SANFILIPPO JOHN B & SON INC - Annual Report: 2020 (Form 10-K)

10-K,

fifty-two

 

 

Form 10-K,

10-Q,

8-K

10-K

10-K.

(847) 289-1800,

We operate in a single reporting unit and operating segment that consists of selling various nut and nut related products through three distribution channels. See Part II, Item 8 — “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for our net sales, net income and total assets.

 

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Our principal products are raw and processed nuts. These products accounted for approximately 74%, 78% and 79% of our gross sales for fiscal 2020, fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2018, respectively. The nut product line includes almonds, pecans, peanuts, black walnuts, English walnuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, pistachios, pine nuts, Brazil nuts and filberts. Our nut products are sold in numerous package styles and sizes and we offer our nut products in a variety of different styles and seasonings. We sell our products domestically to retailers and wholesalers as well as to commercial ingredient and contract packaging customers. We also sell certain of our products to foreign customers in the retail, contract packaging and commercial ingredient markets. For more information about our revenues in our various distribution channels, see Part II, Item 8 — “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data”.

We acquire all of our peanuts and walnuts directly from domestic growers. The majority of our pecans are acquired from domestic growers with the remainder acquired from growers in Mexico. We purchase the balance of our raw nuts from importers, trading companies and domestic processors.

We manufacture and market peanut butter in several sizes and varieties. We also market and distribute, and in many cases process and manufacture, a wide assortment of other food and snack products. These other products include snack mixes, salad toppings, snacks, snack bites, trail mixes, dried fruit and chocolate and yogurt coated products sold to retailers and wholesalers; baking ingredients sold to retailers, wholesalers, and commercial ingredient customers; bulk food products sold to retail and commercial ingredient users; an assortment of sunflower kernels, pepitas, snack mixes, almond butter, cashew butter, candy and confections, corn snacks, chickpea snacks, sesame sticks and other sesame snack products sold to retail supermarkets, mass merchandisers and commercial ingredient users and a wide variety of toppings for ice cream and yogurt sold to commercial ingredient users.

nut-based

nut-based

nut-based

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Wal-Mart

We market our products through our own sales department and through a network of approximately 60 independent brokers and various independent distributors and suppliers, including group purchasing organizations.

We distribute products from each of our principal facilities. The majority of our products are shipped from our facilities by contract and common carriers.

 

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Marketing strategies are developed for each distribution channel and focus primarily on branded products. Branded consumer efforts concentrate on building brand awareness, developing, identifying and introducing new products, attracting new customers, increasing distribution and increasing consumption in the snack nut, recipe nut and produce categories. Private brand and commercial ingredient channel efforts are focused on category management, new product identification and introduction, brand awareness and merchandising support.

Through participation in several trade associations, funding of industry research and sponsorship of educational programs, we support efforts to increase awareness of the health benefits, convenience and versatility of nuts as both a snack and a recipe ingredient among existing and future consumers of nuts.

Our nuts and other snack food products compete against products manufactured and sold by numerous other companies in the snack food industry, some of whom are substantially larger and have greater resources than us. In the nut industry, we compete with, among others, The Kraft Heinz Company (Planters brand) and numerous regional snack food processors. We also compete with the Diamond brand, among others. Competitive factors in our markets include price, product quality, customer service, breadth of product line, brand name awareness, method of distribution and sales promotion. The combination of our generally vertically integrated operating model with respect to pecans, peanuts and walnuts, our product quality, product offering, brand strength, innovation, distribution model and our focus on nut and nut related products generally enable us to compete in each of these categories, but there can be no guarantee that our products will continue to be competitive with many of our larger competitors. See Part I, Item 1A — “Risk Factors”.

We purchase nuts from domestic and foreign sources. In fiscal 2020, all of our walnuts, almonds and peanuts were purchased from domestic sources. We purchase our pecans from the southern United States and Mexico. Cashew nuts are imported from Vietnam and certain West African countries. For fiscal 2020, approximately 35% of the dollar value of our total nut purchases was from foreign sources.

end-user.

We are generally vertically integrated with respect to pecans, peanuts and walnuts and, unlike our major consumer distribution channel competitors who purchase nuts on the open market, we purchase a substantial portion of our pecans, peanuts and walnuts directly from growers. However, there are risks associated with vertical integration, such as susceptibility to market price volatility for pecans, peanuts and walnuts. See Part I, Item 1A — “Risk Factors”.

Due, in part, to the seasonal nature of the industry, we maintain significant inventories of peanuts, pecans and walnuts at certain times of the year, especially in the second and third quarters of our fiscal year. Fluctuations in the market price of pecans, peanuts and walnuts and other nuts may affect the value of our inventory and thus may also affect our gross profit and gross profit margin. See Part I, Item 1A — “Risk Factors”.

 

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stand-up

As of June 25, 2020, we had approximately 1,370 full-time employees, including approximately 260 corporate staff employees.

Our business is seasonal. Demand for peanut and tree nut products is highest during the last four months of the calendar year. Peanuts, pecans and walnuts, three of our principal raw materials, are primarily purchased between September and February and are processed throughout the year until the following harvest. As a result of this seasonality, our personnel requirements rise during the second quarter of our fiscal year. Our working capital requirements generally peak during the third quarter of our fiscal year.

Because the time between order and shipment is usually less than three weeks, we believe that any backlog as of a particular date is not material to an understanding of our business as a whole.

The sale of food products for human consumption involves the risk of injury to consumers as a result of product contamination or spoilage, including the presence of shell fragments, foreign objects, insects, foreign substances, pathogens, chemicals, aflatoxin and other hazards, agents or residues introduced during the growing, storage, handling or transportation phases. We (i) maintain what we believe to be rigid quality control standards and food safety systems that is evident in our Safe Quality Food (“SQF”) certification at each manufacturing facility, (ii) generally inspect our nut and other food products by visual examination, screening, metal detectors or electronic monitors at various stages of our shelling and processing operations, (iii) work with the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) in its inspection of peanuts shipped to and from our peanut shelling facilities, (iv) maintain robust environmental pathogen programs, (v) seek to comply with the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act by labeling each product that we sell with labels that disclose the nutritional value and content of each of our products and (vi) assure compliance with the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) Food Safety Modernization Act (“FSMA”) through our comprehensive Food Safety Plans which include following Current Good Manufacturing Practices and control biological, chemical and physical hazards through our Process, Sanitation, Allergen and Supply Chain Preventative Controls; however, no assurance can be given that some nut or other food products sold by us may not contain or develop harmful substances. In order to mitigate this risk, we strive to select high-quality nut suppliers and currently maintain product liability and contaminated product insurance at amounts we believe are adequate in light of our operations.

 

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10-K,

The availability and cost of raw materials for the production of our products, including peanuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pine nuts and other nuts are subject to crop size and yield fluctuations caused by factors beyond our control. These factors include weather conditions, natural disasters (including floods, droughts, frosts, earthquakes and hurricanes), changing climate patterns, plant diseases, foreign currency fluctuations, trade agreements, tariffs and embargos, import/export controls, political change and unrest, changes in global customer demand, pandemics and disease, changes in government agricultural programs, federal and state government mandates related to the preceding or otherwise and purchasing behavior of certain countries, including China and India. Additionally, any determination by the USDA or other government agencies that certain pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals used by growers have left harmful residues on portions of the crop, any portion of the crop has been contaminated by aflatoxin or other agents or any future product recalls for other reasons could reduce the supply of edible nuts and other raw materials used in our products and could cause our costs to increase significantly.

Because these raw materials are commodities, their prices are set by the market and can therefore fluctuate quickly and dramatically due to varied events, such as those described above. Furthermore, we are not able to hedge against changes in nut commodity prices because no appropriate futures, derivative or other risk-sharing market for these commodities exists and we cannot create such a market. Consequently, in order to achieve or maintain profitability levels, we attempt to increase the prices of our products to reflect the increase in the costs of the raw materials that we use and sell. However, we may not be successful in passing along partial or full price increases to our customers, if at all. In addition, even if we are successful in passing across partial or full price increases, we may not be able to do so in a timely fashion. Our ability to raise prices and the timing of any price increases is often dependent upon the actions of our competitors, some of whom are significantly larger and more diversified than we are or own farms which produce the raw materials. Additionally, any such product price increase that we are able to pass along to our customers may ultimately reduce the demand for, and sales of, our products as customers reduce purchases or buy lower priced products. Alternatively, if the prices of any raw materials significantly decrease, and we have inventories of such materials on hand, we may be unable to reduce product prices without impacting our gross margin. Any competitors who purchase such material on the open market or own the farms which produce the raw materials may be able to reduce prices in a more timely manner, and we could lose market share to such competitors. Any one or more of the foregoing aspects may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

Moreover, fluctuations in the market prices of nuts may affect the value of our inventories, margins and profitability. We maintain significant inventories of nuts, and our financial condition could be materially and adversely affected by any significant decrease in the market price of such raw materials. We enter into fixed price commitments with a portion of our commercial ingredient customers and certain other customers. The commitments are for a fixed period of time, typically three months to twelve months, but may be extended if remaining balances exist. Such commitments with a term of six months or more represented approximately 4% of our annual net sales in fiscal 2020. Sometimes we enter into fixed price commitments with respect to certain of our nut products before fixing our acquisition costs in order to maintain customer relationships or when, in management’s judgment, market or crop harvest conditions so warrant. To the extent we do so and our fixed prices are not properly aligned with our acquisition costs, these fixed price commitments may result in reduced or negative gross profit margins, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Some customer buying decisions, including some of our largest customers, are based upon a periodic bidding process in which the single, successful bidder is assured the selling of the selected product to the food retailer, supercenter or mass merchandiser until the next bidding process to the exclusion of other bidders. Our sales volume may decrease significantly if our bids are too high and we lose the ability to sell products through these channels, even temporarily. Alternatively, we risk reducing our margins if our bids are

 

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successful, but below our desired price points. In addition, our margins could be further reduced if commodity prices subsequently rise and customers are unwilling or unable to accept price increases. Should any of our significant customers elect to introduce or expand their private brand programs, and we do not participate in such programs or the programs directly compete against our branded products, our sales volume and margins could be negatively impacted. Any of these outcomes may materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Although demand for private brand snack nut products (and our private brand snack nut products in particular) has increased, our competitors’ branded snack nut products have certain advantages over our private brand snack nut products primarily due to their advertising strategies, perceived product attributes, name recognition and pricing flexibility.

In addition, many of our competitors with significant branded operations have more diversified product offerings among a wider variety of food categories than we have. Such competitors could, as a result of their size or diversified offerings, be in a better position to decrease their prices or offer better promotions for their branded snack nut products. If competitors are able to exploit their size or diversification to make significant price reductions and offer better promotions, it could decrease our private brand snack nut sales, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

Our financial performance depends in part on our ability to anticipate and offer products to our customers that appeal to their preferences. Consumer preferences, whether for branded products or private brand products, or how consumers purchase such products and the quantity or volume sizes of such products, can quickly change based on a number of factors beyond our control. If we fail to anticipate, identify or react quickly to these changes and are unable to develop and market new and improved products to meet consumer preferences, demand for our products could suffer. In addition, demand for our products could be affected by consumer concerns regarding the labeling, manner of preparing our products or concerns with respect to the health effects of nutrients or ingredients in any of our products. The development and introduction of new products or alteration of existing products requires substantial research and development, testing and marketing expenditures, which we may be unable to recover fully if the new products do not achieve the necessary commercial success. New product introduction also results in increased costs, including from the use of new manufacturing techniques, capital expenditures, new raw materials and ingredients, revision of packaging and labeling and additional marketing and trade spending. Consumers are also purchasing food products outside traditional retail supermarkets, including via the Internet. If we are unable to provide our customers with our products outside traditional retail supermarkets, supercenters and club stores, demand for our products could suffer and/or we will be unable to grow our business. Reduction in demand as a result of changing consumer preferences or inability to provide consumers with products they demand could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Our ability to develop, maintain and continually enhance the value of our Company and our branded products is critical to improving our operating and financial performance and implementing our Strategic Plan. The value of our Company and our branded products is based in large part on the degree to which consumers react and respond positively to our operations and our brands. Positive views of our Company and our brand value could diminish significantly due to a number of factors, including consumer perception that we have acted in an irresponsible or reckless manner, negative perception about the actions or values of our Company, adverse publicity about our products and Company operations (whether actual or fictitious), product recalls or our failure to maintain the quality of our products, the failure of our products to deliver consistently positive consumer experiences, concerns about food safety or allergies or our products becoming unavailable to consumers.

 

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In addition, our success in enhancing the value of our Company and our branded products depends on our ability to adapt to a rapidly changing media environment. We increasingly rely on social media and online advertising campaigns as well as advertising outside of traditional print and television channels. Negative posts or comments (whether actual or fictitious) about us or the type of products we produce, market or sell on online social networks, product review sites or similar online activity could seriously impact consumer demand for our products. We are subject to a variety of legal and regulatory restrictions on how we market and advertise our products. These restrictions may limit our ability to respond as the media and communications environment continues to evolve. If we do not react appropriately, then our product sales, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

We have a generally vertically integrated nut processing operation that enables us to control almost every step of the process for pecans, peanuts and walnuts, including procurement from growers. Our generally vertically integrated model has in the past resulted, and may in the future result, in significant losses because we are subject to the various risks associated with purchasing a majority of our pecans, peanuts and walnuts directly from growers, including the risk of purchasing such products from growers at costs that later, due to altered market conditions, prove to be above prevailing market prices at time of sale. Accordingly, because we purchase a majority of our pecans, peanuts and walnuts directly from growers during harvest season and shell and process these nuts throughout our fiscal year, there is a possibility that, after we acquire these nuts, market conditions may change. Depending on these changing market conditions, we may be forced to sell these nuts at reduced prices relative to our acquisition costs, or even at a loss which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

We operate in a highly competitive environment. The principal areas of competition are, among others, brand recognition, taste, flavor, quality, packaging, price, advertising, promotion, convenience and service. Our principal products compete against food and snack products manufactured and sold by numerous regional, national and international companies, some of which are substantially larger and have greater resources than us, such as The Kraft Heinz Company (Planters brand). Most of our competitors that sell and market the other top branded snack nut products have committed more financial, marketing and other resources to such brands when compared to the resources spent by us on our brands. Additionally, many retail customers have continued to emphasize their own private label offerings as a key part of their strategy and may develop or expand their own private label nut and nut product offerings, to the exclusion of our branded products. Several other smaller competitors may be able to focus on faster-growing, niche markets that we are unable to market effectively to or otherwise sell to due to our size and operations. Many of our competitors buy their nuts on the open market and are thus not exposed to the risks of purchasing inshell pecans, peanuts and walnuts directly from growers at fixed prices that later, due to altered market conditions, may prove to be above prevailing market prices. We also compete with other shellers in the commercial ingredient market and with regional processors in the retail and wholesale markets. In order to maintain or increase our market share, we must continue to price our products competitively and spend on marketing, advertising, new product innovation and shelf placement and slotting fees, which may cause a decline in gross profit margin if we are unable to increase sales volume as well as reduce our costs, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We are dependent on a few significant customers for a large portion of our total net sales, particularly in the consumer channel. Sales to our five largest customers represented approximately 60%, 59% and 60% of net sales in fiscal 2020, fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2018, respectively. There can be no assurance that all significant customers will continue to purchase our products in the same quantities, same product mix or on the same terms as in the past, particularly as increasingly powerful retailers demand lower pricing, different packaging, larger marketing support, payments for retail space, establish private brands or request other terms of sale which negatively impact our profitability. Many of our largest customers emphasize sales at physical locations and a significant shift to Internet sales may impact the amount and types of products they purchase from us. A loss of one of our largest customers, a material decrease in purchases by one of our largest customers, the inability to collect a receivable from or a significant business interruption at one of our largest customers would result in decreased sales and would materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

At June 25, 2020, we had goodwill of $9.6 million and other intangible assets of $12.1 million, net. The net carrying value of goodwill represents the fair value of acquired businesses in excess of identifiable assets and liabilities as of the acquisition date (or subsequent impairment date, if applicable). The net carrying value of other intangibles represents the fair value of customer relationships, brand

 

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names, and other acquired intangibles as of the acquisition date (or subsequent impairment date, if applicable), net of accumulated amortization. Goodwill is not amortized but must be evaluated by management at least annually for impairment. Amortized intangible assets are evaluated for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstance indicate that the carrying amounts of these assets may not be recoverable. Impairments to goodwill and other intangible assets may be caused by factors outside our control, such as increasing competitive pricing pressures, lower than expected revenue and profit growth rates, changes in industry earnings multiples, changes in discount rates based on changes in cost of capital (interest rates, etc.) or the bankruptcy of a significant customer and could result in the incurrence of impairment charges and negatively impact our net worth.

As the retail grocery trade continues to consolidate and our retail customers grow larger, become more sophisticated and obtain more purchasing power, our retail customers are demanding lower pricing, especially private brand customers, and increased free or discounted promotional programs. Further, these retail customers may begin to place a greater emphasis on the lowest-cost supplier in making purchasing decisions, especially during periods of increased or variable raw material acquisition costs. An increased focus on the lowest-cost supplier could reduce the benefits of some of our competitive advantages, which include a focus on customer service, innovation, production capacity, category management and quality. As the retail environment consolidates, many customers are reducing inventories or focusing on a limited number of brands (often the number one or number two brand by market share) in making purchasing decisions. In addition, certain customers in the retail channel, such as dollar stores and other discount sellers, have become increasingly sophisticated and may demand similar pricing to retail grocery customers. As part of the retail consolidation trend, diversified companies with substantial Internet presences have increased their food offerings or purchased retail supermarkets to expand their grocery business, particularly as such companies focus on food delivery direct to consumers. Such companies have substantial pricing power and may focus on their products to the exclusion of our products. If we fail to respond to these trends, our sales volume growth could suffer, and it may become necessary to lower our prices and increase promotional support of our products, any of which would materially and adversely affect our gross profit and gross profit margin and could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

If consumers in our principal markets lose confidence in the health or safety of nut products, particularly with respect to peanut and tree nut allergies, food borne illnesses, processes, ingredients and packaging used in the manufacturing process or other food safety matters, this could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Individuals with nut allergies may be at risk of serious illness or death resulting from the consumption of our nut products, including consumption of other companies’ products containing our products as an ingredient. Notwithstanding our existing food safety controls, we process peanuts and tree nuts on the same equipment, and there is no guarantee that our other products will not be cross-contaminated. Concerns generated by risks of peanut and tree nut cross-contamination and other food safety matters, including food borne illnesses, may discourage consumers from buying our products, cause production and delivery disruptions or result in product recalls. Product safety issues (i) concerning products not manufactured, distributed or sold by us and (ii) concerning products we manufacture, distribute and sell may materially and adversely affect demand for products in the nut industry as a whole, including products without actual safety problems. Decreases in demand for products in the industry generally could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the cooling system at our Elgin, Illinois facility utilizes ammonia. If a leak in the system were to occur, there is a possibility that the inventory in cold storage at our Elgin, Illinois facility could be destroyed which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We face risks associated with product liability claims, product recalls and other liabilities in the event: (i) our food safety and quality control procedures are ineffective or fail, (ii) we procure products from third parties that are or become subject to a recall, regardless of whether or not our food safety and quality control procedures are ineffective or fail, (iii) our products cause injury or become adulterated or misbranded, (iv) our products are determined to be promoted or labeled in a misleading fashion or do not contain required labeling, (v) government authorities test our products and determine that they contain a contaminant or present a food safety risk, (vi) our products are tampered with, (vii) one of our competitors is subject to claims, recalls or other liabilities involving products similar to ours or (viii) federal, state or other government agencies or courts determine that our products could pose health risks or contain potentially harmful chemicals or other substances. In recent years, the food industry has been a target of litigation over product labeling and advertising, including nut products. Such litigation results in significant costs to defend and resolve. In addition, we do not control the labeling of other companies’ products containing our products as an ingredient. A product recall of a sufficient quantity, a significant product liability judgment against us, a significant advertising-related liability or other safety concerns (whether

 

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re-label

re-package

non-compete

We are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA, the USDA, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and other state, local and foreign authorities in jurisdictions where our products are manufactured, processed or sold. We are also subject to California’s Proposition 65, which requires that clear and reasonable warnings be given to consumers who are exposed to certain chemicals deemed by the state of California to be dangerous. Among other things, these regulations govern the manufacturing, importation, processing, packaging, storage, distribution, advertising and labeling of our products. Our manufacturing and processing facilities and products are subject to periodic compliance inspections by federal, state, local and foreign authorities. We are also subject to environmental regulations governing the discharge of air emissions, water and food waste, the usage and storage of pesticides, and the generation, handling, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste materials. Amendments to existing statutes and regulations, adoption of new statutes and regulations, increased production at our existing facilities as well as our expansion into new operations and jurisdictions may require us to obtain additional licenses and permits and could require us to adapt or alter methods of operations at costs that could be substantial. Compliance with applicable laws and regulations may be time-consuming, expensive or costly to us in different ways and could materially and adversely affect our results of operations. Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations could subject us to civil remedies, including fines, injunctions, recalls or seizures, as well as possible criminal sanctions, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

The FSMA gives the FDA expanded authorities over the safety of the national food supply, including increased inspections and mandatory recalls, as well as stricter enforcement actions, each of which could result in additional compliance costs and civil remedies, including fines, injunctions, withdrawals, recalls or seizures and confiscations. The FSMA further instructed the FDA to develop new rules and regulations, including the performance of hazard analyses, implementation of preventive plans to control hazards, and foreign supplier verification provisions. We currently have “hazard analysis and critical control points” (“HACCP”) procedures in place that may appropriately address many of the existing or future concerns as a result of FSMA. HACCP is a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product.

We are a publicly traded company and subject to changing rules and regulations of federal and state governments as well as other regulatory entities. These entities, including the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the SEC, the Department of Justice and the Nasdaq Global Select Market, have issued a significant number of new and increasingly complex requirements and regulations over the last several years and continue to develop additional regulations and requirements in response to laws enacted by Congress. Our efforts to comply with these requirements have resulted in, and are likely to continue to result in, an increase in expenses and a diversion of management’s time from other business activities. Failure to comply with any law or regulation could subject us to civil or criminal remedies, including fines and injunctions, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

 

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Approximately 35% of the dollar value of our total nut purchases for fiscal 2020 were made from foreign countries. We purchase our cashews from Vietnam and certain West African countries and some of our pecans from Mexico. To this extent, we are exposed to various risks inherent in emerging markets, including increased governmental ownership and regulation of the economy, greater likelihood of inflation and adverse economic conditions, governmental attempts to control inflation, such as setting interest rates and maintaining wage and price controls, supply reduction into the United States from increased demand in foreign countries, international competition, compliance with, and subjection to, foreign laws, including our ability to protect our intellectual property, such as our brands, compliance with U.S. laws and regulations related to conduct in foreign countries, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, currency exchange rates, potential for contractual defaults or forced renegotiations on purchase contracts with limited legal recourse, tariffs, quotas, duties, import and export restrictions and other barriers to trade that may reduce our profitability or sales and civil unrest, armed hostilities and significant political instability.

The existence of risks in emerging markets and other foreign countries could jeopardize or limit our ability to purchase sufficient supplies of cashews, pecans and other imported raw materials and limit our ability to make international sales, and may materially and adversely affect our results of operations by increasing the costs of doing business overseas.

We acquire our inshell nut inventories of pecans, peanuts and walnuts from growers and farmers in large quantities at harvest times, which are primarily during the second and third quarters of our fiscal year, and receive nut shipments in bulk truckloads. The weights of these nuts are measured using truck scales at the time of receipt, and inventories are recorded on the basis of those measurements. The nuts are then stored in bulk in large warehouses to be shelled or processed throughout the year. Bulk-stored nut inventories are relieved on the basis of continuous high-speed bulk weighing systems as the nuts are shelled or processed or on the basis of calculations derived from the weight of the shelled nuts that are produced. While we perform various procedures periodically to confirm the accuracy of our bulk-stored nut inventories, these inventories are estimates that must be periodically adjusted to account for positive or negative variations in quantities and yields, and such adjustments directly affect earnings. The quantities of each crop year bulk-stored nut inventories are generally shelled out over a ten to fifteen-month period, at which time revisions to any estimates, which historically averaged less than 1.0% of inventory purchases, are also recorded. The precise amount of our bulk-stored nut inventories is not known until the entire quantity of the particular nut is depleted, which may not necessarily occur every year. Prior crop year inventories may still be on hand as the new crop year inventories are purchased. The majority of bulk-stored nut inventories at June 25, 2020 will be processed during the first half of fiscal 2021 and any adjustment to our bulk stored nut inventory quantity will be recorded at that time. There can be no assurance that any bulk stored nut inventory quantity adjustments will not have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in the future.

As of August 19, 2020, Jeffrey T. Sanfilippo, Jasper B. Sanfilippo, Jr., Lisa A. Sanfilippo, John E. Sanfilippo and James J. Sanfilippo (the “Sanfilippo Group”) own or control Common Stock (one vote per share) and Class A Stock (ten votes per share on all matters other than the election of Common Stock directors) representing approximately a 50.9% voting interest in the Company. As of August 19, 2020, Michael J. Valentine and Mathias A. Valentine (the “Valentine Group”) own or control Common Stock (one vote per share) and Class A Stock (ten votes per share on all matters other than the election of Common Stock directors) representing approximately a 23.9% voting interest in the Company. In addition, the Sanfilippo Group and the Valentine Group as holders of the Class A Stock are entitled to elect six Class A Directors which represents 67% of our entire Board of Directors. As a result, the Sanfilippo Group and the Valentine Group together are able to direct the election of a majority of the members to the Board of Directors. In addition, the Sanfilippo Group is able to exert certain influence on our business, or take certain actions, that cannot be counteracted by another stockholder or group of stockholders. The Sanfilippo Group is able to determine the outcome of nearly all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders, including any amendments to our certificate of incorporation or bylaws. The Sanfilippo Group has the power to prevent or cause dividends, or a change in control or sale of the Company, which may or may not be in the best interests of other stockholders, and can take other actions that may be less favorable to other stockholders and more favorable to the Sanfilippo Group, subject to applicable legal limitations, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

 

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In addition, several members of the Sanfilippo Group that beneficially own a significant interest in our Company have pledged a substantial portion of the Company’s Class A Stock that they own to secure loans made to them by financial institutions. If a stockholder defaults on any of its obligations under these pledge agreements or the related loan documents, these banks may have the right to sell the pledged shares. Such a sale could cause our Company’s stock price to decline. Many of the occurrences that could result in a foreclosure of the pledged shares are out of our control and are unrelated to our operations. Because these shares are pledged to secure loans, the occurrence of an event of default could result in a sale of pledged shares that could cause a change of control of our Company, even when such a change may not be in the best interests of our stockholders, and it could also result in a default under certain material contracts to which we are a party, including an event of default under the Credit Agreement by and among the Company, Wells Fargo Capital Finance (f/k/a Wells Fargo Foothill, LLC), as the arranger and administrative agent and a syndicate of lenders, dated February 7, 2008 and subsequently amended and restated in March 2020 (as amended and restated, the “Credit Facility”), which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our results are dependent on controlling a variety of costs, including, among other expenses, transportation costs, production costs and insurance costs. In recent years and again during the summer of 2020, we have experienced variability in transportation costs due to additional demand in shipping by a variety of market participants, a general shortage of drivers, partially due to health and safety concerns, lower unemployment, and federal regulations, which require increased monitoring of driving time using electronic monitoring technology. In addition to transportation costs, we have at times experienced increased commodity or raw material costs, increased packaging material prices, higher general water, energy and fuel costs, and increased insurance costs, such as for property insurance and directors’ and officers’ insurance. We also have recently been required to self-insure some of our risks due to certain increased insurance premiums. Maintaining the prices of our products, initiating price increases (including passing along price increases for commodities used in our products) and increasing the demand for our products (especially when prices for our products are decreasing due to commodity price decreases), all of which are important to our plans to increase profitability, may be materially and adversely affected or undermined by such increases in production and operation costs. Material and sustained increases in any of the foregoing costs could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We have been the subject of litigation and investigations in the past, and we may become the subject of litigation and investigations in the future, which may include lawsuits or claims related to contracts, intellectual property, product recalls, product liability, the marketing and labeling of products, employment matters, wage and hour matters, environmental matters or other aspects of our business. Plaintiffs or regulatory bodies could seek recovery of very large or indeterminate amounts, and the magnitude of the potential loss relating to lawsuits and investigations is difficult to estimate accurately. Additionally, many of our customer contracts require us to indemnify and assume the defense of any third party claim against the customer, increasing the risk of litigation related to our operations. Regardless of whether any claims against us are valid, or whether we are ultimately held liable, such litigation and investigations may be expensive to defend and may divert time, money and management attention away from our operations and negatively impact our financial performance. We maintain insurance in amounts we believe to be adequate based on our business operations. However, we may incur claims or liabilities for which we are not insured, that exceed the amount of our insurance coverage or that our insurers may raise various objections and exceptions to coverage. A judgment or settlement for significant monetary damages or requiring other significant changes to our business or assets could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Any adverse publicity resulting from allegations or investigations may also adversely affect our reputation and the reputation of our products, which in turn could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

non-public

 

11

In addition, we have outsourced several information technology support services and administrative functions to third-party service providers and may outsource other functions in the future to achieve cost savings and efficiencies. If the service providers to which we outsource these functions do not perform effectively, we may not be able to achieve the expected cost savings and may have to incur additional costs to correct errors made by such service providers. Depending on the function involved, such errors may also lead to business disruption, processing inefficiencies, the loss of or damage to intellectual property through security breach, the loss of sensitive data through security breach, or otherwise. While we or any third party service provider have not experienced any significant disruption, failure or breach impacting our information technology systems, any such disruption, failure or breach could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

know-how

In addition, we may be unaware of intellectual property rights of others that may cover some of our technology, brands or products. Any disputes regarding patents or other intellectual property could be costly and time-consuming and could divert the attention of our management and key personnel from our business operations. Third party claims of intellectual property infringement might also require us to enter into costly license agreements. We also may be subject to significant damages or injunctions against development and sale of certain products if found to be liable for infringing activity. Any such activities could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

non-branded

 

12

Any inability to realize the anticipated benefits from the Strategic Plan could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

COVID-19

Although we consider our labor relations to be good, if a significant number of our employees engaged in a work slowdown, or other type of labor unrest, it could in some cases impair our ability to supply our products to customers, which could result in reduced sales, and may distract our management from focusing on our business and strategic priorities. Any of these activities could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Although the Board of Directors has adopted a dividend policy under which the Company intends to pay a regular annual cash dividend on its Common Stock and Class A Stock, whether any such subsequent dividend (or any special dividend) is declared and the timing and amount thereof is subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors. Decisions of the Board of Directors in respect of dividends will be based on a variety of factors, including the cash flows, earnings and financial position of the Company as well as the borrowing availability and other restrictions under our Credit Facility. The Board of Directors is not required to declare dividends and the number and amount of dividends is restricted under our Credit Facility and could be restricted under future financing or other arrangements. The Board of Directors will also regularly review and may modify or terminate our dividend policy. Accordingly, we cannot provide any assurances that our Company will pay annual or special cash dividends in the future, and if so, the amount or timing thereof. Any reduction in or elimination of our dividend policy or dividend payments could have a negative effect on the price of our Common Stock.

(COVID-19)

COVID-19

COVID-19

COVID-19

 

13

COVID-19

COVID-19

COVID-19

COVID-19.

COVID-19,

Although our suppliers are currently providing us with adequate amounts of raw materials and packaging necessary to meet recent increased demand or customary demand levels, there is no guarantee that such suppliers will continue to do so in the future on the same terms or at all. If we fail to obtain necessary raw materials and packaging, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

 

14

None.

We own or lease five principal production facilities. Our primary processing and distribution facility is located at our Elgin, Illinois site which also houses our primary manufacturing operations and corporate headquarters (the “Elgin Site”). The remaining principal production facilities are located in Bainbridge, Georgia; Garysburg, North Carolina; Selma, Texas and Gustine, California. In addition, we operate a retail store at the Elgin Site.

As described below in Part II, Item 7 — “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources”, the Mortgage Facility (as defined below) is secured by mortgages on essentially all of our owned real property located in Elgin, Illinois, Gustine, California and Garysburg, North Carolina.

We believe that our facilities are generally well maintained and in good operating condition.

The following table provides certain information regarding our principal facilities:

 

 

 

15

Our principal production facilities are equipped with modern processing and packaging machinery and equipment.

The Selma facility contains our automated pecan shelling and bulk packaging operation. The facility’s pecan shelling production lines currently have the capacity to shell in excess of 90 million inshell pounds of pecans annually. During fiscal 2020, we processed approximately 29 million inshell pounds of pecans at the Selma facility. The quantity of pecans processed varies depending on the amount of inshell nuts purchased due to, among other things, the size and cost of the crop, the impact of international demand, and expected demand based on our current sales forecast.

The Bainbridge facility is located in the largest peanut producing region in the United States. This facility takes direct delivery of farmer stock peanuts and cleans, shells, sizes, inspects, blanches, roasts and packages them for sale to our customers. The production line at the Bainbridge facility is almost entirely automated and has the capacity to shell approximately 120 million inshell pounds of peanuts annually. During fiscal 2020, the Bainbridge facility shelled approximately 72 million inshell pounds of peanuts.

The Garysburg facility has the capacity to process approximately 60 million inshell pounds of farmer stock peanuts annually. During fiscal 2020, the Garysburg facility processed approximately 13 million inshell pounds of peanuts. Due to a fire that occurred at our Garysburg facility during fiscal 2020, the Company considered strategic alternatives for the facility and currently plans to cease operations at the Garysburg facility permanently in fiscal 2021. See Note 20 — “Garysburg, North Carolina Facility” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional detail.

The Gustine facility is used for walnut shelling, processing, packaging, warehousing and distribution. This facility has the capacity to shell in excess of 60 million inshell pounds of walnuts annually. During fiscal 2020, the Gustine facility shelled approximately 34 million inshell pounds of walnuts. The quantity of walnuts shelled will vary depending on the amount of inshell nuts purchased due to, among other things, the size and cost of the crop, the impact of international demand, and expected demand based on our current sales forecast.

The Bainbridge, Selma and Gustine facilities are equipped to handle the processing, packaging, warehousing and distribution, and in the case of our Bainbridge facility, the purchasing of nuts. Furthermore, at our Elgin Site, we process, package, warehouse and distribute nuts. We currently have more than sufficient capacity at our facilities to handle the aforementioned operations.

We are a party to various lawsuits, proceedings and other matters arising out of the conduct of our business. Currently, it is management’s opinion that the ultimate resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition, results of operation or cash flows.

Not applicable.

 

16

10-K

S-K,

 

17

Below are the relationships among certain directors and executive offices as of August 19, 2020:

Mathias A. Valentine, a director of the Company, is (i) the father of Michael J. Valentine, an executive officer and director of the Company, and James A. Valentine, an executive officer of the Company and (ii) the uncle of Jasper B. Sanfilippo, Jr. and Jeffrey T. Sanfilippo, executive officers and directors of the Company, and James J. Sanfilippo, a director of the Company.

Michael J. Valentine, Chief Financial Officer, Group President and Secretary and a director of the Company, is (i) the son of Mathias A. Valentine, (ii) the brother of James A. Valentine and (iii) the cousin of Jasper B. Sanfilippo, Jr., Jeffrey T. Sanfilippo and James J. Sanfilippo.

Jeffrey T. Sanfilippo, Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company, is (i) the brother of Jasper B. Sanfilippo, Jr. and James J. Sanfilippo, (ii) the nephew of Mathias A. Valentine and (iii) the cousin of Michael J. Valentine and James A. Valentine.

Jasper B. Sanfilippo, Jr., Chief Operating Officer, President and a director of the Company, is (i) the brother of Jeffrey T. Sanfilippo and James J. Sanfilippo, (ii) the nephew of Mathias A. Valentine and (iii) the cousin of Michael J. Valentine and James A. Valentine.

James J. Sanfilippo, a director of the Company, is (i) the brother of Jeffrey T. Sanfilippo and Jasper B. Sanfilippo, Jr., (ii) the nephew of Mathias A. Valentine and (iii) the cousin of Michael J. Valentine and James A. Valentine.

James A. Valentine, Senior Technical Officer of the Company, is (i) the son of Mathias A. Valentine, (ii) the brother of Michael J. Valentine and (iii) the cousin of Jasper B. Sanfilippo, Jr., Jeffrey T. Sanfilippo and James J. Sanfilippo.

 

18

 

In January 2017, our Board of Directors adopted a dividend policy under which it intends to pay a regular annual cash dividend on our Common Stock and Class A Stock. The Board of Directors contemplated that the regular annual dividend would be declared around the conclusion of the Company’s fiscal year and paid in the first quarter of each fiscal year.

The Board of Directors will review the dividend policy regularly and any future annual or special dividends (whether such are paid and, if so, the amount and timing of payment) will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors, after taking into account a variety of factors, including cash flows, borrowing availability under our Credit Facility, and earnings and financial position of the Company. There can be no assurance that dividends will be declared or paid in the future. Pursuant to our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, any dividends paid on our Common Stock must be equivalent to the dividends paid on our Class A Stock.

The frequency and amount of cash dividends declared for each class of common stock for the two most recently completed fiscal years are as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

non-affiliates

The following table sets forth information as of June 25, 2020, with respect to equity securities authorized for issuance pursuant to equity compensation plans previously approved by our stockholders and equity compensation plans not previously approved by our stockholders.

 

 

20

The following historical consolidated financial data as of and for the years ended June 25, 2020, June 27, 2019, June 28, 2018, June 29, 2017, and June 30, 2016 was derived from our consolidated financial statements. The financial data should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, which are included elsewhere herein, and with Item 7 — “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”. The information below is not necessarily indicative of the results of future operations. The fiscal year ended June 30, 2016 contained an extra week compared to the other fiscal years presented.

 

 

 

21

fifty-two

 

 

non-branded

e-commerce.

COVID-19

non-essential

COVID-19

COVID-19

bi-weekly

COVID-19.

We have worked closely with our domestic and global suppliers to source and maintain a consistent supply of raw materials, ingredients and packaging to provide a steady supply of our products and our customers and consumers. To date, none of our manufacturing facilities have been significantly impacted by this pandemic. We have contingency plans in place if a manufacturing facility encounters a partial or full shut down.

 

22

e-commerce

e-commerce

 

23

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have seen acquisition costs for walnuts increase in the 2019 crop year (which falls into our current 2020 fiscal year). We also continue to see declining acquisition costs for pecans and cashews. While we completed our procurement of the current year crop of inshell walnuts during the second quarter of fiscal 2020, the total payments to our walnut growers were not determined until the third quarter of fiscal 2020, which is typical. The final prices paid to the walnut growers were based upon prevailing market prices and other factors, such as crop size and export demand. At June 25, 2020 there are no amounts due to walnut growers.

The following table sets forth the percentage relationship of certain items to net sales for the periods indicated and the percentage increase or decrease of such items from fiscal 2020 to fiscal 2019 and from fiscal 2019 to fiscal 2018.

 

Our net sales increased 0.4% to $880.1 million for fiscal 2020 from $876.2 million for fiscal 2019. Sales volume, measured as pounds sold to customers, increased by 6.1% for fiscal 2020 in comparison to sales volume for fiscal 2019. The increase in net sales from the sales volume increase was largely offset by a 5.3% decrease in weighted average selling price per pound, as the majority of the sales volume increase was driven by growth in lower priced trail and snack mixes and peanuts. Lower selling prices for pecans and cashews, which were due to lower commodity acquisition costs, also contributed to the decline in the weighted average selling price per pound.

The following table summarizes sales by product type as a percentage of total gross sales. The information is based upon gross sales, rather than net sales, because certain adjustments from gross sales to net sales, such as promotional discounts, are not allocable to product type.

 

 

24

The following table shows a comparison of net sales by distribution channel (dollars in thousands):

 

 

COVID-19.

COVID-19

Gross profit increased 11.1% to $175.8 million in fiscal 2020 from $158.3 million in fiscal 2019. Our gross profit margin, as a percentage of sales, increased to 20.0% for fiscal 2020 from 18.1% for fiscal 2019.

The increases in gross profit and gross profit margin were mainly attributable to the sales volume increase discussed above, as well as reduced spending per produced pound due to manufacturing efficiencies. Lower commodity acquisition costs for cashews also contributed to the increase in gross profit.

Total operating expenses for fiscal 2020 decreased by $2.5 million to $97.2 million. Operating expenses as a percent of net sales were 11.0% for fiscal 2020 and 11.4% for fiscal 2019. Operating expenses as a percent of net sales decreased in fiscal 2020 as a result of lower total operating expenses. The decrease in total operating expenses was mainly due to decreases in advertising, freight, legal and consulting expenses, which were partially offset by an increase in payroll related and incentive compensation expense.

Selling expenses for fiscal 2020 were $59.3 million, a decrease of $2.4 million, or 4.0%, over the amount recorded for fiscal 2019. The decrease was primarily driven by a $2.9 million decrease in advertising expense primarily related to TV and magazine advertising and a $2.0 million decrease in freight expense driven by lower rates, combined with an increase in customers using their own freight carriers to pick up their orders. These decreases were partially offset by a $1.4 million increase in payroll related and incentive compensation expense and a $0.8 million increase in commission expense.

Administrative expenses for fiscal 2020 were $37.9 million, a decrease of $0.1 million, or 0.2%, from the amount recorded for fiscal 2019. A $2.2 million decrease in legal and consulting fees related to an acquisition opportunity that we explored in fiscal 2019 but ultimately decided not to pursue was largely offset by a $2.1 million increase in payroll related and incentive compensation expense.

 

25

Income from Operations

Interest Expense

Rental and Miscellaneous Expense, Net

Other Expense

Income Tax Expense

Net Income

10-K

General

Financing Arrangements

Revenue Recognition

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Goodwill

Retirement Plan

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc.

As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed the manner in which it accounts for leases in fiscal 2020.

The Company’s management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

 

33

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

non-qualified

The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to the valuation of the projected benefit obligation related to the SERP is a critical audit matter are (i) the significant judgment by management to determine the projected benefit obligation and the significant assumption related to discount rate, (ii) the significant auditor judgment, subjectivity and effort in evaluating management’s significant assumption related to the discount rate, and (iii) the audit effort included the use of professionals with specialized skill and knowledge.

Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls relating to the Company’s determination of the projected benefit obligation related to the SERP, including the control over the development of the significant assumption related to the discount rate. These procedures also included, among others (i) testing management’s process for determining the projected benefit obligation, (ii) evaluating the appropriateness of the valuation method, (iii) testing the completeness and accuracy of underlying data used in the valuation of the projected benefit obligation, and (iv) evaluating the reasonableness of the discount rate. Evaluating management’s assumption related to the discount rate involved evaluating whether the assumption used by management is reasonable considering the consistency with external market data. Professionals with specialized skill and knowledge were used to assist in evaluating the appropriateness of the valuation method and the reasonableness of the discount rate.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Chicago, Illinois

August 19, 2020

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 1982.

 

34