LSI INDUSTRIES INC 10-K

ITEM 1. BUSINESS   Overview   LSI Industries Inc. (LSI) is a leading producer of non-residential lighting and retail display solutions. Non-residential lighting consists of high-performance, American-made lighting solutions. The Company’s strength in outdoor lighting applications creates opportunities for it to introduce additional solutions to its valued customers. Retail display solutions consist of graphics solutions, digital signage, and technically advanced food display equipment for strategic vertical markets. LSI’s team of internal specialists also provide comprehensive project management services in support of large-scale product rollouts.   Our business is organized as follows: the Lighting Segment, which represented 51% of our fiscal 2022 net sales and the Display Solutions Segment, which represented 49% of our fiscal 2022 net sales. See Note 3 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements beginning on page 48 of this Form 10-K for additional information on business segments. Net sales by segment are as follows (in thousands):       2022     2021   Lighting Segment   $ 233,449     $ 189,000   Display Solutions Segment     221,671       126,612   Total Net Sales   $ 455,120     $ 315,612     Lighting Segment   Our Lighting Segment manufactures, markets, and sells outdoor and indoor lighting fixture and controls solutions in the commercial and industrial markets, including the following vertical markets: refueling and convenience store, parking lot and garage, quick-service restaurant, retail, grocery and pharmacy, automotive dealership, sports court and field, and warehouse. We service these markets through multiple channels: project business sold through electrical distributors and agents and shipped directly to the customer; standard products sold to and stocked by distributors; and direct to end-use customers. Our products are designed and manufactured to provide maximum customer value and meet the high-quality, competitively priced product requirements of the markets we serve. Focusing on key vertical applications allows us to deliver unique product solutions, which in turn provide differentiated value to our customers.   Our lighting fixtures, poles and brackets are produced in a variety of designs, styles, and finishes. Important functional variations include types of mounting, such as pole, bracket and surface, and the nature of the light requirement, such as but not limited to interior and exterior down-lighting, wall-wash lighting, canopy lighting, flood lighting, emergency exit lighting, area lighting and security lighting. We also offer a variety of lighting controls including sensors, photocontrols, dimmers, motion detection and Bluetooth systems to support our lighting fixtures. Our engineering professionals perform photometric analyses and wind load safety studies for our light fixtures. In addition, our light fixtures are certified to Universal Labs (UL), DesignLights Consortium (DLC), International Dark-Sky Association (IDA, for outdoor lighting) and Institute for Printed Circuits (IPC) standards, to name a few. Our lighting products utilize high efficient LED light sources. All of our products are designed for performance, reliability, ease of installation and service, as well as attractive appearance. In addition, we also focus on designing lighting system solutions and implementing strategies related to energy savings in all markets served.   Display Solutions Segment   The Display Solutions Segment manufactures, sells and installs exterior and interior visual image and display elements, including printed graphics, structural graphics, digital signage, menu board systems, store display fixtures, refrigerated displays, and custom display elements. The major products and services offered within our Display Solutions Segment include signage and canopy graphics, pump dispenser graphics, building fascia graphics, decals, interior signage and marketing graphics, aisle markers, wall mural graphics, and refrigerated and non-refrigerated merchandising displays. We also provide a variety of project management services to complement our display elements, such as installation management, site surveys, permitting, and content management which are offered to our customers to support our digital signage. We also manage and execute the implementation of large rollout programs with our professional services group. These programs provide our customers a variety of display solutions and visual image upgrades in the same markets served in the lighting segment, which include the following markets: refueling and convenience store, quick-service restaurant, retail, grocery and pharmacy, and automotive dealerships. We believe our expertise with the products and services we offer in the markets we serve represents a significant competitive advantage. We work with our customers and design firms to establish and implement cost-effective corporate visual image programs to advance our customer’s brands and deliver value to their customers. Increasingly, we have become the primary supplier of exterior and interior visual image and display elements for our customers.   -5-     Sales, Customers and Marketing   The products and services we offer are sold primarily throughout the United States, but also in Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Latin America (approximately 5% of consolidated net sales are outside the United States). Our lighting product sales originate from two primary revenue streams. The first revenue stream is from project-based business, quoting and receiving orders as a preferred vendor for product sales to multiple end-users, including customer-owned as well as franchised and licensed dealer operations. The second revenue stream is from selling standard products to stocking distributors, who subsequently provide products to electrical contractors and end users for a variety of lighting applications. Our display solution elements and related services, which in many instances are program-driven, are sold primarily through our own sales force.   Sales are developed through a wide variety of contacts such as, but not limited to, national retail marketers, branded product companies, and franchised and dealer operations. In addition, sales are also achieved through recommendations from local architects, engineers, electrical distributors, and contractors. The Company utilizes the latest technology to track sales leads and customer quotes with the goal to turn them into orders from our customers. Our sales are partially seasonal as installation of our non-residential outdoor lighting and visual display solutions in the northern states decreases during the winter months.   The Company markets its products and service capabilities to end users in multiple channels through a broad spectrum of marketing and promotional methods, including direct customer contact, trade shows, on-site and virtual training, print advertising in industry publications, product brochures and other literature, e Learning, the company website, as well social media. We have made investments in our marketing support team to continue to build awareness of LSI’s product and service capabilities. Our marketing approach and means of distribution vary by product line and by market.   Manufacturing and Distribution   We currently operate out of eleven manufacturing facilities located within six U.S. states and one province in Ontario, Canada. The Company added four manufacturing facilities resulting from the acquisition of JSI Store Fixtures (May 2021), which included manufacturing facilities located in Maine, Utah, and Canada.   We design, engineer and manufacture most of our lighting and visual display products through the utilization of lean manufacturing principles. Our investment in our production facilities is focused primarily on improving capabilities, product quality, and manufacturing efficiency, as well as environmental, health, and safety compliance. The majority of products we sell are engineered, designed, and assembled by the Company, while a small portion of the products and components we sell are purchased from select qualified vendors. Our lighting and display solutions products are delivered directly from our manufacturing facilities to our customers utilizing third-party common carriers.   The principal raw materials and purchased components used in the manufacturing of our products are steel, aluminum, aluminum castings, fabrications, LEDs, power supplies, sensors, powder paint, steel tubing, wire harnesses, acrylic, silicon and glass lenses, inks, various graphics substrates such as Aluminum Composite Material (ACM), Expanded PVC sheet (EPVC), vinyl film, styrene, foamboards, wood and wood laminates, condensing units, and digital screens. We source these materials and components from a variety of suppliers. Although an interruption of these supplies and components could disrupt our operations, we believe generally that alternative sources of supply exist and could be readily arranged. As a result of challenges encountered in the supply chain, we have increased our safety stock in certain components in order to mitigate potential disruption to our operations resulting from an anticipated shortage of certain components. We are not dependent on any one supplier for critical component parts. We strive to reduce price volatility in our purchases of raw materials and components through annual contracts with strategic suppliers. Our Lighting operations generally carry a certain level of sub-assemblies and finished goods inventory to meet quick delivery requirements. The Company’s operations dealing with LED products generally carry LED and LED component inventory due to longer lead times. Most lighting products are made to order and shipped shortly after they are manufactured. Our display solutions operations manufacture custom products for customers who require us to stock certain amounts of finished goods in exchange for their commitment to that inventory. An example is our digital signage business, where customers require us to carry an inventory of digital screens to meet the demands of a large rollout program.   -6-     Research and Development :   We invest in the development of new products and solutions as well as the enhancement of existing product offerings to meet the needs of our customers. Research and development costs are directly attributable to new product development, including the development of new technology for both existing and new products, and consist of salaries, payroll taxes, employee benefits, materials, outside legal costs and filing fees related to obtaining patents, supplies, depreciation, and other administrative costs. Research and development costs related to both product and software development totaled $3.6 million and $3.7 million for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2022, and 2021, respectively.   Competition   We experience competition in both segments and in all markets we serve based on numerous factors, including price, brand name recognition, product quality, product design, prompt delivery, energy efficiency, customer relationships, reputation, and service capabilities. Although we have many competitors, both nationally and internationally, some of which have greater financial and other resources, we do not compete with the same companies across both segments and all markets.   Working Capital   For a discussion of our working capital, see “Liquidity and Capital Resources” in Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."   Backlog Orders   We had a backlog of orders, which we believe to be firm, of $112.4 million and $89.7 million at June 30, 2022, and 2021, respectively. All orders are expected to be shipped or installed within twelve months.   Environmental Regulations   We are subject to a variety of federal, state, and local provisions regulating the discharge of materials into the environment or otherwise relating to the protection of the environment. These include statutory and regulatory provisions under which we are responsible for the management of hazardous materials we use and the disposition of hazardous wastes resulting from our manufacturing processes. Failure to comply with such provisions could result in fines and other liabilities to the government or third parties.   Human Capital   We recognize that in order to drive innovation, growth, and operational excellence, we must identify, attract, retain, and motivate top talent. Our approach is to develop talent from within and supplement with external hires. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and engaged workforce. Our management teams and all of our employees are expected to exhibit the principles of fairness, honesty, and integrity in the actions we undertake. Our employees must adhere to a code of conduct that sets standards for appropriate behavior and includes required annual training on preventing, identifying, reporting, and stopping any type of unlawful discrimination or unethical actions.   We have 1,380 full-time employees and 149 agency employees as of June 30, 2022. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits program to our employees, including competitive wages, medical and dental insurance, and a 401(k)-retirement savings plan. The Company offers a nonqualified deferred compensation plan, an equity-based incentive plan and an incentive plan that is based upon the achievement of the Company’s business plan goals, for certain employees.   Information Concerning LSI Industries Inc.   We file reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. The SEC maintains an internet website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding us. The address of that site is http://www.sec.gov . Our internet address is http://www.lsicorp.com . We make available free of charge through our internet website 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 filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as soon as reasonably practical after we electronically file them with the SEC.   -7-     The information found on our website is not part of, or incorporated by reference into, this or any other report we file with, or furnish to, the SEC. In addition to these channels, we use social media to communicate to the public. It is possible that the information we post on social media could be deemed to be material to investors. We encourage investors, the media, and others interested in LSI to review the information we post on the social media channels listed on our Investor Relations website.