Item 1A. Risk Factors
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Our business is subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from forward looking statements. The following discussion identifies those which we consider to be most important. The following discussion of risks is not all inclusive. Additional risks not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
RISKS THAT AFFECT OUR BUSINESS AS A WHOLE
An interruption of operations or a catastrophic event at our facilities could negatively affect our business.
Although we maintain insurance coverage for various property damage and loss events, an interruption in or loss of operations at either of our production facilities could reduce or postpone production of our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, or financial condition. To the extent that our value added products rely on unique or proprietary processes or techniques, replacing lost production by purchasing from outside suppliers would be difficult.
In November 2020 a dryer at our Atchison facility was destroyed in a fire, resulting in an interruption in operations at our Atchison facility. We had significant property damage. The Company’s insurance is expected to provide coverage for property damage and business interruption losses, but there can be no assurance as to the amount or timing of possible insurance recoveries if ultimately claimed by the Company.
Our customers store a substantial amount of barreled inventory of aged premium bourbon and rye whiskeys at our Lawrenceburg facility and our nearby warehouses in Williamstown, Kentucky and Sunman, Indiana. If a catastrophic event were to occur at our Lawrenceburg facility or our warehouses, our customers' business could be adversely affected. The loss of a significant amount of aged inventory through fire, natural disaster, or otherwise could result in customer claims against us, liability for customer losses, and a reduction of warehouse services revenue.
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We also store a substantial amount of our own inventory of aged premium bourbon and rye whiskeys at our Lawrenceburg facility and our nearby warehouses. If a catastrophic event were to occur at our Lawrenceburg facility or our nearby warehouses, our business, financial condition, or results of operations could be adversely affected. The loss of a significant amount of our aged inventory through fire, natural disaster, or otherwise, could result in a reduction in supply of the affected product or products and could affect our long-term growth.
A disruption in transportation services could negatively affect our business.
A disruption in transportation services could result in difficulties supplying materials to our facilities and impact our ability to deliver products to our customers in a timely manner, and our business, financial condition, or results of operations could be adversely affected.
Our profitability is affected by the costs of grain, wheat flour, and natural gas, or input costs, that we use in our business, the availability and costs of which are subject to weather and other factors beyond our control. We may not be able to recover the costs of commodities and energy by increasing our selling prices.
Grain and wheat flour costs are a significant portion of our costs of goods sold. Historically, the cost of such raw materials has, at times, been subject to substantial fluctuation, depending upon a number of factors which affect commodity prices in general and over which we have no control. These include crop conditions, weather, disease, plantings, government programs and policies, competition for acquisition of inputs such as agricultural commodities, purchases by foreign governments, and changes in demand resulting from population growth and customer preferences. The price of natural gas also fluctuates based on anticipated changes in supply and demand, weather, and the prices of alternative fuels. Fluctuations in the price of commodities and natural gas can be sudden and volatile at times and have had, from time to time, significant adverse effects on the results of our operations. Higher energy costs could result in higher transportation costs and other operating costs.
We do not enter into futures and options contracts ourselves because we can purchase grain and wheat flour for delivery into the future under our grain and wheat flour supply agreements. We intend to contract for the future delivery of grain and wheat flour only to protect margins on expected sales. On the portion of volume not contracted, we attempt to recover higher commodity costs through higher selling prices, but market considerations may not always permit this result. Even where prices can be adjusted, there is likely a lag between when we experience higher commodity or natural gas costs and when we might be able to increase prices. To the extent we are unable to timely pass increases in the cost of raw materials to our customers under sales contracts, market fluctuations in the cost of grain, natural gas, and ethanol may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
We have a high concentration of certain raw material and finished goods purchases from a limited number of suppliers which exposes us to risk.
We have signed supply agreements with Bunge and CGB for our grain supply (primarily corn) and with Ardent Mills for our wheat flour. The Company also procures some textured wheat proteins through a third-party toll manufacturer in the United States. If any of these companies encounters an operational or financial issue, or otherwise cannot meet our supply demands, it could lead to an interruption in supply to us and/or higher prices than those we have negotiated or than are available in the market at the time, and in turn, have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
The markets for our products are very competitive, and our business could be negatively affected if we do not compete effectively.
The markets for products in which we participate are very competitive. Our principal competitors in these markets have substantial financial, marketing, and other resources, and several are much larger enterprises than us. In recent years, the global beverage alcohol industry has continued to experience consolidation. Industry consolidation can have varying degrees of impact, including the creation of new and larger competitors.
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We are dependent on being able to generate sales and other operating income in excess of the costs of products sold in order to obtain margins, profits, and cash flows to meet or exceed our targeted financial performance measures. Competition is based on such factors as product innovation, product characteristics, product quality, pricing, color, and name. Pricing of our products is partly dependent upon industry capacity, which is impacted by competitor actions to bring online idled capacity or to build new production capacity. If market conditions make our products too expensive for use in consumer goods, our revenues could be affected. If our principal competitors were to decrease their pricing, we could choose to do the same, which could adversely affect our margins and profitability. If we did not do the same, our revenues could be adversely affected due to the potential loss of sales or market share. Our revenue growth could also be adversely affected if we are not successful in developing new products for our customers or as a result of new product introductions by our competitors. In addition, more stringent new customer demands may require us to make internal investments to achieve or sustain competitive advantage and meet customer expectations.
Work disruptions or stoppages by our unionized workforce could cause interruptions in our operations.
As of December 31, 2020, approximately 167 of our 360 employees were members of a union. Although our relations with our two unions are stable, there is no assurance that we will not experience work disruptions or stoppages in the future, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations and could adversely affect our relationships with our customers.
If we were to lose any of our key management personnel, we may not be able to fully implement our strategic plan, our system of internal controls could be impacted.
We rely on the continued services of key personnel involved in management, finance, product development, sales, manufacturing and distribution, and, in particular, upon the efforts and abilities of our executive management team. The loss of service of any of our key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and on our system of internal controls.
If we cannot attract and retain key management personnel, or if our search for qualified personnel is prolonged, our system of internal controls may be affected, which could lead to an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. In addition, it could be difficult, time consuming, and expensive to replace any key management member or other critical personnel, and no guarantee exists that we will be able to recruit suitable replacements or assimilate new key management personnel into our organization.
Covenants and other provisions in our credit arrangements could hinder our ability to operate. Our failure to comply with covenants in our credit arrangements could result in the acceleration of the debt extended under such agreements, limit our liquidity, and trigger other rights of our lenders.
Our credit arrangements (Note 5) contain a number of financial and other covenants that include provisions which require us, in certain circumstances, to meet certain financial tests. These covenants could hinder our ability to operate and could reduce our profitability. The lender may also terminate or accelerate our obligations under our credit arrangements upon the occurrence of various events in addition to payment defaults and other breaches. Any acceleration of our debt or termination of our credit arrangements would negatively impact our overall liquidity and might require us to take other actions to preserve any remaining liquidity. Although we anticipate that we will be able to meet the covenants in our credit arrangements, there can be no assurance that we will do so, as there are a number of external factors that affect our operations over which we have little or no control, that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Product recalls or other product liability claims could materially and negatively affect our business.
Selling products for human consumption involves inherent legal and other risks, including product contamination, spoilage, product tampering, allergens, or other adulteration. We could decide to, or be required to, recall products due to suspected or confirmed product contamination, adulteration, misbranding, tampering, or other deficiencies. Although we maintain product recall insurance, product recalls or market withdrawals could result in significant losses due to their costs, the destruction of product inventory, and lost sales due to the unavailability of the product for a period of time. We could be adversely affected if our customers lose confidence in the safety and quality of certain of our products, or if consumers lose confidence in the food and beverage safety system generally. Negative attention about these types of concerns, whether or not valid, may damage our reputation, discourage consumers from buying our products, or cause production and delivery disruptions.
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We may also suffer losses if our products or operations cause injury, illness, or death. In addition, we could face claims of false or deceptive advertising or other criticism. A significant product liability or other legal judgment or a related regulatory enforcement action against us, or a significant product recall, may materially and adversely affect our reputation and profitability. Moreover, even if a product liability or other legal or regulatory claim is unsuccessful, has no merit, or is not pursued, the negative publicity surrounding assertions against our products or processes could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
We are subject to extensive regulation and taxation, as well as compliance with existing or future laws and regulations, which may require us to incur substantial expenditures.
We are subject to a broad range of federal, state, local, and foreign laws and regulations intended to protect public health and the environment. Our operations are also subject to regulation by various federal agencies, including the TTB, OSHA, the FDA, the EPA, and by various state and local authorities. Such laws and regulations cover virtually every aspect of our operations, including production and storage facilities, distillation and maturation requirements, importing ingredients, distribution of beverage alcohol products, marketing, pricing, labeling, packaging, advertising, water usage, waste water discharge, disposal of hazardous wastes and emissions, and other matters. In addition, beverage alcohol products are subject to customs, duties, or excise taxation in many countries, including taxation at the federal, state, and local level in the United States.
Violations of any of these laws and regulations may result in administrative, civil, or criminal fines or penalties being levied against us, including temporary or prolonged cessation of production, revocation or modification of permits, performance of environmental investigatory or remedial activities, voluntary or involuntary product recalls, or a cease and desist order against operations that are not in compliance with applicable laws. These laws and regulations may change in the future and we may incur material costs in our efforts to comply with current or future laws and regulations. These matters may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Tariffs imposed by the U.S. and those imposed in response by other countries, as well as rapidly changing trade relations, could negatively impact our customers and have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Changes in U.S. and foreign governments' trade policies have resulted in, and may continue to result in, tariffs on imports into and exports from the U.S. The U.S. has imposed tariffs on imports from several countries, including those in the European Union. In response, the European Union has proposed or implemented their own tariffs on certain products including ours and our customers. Such retaliatory tariffs continue to remain in place and other countries may implement similar tariffs in the future. Any further deterioration of economic relations between the U.S. and other countries or any increase in existing tariffs or the imposition of additional tariffs could result in an increase in the price of our and our customer's products in those countries and could prompt consumers in those countries to seek alternative products. Any resulting impact on the continued growth on our or of our customer's business could potentially impact our financial performance and results of operations.
A failure of one or more of our key information technology ("IT") systems, networks, processes, associated sites, or service providers could have a negative impact on our business.
We rely on IT systems, networks, and services, including internet sites, data hosting and processing facilities and tools, hardware (including laptops and mobile devices), software and technical applications and platforms, some of which are managed and hosted by third party vendors to assist us in the management of our business. The various uses of these IT systems, networks, and services include, but are not limited to: hosting our internal network and communication systems; enterprise resource planning; processing transactions; summarizing and reporting results of operations; business plans, and financial information; complying with regulatory, legal, or tax requirements; providing data security; and handling other processes necessary to manage our business. Any failure of our IT systems or those of our third party vendors could adversely impact our ability to operate. Routine maintenance or development of new IT systems may result in systems failures, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Increased IT security threats and more sophisticated cyber crime pose a potential risk to the security of our IT systems, networks, and services, as well as the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of our data. This could lead to outside parties having access to our privileged data or strategic information or information regarding our employees, suppliers or customers. Any breach of our data security systems or failure of our IT systems may have a material adverse impact on our business operations and financial results. If the IT systems, networks or service providers we rely upon fail to function properly, or if we or our third party vendors suffer a loss or disclosure of business or other sensitive information due to any number of causes, including power outages, computer and telecommunications failures, viruses, phishing attempts, cyber-attacks, malware and ransomware attacks, security breaches, natural disasters, and errors by employees, and the disaster recovery plans do not effectively address these failures on a timely basis, we may suffer interruptions in our ability to manage operations and
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reputational, competitive, or business harm, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. If our critical IT systems or back-up systems or those of our third party vendors were damaged or ceased to function properly, we might have to make a significant investment to repair or replace them. If a ransomware attack or other cybersecurity breach occurs, either internally or at our third-party technology service providers, it is possible we could be prevented from accessing our data which may cause interruptions or delays in our business, cause us to incur remediation costs or require us to pay ransom to a hacker which takes over our systems, or damage our reputation. In addition, such events could result in unauthorized disclosure of material confidential information, and we may suffer financial and reputational damage because of lost or misappropriated confidential information belonging to us or to our partners, our employees, customers, and suppliers. Additionally, we could be exposed to potential liability, litigation, governmental inquiries, investigations or regulatory enforcement actions and we could be subject to the payment of fines or other penalties, legal claims by our suppliers, customers or employees and significant remediation costs. Although we maintain insurance coverage for various cybersecurity risks, we may incur costs or financial losses that are either not insured against or not fully covered through our insurance.
Despite the protections we had in place, in May 2020, we were affected by a ransomware attack that temporarily disrupted production at our Atchison facilities. Our financial information was not affected and there is no evidence that any sensitive or confidential company, supplier, customer or employee data was improperly accessed or extracted from our network. The Company’s insurance is expected to provide coverage for business interruption losses, but there can be no assurance as to the amount or timing of possible insurance recoveries if ultimately claimed by the Company.
Following the attack, we implemented a variety of measures to further enhance our cybersecurity protections and minimize the impact of any future attack. Cyber threats are constantly evolving however, and although we continually assess and improve our protections, there can be no guarantee that a future cyber event will not occur.
Damage to our reputation, or that of any of our key customers or their brands, could affect our business performance.
The success of our products depends in part upon the positive image that consumers have of the third party brands that use our products. Contamination, whether arising accidentally or through deliberate third party action, or other events that harm the integrity or consumer support for our and/or our customers’ products could affect the demand for our and/or our customers’ products. Unfavorable media, whether accurate or not, related to our industry, to us, our products, or to the brands that use our products, marketing, personnel, operations, business performance, or prospects could negatively affect our corporate reputation, stock price, ability to attract high quality talent, or the performance of our business. Negative publicity or commentary on social media outlets could cause consumers to react rapidly by avoiding our brands or by choosing brands offered by our competitors, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property rights or may be accused of infringing intellectual property rights of third parties.
We regard our trademarks, service marks, copyrights, patents, trade dress, trade secrets, proprietary technology, and similar intellectual property as critical to our success, and we rely on trademark, copyright, and patent law, trade secret protection, and confidentiality and/or license agreements with our employees, customers, and others to protect our proprietary rights. We may not be able to discover or determine the extent of any unauthorized use of our proprietary rights. Third parties that license our proprietary rights also may take actions that diminish the value of our proprietary rights or reputation. The protection of our intellectual property may require the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources. Moreover, the steps we take to protect our intellectual property may not adequately protect our rights or prevent third parties from infringing or misappropriating our proprietary rights.
Our intellectual property rights may not be upheld if challenged. Such claims, if they are proved, could materially and adversely affect our business. If we are unable to maintain the proprietary nature of our technologies, we may lose any competitive advantage provided by our intellectual property. We and our customers and other users of our products may be subject to allegations that we or they or certain uses of our products infringe the intellectual property rights of third parties. The outcome of any litigation is inherently uncertain. Any intellectual property claims, with or without merit, could be time-consuming and expensive to resolve, could divert management attention from executing our business plan, and could require us or our customers or other users of our products to change business practices, pay monetary damages, or enter into licensing or similar arrangements. Any adverse determination related to intellectual property claims or litigation could be material to our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Climate change, or legal, regulatory or market measures to address climate change, may negatively affect our business or operations, and water scarcity or quality could negatively impact our production costs and capacity.
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Increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere may have an adverse effect on global temperatures, weather patterns, and the frequency and severity of extreme weather events and natural disasters. In the event that climate change, or legal, regulatory, or market measures enacted to address climate change, has a negative effect on agricultural productivity in the regions from which we procure agricultural products such as corn and wheat, we could be subject to decreased availability or increased prices for a such agricultural products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Water is the main ingredient in substantially all of our distillery products and is necessary for the production of our food ingredients. It is also a limited resource, facing unprecedented changes from climate change, increasing pollution, and poor management. As demand for water continues to increase, water becomes more scarce and the quality of available water deteriorates, we may be affected by increasing production costs or capacity constraints, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Our business may suffer from risks related to acquisitions and potential future acquisitions.
Part of our strategic business plan is to grow our business through acquisitions, and we continue to evaluate and engage in discussions concerning potential acquisition opportunities, some of which could be material. Failure to successfully integrate or otherwise realize the anticipated benefits of these acquisitions could adversely impact our long-term competitiveness and profitability. The integration of any future acquisitions will involve a number of risks that could harm our financial condition, results of operations and competitive position. In particular:
• the integration plans for our acquisitions are based on benefits that involve assumptions as to future events, including our ability to successfully achieve anticipated synergies, leveraging our existing relationships, as well as general business and industry conditions, many of which are beyond our control and may not materialize. Unforeseen factors may offset components of our integration plans in whole or in part. As a result, our actual results may vary considerably, or be considerably delayed, compared to our estimates;
• the integration process could disrupt the activities of the businesses that are being combined. The combination of companies requires, among other things, coordination of administrative and other functions. In addition, the loss of key employees, customers or vendors of acquired businesses could materially and adversely impact the integration of the acquired businesses;
• the execution of our integration plans may divert the attention of our management from other key responsibilities;
• we may assume unanticipated liabilities and contingencies; or
• our acquisition targets could fail to perform in accordance with our expectations at the time of purchase.
Future acquisitions may be effected through the issuance of our Common Stock or securities convertible into our Common Stock, which could substantially dilute the ownership percentage of our current stockholders. In addition, shares issued in connection with future acquisitions could be publicly tradable, which could result in a material decrease in the market price of our Common Stock.
If we consummate the acquisition of Luxco, Inc. (the "Luxco Acquisition"), we may face significant disruptions and other risks.
If it is completed, the Luxco Acquisition will involve numerous risks, including the following:
• during the period until and after we consummate the Luxco Acquisition, uncertainty and disruptions may negatively impact Luxco’s relationships with their employees, distributors, vendors, and other business partners, which could harm Luxco’s financial condition and results of operations;
• we may fail to realize the anticipated benefits of the Luxco Acquisition, including the level of revenue and profitability and the expected operational, revenue, and cost synergies that we are expecting;
• we may face difficulties in retaining key management and employees, or we may need to attract and retain additional management resources, which could negatively impact the operations of Luxco, disrupt our ongoing operations, and divert our and Luxco’s management’s attention from ongoing operations and opportunities;
• after we acquire Luxco, our management’s attention may be diverted from the daily operations of our existing businesses;
• our financial results may be negatively impacted by cash expenses and non-cash charges incurred in connection with Luxco or in the future if goodwill or other intangible assets we acquire in the Luxco Acquisition become impaired;
• notwithstanding the due diligence we performed in connection with the Luxco Acquisition, Luxco may have liabilities, losses, or other exposures (including regulatory risks) for which we do not have adequate insurance coverage, indemnification, or other protection; and
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• we expect to incur substantial additional indebtedness to finance the Luxco Acquisition, enhancing our vulnerability to increased debt service requirements should interest rates rise, reducing the amount of expected cash flow available for other purposes, including capital expenditures and acquisitions, and limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our businesses and industries.
Any failure of the pending Luxco Acquisition to be completed may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and stock price.
Each of our and Luxco’s obligations to complete the Luxco Acquisition is subject to a number of conditions specified in the Merger Agreement, including, among others (i) the expiration or termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, (ii) the absence of any order restraining, enjoining, or otherwise prohibiting the consummation of the Luxco Acquisition, (iii) filing of all required notices, transfers, applications, termination or documentation required under applicable law with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the United States, and the licensing boards of the states of Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio such that there is continuity and survival of permits held by Luxco for the operation of the business as of the Closing, (iv) the accuracy of the parties’ respective representations and warranties in the Merger Agreement, subject to specified materiality qualifications, (v) compliance by the parties with their respective covenants in the Merger Agreement in all material respects, and (vi) the absence of a material adverse effect (as defined in the Merger Agreement) with respect to either party on or after the date of the Merger Agreement.
There can be no assurance that these conditions to the completion of the Luxco Acquisition will be satisfied within the timeframe specified in the Merger Agreement or at all. If the Luxco Acquisition is not completed, our stock price could decline to the extent that our current share price reflects an assumption that the Luxco Acquisition will be completed. Furthermore, if the Luxco Acquisition is not completed, we may suffer other consequences that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and stock price, including the following:
• we have incurred, and will continue to incur, significant costs and expenses, including fees for professional services and other transaction costs in connection with the Luxco Acquisition, and many of these fees and costs are payable by us regardless of whether the Luxco Acquisition is completed;
• the failure to complete the Luxco Acquisition may result in adverse publicity, negatively impact the reputation of the Company in the capital markets and investment community, and result in critical responses from our customers, partners, and other third parties;
• legal proceedings may be instituted against us, our directors and others relating to the Luxco Acquisition and related transactions;
• any disruptions to our business resulting from the announcement and pendency of the Luxco Acquisition, including any adverse changes to our relationships with customers, vendors, distributors, and employees, may continue or intensify in the event the Luxco Acquisition is not completed;
• we may experience employee departures; and
• we may not be able to take advantage of alternative business opportunities or effectively respond to competitive pressures.
The Company will incur significant transaction and acquisition-related costs in connection with the Luxco Acquisition.
We expect to incur a number of non-recurring costs associated with the Luxco Acquisition and combining the operations of Luxco’s with our own. Some of these costs have already been incurred or may be incurred regardless of whether the Luxco Acquisition is completed. The Company also will incur transaction fees and costs related to formulating and implementing integration plans with respect to the two companies. We continue to assess the magnitude of these costs, and additional unanticipated costs may be incurred in the Luxco Acquisition and the integration of Luxco’s business with our business. Although we expect that the elimination of duplicative costs, as well as the realization of other efficiencies related to the integration of the businesses, should allow us to offset integration-related costs over time, this net benefit may not be achieved in the near term, or at all.
The outbreak of the coronavirus ("COVID-19") has negatively impacted and could continue to negatively impact the global economy. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic could continue to disrupt or otherwise negatively impact global credit markets and could disrupt or otherwise negatively impact our operations, including the demand for our products and our ability to produce and deliver our products.
The significant outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in a widespread health crisis, which has negatively impacted and could continue to negatively impact the global economy. In addition, the global and regional impact of the outbreak, including official or unofficial quarantines and governmental restrictions on activities taken in response to the outbreak, could have a negative impact on our operations, including voluntary or mandatory temporary closures of our facilities or offices; interruptions in our supply chain, which could impact the cost or availability of raw materials; disruptions or restrictions on our
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ability to travel or to market and distribute our products; reduced consumer demand for our products or those of our customers due to bar and restaurant closures or reduced consumer traffic in bars, restaurants and other locations where our products or those of our customers are sold; and labor shortages. More broadly, the outbreak could lead to an economic downturn that could affect future demand for our products and those of our customers.
Furthermore, our facilities and those of our customers and suppliers have been required to comply with additional regulations and may be required to comply with new regulations imposed by state and local governments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including COVID-19 safety guidance for production and manufacturing facilities. Compliance with these measures, or new measures, may cause increases in the cost, or delays or reduction in the volume, of products produced at our facilities or those of our suppliers.
The COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted credit markets, and may continue to disrupt or negatively impact credit markets, which could adversely affect the availability and cost of capital. Such impacts could limit our ability to fund our operations and satisfy our obligations.
The response to COVID-19 has resulted in social distancing, travel bans, temporary closures of businesses, shelter-in-place orders, and quarantines, among other measures. Although certain of the restrictions have begun, and may continue, to ease in some places, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has limited and may continue to limit access to our facilities, customers, management, support staff, professional advisors and our independent auditors. These factors, in turn, may not only impact our operations, financial condition and demand for our products but our overall ability to react timely to mitigate the impact of this ongoing event. Also, these measures may continue to hamper our efforts to comply with our filing obligations with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The extent and potential short and long-term impact of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak on our operational and financial performance will continue to depend on future developments, including the duration, severity and spread of the virus, actions that may be taken by governmental authorities and the impact on our supply chain, customers, operations, workforce and the financial markets, all of which remain highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. These and other potential impacts of an epidemic, pandemic or other health crisis, such as COVID-19, could therefore materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
RISKS SPECIFIC TO OUR DISTILLERY PRODUCTS SEGMENT
The relationship between the price we pay for grain and the sales prices of our distillery co-products can fluctuate significantly and negatively impact our business.
Distillers feed, fuel grade alcohol, and corn oil are the principal co-products of our alcohol production process and can contribute in varying degrees to the profitability of our Distillery Products segment. Distillers feed and corn oil are sold for prices which historically have tracked the price of corn, but are also susceptible to other factors. In the case of distillers feed, other factors could include weather, other available feedstock, and global trade relations. In the case of corn oil, other factors could include soy oil and the overall level of ethanol production. We sell fuel grade alcohol, the prices for which typically, but not always, have tracked price fluctuations in gasoline prices. As a result, the profitability of these products could be adversely affected, which could be material to our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Our strategic plan involves significant investment in the aging of barreled distillate. Decisions concerning the quantity of maturing stock of our aged distillate could materially affect our future profitability.
There is an inherent risk in determining the quantity of maturing stock of aged distillate to lay down in a given year for future sales as a result of changes in consumer demand, pricing, new brand launches, changes in product cycles, increase in competitive supply, and other factors. Demand for products could change significantly between the time of production and the date of sale. It may be more difficult to make accurate predictions regarding new products and brands. Inaccurate decisions and/or estimations could lead to an inability to supply future demand or lead to a future surplus of inventory and consequent write-down in the value of maturing stocks of aged distillate. As a result, our business, financial condition, or results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
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If the brands we develop or acquire do not achieve consumer acceptance, our growth may be limited, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
A component of our strategic plan is to develop or acquire our own portfolio of brands, particularly whiskeys. Risks related to this strategy include:
• Because our brands, internally developed and acquired, are early in their growth cycle or have not yet been developed, they have not achieved extensive brand recognition. Accordingly, if consumers do not accept our brands, we will not be able to penetrate our markets and our growth may be limited.
• We depend, in part, on the marketing initiatives and efforts of our independent distributors in promoting our products and creating consumer demand, and we have limited, or no, control regarding their promotional initiatives or the success of their efforts.
• We depend on our independent distributors to distribute our products. The failure or inability of even a few of our independent distributors to adequately distribute our products within their territories could harm our sales and result in a decline in our results of operations.
• We compete for shelf space in retail stores and for marketing focus by our independent distributors, most of whom carry extensive product portfolios.
• The laws and regulations of several states prohibit changes of independent distributors, except under certain limited circumstances, making it difficult to terminate an independent distributor for poor performance without reasonable cause, as defined by applicable statutes. Any difficulty or inability to replace independent distributors, poor performance of our major independent distributors or our inability to collect accounts receivable from our major independent distributors could harm our business. There can be no assurance that the independent distributors and retailers we use will continue to purchase our products or provide our products with adequate levels of promotional support.
• Our brands compete with the brands of our bulk alcohol customers.
Warehouse expansion issues could negatively impact our operations and our business.
In 2015, we announced a major expansion in warehousing capacity, which we completed during 2020. Our future business operations may require additional warehouse capacity. In the event additional warehouse capacity is required, there is the potential risk of completion delays, including risk of delay associated with required permits and cost overruns, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
We may be subject to litigation directed at the beverage alcohol industry .
Companies in the beverage alcohol industry are, from time to time, exposed to class action or other litigation relating to alcohol advertising, product liability, alcohol abuse problems or health consequences from the misuse of alcohol. Such litigation may result in damages, penalties or fines as well as damage to our reputation, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
A change in public opinion about alcohol could reduce demand for our products.
For many years, there has been a high level of social and political attention directed at the beverage alcohol industry. The attention has focused largely on public health concerns related to alcohol abuse, including drunk driving, underage drinking, and the negative health impacts of the abuse and misuse of beverage alcohol. Anti-alcohol groups have, in the past, advocated successfully for more stringent labeling requirements, higher taxes, and other regulations designed to discourage alcohol consumption. More restrictive regulations, higher taxes, negative publicity regarding alcohol consumption and/or changes in consumer perceptions of the relative healthfulness or safety of beverage alcohol could decrease sales and consumption of alcohol, and thus, the demand for our products. This could, in turn, significantly decrease both our revenues and our revenue growth and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
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Changes in consumer preferences and purchases, and our ability to anticipate or react to them, could negatively affect our business results.
We operate in highly competitive markets, and our success depends on our continued ability to offer our customers and consumers appealing, high-quality products. In recent years there has been increased demand for the products we produce, including, in particular, increased demand for bourbons and rye whiskeys. Customer and consumer preferences and purchases may shift due to a host of factors, many of which are difficult to predict, including:
• demographic and social trends;
• economic conditions;
• public health policies and initiatives;
• changes in government regulation and taxation of beverage alcohol products;
• the expansion of, legalization of, and increased acceptance or use of, marijuana; and
• changes in travel, leisure, dining, entertaining, and beverage consumption trends.
If our customers and consumers shift away from spirits (particularly brown spirits, such as our premium bourbon and rye whiskeys), our business, financial condition, or results of operations could be adversely affected.
RISKS SPECIFIC TO OUR INGREDIENT SOLUTIONS SEGMENT
Our focus on higher margin specialty ingredients may make us more reliant on fewer, more profitable customer relationships.
Our strategic plan for our Ingredient Solutions segment includes focusing our efforts on the sale of specialty proteins and starches to targeted domestic consumer packaged goods customers. Our major focus is directed at food ingredients, which are primarily used in foods that are developed to address consumers’ desire for healthier and more convenient products; these consist of dietary fiber, wheat protein isolates and concentrates, and textured wheat proteins. The bulk of our applications technology and research and development efforts are dedicated to providing customers with specialty ingredient solutions that deliver nutritional benefits, as well as desired functional and sensory qualities to their products. Our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially adversely affected if our customers were to reduce their new product development ("NPD") activities or cease using our unique dietary fibers, starches, and proteins in their NPD efforts.
Adverse public opinion about any of our specialty ingredients could reduce demand for our products.
Consumer preferences with respect to our specialty ingredients might change. In fact, in recent years, we have noticed shifting consumer preferences and media attention directed to gluten, gluten intolerance, and "clean label" products. Shifting consumer preferences could decrease demand for our specialty ingredients. This could, in turn, significantly decrease our revenues and revenue growth, which could have a material adverse affect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR COMMON STOCK
Common Stockholders have limited rights under our Articles of Incorporation .
Under our Articles of Incorporation, holders of our Preferred Stock are entitled to elect five of our nine directors and only holders of our Preferred Stock are entitled to vote with respect to a merger, dissolution, lease, exchange or sale of substantially all of our assets, or on an amendment to the Articles of Incorporation, unless such action would increase or decrease the authorized shares or par value of the Common or Preferred Stock, or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Common or Preferred Stock so as to affect the holders of Common Stock adversely. Generally, the Common Stock and Preferred Stock vote as separate classes on all other matters requiring stockholder approval.
The majority of the outstanding shares of our Preferred Stock is beneficially owned by one individual, who is effectively in control of the election of five of our nine directors under our Articles of Incorporation.
We have various mechanisms in place to discourage takeover attempts, which may reduce or eliminate our stockholders' ability to sell their shares for a premium in a change of control transaction.
Various provisions of our Articles of Incorporation and bylaws and of Kansas corporate law may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control or takeover attempt of our Company by a third party which our management and Board of Directors opposes.
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Public stockholders who might desire to participate in such a transaction may not have the opportunity to do so. These anti-takeover provisions could substantially impede the ability of public stockholders to benefit from a change of control or change in our management and Board of Directors. These provisions include:
• Preferred Stock that could be issued by our Board of Directors to make it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or to discourage a third party from acquiring, a majority of our outstanding voting stock;
• non-cumulative voting directors;
• limitations on the ability of stockholders to call special meetings of stockholders; and
• advance notice requirements for nominations of candidates for election to our Board of Directors or for proposing matters that can be acted upon by our stockholders at stockholder meetings.
We are authorized to issue up to a total of 40,000,000 shares of Common Stock, potentially diluting equity ownership of current holders and the share price of our Common Stock
We believe that it is necessary to maintain a sufficient number of available authorized shares of our Common Stock in order to provide us with the flexibility to issue Common Stock for business purposes that may arise as deemed advisable by our Board. These purposes could include, among other things, (i) to declare future stock dividends or stock splits, which may increase the liquidity of our shares; (ii) the sale of stock to obtain additional capital or to acquire other companies or businesses, which could enhance our growth strategy or allow us to reduce debt if needed; (iii) use in additional stock incentive programs and (iv) other bona fide purposes. Our Board of Directors may issue the available authorized shares of Common Stock without notice to, or further action by, our stockholders, unless stockholder approval is required by law or the rules of the NASDAQ Global Select Market. The issuance of additional shares of Common Stock may significantly dilute the equity ownership of the current holders of our Common Stock. Further, over the course of time, all of the issued shares have the potential to be publicly traded, perhaps in large blocks. This may result in dilution of the market price of the Common Stock.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.