Scott's Liquid Gold - Inc. - Annual Report: 2022 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM TO

Commission File Number 001-13458

SCOTT’S LIQUID GOLD-INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (303) 373-4860

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: Common Stock, $0.10 Par Value

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

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

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

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐

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

The aggregate market value of the common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant, based on the closing price of the shares of common stock on June 30, 2022, was $5,903,122.

The number of shares of Registrant’s Common Stock outstanding as of March 28, 2023 was 12,797,423.

CAUTIONARY NOTE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Report”) contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, in addition to historical information. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this Report that address activities, events, or developments with respect to our financial condition, results of operations, or economic performance that we expect, believe, or anticipate will or may occur in the future, or that address plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. You can typically identify forward-looking statements by the use of words, such as “may,” “could,” “should,” “assume,” “project,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “potential,” “plan,” and other similar words. These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

The forward-looking statements contained in this Report are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. We cannot assure you that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. Forward-looking statements and our performance inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that would cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to:

We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results or performance may be materially different from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this Report speak as of the filing date of this Report. Although we may from time to time voluntarily update our prior forward-looking statements, we undertake no obligation to revise any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this Report.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I

(in thousands, except per share data)

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Overview

Scott’s Liquid Gold-Inc., a Colorado corporation, was incorporated on February 15, 1954. In this Report the terms “we,” “us,” or “our” refer to Scott’s Liquid Gold-Inc. and our subsidiaries, collectively. We develop, market, and sell high-quality, high-value household and health and beauty care products. Our business is divided into two operating segments; household products and health and beauty care products. During 2022, our family of brands included:

In 2021, we sold the Dryel® brand and concluded our distribution agreement of Batiste Dry Shampoo. In December 2022, we sold the Prell® brand, and in January 2023 we sold the Scott’s Liquid Gold® brand.

Financial Information About Segments and Principal Products

The table set forth below shows the percentage of our net sales from continuing operations contributed by each operating segment during 2022 and 2021:

For more financial information on our operating segments, refer to Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and Note 12 to our Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.

Household Products

During 2022, products in our household segment included:

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Scott’s Liquid Gold® Wood Care has been sold in the United States for over 70 years. Our Scott’s Liquid Gold® Floor Restore product is a quick and easy way to renew and protect hardwood floors. On January 23, 2023, we sold the Scott’s Liquid Gold® brand, including the Wood Care and Floor Restore products, to a company that markets and distributes wood care products.

On October 1, 2019, we acquired the Kids N Pets® and Messy Pet® brands. Founded in 1989, Kids N Pets® brands are award-winning, safe, stain and odor removing products targeted toward households with children and pets. These high-quality, high-value products excel at controlling odor and cleaning up kid and pet accidents, and food and drink stains while being products that parents can feel safe using around their children and pets. The primary sales channels for Kids N Pets® and Messy Pet® are through retail stores such as Walmart and Home Depot, and online through e-commerce retailers such as Amazon.

On July 1, 2020, we acquired BIZ® and Dryel® brands. BIZ® is a top performing detergent in the market, utilizing a proprietary enzyme-based formula to fight stains and eliminate odors. It was established by Procter & Gamble in 1968 and is sold in Powder, Liquid, and Liquid Booster Packs.

On December 23, 2021, we sold the Dryel® brand. We have reflected the operations of Dryel® as discontinued operations for all periods presented. See Note 3 - “Discontinued Operations” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

Health and Beauty Care Products

During 2022, products in our health and beauty care segment included:

Our Alpha® Skin Care brand was one of the first to use alpha hydroxy acids (“AHAs”) in lines of facial care products, body lotion, and body wash. Products containing AHAs gently slough off dead skin cells to promote a healthier, more youthful appearance and help to diminish fine lines and wrinkles.

In 2016, we acquired the Prell®, Denorex® and Zincon® brands of hair and scalp care products. Our Denorex® products are dermatologist-recommended medicated hair care products to control the symptoms of dandruff and other scalp conditions. Our Zincon® product is a medicated anti-dandruff shampoo.

We were a distributor in the United States for Batiste Dry Shampoo from 2009 through 2021. Under our distribution agreement with the manufacturer of Batiste Dry Shampoo, Church & Dwight Co. Inc. (“Church & Dwight”), we were the exclusive specialty retail distributor in the United States of Batiste Dry Shampoo until our agreement expired on December 31, 2021.

On December 15, 2022, we sold the Prell® brand to a company that markets and distributes natural hair and skin care products. We have reflected the operations of Prell® as discontinued operations for all periods presented. See Note 3 - “Discontinued Operations” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

Marketing and Distribution

We primarily market our products through: (1) trade promotions to support price features, displays, slotting fees and other merchandising of our products by our retail customers; (2) consumer marketing in print, social and digital media; and (3) to a lesser extent, consumer incentives such as coupons and rebates.

Our products are sold nationally through our sales force to mass merchandisers, drugstores, supermarkets, hardware stores, e-commerce retailers, and other retail outlets and to wholesale distributors. Our products were previously sold internationally through independent distributors in Canada and China.

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The table set forth below shows net sales to our significant customers as a percentage of consolidated net sales during 2022 and 2021:

As is typical in our industry, we do not have long-term contracts with Walmart, Ulta, or any other retail customer.

Historically, we have used our websites for sales of our products directly to consumers. Beginning in January 2022, our websites redirect consumers to our e-commerce retail partners to fulfill sales of our products directly to our consumers.

International sales were historically made to distributors who were responsible for the selling and marketing of the products, and we were paid for these products in United States dollars. In February 2022, we discontinued sales of our Denorex® products to Canada due to uneconomic results. With the sale of the Scott’s Liquid Gold® brand in January 2023, we no longer have any products distributed in Canada.

We terminated our exclusive distribution agreement for sales in China with HK NFS Limited (“HK NFS”) on July 12, 2022 due to breaches of the distribution agreement by HK NFS, and began establishing a direct model to resume sales of our products to consumers in China.

Under our distribution agreement with Church & Dwight, we were the exclusive distributor of Batiste Dry Shampoo products in the specialty retailer channel in the United States through December 31, 2021.

From time to time, our customers return products to us. For our household products, we permit returns only for a limited time. For our health and beauty care products, returns are accepted for a greater period of time in order to maintain or enhance our relationship with the customer. Typically, customers are granted a credit equal to the original sale price plus a handling charge.

Manufacturing and Suppliers

As of March 2020, we identified third-party logistics and contract manufacturing partners for our product lines, and we no longer manufacture or ship any of our products directly to our retail partners.

Almost all of the raw and packaging materials used by the Company are purchased from third parties, some of whom are single-source suppliers. The prices we pay for materials and other commodities are subject to fluctuation. Due primarily to COVID-19 related supply chain disruptions that have continued as the economy re-opens, we experienced limited supply constraints and commodity costs increases for certain raw materials and finished goods. When prices for these items change, we may or may not be able to pass the change to our customers. The Company expects continued volatility and increased cost pressures in both commodities and transportation to continue in fiscal year 2023.

Competition

Both the household and health and beauty care product categories are highly competitive and innovative. We compete in both categories against a range of competitors, most of which are significantly larger and have greater financial resources, name recognition, innovation capabilities, and product and market diversification than us. We compete in both categories primarily on the basis of quality, brand recognition, and the distinguishing characteristics of our products. The wood care and laundry care product categories are dominated by a small number of companies that are significantly larger than us and each of these competitors produces several competing products. In the health and beauty care category, several of our competitors are also significantly larger than us and each of these competitors produces several competing products.

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Regulation

We are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations that pertain to the types of consumer products that we manufacture and sell. Many chemicals used in consumer products, some of which are used in several of our product formulations, have come under scrutiny by various state governments and the federal government. Some of these chemicals are called volatile organic compounds (“VOCs”). All of our products currently meet the most stringent VOC regulations and may be sold throughout the United States. Many of our skin care products, several of which contain AHAs, are considered cosmetics within the definition of the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (the “FFDCA”). Our cosmetic products are subject to the regulations under the FFDCA and the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act. The relevant laws and regulations are enforced by the FDA. We believe that we are producing and marketing all of our products in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in the markets in which we participate.

Our advertising is subject to regulation under the Federal Trade Commission Act and related regulations, which prohibit false and misleading claims in advertising. Private and derivative labeling claims are common in this industry and can result in costly settlements and distraction of management. Changes in these regulations, or interpretations or enforcement of these regulations, could adversely affect our profitability, result in regulatory actions, or private or derivative claims.

Our international sales are primarily conducted in China. As such, we may be impacted by regulations, economic conditions, and tariffs imposed by the PRC.

Employees

As of December 31, 2022, we employed 22 people, who work in administrative, sales, advertising, marketing and operational functions. Through our history, we appreciate the importance of retention, growth and development of our employees. We believe we offer competitive compensation (including salary, incentive bonus, and equity) and benefits packages to our employees. We are also focused on understanding our diversity and inclusion strengths and opportunities and executing on a strategy to support further progress. We continue to focus on building a pipeline for talent to create more opportunities for workplace diversity and to support greater representation within the Company.

No contracts exist between us and any union. The compensation of our executive officers is subject to annual review by the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors.

Patents and Trademarks

At present, we own one patent for our Neoteric Diabetic® Healing Cream. Additionally, we actively use our registered trademarks for Alpha® Skin Care, Denorex®, Zincon®, Neoteric Diabetic Skin Care®, Neoteric®, Kids N Pets®, Messy Pet®, and BIZ® in the United States and have registered trademarks in a number of additional countries. Our registered trademarks protect names and logos relating to our products as well as the design of boxes for certain of our products. We transferred all registered trademarks of our Scott’s Liquid Gold® brand as part of the sale of that brand in January 2023.

Public Information

Our website address is www.slginc.com. The information contained on our website is not included as a part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We make available, free of charge, on our website our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, shareholder proxy statements on Schedule 14A, interactive data files posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T, our Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to such reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) as soon as reasonably practicable after we have electronically filed such material with, or furnished it to, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). You may also access and read our filings without charge through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics Policy, Audit Committee Charter, Governance and Nominating Committee Charter, and Compensation Committee Charter, are all available, free of charge, on our website. The documents referenced above are available in print at no cost to any stockholder who requests them from our Corporate Secretary at 8400 East Crescent Parkway, Suite 450, Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.

The following is a discussion of certain material risks that may affect our business. These risks may negatively impact our existing business, future business opportunities, our financial condition or our financial results. In such case, the trading price of our common stock could also decline. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently see as immaterial, may also negatively impact our business.

Business and Industry Risks

A loss of one or more of our major customers could have a material adverse effect on our product sales.

For a majority of our sales, we are dependent upon a small number of major retail customers. The easy access of consumers to our products is dependent upon these major retail stores and other retail stores carrying our products. The willingness of retail customers to carry any of our products depends on various factors, including the level of sales of the product at their stores. In addition, private label products sold by retail trade chains, which are typically sold at lower prices than branded products, are a source of competition for certain of our product lines.

Any declines in sales of our products to consumers could result in the loss of retail customers and a corresponding decrease in the distribution of the products, as well as increased costs related to any markdown or return of our products. It is uncertain whether the consumer base served by these stores would purchase our products at other retail stores.

Our sales of Alpha® Skin Care products to China have been interrupted by the termination of our exclusive distribution agreement.

We terminated our arrangement with our exclusive distributor due to breaches of the distribution agreement by HK NFS and are establishing a direct model to resume sales of our products to consumers in China. The reestablishment of an effective business model in China is dependent on deploying significant resources to marketing and advertising efforts and regulatory compliance, as well as the successful shutdown of our former distributor’s storefronts on various e-commerce platforms. We possess limited resources to fund marketing and regulatory efforts, and as a result our success in these efforts is not guaranteed, which could adversely affect our operating results.

Our international operations in China expose us to a number of risks.

There is both cost and risk associated with establishing, developing, and maintaining international sales operations, and promoting our brand internationally. The PRC’s economic, political, and social conditions, and its government policies, could adversely affect our business. We may be exposed to liabilities under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and any determination that we violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

Our international operations also subject us to changes in trade policies and agreements and other foreign or domestic legal and regulatory requirements, including those resulting in potentially adverse tax consequences or the imposition of onerous trade restrictions such as tariffs, sanctions, and price controls. Any changes in these international trade policies could adversely affect our profitability and stock price.

A continued change in the consumer product retail market may cause our sales to decline.

Our performance depends upon the general health of the economy and of the retail environment in particular. Consumer products, such as those marketed by us, are increasingly being sold by club stores, dollar stores, mass merchandisers, e-commerce retailers and subscription services. The retail environment is changing with the growth of third-party resellers and alternative retail channels that could significantly change the way traditional retailers do business. If we are not effective in limiting these third-party resellers in selling our products, or if the alternative retail channels were to take significant market share away from traditional retailers or we are not successful in these alternative retail channels, our margins and results of operations may be negatively impacted.

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In both health and beauty care and household products, our competitors include some of the largest consumer products companies in the United States.

The markets in which our products compete are intensely competitive, and many of the other competitors in these markets are larger multi-national consumer products companies. These competitors have much greater financial, technical, and other resources than us, and as a result, are able to regularly introduce new products and spend considerably more on advertising. The distribution and sales of our products can be adversely impacted by the actions of our competitors, and we may have little or no ability to take action to prevent or mitigate these adverse impacts.

We have limited resources to promote our products with advertising and marketing effectiveness.

We believe the growth of our net sales is dependent upon our ability to introduce our products to current and new consumers through advertising and marketing. At present, we have limited resources compared to many of our competitors to spend on advertising and marketing our products. Advertising and marketing can be important in reaching consumers, although the effectiveness of any particular advertisement and marketing cannot be predicted. Additionally, we may not be able to obtain optimal effectiveness at our current advertising and marketing budget. Our limited resources to promote our products through advertising and marketing may adversely affect our net sales and operating results.

Sales of our existing products are affected by changing consumer preferences.

Our primary market is retail stores in the United States which sell to consumers or end users in the mass market. Consumer preferences can change rapidly and are affected by new competitive products. This situation is true for both health and beauty care and household products. Any changes in consumer preferences can materially affect the sales of our products and the results of our operations.

Our future performance and growth is dependent, in part, on the introduction of new or acquired products that are successful in the marketplace.

Our future performance and growth is partially dependent on our ability to successfully identify, develop and introduce new products and product line extensions. The successful development and introduction of new products involves substantial research, development, marketing and promotional expenditures, which we may be unable to recover if the new products do not gain widespread market acceptance.

We have pursued and may continue to pursue acquisitions of brands or businesses. Acquisitions involve numerous potential risks, including, among other things, the successful integration of the acquired products or brands and realization of the full extent of expected benefits or synergies. Acquisitions could also result in additional debt, exposure to liabilities, the potential impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets, or transaction costs. Any of these risks, should they materialize, could adversely impact our operating results.

Any loss of our key executives or other personnel could harm our business.

Our success has depended on the experience and continued service of our executive officers and key employees. If we fail to retain these officers or key employees, our ability to continue our business and effectively compete may be substantially diminished.

Our stock price can be volatile and can decline substantially.

Our stock is traded on the OTC Pink Market tier of the OTC Markets. The volume of trades in our stock varies from day to day but is relatively limited. As a result, any events can result in volatile movements in the price of our stock and can result in significant declines in the market price of our stock.

6

We rely on trademark, copyright, and trade secret laws, which may not be sufficient to protect our intellectual property.

We rely on a combination of laws, such as copyright, trademark and trade secret laws, as well as confidentiality provisions and limited licenses, to establish and protect our intellectual property. We have registered U.S. and foreign country trademarks, and HK NFS has contractually agreed to undertake steps to prevent counterfeiting of our products and to otherwise protect our trademarks in the PRC. These forms of intellectual property protection are critically important to our ability to establish and maintain our competitive position. However, it is possible that laws, contractual restrictions, and other efforts may not be sufficient to prevent misappropriation of our property or to deter others from developing similar intellectual property.

Security breaches and other disruptions could compromise our information and expose us to liability, which would cause our business and reputation to suffer.

In the ordinary course of our business, we collect and store sensitive data, including intellectual property, our proprietary business information and that of our customers, suppliers, and business partners on our networks. The secure processing, maintenance and transmission of this information is critical to our operations. Despite our security measures, our information technology and infrastructure may be vulnerable to attacks by hackers or breached due to employee error, malfeasance or other disruptions. Any such breach could compromise our networks and the information stored there could be accessed, publicly disclosed, lost or stolen, resulting in legal claims or proceedings, which could disrupt our operations and damage our reputation, adversely affect our operating results and stock price.

We may from time to time expand our business through acquisitions, which could disrupt our business.

We have completed, and may pursue in the future, acquisitions of businesses or assets that are complementary to our business. Such acquisitions involve a number of risks, including:

If we fail to properly evaluate acquisitions, we may not achieve the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions, we may incur costs in excess of what is anticipated, and management resources and attention may be diverted from other necessary or valuable activities. Any acquisition may not result in short-term or long-term benefits to us. If we are unable to integrate or successfully manage any business that we acquire, we may not realize anticipated cost savings, improved efficiencies or revenue growth, which may result in reduced profitability or operating losses.

There is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, and if we are unable to continue our business, our shares may have little or no value.

Primarily due to a decline in net sales, disruption of our international sales to China, and increases in costs associated with the manufacture and distribution of our products, the Company has incurred net losses and uses of operating cash flows that likely will require additional liquidity to continue its operations over the next 12 months. Management has implemented actions to reduce the Company’s operating expenses and has restructured debt facilities, and is considering various strategic actions including asset sales, obtaining additional debt or equity financing (potentially in conjunction with acquisitions), and further reduction of operating costs. However, given the impact of the economic downturn in the U.S., the Company may be unable to execute these plans under acceptable terms, which may make it difficult to raise sufficient capital for the Company to continue to finance our operations.

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Operational Risks

Disruptions in our supply chain and other factors affecting the distribution of our finished goods inventory could adversely impact our business.

A disruption within our logistics or supply chain network could adversely affect our ability to maintain appropriate inventory or deliver products in a timely manner, which could impair our ability to meet customer demand for products and result in lost sales, increased supply chain costs, or damage to our reputation. As a result of COVID-19, we have encountered shortages of raw materials for certain of our products and delays in receiving finished goods product from contract manufacturers, which has prevented us from meeting certain customer demands for our products. Along with many other industry participants, our contract manufacturing partners have experienced difficulty procuring certain raw materials and components.

Continued increases in costs as well as any impacts to our partners' abilities to fulfill sales to our customers could continue to affect our ability to meet debt requirements and lead to increased debt costs.

We face the risk that raw materials for our products may not be available or that costs for these materials will increase.

Raw materials required for our products are sourced and obtained from third party suppliers, some of which are sole source suppliers. We have no long-term contracts with such suppliers and are subject to cost increases. Manufacturers of our products may not have sufficient raw materials for production if there is a shortage in raw materials or other disruption in the supply chain or if suppliers terminate their relationships or are otherwise unable to supply raw materials. In addition, if our contract manufacturers change suppliers it could involve delays that restrict our ability to have our products manufactured or to buy products in a timely manner to meet delivery requirements of our customers. Suppliers of raw materials for our products can also be subject to the same risk with their vendors.

Financial and Economic Risks

Unfavorable and uncertain economic conditions could adversely affect our profitability.

Unfavorable and uncertain economic conditions in the past have adversely affected, and in the future may adversely affect, consumer demand for some of our products, resulting in reduced sales volume and a decrease in our overall profitability. Factors that can affect consumer demand for our products include inflation, slower growth or recession, rates of unemployment, consumer confidence, tighter credit, higher interest rates, health care costs, fuel and other energy costs and other economic factors affecting consumer spending behavior.

Our products are subject to transportation costs, both in delivery to us at our production facility as well as shipments to our customers. As a result, we are exposed to volatility in the freight industry that could affect our costs, including changes in regulations and labor costs. Any increases in transportation costs could adversely affect our profitability if we are not able to pass those costs on to our customers.

Changes in the economic environment have resulted, and could further result, in significant impairments of certain of our goodwill and long-lived assets.

Under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), we review the carrying value of our goodwill on an annual basis. We also review the carrying value of our long-lived assets when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of these assets may not be recoverable, based on their expected future cash flows. The impact of reduced expected future cash flow could require the write-down of all or a portion of the carrying value for these assets, which would result in additional impairments, resulting in decreased earnings. During 2022 and 2021, we determined that the fair values of goodwill and certain intangible assets in our Detergent, All-Purpose, and Shampoo reporting units were less than their carrying values which resulted in impairment charges.

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Legal and Regulatory Risks

Changes in the regulation of our products, including environmental regulations, could have an adverse effect on the distribution, cost or function of our products.

Regulations affecting our products include requirements of the FDA and NMPA for cosmetic products and environmental regulations. In the past, the FDA has mentioned the treatment of products with AHAs as drugs, which could make our production and sale of certain Alpha® Skin Care products more expensive or prohibitive. Also, in the past, we have been required to change the formulation of our products to comply with environmental regulations and may be required to do so again in the future if the applicable regulations are further amended.

Labeling practices in our industry have recently experienced an increase of warning letters admonishing cosmetics manufacturers for promotional claims on their websites and product labels deemed by the FDA to blur the line between “cosmetics” and “drugs.” The increase of warning letters by the FDA has also triggered a wave of follow-on class action lawsuits against cosmetic manufacturers in general, including manufacturers not singled out via FDA warning letters. We have in the past and may in the future receive claims that our labeling is inaccurate or non-compliant. Any claims levied against us could result in costly settlements, distract management and have an adverse effect on our operating results.

Any adverse developments in litigation could have a material impact on us.

We are subject to lawsuits from time to time in the ordinary course of business. While we expect those lawsuits not to have a material effect on us, an adverse development in any such lawsuit or the insurance coverage for a lawsuit could materially and adversely affect our operating results.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.

Not applicable.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES.

We lease our corporate headquarter facilities in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Please see Note 8 to our Consolidated Financial Statements for more information on our facilities.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

We are subject to lawsuits from time to time in the ordinary course of business. While we expect those lawsuits not to have a material effect on us, an adverse development in any such lawsuit or the lack of insurance coverage for a lawsuit could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and cash flow.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.

Not applicable.

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PART II

(in thousands, except per share data)

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

Market Information

Our $0.10 par value common stock is traded on the OTC Pink Market tier of the OTC Markets (an electronic inter-dealer quotation system) under the ticker symbol “SLGD.” Over-the-counter market quotations reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commission and may not necessarily represent actual transactions. The high and low prices of our common stock as traded on the OTC Pink Market tier of the OTC Markets were as follows:

Shareholders of Record

As of March 28, 2023, based on inquiry, we had approximately 633 shareholders of record.

Dividends

We did not pay any cash dividends during the two most recent fiscal years. We do not anticipate paying dividends in the foreseeable future.

ITEM 6. RESERVED.

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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 should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements. This Item 7 contains forward-looking statements. The matters discussed in these forward-looking statements are subject to risk, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those made, projected or implied in the forward-looking statements. Please refer to “Item 1A. Risk Factors” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements.

COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and government steps to reduce the spread and address the impact of COVID-19 have had and continue to have an impact on the way people live, work, interact and shop. While the impact of COVID-19 on our business has largely abated at this time, uncertainties continue. We have also experienced certain disruptions to our supply chain due to COVID-19, which have impacted and may continue to impact sales of and consumer access to our products. In addition, we have experienced changes in the purchasing patterns of our customers, including a shift in many markets to purchasing our products online. COVID-19 may continue to impact consumers’ behavior, shopping patterns and consumption preferences.

While we currently expect to be able to continue operating our business as described above, uncertainty resulting from COVID-19 could result in unforeseen additional disruptions to our business, including our global supply chain and retailer network, and/or require us to incur additional operational costs.

Sale of Brands

On December 15, 2022, we sold the Prell® brand to a company that markets and distributes natural hair and skincare products. We have reflected the operations of Prell® as discontinued operations for all periods presented. On December 23, 2021, we sold the Dryel® brand to a company that markets and distributes household cleaning products. We have reflected the operations of Dryel® as discontinued operations for all periods presented.

See Note 3 - “Discontinued Operations” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on the sale of both brands.

On January 23, 2023, we sold the Scott’s Liquid Gold® brand, including the Wood Care and Floor Restore products, to a company that markets and distributes wood care products.

Distribution to China

We terminated our exclusive distribution agreement of Alpha® Skin Care products with HK NFS on July 12, 2022 due to breaches of the distribution agreement by HK NFS, and are establishing a direct model to resume sales of our products to consumers in China. The reestablishment of an effective business model in China is dependent on deploying significant resources to marketing and advertising efforts and regulatory compliance, as well as the successful shutdown of our former distributor’s storefronts on various e-commerce platforms.

Throughout 2020 and early 2021, we obtained components and produced finished goods specifically designed and formulated for distribution in the PRC. Our exclusive distributor ultimately did not purchase these products in accordance with their minimum order requirements. Due to the difficulties we have encountered in establishing our own e-commerce storefronts, this has resulted in our accumulation of high amounts of finished goods inventories and raw materials specifically designed for China. Due to uncertainties of future production requirements, raw materials that we have acquired is included in our impairment of inventories for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

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Distribution Agreement with Church & Dwight

Our distribution agreement with Church & Dwight Co., Inc. and our subsidiary, Neoteric Cosmetics, Inc., was not extended beyond December 31, 2021. As a result, the distribution agreement expired on its own terms as of December 31, 2021 and the Company ceased to distribute Batiste Dry Shampoo products. Unless offset by increased sales of our other products, the conclusion of this distribution agreement is expected to have a material impact on our net sales and result of operations. Net sales of Batiste were $7,155 for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Executive Overview

Our Business

Scott’s Liquid Gold-Inc. exists to positively impact consumers’ lives in the markets we serve and create shareholder value. We develop, market, and sell high-quality, high-value household and health and beauty care products nationally and internationally to mass merchandisers, drugstores, supermarkets, hardware stores, e-commerce retailers, other retail outlets, and to wholesale distributors. Our long history has generated strong consumer and customer loyalty for our brands.

On an ongoing basis, management focuses on a variety of key indicators to monitor our business health and performance. These key indicators include (but are not limited to) the following:

To achieve our business and financial objectives, we focus on initiatives to drive the growth of the key indicators above. Our ability to drive and generate growth depends on consumer demand for our products and retail customers’ willingness to carry our products in a competitive marketplace. In this environment, we intend to continue to focus on our key indicators to remain competitive, sustain our current level of operations, and drive further growth in future periods.

During 2022, the Company achieved objectives focused on optimization, cost reduction, and modernization of our business. These included (but were not limited to) the following:

Outlook

Looking forward, we are focused on both short- and long-term strategies that we believe will enhance our financial health and deliver shareholder value. While the marketplace in which we operate has always been highly competitive, we expect that the category challenges and the level of competition will continue to rise. We believe that some of the trends in our business and industry could adversely affect our profitability, including the following:

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We believe our history of providing high-quality, high-value products to consumers positions us to meet the challenges in our marketplace by continuing to focus on the following key priorities in 2023:

Results of Operations
 

Net loss changed primarily due to the following:

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Segment Results

The following tables show comparative net sales, gross margin, gross profit, loss from operations, volume and percentage changes for our household and health and beauty care products between periods:

Household products

Health and beauty care products

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Financing Agreements

Please see Note 7 to our Consolidated Financial Statements for information on our debt facilities with UMB Bank, N.A. (“UMB”) and La Plata Capital, LLC (“La Plata”).

Liquidity and Changes in Cash Flows

At December 31, 2022, we had approximately $49 in cash on hand, a decrease of $1,221 from December 31, 2021.

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The following is a summary of cash provided by or used in each of the indicated types of activities:

The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the continuity of operations, realization of assets, and liquidation of liabilities in the normal course of business. However, substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern exists.

Primarily due to a decline in net sales, disruption of our international sales to China, and increases in costs associated with the manufacture and distribution of our products, the Company used net cash in operating activities of $1,849 during the year ended December 31, 2022. All proceeds from the sale of our Scott's Liquid Gold® brand in January 2023 were used to reduce outstanding debt. In February 2023, the Company terminated its Loan and Security Agreement with UMB Bank, N.A. and repaid its revolving credit facility in full. The Company's debt agreement with La Plata Capital, LLC matures on November 9, 2023, which will require repayments of all principal amounts outstanding during 2023. Management’s assessment of cash flow forecasts indicate that, absent any other action, the Company likely will require additional liquidity to continue its operations over the next 12 months.

Management has implemented actions to reduce the Company’s operating expenses and has restructured debt facilities through the adjustments to the timing of required principal payments and covenant compliance periods. Management is considering additional various strategic actions including asset sales, obtaining additional debt or equity financing (potentially in conjunction with acquisitions), workforce reduction, deferring or eliminating certain capital expenditures, and further reduction of other operating expenses to ensure alignment with customer demand in order to address liquidity needs and pursue its business plan. The Company expects that these strategic actions will reduce expenses and outstanding debt balances and provide required liquidity for ongoing operations. However, given the impact of the economic downturn on the U.S., the Company may be unable to sell assets or access further equity or debt financing when needed. As such, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain additional liquidity when needed or under acceptable terms, if at all.

The Consolidated Financial Statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classification of liabilities that may result from the outcome of these uncertainties.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to use judgment and make estimates. The level of uncertainty in estimates and assumptions increases with the length of time until the underlying transactions are completed. Actual results could ultimately differ from those estimates. The accounting policies that are most critical in the preparation of the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements are those that are both important to the presentation of the Consolidated Financial Statements and require significant or complex judgments and estimates on the part of management.

Revenue Recognition

Our revenue recognition policy is significant because the amount and timing of revenue is a key component of our results of operations. See Note 1(l), “Revenue Recognition” in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for additional discussion.

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Intangible Assets and Goodwill

Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level, which is the level at which discrete financial information is available and reviewed by management. For fiscal year 2022, the Company’s reporting units for goodwill impairment testing purposes were its individual components, which are differentiated by their product categories.

Determining the fair value of the Company’s reporting units for goodwill and the fair value of its intangible assets requires significant estimates and judgments by management. When a quantitative analysis is performed, the Company generally uses the income approach, which requires several estimates, including future cash flows consistent with management’s strategic plans, sales growth rates, and the selection of royalty rates and a discount rate. Estimating sales growth rates requires significant judgment by management in areas such as future economic conditions, category growth rates, product pricing, consumer tastes and preferences and future expansion expectations. In selecting an appropriate royalty rate, the Company considers recent market transactions for similar brands and products. In determining an appropriate discount rate, the Company considers the current interest rate environment and its estimated cost of capital. Other qualitative factors the Company considers, in addition to those quantitative measures discussed above, include assessments of general macroeconomic conditions, industry-specific considerations and historical financial performance. The Company generally engages a third-party valuation firm to assist it in determining the fair value of intangible assets acquired in business combinations.

In determining the fair value of the Company’s reporting units, fair value is also determined using the market approach, which is generally derived from metrics of comparable publicly traded companies. As multiple valuation methodologies are used, the Company also performs a qualitative analysis comparing the fair value of a reporting unit under each method to assess its reasonableness and ensure consistency of results.

Determining the expected life of a brand requires management judgment and is based on an evaluation of several factors including market share, brand history, future expansion expectations, the level of in-market support anticipated by management, legal or regulatory restrictions and the economic environment where the products are sold.

We made revisions to the internal forecasts relating to all reporting units during the second quarter of 2022 due to changes in the economic outlook of our All-Purpose reporting unit, and during the fourth quarter of 2022 related to our annual assessment of all reporting units. Through our assessments, we concluded that the changes in circumstances in these reporting units triggered the need for a quantitative review of the carrying values of goodwill and certain intangible assets and resulted in impairment charges to each of our reporting units during the year ended December 31, 2022, and resulted in the following impairment charges:

Inventories Valuation

Our inventory valuation policy is significant because the costs and valuation of slow-moving or obsolete inventories are key components of our results of operations. See Note 1(f), “Inventories Valuation” in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for additional discussion.

During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we specifically identified slow moving and obsolete inventories, resulting in an impairment of $461 and $404, respectively.

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Income Taxes

Our income taxes policy is significant because our estimate for taxes is a key component of our results of operations. See Note 1(k), “Income Taxes” in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for additional discussion.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

For information on recently issued accounting standards, see Note 1(p), “Recently Issued Accounting Standards,” to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.

Not applicable.

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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
 

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of Scott’s Liquid Gold - Inc.
 

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Scott’s Liquid Gold - Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the related statements of operations, stockholders' equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the period ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the period ended December 31, 2022, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Substantial Doubt Regarding Going Concern

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the entity will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the entity has suffered recurring losses from operations, has experienced cash used from operations in excess of its current cash position, and has an accumulated deficit, that raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 2. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Our opinion is not modified with respect to this matter

Basis for Opinion

The Company's management is responsible for these financial statements. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements 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 audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the 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 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 financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the 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.

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Impairment of Intangible Assets and Goodwill

Description of the Matter

At December 31, 2022, the Company had intangible assets and goodwill of $1,136,000 and $-0-, respectively. As discussed in Notes 1(i) and 6 to the consolidated financial statements, intangible assets are assessed for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable. The Company evaluates assets for potential impairment by comparing estimated future undiscounted net cash flows to the carrying amount of the asset. If the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the estimated future undiscounted cash flows, impairment is measured based on the difference between the carrying amount of the assets and fair value. Goodwill is tested by the Company’s management for impairment at least annually, during the fourth quarter, unless events or circumstances indicate the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level.

Auditing the Company’s impairment tests for intangible assets with finite lives was complex and highly judgmental due to the significant estimation in management’s assumptions related to net sales growth rates, gross profit and operating margin, discount rates, and long-term growth rates to calculate the undiscounted cash flows and the fair value estimate. These assumptions can significantly affect the undiscounted cash flows and fair value of the intangible assets with finite lives. Auditing the Company’s impairment tests for goodwill was complex and highly judgmental due to the significant estimation required in determining the fair value of the reporting units. Specifically, the fair value estimates of the reporting units are sensitive to assumptions such as net sales growth rates, discount rate, long-term growth rates and gross profit and operating margin. The fair value estimates of intangible assets and reporting units are affected by such factors as industry, market performance, and financial forecasts.

How We Addressed the Matter in Our Audit

Our audit procedures related to testing the valuation of intangible assets and goodwill, among others:

/s/ Plante & Moran, PLLC

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2003.

Broomfield, Colorado

March 29, 2023

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SCOTT’S LIQUID GOLD-INC. & SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(in thousands, except per share data)

See accompanying notes to these Consolidated Financial Statements.

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SCOTT’S LIQUID GOLD-INC. & SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands, except par value amounts)

See accompanying notes to these Consolidated Financial Statements.

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SCOTT’S LIQUID GOLD-INC. & SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity

(in thousands)

See accompanying notes to these Consolidated Financial Statements.

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SCOTT’S LIQUID GOLD-INC. & SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in thousands)