GRANITE CONSTRUCTION INC - Annual Report: 2018 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018

OR

For the transition period from _____ to _____

Commission file number 1-12911

Granite Construction Incorporated

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (831) 724-1011

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

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

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐

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 ☐

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). Yes  ☒  No ☐

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of 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. ☒

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 the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. Large accelerated filer  ☒  Accelerated filer  ☐    Non-accelerated filer  ☐    Smaller reporting company  ☐    Emerging growth company  ☐

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 Act). Yes  ☐ No ☒ 

The aggregate market value of voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $2.5 billion as of June 30, 2018, based upon the price at which the registrant’s Common Stock was last sold as reported on the New York Stock Exchange on such date.

At February 19, 2019, 46,685,414 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01, of the registrant were outstanding. 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Certain information called for by Part III is incorporated by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Granite Construction Incorporated to be held on June 6, 2019, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days after December 31, 2018.

Index

PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV

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DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

From time to time, Granite makes certain comments and disclosures in reports and statements, including in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, or statements made by its officers or directors, that are not based on historical facts, including statements regarding future events, occurrences, circumstances, activities, performance, outcomes and results that may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are identified by words such as “future,” “outlook,” “assumes,” “believes,” “expects,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “appears,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “continue,” and the negatives thereof or other comparable terminology or by the context in which they are made. In addition, other written or oral statements which constitute forward-looking statements have been made and may in the future be made by or on behalf of Granite. These forward-looking statements are estimates reflecting the best judgment of senior management and reflect our current expectations regarding future events, occurrences, circumstances, activities, performance, outcomes and results. These expectations may or may not be realized. Some of these expectations may be based on beliefs, assumptions or estimates that may prove to be incorrect. In addition, our business and operations involve numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could result in our forward-looking statements not being realized or otherwise materially affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and liquidity. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those more specifically described in this report under “Item 1A. Risk Factors.” Due to the inherent risks and uncertainties associated with our forward-looking statements, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on them. The reader is also cautioned that the forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and, except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements for any reason.

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PART I

Item 1. BUSINESS

Introduction

Granite Construction Company was originally incorporated in 1922. In 1990, Granite Construction Incorporated was formed as the holding company for Granite Construction Company and its wholly owned and consolidated subsidiaries and was incorporated in Delaware. Unless otherwise indicated, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” “Company” and “Granite” refer to Granite Construction Incorporated and its wholly owned and consolidated subsidiaries.

We deliver infrastructure solutions for public and private clients primarily in the United States. We are one of the largest diversified infrastructure companies in the United States. Within the public sector, we primarily concentrate on heavy-civil infrastructure projects, including the construction of streets, roads, highways, mass transit facilities, airport infrastructure, bridges, trenchless and underground utilities, power-related facilities, water-related facilities, utilities, tunnels, dams and other infrastructure-related projects. Within the private sector, we perform site preparation and infrastructure services for residential development, energy development, commercial and industrial sites, and other facilities, as well as provide construction management professional services.  

On June 14, 2018, we completed the $349.8 million acquisition of Layne Christensen Company (“Layne”), a U.S.-based global water management, infrastructure services and drilling company in a stock-for-stock merger which was comprised of $321.0 million in Company common stock and $28.8 million in cash to settle all outstanding stock options, restricted stock awards and unvested performance shares of Layne. In addition to issuances of Granite common stock and the settlement of various equity awards, we assumed $191.5 million in convertible notes at fair value. Layne is a leader in water management and drilling and therefore this acquisition significantly enhances Granite’s presence in the water infrastructure market. Layne has a network of 52 offices located throughout North and Latin America. See Note 2 and Note 15 of “Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements” for further discussion of the acquisition and the assumed convertible notes, respectively.

In addition, on April 3, 2018, we acquired LiquiForce, a privately owned company which provides sewer lining rehabilitation services to public and private sector water and wastewater customers in both Canada and the U.S. We acquired LiquiForce for $35.9 million in cash primarily borrowed under our revolving credit facility. See Note 15 of “Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements” for further discussion of our revolving credit facility.

Layne will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Granite Construction Incorporated, and its results are reported in the newly formed Water and Mineral Services operating group in the Water, Specialty and Materials segments. LiquiForce results are reported in the Water and Mineral Services operating group in the Water segment.

Operating Structure

During the third quarter of 2018, we revised our reportable segments, which are the same as our operating segments, as a result of a change in how our chief operating decision maker (our Chief Executive Officer) regularly reviews financial information to allocate resources and assess performance. This change is consistent with our strategic, end-market diversification strategy. Our new reportable segments which correspond to this end-market focus are: Transportation, Water, Specialty and Materials. The end-market segments Transportation, Water and Specialty replace the Construction and Large Project Construction reportable segments with the composition of our Materials segment remaining unchanged except for the addition of proprietary sanitary and storm water rehabilitation products including cured-in-place pipe felt and fiberglass-based lining tubes related to the acquisition of Layne. Prior-year information has been recast to reflect this change. See Note 22 of “Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information about our reportable business segments.

In addition to business segments, we review our business by operating groups. Our operating groups are defined as follows: (i) California; (ii) Northwest, which primarily includes offices in Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Washington; (iii) Heavy Civil, which primarily includes offices in California, Florida, New York and Texas; (iv) Federal which primarily includes offices in California, Colorado, Texas and Guam; (v) Midwest (formerly Kenny less the underground business), which primarily includes offices in Illinois and (vi) Water and Mineral Services (which includes LiquiForce, Layne and the underground business of the former Kenny operating group), which primarily includes offices across the Unites States, Canada and Latin America.

Transportation: Revenue from our Transportation segment was $2.0 billion and $1.9 billion (59.5% and 65.1% of our total revenue) in 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Transportation segment focuses on construction and rehabilitation of roads, pavement preservation, bridges, rail lines, airports and marine ports for use mostly by the general public.

Water: Revenue from our Water segment was $338.3 million and $133.7 million (10.2% and 4.5% of our total revenue) in 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Water segment focuses on water-related construction and water management solutions for municipal agencies, commercial water suppliers, industrial facilities and energy companies. It also provides trenchless cured-in-place pipe rehabilitation.

Specialty: Revenue from our Specialty segment was $626.6 million and $615.8 million (18.9% and 20.6% of our total revenue) in 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Specialty segment focuses on construction of various complex projects including infrastructure / site development, mining, public safety, tunnel and power projects.

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In addition to our bid-build projects, we utilize alternative procurement methods of project delivery including, but not limited to, design-build, construction management/general contractor and construction management at-risk. Unlike traditional bid-build projects where owners first hire a design firm or design a project themselves and then put the project out to bid for construction, design-build projects provide the owner with a single point of responsibility and a single contact for both final design and construction. Although design-build projects carry additional risk as compared to traditional bid-build projects, the profit potential can also be higher. Under the construction management/general contractor and construction management at-risk methods of delivery, we contract with owners to assist the owner during the design phase of the contract with construction efficiencies, with the understanding that we will negotiate a contract on the construction phase when the design nears completion. Revenue from alternative procurement method projects represented 34.1%, 39.9% and 40.6% of construction related revenue in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

We participate in joint ventures with other construction companies. Joint ventures are typically used for large, technically complex projects, including design-build projects, where it is necessary or desirable to share risk and resources. Joint venture partners typically provide independently prepared estimates, shared financing and equipment, and often bring local knowledge and expertise. For more information see the “Joint Ventures” section below.

Materials: Revenue from our Materials segment to third parties was $376.8 million and $292.8 million (11.4% and 9.8% of our total revenue) in 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Materials segment focuses on production of aggregates, asphalt and construction related materials as well as proprietary sanitary and storm water rehabilitation products including cured-in-place pipe felt and fiberglass-based lining tubes for both internal use and for sale to third parties. We have significant aggregate reserves that we own or lease through long-term leases. Sales to our construction projects represented 29.5% of our combined internal and external Materials sales during 2018, and ranged from 29.5% to 38.5% over the last five years. The remainder is sold to third parties.

Business Strategy

Our business strategy is to consistently deliver ideas, innovations, products and services to our clients to power today’s mobile society by executing entrepreneurial market strategies that leverage the benefits of our company-wide resources and our core values. Our most fundamental objective is to increase long-term shareholder value as measured by the appreciation of the value of our common stock over a period of time, as well as dividend payouts. In alphabetical order, the following are key factors in our ability to achieve this objective:

Decentralized Profit Centers - Each of our operating groups is established as an individual profit center which encourages entrepreneurial activity while allowing the operating groups to benefit from centralized administrative, operational expertise and support functions.

Dedicated Construction Equipment - We own and lease a large fleet of well-maintained heavy construction equipment. Dedicated access to a large pool of construction equipment enables us to compete more effectively by ensuring availability and maximizing returns on investment of the equipment.

Diversification - To mitigate the risks inherent in the construction business as the result of general economic factors, we pursue projects: (i) in both the public and private sectors; (ii) in diverse end markets such as federal, rail, power, water and renewable energy markets; (iii) for a wide range of clients from the federal government to small municipalities and from large corporations to individual homeowners; (iv) in diverse geographic markets; (v) that are construction management/general contractor, design-build and bid-build; (vi) at fixed price, time and materials, cost reimbursable and fixed unit price; and (vii) of various sizes, durations and complexity. In addition to pursuing opportunities with traditional project funding, we continue to evaluate other sources of project funding (e.g., public and private partnerships).

Employee Development - We believe that our employees are the primary factor for the successful implementation of our business strategies. Significant resources are employed to attract, develop and retain extraordinary and diverse talent and fully promote each employee’s capabilities.

Operational Excellence - We have a continual focus on Operational Excellence, which includes the following:

Performance-Based Incentives - Managers are incentivized with cash compensation and restricted stock unit equity awards, payable upon the attainment of pre-established annual financial and non-financial metrics.

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Risk-Balanced Growth - We intend to grow our business by working on many types of infrastructure projects, as well as by expanding into new geographic areas and end markets organically and through acquisitions. Growth opportunities are evaluated relative to their incremental impact to the execution risk and profitability profile of our operating portfolio.

Selective Bidding  - We focus our resources on bidding jobs that meet our selective bidding criteria, which include analyzing the risk of a potential job relative to: (i) available personnel to estimate and prepare the proposal as well as to effectively manage and build the project; (ii) the competitive environment; (iii) our experience with the type of work and with the owner; (iv) local resources and partnerships; (v) equipment resources; and (vi) the size, complexity and expected profitability of the job.

Vertical Integration - We own and lease aggregate reserves and own processing plants and liner tube manufacturing facilities that are vertically integrated into our construction operations. By ensuring availability of these resources and providing quality products, we believe we have a competitive advantage in many of our markets, as well as a source of revenue and earnings from the sale of construction materials and liner tubes to third parties.

Raw Materials

We purchase raw materials, including but not limited to, aggregate products, cement, diesel and gasoline fuel, liquid asphalt, natural gas, propane, resin and steel from numerous sources. Our aggregate reserves supply a portion of the raw materials needed in our construction projects. The price and availability of raw materials may vary from year to year due to market conditions and production capacities. We do not foresee a lack of availability of any raw materials over the next twelve months.

Seasonality

Our operations are typically affected more by weather conditions during the first and fourth quarters of our fiscal year which may alter our construction schedules and can create variability in our revenues, profitability and the required number of employees.

Customers

Customers in our Transportation, Water and Specialty segments are predominantly in the public sector and include certain federal agencies, state departments of transportation, local transit authorities, county and city public works departments, school districts and developers, utilities and private owners of industrial, commercial and residential sites. Customers of our Materials segment include internal usage by our own construction projects, as well as third-party customers. Our third-party customers include, but, are not limited to, contractors, landscapers, manufacturers of products requiring aggregate materials, retailers, homeowners, farmers and brokers.

During the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, our largest volume customer, including both prime and subcontractor arrangements, was the California Department of Transportation (“Caltrans”). Revenue recognized from contracts with Caltrans during 2018, 2017 and 2016 represented $282.9 million (8.5% of total revenue), $281.7 million (9.4% of total revenue) and $222.4 million (8.8% of total revenue), respectively, which was primarily in the Transportation segment.

Contract Backlog

Our contract backlog consists of the revenue we expect to record in the future on awarded contracts, including 100% of our consolidated joint venture contracts and our proportionate share of unconsolidated joint venture contracts. We generally include a project in our contract backlog at the time it is awarded and to the extent we believe contract execution and funding is probable. Certain government contracts where funding is appropriated on a periodic basis are included in contract backlog at the time of the award when it is probable the contract value will be funded and executed. Certain contracts contain contract options that are exercisable at the option of our customers without requiring us to go through an additional competitive bidding process or contain task orders that are signed under master contracts under which we perform work only when the customer awards specific task orders to us. Awarded contracts that include unexercised contract options and unissued task orders are included in contract backlog to the extent option exercise or task order issuance is probable.

Substantially all of the contracts in our contract backlog may be canceled or modified at the election of the customer; however, we have not been materially adversely affected by contract cancellations or modifications in the past (see “Contract Provisions and Subcontracting”). Many projects are added to contract backlog and completed within the same fiscal year and, therefore, may not be reflected in our beginning or year-end contract backlog. Contract backlog by segment is presented in “Contract Backlog” under “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Our contract backlog was $3.7 billion at both December 31, 2018 and 2017 and did not yet include approximately $700 million in project wins that will be added to contract backlog as task orders are approved. Approximately $2.3 billion of the December 31, 2018 backlog is expected to be completed during 2019.

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Equipment

At December 31, 2018 and 2017, we owned the following number of construction equipment and vehicles:

Our portfolio of equipment includes backhoes, barges, bulldozers, cranes, excavators, loaders, motor graders, pavers, rollers, scrapers, trucks, special equipment for pipeline rehabilitation, drilling rigs and tunnel boring machines that are used in all of our segments. We pool certain equipment to maximize utilization. We continually monitor and adjust our fleet size so that it is consistent with the size of our business, considering both existing contract backlog and expected future work. We lease or rent equipment to supplement our portfolio of equipment in response to construction activity cycles. In 2018 and 2017, we spent $58.5 million and $43.6 million, respectively, on purchases of construction equipment and vehicles.

Employees

On December 31, 2018, we employed approximately 2,700 salaried employees who work in project, functional and business unit management, estimating and clerical capacities, plus approximately 3,000 hourly employees. The total number of hourly personnel is subject to the volume of construction in progress and is seasonal. During 2018, the number of hourly employees ranged from approximately 2,100 to 4,500 and averaged approximately 3,500. Five of our wholly owned subsidiaries, Granite Construction Company, Granite Construction Northeast, Inc., Granite Infrastructure Constructors, Inc., Kenny Construction Company and Layne Christensen Company, are parties to craft collective bargaining agreements in many areas in which they operate.

We believe our employees are our most valuable resource, and our workforce possesses a strong dedication to and pride in our company. Our managerial and supervisory personnel have an average of approximately 11 years of service with Granite.

Competition

Competitors in our Transportation, Specialty and Water segments typically range from small, local construction companies to large, regional, national and international construction companies. We compete with numerous companies in individual markets; however, there are few, if any, companies which compete in all of our market areas. Many of our Transportation, Specialty and Water segment competitors have the ability to perform work in either the private or public sectors. When opportunities for work in one sector are reduced, competitors tend to look for opportunities in the other sector. This migration has the potential to reduce revenue growth and/or increase pressure on gross profit margins.

We own and/or have long-term leases on aggregate resources that we believe provide a competitive advantage in certain markets for the Transportation, Specialty and Water segments.

Competitors in our Materials segment typically range from small local materials companies to large regional, national and international materials companies. We compete with numerous companies in individual markets; however, there are few, if any, companies which compete in all of our market areas. 

Factors influencing our competitiveness include price, estimating abilities, knowledge of local markets and conditions, project management, financial strength, reputation for quality, aggregate materials availability, and machinery and equipment. Historically, the construction business has not required large amounts of capital for the smaller size construction work, which can result in relative ease of market entry for companies possessing acceptable qualifications. By contrast, larger size construction work typically requires large amounts of capital that may make entry into the market by future competitors more difficult. Historically, the required amount of capital has not had a significant impact on our ability to compete in the marketplace. Although the construction business is highly competitive, we believe we are well positioned to compete effectively in the markets in which we operate.

Contract Provisions and Subcontracting

Contracts with our customers are primarily “fixed unit price” or “fixed price.” Under fixed unit price contracts, we are committed to providing materials or services at fixed unit prices (for example, dollars per cubic yard of concrete placed or cubic yard of earth excavated). While the fixed unit price contract shifts the risk of estimating the quantity of units required for a particular project to the customer, any increase in our unit cost over the expected unit cost in the bid, whether due to inflation, inefficiency, incorrect estimates or other factors, is borne by us unless otherwise provided in the contract. Fixed price contracts are priced on a lump-sum basis under which we bear the risk that we may not be able to perform the work for the specified contract amount. The percentage of fixed price contracts in our contract backlog was 64.0% and 66.9% at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The percentage of fixed unit price contracts in our contract backlog was 30.8% and 29.8% at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. All other contract types represented 3.9% and 3.3% of our contract backlog at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

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With the exception of contract change orders and affirmative claims, which are typically sole-source, our construction contracts are primarily obtained through competitive bidding in response to solicitations by both public agencies and private parties and on a negotiated basis as a result of solicitations from private parties. Project owners use a variety of methods to make contractors aware of new projects, including posting bidding opportunities on agency websites, disclosing long-term infrastructure plans, advertising and other general solicitations. Our bidding activity is affected by such factors as the nature and volume of advertising and other solicitations, contract backlog, available personnel, current utilization of equipment and other resources and competitive considerations. Our contract review process includes identifying risks and opportunities during the bidding process and managing these risks through mitigation efforts such as contract negotiation, bid/no bid decisions, insurance and pricing. Contracts fitting certain criteria of size and complexity are reviewed by various levels of management and, in some cases, by the Executive Committee of our Board of Directors. Bidding activity, contract backlog and revenue resulting from the award of new contracts may vary significantly from period to period.

There are a number of factors that can create variability in contract performance as compared to the original bid. Such factors can positively or negatively impact costs and profitability, may cause higher than anticipated construction costs and can create additional liability to the contract owner. The most significant of these include:

The ability to realize improvements on project profitability at times is more limited than the risk of lower profitability. For example, design-build contracts carry additional risks such as those associated with design errors and estimating quantities and prices before the project design is completed. We manage this additional risk by including contingencies to our bid amounts, obtaining errors and omissions insurance and obtaining indemnifications from our design consultants where possible. However, there is no guarantee that these risk management strategies will always be successful.

Most of our contracts, including those with the government, provide for termination at the convenience of the contract owner, with provisions to pay us for work performed through the date of termination. We have not been materially adversely affected by these provisions in the past. Many of our contracts contain provisions that require us to pay liquidated damages if specified completion schedule requirements are not met, and these amounts could be significant.

We act as prime contractor on most of our construction projects. We complete the majority of our projects with our own resources and subcontract specialized activities such as electrical and mechanical work. As prime contractor, we are responsible for the performance of the entire contract, including subcontract work. Thus, we may be subject to increased costs associated with the failure of one or more subcontractors to perform as anticipated. Based on our analysis of their construction and financial capabilities, among other criteria, we typically require the subcontractor to furnish a bond or other type of security to guarantee their performance and/or we retain payments in accordance with contract terms until their performance is complete. Disadvantaged business enterprise regulations require us to use our good faith efforts to subcontract a specified portion of contract work done for governmental agencies to certain types of disadvantaged contractors or suppliers. As with all of our subcontractors, some may not be able to obtain surety bonds or other types of performance security.

Joint Ventures

We participate in various construction joint ventures of which we are a limited member (“joint ventures”) in order to share expertise, risk and resources for certain highly complex projects. Generally, each construction joint venture is formed as a partnership or limited liability company to accomplish a specific project and is jointly controlled by the joint venture partners. We select our joint venture partners (“partner(s)”) based on our analysis of their construction and financial capabilities, expertise in the type of work to be performed and past working relationships, among other criteria. The joint venture agreements typically provide that our interests in any profits and assets, and our respective share in any losses and liabilities, that may result from the performance of the contract are limited to our stated percentage interest in the project.

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Under each joint venture agreement, one partner is designated as the sponsor. The sponsoring partner typically provides all administrative, accounting and most of the project management support for the project and generally receives a fee from the joint venture for these services. We have been designated as the sponsoring partner in certain of our current joint venture projects and are a non-sponsoring partner in others.

We consolidate joint ventures where we have determined that through our participation we have a variable interest and are the primary beneficiary as defined by Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 810, Consolidation, and related standards. Where we have determined we are not the primary beneficiary of a joint venture but do exercise significant influence, we account for our share of the operations of unconsolidated construction joint ventures on a pro rata basis in revenue and cost of revenue in the consolidated statements of operations and in equity in construction joint ventures in the consolidated balance sheets. We account for non-construction unconsolidated joint ventures under the equity method of accounting in accordance with ASC Topic 323, Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures and include our share of the operations in equity in income of affiliates in the consolidated statements of operations and in investment in affiliates in the consolidated balance sheets.

We also participate in various “line item” joint venture agreements under which each partner is responsible for performing certain discrete items of the total scope of contracted work. The revenue for these discrete items is defined in the contract with the project owner and each joint venture partner bears the profitability risk associated only with its own work. There is not a single set of books and records for a line item joint venture. Each partner accounts for its items of work individually as it would for any self-performed contract. We account for our portion of these contracts as revenues and cost of revenue in the consolidated statements of operations and in relevant balances in the consolidated balance sheets.

The agreements with our partner(s) for both construction joint ventures and line item joint ventures define each partner’s management role and financial responsibility in the project. The amount of operational exposure is generally limited to our stated ownership interest. However, due to the joint and several nature of the performance obligations under the related owner contracts, if any of the partners fail to perform, we and the remaining partners, if any, would be responsible for performance of the outstanding work (i.e., we provide a performance guarantee). We estimate our liability for performance guarantees for our unconsolidated and line item joint ventures and include them in accrued expenses and other current liabilities with a corresponding increase in equity in construction joint ventures in the consolidated balance sheets. We reassess our liability when and if changes in circumstances occur. The liability and corresponding asset are removed from the consolidated balance sheets upon completion and customer acceptance of the project. Circumstances that could lead to a loss under these agreements beyond our stated ownership interest include the failure of a partner to contribute additional funds to the venture in the event the project incurs a loss or additional costs that we could incur should a partner fail to provide the services and resources that it had committed to provide in the agreement. We are not able to estimate amounts that may be required beyond the remaining cost of the work to be performed. These costs could be offset by billings to the customer or by proceeds from our partners’ corporate and/or other guarantees.

At December 31, 2018, there was $3.1 billion of construction revenue to be recognized on unconsolidated and line item construction joint venture contracts, of which $1.0 billion represented our share and the remaining $2.1 billion represented our partners’ share. See Note 10 of “Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements” for more information.

Insurance and Bonding

We maintain general and excess liability, construction equipment, workers’ compensation and medical insurance; all in amounts consistent with industry practice and as part of our overall risk management strategy. Further, our policies are held with financially stable coverage providers, often in a layered or quota share arrangement which reduces the likelihood of an interruption or impact to operations.

In connection with our business, we generally are required to provide various types of surety bonds that provide an additional measure of security for our performance under certain public and private sector contracts. Our ability to obtain surety bonds depends upon our capitalization, working capital, past performance, management expertise and external factors, including the capacity of the overall surety market. Surety companies consider such factors in light of the amount of our contract backlog that we have currently bonded and their current underwriting standards, which may change from time to time. The capacity of the surety market is subject to market-based fluctuations driven primarily by the level of surety industry losses and the degree of surety market consolidation. When the surety market capacity shrinks it results in higher premiums and increased difficulty obtaining bonding, in particular for larger, more complex projects throughout the market. To help mitigate this risk, we employ a co-surety structure involving three sureties. Although we do not believe that fluctuations in surety market capacity have significantly affected our ability to grow our business, there is no assurance that it will not significantly affect our ability to obtain new contracts in the future (see “Item 1A. Risk Factors”).

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Anti-corruption and Bribery

We are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), which prohibits U.S. and other business entities from making improper payments to foreign government officials, political parties or political party officials. We are also subject to the applicable anti-corruption laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate, thus potentially exposing us to liability and potential penalties in multiple jurisdictions. The anti-corruption provisions of the FCPA are enforced by the Department of Justice while other state or federal agencies may seek recourse against the Company for issues related to FCPA. In addition, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) requires strict compliance with certain accounting and internal control standards set forth under the FCPA. Failure to comply with the FCPA and other laws can expose us and/or individual employees to potentially severe criminal and civil penalties. Such penalties may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We devote resources to the development, maintenance, communication and enforcement of our Code of Conduct, our anti-bribery compliance policies, our internal control processes and compliance related policies. We strive to conduct timely internal investigations of potential violations and take appropriate action depending upon the outcome of the investigation.

Environmental Regulations

Our operations are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the environment, including those relating to discharges to air, water and land, the handling and disposal of solid and hazardous waste, the handling of underground storage tanks and the cleanup of properties affected by hazardous substances. Certain environmental laws impose substantial penalties for non-compliance and others, such as the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, impose strict, retroactive, joint and several liability upon persons responsible for releases of hazardous substances. We continually evaluate whether we must take additional steps at our locations to ensure compliance with environmental laws. While compliance with applicable regulatory requirements has not materially adversely affected our operations in the past, there can be no assurance that these requirements will not change and that compliance will not adversely affect our operations in the future. In addition, our aggregate materials operations require operating permits granted by governmental agencies. We believe that tighter regulations for the protection of the environment and other factors will make it increasingly difficult to obtain new permits and renewal of existing permits may be subject to more restrictive conditions than currently exist.

The California Air Resource Board requires California equipment owners/operators to reduce diesel particulate and nitrogen oxide emissions from in-use off-road diesel equipment and to meet progressively more restrictive emission targets from 2010 to 2022 by retrofitting equipment with diesel emission control devices or replacing equipment with new engine technology as it becomes available. Over the past few years we have been proactively replacing our fleet prior to the 2022 deadline to be in compliance and do not expect significant future costs.

As is the case with other companies in our industry, some of our aggregate products contain varying amounts of crystalline silica, a common mineral. Also, some of our construction and material processing operations release, as dust, crystalline silica that is in the materials being handled. Excessive, prolonged inhalation of very small-sized particles of crystalline silica has allegedly been associated with respiratory disease (including Silicosis). During 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) implemented new and more stringent occupational exposure thresholds for crystalline silica exposure as respirable dust. In addition, the Mine Safety and Health Administration is proposing the identical rule as implemented by OSHA. We have implemented dust control procedures to measure compliance with requisite thresholds and to verify that respiratory protective equipment is made available as necessary. We also communicate, through safety data sheets and other means, what we believe to be appropriate warnings and cautions to employees and customers about the risks associated with excessive, prolonged inhalation of mineral dust in general and crystalline silica in particular (see “Item 1A. Risk Factors”). The scope of new exposure limits indicates that additional engineering controls, beyond providing respirators will be required to reduce potential exposure in response to the reduced exposure limits. The OSHA General Industry and Construction Standards were phased in during late 2017 and were fully implemented in 2018. Expenses related to this implementation were immaterial during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017.

Website Access

Our website address is www.graniteconstruction.com. On our website we make available, free of charge, our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. The information on our website is not incorporated into, and is not part of, this report. These reports, and any amendments to them, are also available at the website of the SEC, www.sec.gov.

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Executive Officers of the Registrant

Information regarding our executive officers is set forth below.

Mr. Roberts joined Granite in 1981 and has served in various capacities, including President and Chief Executive Officer since September 2010. He also served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from September 2009 through August 2010, Senior Vice President from May 2004 through September 2009, Granite West Manager from February 2007 through September 2009, Branch Division Manager from May 2004 through February 2007, Vice President and Assistant Branch Division Manager from 1999 to 2004, and Regional Manager of Nevada and Utah Operations from 1995 to 1999. Mr. Roberts served as Chairman of The National Asphalt Pavement Association in 2006. He received a B.S.C.E. in 1979 and an M.S.C.E. in 1980 from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California in 1981. He also completed the Stanford Executive Program in 2009.

Ms. Desai joined Granite in 1993 and has served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since July 2018. She served as Vice President of Corporate Finance, Treasurer & Assistant Financial Officer from 2013-2018, Vice President, Treasurer & Assistant Financial Officer from 2007-2013, Assistant Treasurer & Assistant Secretary from 2001-2007 and Treasury Manager from 1993-2001. Ms. Desai is a Member of the Finance Committee for Pajaro Valley Health Trust. Ms. Desai received a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Houston in 1987, an M.B.A. in Corporate Finance from Golden Gate University in 1992 and completed Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program in 2016. She is a Certified Treasury Professional.

Mr. Larkin joined Granite in 1996 and has served as Senior Vice President and Group Manager since October 2017, Vice President and Regional Manager in Nevada from January 2014 to September 2017 and President of Granite’s wholly owned subsidiary, Intermountain Slurry Seal, Inc. from 2011 to 2014. He served as Manager of Construction at the Reno area office from 2008 to 2011 and Chief Estimator from 2004 to 2008. Mr. Larkin holds a B.S. in Construction Management from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and an M.B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Mr. Richards joined Granite in January 1992 and has served as Senior Vice President and Group Manager since January 2013. He also served as Arizona Region Manager from February 2006 through December 2012, Arizona Region Chief Estimator from January 2000 through January 2006 and in other positions at Granite’s Arizona Branch between 1992 and 2000. Prior to joining Granite, he served as a U.S. Army Officer. Mr. Richards received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from New Mexico State University in 1987.

Mr. Swanberg joined Granite in 2015 and has served as Senior Vice President and Group Manager since January 2017 and as Vice President and Deputy Group Manager from April 2015 to December 2016. In 2013, Mr. Swanberg served as the Chief Operating Officer of Flatiron Construction. Prior to Flatiron Construction, he served in various positions for the Walsh Group from 1985 to 2012, including as the President of the Heavy Civil Group. Mr. Swanberg received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Bradley University in 1984.

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Item 1A. RISK FACTORS

Set forth below and elsewhere in this report and in other documents we file with the SEC are various risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results contemplated by the forward-looking statements contained in this report or otherwise adversely affect our business.

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Failure to manage and successfully integrate acquisitions could harm our financial position, results of operations, cash flows and liquidity.

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To the extent we are not the controlling partner, we have limited control over many of the decisions made with respect to the related construction projects. These joint ventures may not be subject to the same compliance requirements, including those related to internal control over financial reporting. While we have controls to sufficiently mitigate the risks associated with reliance on their control environment and financial information, to the extent the controlling partner makes decisions that negatively impact the joint venture or internal control problems arise within the joint venture, it could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial position, results of operations, cash flows and liquidity.

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The foregoing list is not all-inclusive. There can be no assurance that we have correctly identified and appropriately assessed all factors affecting our business or that the publicly available and other information with respect to these matters is complete and correct. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial may also adversely affect us. These developments could have material adverse effects on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity. For these reasons, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements.

Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

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Item 2. PROPERTIES

Quarry Properties

As of December 31, 2018, we had 43 active and 17 inactive permitted quarry properties available for the extraction of sand and gravel and hard rock, all of which are located in the western United States. All of our quarries are open-pit and are primarily accessible by road. We process aggregates into construction materials for internal use and for sale to third parties. Our plant equipment is powered mostly by electricity provided by local utility companies. The following map shows the approximate locations of our permitted quarry properties as of December 31, 2018.

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We estimate our permitted proven¹ and probable² aggregate reserves to be approximately 659.6 million tons with an average permitted life of approximately 50 years at present operating levels. Present operating levels are determined based on a three-year annual average aggregate production rate of 13.25 million tons. Reserve estimates were made by our geologists and engineers based primarily on drilling studies. Reserve estimates are based on various assumptions, and any material inaccuracies in these assumptions could have a material impact on the accuracy of our reserve estimates. These properties are used by all of our segments.

¹Proven reserves are determined through the testing of samples obtained from closely spaced subsurface drilling and/or exposed pit faces. Proven reserves are sufficiently understood so that quantity, quality, and engineering conditions are known with sufficient accuracy to be mined without the need for any further subsurface work. Actual required spacing is based on geologic judgment about the predictability and continuity of each deposit.

²Probable reserves are determined through the testing of samples obtained from subsurface drilling but the sample points are too widely spaced to allow detailed prediction of quantity, quality, and engineering conditions. Additional subsurface work may be needed prior to mining the reserve.

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The following tables present information about our quarry properties as of December 31, 2018 (tons in millions):

¹Our leases have terms which range from month-to-month to 45 years with most including an option to renew and includes royalty related agreements.

Plant Properties

We operate plants at our quarry sites to process aggregates into construction materials. Some of our sites may have more than one crushing, concrete or asphalt processing plant. In an effort to continuously increase efficiencies based on external and internal demands, we sold or otherwise disposed of four plants during 2018 and several plants and the associated land in California during 2017. The gains associated with these sales were immaterial during 2018 and 2017. At December 31, 2018 and 2017, we owned the following plants:

These plants are used by all of our segments.

Other Properties  

The following table provides our estimate of certain information about other properties as of December 31, 2018:

The office and shape space is used by all of our segments.

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Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

In the ordinary course of business, we and our affiliates are involved in various legal proceedings alleging, among other things, liability issues or breach of contract or tortious conduct in connection with the performance of services and/or materials provided, the outcomes of which cannot be predicted with certainty. We and our affiliates are also subject to government inquiries in the ordinary course of business seeking information concerning our compliance with government construction contracting requirements and various laws and regulations, the outcomes of which cannot be predicted with certainty.

Some of the matters in which we or our joint ventures and affiliates are involved may involve compensatory, punitive, or other claims or sanctions that, if granted, could require us to pay damages or make other expenditures in amounts that are not probable to be incurred or cannot currently be reasonably estimated. In addition, in some circumstances our government contracts could be terminated, we could be suspended, debarred or incur other administrative penalties or sanctions, or payment of our costs could be disallowed. While any of our pending legal proceedings may be subject to early resolution as a result of our ongoing efforts to resolve the proceedings whether or when any legal proceeding will be resolved is neither predictable nor guaranteed.

Accordingly, it is possible that future developments in such proceedings and inquiries could require us to (i) adjust existing accruals, or (ii) record new accruals that we did not originally believe to be probable or that could not be reasonably estimated. Such changes could be material to our financial condition, results of operations and/or cash flows in any particular reporting period. In addition to matters that are considered probable for which the loss can be reasonably estimated, disclosure is also provided when it is reasonably possible and estimable that a loss will be incurred or when it is reasonably possible that the amount of a loss will exceed the amount recorded.

Liabilities relating to legal proceedings and government inquiries, to the extent that we have concluded such liabilities are probable and the amounts of such liabilities are reasonably estimable, are recorded in the consolidated balance sheets. The aggregate liabilities recorded as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 related to these matters were immaterial. The aggregate range of possible loss related to (i) matters considered reasonably possible, and (ii) reasonably possible amounts in excess of accrued losses recorded for probable loss contingencies, including those related to liquidated damages, could have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements if they become probable and the reasonably estimable amount is determined.

Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

The information concerning mine safety violations or other regulatory matters required by Section 1503(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and Item 104 of Regulation S-K (17CFR 229.104) is included in Exhibit 95 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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PART II

Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Our common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GVA. As of February 19, 2019, there were 46,685,414 shares of our common stock outstanding held by 782 shareholders of record. We have paid quarterly cash dividends since the second quarter of 1990, and we expect to continue to do so.

The following table sets forth information regarding the repurchase of shares of our common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2018:

¹The number of shares purchased is in connection with employee tax withholding for units vested under our 2012 Equity Incentive Plan.

²As announced on April 29, 2016, on April 7, 2016, the Board of Directors authorized us to purchase up to $200.0 million of our common stock at management’s discretion, which replaced the former authorization including the amount available. As part of this authorization we have established a share repurchase program to facilitate common stock repurchases. During the fourth quarter of 2018, we purchased approximately 252,000 shares at an average price of $39.64 per share for $10.0 million. The specific timing and amount of any future purchases will vary based on market conditions, securities law limitations and other factors.

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Performance Graph

The following graph compares the cumulative 5-year total return provided to Granite Construction Incorporated’s common stock holders relative to the cumulative total returns of the S&P 500 index and the Dow Jones U.S. Heavy Construction index. The Dow Jones U.S. Heavy Construction index includes the following companies: AECOM, Chicago Bridge & Iron Co NV, Arcosa Inc, Dycom Industries Inc., Emcor Group Inc., Fluor Corp., Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., KBR Inc., Mastec Inc., Quanta Services Inc. and Valmont Industries Inc. Certain of these companies differ from Granite in that they derive more revenue and profit from non-U.S. operations and have customers in different markets. The graph tracks the performance of a $100 investment in our common stock and in each (with the reinvestment of all dividends) from December 31, 2013 through December 31, 2018.

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Item 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

Other than contract backlog, the selected consolidated financial data set forth below have been derived from our consolidated financial statements. Refer to the consolidated financial statements for further information. These historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be expected for any future period.

¹The operating summary for the year ended December 31, 2018 and the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2018 include results, assets acquired and liabilities assumed from the acquisitions of Layne and LiquiForce (see Note 2 of the “Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements”).

²During the year ended December 31, 2017, we identified and corrected amounts related to revisions in estimates that should have been recorded during the year ended December 31, 2016. These corrections resulted in a $4.9 million decrease to revenue and gross profit and a $1.6 million decrease in net income attributable to Granite Construction Incorporated for the year ended December 31, 2017 (see Note 3 of “Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements”).

³During the year ended December 31, 2018, we incurred $60.0 million in acquisition and integration costs that were primarily in connection with acquisitions of Layne and LiquiForce. See Note 2 of “Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements” for further discussion.

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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

General

We deliver infrastructure solutions for public and private clients primarily in the United States. We are one of the largest diversified infrastructure companies in the United States. Within the public sector, we primarily concentrate on heavy-civil infrastructure projects, including the construction of streets, roads, highways, mass transit facilities, airport infrastructure, bridges, trenchless and underground utilities, power-related facilities, water-related facilities, utilities, tunnels, dams and other infrastructure-related projects. Within the private sector, we perform site preparation and infrastructure services for residential development, energy development, commercial and industrial sites, and other facilities, as well as provide construction management professional services.  

In addition to business segments, we review our business by operating groups. Our operating groups are defined as follows: (i) California; (ii) Northwest, which primarily includes offices in Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Washington; (iii) Heavy Civil, which primarily includes offices in California, Florida, New York and Texas; (iv) Federal which primarily includes offices in California, Colorado, Texas and Guam; (v) Midwest (formerly Kenny less the underground business), which primarily includes offices in Illinois and (vi) Water and Mineral Services (which includes LiquiForce, Layne and the underground business of the former Kenny operating group), which primarily includes offices across the United States, Canada and Latin America.

The four primary economic drivers of our business are (i) the overall health of the U.S. economy; (ii) federal, state and local public funding levels; (iii) population growth resulting in public and private development; and (iv) the need to replace or repair aging infrastructure. A stagnant or declining economy will generally result in reduced demand for construction and construction materials in the private sector. This reduced demand increases competition for private sector projects and will ultimately also increase competition in the public sector as companies migrate from bidding on scarce private sector work to projects in the public sector. In addition, a stagnant or declining economy tends to produce less tax revenue for public agencies, thereby decreasing a source of funds available for spending on public infrastructure improvements. Some funding sources that have been specifically earmarked for infrastructure spending, such as diesel and gasoline taxes, are not as directly affected by a stagnant or declining economy, unless actual consumption is reduced or gasoline sales tax revenues decline consistent with fuel prices. However, even these can be temporarily at risk as federal, state and local governments take actions to balance their budgets. Additionally, fuel prices and more fuel efficient vehicles can have a dampening effect on consumption, resulting in overall lower tax revenue. Conversely, increased levels of public funding as well as an expanding or robust economy will generally increase demand for our services and provide opportunities for revenue growth and margin improvement.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The financial statements included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenue and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Our estimates and related judgments and assumptions are continually evaluated based on available information and experiences; however, actual amounts could differ from those estimates.

The following are accounting policies and estimates that involve significant management judgment and can have significant effects on the Company’s reported results of operations. The Audit/Compliance Committee of our Board of Directors has reviewed our disclosure of critical accounting policies and estimates.  

Revenue Recognition

Our revenue is primarily derived from construction contracts that can span several quarters or years and from sales of construction related materials. We recognize revenue in accordance with ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers and subsequently issued additional related ASUs (“Topic 606”). Topic 606 provides for a five-step model for recognizing revenue from contracts with customers as follows:

Generally, our contracts contain one performance obligation. Contracts with customers in our Materials segment are typically defined by our customary business practices and are valued at the contractual selling price per unit. Our customary business practices are for the delivery of a separately identifiable good at a point in time which is typically when delivery to the customer occurs. Contracts in our Transportation, Water and Specialty segments may contain multiple distinct promises or multiple contracts within a master agreement (e.g. contracts that cross multiple locations/geographies and task orders), which we review at contract inception to determine if they represent multiple performance obligations or multiple separate contracts. This review consists of determining if promises or groups of promises are distinct within the context of the contract, including whether contracts are physically contiguous, contain task orders, purchase or sales orders, termination clauses and/or elements not related to design and/or build.

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The transaction price is the amount of consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for transferring goods and services to the customer. The consideration promised in a contract with customers of our Transportation, Water and Specialty segments may include both fixed amounts and variable amounts (e.g. bonuses/incentives or penalties/liquidated damages) to the extent that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved (i.e., probable and estimable). When a contract has a single performance obligation, the entire transaction price is attributed to that performance obligation. When a contract has more than one performance obligation, the transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation based on estimated relative standalone selling prices of the goods or services at the inception of the contract, which typically is determined using cost plus an appropriate margin.

Subsequent to the inception of a contract in our Transportation, Water and Specialty segments, the transaction price could change for various reasons, including the executed or estimated amount of change orders and unresolved contract modifications and claims to or from owners. Changes that are accounted for as an adjustment to existing performance obligations are allocated on the same basis at contract inception. Otherwise, changes are accounted for as separate performance obligation(s) and the separate transaction price is allocated as discussed above.

Changes are made to the transaction price from unapproved change orders to the extent the amount can be reasonably estimated and recovery is probable.

On certain projects we have submitted and have pending unresolved contract modifications and affirmative claims (“affirmative claims”) to recover additional costs and the associated profit, if applicable, to which the Company believes it is entitled under the terms of contracts with customers, subcontractors, vendors or others. The owners or their authorized representatives and/or other third parties may be in partial or full agreement with the modifications or affirmative claims, or may have rejected or disagree entirely or partially as to such entitlement.

Changes are made to the transaction price from affirmative claims with customers to the extent that additional revenue on a claim settlement with a customer is probable and estimable. A reduction to costs related to affirmative claims with non-customers with whom we have a contractual arrangement (“back charges”) is recognized when the estimated recovery is probable and estimable. Recognizing affirmative claims and back charge recoveries requires significant judgments of certain factors including, but not limited to, dispute resolution developments and outcomes, anticipated negotiation results, and the cost of resolving such matters.

Certain construction contracts include retention provisions to provide assurance to our customers that we will perform in accordance with the contract terms and are not considered a financing benefit. The balances billed but not paid by customers pursuant to these provisions generally become due upon completion and acceptance of the project work or products by the customer. We have determined there are no significant financing components in our contracts during the year ended December 31, 2018.

Typically, performance obligations related to contracts in our Transportation, Water and Specialty segments are satisfied over time because our performance typically creates or enhances an asset that the customer controls as the asset is created or enhanced. We recognize revenue as performance obligations are satisfied and control of the promised good and/or service is transferred to the customer. Revenue in our Transportation, Water and Specialty segments is ordinarily recognized over time as control is transferred to the customers by measuring the progress toward complete satisfaction of the performance obligation(s) using an input (i.e., “cost to cost”) method. Under the cost to cost method, costs incurred to-date are generally the best depiction of transfer of control.

All contract costs, including those associated with affirmative claims, change orders and back charges, are recorded as incurred and revisions to estimated total costs are reflected as soon as the obligation to perform is determined.  Contract costs consist of direct costs on contracts, including labor and materials, amounts payable to subcontractors, direct overhead costs and equipment expense (primarily depreciation, fuel, maintenance and repairs).

The accuracy of our revenue and profit recognition in a given period depends on the accuracy of our estimates of the cost to complete each project. Cost estimates for all of our significant projects use a detailed “bottom up” approach, and we believe our experience allows us to create materially reliable estimates. There are a number of factors that can contribute to changes in estimates of contract cost and profitability. The most significant of these include:

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The foregoing factors, as well as the stage of completion of contracts in process and the mix of contracts at different margins may cause fluctuations in gross profit and gross profit margin from period to period. Significant changes in cost estimates, particularly in our larger, more complex projects have had, and can in future periods have, a significant effect on our profitability.  

All state and federal government contracts and many of our other contracts provide for termination of the contract at the convenience of the party contracting with us, with provisions to pay us for work performed through the date of termination including demobilization cost.

Costs to obtain our contracts (“pre-bid costs”) that are not expected to be recovered from the customer are expensed as incurred and included in selling, general and administrative expenses on our consolidated statements of operations. Although unusual, pre-bid costs that are explicitly chargeable to the customer even if the contract is not obtained are included in accounts receivable on our consolidated balance sheets when we are notified that we are not the low bidder with a corresponding reduction to selling, general and administrative expenses on our consolidated statements of operations.

Goodwill

As a result of the change in our reportable segments, we reassessed our reporting units and have determined we have eight reporting units in which goodwill was recorded as follows:

We perform our goodwill impairment tests annually as of November 1 and more frequently when events and circumstances occur that indicate a possible impairment of goodwill. Examples of such events or circumstances include, but are not limited to, the following: 

In performing the quantitative goodwill impairment tests, we calculate the estimated fair value of the reporting unit in which the goodwill is recorded using the discounted cash flows and market multiple methods. Judgments inherent in these methods include the determination of appropriate discount rates, the amount and timing of expected future cash flows and growth rates, and appropriate benchmark companies. The cash flows used in our 2018 discounted cash flow model were based on five-year financial forecasts, which in turn were based on the 2018-2022 operating plan developed internally by management adjusted for market participant-based assumptions. Our discount rate assumptions are based on an assessment of the equity cost of capital and appropriate capital structure for our reporting units. In assessing the reasonableness of our determined fair values of our reporting units, we evaluate the reasonableness of our results against our current market capitalization. 

The estimated fair value is compared to the net book value of the reporting unit, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its net book value, goodwill of the reporting unit is considered not impaired. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its net book value, goodwill is impaired and the excess of the reporting unit’s net book value over the fair value is recognized as an impairment loss.

During 2018, due to the change in reportable segments, the resulting change to reporting units and in accordance with ASC Topic 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other, we conducted impairment tests on reporting units that were most susceptible to fluctuations in results. We conducted these tests before the change on the Kenny Large Project Construction and Kenny Construction reporting units and after the change on the Midwest Group Transportation, Midwest Group Specialty and Water and Mineral Services Group Water reporting units. These assessments indicated that the estimated fair values of the reporting units exceeded their net book values.

For our 2018 annual goodwill impairment test, we elected to perform a qualitative analysis and after assessing the totality of events and circumstances, we determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of these reporting units were greater than the carrying amounts; therefore, a quantitative goodwill impairment test was not performed. Factors we considered were macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, cost factors, overall financial performance, changes in management or key personnel, changes in strategy, changes in customers, changes in the composition or carrying amount of a reporting segments’ net assets, and changes in our stock price.

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Insurance Estimates

We carry insurance policies to cover various risks, primarily general liability, automobile liability, workers compensation and employee medical expenses under which we are liable to reimburse the insurance company for a portion of each claim paid. Payment for general liability and workers compensation claim amounts generally range from the first $0.5 million to $1.0 million per occurrence. We accrue for probable losses, both reported and unreported, that are reasonably estimable using actuarial methods based on historic trends, modified, if necessary, by recent events. Changes in our loss assumptions caused by changes in actual experience would affect our assessment of the ultimate liability and could have an effect on our operating results and financial position up to $1.0 million per occurrence for general liability and workers compensation or $0.3 million for medical insurance.

Current Economic Environment and Outlook

As America’s Infrastructure Company, our growth is focused on continued end-market and geographic diversification.  Granite provides solutions to the Transportation, Water, Specialty and Materials end-markets. The Company is well positioned to leverage opportunities in these end markets to drive steady, long-term value creation for Granite’s stakeholders.  

Public and private market activity and demand remains robust, against a backdrop of dynamic, competitive end markets. Company contract backlog of $3.7 billion continues to reflect steady economic growth. Private market activity remains a key growth and diversification opportunity across our business, and its portion of our portfolio continues to expand in focus and significance. Today, public infrastructure investment is beginning to grow at state, regional, and local levels, and this investment provides our industry with visibility to funding that we have not experienced in more than a decade. This positive, multi-year public-spending demand will benefit our Transportation, Water and Materials segments.

Across end-markets, our focus on bottom-line improvement continues to emphasize managing risks and being compensated appropriately for the complex skills and resources required to build public infrastructure projects, across geographies and across project scope. We are sharply focused on executing work with appropriate returns relative to risks for Granite’s stakeholders.

In Transportation, at the National level, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (“FAST”) Act remains a stabilizing force. Increased public investment has grown bottom-up for the past six years at state and local levels, with more than half of U.S. states acting independently to increase maintenance programs and to reinvest in transportation infrastructure. As a result, state and local-led program expansions, coupled with Federal and private-sector stability, are key contributors to the most balanced market activity and visibility to funding that we have seen since the mid-2000s. Importantly, the defeat of California Proposition 6 last November preserved the 10-year, $54.2 billion Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. We believe this critical investment will contribute significantly to improved health, safety and the quality of life for California’s citizens and for the traveling public.

In the first half of 2018, we completed the acquisition of Layne, a water and mining infrastructure services and drilling company, as well as LiquiForce, a regional company in Canada and the Midwest providing lateral and mainline pipe lining services in the water and wastewater markets. Strong market and funding dynamics position our legacy and acquired businesses in the newly created Water segment for significant growth. Water market demand remains healthy across geographies as states and municipal water authorities weigh options for overdue water infrastructure investment. At the federal level, Congress recently approved the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, which includes $4.4 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water program. This legislation also creates the Water Resources Development Act, which authorizes $3.7 billion of federal funds for a dozen U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood-protection and other projects.

We are optimistic that Congress and the Administration in 2019 will jointly move forward to create a bipartisan Federal Infrastructure Bill that not only stabilizes the nearly insolvent Highway Trust Fund, but also creates a vision and path forward for the rebuilding the infrastructure of our great country.

Results of Operations

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Revenue

Total Revenue by Segment

Transportation Revenue

Transportation revenue in 2018 increased $29.3 million, or 1.5%, compared to 2017 due to entering the year with greater contract backlog in the Heavy Civil, California and Midwest operating groups as well as improved success rate on bidding activity in the California and Midwest groups. The increases were also partially offset by a decrease in the Northwest operating group due to beginning the year with lower contract backlog.

During 2018 and 2017, revenue earned from the public sector was 93.9% and 94.8%, respectively, of the total Transportation segment revenue.

Water Revenue

Water revenue in 2018 increased $204.6 million, or over 100%, compared to 2017 primarily due to increases in the Water and Mineral Services operating group from the Layne and LiquiForce acquisitions. See Note 2 of “Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements” for further discussion of acquisitions.

During 2018 and 2017, revenue earned from the public sector was 73.9% and 88.6%, respectively, of the total Water segment revenue.

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Specialty Revenue

Specialty revenue in 2018 increased $10.8 million, or 1.8%, when compared to 2017 due to increases in the Northwest operating group from new awards and in Federal operating group from entering the year with greater contract backlog in addition to an increase in Water and Mineral Services operating group from the acquisitions of Layne and LiquiForce. The increases were partially offset by decreases in the Midwest and California operating groups from beginning the year with lower contract backlog.

During 2018 and 2017, revenue earned from the public sector was 40.8% and 39.2%, respectively, of the total Specialty segment revenue.

Materials Revenue

Materials revenue in 2018 increased $84.0 million, or 28.7%, when compared to 2017. In addition to increases in the Water and Mineral services operating group from the acquisition of Layne, increases in the California and Northwest operating groups were due to increases in aggregate and asphalt pricing and volume.

Contract Backlog

Our contract backlog consists of the revenue we expect to record in the future on awarded contracts, including 100% of our consolidated joint venture contracts and our proportionate share of unconsolidated joint venture contracts. We generally include a project in our contract backlog at the time it is awarded and to the extent we believe contract execution and funding is probable. Awarded contracts that include unexercised contract options or unissued task orders are included in contract backlog to the extent option exercise or task order issuance is probable. Substantially all of the contracts in our contract backlog may be canceled or modified at the election of the customer; however, we have not been materially adversely affected by contract cancellations or modifications in the past.

Total Contract Backlog by Segment

Transportation Contract Backlog

¹Other awards include unissued task orders and unexercised contract options to the extent their issuance or exercise is probable as well as contract awards to the extent we believe contract execution and funding is probable.  

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Transportation contract backlog of $2.8 billion at December 31, 2018 remained relatively unchanged compared to 2017. Not yet included in our contract backlog is approximately $700 million in project wins that will be added to Transportation segment contract backlog as task orders are approved.

Non-controlling partners’ share of Transportation contract backlog as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 was $178.9 million and $206.3 million respectively.

Two contracts in our Transportation segment had forecasted losses with remaining revenue of $27.8 million, or 1.0%, and $21.9 million, or 0.8%, of Transportation contract backlog at December 31, 2018. At December 31, 2017, one contract in our Transportation segment had forecasted losses with remaining revenue of $106.2 million, or 3.7%, of Transportation contract backlog. Provisions are recognized in the consolidated statements of operations for the full amount of estimated losses on uncompleted contracts whenever evidence indicates that the estimated total cost of a contract exceeds its estimated total revenue. Future revisions to these estimated losses will be recorded in the periods in which the revisions are estimated.

Water Contract Backlog

¹Other awards include contract awards to the extent we believe contract execution and funding is probable.

Water contract backlog of $328.9 million as of December 31, 2018 was $183.1 million, or over 100%, higher than at December 31, 2017 primarily due to increases in the Water and Mineral Services operating group from the Layne and LiquiForce acquisitions.

Specialty Contract Backlog

¹Other awards include contract awards to the extent we believe contract execution and funding is probable.

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Specialty contract backlog of $545.0 million as of December 31, 2018 was $158.8 million, or 22.6%, lower than at December 31, 2017 primarily due to a decrease in the Midwest operating group from progress on existing projects partially offset by an increase in the Northwest operating group from increased awards.

Non-controlling partners’ share of Specialty contract backlog as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 was $118.8 million and $176.5 million, respectively.

Gross Profit

The following table presents gross profit by business segment for the respective periods: