EASTERN CO - Quarter Report: 2023 September (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

☒   QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2023

OR

☐   TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 for the transition period from ________________ to _______________

Commission File Number 001-35383

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

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 ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted 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 such files).

Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

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

As of September 30, 2023, 6,238,413 shares of the registrant’s common stock, no par value per share, were issued and outstanding.

The Eastern Company

Form 10-Q

FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART 1 – FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1 – FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

THE EASTERN COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (UNAUDITED)

THE EASTERN COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

THE EASTERN COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

THE EASTERN COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)

THE EASTERN COMPANY

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

September 30, 2023

Note A – Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 8-03 of Regulation S-X and do not include all the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) for complete financial statements. Refer to the consolidated financial statements of The Eastern Company (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”) and the notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 14, 2023 (the “2022 Form 10-K”), for additional information.

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited. However, in the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation of the results of operations for interim periods have been reflected therein. Operating results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year. All intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated.

The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022 has been derived from the audited consolidated balance sheet at that date.

The Company’s fiscal year is a 52-53-week fiscal year ending on the Saturday nearest to December 31. References to 2022, the 2022 fiscal year or fiscal 2022 mean the 52-week period ended on December 31, 2022, and references to 2023, the 2023 fiscal year or fiscal 2023 mean the 52-week period ending on December 30, 2023. In a 52-week fiscal year, each quarter has 13 weeks. References to the third quarter of 2022, the third fiscal quarter of 2022, the third quarter of fiscal 2022 or the three months ended October 1, 2022, mean the period from July 3, 2022 to October 1, 2022. References to the third quarter of 2023, the third fiscal quarter of 2023, the third fiscal quarter of 2023 or the three months ended September 30, 2023, mean the 13-week period from July 2, 2023 to September 30, 2023. References to the first nine months of 2022, the first nine months of fiscal 2022 or the nine months ended October 1, 2022 mean the period from January 2, 2022 to October 1, 2022. References to the first nine months of 2023, the first nine months of fiscal 2023 or the nine months ended September 30, 2023 mean the period from January 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023.

Certain amounts in the 2022 financial statements have been reclassified to conform with the 2023 presentation with no impact or change to previously reported net income or shareholders’ equity.

Note B – Discontinued Operations

In the second quarter of 2021, the Company determined that the companies included in our former Diversified Products segment no longer fit with our long-term strategy and the Company initiated the process of selling the companies within the Diversified Products segment, which process was completed with the sale of the Company’s Argo EMS business (“Argo”) on October 19, 2022. Argo supplied printed circuit boards and other electronic assemblies to original equipment manufacturers in various industries, including measurement systems, semiconductor equipment manufacturing, and industrial control, medical, and military products. We believe that the sale of the Diversified Products segment has allowed management to focus on our core capabilities and offerings.

The former Diversified Products segment met the criteria to be held for sale and furthermore, we determined that the assets held for sale qualified for discontinued operations. As such, the financial results of the Diversified Products segment are reflected in our unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income as discontinued operations for the prior periods presented. The results of the former Diversified Products segment are not reflected in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 because dispositions of the businesses that comprised that segment were completed prior to the start of the period.

Summarized Financial Information of Discontinued Operations

The following table represents income from discontinued operations, net of tax:

Note C – Earnings Per Share

The denominators used to calculate earnings per share are as follows:

Note D – Inventories

Inventories from continuing operations consist of the following components:

Note E - Goodwill

The aggregate carrying amount of goodwill from continuing operations is approximately $70.8 million as of September 30, 2023 and includes the write-off of approximately $0.5 million of goodwill associated with the closure of Associated Toolmakers, Ltd. in the second quarter of 2023. Additionally, the Company recorded approximately $0.5 million of goodwill associated with the acquisition of Sureflex, Inc. in the second quarter of 2023. See Note O – Business Acquisition for further details. No impairment was recognized in the third quarter of 2023.

The Company evaluates its reporting units for impairment annually in December, or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. Such events and circumstances could include, among other things, increased competition or unexpected loss of market share, significant adverse changes in the markets in which the Company operates, or unexpected business disruptions. The Company tests reporting units for impairment by comparing the estimated fair value of each reporting unit with its carrying amount. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, the Company records an impairment loss based on the difference between fair value and carrying amount not to exceed the associated carrying amount of goodwill. Determining the fair value of a reporting unit involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions. The values assigned to the key assumptions represent management’s assessment of future trends in the relevant industry and have been based on historical data from both external and internal sources.

Note F – Leases

The Company presents right-of-use (ROU) assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months, in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-02, Leases. The Company accounts for non-lease components as part of the lease component to which they relate. Lease accounting involves significant judgements, including making estimates related to the lease term, lease payments, and discount rate.

The Company has operating leases for buildings, warehouses, and office equipment. The Company determines whether an arrangement is, or contains, a lease at contract inception. An arrangement contains a lease if the Company has the right to direct the use of and obtain substantially all the economic benefits of an identified asset. ROU assets and lease liabilities are recognized at lease commencement based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet; we recognize lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Most leases include one or more options to renew. The exercise of lease renewal options is at our sole discretion. All options to extend, when it is reasonably certain the option will be exercised, have been included in the calculation of the ROU asset and lease liability.

Currently, the Company has twenty-one operating leases with a lease liability of $15.8 million and four finance leases with a lease liability of $0.9 million as of September 30, 2023. The terms and conditions of the leases are determined by the individual agreements. The leases do not contain residual value guarantees, restrictions, or covenants that could cause the Company to incur additional financial obligations. There are no related party lease transactions. There are no leases that have not yet commenced that could create significant rights and obligations for the Company.

Approximate total minimum lease payments for each of the next five fiscal years is estimated to be as follows: remainder of 2023 - $1.0 million; 2024 - $3.6 million; 2025 - $2.4 million; 2026 - $1.8 million; 2027 - $1.5 million; and $6.5 million thereafter. The weighted average remaining lease term is 7.3 years. The implicit interest rate used was 5.0% to 8.25%.

Note G - Debt

On June 16, 2023, the Company entered into a credit agreement with TD Bank, N.A., Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of America, and M&T Bank as lenders (the “Credit Agreement”), that included a $60 million term portion and a $30 million revolving commitment portion. The proceeds of the term loan were used to repay the Company’s remaining outstanding term loan and to terminate its existing credit facility with Santander Bank, N.A. (approximately $59 million). The term loan portion of the credit facility requires quarterly principal payments of (i) $750,000 beginning on September 30, 2023 through June 30, 2025, (ii) $1,125,000 beginning on September 30, 2025 through June 30, 2027, and (iii) $1,500,000 beginning on September 30, 2027 through March 31, 2028, with the balance of the term loan payable on the maturity date of June 16, 2028. Amounts outstanding under the revolving portion of the credit facility are generally due and payable on the expiration date of the Credit Agreement (June 16, 2028). The Company can elect to prepay some or all the outstanding balance from time to time without penalty. A commitment fee is payable on the unused portion of the revolving credit facility based on the Company’s consolidated ratio of net debt to adjusted EBITDA from time to time. Currently, the commitment fee is 0.30%. As of September 30, 2023, the Company has not borrowed any funds on the revolving commitment portion of the credit facility.

The term loan bears interest at a variable rate based on the term secured overnight financing rate (“SOFR”), plus an adjustment of ten basis points, plus an applicable margin of 1.875% to 2.625%, depending on the Company’s senior net leverage ratio. Borrowings under the revolving portion bear interest at a variable rate based on, at the Company’s election, a base rate plus an applicable margin of 0.875% to 1.625% or term SOFR, plus an adjustment of ten basis points, plus an applicable margin of 1.875% to 2.625%, with such margins determined based on the Company’s senior net leverage ratio. The Company’s obligations under the Credit Agreement are secured by a lien on certain of the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ assets pursuant to a Pledge and Security Agreement, dated as of June 16, 2023, with TD Bank N.A., as administrative agent.

The Company’s loan covenants under the Credit Agreement require the Company to maintain a senior net leverage ratio not to exceed 3.5 to 1. In addition, the Company is required to maintain a fixed charge coverage ratio to be not less than 1.25 to 1. The Company was in compliance with all its covenants under the Credit Agreement on September 30, 2023, and through the date of filing this Form 10-Q.

Note H - Stock Options and Awards

On February 19, 2020, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) adopted the Eastern Company 2020 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2020 Plan”), which replaced The Eastern Company 2010 Executive Stock Incentive Plan after its expiration in February 2020. On April 29, 2020, at the Company’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, the shareholders of the Company approved and adopted the 2020 Plan. The Company has no other existing plan pursuant to which equity awards may be granted.

Incentive stock options granted under the 2020 Plan must have exercise prices that are not less than 100% of the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the dates the stock options are granted. Restricted stock awards may also be granted to participants under the 2020 Plan with restrictions determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board. Under the 2020 Plan, non-qualified stock options granted to participants will have exercise prices determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board. During the first nine months of fiscal 2023 and 2022, the Company granted stock awards with respect to 79,500 and 43,300 shares of Company common stock respectively, that were subject to the meeting of performance measurements or time based. For the first nine months of fiscal years 2023 and 2022, the Company used fair market value to determine the associated expense with stock awards.

The 2020 Plan also permits the issuance of Stock Appreciation Rights (“SARs”). The SARs are in the form of an option with a cashless exercise price equal to the difference between the fair value of the Company’s common stock at the date of grant and the fair value as of the exercise date resulting in the issuance of the Company’s common stock. During the first nine months of fiscal 2023 and 2022 the Company did not issue any SARs.

Stock-based compensation (income) expense, including forfeitures, in connection with SARs and stock awards previously granted to employees was approximately $5,000 and $131,000 in the third quarter of 2023 and the third quarter of 2022, respectively, and was approximately $(158,000) and $381,000 in the first nine months of fiscal years 2023 and 2022, respectively.

As of September 30, 2023, there were 889,992 shares of Company common stock reserved and available for future grant under the 2020 Plan.

The following tables set forth the outstanding SARs for the period specified:

The following tables set forth the outstanding stock awards for the period specified:

As of September 30, 2023, outstanding SARs and stock awards had an intrinsic value of $1,562,715.

Note I – Share Repurchase Program

On August 21, 2023, the Company announced that the Board of Directors of the Company had approved a new share repurchase program authorizing the Company to repurchase up to 200,000 shares of the Company’s common stock through August 20, 2028. The Company’s share repurchase program does not obligate it to acquire the Company’s common stock at any specific cost per share. Under this program, shares may be repurchased in privately negotiated and/or open market transactions, including under plans complying with Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Below is a summary of the Company’s shares repurchased during the third quarter of 2023 under the prior share repurchase program.

Below is a summary of the Company’s shares repurchased during the third quarter of 2023 under the new share repurchase program.

Note J – Revenue Recognition

The Company’s revenues result from the sale of goods and services and reflect the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled. The Company records revenues in accordance with FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.”  The Company has defined purchase orders as contracts in accordance with ASC Topic 606. For its customer contracts, the Company identifies its performance obligations, which are delivering goods or services, determines the transaction price, allocates the contract transaction price to the performance obligations (when applicable), and recognizes the revenue when (or as) the performance obligation is transferred to the customer. A good or service is transferred when the customer obtains control of that good or service. The Company’s revenues are recorded at a point in time from the sale of tangible products. Revenues are recognized when products are shipped.

Customer volume rebates, product returns, discount and allowance are variable considerations and are recorded as a reduction of revenue in the same period that the related sales are recorded. The Company has reviewed the overall sales transactions for variable consideration and has determined that these costs are not material.

The Company has no future performance obligations and does not capitalize costs to obtain or fulfill contracts.

Note K - Income Taxes

The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, and in various states and foreign jurisdictions. With limited exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal, state, and local income tax examinations by tax authorities for years before 2018 and is no longer subject to non-U.S. income tax examinations by foreign tax authorities for years prior to 2016.

The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits could increase or decrease within the next 12 months for several reasons, including the closure of federal, state, and foreign tax years by expiration of the statute of limitations and the recognition and measurement considerations under FASB ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes.”  There have been no significant changes to the value of unrecognized tax benefits during the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The Company believes that it is reasonably possible that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will not increase or decrease significantly over the next twelve months.

Note L - Retirement Benefit Plans

The Company has four non-contributory defined benefit pension plans covering most U.S. employees. Three of these pension plans are frozen and participants in these three plans have not accrued benefits since the date on which these plans were frozen. A fourth pension plan does not permit new participants but existing participants in this fourth pension plan continue to accrue benefits. Plan benefits are generally based upon age at retirement, years of service and, for the plan covering salaried employees, the level of compensation. The Company also sponsors unfunded non-qualified supplemental retirement plans that provide certain former officers with benefits in excess of limits imposed by federal tax law.

The Company also provides health care and life insurance for retired salaried employees in the United States who meet specific eligibility requirements.

Significant disclosures relating to these benefit plans for the first three months and first nine months 2023 and 2022 are as follows:

The Company’s funding policy with respect to its qualified plans is to contribute at least the minimum amount required by applicable laws and regulations. In fiscal year 2023, the Company expects to contribute approximately $1,300,000 into its pension plans and approximately $50,000 into its postretirement plan. As of September 30, 2023, the Company has contributed $800,000 to its pension plans, has contributed $32,000 to its postretirement plan, and expects to make the remaining contributions as required during the remainder of the fiscal year.

The Company has a contributory savings plan under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “401(k) Plan”) covering substantially all U.S. non-union employees. The 401(k) Plan allows participants to make voluntary contributions from their annual compensation on a pre-tax basis, subject to limitations under the Internal Revenue Code. The 401(k) Plan provides for contributions by the Company at its discretion.

The Company made contributions to the plan as follows:

The non-discretionary contribution of $328,953 made in the nine months ended September 30, 2023, was accrued for, and expensed in the prior fiscal year.

Effective January 1, 2023, the non-discretionary contributions are being contributed on a weekly basis.

Note M - Recent Accounting Pronouncements

The Company has implemented all new accounting pronouncements that are in effect and that could impact its consolidated financial statements and does not believe that there are any other new accounting pronouncements that have been issued, but are not yet effective, that might have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements of the Company.

Note N - Concentration of Risk

Credit Risk

Credit risk is the potential financial loss resulting from the failure of a customer or counterparty to settle its financial and contractual obligations to the Company, as and when they become due. The primary credit risk for the Company is its accounts receivable due from customers. The Company has established credit limits for customers and monitors their balances to mitigate the risk of loss. As of September 30, 2023, there was one significant concentration of credit risk with a customer, who had receivables representing 12% of our net accounts receivable. One single customer represented 14% of the Company’s net accounts receivable as of December 31, 2022. The maximum exposure to credit risk is primarily represented by the carrying amount of the Company’s accounts receivable.

The Company has deposits that exceed amounts up to $250,000 that are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), but the Company does not consider this a significant concentration of credit risk based on the strength of the financial institution.

Interest Rate Risk

The Company’s exposure to the risk of changes in market interest rates relates primarily to the Company’s debt, which bears interest at variable rates based on term SOFR, plus an adjustment of ten basis points, plus an applicable margin of 1.875% to 2.625%, depending on the Company’s senior net leverage ratio.

Currency Exchange Rate Risk

The Company’s currency exposure is concentrated in the Canadian dollar, Mexican peso, New Taiwan dollar, Chinese RMB, Hong Kong dollar and United Kingdom pound sterling. Because of the Company’s limited exposure to any single foreign market, any exchange gains or losses have not been material and are not expected to be material in the future. As a result, the Company does not attempt to mitigate its foreign currency exposure through the acquisition of any speculative or leveraged financial instruments.

Note O – Business Acquisition

On June 29, 2023, the Company acquired certain assets, including accounts receivable, inventories, furniture, fixtures and equipment, intellectual property rights, and rights existing under all sales and purchase agreements, and assumed certain liabilities of Sureflex, Inc. (“Sureflex”). These assets are held in our Velvac, Inc. (“Velvac”) subsidiary. We expect that Sureflex, which manufactures tractor-trailer electrical connection cable assemblies, will enable the Company to manufacture electrical products and become more competitive with respect to cost and quality.

The acquisition of Sureflex was accounted for under Business Combinations (ASC Topic 805). The acquired business is included in the consolidated operating results of the Company from the effective date of the acquisition. The excess of the cost of Sureflex over the fair market value of the net assets acquired of $0.5 million has been recorded as goodwill.

Neither the actual results nor the pro forma effects of the Sureflex acquisition are material to the Company’s financial statements.

ITEM 2 – MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion is intended to highlight significant changes in the financial position and results of operations of The Eastern Company (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023. This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 and the related Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, both of which are contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 14, 2023 (the “2022 Form 10-K”).

The Company’s fiscal year is a 52-53-week fiscal year ending on the Saturday nearest to December 31. References to 2022, the 2022 fiscal year or fiscal 2022 mean the 52-week period ended on December 31, 2022, and references to 2023, the 2023 fiscal year or fiscal 2023 mean the 52-week period ending on December 30, 2023. In a 52-week fiscal year, each quarter has 13 weeks. References to the third quarter of 2022, the third fiscal quarter of 2022, the third quarter of fiscal 2022 or the three months ended October 1, 2022, mean the period from July 3, 2022 to October 1, 2022. References to the third quarter of 2023, the third fiscal quarter of 2023, the third quarter of fiscal 2023 or the three months ended September 30, 2023, mean the 13-week period from July 2, 2023 to September 30, 2023. References to the first nine months of 2022, the first nine months of fiscal 2022 or the nine months ended October 1, 2022 mean the period from January 2, 2022 to October 1, 2022. References to the first nine months of 2023, the first nine months of fiscal 2023 or the nine months ended September 30, 2023 mean the period from January 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023.

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of the Company that are not based on historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “would,” “should,” “could,” “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “continue,” “plan,” “potential,” “opportunities,” or similar terms or variations of those terms or the negative of those terms. There are many factors that affect the Company’s business and the results of its operations and that may cause the actual results of operations in future periods to differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated. These factors include the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic effects, the impact of higher raw material and component costs and cost inflation, supply chain disruptions and shortages, particularly with respect to steel, plastics, scrap iron, zinc, copper and electronic components, rising interest rates, delays in delivery of our products to our customers, the impact of global economic conditions on demand for our products, including the impact, length and degree of economic downturns on the customers and markets we serve, reductions in production levels, the availability, terms and cost of financing, including borrowings under credit arrangements or agreements, the potential impact of bank failures on our ability to access financing or capital markets, and the impact of market conditions on pension plan funded status. Other factors include, but are not limited to: restrictions on operating flexibility imposed by the agreement governing our credit facility; risks associated with doing business overseas, including fluctuations in exchange rates and the inability to repatriate foreign cash, the impact on cost structure and on economic conditions as a result of actual and threatened increases in trade tariffs and the impact of political, economic and social instability;  the inability to achieve the savings expected from global sourcing of materials; lower-cost competition; our ability to design, introduce and sell new or updated products and related components; market acceptance of our products;  the inability to attain expected benefits from acquisitions or the inability to effectively integrate such acquisitions and achieve expected synergies; domestic and international economic conditions, and more specifically conditions in the automotive, construction, aerospace, energy, oil and gas, transportation, electronic, and general industrial markets; costs and liabilities associated with environmental compliance; the impact of climate change; military conflict (including the Russia/Ukraine conflict, the conflict in Israel and surrounding areas, the possible expansion of such conflicts and geopolitical consequences) or terrorist threats and the possible responses by the U.S. and foreign governments; failure to protect our intellectual property; cyberattacks; materially adverse or unanticipated legal judgments, fines, penalties or settlements; and other risks identified and discussed in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Item 1A, Risk Factors, and Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, of the 2022 Form 10-K and that may be identified from time to time in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and other filings we make with the SEC.

Although the Company believes it has an appropriate business strategy and the resources necessary for its operations, future revenue and margin trends cannot be reliably predicted, and the Company may alter its business strategies to address changing conditions. Also, the Company makes estimates and assumptions that may materially affect reported amounts and disclosures. These relate to valuation allowances for accounts receivable and excess and obsolete inventories, accruals for pensions and other postretirement benefits (including forecasted future cost increases and returns on plan assets), provisions for depreciation (estimating useful lives), uncertain tax positions, and, on occasion, accruals for contingent losses. The Company undertakes no obligation to update, alter, or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

General Overview

The following analysis excludes discontinued operations.

Net sales in the third quarter of 2023 decreased 8% to $65.6 million from $71.6 million in the corresponding period in 2022. Net sales for the first nine months of 2023 decreased 2% to $206.5 million from $210.2 million in the same period last year. Sales declined in both the third quarter of 2023 and first nine months of 2023 primarily due to lower demand for truck accessories and returnable transport packaging products. Our backlog as of September 30, 2023 increased 4% to $89.4 million from $85.7 million as of October 1, 2022.

Net sales of existing products declined 14% in the third quarter of 2023 and 5% for the first nine months of 2023 compared to the corresponding periods in 2022. Price increases and new products increased net sales by 6% in the third quarter of 2023 and 3% in the first nine months of 2023, compared to the corresponding periods in 2022. New products included various truck mirror assemblies, rotary latches, D-rings, and mirror cams. Price increases primarily reflect our efforts to recover increases in raw material and freight costs.

Cost of products sold decreased $5.8 million, or 11%, in the third quarter of 2023 and decreased $3.6 million, or 2% in the first nine months of 2023 compared to the corresponding periods in 2022. The decreases in the third quarter and first nine months of 2023 are primarily due to lower sales volumes. Additionally, the Company paid tariff costs on China-sourced products of approximately $0.6 million and $1.7 million in the third quarter and first nine months of 2023, respectively, compared to $0.8 million and $2.5 million in the third quarter and first nine months of fiscal 2022, respectively. Most tariffs on China-sourced products have been recovered through price increases.

Gross margin as a percentage of sales was 25% in the third quarter and 23% in the first nine months of 2023 compared to 23% in the third quarter and 22% in the first nine months of fiscal 2022. Our gross margins in the third quarter and first nine months of 2023 reflect the impact of price increases to customers to recover increases in raw material costs.

Product development expense increased $0.4 million, or 41%, in the third quarter of 2023 and increased $1.1 million, or 34%, in the first nine months of 2023 compared to the corresponding periods in 2022 as we continue to invest in new products at Eberhard, Velvac and Big 3. As a percentage of net sales, product development costs were 2.2% and 2.1% for the third quarter and first nine months of 2023, respectively, compared to 1.4% and 1.5% for the corresponding periods in 2022.

Selling general and administrative expenses decreased $0.4 million, or 4%, in the third quarter of 2023 when compared to the third quarter of 2022 primarily due to lower legal, professional, and selling costs and payroll-related expenses. Selling general and administrative expenses increased $2.8 million, or 9%, in the first nine months of 2023 when compared to the corresponding period in 2022 primarily due to severance and other accrued compensation expenses of $1.8 million related to the elimination of the chief operating officer position and the departure of our previous chief executive officer during the first quarter of 2023 and legal, professional, and selling costs and payroll-related expenses during the first six months of 2023. The increase in selling expenses reflects our investments in sales capabilities and change in management personnel.

Interest expense increased $0.4 million in the third quarter and $1.0 million in the first nine months of 2023 compared to the corresponding periods in 2022 due to higher borrowing rates.

Other income decreased $1.3 million in the third quarter of 2023 and decreased $2.6 million in the first nine months of 2023 compared to the corresponding periods in 2022. The decrease in other income of $1.3 million in the third quarter of 2023 was primarily driven by unfavorable pension costs of $0.3 million in the third quarter of 2023, while in the third quarter of 2022 the Company had a favorable pension cost adjustment of $0.4 million, and a $0.6 million gain on the sale of the Company’s corporate office building in the third quarter of 2022. The decrease in other income of $2.6 million for the first nine months of 2023 when compared to the corresponding period in 2022 was primarily driven by unfavorable pension costs of $0.9 million for the first nine months of 2023, while in the first nine months of 2022 the Company had favorable pension cost adjustments of $1.3 million, $1.4 million expense associated with the closure of Associated Toolmakers, Ltd. in the second quarter of 2023, an unfavorable working capital adjustment of $0.4 million in the first quarter of 2023 related to the sale of the Greenwald business, partially offset by a $1.6 million favorable adjustment for the final settlement of our swap agreement with Santander in the second quarter of 2023, while in the first quarter of 2022 the Company had a loss on the sale of the Wheeling, IL building of $0.3 million and a gain of $0.6 million on the sale of the Company’s corporate office building in the third quarter of 2022.

Net income from continuing operations for the third quarter of fiscal 2023 was $3.1 million, or $0.49 per diluted share compared to net income from continuing operations of $4.5 million, or $0.72 per diluted share, for the comparable period in 2022. In the first nine months of 2023 net income from continuing operations was $5.1 million, or $0.81 per diluted share, compared to net income from continuing operations of $10.9 million, or $1.74 per diluted share, for the comparable period in 2022.

A more detailed analysis of the Company’s results of operations and financial condition follows.

Results of Operations

The following table shows, for the periods indicated, selected line items from the condensed consolidated statements of income as a percentage of net sales:

The following table shows the change in sales and operating profit for the third quarter and first nine months of 2023 compared to the third quarter and first nine months of 2022 (dollars in thousands):