UNIROYAL GLOBAL ENGINEERED PRODUCTS, INC. - Quarter Report: 2019 March (Form 10-Q)

 UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

Commission file number: 000-50081

UNIROYAL GLOBAL ENGINEERED PRODUCTS, INC.

(Name of registrant as specified in its charter)

1800 2nd Street, Suite 970

Sarasota, FL 34236

(Address of principal executive offices)

(941) 906-8580

(Issuer’s telephone number)

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

Yes ☑ No ☐

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

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

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

Securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Act: None.

As of May 1, 2019, the issuer had 17,070,928 shares of ordinary Common Stock, $0.001 par value, and 1,619,102 shares of Class B Common Stock, $0.001 par value, outstanding.

UNIROYAL GLOBAL ENGINEERED PRODUCTS, INC.

Form 10-Q

Table of Contents

 CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Except for statements of historical fact, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements containing the words “believes,” “anticipates,”  “intends,” “expects,” and words of similar import, as well as all references to future results. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results or achievements of Uniroyal Global Engineered Products, Inc. to be materially different from any future results or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the following: risks involved in implementing our business strategy, our ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms, competition, our ability to manage growth, pricing and availability of equipment, materials and inventories, performance issues with suppliers, economic growth, the Company’s ability to successfully integrate acquired operations, currency fluctuations, risks of technological change, the effectiveness of cost-reduction plans, our dependence on key personnel, our ability to protect our intellectual property rights, risks of new technology and new products, and government regulation. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statements to reflect events, developments or circumstances after the date hereof.

Part 1 – FINANCIAL INFORMATION 

Item 1 – Financial Statements

Uniroyal Global Engineered Products, Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

Uniroyal Global Engineered Products, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements. 

Uniroyal Global Engineered Products, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

(Unaudited) 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements. 

Uniroyal Global Engineered Products, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity

For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 and April 1, 2018

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements. 

Uniroyal Global Engineered Products, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)

See Note 2 for noncash transactions and supplemental disclosure of cash flow information.

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements. 

UNIROYAL GLOBAL ENGINEERED PRODUCTS, INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

March 31, 2019

(Unaudited) 

The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared based upon U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules that permit reduced disclosure for interim periods. Therefore, they do not include all information and footnote disclosures necessary for a complete presentation of Uniroyal Global Engineered Products, Inc.’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows, in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. Uniroyal Global Engineered Products, Inc. (the “Company,” “Uniroyal Global,” “we,” or “us”) filed audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the fiscal years ended December 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 which included all information and notes necessary for such complete presentation in conjunction with its 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The results of operations for the interim period ended March 31, 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for any future period or the entire fiscal year. These interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 30, 2018, which are contained in the Company’s 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The Company owns all of the ownership interests in Uniroyal Engineered Products, LLC (“Uniroyal”) and its holding company UEP Holdings, LLC (“UEPH”), a U.S. manufacturer of textured coatings, and all of the ordinary common stock of Uniroyal Global (Europe) Limited (“UGEL”) formerly known as Engineered Products Acquisition Limited (“EPAL”), the holding company for Uniroyal Global Limited (“UGL”) formerly Wardle Storeys (Earby) Limited (“Wardle Storeys”), a European manufacturer of textured coatings and polymer films.

The Company and its subsidiaries have adopted a 52/53-week fiscal year ending on the Sunday nearest to December 31. The current year ending December 29, 2019 and the prior year ended December 30, 2018 are 52-week years.

The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring items) which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s financial position as of March 31, 2019 and the results of operations, comprehensive income and cash flows for the interim periods ended March 31, 2019 and April 1, 2018.

The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company uses the U.S. dollar as the reporting currency for financial reporting. The financial position and results of operations of the Company’s U.K.-based operations are measured using the British Pound Sterling as the functional currency. See Note 5, Foreign Currency Translation.

During the three months ended March 31, 2019 and April 1, 2018, the Company paid down $93,302 and $105,842, respectively, of its term loans using available borrowings on its various lines of credit.

During the three months ended March 31, 2019 and April 1, 2018, the Company entered into several equipment financing obligations with fair values of $448,227 and $247,479, respectively, which are accounted for as capital assets. The fair values were added to property and equipment and a corresponding amount to finance lease or financing obligations. See Note 12 for additional information on finance leases.

The Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-02, “Leases” on December 31, 2018. Under this new standard, the Company was required to record on its balance sheet previously unrecorded operating leases based on the present value of remaining lease payments. Per this new standard, the Company recorded right-of-use operating lease assets of $7,022,948 and operating lease liabilities of $7,022,948 on its consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2018. During the three months ended March 31, 2019, the Company recorded $143,104 in amortization of its right-of-use operating lease assets and $215,381 in amortization of its operating lease liabilities. See Note 12 for additional information on operating leases.

On April 1, 2018, the Company’s majority shareholder purchased the company owned life insurance policy on his life. The policy had a net value of $128,399 based on the cash surrender value of $578,490 and a policy loan outstanding in the amount of $450,091. After his assumption of a related party demand note payable in the amount of $125,000, the balance due of $3,399 was paid on April 17, 2018.

Supplemental disclosure of cash paid for the three months ended:

The Company recognizes all of its derivative instruments as either assets or liabilities in the balance sheet at fair value. The accounting for changes in the fair value of a derivative instrument depends on whether it has been designated and qualifies as part of a hedging relationship and further, as to whether the hedge is a cash flow hedge or a fair value hedge.

The Company incurs foreign currency risk on sales and purchases denominated in other currencies, primarily the British Pound Sterling and the Euro. Foreign currency exchange contracts are used by the Company principally to limit the exchange rate fluctuations of the Euro. The Euro risk is partially limited due to natural cash flow offsets. Currency exchange contracts are purchased for approximately 25% of the net risk. These contracts are not designated as cash flow hedges for accounting purposes. Changes in fair value of these contracts are reported in Other Expense in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The Company’s short-term financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and lines of credit. The Company adjusts the carrying value of financial instruments denominated in other currencies such as cash, receivables, accounts payable and lines of credit using the appropriate exchange rates at the balance sheet date. The Company believes that the carrying values of these short-term financial instruments approximate their estimated fair values.

The fair value of the Company’s long-term debt is estimated based on current rates for similar instruments with the same remaining maturities. In determining the current interest rates for similar instruments, the Company takes into account its risk of nonperformance. The Company believes that the carrying value of its long-term debt approximates its estimated fair value.

The Company uses foreign currency exchange contracts which are recorded at their estimated fair values in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. The fair values of the contracts at March 31, 2019 and December 30, 2018 were a net asset of $43,301 included in other current assets and a net liability of $26,814 included in other current liabilities, respectively. The fair values of the currency exchange contracts are based upon observable market transactions of spot and forward rates.

For the three months ended March 31, 2019, there have been no changes in the application of valuation methods applied to similar assets and liabilities.

The financial position and results of operations of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries are measured using the local currency as the functional currency. Assets and liabilities of operations denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date, while the capital accounts are translated at the historical rate for the date they were recognized. Revenues and expenses are translated at the weighted average exchange rates during the reporting period. The resulting translation gains and losses on assets and liabilities are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and are excluded from net income until realized through a sale or liquidation of the investment. Transaction gains and losses generated from the remeasurement of assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of the Company’s foreign operations are included in Other Expense in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Inventories consist of the following:

Other long-term assets consist of the following:

Other long-term liabilities consist of the following:

See Note 12 for additional information on operating lease liabilities.

The Company’s Uniroyal subsidiary has available a $30,000,000 revolving line of credit financing agreement with Wells Fargo Capital Finance, LLC (“Uniroyal Line of Credit”), which matures on June 15, 2023. Interest is payable monthly at the Eurodollar rate plus 2.25% or Wells Fargo Capital Finance, LLC's prime rate at the Company's election on outstanding balances up to $6,000,000 and prime rate on amounts in excess of $6,000,000. Borrowings on the line of credit are subject to the underlying borrowing base specified in the agreement. The underlying borrowing base is currently determined based upon eligible accounts receivable, inventories and equipment. The line of credit is secured by substantially all of Uniroyal's assets and includes certain financial and restrictive covenants. The Company was in compliance with these covenants as of March 31, 2019.

The outstanding balance on the Uniroyal Line of Credit was $12,262,660 and $10,713,318 as of March 31, 2019 and December 30, 2018, respectively. The Company has classified the outstanding balance on this line of credit within current liabilities in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

The Company’s U.K. subsidiary has available a £10,000,000 (approximately $13.1 million) revolving line of credit financing agreement with Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Limited (“U.K. Line of Credit”), which is subject to a six-month notice by either party. The line has several tranches based on currency or underlying security. Interest is payable monthly at the base rate (U.K. LIBOR or Lloyds Bank Base Rate as published) plus 1.95% to 2.45% depending on the tranche. Borrowings on the line of credit are subject to the underlying borrowing base specified in the agreement. The underlying borrowing base is currently determined based upon eligible accounts receivable and inventories. The line of credit is secured by substantially all of the subsidiary's assets and includes certain financial and restrictive covenants. The Company was in compliance with these covenants as of March 31, 2019.

The outstanding balance on the U.K. Line of Credit was £6,845,127 and £6,787,260 ($8,960,155 and $8,611,798) as of March 31, 2019 and December 30, 2018, respectively. The Company has classified the outstanding balance on this line of credit within current liabilities in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. 

Long-term debt consists of the following:

Long-term debt to related parties consists of the following:

The Company has a lease financing obligation under which it leases its main U.S. manufacturing facility and certain other property from a related party lessor entity, owned by the Company’s majority shareholder. The lease financing obligation accrues interest at 14.95% and currently requires monthly principal and interest payments of $45,201, which are adjusted annually based on the consumer price index. The lease financing obligation matures on October 31, 2033. The Company has security deposits aggregating $267,500 held by the lessor entity. The lease financing obligation consists of the following:

The long-term portion of the lease financing obligation is shown in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets as Related Party Lease Financing Obligation and the current portion as Related Party Obligation.

The Company has operating leases for equipment and office facilities and finance leases for equipment. These leases expire from January 2020 through March 2039. Operating leases are included in property and equipment, accrued expenses and other liabilities, and other long-term liabilities in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet at March 31, 2019. Finance leases are included in property and equipment, current maturities of finance lease liabilities, and finance lease liabilities, less current portion in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet at March 31, 2019.

The components of lease expense for the three months ended March 31, 2019 are as follows:

Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities for the three months ended March 31, 2019 are as follows:

Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations for the three months ended March 31, 2019 are as follows:

Supplemental balance sheet information related to operating leases is as follows:

Supplemental balance sheet information related to finance leases is as follows:

Maturities of operating and finance lease liabilities at March 31, 2019 are as follows:

The changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) were as follows:

The gains reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into income are recorded to the following income statement line items:

On June 25, 2015, the Company’s stockholders approved the adoption of the 2015 Stock Option Plan. This plan provides for the granting of options to purchase the Company’s common stock to employees and directors. The options granted are subject to a vesting schedule as set forth in each individual option agreement. Each option expires on the tenth anniversary of its date of grant unless an earlier termination date is provided in the grant agreement. The maximum aggregate number of shares of common stock that may be optioned and sold under the plan shall be 6% of the shares outstanding on the date of grant. The shares that may be optioned under the plan may be authorized but unissued or may be treasury shares.

Compensation expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over a three-year vesting period from date of grant.

Stock option activity for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and April 1, 2018 is as follows: 

Option expense recognized was $44,166 and $99,961 for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and April 1, 2018, respectively. As of March 31, 2019, there was no unrecognized compensation cost related to the options granted under the 2015 Stock Option Plan.

On February 25, 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued a new standard, ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases,” on July 30, 2018, it issued ASU No. 2018-11, “Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements” and on March 5, 2019, it issued ASU No. 2019-01, “Leases (Topic 842): Codification Improvements.” Under the new guidance, a lessee is required to recognize right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and lease liabilities for leases with lease terms of more than 12 months. Consistent with previous U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”), the recognition, measurement, and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising from a lease by a lessee primarily depends on its classification as a finance or operating lease. However, unlike previous GAAP, which required only finance leases to be recognized on the balance sheet, the new ASU requires both types of leases to be recognized on the balance sheet. The Company adopted this standard on December 31, 2018. The Company elected to recognize and measure leases at the adoption date and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings; however, no adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings was needed. The Company elected the available practical expedients for leases that began before the effective date of this new standard except the Company did not elect to use hindsight in determining the lease term and in assessing impairment of its ROU assets. The Company elected to apply and adopt as an accounting policy to exclude leases with terms of 12 months or less but did not elect to apply and adopt as an accounting policy not to separate lease components from non-lease components. The adoption of this standard for the year ending December 29, 2019 will have a significant effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position as it records previously unrecorded operating leases but it will not have a significant effect on its results of operations and cash flows.

On January 26, 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued a new standard, ASU No. 2017-04, “Intangibles – Goodwill and Other – Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment.” The new standard modifies the concept of impairment from the condition that exists when the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds its implied fair value to the condition that exists when the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value. It will be effective for the Company on December 30, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the effects this standard will have, if any, on its consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

On August 28, 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued a new standard, ASU No. 2018-13, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement.” The new standard modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements in Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurement.” Certain requirements were removed such as the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, certain requirements were modified and certain disclosures were added such as the changes in unrealized gains and losses for the period included in other comprehensive income for recurring Level 3 fair value measurements held at the end of the reporting period. This standard will be effective for the Company on December 30, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the effects this standard will have, if any, on its consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

The following table sets forth the computation of loss per common share - basic and loss per common share – diluted for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and April 1, 2018:

Due to the net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and April 1, 2018, the calculations of basic and diluted loss per share were the same since including options to purchase shares of common stock in the calculation of diluted loss per share would have been anti-dilutive. However, if diluted earnings per share had been reported for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and April 1, 2018, the calculations would have excluded options to purchase 946,500 and 961,500 shares of common stock, respectively, because the options’ exercise prices of $2.37 and $3.57 per share were greater than the average market prices of the common shares.

The Company recognizes revenue and related accounts receivable when obligations under the terms of a contract with a customer are satisfied, which includes the control of products transferring to the customer. For Uniroyal, this generally occurs when products are shipped and, for UGL, this generally occurs when the customer accepts delivery either at the Company’s U.K. facility or at a mutually agreed upon location. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for products transferred to the customer. A contract asset occurs when an entity transfers products to a customer before payment is due while a contract liability occurs when an entity has an obligation to transfer products to a customer for which the entity has already received payment (or payment is due) from the customer. Remaining performance obligations exist when an entity expects to record future revenue on partially completed contracts. The Company does not have contract assets or contract liabilities and has no remaining performance obligations since it does not recognize revenue until a contract is complete.

The following table sets forth revenue disaggregated by the Company’s automotive and industrial sectors for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and April 1, 2018:

The following table sets forth revenue disaggregated by the geographic locations of the Company’s customers for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and April 1, 2018:

The Company, to increase operating efficiencies and decrease costs, developed a plan to restructure the operations and the management team of its foreign operations located in Earby, England. As part of this restructuring, the Company announced the decommissioning of the calender operations which could not be economically modernized. An impairment charge of $510,230 for the assets used in this operation was included in the operating results for the year ended December 30, 2018. The decommissioning plan is being implemented over an extended period to permit its existing customer base time to arrange for alternate sources of product or for them to switch to one of the Company’s other coated fabric solutions from its state-of-the art production facility. The Company anticipated that it would reduce its work force but would also offer a retraining program to allow a limited number of employees the opportunity to move to other production areas within the facility. The Company does not expect that the cost associated with this aspect of the plan to be significant and will expense these costs as incurred. Also, as part of the restructuring, during the quarter ended March 31, 2019 the Company entered into settlement agreements with certain members of that facility’s management team which terminated their continuing service. The Company recorded a charge of $343,003 for the cost of these agreements which is included in Other Operating Expenses in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three months ended March 31, 2019.

The Company has evaluated subsequent events occurring through the date that the financial statements were available to be issued for events requiring recording or disclosure in the March 31, 2019 financial statements. There were no material events or transactions occurring during this period requiring recognition or disclosure.

Business Description

We are a leading provider of manufactured vinyl coated fabrics. Our best-known brand, Naugahyde, is the product of many improvements on a rubber-coated fabric developed a century ago in Naugatuck, Connecticut. We design, manufacture and market a wide selection of vinyl coated fabric products under a portfolio of recognized brand names. We believe that our business has continued to be a leading supplier in its marketplace because of our ability to provide specialized materials with performance characteristics customized to the end-user specifications, complemented by technical and customer support for the use of our products in manufacturing.

Our vinyl coated fabric products have undergone considerable evolution and today are distinguished by superior performance in a wide variety of applications as alternatives to leather, cloth and other synthetic fabric coverings. Our standard product lines consist of more than 600 SKUs with combinations of colors, textures, patterns and other properties. Our products are differentiated by unique protective top finishes and transfer print capabilities. Additional process capabilities include embossing grains and patterns, and rotogravure printing, which imparts five color character prints and non-registered prints, lamination and panel cutting.

Our vinyl coated fabric products have various high-performance characteristics and capabilities. They are durable, stain resistant, easily processed, more cost-effective and better performing than traditional leather or fabric coverings. Our products are frequently used in applications that require rigorous performance characteristics such as automotive and non-automotive transportation, certain indoor/outdoor furniture, commercial and hospitality seating, healthcare facilities and athletic equipment. We manufacture materials in a wide range of colors and textures. They can be hand or machine sewn, laminated to an underlying structure, thermoformed to cover various substrates or made into a variety of shapes for diverse end-uses. We are a long-established supplier to the global automotive industry and manufacture products for interior soft trim components from floor to headliner, which are produced to meet specific component production requirements such as cut and sew, vacuum forming/covering, compression molding, and high frequency welding. Some products are supplied with micro perforations, which are necessary on most compression molding processes. Materials can also be combined with polyurethane or polypropylene foam laminated by either flame or hot melt adhesive for seating, fascia and door applications.

Products are developed and marketed based upon the performance characteristics required by end-users. For example, for recreational products used outdoors, such as boats, personal watercraft, golf carts and snowmobiles, a product designed primarily for water-based durability and weatherability is used. We also manufacture a line of products called BeautyGard^®, with water-based topcoats that contain agents to protect against bacterial and fungal micro-organisms and can withstand repeated cleaning, a necessity in the restaurant and health care industries. These topcoats are environmentally friendlier than solvent-based topcoats. The line is widely used in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Flame and smoke retardant vinyl coated fabrics are used for a variety of commercial and institutional furniture applications, including hospitals, restaurants and residential care centers and seats for school buses, trains and aircraft.

We currently conduct our operations in manufacturing facilities that are located in Stoughton, Wisconsin and Earby, England.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements and related disclosures in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect our reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates and assumptions based upon historical experience and various other factors and circumstances. We believe that our estimates and assumptions are reasonable under the circumstances; however, actual results may vary from these estimates and assumptions under different future circumstances. For further discussion of our significant accounting policies, refer to Note 1 – “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to the Consolidated Financial Statements and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Critical Accounting Policies, Judgments and Estimates” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2018.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 15 – “Recent Accounting Standards” to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of recent accounting guidance.

Overview:

The Company and its subsidiaries have adopted a 52/53-week fiscal year ending on the Sunday nearest to December 31. The current year ending December 29, 2019 and the prior year ended December 30, 2018 are 52-week years.

Our Earby, England operation’s functional currency is the British Pound Sterling and has sales and purchases transactions that are denominated in currencies other than the Pound Sterling, principally the Euro. Approximately 28% of the Company’s global revenues and 33% of its global raw material purchases are derived from these Euro transactions.

The average year-to-date exchange rate for the Pound Sterling to the U.S. Dollar was approximately 6.5% lower and the average exchange rate for the Euro to the Pound Sterling was approximately 1.2% lower in 2019 compared to 2018. These exchange rate changes had the effect of decreasing net sales by approximately $1.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019. The overall currency effect on the Company’s net loss was a positive amount of approximately $14,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2019.

Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 Compared to the Three Months Ended April 1, 2018

The following table sets forth, for the three months ended March 31, 2019 (“three months 2019”) and April 1, 2018 (“three months 2018”), certain operations data including their respective percentage of net sales: 

Revenue:

Total revenue for the three months 2019 decreased $1,035,827 or 3.9% to $25,393,860 from $26,429,687 for the three months 2018. Excluding the negative currency effect of the exchange rates, total revenue would have only decreased by approximately $33,000 or 0.1%. U.S. automotive sales for the three months 2019 increased 2.4% compared to the three months 2018 resulting from new automotive programs in 2019. European automotive sales decreased marginally (0.5%) compared to the prior year excluding the currency adjustment. Sales for the industrial sector decreased 3.1% (1.8% before currency effect) as sales from the non-automotive transportation market in the U.K. were down compared to last year principally due to sales to a customer in the prior year that normally occurred in the second and third quarters, were pulled forward to the first quarter in 2019.

Gross Profit:

Total gross profit for the three months 2019 decreased $303,292 or 6.6% to $4,314,202 from $4,617,494 for the three months 2018. The gross profit percentage was 17.0% of sales for the three months 2019 compared to 17.5% for the three months 2018. Gross profit amount and percentage was negatively impacted in 2019 by higher raw material prices compared to 2018 and the effects of product mix. To offset raw material price increases, the Company increased prices during the three months 2019 in several of its markets. The decrease in gross profit included a negative net currency effect of $151,000. Excluding this effect, gross profit would have only declined by 3.3%

Operating Expenses:

Selling expenses for the three months 2019 decreased $245,992 or 18.2% to $1,103,038 from $1,349,030 for the three months 2018. The Company pays commissions only on certain U.K. automotive programs. In conjunction with the decline in total automotive sales in the U.K. for the three months 2019, there was a decrease in commissionable sales. The decrease in selling expense for the three months 2019 was principally attributable to the lower commissions related to these sales. This decrease was partially offset by the unfavorable currency effect of $44,000.

General and administrative expenses for the three months 2019 decreased $437,501 or 22.5% to $1,510,800 from $1,948,301 for the three months 2018. This decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in employment costs and other administrative expenses for the three months 2019 compared to the three months 2018. Partially offsetting the decrease was the unfavorable currency effect of $61,000.

Research and development expenses for the three months 2019 increased $55,001 or 13.0% to $476,964 from $421,963 for the three months 2018. The increase was principally attributable to development costs for new trials. Also contributing to the increase was the unfavorable currency effect of $17,000.

Other operating expenses for the three months 2019 was $343,003. There was not a corresponding amount for the three months 2018. This amount is cost incurred by the Company as part of a restructuring plan to reduce inefficiencies at its U.K. facility.

Operating Income:

Operating income for the three months 2019 decreased $17,803 or 2.0% to $880,397 from $898,200 for the three months 2018. The operating income percentage was 3.5% of sales for the three months 2019 compared to 3.4% for the three months 2018. Operating income decreased from the decrease in gross profit and partially offset by the decrease in operating expenses.

Interest Expense:

Interest expense for the three months 2019 increased $57,932 or 12.7% to $514,296 from $456,364 for the three months 2018. The increase was primarily due to new equipment purchases and higher interest rates on LIBOR and prime during the three months 2019 partially offset by debt repayments compared to the three months 2018.

Other Income:

Other income for the three months 2019 increased $194,851 or more than 100% to $228,133 from $33,282 for the three months 2018. Included in other income are the currency gains and losses recognized on foreign currency transactions and the change in the fair value of financial assets and liabilities that are denominated in Euros as these currencies fluctuated during the quarter. Also included in other income are gains and losses from the change in fair values on the Company’s foreign currency exchange contracts.

Tax Benefit:

The Company files income tax returns in the United States as a C-Corporation, and in several state jurisdictions and in the United Kingdom. The Company’s subsidiary, Uniroyal, is a limited liability company (LLC) for federal and state income tax purposes and as such, its income, losses, and credits are allocated to its members. The Company made the acquisition of Uniroyal through UEPH, a limited liability company, which issued preferred ownership interests to the sellers that provide for quarterly dividends. Uniroyal’s taxable income is allocated entirely to UEPH as its sole member and since it is a pass-through entity, this income less the dividends paid to the sellers of Uniroyal is reported on the Company’s tax return. The taxable income applicable to the dividends for the preferred ownership interests is reported to the sellers who report it on their respective individual tax returns.

For the three months 2019, the tax benefit was $38,868 as compared to $14,521 for the three months 2018. The larger benefit is due to the increased taxable loss in the U.K. as a result of the restructuring charges.

Preferred Stock Dividend:

The terms of the acquisitions in November 2014 resulted in the issuance of preferred ownership units/stock of UEP Holdings, LLC and UGEL (formerly EPAL) to the sellers. These preferred units have carried quarterly dividend requirements on a total value of $55,000,000 at rates ranging from 5.0% to 7.5%. The dividend rate on the Series B UEP Holdings preferred units which started at 5.5% increases by 0.5% on the anniversary of the issuance up to a maximum of 8.0%.

Liquidity and Sources of Capital

Cash, as it is needed, is provided by using the Company’s lines of credit. These lines provide for a total borrowing commitment in excess of $43,000,000 subject to the underlying borrowing base specified in the agreements. Of the total outstanding borrowings of $21,222,815 at March 31, 2019, $15.0 million of the lines bears interest at LIBOR or the Eurodollar rate plus a range of 1.95% to 2.45%, depending on the underlying borrowing base and $6.2 million bears interest at the bank’s prime or base lending rate which was 5.5% at March 31, 2019. At March 31, 2019, the lines provided an additional availability of approximately $2.2 million. We plan to use this availability and cash provided by operating activities to finance our cash needs for the remaining months of fiscal 2019 and future periods. The balances due under the lines of credit are recorded as current liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Given our capital resources in the U.S. and the potential for increased investment and acquisitions in foreign jurisdictions, we did not have a history of repatriating a significant portion of our foreign cash. Accordingly, we had not recognized a deferred tax liability for these unremitted earnings. However, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 imposed a one-time transition tax on deemed repatriation of deferred foreign income, which the Company recorded in tax expense in 2017. In the event that we decide to repatriate these foreign amounts to fund U.S. operations, the Company will not be required to pay any additional U.S. tax related to these amounts.

The ratio of current assets to current liabilities, including the amount due under our lines of credit, was 0.96 at March 31, 2019 and 0.97 at December 30, 2018.

Cash balances increased $154,483 before the effects of currency translation of 27,829, to $1,211,153 at March 31, 2019 from $1,028,841 at December 30, 2018. Of the above noted amounts, $703,692 and $923,071 were held outside the U.S. by our foreign subsidiaries as of March 31, 2019 and December 30, 2018, respectively.

Cash used in operations was $374,084 for the three months 2019 compared to $648,586 provided by operations for the three months 2018. For the three months 2019, cash used in operations was primarily due to cash flows related to changes in working capital of $(1,545,990) offset by net income of $633,102, adjustments for non-cash items of $512,925 and changes in other assets and liabilities of $25,879. For the three months 2018, cash provided by operations was primarily due to net income of $489,639 and adjustments for non-cash items of $605,766 offset by cash flows related to changes in working capital of $(295,674) and changes in other assets and liabilities of $(151,145).

Cash used in investing activities was $194,752 for the three months 2019 compared to $427,944 for the three months 2018. During 2019 and 2018, cash used in investing activities was principally for purchases of machinery and equipment at our manufacturing locations and payments made for company-owned key man life insurance premiums.

For the three months 2019, cash provided by financing activities was $723,319 as compared to $707,499 used in financing activities for the three months 2018. Impacting cash flows from financing activities for the three months 2019 and 2018 were net advances on lines of credit of $1,531,363 and $37,163, respectively. The increases in advances on the lines of credit were used to fund working capital. Also included in cash flows from financing activities were preferred dividend payments of $779,863 and $774,346 during the three months 2019 and 2018, respectively. During the three months 2019 and 2018, our majority shareholder provided $200,000 and $225,000, respectively, in financing in the form of subordinated secured promissory notes. During the three months 2018, we drew $433,223 on an equipment financing commitment from our bank to finance asset purchases.

Our credit agreements contain customary affirmative and negative covenants. We were in compliance with our debt covenants as of March 31, 2019 and through the date of filing of this report.

We currently have several on-going capital projects that are important to our long-term strategic goals. Machinery and equipment will also be added as needed to increase capacity or enhance operating efficiencies in our manufacturing plants. We will use a combination of financing arrangements to provide the necessary capital. We believe that our existing resources, including cash on hand and our credit facilities, together with cash generated from operations and additional bank borrowings, will be sufficient to fund our cash flow requirements through at least the next twelve months. However, there can be no assurance that additional financing will be available on favorable terms, if at all.

We have no material off balance sheet arrangements.

Not applicable.

The Company maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Board of Directors, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures. In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that disclosure controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired objectives, and we necessarily are required to apply our judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible disclosure controls and procedures.

Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2019 and concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of March 31, 2019.

Changes in Internal Controls over Financial Reporting

During the three months ended March 31, 2019, there were no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

None.

Not applicable.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

None.

None.

Not applicable.

None.

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Signatures

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

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