BROADWIND, INC. - Quarter Report: 2021 September (Form 10-Q)

PART I.       FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1.Financial Statements

BROADWIND, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(UNAUDITED)

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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BROADWIND, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(UNAUDITED)

(in thousands, except per share data)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

BROADWIND, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(UNAUDITED)

(in thousands, except share data)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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BROADWIND, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(UNAUDITED)

(in thousands)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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BROADWIND, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(UNAUDITED)

(Dollars are presented in thousands, except share, per share and per employee data or unless otherwise stated)

NOTE 1 — BASIS OF PRESENTATION 

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements presented herein include the accounts of Broadwind, Inc. (the “Company”) and its wholly-owned subsidiaries Broadwind Heavy Fabrications, Inc. (“Broadwind Heavy Fabrications”), Brad Foote Gear Works, Inc. (“Brad Foote”) and Broadwind Industrial Solutions, LLC (“Broadwind Industrial Solutions”). All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, the financial statements do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, including normal recurring accruals, considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included.

Operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the twelve months ending December 31, 2021, or any other interim period, which may differ materially due to, among other things, the risk factors set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

The December 31, 2020 condensed consolidated balance sheet was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. This financial information should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

There have been no material changes in the Company’s significant accounting policies during the nine months ended September 30, 2021 as compared to the significant accounting policies described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Company Description  

Through its subsidiaries, the Company is a precision manufacturer of structures, equipment and components for clean technology and other specialized applications. The Company provides technologically advanced high value products to customers with complex systems and stringent quality standards that operate in energy, mining and infrastructure sectors, primarily in the United States of America (the “U.S.”). The Company’s capabilities include, but are not limited to the following: heavy fabrications, welding, metal rolling, coatings, gear cutting and shaping, heat treatment, assembly, engineering and packaging solutions. The Company’s most significant presence is within the U.S. wind energy industry, which accounted for 66% and 72% of the Company’s revenue during the first nine months of 2021 and 2020, respectively. 

Liquidity

The Company typically meets its short term liquidity needs through cash generated from operations, its available cash balances, the Credit Facility (as defined below), equipment financing, and access to the public or private debt and/or equity markets, including the option to raise capital from the sale of our securities under the Form S-3 (as discussed below).

See Note 7, “Debt and Credit Agreements,” of these condensed consolidated financial statements for a complete description of the Credit Facility and the Company’s other debt. 

Total debt and finance lease obligations at  September 30, 2021 totaled $10,321, which includes current outstanding debt and finance leases totaling $7,331. The Company's revolving line of credit balance is included in the “Line of credit and other notes payable” line item in the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheet. Long-term debt at December 31, 2020 included $9,151 of Payroll Protection Program loans (“PPP Loans”), which were forgiven by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) during the quarter ended June 30, 2021. See Note 7, “Debt and Credit Agreements,” of these condensed consolidated financial statements for a complete description of the PPP Loans. 

On August 18, 2020, the Company filed a “shelf” registration statement on Form S-3, which was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on October 13, 2020 (the “Form S-3”) and expires on October 12, 2023. This shelf registration statement, which includes a base prospectus, allows the Company at any time to offer any combination of securities described in the prospectus in one or more offerings. Unless otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement accompanying the base prospectus, the Company would use the net proceeds from the sale of any securities offered pursuant to the shelf registration statement for general corporate purposes. 

On March 9, 2021, the Company entered into a $10,000 Equity Distribution Agreement (the “Equity Distribution Agreement”) with Craig-Hallum Capital Group, LLC. Pursuant to the terms of the Equity Distribution Agreement, the Company issued 1,897,697 shares of the Company’s common stock thereunder during the first two quarters of 2021. The net proceeds (before upfront costs) to the Company from the sale of such shares were approximately $9,725 after deducting commissions paid of approximately $275 and before deducting other expenses of $396. 

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was signed into law providing numerous tax provisions and other stimulus measures, including an employee retention credit (“ERC”), which is a refundable tax credit against certain employment taxes. The Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 extended and expanded the availability of the ERC. The ERC is available for wages paid through December 31, 2021 and is equal to 70% of qualified wages (which includes employer qualified health plan expenses) paid to employees. During each quarter of 2021, a maximum of $10,000 in qualified wages for each employee is eligible for the ERC. Therefore, the maximum tax credit that can be claimed by an eligible employer in 2021 is $7,000 per employee per calendar quarter. In the first and second quarters of 2021, the Company received ERC benefits of $3,372 and $3,593, respectively, which were recorded in “Other income (expense), net” in the Company’s condensed consolidated statement of operations. The Company qualified for the ERC in the first quarter of 2021 because it experienced a reduction in gross receipts of more than 20% for the first quarter of 2021 compared to the first quarter of 2019, the relevant criteria for the ERC. Since the Company qualified for the ERC in the first quarter of 2021, it automatically qualified for the ERC in the second quarter of 2021. As a result of the Company averaging 500 or fewer full-time employees in 2019, all wages paid to employees were eligible for the ERC (rather than only wages paid to employees not providing services). During the third quarter of 2021 due to relatively higher revenues in 2021 as compared to the third quarter of 2019, the Company did not qualify for the ERC benefit. The receivable for the remaining uncollected ERC benefit is $503 as of September 30, 2021 and is included in the “Employee retention credit receivable” line item in the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet at September 30, 2021. 

The Company anticipates that current cash resources, amounts available under the Credit Facility, cash to be generated from operations and any potential proceeds from the sale of further Company securities under the Form S-3 will be adequate to meet the Company’s liquidity needs for at least the next twelve months.

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If assumptions regarding the Company’s production, sales and subsequent collections from certain of the Company’s large customers, as well as receipt of customer deposits and revenues generated from new customer orders, are materially inconsistent with management’s expectations, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, emerging variants and its effects on domestic and global economies, the Company may in the future encounter cash flow and liquidity issues. If the Company’s operational performance deteriorates significantly, it may be unable to comply with existing financial covenants, and could lose access to its Credit Facility. This could limit the Company’s operational flexibility, require a delay in making planned investments and/or require the Company to seek additional equity or debt financing. Any additional equity financing, if available, may be dilutive to stockholders, and additional debt financing, if available, would likely require new financial covenants or impose other restrictions on the Company. While the Company believes that it will continue to have sufficient cash available to operate its businesses and to meet its financial obligations and debt covenants, there can be no assurances that its operations will generate sufficient cash, or that credit facilities will be available in an amount sufficient to enable the Company to meet these financial obligations.

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Management’s Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported period. Significant estimates, among others, include revenue recognition, future cash flows, inventory reserves, warranty reserves, impairment of long-lived assets, allowance for doubtful accounts and health insurance reserves. Although these estimates are based upon management’s best knowledge of current events and actions that the Company may undertake in the future, actual results could differ from these estimates, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NOTE 2 — REVENUES

Revenues are recognized when the promised goods or services are transferred to customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services.

The following table presents the Company’s revenues disaggregated by revenue source for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020:

Revenue within the Company’s Gearing and Industrial Solutions segments, as well as industrial fabrication product line revenues within the Heavy Fabrications segment, are generally recognized at a point in time, typically when the promised goods or services are physically transferred to its customers in an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct product or service to the customer. The Company measures revenue based on the consideration specified in the purchase order and revenue is recognized when the performance obligations are satisfied. If applicable, the transaction price of a contract is allocated to each distinct performance obligation and recognized as revenue when or as the customer receives the benefit of the performance obligation.

For tower sales within the Company’s Heavy Fabrications segment, products are sold under terms included in bill and hold sales arrangements that result in different timing for revenue recognition. The Company recognizes revenue under these arrangements only when there is a substantive reason for the agreement, the ordered goods are identified separately as belonging to the customer and not available to fill other orders, the goods are currently ready for physical transfer to the customer, and the Company does not have the ability to use the product or to direct it to another customer. Assuming these required revenue recognition criteria are met, revenue is recognized upon completion of product manufacture and customer acceptance.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company recognized a portion of revenue within the Gearing and Heavy Fabrications segments over time, as the products had no alternative use to the Company and the Company had an enforceable right to payment, including profit, upon termination of the contracts. Since the projects are labor intensive, the Company uses labor hours as the input measure of progress for the applicable contracts. Within the Heavy Fabrications segment, the Company recognized revenue over time of $1,791 and $4,220 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively. Within the Gearing segment, the Company recognized revenue over time of $499 and $2,444 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively. Contract assets are recorded when performance obligations are satisfied but the Company is not yet entitled to payment. Contract assets represent the Company’s rights to consideration for work completed but not billed at the end of the period. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company recognized revenue over time of $1,475 from one customer within the Gearing segment. 

The Company generally expenses sales commissions when incurred. These costs are recorded within selling, general and administrative expenses. Customer deposits, deferred revenue and other receipts are deferred and recognized when the revenue is realized and earned. Cash payments to customers are classified as reductions of revenue in the Company’s statement of operations.

The Company does not disclose the value of the unsatisfied performance obligations for contracts with an original expected length of one year or less.

NOTE 3 — EARNINGS PER SHARE 

The following table presents a reconciliation of basic and diluted earnings per share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, as follows: 

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NOTE 4 — INVENTORIES 

The components of inventories as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 are summarized as follows:

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NOTE 5 — INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Intangible assets represent the fair value assigned to definite-lived assets such as trade names and customer relationships as part of the Company’s acquisition of Brad Foote completed in 2007 as well as the noncompetition agreements, trade names and customer relationships that were part of the Company’s acquisition of Red Wolf Company, LLC completed in 2017. Intangible assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives, with a remaining life range from 1 to 6 years.

As of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the cost basis, accumulated amortization and net book value of intangible assets were as follows:

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As of September 30, 2021, estimated future amortization expense was as follows:

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NOTE 6 — ACCRUED LIABILITIES

Accrued liabilities as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 consisted of the following: 

NOTE 7 — DEBT AND CREDIT AGREEMENTS

The Company’s outstanding debt balances as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 consisted of the following:

Credit Facility

On October 26, 2016, the Company established a three-year secured revolving line of credit with CIBC Bank USA (“CIBC”). This line of credit has been amended from time to time. On February 25, 2019, the line of credit was expanded and extended for three years when the Company and its subsidiaries entered into an Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement (the “Amended and Restated Loan Agreement”), with CIBC as administrative agent and sole lead arranger and the other financial institutions party thereto, providing the Company and its subsidiaries with a $35,000 secured credit facility (as amended to date, the “Credit Facility”). The obligations under the Credit Facility are secured by, subject to certain exclusions, (i) a first priority security interest in all accounts receivable, inventory, equipment, cash and investment property, and (ii) a mortgage on the Abilene, Texas tower and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania gearing facilities.

On October 29, 2020, the Company executed the First Amendment to the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement, implementing a payoff of a syndicated lender and a pricing grid based on the Company’s trailing twelve month EBITDA under which applicable margins range from 2.25% to 2.75% for London Interbank Offering Rate (“LIBOR”) rate loans and 0.00% and 0.75% for base rate loans, and extending the term of the Credit Facility to  July 31, 2023.

On February 23, 2021, the Company executed the Second Amendment to the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement, which waived testing of the fixed charge coverage covenant for the quarters ended March 31, 2021 and June 20, 2021, added a new liquidity covenant applicable to the quarter ended March 31, 2021 and new minimum EBITDA covenants applicable to the quarters ended March 31, 2021 and June 30, 2021. As of September 30, 2021, the Company transitioned back to a fixed charge coverage covenant.

On November 8, 2021, the Company executed the Third Amendment to the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement (the “Third Amendment”) which waived the fixed charge coverage ratio default for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, suspended testing of the fixed charge coverage ratio covenant through September 30, 2022, added a minimum EBITDA covenant applicable to the three-month period ending December 31, 2021, the six-month period ending March 31, 2022, the nine-month period ending June 30, 2022 and the twelve-month period ending September 30, 2022 and added a reserve of $5,000,000 to the Revolving Loan Availability through December 31, 2022. For a more detailed description of the Third Amendment, refer to Item 5 of Part II of this Form 10-Q.

The Credit Facility is an asset-based revolving credit facility, pursuant to which the CIBC advances funds against a borrowing base consisting of approximately (a) 85% of the face value of eligible receivables of the Company and the subsidiaries, plus (b) the lesser of (i) 50% of the lower of cost or market value of eligible inventory of the Company, (ii) 85% of the orderly liquidation value of eligible inventory and (iii) $12.5 million, plus (c) the lesser of (i) the sum of (A) 75% of the appraised net orderly liquidation value of the Company’s eligible machinery and equipment plus (B) 50% of the fair market value of the Company’s mortgaged property and (ii) $12 million. Subject to certain borrowing base conditions, the aggregate Credit Facility limit under the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement is $35 million with a sublimit for letters of credit of $10 million. Borrowings under the Credit Facility bear interest at a per annum rate equal to, at the option of the Company, the one, two or three-month LIBOR rate or the base rate, plus a margin. The Company must also pay an unused facility fee equal to 0.50% per annum on the unused portion of the Credit Facility along with other standard fees. With the exception of the balance impacted by the interest rate swap (as described below), the Company is allowed to prepay in whole or in part advances under the Credit Facility without penalty or premium other than customary “breakage” costs with respect to LIBOR loans.

The Credit Facility contains customary representations and warranties applicable to the Company and its subsidiaries. It also contains a requirement that the Company, on a consolidated basis, maintain a minimum quarterly fixed charge coverage ratio, along with other customary restrictive covenants, certain of which are subject to materiality thresholds, baskets and customary exceptions and qualifications. 

In conjunction with the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement, during June 2019, the Company entered into a floating to fixed interest rate swap with CIBC. The swap agreement has a notional amount of $6,000 and a schedule matching that of the underlying loan that synthetically fixes the interest rate on LIBOR borrowings for the entire term of the Credit Facility at 2.13%, before considering the Company’s risk premium. The interest rate swap is accounted for using mark-to-market accounting. Accordingly, changes in the fair value of the swap each reporting period are adjusted through earnings, which may subject the Company’s results of operations to non-cash volatility. The interest rate swap liability is included in the “Accrued liabilities” line item of the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

As of September 30, 2021, there was $5,284 of outstanding indebtedness under the Credit Facility, with the ability to borrow an additional $18,743.

Other 

In 2016, the Company entered into a $570 loan agreement with the Development Corporation of Abilene which is included in the “Long-term debt, less current maturities” line item of our condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020. The loan is forgivable upon the Company meeting and maintaining specific employment thresholds. During each of the years 2020, 2019, and 2018, $114 of the loan was forgiven. As of September 30, 2021, the loan balance was $228. In addition, the Company has outstanding notes payable for capital expenditures in the amount of $161 and $163 as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, with $161 included in the “Line of credit and other notes payable” line item of the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020. The notes payable have monthly payments that range from $1 to $16 and an interest rate of approximately 4%. The equipment purchased is utilized as collateral for the notes payable. The outstanding notes payable have maturity dates that range from March 2022 to September 2024.

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On April 15, 2020, the Company received funds under notes and related documents with CIBC, under the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”) which was established under the CARES Act enacted on March 27, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and is administered by the SBA. The Company received total proceeds of $9,530 from the PPP Loans and made repayments of $379 on May 13, 2020. Under the terms of the CARES Act, as amended by the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 enacted on June 5, 2020 (the “Flexibility Act”), the PPP Loans, and accrued interest and fees are eligible to be forgiven following a period of twenty-four weeks after PPP Loan proceeds are received (the “covered period”) if they are used for qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act including payroll costs and certain employee benefits (which must equal or exceed 60% of the amount requested to be forgiven), rent, mortgage interest, and utilities. The amount of loan forgiveness is reduced if the borrower terminates employees or significantly reduces salaries during such period, subject to certain exceptions. The Company used at least 60% of the amount of the PPP Loans proceeds to pay for payroll costs and the balance on other eligible qualifying expenses consistent with the terms of the PPP and submitted its forgiveness applications to CIBC during the first quarter of 2021. During the quarter ended June 30, 2021, all loans were forgiven by the SBA and a gain of $9,151 was recorded in “Other income (expense), net” in the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations. 

NOTE 8 — LEASES

The Company leases certain facilities and equipment. On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2016-02, Leases (“Topic 842”) and ASU 2018-11 using the cumulative effect method and has elected to apply each available practical expedient. The adoption of Topic 842 resulted in the Company recognizing operating lease liabilities totaling $19,508 with a corresponding right-of-use (“ROU”) asset of $17,613 based on the present value of the minimum rental payments of such leases. The variance between the ROU asset balance and the lease liability is a deferred rent liability that existed prior to the adoption of Topic 842 and was offset against the ROU asset balance during the adoption. The discount rates used for leases accounted for under ASC 842 are based on an interest rate yield curve developed for the leases in the Company’s lease portfolio.

The Company has elected to apply the short-term lease exception to all leases of one year or less. During the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Company had additional operating leases that resulted in right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations of $907 and $4,380, respectively. Additionally, during the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Company had additional finance leases that resulted in property, plant, and equipment obtained in exchange for lease obligations of $2,444 and $2,253, respectively. 

Some of the Company’s facility leases include options to renew. The exercise of the renewal options is typically at the Company’s discretion. The Company regularly evaluates the renewal options and includes them in the lease term when the Company is reasonably certain to exercise them.

Quantitative information regarding the Company’s leases is as follows:

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As of September 30, 2021, future minimum lease payments under finance leases and operating leases were as follows:

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NOTE 9 — FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments 

The carrying amounts of the Company’s financial instruments, which include cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and customer deposits, approximate their respective fair values due to the relatively short-term nature of these instruments. Based upon interest rates currently available to the Company for debt with similar terms, the carrying value of the Company’s long-term debt is approximately equal to its fair value. 

The Company entered into an interest rate swap in June 2019 to mitigate the exposure to the variability of LIBOR for its floating rate debt described in Note 7, “Debt and Credit Agreements,” of these condensed consolidated financial statements. The fair value of the interest rate swap is reported in “Accrued liabilities” and the change in fair value is reported in “Interest expense, net” of these condensed consolidated financial statements. The fair value of the interest rate swap is estimated as the net present value of projected cash flows based on forward interest rates at the balance sheet date.

The Company is required to provide disclosure and categorize assets and liabilities measured at fair value into one of three different levels depending on the assumptions (i.e., inputs) used in the valuation. Level 1 provides the most reliable measure of fair value while Level 3 generally requires significant management judgment. Financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input significant to the fair value measurement. Financial instruments are assessed quarterly to determine the appropriate classification within the fair value hierarchy. Transfers between fair value classifications are made based upon the nature and type of the observable inputs. The fair value hierarchy is defined as follows:

Level 1 — Valuations are based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 — Valuations are based on quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, or quoted prices in markets that are not active for which significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly. 

Level 3 — Valuations are based on prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement. Inputs reflect management’s best estimate of what market participants would use in valuing the asset or liability at the measurement date.

The following tables represent the fair values of the Company’s financial liabilities as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020:

NOTE 10 — INCOME TAXES 

Effective tax rates differ from federal statutory income tax rates primarily due to changes in the Company’s valuation allowance, permanent differences and provisions for state and local income taxes. As of September 30, 2021, the Company has a full valuation allowance recorded against deferred tax assets. During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company recorded a provision for income taxes of $101, compared to a provision for income taxes of $103 during the nine months ended September 30, 2020. 

The Company files income tax returns in U.S. federal and state jurisdictions. As of September 30, 2021, open tax years in federal and some state jurisdictions date back to 1996 due to the taxing authorities’ ability to adjust operating loss carryforwards. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had federal and unapportioned state net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards of $260,598 of which $227,781 will generally begin to expire in 2026. The majority of the NOL carryforwards will expire in various years from 2028 through 2037. NOLs generated after January 1, 2018 will not expire.

Since the Company has no unrecognized tax benefits, they will not have an impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements as a result of the expiration of the applicable statues of limitations within the next twelve months. In addition, Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “IRC”), generally imposes an annual limitation on the amount of NOL carryforwards and associated built-in losses that may be used to offset taxable income when a corporation has undergone certain changes in stock ownership. The Company’s ability to utilize NOL carryforwards and built-in losses may be limited, under IRC Section 382 or otherwise, by the Company’s issuance of common stock or by other changes in stock ownership. Upon completion of the Company’s analysis of IRC Section 382 in 2010, the Company determined that aggregate changes in stock ownership have triggered an annual limitation on NOL carryforwards and built-in losses available for utilization, thereby currently limiting annual NOL usage to $14,284 per year. Further limitations may occur, depending on additional future changes in stock ownership. To the extent the Company’s use of NOL carryforwards and associated built-in losses is significantly limited in the future, the Company’s income could be subject to U.S. corporate income tax earlier than it would be if the Company were able to use NOL carryforwards and built-in losses without such limitation, which could result in lower profits and the loss of benefits from these attributes. 

In February 2013, the Company adopted a Stockholder Rights Plan, which was amended and extended in February 2016 and again in February 2019 (as amended, the “Rights Plan”). The Rights Plan is designed to preserve the Company’s substantial tax assets associated with NOL carryforwards under IRC Section 382. The amendment to the Rights Plan was most recently approved by the Company’s stockholders at the Company’s 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and has a term of three years.

The Rights Plan is intended to act as a deterrent to any person or group, together with its affiliates and associates, becoming the beneficial owner of 4.9% or more of the Company’s common stock and thereby triggering a further limitation of the Company’s available NOL carryforwards. In connection with the adoption of the Rights Plan, the Board declared a non-taxable dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of the Company’s common stock to the Company’s stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 22, 2013. Each Right entitles its holder to purchase from the Company one one-thousandth of a share of the Company’s Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock at an exercise price of $4.25 per Right, subject to adjustment. As a result of the Rights Plan, any person or group that acquires beneficial ownership of 4.9% or more of the Company’s common stock without the approval of the Board would be subject to significant dilution in the ownership interest of that person or group. Stockholders who owned 4.9% or more of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock as of February 12, 2013 will not trigger the preferred share purchase rights unless they acquire additional shares after that date. 

As of September 30, 2021, the Company had no unrecognized tax benefits. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as income tax expense. The Company had no accrued interest and penalties as of September 30, 2021.

NOTE 11 — SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION 

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There was no stock option activity during the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and no stock options were outstanding as of September 30, 2021. 

The following table summarizes the Company’s restricted stock unit and performance award activity during the nine months ended September 30, 2021: 

Under certain situations, shares are withheld from issuance to cover taxes for the vesting of restricted stock units and performance awards. For the nine months ended September 30, 2021, 233,153 of such shares were withheld to cover $1,503 of tax obligations. 

The following table summarizes share-based compensation expense included in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, as follows: 

NOTE 12 — LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

The Company is party to a variety of legal proceedings that arise in the normal course of its business. While the results of these legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes that the final outcome of these proceedings will not have a material adverse effect, individually or in the aggregate, on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. Due to the inherent uncertainty of litigation, there can be no assurance that the resolution of any particular claim or proceeding would not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. It is possible that if one or more of such matters were decided against the Company, the effects could be material to the Company’s results of operations in the period in which the Company would be required to record or adjust the related liability and could also be material to the Company’s financial condition and cash flows in the periods the Company would be required to pay such liability.

NOTE 13 — RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS 

The Company reviews new accounting standards as issued. Although some of the accounting standards issued or effective in the current fiscal year may be applicable to it, the Company believes that none of the new standards have a significant impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

NOTE 14— SEGMENT REPORTING 

The Company is organized into reporting segments based on the nature of the products offered and business activities from which it earns revenues and incurs expenses for which discrete financial information is available and regularly reviewed by the Company’s chief operating decision maker.

The Company’s segments and their product and service offerings are summarized below: 

Heavy Fabrications

The Company provides large, complex and precision fabrications to customers in a broad range of industrial markets. The Company’s most significant presence is within the U.S. wind energy industry, although it has diversified into other industrial markets in order to improve capacity utilization, reduce customer concentration, and reduce exposure to uncertainty related to governmental policies currently impacting the U.S. wind energy industry. Within the U.S. wind energy industry, the Company provides steel towers and tower adapters primarily to wind turbine manufacturers. Production facilities, located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and Abilene, Texas, are situated in close proximity to the primary U.S. domestic wind energy and equipment manufacturing hubs. The two facilities have a combined annual tower production capacity of up to approximately 550 towers (1,650 tower sections), sufficient to support turbines generating more than 1,100 megawatts of power. The Company has expanded production capabilities and leveraged manufacturing competencies, including welding, lifting capacity and stringent quality practices, into aftermarket and original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) components utilized in surface and underground mining, construction, material handling, oil and gas (“O&G”) and other infrastructure markets.

Gearing 

The Company provides gearing and gearboxes to a broad set of customers in diverse markets including; onshore and offshore O&G fracking and drilling, surface and underground mining, wind energy, steel, material handling and other infrastructure markets. The Company has manufactured loose gearing, gearboxes and systems, and provided heat treat services for aftermarket and OEM applications for nearly a century. The Company uses an integrated manufacturing process, which includes machining and finishing processes in Cicero, Illinois, and heat treatment in Neville Island, Pennsylvania.

Industrial Solutions 

The Company provides supply chain solutions, light fabrication, inventory management, kitting and assembly services, primarily serving the combined cycle natural gas turbine market, as well as other clean technology markets.

Corporate

“Corporate” includes the assets and selling, general and administrative expenses of the Company’s corporate office. “Eliminations” comprises adjustments to reconcile segment results to consolidated results. 

The accounting policies of the reportable segments are the same as those referenced in Note 1, “Basis of Presentation” of these condensed consolidated financial statements. Summary financial information by reportable segment for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 is as follows:

NOTE 15 — COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES 

Environmental Compliance and Remediation Liabilities 

The Company’s operations and products are subject to a variety of environmental laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which the Company operates and sells products governing, among other things, air emissions, wastewater discharges, the use, handling and disposal of hazardous materials, soil and groundwater contamination, employee health and safety, and product content, performance and packaging. Certain environmental laws may impose the entire cost or a portion of the cost of investigating and cleaning up a contaminated site, regardless of fault, upon any one or more of a number of parties, including the current or previous owners or operators of the site. These environmental laws also impose liability on any person who arranges for the disposal or treatment of hazardous substances at a contaminated site. Third parties may also make claims against owners or operators of sites and users of disposal sites for personal injuries and property damage associated with releases of hazardous substances from those sites. 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts 

Based upon past experience and judgment, the Company establishes an allowance for doubtful accounts with respect to accounts receivable. The Company’s standard allowance estimation methodology considers a number of factors that, based on its collections experience, the Company believes will have an impact on its credit risk and the collectability of its accounts receivable. These factors include individual customer circumstances, history with the Company, the length of the time period during which the account receivable has been past due and other relevant criteria. 

The Company monitors its collections and write-off experience to assess whether or not adjustments to its allowance estimates are necessary. Changes in trends in any of the factors that the Company believes may impact the collectability of its accounts receivable, as noted above, or modifications to its credit standards, collection practices and other related policies may impact the Company’s allowance for doubtful accounts and its financial results. The activity in the accounts receivable allowance liability for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 consisted of the following: 

Collateral 

In select instances, the Company has pledged specific inventory and machinery and equipment assets to serve as collateral on related payable or financing obligations. 

Liquidated Damages 

In certain customer contracts, the Company has agreed to pay liquidated damages in the event of qualifying delivery or production delays. These damages are typically limited to a specific percentage of the value of the product in question and/or are dependent on actual losses sustained by the customer. The Company does not believe that this potential exposure will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations. There was no reserve for liquidated damages as of  September 30, 2021 or December 31, 2020. 

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto in Item 1, “Financial Statements,” of this Quarterly Report and the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes and Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. The discussion below contains forward-looking statements that are based upon our current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances including, but not limited to, those identified in “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” at the end of Item 2. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to inaccurate assumptions and known or unknown risks and uncertainties including those arising as a result of, or amplified by, the COVID-19 pandemic. As used in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” and the “Company” refer to Broadwind, Inc., a Delaware corporation headquartered in Cicero, Illinois, and its subsidiaries, as appropriate. 

(Dollars are presented in thousands except share, per share and per employee data or unless otherwise stated) 

KEY METRICS USED BY MANAGEMENT TO MEASURE PERFORMANCE

In addition to measures of financial performance presented in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP, we use certain other financial measures to analyze our performance. These non-GAAP financial measures primarily consist of adjusted EBITDA (as defined below) and free cash flow which help us evaluate growth trends, establish budgets, assess operational efficiencies, oversee our overall liquidity, and evaluate our overall financial performance.

Key Financial Measures

The following table reconciles our non-GAAP key financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measure: