ESPEY MFG & ELECTRONICS CORP 10-K

Item 1. Business General Espey Mfg. & Electronics Corp. (“Espey”) is a power electronics design and original equipment manufacturing (OEM) company with a long history of developing and delivering highly reliable products for use in military and severe environment applications. Design, manufacturing, and testing is performed in our 150,000+ square foot facility located at 233 Ballston Ave., Saratoga Springs, New York. Espey is classified as a “smaller reporting company” for purposes of the reporting requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Espey’s common stock is publicly-traded on the NYSE American under the symbol “ESP.” Espey began operations after incorporation in New York in 1928. We strive to remain competitive as a leader in high power energy conversion and transformer solutions through the design and manufacture of new and improved products by using advanced and “cutting edge” electronics technologies. Espey is an ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100:2016 certified manufacturer of power conversion, advanced magnetics and build to specifications provided by the customer “build to print” products for the rugged industrial and military marketplace. Our primary products are power supplies, power converters, filters, power transformers, magnetic components, power distribution equipment, UPS systems, and antennas. The applications of these products include AC and DC locomotives, shipboard power, shipboard radar, airborne power, ground-based radar, and ground mobile power. Espey services include design and development to specification, build to specifications provided by the customer “build to print”, design services, design studies, environmental testing services, metal fabrication, painting services, and development of automatic testing equipment. Espey is vertically integrated, meaning that the Company produces individual components (including inductors), populates printed circuit boards, fabricates metalwork, paints, wires, qualifies, and fully tests items, mechanically, electrically and environmentally, in house. Portions of the manufacturing and testing process are subcontracted to vendors from time to time. In fiscal years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company's total sales were $38,736,319 and $35,592,323, respectively. Sales to five domestic customers accounted for 20%, 18%, 16%, 16% and 11%, respectively, of total sales in 2024. Sales to five domestic customers accounted for 23%, 18%, 16%, 13% and 11%, respectively, of total sales in 2023. This concentration level presents significant risk. A loss of one of these customers or programs related to these customers could significantly impact the financial performance of the Company. Historically, a small number of customers have accounted for a large percentage of the Company’s total sales in any given fiscal year. In some instances, our sales may include shipments to more than one business unit of a particular customer. Export shipments in fiscal years 2024 and 2023 were $2,350,087 and $549,510, respectively. The increase is primarily due to the increase in power supply shipments resulting from a repeat order received which had no comparable shipments in the prior year. Sources of Raw Materials. The Company has at least two potential sources of supply for a majority of its raw materials. However, certain components used in its products are available from a single or a limited number of sources. Despite the risk associated with single or limited source suppliers, the benefits of higher quality goods minimize and often limit any potential risk and can eliminate problems with part failures during production. At times, replacements are required to cover obsolete parts. Ongoing demand in the power electronics industry across multiple manufacturing sectors continues to create shortages and extended lead times. In some instances, waiting times for certain components approach a year or more. We adequately factor supplier-provided lead times into internal planning schedules and new customer quotations. From time to time, we encounter part obsolescence which requires us to identify an alternate part suitable for use. We continue to work with our customers on strategies to mitigate any adverse impact upon our ability to service their requirements. Factors which may arise after the placement of the customer’s order may cause us to miss projected delivery dates. Inflationary costs are expected to continue but are not expected to have a significant impact on operating income in fiscal year 2025. Tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from various countries continue to be in effect. Although we are not currently experiencing any significant financial or raw material sourcing issues resulting from the product tariffs, the Company cannot provide any assurance that the existing tariffs, the potential of additional tariffs, and the associated volatility arising from foreign trade policies, will not have a negative impact on our future earnings by increasing our raw material prices and augmenting the lead time for the availability of raw materials. 2 Sales Backlog The total sales backlog at June 30, 2024 was $97.2 million, which included approximately $61 million from four significant customers, compared to $83.6 million at June 30, 2023, which included approximately $66 million from six significant customers. The Company’s total backlog represents the estimated remaining sales value of work to be performed under firm contracts. Orders from significant customers may include more than a single program and procurement may originate from various divisions of the significant customer. The funded portion of this backlog at June 30, 2024 was approximately $94.9 million. This includes items that have been authorized and appropriated by Congress and/or funded by the customer. The unfunded backlog at June 30, 2024 was approximately $2.3 million and represents an amount under one firm repeat multi-year order from a single customer. While there is no guarantee that future budgets and appropriations will provide funding for individual programs, management has included in unfunded backlog only those programs that it believes are likely to receive funding based on discussions with customers and program status. The unfunded backlog at June 30, 2023 approximated $32 thousand. Contracts are subject to modification, change or cancellation, and the Company accounts for these changes as they are probable and estimable. The Company evaluates the impact of any scope modifications and will adjust reserves as information is known and estimable. The majority of our orders are generated from prime defense contractors, the United States Department of Defense, other agencies of the government of the United States and foreign governments, and are for the design and development and/or manufacture of products. Orders are also generated from industrial manufacturers for similar services. It is not uncommon to receive orders which include delivery schedules extending beyond a year from the contract purchase date, therefore a customer’s reorder point may vary. It is presently anticipated that a minimum of $44 million of orders comprising the June 30, 2024 backlog will be filled during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. The estimate of the June 30, 2024 backlog to be shipped in fiscal year 2025 is subject to future events, which may cause the amount of the backlog actually shipped to differ from such estimate. Marketing and Competition The Company markets its products primarily through its own direct sales organization and through outside sales representatives. Business is solicited from large industrial manufacturers and defense companies, the government of the United States, foreign governments and major foreign electronic equipment companies. Espey is also on the eligible list of contractors with the United States Department of Defense. We pursue opportunities for prime contracts directly with the Department of Defense and are generally automatically solicited by Department of Defense procurement agencies for their needs falling within the major classes of products produced by the Company. Espey contracts with the Federal Government under cage code 20950 as Espey Mfg. & Electronics Corp. There is competition in all classes of products manufactured by the Company ranging from divisions of the largest electronic companies, to many small companies. The Company's sales do not represent a significant share of the industry's market for any class of its products. The principal methods of competition for electronic products of both a military and industrial nature include, among other factors, price, product performance, the experience of the particular company and history of its dealings in such products. Our business is not seasonal. However, the concentration of our business in the rail industry, and in equipment for military applications and industrial applications, as well as our customer concentrations, expose us to on-going associated risks. These risks include, without limitation, requirements for power supplies in the rail industry, dependence on appropriations from the United States Government and the governments of foreign nations, program allocations, the potential of governmental termination of orders for convenience, and the general strength of the industry sectors in which our customers transact business. Future procurement needs supporting the military and the rail industry continue to drive competition. Many of our competitors have invested, and they continue to invest aggressively in upfront product design costs and accept lower profit margins as a strategic means of maintaining existing business and enhancing market share. This continues to put pressure on the pricing of our current products and has lowered our profit margins on some of our new business. In order to compete effectively for new business, in some cases we have invested in upfront design costs, thereby reducing initial profitability as a means of procuring new long-term programs. As part of our strategy, we adjust our pricing in order to achieve a balance which enables us both to retain repeat programs while being more competitive in bidding on new programs. 3 Our sales strategy includes identifying and obtaining multiple new engineering design and development contracts in any given fiscal year to ensure optimal utilization of our engineering personnel in addition to securing follow-on production awards for product previously designed in-house, as well as, build to print opportunities. The Company targets those programs and opportunities which will generate future longer-term production tails in ensuing years. From time to time, we accept work associated with engineering design studies. While unlikely to result in near-term follow-on orders, this positions us competitively on future awards and expands our engineering team’s skillset. Research and Development We do very little research and development with the intent to develop and market new product offerings for sale to customers. Our business primarily is driven by customer product needs and custom product development funded by the applicable customers. We incur research costs to support a request for quotation from a customer product-specific need usually associated with stringent size and weight requirements. In addition, the Company's engineers and technicians spend varying amounts of time identifying improvements to existing products with the primary objective of reducing production costs. At times, engineers are tasked with researching replacement parts to remediate identified obsolescence on current or repeat production programs. The Company's expenditures for research related activities were approximately $86,714 and $65,427 in fiscal year 2024 and 2023, respectively. Employees The Company had 148 employees as of August 31, 2024. Approximately 36% of the employees are represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The current collective bargaining agreement expires on June 30, 2025. Relations with the Union are considered good. Government Regulations Compliance with federal, state and local laws regulating the discharge of materials into the environment, or otherwise relating to the protection of the environment, did not in fiscal year 2024, and the Company believes will not in fiscal year 2025, have a material effect upon the capital expenditures, net income, or competitive position of the Company. The Company’s U.S. Government contract and subcontract orders are funded by government budgets, which operate on an October-to-September fiscal year. Normally, in February of each year, the President of the United States presents to Congress a proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. This budget includes recommended appropriations for every federal agency and is the result of months of policy and program reviews throughout the executive branch. From February through September of each year, the appropriations and authorization committees of Congress review the President’s budget proposals and establish the funding levels for the upcoming fiscal year in appropriations and authorization legislation. Once these levels are enacted into law, the Executive Office of the President administers the funds to the agencies. There are two primary risks associated with this process. First, the process may be delayed or disrupted because of congressional schedules, negotiations over funding levels for programs or unforeseen world events, which could, in turn, alter the funding for a program or contract. Second, funding for multi-year contracts can be changed by future appropriations, which could affect the timing of funds, schedules and program content. Also, our international sales are denominated in United States dollars. Consequently, a strengthening of the United States dollar against foreign currencies could increase the price in local currencies of our products in foreign markets and make our products relatively more expensive than competitors’ products. U.S. Government Defense Contracts and Subcontracts Generally, U.S. Government contracts are subject to procurement laws and regulations. Some of the Company’s contracts are governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which lays out uniform policies and procedures for acquiring goods and services by the U.S. Government, and agency-specific acquisition regulations that implement or supplement the FAR. For example, the Department of Defense implements the FAR through the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation (DFAR). The FAR also contains guidelines and regulations for managing a contract after award, including conditions under which contracts may be terminated, in whole or in part, at the government’s convenience or for default. If a contract is terminated for the convenience of the government, a contractor is entitled to receive payments for its allowable costs and, in general, the proportionate share of fees or earnings for the work done. If a contract is terminated for default, the government generally pays for only the work it has accepted. These regulations also subject the Company to financial audits and other reviews by the government of its costs, performance, accounting and general business practices relating to its contracts, which may result in adjustment of the Company’s contract-related costs and fees. 4 Item 1C. Cybersecurity Robust cybersecurity is an essential component of our strategic vision. We face a variety of complex cybersecurity threats as a defense contractor. Among the risks are computer malware, ransomware, phishing attacks, Denial of Service attacks and Advanced Persistent Threats. Our security team, comprised of members from senior management, IT, human resources and program management, performs routine risk assessments in accordance with NIST 800-30, using input from observed risks and threats, advisories, federal agencies and local law enforcement. The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors is responsible for oversight of our risk management processes. The Audit Committee is briefed by senior management on cybersecurity posture, initiatives and incidents. We allocate significant resources to mitigate these risks. We are required to adhere to rigorous regulations, such as those outlined in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), which govern the protection of controlled unclassified information (CUI) and the mandatory reporting of cybersecurity incidents to the Department of Defense (DoD). All DFARS requirements are flowed down to our sub-contractors, who are required to self-report their compliance to the U.S. Government. In addition to the processes and systems that we use to identify and mitigate risks, we utilize third party services to conduct valuations of our security controls, including penetration testing and independent audits. Despite our efforts to uphold the highest cybersecurity standards, we may still experience a cybersecurity incident that has a material effect on business strategy, results of operation or financial condition. It is also possible that additional regulations could affect our supply chain and increase costs. Prior cyberattacks directed at us have not had a material impact on our financial results nor restricted us from being awarded contracts from other defense companies or directly from the United States Department of Defense. However, we can provide no assurance that the occurrence of any future event would not adversely affect our internal operations, our reputation and competitive advantage, and our future financial results. Item 2. Property The Company's entire operation, including administrative, manufacturing and engineering facilities, is located in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Saratoga Springs plant, which the Company owns, consists of various adjoining buildings on a 22 acre site, approximately eight acres of which is unimproved. The property is not subject to mortgage indebtedness or any other material encumbrance. The plant has a sprinkler system throughout and contains approximately 151,000 square feet of in-service floor space, of which 90,000 is used for manufacturing, 24,000 for engineering, 33,000 for shipping and climatically secured storage, and 4,000 for offices. The offices, engineering and some manufacturing areas are air-conditioned. In addition to assembly and wiring operations, the plant includes facilities for varnishing, potting, impregnation and spray-painting operations. The manufacturing operation also includes a complete machine shop, with welding and sheet metal fabrication facilities adequate for substantially all of the Company's current operations. Besides normal test equipment, the Company maintains a sophisticated on-site environmental test facility. In addition to meeting all of the Company's in-house needs, the machine shop and environmental facilities are available to other companies on a contract basis.