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INTEST CORP - Quarter Report: 2020 September (Form 10-Q)

intt20200930_10q.htm
 

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, 2020 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 1-36117

inTEST Corporation
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

22-2370659
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

 

804 East Gate Drive, Suite 200
Mt. Laurel, New Jersey 08054
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

(856) 505-8800
(Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code)

 

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

 

Title of Each Class
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

Trading Symbol

INTT

Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
NYSE American

 

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 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 Exchange Act).
YES ☐      NO ☒

 

Number of shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value, outstanding as of the close of business on October 31, 2020:   10,529,123 

 

 

 

 

inTEST CORPORATION

INDEX

 

 

Page

PART I.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

 

 

 

Item 1.

Financial Statements

 

 

 

 

 

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2020 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2019

1

 

Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019

2

 

Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Earnings (Loss) for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019

3

 

Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019

4

 

Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019

5

 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

6

 

 

 

Item 2.

Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

22

 

 

 

Item 3.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

31

 

 

 

Item 4.

Controls and Procedures

31

 

 

 

PART II.

OTHER INFORMATION

31

 

 

 

Item 1.

Legal Proceedings

31

 

 

 

Item 1A.

Risk Factors

31

 

 

 

Item 2.

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

33

 

 

 

Item 3.

Defaults Upon Senior Securities

33

 

 

 

Item 4.

Mine Safety Disclosures

33

 

 

 

Item 5.

Other Information

33

 

 

 

Item 6.

Exhibits

33

 

 

SIGNATURES

34

  

 

 

 

 

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

inTEST CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except share and per share data)

 

   

September 30,

   

December 31,

 
   

2020

   

2019

 
   

(Unaudited)

         

ASSETS

               

Current assets:

               

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 9,473     $ 7,612  

Trade accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $211 and $211, respectively

    9,533       9,296  

Inventories

    6,924       7,182  

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

    712       805  

Total current assets

    26,642       24,895  

Property and equipment:

               

Machinery and equipment

    5,531       5,269  

Leasehold improvements

    2,628       2,424  

Gross property and equipment

    8,159       7,693  

Less: accumulated depreciation

    (5,742

)

    (5,273

)

Net property and equipment

    2,417       2,420  

Right-of-use assets, net

    7,094       4,842  

Goodwill

    13,738       13,738  

Intangible assets, net

    12,727       13,654  

Restricted certificates of deposit

    140       140  

Other assets

    31       26  

Total assets

  $ 62,789     $ 59,715  
                 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

               

Current liabilities:

               

Accounts payable

  $ 2,203     $ 1,984  

Accrued wages and benefits

    2,028       2,007  

Accrued professional fees

    852       805  

Customer deposits and deferred revenue

    1,392       456  

Accrued sales commissions

    441       442  

Current portion of operating lease liabilities

    1,299       1,302  

Domestic and foreign income taxes payable

    631       868  

Other current liabilities

    438       497  

Total current liabilities

    9,284       8,361  

Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion

    6,049       3,794  

Deferred tax liabilities

    2,182       2,263  

Other liabilities

    451       463  

Total liabilities

    17,966       14,881  
                 

Commitments and Contingencies

               

Stockholders' equity:

               

Preferred stock, $0.01 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding

    -       -  

Common stock, $0.01 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized; 10,562,200 and 10,413,982 shares issued, respectively

    106       104  

Additional paid-in capital

    26,660       26,256  

Retained earnings

    17,490       18,005  

Accumulated other comprehensive earnings

    771       673  

Treasury stock, at cost; 33,077 shares

    (204

)

    (204

)

Total stockholders' equity

    44,823       44,834  

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

  $ 62,789     $ 59,715  

 

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

1

 

 

inTEST CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In thousands, except share and per share data)
(Unaudited)

 

   

Three Months Ended
September 30,

   

Nine Months Ended
September 30,

 
   

2020

   

2019

   

2020

   

2019

 
                                 

Net revenues

  $ 14,443     $ 14,632     $ 38,948     $ 47,046  

Cost of revenues

    7,993       7,427       21,564       24,286  

Gross margin

    6,450       7,205       17,384       22,760  

Operating expenses:

                               

Selling expense

    1,747       2,044       5,560       6,505  

Engineering and product development expense

    1,316       1,261       3,825       3,753  

General and administrative expense

    2,960       3,094       8,732       10,549  
                                 

Total operating expenses

    6,023       6,399       18,117       20,807  
                                 

Operating income (loss)

    427       806       (733

)

    1,953  

Other income (loss)

    6       (12

)

    (44

)

    3  

Earnings (loss) before income tax expense (benefit)

    433       794       (777

)

    1,956  

Income tax expense (benefit)

    (25

)

    147       (262

)

    358  
                                 

Net earnings (loss)

  $ 458     $ 647     $ (515

)

  $ 1,598  
                                 

Net earnings (loss) per common share - basic

  $ 0.04     $ 0.06     $ (0.05

)

  $ 0.15  
                                 
                                 

Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic

    10,269,995       10,421,383       10,247,779       10,405,892  
                                 

Net earnings (loss) per common share - diluted

  $ 0.04     $ 0.06     $ (0.05

)

  $ 0.15  
                                 

Weighted average common shares and common share equivalents outstanding - diluted

    10,287,562       10,429,536       10,247,779       10,423,121  

 

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

2

 

 

inTEST CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE EARNINGS (LOSS)

(In thousands)
(Unaudited)

 

   

Three Months Ended
September 30,

   

Nine Months Ended
September 30,

 
   

2020

   

2019

   

2020

   

2019

 
                                 

Net earnings (loss)

  $ 458     $ 647     $ (515

)

  $ 1,598  
                                 

Foreign currency translation adjustments

    101       (144

)

    98       (168

)

                                 

Comprehensive earnings (loss)

  $ 559     $ 503     $ (417

)

  $ 1,430  

 

 See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

3

 

 

inTEST CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

(In thousands, except share data)
(Unaudited)

 

   

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020

 
                                   

Accumulated

                 
                   

Additional

           

Other

           

Total

 
   

Common Stock

   

Paid-in

   

Retained

   

Comprehensive

   

Treasury

   

Stockholders'

 
   

Shares

   

Amount

   

Capital

   

Earnings

   

Earnings

   

Stock

   

Equity

 

Balance, January 1, 2020

    10,413,982     $ 104     $ 26,256     $ 18,005     $ 673     $ (204

)

  $ 44,834  
                                                         

Net loss

    -       -       -       (1,143

)

    -       -       (1,143

)

Other comprehensive loss

    -       -       -       -       (38

)

    -       (38

)

Amortization of deferred compensation related to stock-based awards

    -       -       187       -       -       -       187  

Issuance of unvested shares of restricted stock

    58,160       1       (1

)

    -       -       -       -  

Forfeiture of unvested shares of restricted stock

    (8,315

)

    -       -       -       -       -       -  

Repurchase and retirement of common stock

    (13,767

)

    -       (74

)

    -       -       -       (74

)

Balance, March 31, 2020

    10,450,060       105       26,368       16,862       635       (204

)

    43,766  
                                                         

Net earnings

    -       -       -       170       -       -       170  

Other comprehensive earnings

    -       -       -       -       35       -       35  

Amortization of deferred compensation related to stock-based awards

    -       -       208       -       -       -       208  

Issuance of unvested shares of restricted stock

    15,840       -       -       -       -       -       -  

Forfeiture of unvested shares of restricted stock

    (6,750

)

    -       -       -       -       -       -  

Balance, June 30, 2020

    10,459,150       105       26,576       17,032       670       (204

)

    44,179  
                                                         

Net earnings

    -       -       -       458       -       -       458  

Other comprehensive earnings

    -       -       -       -       101       -       101  

Amortization of deferred compensation related to stock-based awards

    -       -       85       -       -       -       85  

Issuance of unvested shares of restricted stock

    155,110       2       (2

)

    -       -       -       -  

Forfeiture of unvested shares of restricted stock

    (52,060

)

    (1

)

    1       -       -       -       -  
                                                         

Balance, September 30, 2020

    10,562,200     $ 106     $ 26,660     $ 17,490     $ 771     $ (204

)

  $ 44,823  

 

   

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019

 
                                   

Accumulated

                 
                   

Additional

           

Other

           

Total

 
   

Common Stock

   

Paid-in

   

Retained

   

Comprehensive

   

Treasury

   

Stockholders'

 
   

Shares

   

Amount

   

Capital

   

Earnings

   

Earnings

   

Stock

   

Equity

 

Balance, January 1, 2019

    10,523,035     $ 105     $ 26,513     $ 15,683     $ 783     $ (204

)

  $ 42,880  
                                                         

Net earnings

    -       -       -       1,138       -       -       1,138  

Other comprehensive loss

    -       -       -       -       (83

)

    -       (83

)

Amortization of deferred compensation related to stock-based awards

    -       -       183       -       -       -       183  

Issuance of unvested shares of restricted stock

    80,300       1       (1

)

    -       -       -       -  

Balance, March 31, 2019

    10,603,335       106       26,695       16,821       700       (204

)

    44,118  
                                                         

Net loss

    -       -       -       (187

)

    -       -       (187

)

Other comprehensive earnings

    -       -       -       -       59       -       59  

Amortization of deferred compensation related to stock-based awards

    -       -       213       -       -       -       213  

Issuance of unvested shares of restricted stock

    35,380       -       -       -       -       -       -  

Forfeiture of unvested shares of restricted stock

    (12,325

)

    -       -       -       -       -       -  

Balance, June 30, 2019

    10,626,390       106       26,908       16,634       759       (204

)

    44,203  
                                                         

Net earnings

    -       -       -       647       -       -       647  

Other comprehensive loss

    -       -       -       -       (144

)

    -       (144

)

Amortization of deferred compensation related to stock-based awards

    -       -       242       -       -       -       242  

Issuance of unvested shares of restricted stock

    16,900       -       -       -       -       -       -  

Repurchase and retirement of common stock

    (39,158

)

    -       (179

)

    -       -       -       (179

)

                                                         

Balance, September 30, 2019

    10,604,132     $ 106     $ 26,971     $ 17,281     $ 615     $ (204

)

  $ 44,769  

 

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

4

 

 

inTEST CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)
(Unaudited)

 

   

Nine Months Ended
September 30,

 
   

2020

   

2019

 

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

               

Net earnings (loss)

  $ (515

)

  $ 1,598  

Adjustments to reconcile net earnings (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:

               

Depreciation and amortization

    2,378       2,431  

Payment of earnout for 2018 related to Ambrell acquisition

    -       (12,167

)

Provision for excess and obsolete inventory

    410       341  

Foreign exchange loss

    33       37  

Amortization of deferred compensation related to stock-based awards

    480       638  

Loss on disposal of property and equipment

    2       17  

Proceeds from sale of demonstration equipment, net of gain

    54       138  

Deferred income tax benefit

    (81

)

    (307

)

Changes in assets and liabilities:

               

Trade accounts receivable

    (237

)

    1,254  

Inventories

    (146

)

    (1,551

)

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

    95       (235

)

Restricted certificates of deposit

    -       35  

Other assets

    (5

)

    -  

Accounts payable

    215       943  

Accrued wages and benefits

    18       (969

)

Accrued professional fees

    47       192  

Customer deposits and deferred revenue

    936       (509

)

Accrued sales commissions

    (2

)

    (257

)

Operating lease liabilities

    (977

)

    (1,059

)

Domestic and foreign income taxes payable

    (240

)

    171  

Other current liabilities

    (60

)

    (135

)

Other liabilities

    (5

)

    263  

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

    2,400       (9,131

)

                 

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES

               

Purchase of property and equipment

    (520

)

    (413

)

Net cash used in investing activities

    (520

)

    (413

)

                 

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES

               

Proceeds from Paycheck Protection Program loans

    2,829       -  

Repayments of Paycheck Protection Program loans

    (2,829

)

    -  

Proceeds from revolving credit facility

    2,800       -  

Repayments of revolving credit facility

    (2,800

)

    -  

Repurchases of common stock

    (74

)

    (179

)

Net cash used in financing activities

    (74

)

    (179

)

                 

Effects of exchange rates on cash

    55       (113

)

                 

Net cash provided by (used in) all activities

    1,861       (9,836

)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

    7,612       17,861  

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

  $ 9,473     $ 8,025  
                 

Cash payments for:

               

Domestic and foreign income taxes

  $ 58     $ 488  

 

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

5

 

inTEST CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share and per share data)

 

 

(1)

NATURE OF OPERATIONS

 

We are a global supplier of precision-engineered solutions for use in manufacturing and testing across a wide range of markets including automotive, defense/aerospace, energy, industrial, semiconductor and telecommunications. We manage our business as two operating segments which are also our reportable segments: Thermal Products ("Thermal") and Electromechanical Solutions ("EMS"). Our Thermal segment designs, manufactures and sells our thermal test and thermal process products while our EMS segment designs, manufactures and sells our semiconductor test products. We manufacture our products in the U.S. Marketing and support activities are conducted worldwide from our facilities in the U.S., Germany, Singapore, the Netherlands and the U.K. The consolidated entity is comprised of inTEST Corporation and our wholly owned subsidiaries.

 

Our EMS segment sells its products to semiconductor manufacturers and third-party test and assembly houses (end user sales) and to automated test equipment (“ATE”) manufacturers (original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) sales), who ultimately resell our equipment with theirs to both semiconductor manufacturers and third-party test and assembly houses. Our Thermal segment sells its products to many of these same types of customers; however, it also sells into a variety of other markets, including the automotive, defense/aerospace, energy, industrial and telecommunications markets. As a result of the acquisition of Ambrell Corporation (“Ambrell”) in May 2017, our Thermal segment also sells into the consumer products packaging, fiber optics and other sectors within the broader industrial market, and into the wafer processing sector within the broader semiconductor market.

 

Both of our operating segments have multiple products that we design, manufacture and market to our customers. Due to a number of factors, our products have varying levels of gross margin. The mix of products we sell in any period is ultimately determined by our customers' needs. Therefore, the mix of products sold in any given period can change significantly from the prior period. As a result, our consolidated gross margin can be significantly impacted in any given period by a change in the mix of products sold in that period.

Historically, we have referred to our markets as “Semiconductor” (which includes both the broader semiconductor market as well as the more specialized ATE and wafer processing sectors within the broader semiconductor market), and “Non-Semiconductor” (which includes all of the other markets we serve). Starting in the second quarter of 2019, we began referring to the broader semiconductor market, including the ATE and wafer processing sectors within that market, as the “Semi Market.” All other markets are designated as “Multimarket.” The Semi Market, which is the principal market in which we operate, is characterized by rapid technological change, competitive pricing pressures and cyclical as well as seasonal market patterns. This market is subject to significant economic downturns at various times. Our financial results are affected by a wide variety of factors, including, but not limited to, general economic conditions worldwide and in the markets in which we operate, economic conditions specific to the Semi Market and the other markets we serve, our ability to safeguard patented technology and intellectual property in a rapidly evolving market, downward pricing pressures from customers, and our reliance on a relatively few number of customers for a significant portion of our sales. In addition, we are exposed to the risk of obsolescence of our inventory depending on the mix of future business and technological changes within the markets that we serve. Part of our strategy for growth includes potential acquisitions that may cause us to incur substantial expense in reviewing and evaluating potential transactions. We may or may not be successful in locating suitable businesses to acquire and in closing acquisitions of businesses we pursue. In addition, we may not be able to successfully integrate any business we do acquire with our existing business and we may not be able to operate the acquired business profitably. As a result of these or other factors, we may experience significant period-to-period fluctuations in future operating results.  

 

COVID-19 Pandemic

 

Our business has been, and will continue to be, adversely affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As of the date of this filing, COVID-19 continues to cause significant disruptions in the normal business environment, both domestically and globally, and we believe the situation will remain challenging until the spread of the virus can be contained. Since March 17, 2020, several states, including all of the states in which we have manufacturing facilities, have instituted “shelter-in place” orders as well as guidance in response to COVID-19 and the need to contain it. As of the date of this filing, all of the states in which we operate have re-opened to varying degrees. However, some of these states have paused their re-opening plans or reversed actions they had taken with respect to their re-opening plans because of increased spread. Despite these changes, all of our operations continue to be deemed “critical and essential business operations” under the various governmental COVID-19 mandates which has allowed us to continue to operate our business with certain modifications as discussed below.

 

6

 

Although our net revenues from all of the markets we serve have been significantly affected by COVID-19, the impact of COVID-19 on our net revenues from the Semi Market has been intensified because it began during a time when our business operations were also being negatively affected by a global downturn in the Semi Market. The Semi Market, from which approximately half of our net revenues are derived, entered a cyclical downturn in the beginning of 2019. This downturn resulted in significant declines in our net revenues from the Semi Market during 2020 as compared to 2019, particularly during the first half of the year, and was the primary factor causing the net loss we recorded in the first nine months of 2020 of $515. Our net revenues from the Semi Market for the first nine months of 2020 totaled $19,256 compared to $24,878 in the first nine months of 2019. During the first quarter of 2020, before the spread of COVID-19, we had started to see indications that the downturn was coming to an end and that the beginning of the next cyclical upturn in the Semi Market was about to commence. However, COVID-19 impacted this timing and, as a result, the recovery in the Semi Market was delayed. Although we saw increasing order rates from our customers in the Semi Market during the second quarter of 2020, this trend did not continue for all of the products we sell into this market during the third quarter of 2020. While the broader Semi Market appears to have entered the next cyclical upturn, we serve only a portion of that broader market. Furthermore, because we sell to a limited number of customers in the ATE and wafer processing sectors within the broader Semi Market, the trend in our orders and net revenues does not always follow the overall trend in these sectors of the broader Semi Market. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the trend in our orders from customers in the Semi Market will follow the trend in the broader Semi Market, in particular, if the spread of COVID-19 is not further contained and one or more of our significant customers is negatively impacted.

In addition, the aftermarket service and support that we provide to our customers has been, and we expect may continue to be, adversely impacted by COVID-19 due to travel restrictions which continue to exist in some locations and limitations on visitors allowed into customer facilities, which has resulted in some of these activities being reduced or suspended.  The net revenues associated with these aftermarket service and support activities typically range from 8% to 10% of our consolidated net revenues. Although these net revenues returned to a more typical range during the third quarter of 2020, if the spread of COVID-19 worsens, these revenues may be reduced in future periods.

During 2019, we made adjustments to reduce our fixed cost structure, which included staff reductions and limits on all discretionary spending. As a result of the delay in the Semi Market recovery discussed above and the impact of COVID-19 on our operations, we have taken actions to further reduce our fixed cost structure with the goal of limiting future losses and maintaining an adequate level of liquidity to operate our business. To date, these additional actions have included further staff reductions, the temporary closure of our EMS manufacturing facility in Fremont, California for approximately three weeks beginning in late March and the temporary closure of our Thermal segment manufacturing facility in Mansfield, Massachusetts for a two-week period at the beginning of April. As discussed further in Note 9, on April 10, 2020, we entered into a Loan and Security Agreement (the “Agreement”) with M&T Bank (“M&T”). Under the terms of the Agreement, M&T has provided us with a $7,500 revolving credit facility. This revolving credit facility was put in place to provide us with additional liquidity in response to the current business environment as a result of COVID-19.

 

As of the date of the filing of this report, all of our facilities are open, although a significant number of our employees are working remotely as discussed below. As discussed further in Note 3, we are in the process of closing our manufacturing operation in Fremont, California. We expect that action to be substantially completed during the fourth quarter of 2020. While we do not currently have any further plans for other facility closures, if the current pace of the spread of COVID-19 cannot be sufficiently slowed and the spread of the virus is not contained, our business operations could be further interrupted. If the spread of the virus cannot be contained, government and health authorities may announce new or extend existing restrictions, which could require us to make further adjustments to our operations in order to comply with any such restrictions. These adjustments to our operations could include additional facility closures in the future if demand slows down, which could have a material negative impact on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. The funds we may be able to draw down under the Agreement may not be sufficient to prevent the need to take further actions, such as staff reductions, facility closures or other salary and benefits adjustments for remaining employees. As a result of our current level of working capital as well as the availability of the revolving credit facility under the Agreement, we currently expect to have sufficient liquidity to operate our business throughout the balance of 2020, as further described in this report.

 

Generally, global supply chains and the timely availability of products have been, and will continue to be, materially disrupted by quarantines, factory slowdowns or shutdowns, border closings and travel restrictions resulting from COVID-19. We have experienced, and expect that we may continue to experience, extended delivery lead times, price increases and/or lack of availability from our normal suppliers for the materials needed to produce our products in a timely manner and/or with the level of margins we typically expect to achieve. We are working to mitigate and address these delays and price increases, but there can be no assurance that we will not experience delays or price increases in the future which could have a material negative impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

We have implemented workplace safeguards designed to protect the health and well-being of our employees. A significant number of employees have been authorized to work from home and have been provided with the tools and technology necessary to do so. However, the process of working remotely may result in those employees not being as effective or responsive to our customers’ needs as they would be under more normal conditions. This could result in lost business opportunities or have other negative impacts on our business. Remaining employees in our facilities are following World Health Organization (“WHO”) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) recommended safety practices, as well as state and local directives, but there can be no assurances that we can successfully avoid one or more of our employees contracting COVID-19 and entering our facilities while infected. Should this occur, or should we have employees who become ill or otherwise are unable to work, we may experience limitations in employee resources or may be required to close affected facilities for a time to clean and disinfect appropriately.

 

7

 

The duration of any business disruption and related financial impact cannot be reasonably estimated at this time but may materially affect our ability to operate our business and result in additional costs. The extent to which COVID-19 may impact our operating results, financial condition, and liquidity will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted as of the date of the filing of this report, including new information that may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and steps taken to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. The adverse effects of COVID-19 on our business could be material in future periods.

 

 

(2)

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Basis of Presentation and Use of Estimates

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include our accounts and those of our wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Certain of our accounts, including inventories, long-lived assets, goodwill, identifiable intangibles and deferred tax assets and liabilities including related valuation allowances, are particularly impacted by estimates.
 

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and changes in cash flows for the interim periods presented. Certain footnote information has been condensed or omitted from these consolidated financial statements. Therefore, these consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying footnotes included in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 (“2019 Form 10-K”) filed on March 23, 2020 with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

 

Reclassification

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to be comparable with the current period's presentation.

 

Subsequent Events

We have made an assessment of our operations and determined that there were no material subsequent events requiring adjustment to, or disclosure in, our consolidated financial statements for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 other than those described in Note 1 under “COVID-19 Pandemic” and Note 3.

 

Business Combinations

Acquired businesses are accounted for using the purchase method of accounting, which requires that the purchase price be allocated to the net assets acquired at their respective fair values. Any excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair values of the net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. Fair values of intangible assets are estimated by valuation models prepared by our management and third-party advisors. The assets purchased and liabilities assumed have been reflected in our consolidated balance sheets, and the results are included in the consolidated statements of operations and consolidated statements of cash flows from the date of acquisition. Any change in the fair value of acquisition-related contingent consideration subsequent to the acquisition date, including changes from events after the acquisition date, will be recognized in the consolidated statement of operations in the period of the estimated fair value change. Acquisition-related transaction costs, including legal and accounting fees and other external costs directly related to the acquisition, are recognized separately from the acquisition and expensed as incurred in general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations.

Restructuring and Other Charges

 

In accordance with the guidance in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 420 (Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations), we recognize a liability for restructuring costs at fair value only when the liability is incurred. Workforce-related charges are accrued when it is determined that a liability has been incurred, which is generally after individuals have been notified of their termination dates and expected severance benefits. Depending on the timing of the termination dates, these charges may be recognized upon notification or ratably over the remaining required service period of the employees. Plans to consolidate excess facilities may result in lease termination fees and impairment charges related to our right-of-use (“ROU”) assets that are associated with the leases for these facilities. Other long-lived assets that may be impaired as a result of restructuring consist of property and equipment, goodwill and intangible assets. Asset impairment charges included in restructuring and other charges are based on an estimate of the amounts and timing of future cash flows related to the expected future remaining use and ultimate sale or disposal of the asset, and, in the case of our ROU assets, would include expected future sublease rental income, if applicable. These estimates are derived using the guidance in ASC Topic 842 (Leases), ASC Topic 360 (Property, Plant and Equipment) and ASC Topic 350 (Intangibles - Goodwill and Other).

 

8

 

Goodwill, Intangible and Long-Lived Assets

We account for goodwill and intangible assets in accordance with ASC Topic 350. Finite-lived intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful economic life and are carried at cost less accumulated amortization. Goodwill is assessed for impairment annually in the fourth quarter on a reporting unit basis, or more frequently when events and circumstances occur indicating that the recorded goodwill may be impaired. Goodwill is considered to be impaired if the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. As a part of the goodwill impairment assessment, we have the option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If, as a result of our qualitative assessment, we determine that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of the reporting unit is greater than its carrying amount, a quantitative goodwill impairment test is not required. However, if, as a result of our qualitative assessment, we determine it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, or, if we choose not to perform a qualitative assessment, we are required to perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test to identify potential goodwill impairment and measure the amount of goodwill impairment loss to be recognized.

 

The quantitative goodwill impairment test compares the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is considered not impaired. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss will be recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. The goodwill impairment assessment is based upon the income approach, which estimates the fair value of our reporting units based upon a discounted cash flow approach. This fair value is then reconciled to our market capitalization at year end with an appropriate control premium. The determination of the fair value of our reporting units requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions including the selection of control premiums, discount rates, terminal growth rates, forecasts of revenue and expense growth rates, income tax rates, changes in working capital, depreciation, amortization and capital expenditures. Changes in assumptions concerning future financial results or other underlying assumptions could have a significant impact on either the fair value of the reporting unit or the amount of the goodwill impairment charge.

 

Indefinite-lived intangible assets are assessed for impairment annually in the fourth quarter, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. As a part of the impairment assessment, we have the option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. If, as a result of our qualitative assessment, we determine that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset is less than its carrying amount, the quantitative impairment test is required; otherwise, no further testing is required. The quantitative impairment test consists of a comparison of the fair value of the intangible asset with its carrying amount. If the carrying amount of the intangible asset exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess.

 

Long-lived assets, which consist of finite-lived intangible assets and property and equipment, are assessed for impairment whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable or that the useful lives of these assets are no longer appropriate. Each impairment test is based on a comparison of the estimated undiscounted cash flows to the recorded value of the asset. If impairment is indicated, the asset is written down to its estimated fair value. The cash flow estimates used to determine the impairment, if any, contain management's best estimates using appropriate assumptions and projections at that time.


Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue in accordance with the guidance in ASC Topic 606 (Revenue from Contracts with Customers). We recognize revenue for the sale of products or services when our performance obligations under the terms of a contract with a customer are satisfied and control of the product or service has been transferred to the customer. Generally, this occurs when we ship a product or perform a service. In certain cases, recognition of revenue is deferred until the product is received by the customer or at some other point in the future when we have determined that we have satisfied our performance obligations under the contract. Our contracts with customers may include a combination of products and services, which are generally capable of being distinct and accounted for as separate performance obligations. In addition to the sale of products and services, we also lease certain of our equipment to customers under short-term lease agreements. We recognize revenue from equipment leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term. 

 

9

 

Revenue is recorded in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for those products or services. We do not have any material variable consideration arrangements, or any material payment terms with our customers other than standard payment terms which generally range from net 30 to net 90 days. We generally do not provide a right of return to our customers. Revenue is recognized net of any taxes collected from customers, which are subsequently remitted to governmental authorities.

 

Nature of Products and Services

We are a global supplier of precision-engineered solutions for use in manufacturing and testing across a wide range of markets including automotive, defense/aerospace, energy, industrial, semiconductor and telecommunications. We sell thermal management products including ThermoStreams, ThermoChambers and process chillers, which we sell under our Temptronic, Sigma and Thermonics product lines, and Ambrell’s precision induction heating systems, including EKOHEAT and EASYHEAT products. We sell semiconductor ATE interface solutions which include manipulators, docking hardware and electrical interface products. We provide post-warranty service and support for the equipment we sell. We sell semiconductor ATE interface solutions and certain thermal management products to the Semi Market. We also sell our thermal management products to various other markets including the automotive, defense/aerospace, energy, industrial and telecommunications markets.

 

We lease certain of our equipment under short-term leasing agreements with original lease terms of six months or less. Our lease agreements do not contain purchase options.

 

Types of Contracts with Customers  

Our contracts with customers are generally structured as individual purchase orders which specify the exact products or services being sold or equipment being leased along with the selling price, service fee or monthly lease amount for each individual item on the purchase order. Payment terms and any other customer-specific acceptance criteria are also specified on the purchase order. We generally do not have any customer-specific acceptance criteria, other than that the product performs within the agreed upon specifications. We test substantially all products manufactured as part of our quality assurance process to determine that they comply with specifications prior to shipment to a customer.

 

Contract Balances  

We record accounts receivable at the time of invoicing. Accounts receivable, net of the allowance for doubtful accounts, is included in current assets on our balance sheet. To the extent that we do not recognize revenue at the same time as we invoice, we record a liability for deferred revenue. In certain instances, we also receive customer deposits in advance of invoicing and recording of accounts receivable. Deferred revenue and customer deposits are included in current liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets.

 

The allowance for doubtful accounts reflects our best estimate of probable losses inherent in the accounts receivable balance. We determine the allowance based on known troubled accounts, if any, historical experience, and other currently available evidence.

 

Costs to Obtain a Contract with a Customer 

The only costs we incur associated with obtaining contracts with customers are sales commissions that we pay to our internal sales personnel or third-party sales representatives. These costs are calculated based on set percentages of the selling price of each product or service sold. Commissions are considered earned by our internal sales personnel at the time we recognize revenue for a particular transaction. Commissions are considered earned by third-party sales representatives at the time that revenue is recognized for a particular transaction. We record commission expense in our consolidated statements of operations at the time the commission is earned. Commissions earned but not yet paid are included in current liabilities on our balance sheets.

 

Product Warranties

In connection with the sale of our products, we generally provide standard one- or two-year product warranties which are detailed in our terms and conditions and communicated to our customers. Our standard warranties are not offered for sale separately from our products; therefore, there is not a separate performance obligation related to our standard warranties. We record estimated warranty expense for our standard warranties at the time of sale based upon historical claims experience. In very limited cases, we offer customers an option to separately purchase an extended warranty for certain of our products. In the case of extended warranties, we recognize revenue in the amount of the sale price for the extended warranty on a straight-line basis over the extended warranty period. We record costs incurred to provide service under an extended warranty at the time the service is provided. Warranty expense is included in selling expense in our consolidated statements of operations. 

  

See Notes 5 and 13 for further information about our revenue from contracts with customers.

 

10

 

Inventories

Inventories are valued at cost on a first-in, first-out basis, not in excess of market value. Cash flows from the sale of inventories are recorded in operating cash flows. On a quarterly basis, we review our inventories and record excess and obsolete inventory charges based upon our established objective excess and obsolete inventory criteria. These criteria identify material that has not been used in a work order during the prior twelve months and the quantity of material on hand that is greater than the average annual usage of that material over the prior three years. In certain cases, additional excess and obsolete inventory charges are recorded based upon current market conditions, anticipated product life cycles, new product introductions and expected future use of the inventory. The excess and obsolete inventory charges we record establish a new cost basis for the related inventories.

 

Leases

 

We account for leases in accordance with ASC Topic 842 which was effective for us as of January 1, 2019. Upon adoption of ASC Topic 842, we elected the package of practical expedients which included the grandfathering of the lease classification that had been made under prior guidance and, accordingly, we did not re-evaluate any of our leases for classification purposes in connection with the implementation of ASC Topic 842. All of our lease contracts are still being treated as operating leases. We do not currently have any lease contracts that meet the criteria to be categorized as finance leases. We did not elect the hindsight practical expedient and, therefore, did not reevaluate the lease terms that we used under prior guidance. The implementation of ASC Topic 842 had a significant impact on our consolidated balance sheet as a result of recording ROU assets and lease liabilities for all our multi-year leases. Under prior guidance, none of these leases had any related asset recorded on our balance sheets. The only related liability recorded on our balance sheets was the amount which represented the difference between the lease payments we had made and the straight-line rent expense we had recorded in our statements of operations. The implementation of ASC Topic 842 did not have a significant impact on our pattern of expense recognition for any of our multi-year leases.

We determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception. A lease contract is within scope if the contract has an identified asset (property, plant or equipment) and grants the lessee the right to control the use of the asset during the lease term. The identified asset may be either explicitly or implicitly specified in the contract. In addition, the supplier must not have any practical ability to substitute a different asset and would not economically benefit from doing so for the lease contract to be in scope. The lessee’s right to control the use of the asset during the term of the lease must include the ability to obtain substantially all the economic benefits from the use of the asset as well as decision-making authority over how the asset will be used. Leases are classified as either operating leases or finance leases based on the guidance in ASC Topic 842. Operating leases are included in operating ROU assets and operating lease liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets. Finance leases are included in property and equipment and finance lease liabilities. We do not have embedded leases nor do we have any initial direct costs related to our lease contracts.

 

ROU assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. None of our leases provide an implicit rate; therefore, we use our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The operating lease ROU asset also includes any lease payments made and excludes lease incentives. Our lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease. We include these options in the determination of the amount of the ROU asset and lease liability when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Certain of our operating leases contain predetermined fixed escalations of minimum rentals and rent holidays during the original lease terms. Rent holidays are periods during which we have control of the leased facility but are not obligated to pay rent. For these leases, our ROU asset and lease liability are calculated including any rent holiday in the determination of the life of the lease.

 

We have lease agreements which contain both lease and non-lease components, which are generally accounted for separately. In addition to the monthly rental payments due, most of our leases for our offices and warehouse facilities include non-lease components representing our portion of the common area maintenance, property taxes and insurance charges incurred by the landlord for the facilities which we occupy. These amounts are not included in the calculation of the ROU assets and lease liabilities as they are based on actual charges incurred in the periods to which they apply.

Operating lease payments are included in cash outflows from operating activities on our consolidated statements of cash flows. Amortization of ROU assets is presented separately from the change in operating lease liabilities and is included in depreciation and amortization in our consolidated statements of cash flows.

 

We have made an accounting policy election not to apply the recognition requirements of ASC Topic 842 to short-term leases (leases with a term of one year or less at the commencement date of the lease). Lease expense for short-term lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.


See Note 8 for further disclosures regarding our leases. 

 

11

 

Contingent Liability for Repayment of State and Local Grant Proceeds

 

In connection with leasing a new facility in Rochester, New York, which our subsidiary, Ambrell, occupied in May 2018, we entered into agreements with the city of Rochester and the state of New York under which we received grants totaling $463 to help offset a portion of the cost of the leasehold improvements we have made to this facility. In exchange for the funds we received under these agreements, we are required to create and maintain specified levels of employment in this location through various dates ending in 2023. If we fail to meet these employment targets, we may be required to repay a proportionate share of the proceeds. As of September 30, 2020, $423 of the total proceeds received could still be required to be repaid if we do not meet the targets. We have recorded this amount as a contingent liability which is included in other liabilities on our balance sheet. Those portions of the proceeds which are no longer subject to repayment are reclassified to deferred grant proceeds and amortized to income on a straight-line basis over the remaining lease term for the Rochester facility. Deferred grant proceeds are included in other current liabilities and other liabilities on our balance sheet and totaled $32 at September 30, 2020.

 

As of December 31, 2019, we were not in compliance with the employment targets as specified in the grant agreement with the city of Rochester. We applied for and received a waiver of this requirement for the year ended December 31, 2019. As of September 30, 2020, we are still not in compliance with these employment targets. We have until December 31, 2020 to come into compliance with the targets as outlined in the waiver received for the year ended December 31, 2019. If we do not achieve compliance, we will need to apply for an additional waiver or we may be required to repay a proportionate share of the proceeds.

Stock-Based Compensation

We account for stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC Topic 718 (Compensation - Stock Compensation), which requires that employee share-based equity awards be accounted for under the fair value method and requires the use of an option pricing model for estimating fair value of stock options granted, which is then amortized to expense over the service periods. See further disclosures related to our stock-based compensation plan in Note 10.

 

Income Taxes

The asset and liability method is used in accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards and for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the results of operations in the period that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance is recorded to reduce the carrying amounts of deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not that such assets will not be realized.

 

Net Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share

Net earnings (loss) per common share - basic is computed by dividing net earnings (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during each period. Net earnings (loss) per common share - diluted is computed by dividing net earnings (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares and common share equivalents outstanding during each period. Common share equivalents represent unvested shares of restricted stock and stock options and are calculated using the treasury stock method. Common share equivalents are excluded from the calculation if their effect is anti-dilutive.

The table below sets forth, for the periods indicated, a reconciliation of weighted average common shares outstanding - basic to weighted average common shares and common share equivalents outstanding - diluted and the average number of potentially dilutive securities that were excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share because their effect was anti-dilutive:

 

   

Three Months Ended
September 30,

   

Nine Months Ended
September 30,

 
   

2020

   

2019

   

2020

   

2019

 

Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic

    10,269,995       10,421,383       10,247,779       10,405,892  

Potentially dilutive securities:

                               

Unvested shares of restricted stock and employee stock options

    17,567       8,153       -       17,229  

Weighted average common shares and common share equivalents outstanding - diluted

    10,287,562       10,429,536       10,247,779       10,423,121  

Average number of potentially dilutive securities excluded from calculation

    631,392       657,969       722,538       501,964  

 

12

 

Effect of Recently Issued Amendments to Authoritative Accounting Guidance

 

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued amendments to the guidance for accounting for credit losses. In November 2019, the FASB deferred the effective date of these amendments for certain companies, including smaller reporting companies. As a result of the deferral, the amendments are effective for us for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2022. The amendments replace the incurred loss impairment methodology under current GAAP with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires the use of a forward-looking expected credit loss model for accounts receivables, loans, and other financial instruments. The amendments require a modified retrospective approach through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the guidance is effective. We plan to adopt the amendments when they become effective for us on January 1, 2023. We are currently evaluating the impact the adoption of these amendments will have on our consolidated financial statements.

 

In December 2019, the FASB issued amendments to the accounting for income taxes, which add new guidance to simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in ASC Topic 740 (Income Taxes) and changing the accounting for certain income tax transactions. The amendments are effective for us as of January 1, 2021. Early adoption is permitted. We plan to adopt the amendments when they become effective for us on January 1, 2021. We do not expect these amendments to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. 

 

 

(3)

RESTRUCTURING AND OTHER CHARGES

 

EMS Segment Restructuring and Facility Consolidation

 

On September 21, 2020, we notified employees in our Fremont, California facility of a plan to consolidate all manufacturing for our EMS segment into our manufacturing operation located in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. Currently, our interface products are manufactured in the Fremont facility, and our manipulator and docking hardware products are manufactured in the Mt. Laurel facility. The consolidation of manufacturing operations will result in the closure of the Fremont facility and the termination of certain employees at that location. The consolidation is being undertaken to better serve customers through streamlined operations and reduce the fixed annual operating costs for the EMS segment. The consolidation is expected to be substantially completed during the fourth quarter of 2020. A small engineering and sales office will be maintained in northern California after the consolidation of manufacturing operations has been completed.

 

As a result of this action, we expect to incur cash charges for severance and other one-time termination benefits ranging from $50 to $100. In addition, we expect to incur cash charges for other costs related to the facility consolidation, including moving costs and production start-up costs, ranging from $300 to $400. Most of these costs are expected to be incurred during the fourth quarter of 2020. Costs incurred through September 30, 2020 related to these actions were $14. The costs are included in general and administrative expense on our statement of operations. The cash payments are expected to be made during the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021. In addition, we intend to try to sublease our facility located in Fremont, California. When manufacturing operations cease in the Fremont facility we expect to record an impairment charge related to the ROU asset for the lease of the Fremont facility as we do not currently expect to sublet the facility for the full remaining term of the lease. We currently estimate the amount of this charge will range from $700 to $800. This impairment charge is expected to be recorded in the fourth quarter of 2020 and will be a non-cash charge As of September 30, 2020, the ROU asset related to this facility totaled $1,174.

 

Changes in the amount of the liability for accrued restructuring for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 are as follows:

 

Balance - January 1, 2020

  $ -  

Accruals for other associated costs

    14  

Cash payments

    (14

)

Balance September 30, 2020

  $ -  

 

Executive Management Changes

 

On August 6, 2020, our Board of Directors accepted the resignation of James Pelrin as President and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and as a director. In connection with his resignation, we entered into a Separation and Consulting Agreement (the “Separation Agreement”) with Mr. Pelrin dated August 6, 2020 pursuant to which Mr. Pelrin has agreed to provide consulting services for three months, subject to an extension of up to an additional three months at our option. The Separation Agreement also provides that Mr. Pelrin is entitled to severance and other benefits. The full text of the Separation Agreement is included as Exhibit 10.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K (“8-K”) filed on August 11, 2020 with the SEC.

 

13

 

On August 6, 2020, our Board of Directors approved, effective as of August 24, 2020 (the “Start Date”), the appointment of Richard N. Grant, Jr. to the position of President and CEO and to fill the vacancy on our Board of Directors left by Mr. Pelrin’s resignation. We entered into a letter agreement with Mr. Grant, subject to his appointment as our President, CEO and a director, which appointments occurred on August 6, 2020 and became effective as of the Start Date. The full text of the letter agreement is included as Exhibit 10.2 to our 8-K filed on August 11, 2020 with the SEC.

 

Total costs incurred during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 related to these executive management changes were $495, which consisted of $224 for the executive management search firm, $128 for legal fees related to the transition, and $143 for severance and consulting fees paid to our former CEO. These costs were partially offset by the reversal of $117 of expense related to stock-based compensation awards forfeited at his termination date by our former CEO. All of these costs were included in general and administrative expense in our consolidated statement of operations and were accrued and paid during the nine months ended September 30, 2020. We expect to incur an additional $20 in consulting fees during the fourth quarter of 2020 related to these actions. In addition, in connection with these actions, we are reducing the administrative footprint in our Mansfield, Massachusetts corporate office associated with the reestablishment of the Mt. Laurel, New Jersey office as our corporate headquarters. We expect to record a non-cash impairment charge in the range of $100 to $200 during the fourth quarter of 2020 related to the ROU asset associated with the lease of the corporate space in Mansfield. As of September 30, 2020, the ROU asset related to this space totaled $242. We do not expect to incur any additional costs related to these actions after December 31, 2020.

 

 

(4)

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS

 

Goodwill and intangible assets on our balance sheets are the result of our acquisitions of Sigma Systems Corp. ("Sigma") in October 2008, Thermonics, Inc. ("Thermonics") in January 2012 and Ambrell in May 2017. All our goodwill and intangible assets are allocated to our Thermal segment.

 

Goodwill

 

Goodwill totaled $13,738 at both September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 and was comprised of the following:

 

Sigma

  $ 1,656  

Thermonics

    50  

Ambrell

    12,032  

Total

  $ 13,738  


Intangible Assets

Changes in the amount of the carrying value of finite-lived intangible assets for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 are as follows:

 

Balance - January 1, 2020

  $ 6,944  

Amortization

    (927

)

Balance September 30, 2020

  $ 6,017  

 

The following tables provide further detail about our intangible assets as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019:

 

   

September 30, 2020

 
   

Gross
Carrying
Amount

   


Accumulated

Amortization

   

Net
Carrying
Amount

 

Finite-lived intangible assets:

                       

Customer relationships

  $ 10,480     $ 4,633     $ 5,847  

Technology

    600       457       143  

Patents

    590       563       27  

Software

    270       270       -  

Trade name

    140       140       -  

Total finite-lived intangible assets

    12,080       6,063       6,017  

Indefinite-lived intangible assets:

                       

Trademarks

    6,710       -       6,710  

Total intangible assets

  $ 18,790     $ 6,063     $ 12,727  

 

14

 

   

December 31, 2019

 
   

Gross

Carrying

Amount

   


Accumulated

Amortization

   

Net
Carrying

Amount

 

Finite-lived intangible assets:

                       

Customer relationships

  $ 10,480     $ 3,805     $ 6,675  

Technology

    600       380       220  

Patents

    590       541       49  

Software

    270       270       -  

Trade name

    140       140       -  

Total finite-lived intangible assets

    12,080       5,136       6,944  

Indefinite-lived intangible assets:

                       

Trademarks

    6,710       -       6,710  

Total intangible assets

  $ 18,790     $ 5,136     $ 13,654  

 

We generally amortize our finite-lived intangible assets over their estimated useful lives on a straight-line basis, unless an alternate amortization method can be reliably determined. Any such alternate amortization method would be based on the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible asset are expected to be consumed. None of our intangible assets have any residual value.

 

Total amortization expense for our finite-lived intangible assets was $307 and $927 for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, and $312 and $944 for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively. The following table sets forth the estimated annual amortization expense for each of the next five years:

 

2020 (remainder)

  $ 307  

2021

  $ 1,226  

2022

  $ 1,167  

2023

  $ 1,067  

2024

  $ 980  

  

Assessment for Impairment of Goodwill and Long-Lived Assets

 

As discussed in Note 2, goodwill is assessed for impairment annually in the fourth quarter on a reporting unit basis, or more frequently when events and circumstances occur indicating that the recorded goodwill may be impaired. Long-lived assets are assessed for impairment whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable or that the useful lives of these assets are no longer appropriate. As a result of recent market conditions and trends, including the significant ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the global economy, we performed a qualitative review of facts and circumstances to determine whether it was more likely than not that our goodwill or long-lived assets were impaired and if, as a result, a quantitative impairment assessment was required to be performed as of September 30, 2020. Our review included identifying and weighting the significant factors that have impacted our business operations in recent months, both positively and negatively. We considered the nature of these factors, including whether they were ongoing and related to our core business and markets, or non-recurring and reflected macro-economic or global events that are not directly related to our core business and markets. As a result of our qualitative review, we determined that is was more likely than not that our goodwill and long-lived assets were not impaired and, therefore, no quantitative assessment for impairment was required and, thus not performed, as of September 30, 2020. During the fourth quarter of 2020, we will perform our annual impairment assessment related to our goodwill. As a result of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the impact of COVID-19 on our operations, we may perform additional qualitative reviews of goodwill and long-lived assets for impairment at various points in 2021. There can be no assurance that we will be able to continue to conclude that it is more likely than not that our goodwill and long-lived assets are not impaired. We may determine that we need to perform a quantitative assessment for impairment at some point in the future. Such a quantitative assessment could result in a determination that an impairment exists which would result in recording an impairment charge. The amount of any such impairment charge could be material. Any future impairment charge recorded could materially adversely impact our balance sheet and results of operations and could result in our being unable to borrow funds that would otherwise be available under our revolving credit facility discussed in Note 9.

 

15

 

 

(5)

REVENUE FROM CONTRACTS WITH CUSTOMERS

 

The following tables provide additional information about our revenue from contracts with customers, including revenue by customer and product type and revenue by market. See also Note 13 for information about revenue by operating segment and geographic region.

 

   

Three Months Ended
September 30,

   

Nine Months Ended
September 30,

 
   

2020

   

2019

   

2020

   

2019

 

Net revenues by customer type:

                               

End user

  $ 12,651     $ 13,167     $ 34,518     $ 42,310  

OEM/Integrator

    1,792       1,465       4,430       4,736  
    $ 14,443     $ 14,632     $ 38,948     $ 47,046  
                                 

Net revenues by product type:

                               

Thermal test

  $ 3,632     $ 4,568     $ 11,482     $ 13,817  

Thermal process

    5,574       4,635       13,885       15,303  

Semiconductor test

    3,604       3,841       9,093       12,734  

Service/other

    1,633       1,588       4,488       5,192  
    $ 14,443     $ 14,632     $ 38,948     $ 47,046  
                                 

Net revenues by market:

                               

Semi Market

  $ 7,387     $ 7,126     $ 19,256     $ 24,878  

Industrial

    4,220       5,758       12,346       15,983  

Defense/aerospace

    2,015       153       4,919       1,437  

Telecommunications

    419       1,377       1,427       3,509  

Other Multi Markets

    402       218       1,000       1,239  
    $ 14,443     $ 14,632     $ 38,948     $ 47,046  

 

There was no change in the amount of the allowance for doubtful accounts for the nine months ended September 30, 2020.

 

 

(6)

MAJOR CUSTOMERS

 

During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, no customer accounted for 10% or more of our consolidated net revenues. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, Texas Instruments Incorporated accounted for 11% of our consolidated net revenues. While both of our segments sold to this customer, these revenues were primarily generated by our EMS segment. No other customers accounted for 10% or more of our consolidated net revenues during the nine months ended September 30, 2019.

 

 

(7) 

INVENTORIES 

 

Inventories held at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 were comprised of the following:

 

   

September 30,
2020

   

December 31,
2019

 

Raw materials

  $ 4,800     $ 5,369  

Work in process

    1,042       949  

Inventory consigned to others

    49       54  

Finished goods

    1,033       810  

Total inventories

  $ 6,924     $ 7,182  

 

Total charges incurred for excess and obsolete inventory for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, were as follows:

 

   

Three Months Ended
September 30,

   

Nine Months Ended
September 30,

 
   

2020

   

2019

   

2020

   

2019

 
                                 

Excess and obsolete inventory charges

  $ 105     $ 98     $ 410     $ 341  

 

 

(8)

LEASES

 

We lease our offices, warehouse facilities and certain equipment under non-cancellable operating leases which expire at various dates through 2031. Total operating lease and short-term lease costs for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 were as follows:

 

   

Three Months Ended
September 30,

   

Nine Months Ended
September 30,

 
   

2020

   

2019

   

2020

   

2019

 
                                 

Operating lease cost

  $ 393     $ 370     $ 1,174     $ 1,106  

Short-term lease cost

  $ 13     $ 12     $ 35     $ 39  

 

16

 

The following is additional information about our leases as of September 30, 2020:

 

Range of remaining lease terms (in years)

 

0.3

to

10.0

 

Weighted average remaining lease term (in years)

 

 

 

6.6

 

Weighted average discount rate

 

 

 

4.4%

 

 

Maturities of lease liabilities as of September 30, 2020 were as follows:

 

2020 (remainder)

  $ 378  

2021

    1,407  

2022

    1,321  

2023

    1,341  

2024

    1,377  

Thereafter

    2,566  

Total lease payments

  $ 8,390  

Less imputed interest

    (1,042

)

Total

  $ 7,348  

 

Supplemental Cash Flow Information

 

Total amortization of ROU assets was $324 and $977 for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, and $351 and $952 for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively.

 

Non-cash increases in operating lease liabilities and ROU assets as a result of lease modifications for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 were as follows:

 

Modification to lease for facility in Fremont, California

  $ 1,176  

Modification to lease for facility in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey

  $ 2,051  

 

On January 23, 2020, we executed an amendment to the lease for our EMS facility in Fremont, California, which extended the term for a period of 61 months commencing on November 1, 2020 and expiring on November 30, 2025. At the effective date of this modification, we recorded an increase in our ROU assets and operating lease liabilities of approximately $1,176.

 

On September 22, 2020, we executed an amendment to the lease for our EMS facility in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, which extended the term of the existing lease for a period of 120 months commencing on May 1, 2021. In addition, effective on May 1, 2021, the leased space shall be reduced to approximately 33,650 square feet. At the effective date of this modification, we recorded an increase in our ROU assets and operating lease liabilities of approximately $2,051.

 

Non-cash increases (decreases) in operating lease liabilities and ROU assets as a result of lease modifications for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was as follows:

 

Modification to Ambrell’s U.K. facility lease

  $ (486

)

Modification to lease for facility in Mansfield, Massachusetts

  $ 1,811  

Modification to Ambrell’s Netherlands facility lease

  $ (48

)

 

The lease for Ambrell’s U.K. facility had an original term of 15 years, which extended through August 2029. The lease included the option to terminate the lease at specified points in time without penalty. We exercised this option in March 2019, and the lease expired in September 2019. At the effective date of this modification, we recorded a reduction in our ROU assets and operating lease liabilities of approximately $486.

 

On April 8, 2019, we executed an amendment to the lease for our facility in Mansfield, Massachusetts that extended the term of the lease for an additional forty months to December 31, 2024 and expanded the amount of leased space by approximately 6,100 square feet. The current rate per square foot that is in place through August 31, 2021 (the original expiration date of the lease) did not change. After August 31, 2021, there are predetermined fixed escalations of the rate as outlined in the amendment. As a result of this modification, we recorded an increase in our ROU assets and operating lease liabilities of approximately $1,811.

 

17

 

During the third quarter of 2019, the lease for a portion of Ambrell’s facility in the Netherlands was modified to reduce the term of that lease to expire in September 2019 as that portion of the space was no longer needed. At the effective date of this modification, we recorded a reduction in our ROU assets and operating lease liabilities of approximately $48.

 

 

(9)

DEBT

 

Letters of Credit

We have issued letters of credit as security deposits for certain of our domestic leases. These letters of credit are secured by pledged certificates of deposit which are classified as restricted certificates of deposit on our balance sheets. The terms of our leases require us to renew these letters of credit at least 30 days prior to their expiration dates for successive terms of not less than one year until lease expiration.

 

Our outstanding letters of credit at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 consisted of the following:

 

             

Letters of Credit
Amount Outstanding

 
 

Original L/C
Issue Date

 

L/C
Expiration
Date

 

Lease
Expiration
Date

 

September 30,
2020

   

December 31,
2019

 

Mt. Laurel, NJ

3/29/2010

 

4/30/2021

 

4/30/2031

  $ 90     $ 90  

Mansfield, MA

10/27/2010

 

12/31/2024

 

12/31/2024

    50       50  
              $ 140     $ 140  

 

Line of Credit

 

As previously indicated in Note 1, on April 10, 2020 (the “Closing Date”) we entered into the Agreement with M&T. Under the terms of the Agreement, M&T has provided us with a $7,500 revolving credit facility under which our domestic subsidiaries, Ambrell, inTEST EMS LLC (“EMS LLC”), Temptronic Corporation (“Temptronic”) and inTEST Silicon Valley Corporation (“Silicon Valley”), are guarantors (collectively, the “Guarantors”). The revolving credit facility has a 364-day contract period that began on the Closing Date and expires on April 9, 2021 (the “Contract Period”). The principal balance of the revolving credit facility accrues interest at the LIBOR rate plus 2.5%. In the event the current LIBOR rate is no longer available or representative, the Agreement includes a mechanism for providing an alternate benchmark. Interest payments are due on a monthly basis, and principal payments are due, along with any accrued and unpaid interest thereon, on the earlier of (a) the expiration of the Contract Period, or (b) on demand upon the occurrence of an event of default that is continuing. As of September 30, 2020, we had $7,500 available to borrow under this facility.

 

The Agreement contains customary events of default including, but not limited to, the failure by us to repay obligations when due, violation of provisions or representations provided in the Agreement, bankruptcy of inTEST Corporation, suspension of the business of inTEST Corporation or any of our subsidiaries and certain material judgments. After expiration of the Contract Period, or if during the continuance of an event of default, interest will accrue on the principal balance at a rate of 2% in excess of the then applicable non-default interest rate. Our obligations under the Agreement are secured by liens on substantially all our tangible and intangible assets. The Agreement includes customary affirmative, negative and financial covenants, including a maximum ratio of assets to liabilities and a fixed charge coverage ratio.

 

This facility was put in place to provide us with additional liquidity in response to the current business environment, as a result of COVID-19. During the three months ended June 30, 2020, we drew down $2,800 on our revolving credit facility. This amount was fully repaid during this same period.

 

Paycheck Protection Program Loans

 

As discussed more fully in Note 13 to our consolidated financial statements in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (“Q1 2020 Form 10-Q”) filed on May 13, 2020 with the Securities and Exchange Commission, during April 2020 we applied for and received loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (the “SBA”) totaling $2,829. We repaid the full amount of the PPP loans on May 5, 2020 with the applicable interest.

 

18

 

 

(10)

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

 

As of September 30, 2020, we had unvested restricted stock awards and stock options granted under stock-based compensation plans that are described more fully in Note 12 to the consolidated financial statements in our 2019 Form 10-K.

As of September 30, 2020, total unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested restricted stock awards and stock options was $1,544. The weighted average period over which this expense is expected to be recognized is 2.8 years. The following table shows the allocation of the compensation expense we recorded during the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, related to stock-based compensation:

 

   

Three Months Ended
September 30,

   

Nine Months Ended
September 30,

 
   

2020

   

2019

   

2020

   

2019

 

Cost of revenues

  $ -     $ -     $ -     $ -  

Selling expense

    3       -       9       4  

Engineering and product development expense

    10       11       31       26  

General and administrative expense

    72       231       440       608  
    $ 85     $ 242     $ 480     $ 638  

 

There was no stock-based compensation expense capitalized in the three months or nine months ended September 30, 2020 or 2019.

 

Restricted Stock Awards

We record compensation expense for restricted stock awards based on the quoted market price of our stock at the grant date and amortize the expense over the vesting period. Restricted stock awards generally vest over four years for employees and over one year for our independent directors (25% at each of March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31 of the year in which they were granted).

 

On August 24, 2020, our new President and CEO received two restricted stock awards totaling 141,610 shares valued at $650 as of the date of grant, which was also his hire date. Of the total shares awarded, 66,448 shares vest over 4 years (25% at each anniversary) and 75,162 vest on the third anniversary of the grant date at a vesting percentage that could range from 0% to 150% of the number of shares awarded on August 24, 2020. The final vesting percentage will be based on the achievement of certain performance metrics, including net revenue compound annual growth rate and diluted earnings per share excluding amortization of intangibles, for specified time periods as determined by the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors. As of September 30, 2020, we have estimated that these shares will vest at 100% of the original amount awarded and are recording expense based on this estimate on a straight-line basis over the three year vesting period. Our estimate of the final expected vesting percentage will be reassessed and adjusted, as needed, at the end of each reporting period.

  

The following table summarizes the activity related to unvested shares of restricted stock for the nine months ended September 30, 2020:

 

   


Number
of Shares

   

Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value

 

Unvested shares outstanding, January 1, 2020

    165,031     $ 6.55  

Granted

    229,110       4.24  

Vested

    (80,361

)

    5.47  

Forfeited

    (67,125

)

    6.03  

Unvested shares outstanding, September 30, 2020

    246,655       4.89  

 

The total fair value of the shares that vested during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 was $296 and $370, respectively, as of the vesting dates of these shares.

 

Stock Options

We record compensation expense for stock options based on the fair value of the options as of the grant date. No option may be granted with an exercise period in excess of ten years from the date of grant. Generally, stock options will be granted with an exercise price equal to the fair market value of our stock on the date of grant and will vest over four years.

 

The fair value for stock options granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 was estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions:

 

   

2020

   

2019

 

Risk-free interest rate

    0.46

%

    2.35

%

Dividend yield

    0.00

%

    0.00

%

Expected common stock market price volatility factor

    .44       .42  

Weighted average expected life of stock options (years)

    6.25       6.25  

 

19

 

The per share weighted average fair value of stock options issued during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 was $1.48 and $2.75, respectively.

The following table summarizes the activity related to stock options for the nine months ended September 30, 2020:

 

   


Number
of Shares

   

Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value

 

Options outstanding, January 1, 2020 (87,900 exercisable)

    506,810     $ 6.89  

Granted

    113,980       3.49  

Exercised

    -       -  

Forfeited

    (182,590

)

    6.31  

Options outstanding, September 30, 2020 (204,630 exercisable)

    438,200       6.25  

 

 

(11) 

STOCK REPURCHASE PLAN

 

On July 31, 2019, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $3,000 of our common stock from time to time on the open market, in compliance with Rule 10b-18 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or in privately negotiated transactions pursuant to a newly authorized stock repurchase plan (the “2019 Repurchase Plan”). Repurchases may be made under a Rule 10b5-1 plan entered into with RW Baird & Co., which would permit shares to be repurchased when we might otherwise be precluded from doing so under insider trading laws and our internal trading windows. The 2019 Repurchase Plan does not obligate us to purchase any particular amount of common stock and may be suspended or discontinued at any time without prior notice. The 2019 Repurchase Plan is funded using our operating cash flow or available cash. Purchases began on September 18, 2019 under this plan. During the quarter ended March 31, 2020, we repurchased 13,767 shares under the 2019 Repurchase Plan at a cost of $74, including fees paid to our broker. On March 2, 2020, we suspended repurchases under the 2019 Repurchase Plan. For the term of the 2019 Repurchase Plan through September 30, 2020, we have repurchased a total of 243,075 shares at a cost of $1,216, which includes fees paid to our broker of $6. All of the repurchased shares were retired.

 

 

(12) 

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

 

We have defined contribution 401(k) plans for our employees who work in the U.S. All permanent employees of inTEST Corporation, EMS LLC, Temptronic and Silicon Valley who are at least 18 years of age are eligible to participate in the inTEST Corporation Incentive Savings Plan. We match employee contributions dollar for dollar up to 10% of the employee's annual compensation, with a maximum limit of $5. Employer contributions vest ratably over four years. Matching contributions are discretionary. For the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2020 we recorded $56 and $313 of expense for matching contributions, respectively. For the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2019 we recorded $53 and $335 of expense for matching contributions, respectively.

 

All permanent employees of Ambrell are immediately eligible to participate in the Ambrell Corporation Savings & Profit Sharing Plan (the "Ambrell Plan") upon employment and are eligible for employer matching contributions after completing one year of service, as defined in the Ambrell Plan. The Ambrell Plan allows eligible employees to make voluntary contributions up to 100% of compensation, up to the federal government contribution limits. We will make a matching contribution of 25% of each employee's contributions up to a maximum of 2% of such employee's annual compensation. For the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2020 we recorded $17 and $49 of expense for matching contributions, respectively. For the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2019 we recorded $11 and $48 of expense for matching contributions, respectively.

 

 

(13)

SEGMENT INFORMATION

 

We have two reportable segments, Thermal and EMS, which are also our reporting units. Thermal includes the operations of Temptronic, Thermonics, Sigma, inTEST Thermal Solutions GmbH (Germany), inTEST Pte, Limited (Singapore) and Ambrell. Sales of this segment consist primarily of temperature management systems which we design, manufacture and market under our Temptronic, Thermonics and Sigma product lines, and precision induction heating systems which are designed, manufactured and marketed by Ambrell. In addition, this segment provides post-warranty service and support. EMS includes the operations of our manufacturing facilities in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey and Fremont, California. Sales of this segment consist primarily of manipulator, docking hardware and tester interface products, which we design, manufacture and market. See Note 3 for information related to the planned closure of our manufacturing facility in Fremont, California.

 

20

 

We operate our business worldwide and sell our products both domestically and internationally. Both of our segments sell to semiconductor manufacturers, third-party test and assembly houses and ATE manufacturers. Thermal also sells into a variety of markets outside of the Semi Market, including the automotive, defense/aerospace, energy, industrial, telecommunications and other markets.

   

Three Months Ended
September 30,

   

Nine Months Ended
September 30,

 
   

2020

   

2019

   

2020

   

2019

 

Net Revenues:

                               

Thermal

  $ 10,724     $ 10,622     $ 29,534     $ 33,775  

EMS

    3,719       4,010       9,414       13,271  
    $ 14,443     $ 14,632     $ 38,948     $ 47,046  

Earnings (loss) before income tax expense (benefit):

                               

Thermal

  $ 478     $ 496     $ 39     $ 1,949  

EMS

    169       475       (574

)

    1,624  

Corporate

    (214

)

    (177

)

    (242

)

    (1,617

)

    $ 433     $ 794     $ (777

)

  $ 1,956  

Net earnings (loss):

                               

Thermal

  $ 379     $ 403     $ 26     $ 1,592  

EMS

    218       387       (380

)

    1,327  

Corporate

    (139

)

    (143

)

    (161

)

    (1,321

)

    $ 458     $ 647     $ (515

)

  $ 1,598  

 

   

September 30,
2020

   

December 31,
2019

 

Identifiable assets:

               

Thermal

  $ 51,920     $ 51,621  

EMS

    9,940       7,319  

Corporate

    929       775  
    $ 62,789     $ 59,715  

 

The following tables provide information about our geographic areas of operation. Net revenues from unaffiliated customers are based on the location to which the goods are shipped.

 

   

Three Months Ended
September 30,

   

Nine Months Ended
September 30,

 
   

2020

   

2019

   

2020

   

2019

 

Net revenues:

                               

U.S.

  $ 5,562     $ 6,226     $ 16,235     $ 19,319  

Foreign

    8,881       8,406       22,713       27,727  
    $ 14,443     $ 14,632     $ 38,948     $ 47,046  

 

   

September 30,
2020

   

December 31,
2019

 

Property and equipment:

               

U.S.

  $ 2,088     $ 2,163  

Foreign

    329       257  
    $ 2,417     $ 2,420  

 

21

 

 

 Item 2.

MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

Risk Factors and Forward-Looking Statements

 

In addition to historical information, this report, including this management’s discussion and analysis (“MD&A”), contains statements that are considered "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These statements do not convey historical information but relate to predicted or potential future events and financial results, such as statements of our plans, strategies and intentions, or our future performance or goals that are based upon management's current expectations. Our forward-looking statements can often be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “plans,” “projects,” “forecasts,” “outlook,” or “anticipates” or similar terminology. See “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in our 2019 Form 10-K for examples of statements made in this report which may be "forward-looking statements." These statements involve risks and uncertainties and are based on various assumptions. Although we believe that our expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, investors and prospective investors are cautioned that such statements are only projections, and there cannot be any assurance that these events or results will occur. We undertake no obligation to update the information in this report including this MD&A, to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

Information about the primary risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from our historic results or the results described in the forward-looking statements made in this report or presented elsewhere by management from time to time include, but are not limited to:

 

 

the impact of COVID-19 on our business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations, including as a result of evolving public health requirements in response to COVID-19, such as:

 

o

government mandated facility closures;

 

o

availability of employees;

 

o

supply chain and distribution interruptions;

 

o

price increases and/or lack of availability from our normal suppliers for the materials needed to produce our products in a timely manner and/or with the level of margins we typically expect to achieve;

 

o

customers’ inability or refusal to accept product deliveries or schedule after market service and support visits; and

 

o

the sufficiency of our revolving credit facility to address the impact of COVID-19;

 

indications of a change in the market cycles in the Semi Market or other markets we serve including as a result of COVID-19;

 

changes in business conditions and general economic conditions both domestically and globally including as a result of COVID-19;

 

changes in the demand for semiconductors, generally and as a result of COVID-19;

  the success of our consolidation of all EMS manufacturing into our operation located in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey;
 

the success of our strategy to diversify our business by entering markets outside the Semi Market;

 

the possibility of future acquisitions or dispositions and the successful integration of any acquired operations;

 

the ability to borrow funds or raise capital to finance potential acquisitions;

 

changes in the rates of, and timing of, capital expenditures by our customers including as a result of COVID-19;

 

progress of product development programs;

 

increases in raw material and fabrication costs associated with our products including as a result of COVID-19; and

 

other risk factors included in Part I, Item 1A - "Risk Factors" in our 2019 Form 10-K and Part II, Item 1A - "Risk Factors" in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

 

Material changes to such risk factors may be reported in subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q in Part II, Item 1A.

  

COVID-19 Pandemic

 

Our business has been, and will continue to be, adversely affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As of the date of this filing, COVID-19 continues to cause significant disruptions in the normal business environment, both domestically and globally, and we believe the situation will remain challenging until the spread of the virus can be contained. Since March 17, 2020, several states, including all of the states in which we have manufacturing facilities, have instituted “shelter-in place” orders as well as guidance in response to COVID-19 and the need to contain it. As of the date of this filing, all of the states in which we operate have re-opened to varying degrees. However, some of these states have paused their re-opening plans or reversed actions they had taken with respect to their re-opening plans because of increased spread. Despite these changes, all of our operations continue to be deemed “critical and essential business operations” under the various governmental COVID-19 mandates which has allowed us to continue to operate our business with certain modifications as discussed below.

 

22

 

Although our net revenues from all of the markets we serve have been significantly affected by COVID-19, the impact of COVID-19 on our net revenues from the Semi Market has been intensified because it began during a time when our business operations were also being negatively affected by a global downturn in the Semi Market. The Semi Market, from which approximately half of our net revenues are derived, entered a cyclical downturn in the beginning of 2019. This downturn resulted in significant declines in our net revenues from the Semi Market during 2020 as compared to 2019, particularly during the first half of the year, and was the primary factor causing the net loss we recorded in the first nine months of 2020 of $515,000. Our net revenues from the Semi Market for the first nine months of 2020 totaled $19.3 million compared to $24.9 million in the first nine months of 2019. During the first quarter of 2020, before the spread of COVID-19, we had started to see indications that the downturn was coming to an end and that the beginning of the next cyclical upturn in the Semi Market was about to commence. However, COVID-19 impacted this timing and, as a result, the recovery in the Semi Market was delayed. Although we saw increasing order rates from our customers in the Semi Market during the second quarter of 2020, this trend did not continue for all of the products we sell into this market during the third quarter of 2020. While the broader Semi Market appears to have entered the next cyclical upturn, we serve only a portion of that broader market. Furthermore, because we sell to a limited number of customers in the ATE and wafer processing sectors within the broader Semi Market, the trend in our orders and net revenues does not always follow the overall trend in these sectors of the broader Semi Market. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the trend in our orders from customers in the Semi Market will follow the trend in the broader Semi Market, in particular, if the spread of COVID-19 is not further contained and one or more of our significant customers is negatively impacted.

In addition, the aftermarket service and support that we provide to our customers has been, and we expect may continue to be, adversely impacted by COVID-19 due to travel restrictions which continue to exist in some locations and limitations on visitors allowed into customer facilities, which has resulted in some of these activities being reduced or suspended.  The net revenues associated with these aftermarket service and support activities typically range from 8% to 10% of our consolidated net revenues. Although these net revenues returned to a more typical range during the third quarter of 2020, if the spread of COVID-19 worsens, these revenues may be reduced in future periods.

 

During 2019, we made adjustments to reduce our fixed cost structure, which included staff reductions and limits on all discretionary spending. As a result of the delay in the Semi Market recovery discussed above and the impact of COVID-19 on our operations, we have taken actions to further reduce our fixed cost structure with the goal of limiting future losses and maintaining an adequate level of liquidity to operate our business. To date, these additional actions have included further staff reductions, the temporary closure of our EMS manufacturing facility in Fremont, California for approximately three weeks beginning in late March and the temporary closure of our Thermal segment manufacturing facility in Mansfield, Massachusetts for a two-week period at the beginning of April. As discussed further in Note 9 to our consolidated financial statements, on April 10, 2020, we entered into a Loan and Security Agreement (the “Agreement”) with M&T Bank (“M&T”). Under the terms of the Agreement, M&T has provided us with a $7.5 million revolving credit facility. This revolving credit facility was put in place to provide us with additional liquidity in response to the current business environment as a result of COVID-19.

 

As of the date of the filing of this report, all of our facilities are open, although a significant number of our employees are working remotely as discussed below. As discussed further in Note 3 to our consolidated financial statements, we are in the process of closing our manufacturing operation in Fremont, California. We expect that action to be substantially completed during the fourth quarter of 2020. While we do not currently have any further plans for other facility closures, if the current pace of COVID-19 cannot be sufficiently slowed and the spread of the virus is not contained, our business operations could be further interrupted. If the spread of the virus cannot be contained, government and health authorities may announce new or extend existing restrictions, which could require us to make further adjustments to our operations in order to comply with any such restrictions. These adjustments to our operations could include additional facility closures in the future if demand slows down, which could have a material negative impact on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. The funds we may be able to draw down under the Agreement may not be sufficient to prevent the need to take further actions, such as staff reductions, facility closures or other salary and benefits adjustments for remaining employees. As a result of our current level of working capital as well as the availability of the revolving credit facility under the Agreement, we currently expect to have sufficient liquidity to operate our business throughout the balance of 2020, as further described in this report.

 

Generally, global supply chains and the timely availability of products have been, and will continue to be, materially disrupted by quarantines, factory slowdowns or shutdowns, border closings and travel restrictions resulting from COVID-19. We have experienced, and expect that we may continue to experience, extended delivery lead times, price increases and/or lack of availability from our normal suppliers for the materials needed to produce our products in a timely manner and/or with the level of margins we typically expect to achieve. We are working to mitigate and address these delays and price increases, but there can be no assurance that we will not experience delays or price increases in the future which could have a material negative impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

23

 

We have implemented workplace safeguards designed to protect the health and well-being of our employees. A significant number of employees have been authorized to work from home and have been provided with the tools and technology necessary to do so. However, the process of working remotely may result in those employees not being as effective or responsive to our customers’ needs as they would be under more normal conditions. This could result in lost business opportunities or have other negative impacts on our business. Remaining employees in our facilities are following World Health Organization (“WHO”) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) recommended safety practices, as well as state and local directives, but there can be no assurances that we can successfully avoid one or more of our employees contracting COVID-19 and entering our facilities while infected. Should this occur, or should we have employees who become ill or otherwise are unable to work, we may experience limitations in employee resources or may be required to close affected facilities for a time to clean and disinfect appropriately.

 

The duration of any business disruption and related financial impact cannot be reasonably estimated at this time but may materially affect our ability to operate our business and result in additional costs. The extent to which COVID-19 may impact our operating results, financial condition, and liquidity will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted as of the date of the filing of this report, including new information that may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and steps taken to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. The adverse effects of COVID-19 on our business could be material in future periods. 

 

Overview
 

This MD&A should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

 

We are a global supplier of precision-engineered solutions for use in manufacturing and testing across a wide range of markets including automotive, defense/aerospace, energy, industrial, semiconductor and telecommunications. We manage our business as two operating segments: Thermal Products (“Thermal”) and Electromechanical Solutions (“EMS”). Our Thermal segment designs, manufactures and sells our thermal test and thermal process products while our EMS segment designs, manufactures and sells our semiconductor test products.

 

Our EMS segment sells its products to semiconductor manufacturers and third-party test and assembly houses (end user sales) and to ATE manufacturers (OEM sales), who ultimately resell our equipment with theirs to both semiconductor manufacturers and third-party test and assembly houses. Our Thermal segment sells its products to many of these same types of customers; however, it also sells into a variety of other markets, including the automotive, defense/aerospace, energy, industrial and telecommunications markets. As a result of the acquisition of Ambrell in May 2017, our Thermal segment also sells into the consumer products packaging, fiber optics and other sectors within the broader industrial market, and into the wafer processing sector within the broader semiconductor market.

 

Both of our operating segments have multiple products that we design, manufacture and market to our customers. Due to a number of factors, our products have varying levels of gross margin. The mix of products we sell in any period is ultimately determined by our customers' needs. Therefore, the mix of products sold in any given period can change significantly from the prior period. As a result, our consolidated gross margin can be significantly impacted in any given period by a change in the mix of products sold in that period.

 

Markets

 

Historically, we have referred to our markets as “Semiconductor” (which includes both the broader semiconductor market as well as the more specialized semiconductor ATE and wafer processing sectors within the broader semiconductor market), and “Non-Semiconductor” (which included all of the other markets we serve). In the second quarter of 2019, we began referring to the semiconductor market, including the ATE and wafer processing sectors within that market, as the “Semi Market.” All other markets are designated as “Multimarket.” While the Semi Market represents the historical roots of inTEST and remains a very important component of our business, Multimarket is where we have focused our strategic growth efforts in the last several years. Our goal has been to grow our business, both organically and through acquisition, in these markets as we believe these markets have historically been less cyclical than the Semi Market. It is important to note that business within our Thermal segment can fall into either the Semi Market or Multimarket, depending upon how our customers utilize our products or upon their respective applications. Prior to the acquisition of Ambrell, we offered only highly specialized engineering solutions used for testing applications in Multimarket, the demand for which is limited and which varies significantly from period to period. Our acquisition of Ambrell not only provided expansion into new markets but also broadened our offerings to include products sold into process or manufacturing applications. Historically, Ambrell sold its precision induction heating systems almost exclusively to customers in the industrial market but, since 2018, has also had significant sales into the Semi Market. Overall, however, the acquisition of Ambrell has reduced our dependence on customers in the Semi Market. We expect that our future orders and net revenues will be approximately equally split between the Semi Market and Multimarket.

 

24

 

The portion of our business that is derived from the Semi Market is substantially dependent upon the demand for ATE by semiconductor manufacturers and companies that specialize in the testing of integrated circuits ("ICs") or, for Ambrell, the demand for wafer processing equipment. Demand for ATE or wafer processing equipment is driven by semiconductor manufacturers that are opening new, or expanding existing, semiconductor fabrication facilities or upgrading equipment, which in turn is dependent upon the current and anticipated market demand for semiconductors and products incorporating semiconductors. Such market demand can be the result of market expansion, development of new technologies or redesigned products to incorporate new features, or the replacement of aging equipment. In addition, we continue to focus on design improvements and new approaches for our own products that contribute to our net revenues as our customers adopt these new products.

 

In the past, the Semi Market has been highly cyclical with recurring periods of oversupply, which often severely impact the Semi Market's demand for the products we manufacture and sell into the market. This cyclicality can cause wide fluctuations in both our orders and net revenues and, depending on our ability to react quickly to these shifts in demand, can significantly impact our results of operations. Market cycles are difficult to predict and, because they are generally characterized by sequential periods of growth or declines in orders and net revenues during each cycle, year over year comparisons of operating results may not always be as meaningful as comparisons of periods at similar points in either up or down cycles. In addition, during both downward and upward cycles in the Semi Market, in any given quarter, the trend in both our orders and net revenues can be erratic. This can occur, for example, when orders are canceled or currently scheduled delivery dates are accelerated or postponed by a significant customer or when customer forecasts and general business conditions fluctuate during a quarter.

 

In addition to being cyclical, the Semi Market has also developed a seasonal pattern, with the second and third quarters being the periods of strong demand and the first and fourth quarters being periods of weaker demand. These periods of heightened or reduced demand can shift depending on various factors impacting both our customers and the markets that they serve.

 

Third party market share statistics are not available for the products we manufacture and sell into the Semi Market; therefore, comparisons of period over period changes in our market share are not easily determined. As a result, it is difficult to ascertain if Semi Market volatility in any period is the result of macro-economic or customer-specific factors impacting Semi Market demand, or if we have gained or lost market share to a competitor during the period.

 

While approximately half of our orders and net revenues are derived from the Semi Market, and our operating results generally follow the overall trend in the Semi Market, in any given period we may experience anomalies that cause the trend in our net revenues to deviate from the overall trend in the Semi Market. We believe that these anomalies may be driven by a variety of factors within the Semi Market, including, for example, changing product requirements, longer periods between new product offerings by OEMs and changes in customer buying patterns. In addition, in recent periods, we have seen instances when demand within the Semi Market is not consistent for each of our operating segments or for any given product within a particular operating segment. This inconsistency in demand can be driven by a number of factors but, in most cases, we have found that the primary reason is unique customer-specific changes in demand for certain products driven by the needs of their customers or markets served. Recently this has become more pronounced for our sales into the wafer processing sector within the broader semiconductor market due to the limited market penetration we have into this sector and the variability of orders we have experienced from the few customers we support. These shifts in market practices and customer-specific needs have had, and may continue to have, varying levels of impact on our operating results and are difficult to quantify or predict from period to period. Management has taken, and will continue to take, such actions it deems appropriate to adjust our strategies, products and operations to counter such shifts in market practices as they become evident.

 

As previously mentioned, as part of our ongoing strategy to reduce the impact of Semi Market volatility on our business operations, we continue to diversify our served markets to address the thermal test and thermal process requirements of several markets outside the Semi Market. These include the automotive, defense/aerospace, energy, industrial, telecommunications and other markets, which we refer to as Multimarket. We believe that these markets are usually less cyclical than the Semi Market. While market share statistics exist for some of these markets, due to the nature of our highly specialized product offerings in these markets, we do not expect broad market penetration in many of these markets and therefore do not anticipate developing meaningful market shares in most of these markets.

 

In addition, our Multimarket orders and net revenues in any given period do not necessarily reflect the overall trends in the markets within Multimarket due to our limited market shares. Consequently, we are continuing to evaluate buying patterns and opportunities for growth in Multimarket that may affect our performance. The level of our Multimarket orders and net revenues has varied in the past, and we expect will vary significantly in the future, as we work to build our presence in Multimarket and establish new markets for our products.

 

25

 

EMS Segment Restructuring and Facility Consolidation

 

On September 21, 2020, we notified employees in our Fremont, California facility of a plan to consolidate all manufacturing for our EMS segment into the manufacturing operation located in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. Currently, our interface products are manufactured in the Fremont facility, and our manipulator and docking hardware products are manufactured in the Mt. Laurel facility. This action will result in the closure of the Fremont facility and the termination of certain employees at that location. The consolidation of manufacturing operations is being undertaken to better serve customers through streamlined operations and reduce the fixed annual operating costs for the EMS segment. The consolidation is expected to be substantially completed during the fourth quarter of 2020. A small engineering and sales office will be maintained in northern California after the consolidation of manufacturing operations has been completed. The costs related to these actions are included in general and administrative expense on our consolidated statement of operations and are discussed in more detail in Note 3 to our consolidated financial statements.


Orders and Backlog

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, a breakdown of the orders received by operating segment and market (in thousands).

 

   

Three

Months Ended

September 30,

   

Change

   

Three

Months

Ended

June 30,

   

Change

 
   

2020

   

2019

   

$

   

%

   

2020

   

$

   

%

 

Orders:

                                                       

Thermal

  $ 11,004     $ 9,543     $ 1,461       15

%

  $ 10,446     $ 558       5

%

EMS

    3,423       4,314       (891

)

    (21

)%

    3,472       (49

)

    (1

)%

    $ 14,427     $ 13,857     $ 570       4

%

  $ 13,918     $ 509       4

%

                                                         

Semi Market

  $ 7,263     $ 6,602     $ 661       10

%

  $ 7,299     $ (36

)

    -

%

Multimarket

    7,164       7,255       (91

)

    (1

)%

    6,619       545       8

%

    $ 14,427     $ 13,857     $ 570       4

%

  $ 13,918     $ 509       4

%

 

   

Nine
Months Ended
September 30,

   

Change

 
   

2020

   

2019

   

$

   

%

 

Orders:

                               

Thermal

  $ 31,949     $ 30,476     $ 1,473       5

%

EMS

    10,172       11,197       (1,025

)

    (9

)%

    $ 42,121     $ 41,673     $ 448       1

%

                                 

Semi Market

  $ 21,254     $ 20,804     $ 450       2

%

Multimarket

    20,867       20,869       (2

)

    -

%

    $ 42,121     $ 41,673     $ 448       1

%

 

Total consolidated orders for the three months ended September 30, 2020 were $14.4 million compared to $13.9 million in each of the three months ended September 30, 2019 and June 30, 2020. Orders from customers in Multimarket for the three months ended September 30, 2020 were $7.2 million, or 50% of total consolidated orders, compared to $7.3 million, or 52% of total consolidated orders for the same period in 2019 and $6.6 million or 48% of total consolidated orders for the three months ended June 30, 2020.

We believe that the increase in our consolidated orders during the three months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019 primarily reflects increased demand in our Thermal segment from certain of its Semi Market customers. This was partially offset by our EMS segment continuing to experience reduced levels of demand from the Semi Market in the third quarter of 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019. As previously discussed under the Markets section above, we periodically see instances when demand within the Semi Market is not consistent for each of our segments or for any given product within a particular segment. We believe the increase in orders for our Thermal segment as well as recent indications from customers of our EMS segment signal we are coming out of the cyclical downturn in the Semi Market that has been ongoing since late 2019. However, there can be no assurance that this trend will continue, in particular, if the spread of COVID-19 cannot be further contained, or worsens, and additional government mandated restrictions or shutdowns are enacted.

 

26

 

We believe that the increase in our consolidated orders during the three months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the three months ended June 30, 2020 primarily reflects portions of our business returning to the levels we experienced prior to the onset of COVID-19. We had seen negative impacts in the second quarter of 2020 from COVID-19 on certain aspects of our business, in particular for our Thermal segment related to aftermarket service and support. We also experienced reductions in demand during the second quarter of 2020 for induction heating products from certain of our customers who had been impacted by government mandated closures. During the third quarter of 2020, we saw an improvement as customers re-opened facilities and began to allow limited service and support visits or found alternate methods to access service and support, either virtually or by shipping equipment to us for service.

 

At September 30, 2020, our backlog of unfilled orders for all products was approximately $8.7 million compared with approximately $8.0 million at September 30, 2019 and $8.7 million at June 30, 2020. Our backlog includes customer orders which we have accepted, substantially all of which we expect to deliver in 2020. While backlog is calculated on the basis of firm purchase orders, a customer may cancel an order or accelerate or postpone currently scheduled delivery dates. Our backlog may be affected by the tendency of customers to rely on short lead times available from suppliers, including us, in periods of depressed demand. In periods of increased demand, there is a tendency towards longer lead times that has the effect of increasing backlog. As a result, our backlog at a particular date is not necessarily indicative of sales for any future period.

Net Revenues

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, a breakdown of the net revenues by operating segment and market (in thousands).

 

   

Three
Months Ended
September 30,

   

Change

   

Three
Months

Ended
June 30,

   

Change

 
   

2020

   

2019

   

$

   

%

   

2020

   

$

   

%

 

Net revenues:

                                                       

Thermal

  $ 10,724     $ 10,622     $ 102       1

%

  $ 9,476     $ 1,248       13

%

EMS

    3,719       4,010       (291

)

    (7

)%

    3,799       (80

)

    (2

)%

    $ 14,443     $ 14,632     $ (189

)

    (1

)%

  $ 13,275     $ 1,168       9

%

                                                         

Semi Market

  $ 7,387     $ 7,126     $ 261       4

%

  $ 6,858     $ 529       8

%

Multimarket

    7,056       7,506       (450

)

    (6

)%

    6,417       639       10

%

    $ 14,443     $ 14,632     $ (189

)

    (1

)%

  $ 13,275     $ 1,168       9

%

 

   

Nine
Months Ended
September 30,

   

Change

 
   

2020

   

2019

   

$

   

%

 

Net revenues:

                               

Thermal

  $ 29,534     $ 33,775     $ (4,241

)

    (13

)%

EMS

    9,414       13,271       (3,857

)

    (29

)%

    $ 38,948     $ 47,046     $ (8,098

)

    (17

)%

                                 

Semi Market

  $ 19,256     $ 24,878     $ (5,622

)

    (23

)%

Multimarket

    19,692       22,168       (2,476

)

    (11

)%

    $ 38,948     $ 47,046     $ (8,098

)

    (17

)%

 

Total consolidated net revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2020 were $14.4 million compared to $14.6 million for the same period in 2019 and $13.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020. Net revenues from customers in Multimarket for the three months ended September 30, 2020 were $7.1 million, or 49% of total consolidated net revenues, compared to $7.5 million, or 51% of total consolidated net revenues for the same period in 2019 and $6.4 million or 48% of total consolidated orders for the three months ended June 30, 2020.

 

We believe the decrease in our consolidated net revenues as compared to the same period in 2019 reflects a combination of factors including the impact of COVID-19 on our revenues from Multimarket customers, which are all in our Thermal segment, and the impact of both COVID-19 and the aforementioned downturn in the Semi Market on our EMS segment. We believe the increase in our consolidated net revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the three months ended June 30, 2020 reflects that the impact of COVID-19 is lessening and we are beginning to experience increased demand from certain of our Semi Market customers. As previously discussed under the Orders and Backlog section above, we believe this signals that the downturn in the Semi Market is coming to an end, although there can be no assurance that this trend will continue or what the pace of the recovery may be.

 

27

 

Results of Operations


The results of operations for our two operating segments are generally affected by the same factors described in the Overview and COVID-19 Pandemic sections above. Separate discussions and analyses for each segment would be repetitive. The discussion and analysis that follows, therefore, is presented on a consolidated basis and includes discussion of factors unique to each segment where significant to an understanding of that segment.

Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 Compared to Three Months Ended September 30, 2019

Net Revenues. Net revenues were $14.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to $14.6 million for the same period in 2019, a decrease of $189,000, or 1%. We believe the decrease in our net revenues during the third quarter of 2020 primarily reflects the factors previously discussed in the Overview and COVID-19 Pandemic sections.

Gross Margin. Our consolidated gross margin was 45% of net revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to 49% of net revenues for the same period in 2019. The decrease in our gross margin primarily reflects changes in product and customer mix. To a lesser extent, we also had an increase in our fixed operating costs as a percentage of net revenues. Although our fixed operating costs were relatively unchanged in absolute dollar terms, they increased as a percentage of net revenues as a result of not being as fully absorbed by the lower net revenues levels in the three months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019.

Selling Expense. Selling expense was $1.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to $2.0 million for the same period in 2019, a decrease of $297,000, or 15%. The decrease primarily reflects a reduction in travel and trade show expense, reflecting the impact of COVID-19. In late March 2020, we suspended all non-essential travel, including attendance at trade shows. To a lesser extent, there was also a reduction in warranty expense and lower levels of commission expense, as a result of the lower net revenue levels, and a decrease in salary and benefits expense in our Thermal segment due to headcount reductions.

Engineering and Product Development Expense. Engineering and product development expense was relatively unchanged at $1.3 million for both the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019. Increases in salaries and benefits expense in our Thermal segment were offset by a reduction in spending on third-party consultants in our Thermal segment and reduced travel in both of our segments.
 

General and Administrative Expense. General and administrative expense was $3.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to $3.1 million for the same period in 2019, a decrease of $134,000, or 4%. The expense for the three months ended September 30, 2020 included $133,000 for severance and medical benefits for our former CEO who resigned on August 6, 2020. In connection with his resignation, we also recorded a reduction of $117,000 in stock-based compensation expense related to awards that he forfeited at his termination date. During the three months ended September 30, 2020 we recorded lower levels of expense for salaries and benefits, reflecting a reduction in administrative staff, lower travel costs and reduced spending on third-party professionals who assist us in a variety of strategic and compliance related matters. These reductions were partially offset by accruals related to the guaranteed minimum cash bonus that will be paid to our new CEO for 2020.


Income Tax Expense (Benefit). For the three months ended September 30, 2020, we recorded an income tax benefit of $25,000 compared to income tax expense of $147,000 for the same period in 2019. Our effective tax rate was (6)% for the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to 19% for the same period in 2019. On a quarterly basis, we record income tax expense or benefit based on the expected annualized effective tax rate for the various taxing jurisdictions in which we operate our businesses. The effective tax rates in each of the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 reflect adjustments that were made to bring the effective tax rates for the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 to the expected annualized effective tax rate as of September 30 in each year.

 

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 Compared to Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019

Net Revenues. Net revenues were $38.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared to $47.0 million for the same period in 2019, a decrease of $8.1 million, or 17%. We believe the decrease in our net revenues during the first nine months of 2020 primarily reflects the factors previously discussed in the Overview, including the impact of the ongoing downturn in the Semi Market and COVID-19.

 

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Gross Margin. Our consolidated gross margin was 45% of net revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to 48% of net revenues for the same period in 2019. The decrease in our gross margin as a percentage of net revenues primarily reflects an increase in our fixed operating costs as a percentage of net revenues. Although our fixed operating costs decreased by $356,000 in absolute dollar terms, they represented 19% of net revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to 16% of net revenues for the same period in 2019. This is a result of not being as fully absorbed by the lower net revenues levels in the first nine months of 2020. The $356,000 decrease in our fixed operating costs primarily reflects a reduction in materials used in operations and service, headcount reductions and lower levels of outsourced labor in our Thermal segment. These decreases were partially offset by an increase in facilities costs in our Thermal segment.


Selling Expense. Selling expense was $5.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared to $6.5 million for the same period in 2019, a decrease of $945,000, or 15%. The decrease primarily reflects a reduction in travel and trade show expense, reflecting the aforementioned suspension of all non-essential travel and trade show attendance as a result of COVID-19. In addition, there was also a reduction in warranty expense and lower levels of commission expense, as a result of the lower net revenue levels.


Engineering and Product Development Expense. Engineering and product development expense was relatively unchanged at $3.8 million for both the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019. Increases in salaries and benefits expense were offset by a reduction in spending on travel, third-party consultants and materials used in product development.
 

General and Administrative Expense. General and administrative expense was $8.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared to $10.5 million for the same period in 2019, a decrease of $1.8 million, or 17%. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, we incurred $683,000 related to an acquisition opportunity which we decided not to pursue. There were no similar costs in the nine months ended September 30, 2020. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, we also recorded restructuring costs of $242,000, primarily related to the consolidation of Ambrell’s European operations. This compares to restructuring costs of $179,000 recorded during the nine months ended September 30, 2020, primarily related to the aforementioned resignation of our former CEO and, to a lesser extent, employee terminations in our Thermal segment which were a result of reduced levels of demand. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020 we also recorded reduced spending on third-party professionals who assist us in a variety of strategic and compliance related matters, lower travel costs, reduced levels of stock-based compensation expense, lower salaries and benefits expense and reduced levels of accruals for profit-based bonuses.

 

Income Tax Expense (Benefit). For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, we recorded an income tax benefit of $262,000 compared to income tax expense of $358,000 for the same period in 2019. Our effective tax rate was 34% for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared to 18% for the same period in 2019. The increase in our effective tax rate primarily represents the impact of changes in the expected mix of foreign and domestic source income for 2020 and other adjustments related to recently enacted tax regulations where specific application of the regulations is still evolving. On a quarterly basis, we record income tax expense or benefit based on the expected annualized effective tax rate for the various taxing jurisdictions in which we operate our businesses.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As discussed more fully in the Overview, our business and results of operations are substantially dependent upon the demand for ATE by semiconductor manufacturers and companies that specialize in the testing of ICs. The cyclical and volatile nature of demand for ATE makes estimates of future revenues, results of operations and net cash flows difficult, especially in light of COVID-19.

 

Our primary historical source of liquidity and capital resources has been cash flow generated by our operations, and we manage our businesses to maximize operating cash flows as our primary source of liquidity. We use cash to fund growth in our operating assets, for new product research and development, for acquisitions and for stock repurchases.

 

Liquidity

Our cash and cash equivalents and working capital were as follows (in thousands):

 

   

September 30,
2020

   

December 31,
2019

 

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 9,473     $ 7,612  

Working capital

  $ 17,358     $ 16,534  

 

29

 

As of September 30, 2020, $3.4 million, or 36%, of our cash and cash equivalents was held by our foreign subsidiaries. In addition, included in our cash and cash equivalents at September 30, 2020 was $1.4 million in advance deposits from customers on orders we expect to ship in the fourth quarter of 2020. We currently expect our cash and cash equivalents, in combination with the borrowing availability under our revolving credit facility to be sufficient to support our short-term working capital requirements and other corporate requirements. Our revolving credit facility is discussed in Notes 1 and 9 to our consolidated financial statements. Should the impact of COVID-19 on our operations, including the disruption to our business caused by potential future closures of our facilities or reduced demand from our customers, be more significant than we currently anticipate, we may need additional financial resources, including additional debt or equity financings. There can be no assurance that any such debt or equity financings would be available on favorable terms or rates or at all.


Cash Flows

Operating Activities. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, we recorded a net loss of $515,000 and our net cash provided by operations was $2.4 million. During this same period, we had non-cash charges of $2.4 million for depreciation and amortization, which included $977,000 of amortization related to our ROU assets. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, we also recorded $480,000 for amortization of deferred compensation expense related to stock-based awards and a provision for excess and obsolete inventory of $410,000. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, customer deposits and deferred revenue increased $936,000, primarily reflecting an increase in customers placing deposits with their orders for future shipment, our operating lease liabilities decreased $977,000, primarily reflecting cash payments made under our facility lease agreements, and our domestic and foreign taxes payable decreased $240,000, primarily reflecting the accrual of an income tax benefit on our loss for the nine months.

Investing Activities. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, purchases of property and equipment were $520,000. During the fourth quarter of 2020, we expect to spend approximately $202,000 to complete the tenant improvements to our facility in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. These improvements are being done in connection with reducing the size of that facility and consolidating manufacturing operations from our Fremont, California operation as discussed under the Overview section above and in Notes 3 and 8 to our consolidated financial statements. We have no other significant commitments for capital expenditures for the balance of 2020; however, depending upon changes in market demand or manufacturing and sales strategies, we may make such purchases or investments as we deem necessary and appropriate.

 

Financing Activities. As discussed more fully in Note 13 to our consolidated financial statements in our Q1 2020 Form 10-Q, during April 2020, we applied for and received loans through the PPP of the CARES Act administered by the SBA totaling $2.8 million. We repaid the full amount of the PPP loans on May 5, 2020 with the applicable interest. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020 we borrowed and repaid $2.8 million on our revolving credit facility. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, we utilized $74,000 to repurchase 13,767 shares of our common stock under the 2019 Repurchase Plan. On March 2, 2020, we suspended repurchases under the 2019 Repurchase Plan.

 

New or Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

See the Notes to our consolidated financial statements for information concerning the implementation and impact of new or recently adopted accounting standards.

 

Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to inventories, long-lived assets, goodwill, identifiable intangibles, contingent consideration liabilities and deferred income tax valuation allowances. We base our estimates on historical experience and on appropriate and customary assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Some of these accounting estimates and assumptions are particularly sensitive because of their significance to our consolidated financial statements and because of the possibility that future events affecting them may differ markedly from what had been assumed when the financial statements were prepared. As of September 30, 2020, there have been no significant changes to the accounting policies that we have deemed critical. These policies are more fully described in our 2019 Form 10-K.

 

Off -Balance Sheet Arrangements

There were no off-balance sheet arrangements during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 that have or are reasonably likely to have, a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that is material to our interests.

 

30

 

Item 3.

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

 

This disclosure is not required for a smaller reporting company.

 

 

Item 4.

CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

 

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act. Because there are inherent limitations in all control systems, a control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, as opposed to absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by management override of the control. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") and Chief Financial Officer ("CFO"), does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal control over financial reporting will prevent all error and all fraud. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected. Accordingly, our management has designed the disclosure controls and procedures to provide reasonable assurance that the objectives of the control system were met.

CEO/CFO Conclusions about the Effectiveness of the Disclosure Controls and Procedures. As required by Rule 13a-15(b), management, including our CEO and CFO, conducted an evaluation as of the end of the period covered by this report, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, including impact of COVID-19. Based on that evaluation, our CEO and CFO concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this report, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.


Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. We will continue monitoring and assessing any impacts from COVID-19 on our internal controls.

 

 

PART II.  OTHER INFORMATION

 

 

Item 1.

Legal Proceedings

 

From time to time we may be a party to legal proceedings occurring in the ordinary course of business. We are not currently involved in any material legal proceedings.

 

 

Item 1A.

Risk Factors

 

Information regarding the primary risks and uncertainties that could materially and adversely affect our future performance or could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements, appears in Part I, Item 1A - "Risk Factors" of our 2019 Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 23, 2020. There have been no changes from the risk factors set forth in our 2019 Form 10-K, except for the addition of the following:

 

Our business, results of operations and financial condition and the market price of our common stock have been and will continue to be adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Our business has been, and will continue to be, adversely affected by COVID-19. As of the date of this filing, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause significant disruptions in the normal business environment, both domestically and globally, and we believe the situation will remain challenging until the spread of the virus can be contained. Since March 17, 2020, several states, including all of the states in which we have manufacturing facilities, have instituted “shelter-in place” orders as well as guidance in response to COVID-19 and the need to contain it. As of the date of this filing, all of the states in which we operate had begun the process of re-opening to varying degrees. However, some of these states have paused their re-opening plans or reversed actions they had taken with respect to their re-opening plans because of increased spread. Despite these changes, all of our operations continue to be deemed “critical and essential business operations” under the various governmental COVID-19 mandates which has allowed us to continue to operate our business with certain modifications.

 

31


The impact of COVID-19 on our operations is intensified because it has occurred during a time when our business operations have been negatively affected by a global downturn in the Semi Market. In addition, the aftermarket service and support that we provide to our customers has been, and we expect may continue to be, adversely impacted by COVID-19 due to travel restrictions and limitations on visitors allowed into customer facilities, which has resulted in some of these activities being reduced or suspended.   

 

If the impact of COVID-19 is more significant than we currently expect, on top of downturns in the Semi Market, our business operations could be further interrupted. We may determine that we need to take actions to reduce our fixed cost structure with the goal of limiting future losses and maintaining an adequate level of liquidity to operate our business. These actions may include staff reductions, facility closures or other adjustments as we deem necessary. These actions may not be successful in reducing our cost structure sufficiently and we may experience further losses or a reduced level of liquidity which could negatively impact our ability to operate our business. We expect that government and health authorities may announce new or extend existing restrictions, which could require us to make further adjustments to our operations in order to comply with any such restrictions. These adjustments could include additional facility closures which could negatively impact our ability to operate our business.

Generally, global supply chains and the timely availability of products have been, and will continue to be, materially disrupted by quarantines, factory slowdowns or shutdowns, border closings and travel restrictions resulting from COVID-19. We have experienced, and expect that we may continue to experience, price increases and/or lack of availability from our normal suppliers for the materials needed to produce our products in a timely manner and/or with the level of margins we typically expect to achieve. Delays in receipt of materials or price increases in the future could have a material negative impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

As a result of COVID-19, a significant number of employees have been authorized to work from home. However, the process of working remotely may result in these employees not being as effective or responsive to our customers’ needs as they would be under more normal conditions. This could result in lost business opportunities or have other negative impacts on our business. There can be no assurances that we can avoid one of our employees contracting COVID-19 and entering our facilities while infected. Should this occur, or should we have employees who become ill or otherwise are unable to work, we may experience limitations in employee resources or may be required to close affected facilities for a time to clean and disinfect appropriately.

 

The adverse effects of COVID-19 on our business could be material in future periods, particularly if there are significant and prolonged economic slowdowns in regions where we derive a significant amount of our revenue or profit, or where our suppliers are located, or if we are forced to close additional facilities and limit or cease manufacturing operations for extended periods of time. We could experience delays in receipt of customer orders, cancellation or postponement of existing orders and/or our ability to fulfill orders placed with us within the order’s specified timeline and for the cost we estimated when we accepted the order may be negatively affected. This could lead to a reduction in revenue and/or an increase in our cost of revenues in future periods and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. COVID-19 has also led to extreme volatility in capital markets and has adversely affected, and may continue to adversely affect, the market price of our common stock.

 

The duration of any business disruption and related financial impact cannot be reasonably estimated at this time but may materially affect our ability to operate our business and result in additional costs. The extent to which COVID-19 may impact our results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted as of the time of the filing of this report, including new information that may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and steps taken to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. As a result of any negative impact of COVID-19 on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows, we may determine that our goodwill and long-lived assets are impaired which would result in recording an impairment charge. The amount of any such impairment charge could be material.

 

32

 

If the EMS facility consolidation takes longer than we currently expect, the costs incurred could exceed our current estimates and the efficiencies we project from the consolidation may not occur.

 

On September 21, 2020, we notified employees in our Fremont, California facility of a plan to consolidate all manufacturing for our EMS segment from our Fremont facility into our manufacturing operation located in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. Currently, our interface products are manufactured in the Fremont facility, and our manipulator and docking hardware products are manufactured in the Mt. Laurel facility. The consolidation of manufacturing operations will result in the closure of the Fremont facility and the termination of certain employees at that location. The consolidation of manufacturing operations is being undertaken to streamline operations and reduce the fixed annual operating costs for the EMS segment. The consolidation is expected to be substantially completed during the fourth quarter of 2020. If we are unable to complete the consolidation in the timeframe that we currently expect, this could impact customer shipments and reduce our revenue or increase our costs in future periods. If we do not meet our customers’ expectations for on-time delivery, this could result in lost business opportunities. If we do not achieve the efficiencies we currently anticipate as a result of the consolidation, our costs could be higher than we currently expect in future periods. In addition, if the consolidation is delayed, we would incur costs associated with the facility consolidation in excess of those we currently estimate. The occurrence of any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition in future periods.

 

Non-compliance with the terms and covenants relating to our revolving credit facility could adversely impact our financial performance and liquidity, and thus we may need additional financial resources to maintain our liquidity.

 

Our revolving credit facility contains covenants requiring us to, among other things, provide financial and other information and to provide notice upon the occurrence of certain events affecting us or our business. These covenants also place restrictions on our ability to incur additional indebtedness, and enter into certain transactions, including selling assets, engaging in mergers or acquisitions, or engaging in transactions with affiliates. If we fail to satisfy one or more of the covenants under our revolving credit facility, we would be in default thereunder, and may be required to repay such debt with capital from other sources or otherwise not be able to draw down against our line of credit. Under such circumstances, due to the industry in which we operate, we may have difficulty in locating another lender that would be willing to extend credit to us, and other sources of capital may not be available to us on reasonable terms or at all.  In addition, should the impact of COVID-19 on our operations, including the disruption to our business caused by potential future closures of our facilities or reduced demand from our customers, be more significant than we currently anticipate, we may need additional financial resources, including additional debt or equity financings. There can be no assurance that any such debt or equity financings would be available on favorable terms or rates or at all.

 

Item 2.

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

 

None. 

 

Item 3.

Defaults Upon Senior Securities

 

None.

 

Item 4.

Mine Safety Disclosures

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 5.

Other Information

 

None.

 

Item 6.

Exhibits

 

10.1

First Amendment to Lease Agreement, dated September 22, 2020, by and between inTEST Corporation and Exeter 804 East Gate 2018, LLC. (1)

10.2*

Separation and Consulting Agreement between inTEST Corporation and James Pelrin dated August 6, 2020. (2)

10.3*

Letter Agreement between inTEST Corporation and Richard N. Grant, Jr. dated July 24, 2020. (2)

10.4*

inTEST Corporation Third Amended and Restated 2014 Stock Plan.

10.5*

Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement for Employees.

10.6*

Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement for Directors.

10.7*

Form of Incentive Stock Option Agreement.

10.8*

Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement.

10.9*

Change of Control Agreement dated August 11, 2020 between the Company and Richard N. Grant, Jr.

31.1

Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a).

31.2

Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a).

32.1

Certification of Chief Executive Officer furnished pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

32.2

Certification of Chief Financial Officer furnished pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

101.INS

XBRL Taxonomy Instance Document

101.SCH

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

101.CAL

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

101.DEF

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

101.LAB

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

101.PRE

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

 

(1)

Previously filed by the Company as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated September 22, 2020, File No. 001-36117, filed September 24, 2020, and incorporated herein by reference.

(2)

Previously filed by the Company as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated August 6, 2020, File No. 001-36117, filed August 11, 2020, and incorporated herein by reference.

*

Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan, contract or arrangement in which directors or executive officers participate.

 

33

 

Signatures

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

 

 

inTEST Corporation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date:

November 12, 2020

/s/ Richard N. Grant, Jr.

 

 

Richard N. Grant, Jr.
President and Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date:

November 12, 2020

/s/ Hugh T. Regan, Jr.

 

 

Hugh T. Regan, Jr.
Secretary, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

 

34