there are risks that they can exert significant influence or control over our corporate matters. Members of the Bridgford family beneficially own, in the aggregate, approximately 80% of our outstanding stock. In addition, two members of the Bridgford family currently serve on the Board of Directors and two members of the Bridgford family serve on the Executive Committee. As a result, members of the Bridgford family have the ability to exert substantial influence or actual control over our management and affairs and over substantially all matters requiring action by our shareholders, including amendments to by-laws, election and removal of directors, any proposed merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets and other corporate transactions. This concentration of ownership may also delay or prevent a change in control otherwise favored by our other shareholders and could depress our stock price. Additionally, as a result of the Bridgford family’s significant ownership of the outstanding voting stock, we have relied on the “controlled company” exemption from certain corporate governance requirements of the NASDAQ stock market. Therefore, among other things, we have elected not to implement the rule that provides for a nominating committee to identify and recommend nominees to the Board of Directors and have instead elected to have the full Board of Directors perform such function. However, we have not elected to rely on the exemption with respect to our compensation committee, which is made up entirely of independent directors and has sole authority to determine the compensation of our executive officers, including our Chairman of the Board. We participate in Multiemployer Pension Plans which could negatively impact our operations and profitability. We participate in “multiemployer” pension plans administered by labor unions on behalf of their employees. We make monthly contributions for healthcare and pension benefit obligations. The contribution amount may change depending upon the ability of participating companies to fund these pension liabilities as well as the actual and expected returns on pension plan assets. Volatility in the capital markets or interest rates can impact the market value of plan assets and cause volatility in the net periodic benefit cost and our future funding requirements. The exact amount of cash contributions made to the pension plans in any year is dependent upon a number of factors, including minimum funding requirements. In addition, should we withdraw from the union and cease participation in a union plan, federal law could impose a penalty for additional contributions to the plan. The penalty would be recorded as an expense in the consolidated statement of operations. The ultimate amount of the withdrawal liability is dependent upon several factors including the funded status of the plan and contributions made by other participating companies. We continue to participate in other multiemployer union plans. In the event of a full or partial withdrawal from these plans, the impact to our financial statements could be material. Eminent domain and land risk regulations could negatively impact our financial results and financial position. We own real property on which we operate our processing and/or our distribution operations. As is the case with any owner of real property, we may be subject to eminent domain proceedings that can impact the value of investments we have made in real property as well as potentially disrupt our business operations. If subject to eminent domain proceedings or other government takings, we may not be adequately compensated. 8 Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments None. Item 1C. Cybersecurity Not applicable.