ASTRONICS CORP - Annual Report: 2011 (Form 10-K)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2011

Commission File Number 0-7087

Astronics Corporation

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

130 Commerce Way, East Aurora, N.Y. 14052

(Address of principal executive office)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (716) 805-1599

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 (g) of the Act:

$.01 par value Common Stock; $.01 par value Class B Stock

(Title of Class)

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Yes  ¨    No  x

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

Yes  ¨    No   x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    

Yes  x    No   ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See definition of “large accelerated filer”, an “accelerated filer”, a “non-accelerated filer” and a “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes   ¨    No  x

As of February 17, 2012, 12,357,943 shares were outstanding, consisting of 9,571,089 shares of Common Stock $.01 Par Value and 2,786,854 shares of Class B Stock $.01 Par Value. The aggregate market value, as of the last business day of the Company’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, of the shares of Common Stock and Class B Stock of Astronics Corporation held by non-affiliates was approximately $220,175,000 (assuming conversion of all of the outstanding Class B Stock into Common Stock and assuming the affiliates of the Registrant to be its directors, executive officers and persons known to the Registrant to beneficially own more than 10% of the outstanding capital stock of the Corporation).

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held May 2, 2012 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Report.

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ASTRONICS CORPORATION

Index to Annual Report

on Form 10-K

Year Ended December 31, 2011

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FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report contains certain forward looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involves uncertainties and risks. These statements are identified by the use of the “may,” “will,” “should,” “believes,” “expects,” “expected,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” “outlook,” “forecast,” “anticipates,” “presume” and “assume,” and words of similar import. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward looking statements as various uncertainties and risks could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these statements. These uncertainties and risks include the success of the Company with effectively executing its plans; the timeliness of product deliveries by vendors and other vendor performance issues; changes in demand for our products from the U.S. government and other customers; the acceptance by the market of new products developed; our success in cross-selling products to different customers and markets; changes in government contracts; the state of the commercial and business jet aerospace market; the Company’s success at increasing the content on current and new aircraft platforms; the level of aircraft build rates; as well as other general economic conditions and other factors. Certain of these factors, risks and uncertainties are discussed in the sections of this report entitled “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

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PART I

Astronics is a leading supplier of products to the aerospace and defense industries. Our products include advanced, high-performance lighting systems, electrical power generation systems, aircraft safety systems, electrical power distribution systems and avionics databus products for the global aerospace industry as well as test, training and simulation systems primarily for the military.

We have seven primary locations, six in the United States and one in Canada. We design and build our products through our wholly owned subsidiaries Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems Corp., Ballard Technology, Inc., DME Corporation, Luminescent Systems, Inc. and Luminescent Systems Canada, Inc. We have two reportable segments, Aerospace and Test Systems.

Products and Customers

Our Aerospace segment designs and manufactures products for the global aerospace industry. Product lines include Aircraft Lighting, Cabin Electronics, Airframe Power, Avionics Databus Products and Airfield Lighting. Our Aerospace customers are the airframe manufacturers (OEM’s) that build aircraft for the commercial, military and general aviation markets, suppliers to those OEM’s, aircraft operators such as airlines and branches of the U.S. Department of Defense as well as the Federal Aviation Administration and airport operators. During 2011, this segment’s sales were divided 67% to the commercial transport market, 17% to the military aircraft market, 12% to the business jet market and 4% to the FAA/airport market. Most of this segment’s sales are a result of contracts or purchase orders received from customers, placed on a day-to-day basis or for single year procurements rather than long-term multi-year contract commitments. On occasion the Company does receive contractual commitments or blanket purchase orders from our customers covering multiple year deliveries of hardware to our customers.

Our Test Systems segment designs, develops, manufactures and maintains communications and weapons test systems and training and simulation devices for military applications. In the Test Systems Segment, Astronics’ products are sold primarily to the U.S. military, foreign militaries and manufacturers of military communication systems. During 2011, this segment’s sales were all to the military markets. This segment’s revenue is a result of long-term, primarily fixed price contracts and is recognized using the percentage of completion method of accounting, measured by multiplying the estimated total contract value by the ratio of actual contract costs incurred to date to the estimated total contract costs. We make significant estimates involving usage of percentage-of-completion accounting to recognize contract revenues. We periodically review contracts in process for estimates-to-completion, and revise estimated gross profit accordingly. While we believe our estimated gross profit on contracts in process is reasonable, unforeseen events and changes in circumstances can take place in a subsequent accounting period that may cause us to revise our estimated gross profit on one or more of our contracts in process. Accordingly, the ultimate gross profit realized upon completion of such contracts can vary significantly from estimated amounts between accounting periods.

Sales by Segment, Geographic Region, Major Customer and Canadian Operations are provided in Note 18 of Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data in this report.

We have a significant concentration of business with two major customers, Panasonic Avionics Corporation and to various Department of Defense branches of the U.S. Government. Sales to Panasonic Avionics accounted for 35.7% of sales in 2011, 26.5% of sales in 2010 and 19.4% of sales in 2009. Accounts receivable from this customer at December 31, 2011 and 2010 were $9.9 million and $6.5 million, respectively. Sales to the U.S. Government accounted for 9.0% of sales in 2011, 15.0% of sales in 2010 and 19.5% of sales in 2009. Accounts receivable from this customer at December 31, 2011 and 2010 were $3.8 million and $7.0 million, respectively.

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Strategy

Our strategy is to develop and maintain positions of technical leadership in our chosen aerospace and defense markets, to leverage those positions to grow the amount of content and volume of product sold to those markets and to selectively acquire businesses with similar technical capabilities that could benefit from our leadership position and strategic direction.

Practices as to Maintaining Working Capital

Liquidity is discussed in Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, in the Liquidity section of this report.

Competitive Conditions

We experience considerable competition in the market sectors we serve, principally with respect to product performance and price, from various competitors, many of which are substantially larger and have greater resources. Success in the markets we serve depends upon product innovation, customer support, responsiveness, and cost management. We continue to invest in developing the technologies and engineering support critical to competing in our markets.

Government Contracts

All U.S. Government contracts, including subcontracts where the U.S. Government is the ultimate customer, may be subject to termination at the election of the government. Our revenue stream relies on military spending, as a significant portion of the Test Systems’ revenue is derived from military applications.

Raw Materials

Materials, supplies and components are purchased from numerous sources. We believe that the loss of any one source, although potentially disruptive in the short-term, would not materially affect our operations in the long-term.

Seasonality

Our business is typically not seasonal.

Backlog

At December 31, 2011, our backlog was approximately $106.3 million. At December 31, 2010, our backlog was approximately $99.8 million. Backlog in the Aerospace segment was approximately $97.9 million and $91.6 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Approximately $84.1 million for the December 31, 2011 backlog is expected to be realized in 2012. Backlog in the Test Systems segment was approximately $8.4 million at December 31, 2011 of which approximately $8.1 million is expected to be realized in 2012.

Patents

We have a number of patents. While the aggregate protection of these patents is of value, our only material business that is dependent upon the protection afforded by these patents is our cabin power distribution product. Our patents and patent applications relate to electroluminescence, instrument panels, keyboard technology and a broad patent covering the cabin power distribution technology. We regard our expertise and techniques as proprietary and rely upon trade secret laws and contractual arrangements to protect our rights. We have trademark protection in major markets.

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Research, Development and Engineering Activities

We are engaged in a variety of engineering and design activities as well as basic research and development activities directed to the substantial improvement or new application of our existing technologies. These costs are expensed when incurred and included in cost of sales. Research and development and engineering costs amounted to approximately $36.1 million in 2011, $28.3 million in 2010 and $27.0 million in 2009.

Employees

We employed 1,081 employees as of December 31, 2011. We consider our relations with our employees to be good. None of our employees are subject to collective bargaining agreements.

Stock Distribution

On August 2, 2011, we announced a one-for-ten distribution of Class B Stock to holders of both Common and Class B Stock. On or about August 30, 2011, stockholders received one share of Class B Stock for every ten shares of Common and Class B Stock held on the record date of August 16, 2011. All share quantities, share prices and per share data reported throughout this report have been adjusted to reflect the impact of this distribution.

Available information

We file our financial information and other materials as electronically required by the SEC with the SEC. These materials can be accessed electronically via the Internet at www.sec.gov. Such materials and other information about the Company are also available through our website at www.astronics.com.

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The loss of Panasonic Avionics Corporation or the U. S. Government as major customers or a significant reduction in sales to either or both of those two customers would reduce our sales and earnings. In 2011 we had a concentration of sales to Panasonic representing approximately 35.7% of our sales and to the U.S. Government representing approximately 9.0% of our sales. The loss of one or both of these customers or a significant reduction in sales to them would significantly reduce our sales and earnings.

The amount of debt we have outstanding, as well as any debt we may incur in the future, could have an adverse effect on our operational and financial flexibility. As of December 31, 2011, we had $33.3 million of debt outstanding, of which $28.0 million is long-term debt. Changes to our level of debt subsequent to December 31, 2011 could have significant consequences to our business, including the following:

We are subject to debt covenant restrictions. Our credit facility contains several financial and other restrictive covenants. A significant decline in our operating income could cause us to violate our maximum leverage ratio or fixed charge ratio. A covenant violation would require a waiver by the lenders or an alternative financing arrangement be achieved. This could result in our being unable to borrow under our bank credit facility or being obliged to refinance and renegotiate the terms of our bank indebtedness. Historically both choices have been available to us however it is difficult to predict the availability of these options in the future.

Our future operating results could be impacted by estimates used to calculate impairment losses on long term assets. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires Management to make significant and subjective estimates and assumptions that may affect the reported amounts of long term assets in the financial statements. These estimates are integral in the determination of whether a potential impairment loss exists as well as the calculation of that loss. Actual future results could differ from those estimates.

A write-off of all or part of our goodwill or other intangible assets could adversely affect our operating results, net worth and cause us to violate covenants in our bank credit facility. At December 31, 2011, goodwill and purchased intangible assets were approximately 9.8% and approximately 8.0% of our total assets respectively. Our goodwill and other intangible assets may increase in the future since our strategy includes growing through acquisitions. We may have to write off all or part of our goodwill or purchased intangible assets if their value becomes impaired. Although this write-off would be a non-cash charge, it could reduce our earnings and net worth significantly.

The markets we serve are cyclical and sensitive to domestic and foreign economic conditions and events, which may cause our operating results to fluctuate. In our Aerospace segment, demand by the business jet markets for our products is dependent upon several factors, including capital investment, product

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innovations, economic growth and wealth creation, and technology upgrades. In addition, the commercial airline industry is highly cyclical and sensitive to fuel price increases, labor disputes, global economic conditions, availability of capital to fund new aircraft purchases and upgrades of existing aircraft and passenger demand. A change in any of these factors could result in a reduction in the amount of air travel and the ability of airlines to invest in new aircraft or to upgrade existing aircraft. These factors would reduce orders for new aircraft and would likely reduce airlines spending for cabin upgrades for which we supply products, thus reducing our sales and profits. A reduction in air travel may also result in our commercial airline customers being unable to pay our invoices on a timely basis or not at all.

We are a supplier on various new aircraft programs just entering or expected to begin production in the future such as the Boeing 787, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and Lear 85. As with any new program there is risk as to whether the aircraft or program will be successful and accepted by the market. As is customary for our business we purchase inventory and invest in specific capital equipment to support our production requirements generally based on delivery schedules provided by our customer. If a program or aircraft is not successful we may have to write off all or a part of the inventory, accounts receivable and capital equipment related to the program. A write off of these assets could result in a significant reduction of earnings and cause covenant violations relating to our debt agreements. This could result in our being unable to borrow additional funds under our bank credit facility or being obliged to refinance or renegotiate the terms of our bank indebtedness.

In our Test Systems segment, demand for our products is dependent upon several factors, including government funding levels for our products, our ability to compete successfully for those contracts and our ability to develop products to satisfy the demands of our customers. A change in any of these factors could result in a reduction of our sales and profits.

Our products are sold in highly competitive markets. Some of our competitors are larger; more diversified corporations and have greater financial, marketing, production and research and development resources. As a result, they may be better able to withstand the effects of periodic economic downturns. Our operations and financial performance will be negatively impacted if our competitors:

We believe that the principal points of competition in our markets are product quality, price, design and engineering capabilities, product development, conformity to customer specifications, quality of support after the sale, timeliness of delivery and effectiveness of the distribution organization. Maintaining and improving our competitive position will require continued investment in manufacturing, engineering, quality standards, marketing, customer service and support and our distribution networks. If we do not maintain sufficient resources to make these investments, or are not successful in maintaining our competitive position, our operations and financial performance will suffer.

Our future success depends to a significant degree upon the continued contributions of our management team and technical personnel. The loss of members of our management team could have a material and adverse effect on our business. In addition, competition for qualified technical personnel in our industry is intense, and we believe that our future growth and success will depend on our ability to attract, train and retain such personnel.

Future terror attacks, war, or other civil disturbances could negatively impact our business. Continued terror attacks, war or other disturbances could lead to further economic instability and decreases in demand for our products, which could negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. Terrorist attacks world-wide have caused instability from time to time in global financial markets and the aviation

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industry. The long-term effects of terrorist attacks on us are unknown. These attacks and the U.S. Government’s continued efforts against terrorist organizations may lead to additional armed hostilities or to further acts of terrorism and civil disturbance in the United States or elsewhere, which may further contribute to economic instability.

If we are unable to adapt to technological change, demand for our products may be reduced. The technologies related to our products have undergone, and in the future may undergo, significant changes. To succeed in the future, we will need to continue to design, develop, manufacture, assemble, test, market and support new products and enhancements on a timely and cost effective basis. Our competitors may develop technologies and products that are more effective than those we develop or that render our technology and products obsolete or uncompetitive. Furthermore, our products could become unmarketable if new industry standards emerge. We may have to modify our products significantly in the future to remain competitive, and new products we introduce may not be accepted by our customers.

Our new product development efforts may not be successful, which would result in a reduction in our sales and earnings. We may experience difficulties that could delay or prevent the successful development of new products or product enhancements, and new products or product enhancements may not be accepted by our customers. In addition, the development expenses we incur may exceed our cost estimates, and new products we develop may not generate sales sufficient to offset our costs. If any of these events occur, our sales and profits could be adversely affected.

We depend on government contracts and subcontracts with defense prime contractors and sub contractors that may not be fully funded, may be terminated, or may be awarded to our competitors. The failure to be awarded these contracts or failure to receive funding or the termination of one or more of these contracts could reduce our sales. Sales to the U.S. Government and its prime contractors and subcontractors represent a significant portion of our business. The funding of these programs is generally subject to annual congressional appropriations, and congressional priorities are subject to change. In addition, government expenditures for defense programs may decline or these defense programs may be terminated. A decline in governmental expenditures or the termination of existing contracts may result in a reduction in the volume of contracts awarded to us. We have resources applied to specific government contracts and if any of those contracts were terminated, we may incur substantial costs redeploying those resources.

If our subcontractors or suppliers fail to perform their contractual obligations, our prime contract performance and our ability to obtain future business could be materially and adversely impacted. Many of our contracts involve subcontracts with other companies upon which we rely to perform a portion of the services we must provide to our customers. There is a risk that we may have disputes with our subcontractors, including disputes regarding the quality and timeliness of work performed by the subcontractor or customer concerns about the subcontractor. Failure by our subcontractors to satisfactorily provide on a timely basis the agreed-upon supplies or perform the agreed-upon services may materially and adversely impact our ability to perform our obligations with our customer. Subcontractor performance deficiencies could result in a customer terminating our contract for default. A default termination could expose us to liability and substantially impair our ability to compete for future contracts and orders. In addition, a delay in our ability to obtain components and equipment parts from our suppliers may affect our ability to meet our customers’ needs and may have an adverse effect upon our profitability.

Our results of operations are affected by our fixed-price contracts, which could subject us to losses in the event that we have cost overruns. For the year ended December 31, 2011, fixed-price contracts represented almost all of the Company’s sales. On fixed-price contracts, we agree to perform the scope of work specified in the contract for a predetermined price. Depending on the fixed price negotiated, these contacts may provide us with an opportunity to achieve higher profits based on the relationship between our costs and the contract’s fixed price. However, we bear the risk that increased or unexpected costs may reduce our profit.

Some of our contracts contain late delivery penalties. Failure to deliver in a timely manner due to supplier problems, development schedule slides, manufacturing difficulties, or similar schedule related events could have a material adverse effect on our business.

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The failure of our products may damage our reputation, necessitate a product recall or result in claims against us that exceed our insurance coverage, thereby requiring us to pay significant damages. Defects in the design and manufacture of our products may necessitate a product recall. We include complex system design and components in our products that could contain errors or defects, particularly when we incorporate new technology into our products. If any of our products are defective, we could be required to redesign or recall those products or pay substantial damages or warranty claims. Such an event could result in significant expenses, disrupt sales and affect our reputation and that of our products. We are also exposed to product liability claims. We carry aircraft and non-aircraft product liability insurance consistent with industry norms. However, this insurance coverage may not be sufficient to fully cover the payment of any potential claim. A product recall or a product liability claim not covered by insurance could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our facilities could be damaged by catastrophes which could reduce our production capacity and result in a loss of customers. We conduct our operations in facilities located throughout the United States and Canada. These facilities could be damaged by fire, floods, high winds, earthquakes, power loss, telecommunication and information systems failure or similar events. Although we carry property insurance, including business interruption insurance, our inability to meet customers’ schedules as a result of catastrophe may result in a loss of customers or significant additional costs such as penalty claims under customer contracts.

Changes in discount rates and other estimates could affect our future earnings and equity. Pension obligations and the related costs are determined using actual results and actuarial valuations that involve several assumptions. The most critical assumption is the discount rate. Other assumptions include salary increases and retirement age. The discount rate assumptions are based on current market conditions and are outside of our control. Changes in these assumptions could affect our future earnings and equity.

We are subject to financing and interest rate exposure risks that could adversely affect our business, liquidity and operating results. Changes in the availability, terms and cost of capital, increases in interest rates or a reduction in credit rating could cause our cost of doing business to increase and place us at a competitive disadvantage. At December 31, 2011, approximately 49% of our debt was at fixed interest rates with the remaining percentage subject to variable interest rates.

We are subject to the risk of loss resulting from our customers defaulting on their obligations to us. The inability of our customers to pay us due to adverse economic conditions or their inability to access available credit could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and liquidity.

Contracting in the defense industry is subject to significant regulation, including rules related to bidding, billing and accounting kickbacks and false claims, and any non-compliance could subject us to fines and penalties or possible debarment. Like all government contractors, we are subject to risks associated with this contracting. These risks include the potential for substantial civil and criminal fines and penalties. These fines and penalties could be imposed for failing to follow procurement integrity and bidding rules, employing improper billing practices or otherwise failing to follow cost accounting standards, receiving or paying kickbacks or filing false claims. We have been, and expect to continue to be, subjected to audits and investigations by government agencies. The failure to comply with the terms of our government contracts could harm our business reputation. It could also result in suspension or debarment from future government contracts.

If we fail to meet expectations of securities analysts or investors due to fluctuations in our revenue or operating results, our stock price could decline significantly. Our revenue and earnings may fluctuate from quarter to quarter due to a number of factors, including delays or cancellations of programs. It is likely that in some future quarters our operating results may fall below the expectations of securities analysts or investors. In this event, the trading price of our stock could decline significantly.

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Our stock price is volatile. For the year ended December 31, 2011, our stock price ranged from a low of $17.91 to a high of $37.84. The price of our common stock has been and likely will continue to be subject to wide fluctuations in response to a number of events and factors, such as:

In addition, the stock market in general, and the market prices for companies in the aerospace industry in particular, have experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that often have been unrelated to the operating performance of the companies affected by these fluctuations. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our operating performance.

We may incur losses and liabilities as a result of our acquisition strategy. Growth by acquisition involves risks that could adversely affect our financial condition and operating results, including:

In addition, any acquisition, once successfully integrated, could negatively impact our financial performance if it does not perform as planned, does not increase earnings, or does not prove otherwise to be beneficial to us.

We currently are involved or may become involved in the future, in legal proceedings that, if adversely adjudicated or settled, could materially impact our financial condition. As an aerospace company, we may become a party to litigation in the ordinary course of our business, including, among others, matters alleging product liability, warranty claims, breach of commercial or government contract or other legal actions. In general, litigation claims can be expensive and time consuming to bring or defend against and could result in settlements or damages that could significantly impact results of operations and financial condition.

None

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On December 31, 2011, we occupied 580,000 square feet of space in the United States and Canada, distributed as follows:

Our corporate headquarters is located in East Aurora, New York. The lease in Montreal expires in December, 2012. The lease for the Redmond facility expires in March, 2013. We plan on relocating this operation to the Kirkland facility in late 2012. The lease for the Everett facility expires in September 2012. The lease for the Orlando facility expires in February, 2015 with one renewal option for seven years. Upon the expiration of our current leases, we believe that we will be able to either secure renewal terms or enter into leases for alternative locations at market terms. We believe that our properties have been adequately maintained and are generally in good condition.

The Company is subject to various legal proceedings, claims, and litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. While the outcome of these matters is currently not determinable, we do not expect these matters will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. However, the results of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty. Should the Company fail to prevail in any legal matter or should several legal matters be resolved against the Company in the same reporting period, then the financial results of that particular reporting period could be materially adversely affected.

On November 11, 2010, AE Liquidation Inc. filed an action in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (AE Liquidation, Inc., et al v. Luminescent Systems Inc., and AE Liquidation, Inc., et al., v Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems Corp.) seeking to recover $1.4 million of alleged preferential payments received from Eclipse Aviation Corporation. The Company disputes the Trustee’s allegations and believes any loss, as a result of future proceedings would not have a material adverse effect on our business. We intend to defend this claim vigorously.

We are a defendant in an action filed in the Regional State Court of Mannheim, Germany (Lufthansa Technik AG v. Astronics Advanced Electronics Systems Corp.) relating to an allegation of patent infringement. The damages sought include injunctive relief, as well as monetary damages. We dispute the allegation and intend to vigorously defend ourselves in this action. We have filed a nullity action with the Federal Patent Court in Munich Germany, requesting the court to revoke the German part of the European patent that is subject to the claim. In November 2011, the regional state court of Manheim Germany, issued an interim decision to the effect that the infringement litigation proceedings be stayed until the Federal Patent Court decides

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on the concurrent nullity action. At this time we are unable to provide a reasonable estimate of our potential liability or the potential amount of loss related to this action, if any. If the outcome of this litigation is adverse to us, our results and financial condition could be materially affected.

Other than this proceeding, we are not party to any significant pending legal proceedings that management believes will result in material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

Not Applicable

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PART II

The table below sets forth the range of prices for the Company’s Common Stock, traded on the NASDAQ National Market System, for each quarterly period during the last two years. The approximate number of shareholders of record as of February 17, 2012, was 820 for Common Stock and 1,167 for Class B Stock.

The Company has not paid any cash dividends in the three-year period ended December 31, 2011. The Company has no plans to pay cash dividends as it plans to retain all cash from operations as a source of capital to finance growth in the business.

On August 2, 2011, we announced a one-for-ten distribution of Class B Stock to holders of both Common and Class B Stock. On or about August 30, 2011, stockholders received one share of Class B Stock for every ten shares of Common and Class B Stock held on the record date of August 16, 2011. All share quantities, share prices and per share data reported throughout this report have been adjusted to reflect the impact of this distribution.

With respect to information regarding our securities authorized for issuance under equity incentive plans, the information contained in the section entitled “Equity Compensation Plan Information” of our definitive Proxy Statement for the 2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders is incorporated herein by reference.

We did not repurchase any shares of our common stock in 2011. On January 30, 2009, 550,000 shares of the Company’s common stock held as treasury shares were issued as part of the consideration paid for the acquisition of DME.

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The following graph charts the annual percentage change in return on the Company’s common stock compared to the S&P 500 Index — Total Return and the NASDAQ US and Foreign Securities:

Comparison of 5 Year Cumulative Total Return

Assumes Initial Investment of $100

December 2011

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Five-Year Performance Highlights

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OVERVIEW

Astronics Corporation, through its subsidiaries Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems Corp., Luminescent Systems Inc., Luminescent Systems Canada Inc., DME Corporation and Ballard Technology, Inc. designs and manufactures electrical power generation systems, electrical power control and distribution systems, lighting systems and components, aircraft safety products, avionics databus solutions and test, training and simulation systems.

Our strategy is to invest significantly in engineering, research and development to develop and maintain positions of technical leadership. We expect to leverage those positions to increase our ship set content and grow the amount of content and volume of product we sell and to selectively acquire businesses with similar technical capabilities that could benefit from our leadership position and strategic direction.

The Company operates in two reportable segments, Aerospace and Test Systems. Our Aerospace segment has six principal operating facilities located in New York State, two in Washington State, New Hampshire, Florida and Quebec, Canada. Our Test Systems segment has one facility located in Florida.

Our Aerospace segment serves four primary markets. They are the military, commercial transport, business jet and FAA/airport markets. We serve one primary market in the Test Systems segment, which is the military.

Sales to the commercial transport market totaled approximately 62.8% of our total revenue in 2011. Our cabin electronics products which provide in-seat power for airline passengers as well as power for in-flight entertainment systems (IFE) found on commercial airlines around the world accounted for the majority of our sales to this market. Since 2005 our sales to the commercial transport markets increased from approximately $31.2 million to approximately $143.3 million in 2011. In addition to supplying cabin electronics products to this market we also supply lighting products used in the cabin and cockpit of commercial airlines. Maintaining and growing our sales to the commercial transport market will depend on airlines capital spending budgets for cabin up-grades as well as the purchase of new aircraft such as the Boeing 787, Airbus A380 and Airbus A350. This spending by the airlines is impacted by their profits, cash flow and available financing as well as competitive pressures between the airlines to improve the travel experience for their passengers. We expect that these new aircraft, once in production will be equipped with more IFE and in-seat power than previous generation aircraft. Additionally, our ability to maintain and grow sales to this market depends on our ability to maintain our technological advantages over our competitors and maintain our relationships with major in-flight entertainment suppliers and global airlines.

Sales to the military aerospace market include our aircraft lighting, airframe power and avionics databus products. In 2011, Aerospace military sales represented approximately 15.5% of consolidated sales. The military market is dependent on governmental funding which can change from year to year. Risks are that overall spending may be reduced in the future, specific programs may be eliminated or that we fail to win new business through the competitive bid process. Astronics does not have significant reliance on any one program such that cancellation of a particular program will cause material financial loss. We believe that we will continue to have opportunities similar to past years regarding this market.

Sales to the business jet market are primarily aircraft lighting and airframe power products. Sales to the business jet market accounted for approximately 11.4% of our consolidated sales in 2011. Sales to the business jet market are driven by our ship set content on new aircraft and build rates of new aircraft. Business jet OEM build rates continue to be significantly impacted by slow global wealth creation and corporate profitability which have been negatively affected during the past several years by the slow recovery from the global recession. Our sales to the business jet market will continue to be challenged in the upcoming year as business jet aircraft production rates are not expected to increase during 2012 as the global economy continues to struggle. Additionally, there continues to be a large supply of high quality used aircraft in the market competing with new aircraft for customers. Despite the current market conditions, we continue to see opportunities on new aircraft currently in the design phase to employ our power and lighting technology in the business jet market. There is

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risk involved in the development of any new aircraft including the risk that the aircraft will not ultimately be produced or that it will be produced in lower quantities than originally expected and thus impacting our return on our engineering and development efforts.

Sales to the FAA/airport market account for approximately 4.0% of our consolidated sales in 2011 and were comprised of sales of airfield lighting products including navigational lighting aids, providing design-build lighting solutions to simplify lighting installation projects and provide seamless airfield upgrades for airports. Future FAA/airport market sales are dependent on funding availability for airport upgrades and successfully competing for those opportunities.

Our Test Systems segment accounted for 6.3% of our consolidated sales in 2011, all to the military market.

Important factors affecting our growth and profitability are the rate at which new aircraft are produced, government funding of military programs, our ability to have our products designed into the plans for new aircraft and the rates at which aircraft owners, including commercial airlines, refurbish or install upgrades to their aircraft. New aircraft build rates and aircraft owners spending on upgrades and refurbishments is cyclical and dependant on the strength of the global economy. Once designed into a new aircraft, the spare parts business is frequently retained by the Company.

Each of the markets that we serve presents opportunities that we expect will provide growth for the Company over the long-term. We continue to look for opportunities in all of our markets to capitalize on our core competencies to expand our existing business and to grow through strategic acquisitions.

Challenges which continue to face us include improving shareholder value through increasing profitability. Increasing profitability is dependent on many things, primarily revenue growth and the Company’s ability to control operating expenses and to identify means of creating improved productivity. Revenue is driven by increased build rates for existing aircraft, market acceptance and economic success of new aircraft, continued government funding of defense programs, the Company’s ability to obtain production contracts for parts we currently supply or have been selected to design and develop for new aircraft platforms and continually identifying and winning new business for our Test Systems segment. Reduced aircraft build rates driven by a weak economy, tight credit markets, reduced air passenger travel and an increasing supply of used aircraft on the market will likely result in reduced demand for our products which will result in lower profits. Reduction of defense spending may result in fewer opportunities for us to compete, which could result in lower profits in the future. Many of our newer development programs are based on new and unproven technology and at the same time we are challenged to develop the technology on a schedule that is consistent with specific programs. We will continue to address these challenges by working to improve operating efficiencies and focusing on executing on the growth opportunities currently in front of us.

ACQUISITIONS

On November 30, 2011 we acquired 100% of the stock of Ballard Technology, Inc. (“Ballard”) a manufacturer of avionics databus products. Ballard is included in our aerospace reporting segment. The addition of Ballard diversifies the products and technologies that Astronics offers. We purchased the outstanding stock of Ballard for approximately $23.9 million in cash plus contingent purchase consideration up to a maximum of $5.5 million subject to meeting certain revenue growth targets over the next five years. The additional purchase consideration was recorded at its estimated fair value of approximately $0.7 million at the date of acquisition based upon the Company’s assessment of the probability of Ballard achieving the revenue growth targets. Acquisition purchase price allocation and pro forma information is provided in Note 19 of Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data in this report.

On January 30, 2009, the Company acquired 100% of the common stock of DME Corporation (DME) for approximately $50.0 million. DME is a designer and manufacturer of military test training and simulation equipment, airfield lighting and aviation safety products.

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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Our financial statements and accompanying notes are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation of the Company’s financial statements requires management to make estimates, assumptions and judgments that affect the amounts reported. These estimates, assumptions and judgments are affected by management’s application of accounting policies, which are discussed in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 1 of Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data of this report. The critical accounting policies have been reviewed with the audit committee of our board of directors.

Revenue Recognition

In our Aerospace segment, revenue is recognized on the accrual basis at the time of shipment of goods and transfer of title. There are no significant contracts allowing for right of return.

In our Test Systems segment, revenue is recognized primarily from its long-term, fixed-price contracts using the percentage-of-completion method of accounting, measured by multiplying the estimated total contract value by the ratio of actual contract costs incurred to date to the estimated total contract costs. Substantially all long-term contracts are with U.S. government agencies and contractors thereto. The Company makes significant estimates involving its usage of percentage-of-completion accounting to recognize contract revenues. At least each quarter we review contracts in process for estimates-to-completion, and revise estimated gross profit accordingly. While we believe the estimated gross profit on contracts in process is reasonable, unforeseen events and changes in circumstances can take place in a subsequent accounting period that may cause us to revise our estimated gross profit on one or more of the contracts in process. Accordingly, the ultimate gross profit realized upon completion of such contracts can vary significantly from estimated amounts between accounting periods.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

We record a valuation allowance to account for potentially uncollectible accounts receivable. The allowance is determined based on Management’s knowledge of the business, specific customers, review of receivable aging and a specific identification of accounts where collection is at risk. At December 31, 2011, the allowance for doubtful accounts for accounts receivable was $0.6 million, or 1.8% of gross accounts receivable. At December 31, 2010, the allowance for doubtful accounts for accounts receivable was $0.3 million, or 0.9% of gross accounts receivable.

Inventory Valuation

We record valuation reserves to provide for excess, slow moving or obsolete inventory or to reduce inventory to the lower of cost or market value. In determining the appropriate reserve, Management considers the age of inventory on hand, the overall inventory levels in relation to forecasted demands as well as reserving for specifically identified inventory that we believe is no longer salable. At December 31, 2011, our reserve for inventory valuation was $10.6 million, or 20.9% of gross inventory. At December 31, 2010, our reserve for inventory valuation was $11.2 million, or 22.4% of gross inventory.

Deferred Tax Asset Valuation Allowances

Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. We record a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount of future tax benefit that we believe is more likely than not to be realized. We consider recent earnings projections, allowable tax carryforward periods, tax planning strategies and historical earnings performance to determine the amount of the valuation allowance. Changes in these factors could cause us to adjust our valuation allowance, which would impact our income tax expense when we determine that these factors have changed.

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As of December 31, 2011 we had net deferred tax assets of $10.2 million, net of a $1.9 million valuation allowance. As of December 31, 2010, we had net deferred tax assets of $10.4 million, net of a $0.9 million valuation allowance. These assets principally relate to goodwill and intangible assets, employee benefit liabilities, asset reserves, depreciation and state and foreign general business tax credit carry-forwards.

Due to the uncertainty as to the Company’s ability to generate sufficient certain state taxable income in the future and utilize certain of the Company’s state net operating loss carry-forwards before they expire, the Company has recorded a valuation allowance accordingly. These certain state net operating loss carryforwards expire at various dates from 2015 through 2031. The excess tax benefits associated with stock option exercises are recorded directly to stockholders’ equity only when realized. As a result, the excess tax benefits included in certain state net operating loss carryforwards but not reflected in deferred tax assets was approximately $3.3 million.

Impairment of long-lived assets

Goodwill Impairment Testing

Our goodwill is the result of the excess of purchase price over net assets acquired from acquisitions. As of December 31, 2011, we had approximately $17.2 million of goodwill. As of December 31, 2010, we had approximately $7.6 million of goodwill. The change in goodwill is due primarily to the acquisition of Ballard on November 30, 2011, increasing goodwill by $12.0 million, offset somewhat by a write-down in 2011 of $2.4 million relating to the Test Systems segment.

We test goodwill for impairment at least annually as of November 1, and more frequently whenever events occur or circumstances change that indicates there may be impairment. These events or circumstances could include a significant long-tem adverse change in the business climate, poor indicators of operating performance or a sale or disposition of a significant portion of a reporting unit. The process of evaluating our goodwill for impairment is subjective and requires significant estimates. These estimates include judgments about future cash flows that are dependent on internal forecasts, long-term growth rates and estimates of the weighted average cost of capital used to discount projected cash flows.

We test goodwill at the reporting unit level, which is one level below our operating segments. We identify our reporting units by assessing whether the components of our operating segment constitute businesses for which discrete financial information is available and segment management regularly reviews the operating results of those components. We also aggregate components that have similar economic characteristics into single reporting units (for example, similar products and/or services, similar long-term financial results, product processes, classes of customers, etc.). We currently have five reporting units; four within the Aerospace segment and the fifth being in the Test Systems segment. Three of the five reporting units carry goodwill at December 31, 2011.

The goodwill impairment test consists of comparing the fair value of a reporting unit, determined using an income approach based on discounted cash flow analyses, with the reporting unit’s carrying amount including goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, the implied fair value of goodwill is compared to the carrying amount of goodwill. An impairment loss would be recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of goodwill. Testing goodwill for impairment requires us to estimate fair values of reporting units using significant estimates and judgmental factors. The key estimates and factors used in our discounted cash flow analysis include revenue growth rates and profit margins based on internal forecasts, terminal value, and the weighted-average cost of capital used to discount future cash flows. We also consider any additional risk of each individual reporting unit achieving its forecasts, and adjust the weighted-average cost of capital applied when determining each reporting unit’s estimated fair value for these risks. We also compare the computed fair value to our market capitalization.

Future changes in these estimates and assumptions could materially affect the results of our goodwill impairment tests. All of the reporting units in the Aerospace Segment that had goodwill noted fair values well in excess of the carrying value. If the projected long-term revenue growth rates, profit margins, or terminal rates are considerably lower, and/or the estimated weighted-average cost of capital is considerably higher, future testing may indicate impairment of one or more of the Company’s reporting units and, as a result, the related goodwill could possibly be impaired.

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During fiscal 2011, based on the evaluation, we determined that Test Systems segment’s reporting unit fair value was less than its carrying value, due to decreases in projected future revenues and cash flows, combined with a higher weighted average cost of capital due to an increased uncertainty regarding our ability to forecast future revenue and cash flows for this reporting unit caused by lack of new orders late in the year and exacerbated by the cancellation of a large multi-year program in the fourth quarter. Therefore, we initiated step two of the goodwill impairment test which involves calculating the implied fair value of goodwill by allocating the fair value of the reporting unit to its assets and liabilities other than goodwill and comparing it to the carrying amount of goodwill. As a result of this evaluation we reduced the carrying value of goodwill for the Test Systems reporting unit to zero resulting in a $2.4 million impairment charge in the fourth quarter of 2011. The compound annual growth rate for revenue during the first five years of our projections ranged between negative 15.2% and positive 9.0%. The terminal value was calculated assuming projected growth rates of 3.0% after five years. The estimated weighted-average cost of capital for the reporting units ranged from 11.7% to 17.0% based upon an analysis of companies considered to be market participants and their debt to equity mix, their related volatility and the size of their market capitalization.

Each of the reporting units with material goodwill had a fair value which exceeded its carrying value by at least 84%.

Indefinite-lived Intangible Asset Impairment Testing

Indefinite-lived intangible assets total $1.0 million as of December 31, 2011 and $1.1 million as of 2010. We test our indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment, on an annual basis as of November 1 or more frequently, if an event occurs or circumstances change that indicate that the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset could be below its carrying amount. The impairment test consists of comparing the fair value determined using an in-lieu of the relief from royalty method, with its carrying amount. An impairment loss would be recognized for the carrying amount in excess of its fair value.

In the fourth quarter of 2011, the Company recorded an impairment charge relating to its Test Systems reporting unit’s indefinite-lived intangible assets amounting to approximately $0.1 million. The impairment was the result of significant unexpected decreases in forecasted future revenues and cash flows, combined with a higher weighted average cost of capital.

Amortized and Depreciable Asset Impairment Testing

Property, plant and equipment and amortizable intangible assets with a carrying value of $54.1 million at December 31, 2011 are depreciated or amortized over their assigned useful lives. We test these long-lived assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of those assets may not be recoverable. The recoverability test consists of comparing the projected undiscounted cash flows, with its carrying amount. An impairment loss would then be recognized for the carrying amount in excess of its fair value.

Supplemental Retirement Plan

We maintain a non-qualified defined benefit supplemental retirement plan for certain executives. Expense recognized for the supplemental retirement plan was $0.5 million for both 2011 and 2010 and $0.6 million for 2009. The accounting for this plan is based in part on certain assumptions that may be highly uncertain and may have a material impact on the financial statements if different reasonable assumptions had been used. In 2011, the assumptions for increases in compensation, the discount rate for determining the cost recognized and the discount rate used for the projected benefit obligation were 5.0%, 5.5% and 4.5%, respectively. The assumption for compensation increases takes a long-term view of inflation and performance based salary adjustments based on the Company’s approach to executive compensation. For determining the discount rate the Company considers long-term interest rates for high-grade corporate bonds.

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Stock-Based Compensation

We have stock-based compensation plans, which include non-qualified stock options as well as incentive stock options. Expense recognized for stock-based compensation was $1.1 million for the year ended 2011, $0.9 million for the year ended 2010 and $0.8 million for the year ended 2009. We determine the fair value of the option awards at the date of grant using a Black-Scholes model. Option pricing models require management to make assumptions and to apply judgment to determine the fair value of the award. These assumptions and judgments include estimating the future volatility of our stock price, expected dividend yield, future employee stock option exercise behaviors and future employee turnover rates. Changes in these assumptions can materially affect the fair value estimate.

CONSOLIDATED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND OUTLOOK

A discussion by segment can be found at “Segment Results of Operations and Outlook” in this MD&A.

CONSOLIDATED OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS

Our consolidated sales for 2011 increased by $32.4 million to $228.2 million compared with 2010. The increase was a result of a $34.3 million increase from our Aerospace segment, The Aerospace sales increase was partially offset by a $1.9 million decrease from our Test Systems segment.

Our consolidated sales for 2010 increased by $4.6 million to $195.8 million compared with 2009. The increase was a result of a $24.0 million increase from our Aerospace segment partially offset by a $19.4 million decrease from our Test Systems segment.

Gross margins improved in 2011 to 26.5% compared with 2010 at 24.3%. The improved margins were a result of increased margins in the Aerospace segment due to leverage on increased sales volume offset somewhat by lower margins in our Test Systems segment and increased engineering and development (“E&D”) expense.

Gross margins improved in 2010 to 24.3% compared with 2009 at 19.5%. The improved margins were a result of increased margins in the Aerospace segment due to leverage on increased sales volume, a more efficient cost structure and favorable sales mix.

Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses were $27.2 million or 11.9% of sales in 2011, compared to $23.2 million, or 11.8% of sales in 2010. The SG&A increase in 2011 compared with 2010 was due primarily to higher legal costs of $1.4 million , increased bad debt expenses of $0.5 million related to the American Airlines’ bankruptcy and increased compensation costs as compared with the prior year.

Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) decreased approximately $0.9 million in 2010 compared with 2009 due primarily to a $2.0 million reduction of amortization expense for purchased intangible assets in our Test Systems segment offset by a small increase in other selling expenses. SG&A expenses were $23.2 million or 11.9% of sales in 2010, compared to $24.1 million, or 12.6% of sales in 2009.

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In 2011, as a result of declining sales and low new orders, our forecast future cash flow for our Test Systems segment indicated that its carrying value exceeded its book value. As a result we recorded an impairment charge of $2.5 million to write down the carrying value of our Test Systems goodwill and certain intangible assets to fair value. There were no impairment charges in 2010. In 2009 we recorded an impairment charge of $19.4 million to write down the carrying value of our Test Systems goodwill by $14.2 million, and purchased intangible assets of our Test Systems segment by $5.2 million.

Interest expense in 2011 decreased when compared to 2010, due to a combination of lower rates and reduced debt levels when compared with the same period last year. There was little change in interest expense in 2010 compared with 2009, due primarily to slightly higher effective interest rates being offset by reduced debt levels.

The effective tax rate for 2011 is lower than 2010 primarily from the reduction of reserves for uncertain tax positions relating to the tax years 2006 through 2010 and a higher domestic production activity deduction. The effective tax rate for 2010 is higher than 2009, primarily due to the impact of the 2009 pre-tax loss.

2012 Outlook

We expect consolidated sales in 2012 to be between $235 million and $250 million. Our consolidated backlog at December 31, 2011 was $106.3 million of which approximately $92.6 million is expected to ship in 2012. We expect our capital equipment spending in 2011 to be in the range of $13 million to $16 million and our engineering and development costs to be in the range of $36 million to $40 million.

SEGMENT RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND OUTLOOK

Operating profit, as presented below, is sales less cost of sales and other operating expenses excluding interest expense, corporate expenses and other non-operating revenue and expenses. Cost of sales and operating expenses are directly attributable to the respective segment. Operating profit is reconciled to earnings before income taxes in Note 18 of Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, of this report.

AEROSPACE

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Aerospace sales for 2011 increased by $34.3 million, or 19.1%, to $213.9 million from $179.6 million in 2010. Sales growth was primarily driven by increased sales of cabin electronics’ in-seat power systems and increased aircraft lighting products to the commercial transport market as volumes increased. Military sales were up slightly due primarily to increased volume of airframe power product sales relating to increased delivery of Tactical Tomahawk missile power control units, offset somewhat by a lower volume of aircraft lighting sales. Sales to the business jet market were higher due primarily to increased volume from our airframe power product line. The sales decrease to the FAA/Airport market was due to lower volume and fewer turn-key programs.

Aerospace sales for 2010 increased by $24.0 million, or 15.4%, to $179.6 million from $155.6 million in 2009. Sales growth was primarily driven by increased sales volume of our cabin electronics products used by the commercial transport market. This volume increase was due to a general improvement of the financial condition of the commercial airlines and their increased installation of in-seat power systems and in-flight entertainment systems that incorporate our cabin electronics products. Military sales were down for the year due primarily to lower airframe power sales as scheduled deliveries of the Tactical Tomahawk power control unit ceased in 2010 which began again in 2011. The increase in sales to the business jet market was a result of increased sales in the airframe power product line to business jet manufacturers. Sales to the FAA/Airport market increased primarily due to the completion of two airfield lighting programs during 2010.

Operating margins for our Aerospace segment increased in 2011 to 18.9% from 16.8% in 2010. The operating margins increased due to the leverage provided on the increased sales volume partially offset by higher E&D costs and increased SG&A costs. SG&A costs increases were related to legal, compensation costs and bad debt expense compared with 2010.

Operating margins for our Aerospace segment increased in 2010 to 16.8% from 10.5% in 2009. Compared with 2010 our operating margins increased due to the leverage provided on the increased sales volume, the effect of cost reductions and favorable product mix as compared with the same periods of 2010.

It is our intention to continue investing in capabilities and technologies as needed that allows us to execute our strategy to increase the ship set content and value we provide on aircraft in all markets that we serve. The rate of spending on these activities, however, will continue to be driven by market opportunities.

The backlog for our Aerospace segment at December 31, 2011 was $97.9 million compared with $91.6 million at December 31, 2010.

2012 Outlook for Aerospace – We expect 2012 Aerospace segment sales to be in the range of $225 million to $238 million.

TEST SYSTEMS

Sales in 2011, 2010 and 2009 were all to the military market. The Test Systems segment continues to face headwinds as military spending has slowed and opportunities for large programs are fewer. With the lack of large programs we have continued to utilize our engineering capacity to continue to develop our next generation family of synthetic radio testers which we believe will provide a firm base line of repeating business for the future.

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In 2011, an impairment charge relating to the write-down of goodwill and intangible assets of $2.5 million is included in our Test Systems operating loss of $4.8 million for the year. There was no impairment charge for 2010. In 2009, an impairment charge of $19.4 million is included in our operating loss of $18.2 million for the year.

The backlog for Test Systems was $8.4 million at December 31, 2011 compared with $8.2 million at December 31, 2010.

2012 Outlook for Test Systems – We expect 2012 Test Systems sales to be in the range of $10 million to $12 million.

OFF BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS

We do not have material off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a material future effect on our results of operations or financial condition.

CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS

The following table represents contractual obligations as of December 31, 2011:

Notes to Contractual Obligations Table

Purchase Obligations — Purchase obligations are comprised of the Company’s commitments for goods and services in the normal course of business.

Long-Term Debt — See item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 6, Long-Term Debt and Note Payable in this report.

Operating Leases — Operating lease obligations are primarily related to facility leases for our Astronics AES, Astronics DME and our Canadian operations.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

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Our available borrowing capacity and our cash flow from operations provide us with the financial resources needed to run our operations and reinvest in our business.

Operating Activities

Cash flow provided by operating activities was $27.9 million in 2011 compared with $16.5 million in 2010. The increase of $11.4 million was mainly a result of higher net income and higher non-cash expenses including the $2.5 million impairment loss, offset by increased cash used for working capital components in 2011.

Cash flow provided by operating activities was approximately $16.5 million in 2010 compared with approximately $31.1 million provided by operating activities in 2009. The decrease of $14.6 million was mainly a result of cash used to invest in working capital components in 2010.

Our cash flows from operations are primarily dependent on our net income adjusted for non-cash expenses and the timing of collections of receivables, level of inventory and payments to suppliers. Sales are influenced significantly by the build rates of new aircraft, which are subject to general economic conditions, airline passenger travel and spending for government and military programs. Over time, sales will also be impacted by our success in executing our strategy to increase ship set content and obtain production orders for programs currently in the development stage. A significant change in new aircraft build rates could be expected to impact our profits and cash flow. A significant change in government procurement and funding and the overall health of the worldwide airline industry could be expected to impact our profits and cash flow as well.

Investing Activities

Cash used for investing activities in 2011 was approximately $38.1 million. We acquired Ballard for $23.9 million. We acquired two buildings for a combined cost of $10.1 million. One building that currently houses our Fort Lauderdale operation the second is a partially completed building that we plan on completing and moving our Redmond operation into at the end of 2012. Additionally we made investments in machinery and equipment totaling $4.1 million. Cash used for investing activities in 2010 was approximately $3.6 million, used primarily for capital expenditures. Cash used for investing activities in 2009 was $42.7 million for Capital expenditures and including $40.7 million to acquire DME.

Cash invested for capital expenditures for the last three years ranged between $2.5 million and $14.3 million. Our expectation for 2012 is that we will invest between $13.0 million and $16.0 million including the completion of the building that will house our Redmond operation. Future capital requirements depend on numerous factors, including expansion of existing product lines and introduction of new products. Management believes that our cash flow from operations and current borrowing arrangements will provide for these necessary capital expenditures.

Financing Activities

Our ability to maintain sufficient liquidity is highly dependent upon achieving expected operating results. Failure to achieve expected operating results could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, our ability to obtain financing and our operations in the future. Our obligations under our Credit Agreement are jointly and severally guaranteed by Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems Corp., Luminescent Systems, Inc., DME Corporation and Ballard Technology, Inc., each a wholly-owned domestic subsidiary of the Company. The obligations are secured by a first priority lien on substantially all of the Company’s and the guarantors’ assets and 100% of the issued and outstanding equity interest of each subsidiary.

The Company extended and modified its existing credit facility by entering into a Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”), dated as of August 31, 2011, with HSBC Bank USA, National Association, Bank of America, N.A. and Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company. The Credit Agreement provides for the continuation of the Company’s revolving credit line in the amount of $35 million, less outstanding letters of credit, for an additional five years through August 31, 2016 and for the continuation of the Company’s existing $18 million term loan maturing January 30, 2014, with interest on both loans at a rate of LIBOR plus between 1.50% and 2.50% based on the Company’s Leverage Ratio.

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The Credit Agreement contains various financial covenants. The covenant for minimum fixed charge coverage, defined as the ratio of the sum of net income, interest expense, provision for taxes based on income, total depreciation expense, total amortization expense, other non-cash items reducing net income minus other non-cash items increasing net income minus capital expenditures, minus cash taxes paid and dividends paid to interest expense plus scheduled principal payments on long-term debt calculated on a rolling four-quarter basis to be not less than 1.25 to 1 for each fiscal quarter ending on or after September 30, 2011. The Company’s minimum fixed charge coverage was 4.45 to 1 at December 31, 2011. The covenant for maximum leverage, defined as the ratio of the sum of net income, interest expense, provision for taxes based on income, total depreciation expense, total amortization expense, other non-cash items reducing net income minus other non-cash items increasing net income to funded debt calculated on a rolling four-quarter basis is not to exceed 3.25 to 1 for each fiscal quarter ending on or after September 30, 2011. The Company’s maximum leverage was 0.84 to 1 at December 31, 2011. The covenant for maximum capital expenditures is $15 million annually, excluding $18.0 million relating to the acquisition and completion of the Ft. Lauderdale and Kirkland properties. The Company’s capital expenditures in 2011, excluding the acquisition and completion to date of the Ft. Lauderdale and Kirkland properties, were $3.5 million.

There was no balance outstanding on our revolving credit facility at December 31, 2011. For working capital requirements, the Company had available on its credit facility $22.9 million. The credit facility allocates up to $20 million of the revolving credit line for the issuance of letters of credit, including certain existing letters of credit totaling approximately $12.1 million at December 31, 2011. In addition, the Company is required to pay a commitment fee quarterly at a rate of between 0.25% and 0.35% per annum on the unused portion of the total revolving credit commitment, also based on the Company’s Leverage Ratio.

In the event of voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy of the Company or any subsidiary, all unpaid principal and other amounts owing under the Credit Agreement automatically become due and payable. Other events of default, such as failure to make payments as they become due and breach of financial and other covenants, give the Agent the option to declare all such amounts immediately due and payable. At December 31, 2011, we were in compliance with all of the covenants pursuant to the credit facility.

The Company’s cash needs for working capital, debt service and capital equipment during 2012 is expected to be met by cash flows from operations and cash balances and if necessary, utilization of the revolving credit facility.

DIVIDENDS

Management believes that it should retain the capital generated from operating activities for investment in advancing technologies, acquisitions and debt retirement. Accordingly, there are no plans to institute a cash dividend program.

BACKLOG

At December 31, 2011, the Company’s backlog was approximately $106.3 million compared with approximately $99.8 million at December 31, 2010.

RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

None.

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RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

See Note 1 of the Consolidated Financial Statements at Item 8 of this report.

The Company has limited exposure to fluctuation in Canadian currency exchange rates to the U.S. dollar. Nearly all of the Company’s consolidated sales are transacted in U.S. dollars. Net assets held in or measured in Canadian dollars amounted to $6.5 million at December 31, 2011. Annual disbursements transacted in Canadian dollars were approximately $8.6 million in 2011. A 10% change in the value of the U.S. dollar versus the Canadian dollar would impact net income by approximately $0.6 million.

Risk due to fluctuation in interest rates is a function of the Company’s floating rate debt obligations, which total approximately $28.2 million at December 31, 2011. To offset this exposure, the Company entered into two interest rate swaps to fix the interest rate on a portion of the underlying debt for a set period of time.

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Board of Directors and Shareholders of Astronics Corporation.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Astronics Corporation as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, and the related consolidated statements of operations, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2011. Our audits also included the financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a). These financial statements and schedule are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and schedule based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of Astronics Corporation at December 31, 2011 and 2010 and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2011, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Also, in our opinion, the related financial statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly in all material respects the information set forth therein.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), Astronics Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated March 7, 2012 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Buffalo, New York

March 7, 2012

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MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act. Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011 based upon the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Based on that evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting is effective as of December 31, 2011.

We completed an acquisition in 2011, which was excluded from our management’s report on internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011. On November 30, 2011, we acquired Ballard Technology, Inc. This acquisition was included in our 2011 consolidated financial statements and constituted $25.6 million and $24.4 million of total and net assets, respectively, as of December 31, 2011 and $0.4 million and $0.3 million of net sales and net losses, respectively, for the year then ended.

Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and, as part of their audit, has issued their report, included herein, on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Board of Directors and Shareholders of Astronics Corporation

We have audited Astronics Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011 based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the COSO criteria). Astronics Corporation’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

As indicated in the accompanying Management’s report on Internal Controls over Financial Reporting, management’s assessment of and conclusion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting did not include the internal controls of Ballard Technology, Inc., which is included in the December 31, 2011 consolidated financial statements of Astronics Corporation and constituted $25.6 million and $24.4 million of total and net assets, respectively, as of December 31, 2011 and $.4 million and $.3 million of revenues and net loss, respectively, for the year then ended. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting of Astronics Corporation also did not include an evaluation of the internal control over financial reporting of Ballard Technology, Inc.

In our opinion, Astronics Corporation maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011, based on the COSO criteria.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets of Astronics Corporation as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 and the related consolidated statements of operations, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2011 of Astronics Corporation and our report dated March 7, 2012 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Buffalo, New York

March 7, 2012

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ASTRONICS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

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ASTRONICS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

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ASTRONICS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS