LSI INDUSTRIES INC - Annual Report: 2023 (Form 10-K)

PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Overview

LSI Industries Inc. (LSI) is a leading producer of non-residential lighting and retail display solutions. Non-residential lighting consists of high-performance, American-made lighting solutions. The Company’s strength in indoor and outdoor lighting applications creates opportunities for LSI to introduce additional solutions to its valued customers. Retail display solutions consist of graphics solutions, digital signage, and technically advanced food display equipment for strategic vertical markets. LSI’s team of internal specialists also provide comprehensive project management services in support of large-scale product rollouts.

Our business is organized as follows: the Lighting Segment, which represented 55% of our fiscal 2023 net sales and the Display Solutions Segment, which represented 45% of our fiscal 2023 net sales. See Note 2 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements beginning on page 44 of this Form 10-K for additional information on business segments. Net sales by segment are as follows (in thousands):

Lighting Segment

Our Lighting Segment manufactures, markets, and sells outdoor and indoor lighting fixture and controls solutions in the following vertical markets: refueling and convenience store, parking lot and garage, quick-service restaurant, retail, grocery and pharmacy, automotive dealership, sports court and field, and warehouse. We service these markets through multiple channels: project business sold through electrical distributors and agents and shipped directly to the customer; standard products sold to and stocked by distributors; and direct to end-use customers. Our products are designed and manufactured to provide maximum customer value and meet the high-quality, competitively priced product requirements of the markets we serve. Focusing on key vertical applications allows us to deliver unique product solutions, which in turn provide differentiated value to our customers.

Our lighting fixtures, poles and accessories are produced in a variety of design, aesthetics, and finishes.  Application of our lighting fixtures vary to include surface, pole, and pendant mounted applications.   Functional light distributions from our products varies depending upon application providing application specific photometric outputs including, but not limited to, interior and exterior downlighting, wall-wash lighting, canopy lighting, floodlighting, emergency exit lighting, industrial lighting, area and parking structure lighting and security lighting.  To further energy efficiency gains from our luminaires, we offer a suite of lighting control options including sensors, photocontrols, dimming, motion detection and circuit controllers in both analog and wireless technologies to further support the application of our luminaires and provide means to additional energy savings   We design and certify to all applicable safety, photometric and performance standards including UL Solutions, Design Lights Consortium, International Dark-Sky Association, Norma Official Mexicana (NOM), and Institute for Printed Circuits (IPC).  Utilizing LED light sources, our products are designed for energy efficiency, reliability, performance, ease of installation and service while providing a high degree of overall aesthetic appeal.  We focus on providing performance based, energy efficient lighting solutions implemented across all key vertical markets served. 

Display Solutions Segment

The Display Solutions Segment manufactures, sells and installs exterior and interior visual image and display elements, including printed graphics, structural graphics, digital signage, menu board systems, store display fixtures, refrigerated displays, and custom display elements. The major products and services offered within our Display Solutions Segment include signage and canopy graphics, pump dispenser graphics, building fascia graphics, decals, interior signage and marketing graphics, aisle markers, wall mural graphics, and refrigerated and non-refrigerated merchandising displays. We also provide a variety of project management services to complement our display elements, such as installation management, site surveys, permitting, and content management which are offered to our customers to support our digital signage. We also manage and execute the implementation of large rollout programs with our professional services group. These programs provide our customers a variety of display solutions and visual image upgrades in the same markets served in the lighting segment, which include the following markets: refueling and convenience store, quick-service restaurant, retail, grocery and pharmacy, and automotive dealerships. We believe our expertise with the products and services we offer in the markets we serve represents a significant competitive advantage. We work with our customers and design firms to establish and implement cost-effective corporate visual image programs to advance our customer’s brands and deliver value to their customers. Increasingly, we have become the primary supplier of exterior and interior visual image and display elements for our customers.

Sales, Customers and Marketing

The products and services we offer are sold primarily throughout the United States, but also in Canada, Mexico, and Latin America (approximately 4% of consolidated net sales are outside the United States). Our lighting product sales originate from two primary revenue streams. The first revenue stream is from project-based business, quoting and receiving orders as a preferred vendor for product sales to multiple end-users, including customer-owned as well as franchised and licensed dealer operations. The second revenue stream is from selling standard products to stocking distributors, who subsequently provide products to electrical contractors and end users for a variety of lighting applications. Our lighting products are primarily sold through manufacturer’s sales representatives and to a lesser degree directly through our own sales force. Our display solution elements and related services, which in many instances are program-driven, are sold primarily through our own sales force. This revenue stream is from more significant program initiatives that often represent multiple sites over a period of time. These customers are usually established and have a long-term relationship with LSI. These products and services are sold directly to the customer or a brand marketer acting as an intermediary.

Sales are developed through a wide variety of contacts such as, but not limited to, national retail marketers, branded product companies, and franchised and dealer operations. In addition, sales are also achieved through recommendations from local architects, engineers, electrical distributors, and contractors. The Company utilizes the latest technology to track sales leads and customer quotes with the goal to turn them into orders from our customers. Our sales are partially seasonal as installation of our non-residential outdoor lighting and visual display solutions in the northern states decreases during the winter months.

The Company markets its products and service capabilities to end users in multiple channels through a broad spectrum of marketing and promotional methods, including direct customer contact, trade shows, on-site and virtual training, print advertising in industry publications, product brochures and other literature, e learning, the company’s website, as well social media. Our marketing approach and means of distribution vary by product line and by market.

Manufacturing and Distribution

We currently operate out of eleven manufacturing facilities located within six U.S. states and one province in Ontario, Canada.

We design, engineer and manufacture most of our lighting and visual display products through the utilization of lean manufacturing principles. Our investment in our production facilities is focused primarily on improving capabilities, product quality, and manufacturing efficiency, as well as environmental, health, and safety compliance. The majority of products we sell are engineered, designed, and assembled by the Company, while a small portion of the products and components we sell are purchased from select qualified vendors. Our lighting and display solutions products are delivered directly from our manufacturing facilities to our customers utilizing third-party common carriers.

The principal raw materials and purchased components used in the manufacturing of our products are steel, aluminum, aluminum castings, fabrications, LEDs, power supplies, sensors, powder paint, steel tubing, wire harnesses, acrylic, silicon and glass lenses, inks, various graphics substrates such as Aluminum Composite Material (ACM), Expanded PVC sheet (EPVC), vinyl film, styrene, foamboards, wood and wood laminates, condensing units, and digital screens. We source these materials and components from a variety of suppliers. Although an interruption of these supplies and components could disrupt our operations, we believe generally that alternative sources of supply exist and could be readily arranged. When faced with supply chain challenges, we increase our safety stock in certain components in order to mitigate potential disruption to our operations resulting from an anticipated shortage of certain components. We are not dependent on any one supplier for critical component parts. We strive to reduce price volatility in our purchases of raw materials and components through annual contracts with strategic suppliers. Our Lighting operations generally carry a certain level of sub-assemblies and finished goods inventory to meet quick delivery requirements. The Company’s operations dealing with LED products generally carry LED and LED component inventory due to longer lead times. Most lighting products are made to order and shipped shortly after they are manufactured. Our display solutions operations manufacture custom products for customers who require us to stock certain amounts of finished goods in exchange for their commitment to that inventory. An example is our digital signage business, where customers require us to carry an inventory of digital screens to meet the demands of a large rollout program.

Research and Development:

We invest in the development of new products and solutions as well as the enhancement of existing product offerings to meet the needs of our customers. Research and development costs are directly attributable to new product development, including the development of new technology for both existing and new products, and consist of salaries, payroll taxes, employee benefits, materials, outside legal costs and filing fees related to obtaining patents, supplies, depreciation, and other administrative costs. Research and development costs related to both product and software development totaled $3.4 million and $3.6 million for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2023, and 2022, respectively.

Competition

We experience competition in both segments and in all markets we serve based on numerous factors, including price, brand name recognition, product quality, product design, prompt delivery, energy efficiency, customer relationships, reputation, and service capabilities. Although we have many competitors, both nationally and internationally, some of which have greater financial and other resources, we do not compete with the same companies across both segments and all markets.

Working Capital

For a discussion of our working capital, see “Liquidity and Capital Resources” in Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."

Environmental Regulations

We are subject to a variety of federal, state, and local provisions regulating the discharge of materials into the environment or otherwise relating to the protection of the environment. These include statutory and regulatory provisions under which we are responsible for the management of hazardous materials we use and the disposition of hazardous wastes resulting from our manufacturing processes. Failure to comply with such provisions could result in fines and other liabilities to the government or third parties.

Human Capital

We recognize that in order to drive innovation, growth, and operational excellence, we must identify, attract, retain, and motivate top talent. Our approach is to develop talent from within and supplement with external hires. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and engaged workforce. Our management teams and all of our employees are expected to exhibit the principles of fairness, honesty, and integrity in the actions we undertake. Our employees must adhere to a code of conduct that sets standards for appropriate behavior and includes required annual training on preventing, identifying, reporting, and stopping any type of unlawful discrimination or unethical actions.

We have 1,540 full-time employees and 87 agency employees as of June 30, 2023. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits program to our employees, including competitive wages, medical and dental insurance, and a 401(k)-retirement savings plan. The Company offers a nonqualified deferred compensation plan, an equity-based incentive plan and an incentive plan that is based upon the achievement of the Company’s business plan goals, for certain employees.

Information Concerning the Company

We file reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. The SEC maintains an internet website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding us. The address of that site is http://www.sec.gov. Our internet address is http://www.lsicorp.com. We make available free of charge through our internet website our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as soon as reasonably practical after we electronically file them with the SEC.

The information found on our website is not part of, or incorporated by reference into, this or any other report we file with, or furnish to, the SEC. In addition to these channels, we use social media to communicate to the public. It is possible that the information we post on social media could be deemed to be material to investors. We encourage investors, the media, and others interested in LSI to review the information we post on the social media channels listed on our Investor Relations website.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

In addition to the other information set forth in this report, you should carefully consider the following factors which could materially affect our business, financial condition, cash flows or future results. Any one of these factors could cause the Company’s actual results to vary materially from recent results or from anticipated future results. The risks described below are not the only risks facing our Company. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and/or operating results.

Risk Factor Summary

Risks Related to Our Strategy

Risks Related to our Operations

Risks Related to Legal and Regulatory Matters

Risks Related to Financial Matters

RISKS RELATED TO OUR STRATEGY

Lower levels of economic activity in our end markets could adversely affect our operating results.

Our businesses operate in several market segments including the refueling and convenience store markets, parking lot and garage markets, quick-service restaurant market, retail and grocery store markets, the automotive market, the warehouse market, and the sports complex market. Operating results can be negatively impacted by volatility in these markets. Future downturns in any of the markets we serve could adversely affect our overall sales, profitability, and cash flow. In addition, customer difficulties in the future could result from economic declines or issues arising from the cyclical nature of their business and, in turn, result in decreases in product demand, increases in bad debt write-offs, decreases in timely collection of accounts receivable and adjustments to our allowance for credit losses, resulting in material reductions to our revenues and net earnings.

Our operating results may be adversely affected by unfavorable economic, political and market conditions.

Economic and political conditions worldwide have from time to time contributed to slowdowns in our industry at large, as well as to the specific markets in which we operate. When combined with ongoing customer consolidation activity, an uncertain macro-economic and political climate, including but not limited to a recession or inflationary pressures, and the effects of possible weakness in domestic and foreign financial and credit markets, could lead to reduced demand from our customers and increased price competition for our products, increased risk of excess and obsolete inventories and uncollectible receivables, and higher overhead costs as a percentage of revenue. If the markets in which we participate experience further economic downturns, as well as a slow recovery period, this could negatively impact our sales and revenue generation, margins, and operating expenses, and consequently have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The inability to effectively execute our business strategies could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Various uncertainties and risks are associated with our approach to strategically penetrate existing and new market verticals, including but not limited to, the development, marketing and selling of new products and solutions, new product development, and the overall development, marketing, and selling of lighting and display solutions. Those uncertainties and risks include but are not limited to diversion of management’s attention; difficulty in retaining or attracting employees; negative impact on business relationships and customers; obsolescence of current products and slow new product development; inability to produce products with quality, performance, and cost attributes equal to or better than provided by our competitors; and unforeseen difficulties in the implementation of the management operating structure. Problems with strategy execution could offset anticipated benefits, disrupt service to customers, and impact product quality as well as adversely affect our business. With the addition of new products and solutions, we may encounter new and different competitors that may have more experience with respect to such products and solutions.

The markets in which we operate are subject to competitive pressures that could affect selling prices, and therefore could adversely affect our operating results.

Our businesses operate in markets that are highly competitive, and we compete on the basis of price, quality, service and/or brand name across the industries and markets served. Some of our competitors for certain products, primarily in the Lighting Segment, have greater sales, assets, and financial resources. Some of our competitors are based in foreign countries and have cost structures and prices in foreign currencies. Accordingly, currency fluctuations could cause our U.S. dollar-priced products to be less competitive than our competitors’ products which are priced in other currencies. Aggressive pricing actions of our competitors could affect prices we charge our customers or demand for our products, which could adversely affect our operating results. Additionally, customers for our products may attempt to reduce the number of vendors from which they purchase in order to reduce the size and diversity of their inventories and their transaction costs. To remain competitive, we will need to invest continuously in research and development, manufacturing, marketing, and customer service and support. We may not have sufficient resources to continue to make such investments and we may be unable to maintain our competitive position.

We have a concentration of net sales to the refueling and convenience store and grocery markets, and any substantial change in these markets could have an adverse effect on our business.

The Company has a concentration of sales in the refueling and convenience store and grocery markets. Sales to the refueling and convenience store market are dependent upon the general conditions prevailing in and the profitability of the Petroleum industry and general market conditions. The refueling and convenience store market can be subject to reactions by the petroleum industry due to world political events, to the price and supply of oil, and to a decline in demand resulting from an economic recession, or other factors. Major disruptions in the petroleum industry generally result in a curtailment of retail marketing efforts, including expansion and refurbishing of retail outlets by the petroleum industry, which could adversely affect our business. The operating environment for the grocery market continues to be characterized by the fragmentation of local, regional, and national retailers, including both retail and digital formats, market consolidation, intense competition, and entry of non-traditional competitors. Customer behavior shifted quickly and considerably during the pandemic, including a shift from dining away from home to food at home. The changing operating environment along with changes in customer behaviors within the grocery market could have an adverse impact on the purchasing decisions by one or more of our larger customers in this market. In addition, actions by our competitors, our customer’s financial constraints, and industry factors or otherwise, could have an adverse effect on our business in either of these markets.

The Company may pursue future growth through strategic acquisitions and investments, which may not yield anticipated benefits

The Company has grown and strengthened its business through strategic acquisitions and will continue to do so as opportunities arise in the future in order to meet the Company’s growth objectives. The Company will benefit from such activity only to the extent that it can effectively leverage and integrate the assets or capabilities of the acquired businesses including, but not limited to, personnel, technology, and operating processes. Moreover, unanticipated events, negative revisions to valuation assumptions and estimates, diversions of resources and management’s attention from other business concerns, and difficulties in attaining synergies, among other factors, could adversely affect the Company’s ability to recover initial and subsequent investments, particularly those related to acquired goodwill and intangible assets, which in turn could result in the impairment of the acquired company’s goodwill and related assets. In addition, such investment transactions may limit the Company’s ability to invest in other activities, which could be more profitable or advantageous.

If we do not develop the appropriate new products or if customers do not accept new products, we could experience a loss of competitive position which could adversely affect future revenues.

The Company is committed to product innovation on a timely basis to meet customer demands. Development of new products for targeted markets requires the Company to develop or otherwise leverage leading technologies in a cost-effective and timely manner. Failure to meet these changing demands could result in a loss of competitive position and seriously impact future revenues. Products or technologies developed by others may render the Company’s products or technologies obsolete or noncompetitive. A fundamental shift in technologies in key product markets could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operating results and competitive position within the industry. More specifically, the development of new or enhanced products is a complex and uncertain process requiring the anticipation of technological and market trends. Rapidly changing product technologies could adversely impact operating results due to potential technological obsolescence of certain inventories or increased warranty expense related to newly developed LED lighting products or any of the Company’s other products and services. We may experience design, manufacturing, marketing, or other difficulties, such as an inability to attract a sufficient number of experienced engineers which could delay or prevent our development, introduction or marketing of new products or enhancements and result in unexpected expenses. Such difficulties could cause us to lose business from our customers and could adversely affect our competitive position. In addition, added expenses could decrease the profitability associated with those products that do not gain market acceptance.

If we are unable to adequately protect our intellectual property, we may lose some of our competitive advantage.

Our success is determined in part by our ability to obtain United States and foreign patent protection for our technology and to preserve our trade secrets. Our ability to compete and the ability of our business to grow could suffer if our intellectual property rights are not adequately protected. There can be no assurance that our patent applications will result in patents being issued or that current or additional patents will afford protection against competitors. We rely on a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secret protection and contractual rights to establish and protect our intellectual property. Failure of our patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secret protection, non-disclosure agreements and other measures to provide protection of our technology and our intellectual property rights could enable our competitors to compete with us more effectively and have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, our trade secrets and proprietary know-how may otherwise become known or be independently discovered by others. No guarantee can be given that others will not independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information or techniques, or otherwise gain access to our proprietary technology.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR OPERATIONS

Sudden or unexpected changes in a customer’s creditworthiness could result in significant accounts receivable write-offs.

The Company takes a conservative approach when extending credit to its customers. Customers are granted an appropriate credit limit based upon the due diligence performed on the customer which includes, among other things, the review of the company’s financial statements and banking information, various credit checks, and payment history the customer has with the Company. At any given time, the Company can have a significant amount of credit exposure with its larger customers. While the Company is frequently monitoring its outstanding receivables with its customers, the risk does exist that a customer with large credit exposure is unable to make payment on its outstanding receivables which could result in a significant write-off of accounts receivable.

Price increases, significant shortages of raw materials and components, shortages in transportation and an increase in fuel prices could adversely affect our operating margin.

The Company purchases large quantities of raw materials and components such as steel, aluminum, aluminum castings, fabrications, LEDs, power supplies, powder paint, steel tubing, wire harnesses, acrylic, silicon and glass lenses, inks, various graphics substrates such as Aluminum Composite Material (ACM), Expanded PVC sheet (EPVC), vinyl film, styrene, foamboards, wood and wood laminates, condensing units, and digital screens. Materials comprise the largest component of costs, representing approximately 63% and 66% of the cost of sales in 2023 and 2022, respectively. The Company’s operating results could be affected by the availability and price fluctuations of these materials. The Company’s strategic sourcing plans include mitigating supply chain risk by utilizing multiple suppliers for a commodity to avoid significant dependence on any single supplier. Although an interruption of these supplies and components could disrupt our operations, we believe generally that alternative sources of supply exist and could be readily arranged. To mitigate the risk of disruptions in the supply chain, we have on occasion increased our safety stock in certain components in order to mitigate a potential disruption to our operations resulting from an anticipated shortage of these same components. With regard to price fluctuations of our raw material and component purchases, the price risk for materials the Company purchases is related to price increases in commodity items that affect all users of the materials, including the Company’s competitors. Significant tariffs or increases in the price of these raw materials and components could further increase the Company’s operating costs and materially adversely affect margins. The Company does, however, seek and qualify new suppliers, negotiate with existing suppliers, and arrange stocking agreements to mitigate risk of supply and price increases. The Company can also be impacted by shortages and the availability of transportation of our products to our customers, in addition to rising fuel prices. The Company’s Lighting Segment has implemented price increases with customers to offset raw material price increases along, rising transportation costs, and to mitigate the impact of trade tariffs. The Company’s Display Solutions Segment generally establishes new sales prices, reflective of the then current raw material prices and transportation costs, for each program as it begins with further price increases throughout the life of the program when warranted. Although the Company attempts to pass along increased costs in the form of price increases to its customers, the Company may be unsuccessful in doing so for competitive reasons. Even when price increases are successful, the timing of such price increases may lag significantly behind the incurrence of higher costs.

Our information technology systems are subject to certain cyber risks and could be subject to interruptions that are beyond our control.

We depend heavily on the proper functioning and availability of our information, communications, and data processing systems, including operating and financial reporting systems, in operating our business. Our systems and those of our technology and communications providers are vulnerable to interruptions caused by natural disasters, power loss, telecommunication and internet failures, cyber-attack, and other events beyond our control. Accordingly, information security and the continued development and enhancement of the controls and processes designed to protect our systems, computers, software, data and networks from attack, damage or unauthorized access remain a priority for us.

We have been, and in the future may be, targeted by malicious cyber activity. Any failure to identify address or prevent malicious cyber activity could result in service interruptions, operational difficulties, loss of revenues or market share, liability to our customers or others, the diversion of corporate resources, injury to our reputation and increased service and maintenance costs. We have significantly enhanced and will continue to improve our cybersecurity controls in order to minimize the likelihood or impact of a malicious cyber activity.

Our information systems are protected through physical and software security as well as redundant backup systems, however, as cyber-attacks continue to evolve, we are committed to investing in our cyber defenses in order to mitigate the risks. Some of our software systems are provided and/or utilized by third parties who maintain responsibility for mitigating cybersecurity risk We have invested and continue to invest in technology security initiatives, employee training, information technology risk management and disaster recovery plans. The development and maintenance of these measures is costly and requires ongoing monitoring and updating as technologies change and efforts to overcome security measures become increasingly more sophisticated. Despite our efforts, we are not fully insulated from data breaches, technology disruptions or data loss, which could adversely impact our competitiveness and results of operations. Any future successful cyber-attack or catastrophic natural disaster could significantly affect our operating and financial systems and could temporarily disrupt our ability to provide required services to our customers, impact our ability to manage our operations and perform vital financial processes, any of which could have a materially adverse effect on our business.

Labor shortages or increases in labor costs could adversely impact our business and results of operations.

We rely heavily on our employees and any shortage of qualified labor could adversely affect our business. If we are not successful in our recruiting and retention efforts due to general labor shortages or otherwise, we could encounter a shortage of qualified employees in future periods. Any such shortage would decrease our ability to produce sufficient quantities of our product to serve our customers effectively. Such a shortage may also require us to pay higher wages for employees and incur a corresponding reduction in our profitability. Improvements in the economy and labor markets also could impact our ability to attract and retain key personnel. Rising wages across an improving economy can increase the competition among employers for a scarce labor force and make it difficult for us to attract and retain key personnel.

If the Company’s products are improperly designed, manufactured, packaged, or labeled, the Company may need to recall those items, may have increased warranty costs, and could be the target of product liability claims

The Company may need to recall products if they are improperly designed, manufactured, packaged, or labeled, and the Company’s insurance may not provide full coverage for such recall events. Many of the Company's products and solutions have become complex and include sophisticated and sensitive electronic components. The Company has manufactured certain of those components and products in its own facilities. Widespread product recalls could result in significant losses due to the costs of a recall, the destruction of product inventory, penalties, and lost sales due to the unavailability of a product for a period of time. In addition, products developed by the Company that incorporates LED technology, generally provide for more extensive warranty protection which may result in increased warranty claim costs. The Company may also be liable if the use of any of its products causes harm and could suffer losses from a significant product liability judgment against the Company in excess of its insurance limits. The Company may not be able to obtain indemnity or reimbursement from its suppliers or other third parties for the warranty costs or liabilities associated with its products. A significant product recall, warranty claim, or product liability case could also result in adverse publicity, damage to the Company’s reputation, and a loss of consumer confidence in its products.

Changes in a customer’s demands and commitment to proprietary inventory could result in significant inventory write-offs.

Upgrading or replacing a customer’s current image requires the manufacture of inventory that is specific to the particular customer. This is particularly true in the Display Solutions Segment. In as many instances as possible, we require a commitment from the customer before the inventory is produced. Our request for a commitment can range from a single site or store to a large rollout program involving many sites or stores. The risk does exist that a customer cannot or will not honor its commitment to us. The reasons a customer cannot or will not honor its commitment can range from the bankruptcy of the customer to the change in the image during the rollout program, to canceling the program before its completion and before the inventory is sold to the customer. In each of these instances, we could be left with significant amounts of inventory required to support the customer’s re-imaging. While all efforts are made to hold the customer accountable for its commitment, there is the risk that a significant amount of inventory could be deemed obsolete or no longer usable which could result in significant inventory write-offs.

The turnover of independent commissioned sales representatives could cause a significant disruption in sales volume.

Commissioned sales representatives are critical to generating business in the Lighting Segment. From time to time, commissioned sales representatives representing a particular region resign, are terminated and replaced with new commissioned sales representatives, or consolidated with another local firm. During this period of transition from the previous agency to the new one, sales in the particular region will likely fall as business is disrupted. It may take several months for the new sales representative to generate sales that will equal or exceed the previous sales representative. There is also the risk that the new sales agency will not attain the sales volume of the previous agency. These sales representative changes may occur individually as one agency is replaced due to lack of performance or changes may occur as a result of the mergers or acquisitions within the lighting industry. On the other hand, these sales representative changes can be widespread as a result of the competitive nature of the lighting industry as LSI and its competition vie for the strongest sales agency in a particular region.

The Company may be unable to sustain significant customer and/or channel partner relationships.

Relationships with customers are directly impacted by the Company’s ability to deliver quality products and services. The loss of or a substantial decrease in the volume of purchases by certain large customers could significantly harm the Company. The Company has relationships with channel partners such as electrical distributors, independent sales agencies, system integrators, contractors, and value-added resellers, to name a few. While the Company maintains positive, and in many cases long-term relationships with these channel partners, the loss of a number of channel partners or substantial decrease in the volume of purchases from a major channel partner or group of channel partners could adversely affect the Company.

A loss of key personnel or inability to attract qualified personnel could have an adverse effect on our operating results.

The Company’s future success depends on the ability to attract and retain highly skilled technical, managerial, marketing and finance personnel, and, to a significant extent, upon the efforts and abilities of senior management. The Company’s management philosophy of cost-control results in a lean workforce. Future success of the Company will depend on, among other factors, the ability to attract and retain other qualified personnel, particularly executive management, research and development engineers, and sales professionals. The loss of the services of any key employees or the failure to attract or retain other qualified personnel could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations.

Changes in a shift in product mix can have a significant impact on our gross margins

Certain of our products have higher gross profit margins than others. Further, the difference in gross margin of the products sold within the Lighting and Display Solutions Segments can also vary significantly. Consequently, changes in the product mix of our sales from quarter-to-quarter or from year-to-year can have a significant impact on our reported gross profit margins.

We may not recognize all revenues from our backlog or receive all payments anticipated under awarded projects and customer contracts.

Our customers have the right under some circumstances to terminate contracts or defer the timing of our shipments or installments and their payments to us. We may not receive all of the revenues from our backlog. If we do not receive all of the revenues we currently expect to receive, our future operating results could be adversely affected. In addition, a delay in the receipt of revenues, even if such revenues are eventually received, may cause our operating results for a particular quarter to fall below our expectations.

RISKS RELATED TO LEGAL AND REGULATORY MATTERS

Potential changes in U.S. trade policies could have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Changes in the U.S. trade policy, U.S. social, political, regulatory, and economic conditions or in laws and policies governing foreign trade, manufacturing, development and investment in the territories and countries where we currently purchase component parts and sell products, and any resulting negative sentiments towards the United States as a result of such changes, could have an adverse effect on our business.

Some of our purchased components are sourced from or manufactured in foreign countries. Import tariffs and potential import tariffs have resulted or may result in increased prices for these imported goods and materials and, in some cases, may result or have resulted in price increases for domestically sourced goods and materials. Changes in U.S. trade policy have resulted and could result in additional reactions from U.S. trading partners, including adopting responsive trade policies making it more difficult or costly for us to export our products or import goods and materials from those countries. These measures could also result in increased costs for goods imported into the U.S. or may cause us to adjust our foreign supply chain. Either of these could require us to increase prices to our customers which may reduce demand, or, if we are unable to increase prices, result in lowering our margin on products sold.

We cannot predict future trade policy or the terms of any renegotiated trade agreements and their impacts on our business. The adoption and expansion of trade restrictions, the occurrence of a trade war, or other governmental action related to tariffs or trade agreements, or policies has the potential to adversely impact demand for our products, our costs, our customers, our suppliers, and the U.S. economy, which in turn could adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

RISKS RELATED TO FINANCIAL MATTERS

A significant decline in our stock price could adversely affect our ability to raise additional capital.

The market price of our common stock can experience significant fluctuations. Our progress in developing and commercializing our products, our quarterly operating results, announcements of new products by us or our competitors, our perceived prospects, changes in general conditions in the economy or the financial markets, adverse events related to our strategic relationships, and other developments affecting us, or our competitors could cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate substantially. This volatility of the stock market has had a significant effect on the market prices of securities issued by many companies for reasons unrelated to their operating performance. These market fluctuations, regardless of the cause, may materially and adversely affect our stock price, regardless of our operating results, and this could impact our ability to raise capital.

Recent increases in inflation and interest rates in the United States and elsewhere could adversely affect our business.  

We are exposed to fluctuations in inflation and interest rates, which could negatively affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. The United States and other jurisdictions have recently experienced high levels of inflation. If the inflation rate continues to increase, it will likely affect our expenses, including, but not limited to, employee compensation and labor expenses along with the cost of various goods and services the Company purchases, and we may not be successful in offsetting such cost increases. In addition, a continued increase in interest rates will further result in increased interest expense.

Anti-takeover provisions in our organizational documents and in Ohio law could make difficult or delay a change in management or negatively impact our share price.

Certain provisions of our Articles of Incorporation and Code of Regulations could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us even if such a change in control would increase the value of our common stock and could prevent or hinder attempts by our shareholders to replace or remove our current board of directors or management.

We have a number of provisions in place that will hinder takeover attempts and could reduce the market value of our common stock or prevent sale at a premium. These provisions include:

Ohio corporation law contains provisions that may discourage takeover bids for our company that have not negotiated with the board of directors. Such provisions could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for our shares of common stock. Additionally, shareholders may act by written consent without a meeting only if such written consent is signed by all shareholders.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

We have received no written comments regarding our periodic or current reports from the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission that were issued 180 days or more preceding the end of our fiscal year 2023 that remain unresolved.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Refer to Note 13 – Contingencies of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements beginning on page 39 of this Form 10-K for information regarding legal proceedings in which we are involved.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

PART II

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

LSI’s shares of common stock are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “LYTS.” At August 31, 2023, there were approximately 550 registered holders of record of our common stock.

The Company’s Board of Directors has adopted a dividend policy which indicates that dividends will be determined by the Board of Directors in its discretion based upon its evaluation of earnings, cash flow requirements, financial condition, debt levels, stock repurchases, future business developments and opportunities, and other factors deemed relevant by the Board of Directors. The Company has paid annual cash dividends beginning in fiscal 1987 through fiscal 1994, and quarterly cash dividends since fiscal 1995. The Company’s indicated annual rate for payment of a cash dividend at the end of fiscal 2023 was $0.20 per share.

On April 28, 2022, the Company announced that its Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to $15 million of its outstanding shares of common stock in the open market, in accordance with all applicable securities laws and regulations, including Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company’s decision to repurchase its shares, as well as the timing of such repurchases, will depend on a variety of factors, including the ongoing assessment of the Company’s capital needs, the market price of the Company’s common stock, general market conditions and other corporate considerations, as determined by management. The repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time. The Company did not repurchase any shares in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023.

ITEM 6. . [RESERVED]

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

“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” appears on pages 23 through 29 of this Form 10-K.

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

The Company is exposed to market risk from changes in variable interest rates, changes in prices of raw materials and purchased component parts, and changes in foreign currency translation rates. Each of these risks is discussed below.

Interest Rate Risk

The Company earns interest income on its cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments (if any) and pays interest expense on its debt (if any). Because of variable interest rates, the Company is exposed to the risk of interest rate fluctuations, which impact interest income, interest expense, and cash flows.

The Company’s $75 million revolving line of credit and $25 million term loan is subject to interest rate fluctuations. Additionally, the Company expects to generate cash from its operations that will subsequently be used to pay down as much of the debt (if any is outstanding) as possible or invest cash in short-term investments (if no debt is outstanding), while still funding the growth of the Company.

Raw Material Price Risk

The Company purchases large quantities of raw materials and components such as steel, aluminum, aluminum castings, fabrications, LEDs, power supplies, powder paint, steel tubing, wire harnesses, acrylic, silicon and glass lenses, inks, various graphics substrates such as Aluminum Composite Material (ACM), Expanded PVC sheet (EPVC), vinyl film, styrene, foamboards, wood and wood laminates, condensing units, and digital screens. The Company’s operating results could be affected by the availability and price fluctuations of these materials. The Company’s strategic sourcing plans include mitigating supply chain risk by utilizing multiple suppliers for a commodity to avoid significant dependence on any single supplier. Although an interruption of these supplies and components could disrupt our operations, we believe generally that alternative sources of supply exist and could be readily arranged. We have, on occasion, increased our safety stock in certain components in order to mitigate a potential disruption to our operations resulting from an anticipated shortage of these same components. The Company has not experienced any significant supply chain problems in recent years. With regard to price fluctuations of our raw material and component purchases, the price risk for materials the Company purchases is related to price increases in commodity items that affect all users of the materials, including the Company’s competitors. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, the raw material component of cost of goods sold subject to price risk was approximately $226.3 million. The Company does not actively hedge or use derivative instruments to manage its risk in this area. The Company does, however, seek and qualify new suppliers, negotiate with existing suppliers, and arranges stocking agreements to mitigate risk of supply and price increases. The Company’s Lighting Segment has implemented price increases with customers to offset raw material price increases. The Company’s Display Solutions Segment generally establishes new sales prices, reflective of the then current raw material prices, for each program as it begins with further price increases throughout the life of the program when warranted.

Foreign Currency Translation Risk

The Company has minimal foreign currency risk with respect to its Mexican and Canadian subsidiaries. The sales transacted by these subsidiaries in pesos and Canadian dollars combined represents approximately 4% of the Company’s fiscal 2022 consolidated net sales. All other business conducted by the Company is in U.S. dollars.

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Index to Financial Statements 

Schedules other than those listed above are omitted for the reason(s) that they are either not applicable or not required or because the information required is contained in the financial statements or notes thereto. Selected quarterly financial data is found in Note 15 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

Not applicable.

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within required time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

We conducted, under the supervision of our management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act. Based upon our evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of June 30, 2023, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective. Management believes that the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are fairly presented in all material respects in accordance with U.S GAAP, and the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have certified that, based on their knowledge, the consolidated financial statements included in this report fairly present in all material respects the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, statement of shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the periods presented in this report.

Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting appearing on page 30 of this report is incorporated by reference in this Item 9A.

Changes in Internal Control

There have been no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2023, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. See Management’s Report On Internal Control Over Financial Reporting on page 30.

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION

During the three months ended June 30, 2023, none of our directors or officers (as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) informed us of the adoption or termination of a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” or “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement,” as defined in Item 408 of Regulation S-K.

ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS

Not applicable.

PART III

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Information about our directors and officers may be found under the captions “Nominees for Board of Directors” and “Executive Officers” in our Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held November 1, 2023 (the “Proxy Statement”). Information about our Audit Committee may be found under the caption “Committees of the Board” in the Proxy Statement. That information is incorporated herein by reference.

We have adopted a code of ethics that applies to all of our employees, including our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer, and other finance organization employees. The code of ethics is publicly available on our website at lsicorp.com. If we make any substantive amendments to the code of ethics or grant any waiver, including any implicit waiver, from a provision of the code to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, or Chief Accounting Officer, we will disclose the nature of the amendment or waiver on that website or in a report on Form 8-K.

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The information in the Proxy Statement set forth under the captions “Director Compensation,” “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” “Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation,” and “Compensation Committee Report” is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

The information in the Proxy Statement set forth under the captions “Security Ownership,” and “Equity Compensation Plan Information” is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the captions “Corporate Governance” and “Related Person Transactions” is incorporated herein by reference.

LSI INDUSTRIES INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

For the years ended June 30, 2023, and 2022

(In thousands, except per share data)

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

LSI INDUSTRIES INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

For the years ended June 30, 2023, and 2022

(In thousands)

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

LSI INDUSTRIES INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

June 30, 2023, and 2022

(In thousands, except shares)

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

LSI INDUSTRIES INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (continued)

June 30, 2023, and 2022

(In thousands, except shares)

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

LSI INDUSTRIES INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

For the years ended June 30, 2023, and 2022

(amounts in thousands)

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

LSI INDUSTRIES INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

For the years ended June 30, 2023, and 2022
(In thousands)

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

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTE 1 — SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Consolidation:

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of LSI Industries Inc. (an Ohio corporation) and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”), all of which are wholly owned. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Revenue Recognition:

The Company recognizes revenue when it satisfies the performance obligation in its customer contracts or purchase orders. Most of the Company’s products have a single performance obligation which is satisfied at a point in time when control is transferred to the customer. Control is generally transferred at time of shipment when title and risk of ownership passes to the customer. For customer contracts with multiple performance obligations, the Company allocates the transaction price and any discounts to each performance obligation based on relative standalone selling prices. Payment terms are typically within 30 to 90 days from the shipping date, depending on the terms with the customer. The Company offers standard warranties that do not represent separate performance obligations.

Installation is a separate performance obligation, except for the Company’s digital signage products. For digital signage products, installation is not a separate performance obligation as the product and installation is the combined item promised in digital signage contracts. The Company is not always responsible for installation of products it sells and has no post-installation responsibilities other than standard warranties.

A number of the Company's display solutions and select lighting products are customized for specific customers. As a result, these customized products do not have an alternative use. For these products, the Company has a legal right to payment for performance to date and generally does not accept returns on these items. The measurement of performance is based upon cost plus a reasonable profit margin for work completed. Because there is no alternative use and there is a legal right to payment, the Company transfers control of the item as the item is being produced and therefore, recognizes revenue over time. The customized product types are as follows:

The Company also offers installation services for its display solutions elements and select lighting products. Installation revenue is recognized over time as the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits provided through the installation process.

For these customized products and installation services, revenue is recognized using a cost-based input method: recognizing revenue and gross profit as work is performed based on the relationship between the actual cost incurred and the total estimated cost for the performance obligation.

On occasion, the Company enters into bill-and-hold arrangements on a limited basis. Each bill-and-hold arrangement is reviewed and revenue is recognized only when certain criteria have been met: (1) the customer has requested delayed delivery and storage of the products by the Company because the customer wants to secure a supply of the products but lacks storage space; (ii) the risk of ownership has passed to the customer; (iii) the products are segregated from the Company’s other inventory items held for sale; (iv) the products are ready for shipment to the customer; and (v) the Company does not have the ability to use the products or direct them to another customer.

Disaggregation of Revenue

The Company disaggregates the revenue from contracts with customers by the timing of revenue recognition because the Company believes it best depicts the nature, amount, and timing of its revenue and cash flows. The table below presents a reconciliation of the disaggregation by reportable segments:

Practical Expedients and Exemptions

Credit and Collections:

The Company maintains allowances for credit losses for probable estimated losses resulting from either customer disputes or the inability of its customers to make required payments. If the financial condition of the Company’s customers were to deteriorate, resulting in their inability to make the required payments, the Company may be required to record additional allowances or charges against income. The Company determines its allowance for credit losses by first considering all known collectability problems of customers’ accounts, and then applying certain percentages against the various aging categories based on the due date of the remaining receivables. The resulting allowance for credit losses is an estimate based upon the Company’s knowledge of its business and customer base, the current economic climate, and historical trends. Receivables deemed uncollectable are written-off against the allowance for credit losses after all reasonable collection efforts have been exhausted. The Company also establishes allowances, at the time revenue is recognized, for returns, discounts, pricing, and other possible customer deductions. These allowances are based upon historical trends. The following table presents the Company’s net accounts receivable at the dates indicated.