YUNHONG GREEN CTI LTD. - Annual Report: 2019 (Form 10-K)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INDEX

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes both historical and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future results. Words such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” or similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Although we believe that our opinions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements, and our actual results may differ substantially from the views and expectations set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We disclaim any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K to conform such statements to actual results or to changes in our opinions or expectations. These forward-looking statements are affected by factors, risks, uncertainties and assumptions that we make, including, without limitation, our participation in highly competitive markets, potential changes in the cost or availability of raw materials, our dependence on a limited number of suppliers, the possible inability to obtain an adequate supply of raw materials, our reliance on a limited number of key customers, the loss of one or more of our key customers, changing consumer demands, developments or changes in technology, risks of international operations and political environments, dependence on our intellectual property, compliance with federal, state or local regulations, the resolution of litigation or other legal proceedings to which we may become involved, restrictions included in the Company’s credit facility, the availability of funds under the Company’s credit facility, damage to or destruction of one or both of the Company’s principal plants, our ability to service our indebtedness, our ability to invest in needed plant or equipment.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Due to certain circumstances related to COVID-19 and its effect on the Company, on March 30, 2020 the Company filed a Current Report on Form 8-K to avail itself of the relief provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Order under Section 36 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), granting exemptions from specified provisions of the Exchange Act, as set forth in SEC Release No. 34-88318 (as superseded by the order dated March 25, 2020, Release No. 34-88465)  (the “Order”). By filing this Current Report on Form 8-K, the Company relied on the Order to receive an additional 45 days to file this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 (the “Annual Report”). With respect to COVID-19 and its impact on the Company, COVID-19 has caused our auditors and key internal accounting personnel responsible for assisting the Company in the preparation of its financial statements to work remotely, and, consequently, has delayed our auditors’ ability to complete their detailed review of the Company’s financials.

PART I

Item No. 1 – Description of Business

Business Overview

We develop, produce, distribute and sell a number of consumer products throughout the United States and in over 30 other countries, and we produce film products for commercial and industrial uses in the United States. Many of our products utilize flexible films and, for a number of years, we have been a leading developer of innovative products which employ flexible films including novelty balloons, pouches and rolls of film for vacuum sealing and storage of products in the home as well as films for commercial packaging applications.

Our principal lines of products include:

Novelty Products consisting principally of foil and latex balloons and other inflatable toy items;

Vacuum Sealing Containers and Sealing Devices for home and consumer use to vacuum seal, store and preserve food and personal items. This line was discontinued during the first quarter of 2020; and

Flexible Films for food and other commercial and packaging applications.

In addition to these principal product lines, for the past several years, we have engaged in (i) the assembly and sale of Candy Blossoms (small gift bouquets of arranged candy items often including ribbons and/or a small foil balloon), and (ii) the distribution of party goods products in Mexico.

We leverage our technology to design and develop proprietary products which we develop, market and sell for our customers. We have been engaged in the business of developing flexible film products for over 40 years and have acquired significant technology and know-how in that time. We currently hold several patents related to flexible film products, including specific films, zipper closures, valves and other features of these products.

We print, process and convert flexible film into finished products and we produce latex balloons and novelty items. Our principal production processes include:

In 1978, we began manufacturing metalized balloons (often referred to as "foil" balloons), which are balloons made of a base material (usually nylon or polyester) often having vacuum deposited aluminum and polyethylene coatings. These balloons remain buoyant when filled with helium for much longer periods than latex balloons and permit the printing of graphic designs on the surface. In 1985, we began marketing latex balloons and, in 1988, we began manufacturing latex balloons. In 1999, we acquired an extrusion coating and laminating machine and began production of coated and laminated films, which we have produced since that time.

For more than 20 years, we have been engaged in the production of flexible containers for the storage of liquids, food products, household goods and other items, and in the coating, laminating and printing of flexible films for our novelty and container products and for the production of laminated and printed films we supply to others.

We market and sell our foil and latex balloons and related novelty items throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico and in a number of other countries in Latin America and Europe. We supply directly to retail stores and chains and through distributors, who in turn sell to retail stores and chains. Our balloon and novelty products are sold to consumers through a wide variety of retail outlets including general merchandise, discount and drugstore chains, grocery chains, card and gift shops and party goods stores, as well as through florists and balloon decorators.

Most of our foil balloons contain printed characters, designs and social expression messages, such as “Happy Birthday,” “Get Well” and similar items. We may obtain licenses from time to time for well-known characters and print those characters and messages on our balloons.

We produce flexible containers and rolls of film for use as flexible containers in a variety of applications, including (i) zippered pouches with valves for vacuum sealing of food and household products and (ii) pouches and rolls of film for use with vacuum sealing machines to vacuum seal, store and protect food and household items. We market and sell flexible containers and rolls of film for consumer storage uses through retail chains and outlets throughout the United States, and we provide flexible containers to others for resale. On March 30, 2020, we stopped marketing and selling vacuum sealing machines for use with pouches and rolls of film for the vacuum storage of food and household products.

We provide customized laminated films and printed films to customers who utilize the film to produce bags or pouches for the packaging of food, liquids and other items. In 2014, we began assembling and producing Candy Blossoms - containers including candy items and, at times, air-inflated balloons. In 2015, we commenced the distribution of party goods in Mexico.

In 2019, our revenues from our product lines, as a percent of total revenues were:

We are an Illinois corporation with our principal offices and plant at 22160 N. Pepper Road, Lake Barrington, Illinois.

Business Strategies and Developments

Our business strategies, and recent developments related to our business, include:

Products

Foil Balloons. We have designed, produced and sold foil balloons since 1979 and, we believe, are approximately the second largest manufacturer of foil balloons in the United States. Currently, we produce several hundred foil balloon designs, in different shapes and sizes.

In addition to size and shape, a principal element of our foil balloon products is the printed design or message contained on the balloon. These designs may include figures and licensed characters, but frequently are of our own design. We recognize that consumer trends and preferences, and competing products, are constantly changing. In order to compete effectively in this product line we must constantly innovate and develop new designs, shapes and products.

Latex Balloons. Through our subsidiary in Guadalajara, Mexico, Flexo Universal, S. de R.L. de C.V. (“Flexo Universal”), we manufacture latex balloons in a wide variety of sizes and colors. Many of these balloons are marketed under the name Partyloons® and balloons are also marketed on a private label basis. We also manufacture toy balloon products including punch balls, water bombs and "Animal Twisties." We had an agreement to sell Flexo Universal to the local manager, with the intention to continue to source latex balloons from Flexo Universal on a third party basis. This transaction failed to close and was terminated during March 2020.

Vacuum Sealing Pouches and Systems. We previously produced, marketed and sold consumer vacuum storage pouches and systems for the vacuum storage of food and other household items. We produced (i) vacuum sealable bags and rolls of film for use with vacuum sealing devices for household storage and (ii) valved, resealable bags also for vacuum storage uses. Our valved, resealable bags function with a small hand or battery-powered pump to evacuate air from the bag when it is sealed. Since 2012, we have produced and marketed vacuum sealable bags and rolls of film under the Ziploc^® brand. We also marketed vacuum sealing machines, produced for us, under the Ziploc^® Brand Vacuum Sealer System. We have produced and marketed a line of valved, resealable bags under our Zipvac™ line and a line of valved, resealable bags under another brand. As noted herein, our license agreement to use the Ziploc^® brand expired on December 31, 2019, and was not renewed. This agreement included a run-off provision that allowed us to sell related products for ninety (90) days after termination. We discontinued making and selling these licensed products as of March 30, 2020.

Packaging Films and Custom Film Products. A large and increasing number of both consumer and commercial products are packaged in pouches or containers utilizing flexible films. Often such containers include printed labels and designs. We produce and sell films that may be utilized for the packaging of a wide variety of products and liquids. We laminate, extrusion coat and adhesive coat flexible films for these purposes and we provide flexographic printing for the films we produce. We can produce a variety of customized film products, and printing services, to meet the specific packaging needs of a wide variety of customers.

Other Products. In 2014, we began assembly and sale of our Candy Blossom product line. We have since supplemented this product line with related products.

Markets

Foil Balloons

The foil balloon came into existence in the late 1970s. During the 1980s, the market for foil balloons grew rapidly. Initially, the product was sold principally to individual vendors, small retail outlets and at fairs, amusement parks, shopping centers and other outdoor facilities and functions. Foil balloons remain buoyant when filled with helium for extended periods of time and they permit the printing and display of graphics and messages. As a result, the product has significant appeal as a novelty and message item. Foil balloons became part of the "social expression" industry, carrying graphics designs, characters and messages like greeting cards. In the mid-1980s, we and other participants in the market began licensing character and cartoon images for printing on the balloons and directed marketing of the balloons to retail outlets including grocery, general merchandise, discount and drug store chains, card and gift shops, party goods stores as well as florists and balloon decorators. These outlets now represent the principal means for the sale of foil balloons throughout the United States and in a number of other countries, although individual vendors remain a means of distribution in a number of areas.

Foil balloons are now sold in virtually every region of the world. The United States, however, remains the largest market for these products.

Foil balloons are sold in the United States and foreign countries directly by producers to retail outlets and through distributors and wholesalers. Often the sale of foil balloons by the wholesalers/distributors is accompanied by related products including latex balloons, floral supplies, candy containers, mugs, plush toys, baskets and a variety of party goods.

Latex Balloons

For a number of years, latex balloons and related novelty/toy latex items have been marketed and sold throughout the United States and in many other countries. Latex balloons are sold as novelty/toy items for decorative purposes, as part of floral designs and as party goods and favors. In addition to standard size and shape balloons, inflatable latex items include punch balls, water bombs, balloons to be twisted into shapes, and other specialty designs. Often, latex balloons include printed messages or designs.

Latex balloons are sold principally in retail outlets, including party goods stores, general merchandise stores, discount chains, gift stores and drugstore chains. Latex balloons are also purchased by balloon decorators and floral outlets for use in decorative or floral designs. Printed latex balloons are sold both in retail outlets and for balloon decoration purposes including floral designs.

Latex balloons are sold both through distributors and directly to retail outlets by the producers.

Flexible Containers/Pouches

The market for flexible containers and pouches is large and diverse. Many companies engaged in the production of food items package their products in flexible containers or pouches, and, therefore, represent a market for these containers.

Flexible containers and pouches are sold and utilized in the consumer market in numerous forms. They include simple open-top plastic bags, resealable bags and zippered bags. The market also includes containers and pouches of special design or purpose, including vacuumable bags for storage of food or household items or commercial uses.

We have participated in a segment of the market for vacuum sealing and storage of food and household items. These products generally are sold in retail chain stores, and to some degree, in grocery stores, and, recently, in a direct sales channel. The product lines sold include (i) zippered, resealable bags, incorporating a valve through which air can be evacuated by a hand pump or other device; (ii) pouches or rolls of film which can be sealed by vacuum sealing devices and (iii) vacuum sealing devices. While we maintain the ability to provide certain solutions in this area, most were discontinued as of March 30, 2020, following the expiration of a license.

Printed and Specialty Films

The industry and market for printed and specialty films are fragmented and include many participants. There are hundreds of manufacturers of printed and specialty film products in the United States and in other markets. In many cases, companies who provide food and other products in film packages also produce or process the films used for their packages. The market for the Company's film products consists principally of companies who utilize the films for the packaging of their products, including food products and other items, usually by converting the film to a flexible container.

Marketing, Sales and Distribution

Balloon Products

We work in collaboration with our customers on designs, promotions, and other elements of marketing and selling. Our customers are typically retailers who sell our products to individual consumers. These relationships generally can be terminated unilaterally by our customers. We must maintain good relationships with our customers if this sales model is to be successful.

We market and sell our foil balloon, latex balloon and related novelty products throughout the United States and in a number of other countries. We maintain marketing, sales and support staff and a customer service department in the United States. Sales in the United Kingdom were conducted by CTI Balloons Ltd. (“CTI Balloons”), the Company's former subsidiary located in Rugby, England. Sales in Europe were conducted by CTI Europe GmbH (“CTI Europe”), the Company’s subsidiary located in Heusenstamm, Germany, that is currently being liquidated. We sell directly to foreign customers from the United States on a limited basis, and seek to engage distributors in the UK and Europe in the future. Flexo Universal, our subsidiary in Mexico, conducts sales and marketing activities for the sale of balloon products in Mexico, Latin America, and certain other markets. As of December 31, 2019, we had a letter of intent for the local manager to purchase Flexo Universal from us. That transaction failed to conclude and the process was terminated during March 2020. Sales in other foreign countries are made generally to distributors in those countries and are managed at the Company's principal offices.

We sell and distribute our balloon products (i) through our sales staff and customer service personnel in the United States, (ii) through a network of distributors and wholesalers, (iii) through several groups of independent sales representatives, and (iv) to retail chains. Our balloon products are generally sold through retail outlets including grocery, general merchandise and drug store chains, card and gift shops, party goods stores as well as florists and balloon decorators.

We engage in a variety of advertising and promotional activities to promote the sale of our balloon products. We produce a complete catalog of our balloon products, and also prepare various flyers and brochures for special or seasonal products, which we disseminate to thousands of customers, potential customers and others. We participate in several trade shows for the gift, novelty, balloon and other industries and advertise in several trade and other publications. We maintain websites which show images of our products.

Flexible Containers/Pouches

We have marketed several lines of flexible containers or pouches for household use to vacuum seal, store and preserve food and other household items.

We developed and, for several years, we have produced and sold a line of pouches and rolls of film for use with vacuum sealing machines to vacuum seal food and household items. Initially, we marketed these products through various retail channels under our brand or on a private label basis. On December 14, 2011, the Company entered into a Trademark License Agreement with SC Johnson under which the Company was licensed to manufacture and sell a line of vacuum sealing machines and pouches under the Ziploc^® Brand Vacuum Sealer System. The agreement was initially for a three year term expiring on December 31, 2014 and was extended to December 31, 2017 and then to December 31, 2019, when we allowed the license to expire. The licensed product line included vacuum sealing machines manufactured for the Company and pouches and rolls manufactured by the Company for use in the home to vacuum seal food items to preserve freshness and help prevent freezer burn. We sold products in this area through the license through March 30, 2020.

During 2007, we introduced a line of re-sealable pouches incorporating a valve permitting the evacuation of air from the sealed pouch by use of a hand pump supplied with the pouches. This line of products has been marketed under the brand name ZipVac^®.

Printed and Specialty Films

We market and sell printed and laminated films directly and through independent sales representatives throughout the United States. We sell laminated and printed films to companies that utilize these films to produce packaging for a variety of products, including food products, in both solid and liquid form, such as cola syrup, coffee, juices and other items. We seek to identify and maintain customer relationships in which we provide added value in the form of technology or systems.

Other Products

Other products are sold by our internal sales force directly to customers and also by independent sales representatives. These products are generally sold directly to consumers or to retail outlets.

Production and Operations

We conduct our operations at our facilities including: (i) our 68,000 square feet facility in Lake Barrington, Illinois, incorporating our headquarters office, production and warehouse space, (ii) our 118,000 square foot facility in Lake Zurich, Illinois consisting of warehouse, packaging and office space, which is intended to be relocated during 2020 to Laredo, Texas, (iii) a 73,000 square foot facility in Guadalajara, Mexico, consisting of office, warehouse and production space for Flexo Universal, (iv) a 9,000 square foot facility in Rugby, England that consisted of office and warehouse/assembly space while we had UK operations, which has been terminated and vacated during 2019, and (v) a 13,000 square foot facility in Heusenstamm, Germany (near Frankfurt), consisting of office and warehouse/assembly space while we had German operations, the space for which was terminated during 2020 a replaced with smaller, temporary space to facilitate the liquidation of inventory.

Our production operations include (i) lamination and extrusion coating of films, (ii) slitting of film rolls, (iii) printing on film and on latex balloons, (iv) converting film to completed products including balloons, flexible containers and pouches, (v) producing latex balloon products, (vi) inflating of air-filled balloons, and (vii) assembling Candy blossoms. We perform all of the lamination, extrusion coating and slitting activities in our Lake Barrington, Illinois plant and produce all of our latex balloon products at our Guadalajara, Mexico plant. We print on films in Lake Barrington, Illinois and we print on latex balloons in Guadalajara, Mexico. We complete air-filling and assembly of balloons in all our facilities except Lake Barrington, Illinois. We currently assemble Candy blossoms in our Lake Zurich, Illinois facility.

We warehouse raw materials at our plants in Lake Barrington, Illinois and Guadalajara, Mexico and we warehouse finished goods at our facilities in Lake Barrington, Illinois; Lake Zurich, Illinois; Guadalajara, Mexico; and previously in Rugby, England and temporarily in Heusenstamm, Germany. We maintain customer service and fulfillment operations at each of our warehouse locations. We conduct sales operations for the United States and for all other markets, except those that are handled by Flexo Universal and were handled at our previously operational Germany and England facilities, at the Lake Barrington, Illinois facility. In addition to warehouse and sales activities at these locations, we engage in some assembly, balloon inflation and related activities.

We maintain a graphic arts and development department at our Lake Barrington, Illinois facility which designs our balloon products and graphics. Our creative department operates a networked, computerized graphic arts system for the production of these designs and of printed materials including catalogues, advertisements and other promotional materials. As many of our products are custom designed or created to fulfill promotional schedules, we sometimes have excess inventory that must be sold at a discount or disposed of. Any such disposition will typically negatively impact our profit margin.

We conduct administrative and accounting functions at our headquarters in Lake Barrington, Illinois and occasionally, when needed, at our Guadalajara, Mexico, facility.

Raw Materials

The principal raw materials we use in manufacturing our products are (i) petroleum or natural gas-based films, (ii) petroleum or natural gas-based resin, (iii) latex, and (iv) printing inks. The cost of raw materials represents a significant portion of the total cost of our products, with the result that fluctuations in the cost of raw materials have a material effect on our profitability. During the past several years, we have experienced significant fluctuations in the cost of these raw materials. We do not have any long-term agreements for the supply of raw materials and may experience wide fluctuations in the cost of raw materials in the future. Further, although we have been able to obtain adequate supplies of raw materials in the past, there can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain adequate supplies of one or more of our raw materials in the future.

Many of the foil balloons we produce and sell are intended to be filled with helium in order to be buoyant. Over the past several years, the price of helium has fluctuated substantially and the availability of helium has, on occasion, been limited. During 2018 and 2019, the availability of helium declined and the cost of helium increased. The supply of helium has since improved significantly. Any future occurrence of limited availability and/or an increase in the cost of helium could adversely affect our sales of foil balloons.

Competition

The balloon and novelty industry is highly competitive, with numerous competitors. We believe there are presently five principal manufacturers of foil balloons whose products are sold in the United States including Anagram International, Inc., Pioneer Balloon Company, Convertidora International S.A. de C.V., and Betallic, LLC. Several companies market and sell foil balloons designed by them and manufactured by others for them. In addition, there are several additional foil balloon manufacturers in Europe and China who participate in our markets.

We compete for the sale of latex balloons in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, the United Kingdom, Australia and Europe. There are a number of other companies situated in the United States, Mexico, Asia, South America and Europe who manufacture latex balloons and with whom we compete in the markets in which we participate. The markets are highly competitive with respect to price, quality and terms.

Our company has competed principally in the United States and Canada for the sale of vacuum sealing products. There are several companies who compete in those markets.

The market for films, packaging, flexible containers and custom products is fragmented, and competition in this area is difficult to gauge. However, there are numerous participants in this market and the Company can expect to experience intense quality and price competition.  

Many of the companies in these markets offer products and services that are the same or similar to those offered by us and our ability to compete depends on many factors within and outside our control. There are a number of well-established competitors in each of our product lines, several of which possess substantially greater financial, marketing and technical resources and have established extensive, direct and indirect channels of distribution for their products and services. As a result, such competitors may be able to respond more quickly to new developments and changes in customer requirements, or devote greater resources to the development, promotion and sale of their products and services than we can. Competitive pressures include, among other things, price competition, new designs and product development and copyright licensing.

Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights

We have developed or acquired a number of intellectual property rights which we believe are significant to our business. As of December 31, 2019, we held 6 issued patents in the United States and 7 issued patents in foreign countries. These patents are scheduled to expire at various times during the 2020s. While these intellectual property rights are helpful, their degree of protection is uncertain. Competitors may violate our intellectual property rights, forcing us to decide whether to challenge them. Such rights may or may not withstand challenge. Conversely, entities may charge us with violating their intellectual property rights. Failure to protect our rights, or conflict with the rights of one or more other entities, may negatively impact our financial and competitive position.

Proprietary Designs and Copyright Licenses. We design the shapes and graphic designs of most of our foil balloon products.

Trademarks. We own five registered trademarks in the United States relating to our balloon products. Some of these trademarks are registered in foreign countries, principally in the European Union.

Patent Rights. We own, or have license rights under, or have applied for, patents related to our balloon products, certain film products and certain flexible container products.

Research and Development

We maintain a product development and research group for the development or identification of new products, product designs, product components and sources of supply. Research and development includes (i) creative product development and design, (ii) creative marketing, and (iii) engineering development. During each of the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, we estimate that the total amount spent on research and development activities was approximately $287,000 and $375,000, respectively.

Employees

As of December 31, 2019, the Company had 78 full-time employees in the United States, of whom 17 are executive or supervisory, 2 are in sales, 40 are in manufacturing or warehouse functions and 19 are clerical. As of that same date, Flexo Universal, our Mexico subsidiary, had 298 full-time employees, of whom 6 are executive or supervisory, 14 are in the warehouse, 5 are in sales, 259 are in manufacturing and 14 are clerical. As of December 31, 2019, the Company had 4 full-time employees in Germany, of whom two are executive or supervisory, 1 is in warehousing and 1 is clerical. The Company is not a party to any collective bargaining agreement in the United States, has not experienced any work stoppages, and believes that its relationship with its employees is satisfactory.

Beginning November 2018, the Company experienced severe difficulty in securing adequate seasonal workers in its US operations, forcing it to pay substantially higher costs in the form of overtime and a holiday premium. The Company expects its local labor market in the US (near Chicago) to continue to become more costly over time, which, if not changed, would negatively impact its future profitability.

Regulatory Matters

Our manufacturing operations in the United States are subject to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Act ("OSHA"). We believe we are in material compliance with OSHA. The Company generates liquid, gaseous and solid waste materials in its operations in Lake Barrington, Illinois and the generation, emission or disposal of such waste materials are, or may be, subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations regarding the generation, emission or disposal of waste materials. We believe we are in material compliance with applicable environmental rules and regulations. Several states have enacted laws limiting or restricting the release of helium filled foil balloons. We do not believe such legislation will have any material effect on our operations.

An increasing number of regulations and actions relate to the integrity and security of individually identifiable data. Additionally, we require the effective use of data in running our business. While we are not aware of losses in the past, access of such data by unauthorized persons may expose us to costs, fines, penalties, and loss of customer confidence.

International Operations

We conduct operations in three locations outside of the United States:

In late 2019, a novel strain of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, was reported in Wuhan, China. While initially the outbreak was largely concentrated in China, it has since spread to several other countries, including those listed above, and infections have been reported globally. Many countries around the world have significant governmental measures being implemented to control the spread of the virus, including temporary closure of businesses and borders, severe restrictions on travel and the movement of people, and other material limitations on the conduct of business. These measures have resulted in significant disruptions. The extent to which the coronavirus impacts our operations will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the duration and severity of the outbreak, and the actions that may be required to contain the coronavirus or treat its impact. In particular, the spread of the coronavirus globally could adversely impact our operations and workforce, including our marketing and sales activities and ability to raise additional capital, which in turn could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operation.

Our domestic and international sales from continuing operations to outside customers and assets by area over the period 2018-2019 have been as follows:

Available Information

We maintain our corporate website at www.ctiindustries.com and we make available, free of charge, through this website our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports that we file with, or furnish to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file that material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. You may also read and copy material filed by us with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, and you may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC in the U.S. at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains an Internet website, www.sec.gov, which contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information that we file electronically with the SEC. Our website also includes corporate governance information, including our Code of Ethics and our Board Committee Charters. The information contained on our website does not constitute a part of this report.

Item No. 1A – Risk Factors

Our business and results of operations may be negatively impacted by the spread of COVID-19.

We sell our products throughout the United States and in many foreign countries and may be impacted by public health crises beyond our control. This could disrupt our operations and negatively impact sales of our products. Our customers, suppliers and distributors may experience similar disruption. In December 2019, COVID-19 was reported in Wuhan, China. The World Health Organization has since declared the outbreak to constitute a pandemic. The extent of the impact of COVID-19 on our operational and financial performance will depend on certain developments, including the duration and spread of the outbreak, the impact on our customers and employees, all of which are uncertain and cannot be predicted. The preventative and protective actions that governments have taken to counter the effects of COVID-19 have resulted in a period of business disruption, including delays in shipments of products and raw materials. To the extent the impact of COVID-19 continues or worsens, the demand for our products may be negatively impacted, and we may have difficulty obtaining the materials necessary for the production of our products. In addition, the production facilities of our suppliers may be closed for sustained periods of time and industry-wide shipment of products may be negatively impacted. COVID-19 has also delayed certain strategic transactions the Company intended to close on in the near future and the Company does not know if and when such transactions will be completed.

Item No. 1B – Unresolved Staff Comments

As of the filing of this Annual report on Form 10-K, we had no unresolved comments from the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Item No. 2 – Properties

We own our principal plant and offices located in Lake Barrington, Illinois, approximately 45 miles northwest of Chicago, Illinois. The facility includes approximately 68,000 square feet of office, manufacturing and warehouse space.

In September 2012, we entered into a lease agreement, expiring on February 28, 2017 to rent approximately 118,000 square feet of warehouse and office space in Lake Zurich, Illinois. Effective March 1, 2017, this lease was renewed for three years, at a remaining basic rental cost of $42,000 per month. We expect to vacate this facility during 2020 and relocate this operation to Laredo, Texas.

In August 2011, Flexo Universal entered into a 5-year lease agreement, expiring July 31, 2016, for the lease of approximately 73,000 square feet of manufacturing, warehouse and office space in Guadalajara, Mexico. The lease was extended to February 28, 2017. Effective March 1, 2017, Flexo Universal entered into a five-year lease for these premises at a cost of 493,090 Mexican Pesos per month (approximately $20,000 per month).

On November 22, 2016, CTI Europe entered into a lease agreement for 13,000 square feet of office and warehouse space in Heusenstamm, Germany for a term commencing on February 1, 2017 and scheduled to end on February 1, 2022, at a rate per month of $9,000. CTI Europe vacated this space during 2020, occupying a smaller, temporary space as it continues to sell through its remaining inventory.

We believe that our properties have been adequately maintained, are in generally good condition and are suitable for our business as presently conducted. We believe our existing facilities provide sufficient production capacity for our present needs and for our presently anticipated needs in the foreseeable future. We also believe that, with respect to leased properties, upon the expiration of our current leases, we will be able to either secure renewal terms or to enter into leases for alternative locations at market terms.

Item No. 3 – Legal Proceedings

The Company may be party to certain lawsuits or claims arising in the normal course of business. The ultimate outcome of these matters is unknown but, in the opinion of management, we do not believe any of these proceedings will have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect upon our financial condition, cash flows or future results of operation.

Item No. 4. – Mine Safety Disclosures

Not Applicable. 

PART II

Item No. 5 – Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Market Information

The Company's common stock was admitted to trading on the NASDAQ SmallCap Market (now the NASDAQ Capital Market) under the symbol “CTIB” on November 5, 1997.

The high and low sales prices for the last eight fiscal quarters according to the NASDAQ Stock Market's Stock Price History Report were:

As of December 31, 2019 there were approximately 42 holders of record of the Company’s Common Stock. The Company’s total number of beneficial owners of common stock of the Company was approximately 442.

The Company did not pay any cash dividends on its Common Stock during 2019 or 2018 and has no plans to pay dividends in the foreseeable future. Under the terms of the Company’s current loan agreements, the amount of dividends the Company may pay is limited by the terms of the financial covenants.

On May 6^th, 2020, our common stock closed at $1.44 per share.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

As of December 31, 2019, the Company had outstanding securities issued pursuant to its 2009 Stock Incentive Plan as follow: 

Item No. 6 – Selected Financial Data

We are a smaller reporting company, as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are not required to provide the information required under this item.

Item No. 7 – Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Overview

The Company produces film products for novelty, packaging container and custom film product applications. These products include foil balloons, latex balloons and related products, films for packaging applications, flexible containers for packaging and storage applications and custom film products. We produce all of our film products for packaging and container applications at our facilities in Lake Barrington, Illinois. We produce all of our latex balloons and latex products at our facility in Guadalajara, Mexico. Substantially all of our film products for packaging applications and flexible containers for packaging and storage are sold to customers in the United States. We market and sell our novelty items – principally foil balloons and latex balloons – in the United States, Mexico, and a number of additional countries. In addition, the Company assembles and sells Candy Blossoms (containers of arranged candy items) in the United States.

We have been exiting our foreign operations in order to focus on our domestic operations, particularly on foil balloons and related products. The sales and distribution entity in the UK was closed during 2019, and a similar entity in Germany is currently closing and is expected to be fully closed during 2020. We attempted to sell Flexo Universal, our manufacturing facility of latex balloons in Mexico, but were unsuccessful and concluded the effort. We are no longer the primary beneficiary of an unrelated domestic entity. In addition, in order to achieve a more effective cost structure, we intend to relocate our warehousing and light assembly operation from Lake Zurich, IL (near Chicago) to Laredo, TX during 2020. We stopped selling our vacuum sealing line as of March 30, 2020, after allowing the related license agreement to expire.

We have also dramatically changed our capital structure. On January 3, 2020, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement, as amended on February 24, 2020 and April 13, 2020, (the “LF Purchase Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to issue and sell, and LF International Pte. Ltd., a Singapore private limited company (the “LF International”), which is controlled by Company director Mr. Yubao Li, agreed to purchase, up to 500,000 shares of the Company’s newly created Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series A Preferred”), with each share of Series A Preferred initially convertible into ten shares of the Company’s common stock, at a purchase price of $10.00 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $5,000,000 (the “LF International Offering”).  As a result of the LF International Offering, a change of control of the Company may occur. As permitted by the Purchase Agreement, the Company may, in its discretion issue up to an additional 200,000 shares of Series A Preferred for a purchase price of $10.00 per share (the “Additional Shares Offering,” and collectively with the LF International Offering, the “Offering”). On January 13, 2020, the Company conducted its first closing of the LF International Offering, resulting in aggregate gross proceeds of $2,500,000. Pursuant to the LF Purchase Agreement, LF International received the right to nominate and elect one member to the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”) (subject to certain adjustments), effective as of the first closing, as well as a second director by the earlier of (i) the Company’s upcoming 2020 annual meeting of shareholders and (ii) May 15, 2020. Pursuant to LF International’s nomination, effective January 13, 2020, the Board appointed Mr. Yubao Li as a director of the Company. Additionally, pursuant to the LF Purchase Agreement, on March 12, 2020, the Company changed its name to Yunhong CTI Ltd. To date, the Company has sold approximately 600,000 shares of Series A Preferred to LF International and other accredited investors for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $6 million.

Our revenues from continuing operations from each of our product categories in each of the past two years have been as follows:

Our primary expenses include the cost of products sold and selling, general and administrative expenses.

Cost of products sold primarily consists of expenses related to raw materials, labor, quality control and overhead expenses such as supervisory labor, depreciation, utilities expense and facilities expense directly associated with production of our products, warehousing and fulfillment expenses and shipping costs relating to the shipment of products to customers. Cost of products sold is impacted by the cost of the raw materials used in our products, the cost of shipping, along with our efficiency in managing the production of our products.

Selling, general and administrative expenses include the compensation and benefits paid to our employees, all other selling expenses, marketing, promotional expenses, travel and other corporate administrative expenses. These other corporate administrative expenses include professional fees, depreciation of equipment and facilities utilized in administration, occupancy costs, communication costs and other similar operating expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses can be affected by a number of factors, including staffing levels and the cost of providing competitive salaries and benefits, the cost of regulatory compliance and other administrative costs.

Purchases by a limited number of customers represent a significant portion of our total revenues. During 2019 and 2018, respectively, sales to our top 10 customers represented 75% of net revenues for each year. During 2019 and 2018, there were two customers to whom our sales represented more than 10% of net revenues.

Our principal customer sales for 2019 and 2018 were:

The loss of one or both of these principal customers, or a significant reduction in purchases by one or both of them, could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We generally do not have agreements with our customers under which customers are obligated to purchase any specific or minimum amount of product from us.

Year Ended December 31, 2019 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2018

Net Sales

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, consolidated net sales from continuing operations of the sale of all products were $40,537,000 compared to consolidated net sales of $49,421,000 for the year ended December 31, 2018, a decrease of 18%.

Sales of foil balloons from continuing operations were $17,653,000 in 2019 and $21,193,000 in 2018, a decrease of 17%. Our largest customer for foil balloons was Dollar Tree Stores. The remaining sales were made to hundreds of customers including distributors and retail stores or chains in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Europe and Latin America. Constrained commercial helium supply had a significant negative impact on foil balloon sales, as most foil balloons are filled with helium. This supply constraint did not improve substantially until the end of 2019.

Sales of latex balloons from continuing operations were $7,409,000 in 2019 and $7,862,000 in 2018, a decrease of 6%.

Sales of vacuum sealing products from continuing operations including pouch and related products and vacuum sealing machines were $8,242,000 in 2019 and $8,820,000 in 2018, a decrease of 7%. Our sales of vacuum sealing systems during 2019 and 2018 have been made principally to four retail chains in the United States. During the fourth quarter of 2018 we launched a new, smaller format machine to complement our existing line. As discussed, our license to sell most vacuum sealing products concluded at the end of 2019 and we stopped selling related products as of March 30, 2020.

Sales of film products from continuing operations were $1,883,000 in 2019 and $2,006,000 in 2018, a decrease of 6%. Approximately 84% of these sales were to Rapak, L.L.C. but includes sales to four other customers.

Sales of other products from continuing operations decreased to $5,087,000 in 2019 from $5,622,000 in 2018, a decrease of 10%. This category includes (i) sales of helium and accessory items for our balloon products, (ii) sales of Candy Blossoms, (iii) sales of party goods in Mexico by Flexo Universal.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales from continuing operations decreased to $34,216,000 in 2019 from $39,381,000 in 2018. While the total cost was lower during 2019 than 2018, certain aspects of labor cost increased, particularly during November and December as we competed for personnel in a tight labor market. Additionally, the reduction in sales volume negatively impacted our ability to absorb fixed/overhead costs.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses from continuing operations decreased to $5,449,000 in 2019 from $6,078,000 in 2018. Many of the cost reductions realized during 2019 were in the administrative and marketing areas, including personnel costs, consulting and outside services.

Selling and Marketing

Selling expenses from continuing operations decreased to $1,112,000 in 2019 from $3,225,000 in 2018. Marketing and advertising expenses decreased to $602,000 in 2019, from $1,253,000 in 2018. The primary savings was the net reduction of outside consulting services and a decrease of commission expense due to the reduction in sales volume.

Other Income or Expense

During 2019, we incurred net interest expense from continuing operations of $2,028,000 compared to net interest expense of $2,072,000 during 2018. 

During 2019, we realized a foreign currency gain from continuing operations in the amount of $310,000 compared to foreign currency loss in 2018 of $685,000.

Investment in Clever  

The Company has variable interests in Venture Leasing L.L.C (VL) and Clever Container Company, L.L.C. (subsequently Clever Organizing Solutions; “Clever”). Through June 30, 2019, the Company had determined that it was the primary beneficiary of these entities and included them in our consolidated results. In the third quarter, we determined that operationally material changes in our involvement with Clever and VL resulted in us having no power over the decisions which impact their financial performance. Therefore, we are no longer the primary beneficiary of these entities, and no longer meet the criteria for continued consolidation under US GAAP. Effective July 1, 2019, we deconsolidated these entities and their results are not included in our Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income subsequent to June 30, 2019. Upon deconsolidation of these entities, we recognized a gain of $219,000.

Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources

Cash Provided By Operating Activities 

During fiscal 2019, cash provided by operating activities amounted to $3,263,000, compared to cash used by operating activities during fiscal 2018 of $1,228,000. Significant changes in working capital items affecting cash flow used in operating activities were:

Cash Used In Investing Activities 

During fiscal 2019, cash used in investing activities amounted to $80,000 compared to cash used in investing activities during fiscal 2018 of $460,000.

Cash Provided By Financing Activities 

During fiscal 2019, cash used in financing activities amounted to $3,587,000, compared to cash provided by financing activities of $2,445,000 during fiscal 2018.

Until December 2017, we had in place a series of credit facility and related agreements with BMO Harris Bank, N.A. and BMO Private Equity (U.S.), (collectively, “BMO”), in the aggregate amount of approximately $17 million. During December 2017, we terminated those agreements and fully repaid all amounts owed to BMO under those agreements, including associated fees and costs related to termination, as we entered in new financing agreements with PNC Bank, National Association (“PNC”). The financing agreements with PNC (the “PNC Agreements”) included a $6 million term loan and an $18 million revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility”), with a credit facility termination date of December 2022.

We notified PNC of our failure to meet two financial covenants under the Revolving Credit Facility as of March 31, 2018. On June 8, 2018, we entered into Waiver and Amendment No. 1 ( “Amendment 1”) to our PNC Agreements. Amendment 1 modified certain covenants, added others, waived our failure to comply as previously reported, and included an amendment fee and temporary increase in interest rate. During September 2018, we filed a preliminary prospectus on Form S-1 for a planned equity issuance. On October 8, 2018, we entered into Consent and Amendment No. 2 ( “Amendment 2”) to our PNC Agreements. Amendment 2 reduced the amount of new funding proceeds that must be used to repay the term loan from $5 million to $2 million and waived the calculation of financial ratios for the period ended September 30, 2018, in exchange for a new covenant committing to raise at least $7.5 million in gross proceeds from an equity issuance by November 15, 2018 and pay an amendment fee. Market conditions ultimately forced us to postpone the offering, and thus no proceeds were received by the November 15, 2018 requirement. We engaged PNC to resolve this failure, and as of March 2019, entered into a forbearance agreement that ended during July 2019. We then entered a new forbearance agreement in October 2019 that terminated in January 2020 and, in connection with a new equity financing arrangement, was replaced on January 13, 2020, with a Limited Waiver, Consent, Amendment No. 5 and Forbearance Agreement (the “2020 Forbearance Agreement”) between PNC and the Company. Pursuant to the 2020 Forbearance Agreement, PNC agreed to (i) waive the PNC Agreements’ requirement that the Company apply the net proceeds of the Offering first to the Term Loans (as defined in the PNC Agreements), and agreed that the Company shall instead apply the net proceeds of the Offering to the Revolving Advances (as defined in the PNC Agreements) and in connection therewith the Revolving Commitment Amount (as defined in the PNC Agreements) shall be reduced on a dollar for dollar basis by the amount so applied to the Revolving Advances, and (ii) forebear from exercising the rights and remedies in respect of the Existing Defaults (as defined in the Loan Agreement) afforded to PNC under the PNC Agreements for a period ending no later than December 31, 2020. As forbearance is a temporary condition, we have reclassified long-term bank debt to current liabilities on our balance sheet. See Note 3 for a related discussion of the impact of this event.

Available credit under the Revolving Credit facility is determined by eligible receivables and inventory at CTI Industries (U.S.) and Flexo Universal (Mexico). 

Certain terms of the PNC Agreements include:

The credit agreement provides for interest at varying rates in excess of the prime rate, depending on the level of senior debt to EBITDA over time. We also entered into a swap agreement with PNC Bank to fix the interest for $3 million over 3 years. This swap was terminated during 2019 with our first forbearance agreement.

Failure to comply with these covenants has caused us to pay a higher rate of interest (by a cumulative 4% per the Agreements), and other potential penalties may impact the availability of the credit facility itself, and thus might negatively impact our ability to remain a going concern. As described above in Notes 3 and 9, we believe that we were not in compliance with this credit facility as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, and have entered into a new amended facility and forbearance agreement, in conjunction with new equity financing, as of January 2020.

As of December 2017, Mr. Schwan was owed a total of $1.1 million, with additional accrued interest of $0.4 million, by the Company. As part of the December 2017 financing with PNC, Mr. Schwan executed a subordination agreement related to these amounts due him, as evidenced by a related note. During January 2019, Mr. Schwan converted $0.6 million of these notes for approximately 181,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at then market rate. The Company owed Mr. Schwan a total of $1.6 million on these notes as of December 31, 2018 and $1.1 million as of December 31, 2019.

Current Assets. As of December 31, 2019, the total current assets of the Company were $27,625,000, compared to total current assets of $33,011,000 at December 31, 2018.

Current Liabilities.

Total current liabilities decreased to $27,524,000 as of December 31, 2019 from $30,209,000 as of December 31, 2018. $2.3 million in debt was reclassified to current liabilities as of December 31, 2019.

Liquidity and Capital Resources; Working Capital. As of December 31, 2019, and 2018, respectively, our current assets exceeded our current liabilities by $100,000 and $2,802,000 ($2.3 million of noncurrent debt was reclassified to current liabilities as of December 31, 2018); we had cash and cash equivalents of continuing operations of $845,000 and $258,000 and the potential for additional credit under our PNC Agreements. Management believes that these available funds, our internally generated funds and the borrowing capacity under our revolving line of credit facility will be sufficient to meet working capital requirements for the remainder of 2020. At the time of this filing, we are not in compliance with the terms of this agreement, as amended, and have entered into a forbearance agreement with PNC that resolves identified prior instances of non-compliance but does not change the terms of the facility itself. Our failure to maintain compliance with the terms of our agreement could negatively impact the value of the facility on our liquidity, and if left uncorrected, ultimately impact our ability to continue as a going concern.

Additionally, we have encountered difficulties with seasonal cash flow needs, including increasing costs associated with obtaining seasonal workers in the Chicago area. The failure to properly manage seasonal cash needs could put strain on the Company, up to and including our ability to continue as a going concern (see Note 3 for additional discussion). 

CTI Industries Corporation Stockholders’ Equity. 

Stockholders’ equity was $1,983,000 as of December 31, 2019 compared to $7,328,000 as of December 31, 2018. The issuance of approximately $6 million of convertible preferred equity did not occur until 2020.

Seasonality

In the foil balloon product line, sales have historically been seasonal with approximately 40% occurring in the period from December through March of the succeeding year and 24% being generated in the period July through October in recent years. Approximately half of these sales are considered “everyday” in nature while the other half tend to be event driven (certain holidays, graduation season, and other events). Due to the COVID-19 issue, graduation season did not occur as it normally does. We expect graduation events to occur, many later during the year, but do not have a method to reasonably measure this impact upon our typical sales. Similarly, other sales are expected to either move to non-traditional parts of the year or be lost entirely as a result of COVID-19, the extent of which is not possible to predict at this time.

Critical Accounting Policies

The financial statements of the Company are based on the selection and application of significant accounting policies which require management to make various estimates and assumptions. The following are some of the more critical judgment areas in the application of our accounting policies that currently affect our financial condition and results of operation.

Revenue Recognition. Substantially all of the Company's revenues are derived from the sale of products. With respect to the sale of products, revenue from a transaction is recognized once it has (i) identified the contract(s) with a customer, (ii) identified the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determined the transaction price, (iv) allocated the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (v) recognized revenue as the company satisfies a performance obligation. The Company generally recognizes revenue for the sale of products when the products have been shipped and invoiced. In some cases, product is provided on consignment to customers. In those cases, revenue is recognized when the customer reports a sale of the product.

The Company adopted Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. On January 1, 2018, we adopted ASC 606 using the modified retrospective method. The adoption of ASC 606 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations, as our revenue arrangements generally consist of a single performance obligation to transfer promised goods at a fixed price.

Net sales include revenues from sales of products and shipping and handling charges, net of estimates for product returns. Revenue is measured at the amount of consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for the transferred products. Revenue is recognized at the point in time when we transfer the promised products to the customer and the customer obtains control over the products. The Company recognizes revenue for shipping and handling charges at the time the goods are shipped to the customer, and the costs of outbound freight are included in cost of sales, as we have elected the practical expedient included in ASC 606.

The Company provides for product returns based on historical return rates. While we incur costs for sales commissions to our sales employees and outside agents, we recognize commission costs concurrent with the related revenue, as the amortization period is less than one year and we have elected the practical expedient included in ASC 606. We do not incur incremental costs to obtain contracts with our customers. Our product warranties are assurance-type warranties, which promise the customer that the products are as specified in the contract. Therefore, the product warranties are not a separate performance obligation and are accounted for as described herein. Sales taxes assessed by governmental authorities are accounted for on a net basis and are excluded from net sales.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. We estimate our allowance for doubtful accounts based on an analysis of specific accounts, an analysis of historical trends, payment and write-off histories. Our credit risks are continually reviewed, and management believes that adequate provisions have been made for doubtful accounts. However, unexpected changes in the financial condition of customers or changes in the state of the economy could result in write-offs which exceed estimates and negatively impact our financial results.

Inventory Valuation. Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is determined using standard costs which approximate costing determined on a first-in, first out basis. Standard costs are reviewed and adjusted at the time of introduction of a new product or design, periodically and at year-end based on actual direct and indirect production costs. On a periodic basis, the Company reviews its inventory levels for estimated obsolescence or unmarketable items, in reference to future demand requirements and shelf life of the products. As of December 31, 2019, the Company had established a reserve for obsolescence, marketability or excess quantities with respect to inventory in the aggregate amount of $562,000. As of December 31, 2018, the amount of the reserve was $439,000. In addition, on a periodic basis, the Company disposes of inventory deemed to be obsolete or unsaleable and, at such time, charges reserve for the value of such inventory. We record freight income as a component of net sales and record freight costs as a component of cost of goods sold.

Valuation of Long-Lived Assets. We evaluate whether events or circumstances have occurred which indicate that the carrying amounts of long-lived assets (principally property and equipment and goodwill) may be impaired or not recoverable. Significant factors which may trigger an impairment review include: changes in business strategy, market conditions, the manner of use of an asset, underperformance relative to historical or expected future operating results, and negative industry or economic trends. We apply the provisions of generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) U.S. GAAP, under which goodwill is evaluated at least annually for impairment.

The Company identified an impairment indicator related to the goodwill associated with Clever. As a result of an impairment test, the Company fully impaired the goodwill related to Clever in the first quarter of 2019 and recorded an impairment charge of $220,000. In the first quarter of 2019, the Company identified an impairment indicator related to the goodwill associated with Flexo. As a result of an impairment test, the Company fully impaired the goodwill related to Flexo in the first quarter of 2019 and recorded an impairment charge of approximately $1 million. We performed a quantitative assessment for the year ended December 31, 2019 in which we considered the assets and liabilities of the Company as one operating segment, both recognized and unrecognized, as well as the cash flows necessary to operate the business relating to the assets and liabilities.

Foreign Currency Translation. All balance sheet accounts are translated using the exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. Statements of operations amounts are translated using the average exchange rates for the year-to-date periods. The gains and losses resulting from the changes in exchange rates during the period have been reported in other comprehensive income or loss, except that, on November 30, 2012, the Company determined that it does have an expectation of receiving payment with respect to indebtedness of Flexo Universal to the Company, and accordingly, as of and after that date foreign currency gains and losses with respect to such indebtedness will be reported in the statement of operations.

Stock-Based Compensation. We follow U.S. GAAP which requires all stock-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, to be recognized in the consolidated financial statements based on their grant-date fair values.

We use the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of stock options which requires us to estimate certain key assumptions. In accordance with the application of U.S. GAAP, we incurred employee stock-based compensation cost of $178,000 for the year ended December 31, 2019. At December 31, 2019, we had no unrecognized compensation cost relating to stock options.

Income Taxes and Deferred Tax Assets. Income taxes are accounted for as prescribed in U.S. GAAP. Under the asset and liability method of U.S. GAAP, the Company recognizes the amount of income taxes currently payable. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities, and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years these temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled.

We evaluate all available positive and negative evidence in each tax jurisdiction regarding the recoverability of any asset recorded in our Consolidated Balance Sheets and provide valuation allowances to reduce our deferred tax assets to an amount we believe is more likely than not to be realized. We regularly review our deferred tax assets for recoverability considering historical profitability, our ability to project future taxable income, the expected timing of the reversals of existing temporary differences and tax planning strategies. If we continue to operate at a loss in certain jurisdictions or are unable to generate sufficient future taxable income within the defined lives of such assets, we could be required to increase our valuation allowance against all or a significant portion of our deferred tax assets. This increase in valuation allowance could result in substantial increases in our effective tax rate and could have a material adverse impact on our operating results. Conversely, if and when our operations in some jurisdictions become sufficiently profitable before what we have estimated in our current forecasts, we would be required to reduce all or a portion of our current valuation allowance and such reversal would result in an increase in our earnings in such period.

Because we have been out of compliance with the terms of our credit facility and operating under a forbearance agreement, and had related going concern disclosure, we established a valuation allowance reserve for substantially all of our deferred tax assets.  In light of this, as of December 31, 2018, the Company had net deferred tax assets of $135,000 representing the amount the Company may recover in future years from future taxable income.  As of December 31, 2019, the amount of the net deferred tax asset was $0.  Each quarter and year-end, management makes a judgment to determine the extent to which the deferred tax asset will be recovered from future taxable income.  This value was reduced, in large part, due to changes in US tax law effective 2018 which will impact the value of future deductions. 

Fair Value Measurements. U.S. GAAP defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value, establishes a fair value hierarchy based on the quality of inputs used to measure fair value and enhances disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. U.S. GAAP clarifies that fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. U.S. GAAP also requires that a fair value measurement reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability based upon the best information available. In February 2008, the FASB issued guidance now codified in U.S. GAAP which provides for delayed application of certain guidance related to non-financial assets and non-financial liabilities, except for items that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis (at least annually).

Variable Interest Entities

Primarily due to Clever and VLU having the attribution of related party beneficial ownership and certain financial and operational support, these entities are considered to be variable interest entities, or VIEs, under current accounting guidance. A company with interests in a VIE must consolidate the entity if the company is deemed to be the primary beneficiary of the VIE; that is, if it has both (1) the power to direct the economically significant activities of the entity and (2) the obligation to absorb losses of, or the right to receive benefits from, the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Such a determination requires management to evaluate circumstances and relationships that may be difficult to understand and to make a significant judgment, and to repeat the evaluation at each subsequent reporting date. Our updated evaluation reaffirmed that, despite not having a majority ownership interest in the Clever and VL, the Company was the primary beneficiary of both VIEs as of December 31, 2018 and June 30, 2019. As a result, the accounts of both entities were included in our consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2018 and June 30, 2019.

We also determined that it was appropriate to include the accounts of Clever and VL in our condensed consolidated financial statements for the quarter ending March 31, 2019 and June 30, 2019. including operating loss in the amount of approximately 28,000 and $53,000, respectively, for the three and six months then ended. As of June 30, 2019, the ownership interest of Clever and VL was represented by the deficit included in the balance sheet line item “noncontrolling interests (variable interest entities)” in the amount of $1,087,035.

As discussed in Note 2 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements, events that occurred during the start of the third quarter of 2019, caused us to reconsider the primary beneficiary determination for Clever and VL. As a result, the consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2019 excluded the assets, liabilities and operating results of Clever and VL. We also recognized a gain in the amount of $219,000 in connection with the deconsolidation of this VIE.

Item No. 7A – Qualitative and Quantitative Disclosures Regarding Market Risk

Not applicable.

Item No. 8 – Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

Reference is made to the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Part IV hereof.

Item No. 9 – Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

None.

Item No. 9A – Controls and Procedures

(a)   Restatement

        On May 13, 2020, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors concluded, based on the recommendation of management, that we would amend and restate our quarterly consolidated financial statements for the interim periods ended March 31, 2019, June 30, 2019 and September 30, 2019 within this Form 10-K to correct the following errors:

The following additional adjustments were also included in this restatement:

(b)   Disclosure Controls and Procedures

        We maintain disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act, is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified by the Commission's rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act are properly recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods required by the Commission's rules and forms.

        We carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) and Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer), of the effectiveness of the design and operation of these disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e), as of December 31, 2019. Based on this evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) and Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer) concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2019, the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, due to the material weaknesses described below.

(c)   Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

        Management of the Company is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act.

        Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

        Management has assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019. In making our assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, management used the criteria set forth in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission ("COSO").

        A material weakness is a control deficiency, or combination of control deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the registrant's annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. As a result of our evaluation of our internal control over financial reporting, management identified the following material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting:

        These material weaknesses resulted in the restatement of the financial statements described in Item 9A(a) and material post closing adjustments which have been reflected in the financial statements for the interim periods for the year ended December 31, 2019. Additionally, as a result of the material weaknesses, we have concluded that we did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019.

Plan for Remediation of Material Weakness

Management has enhanced its available resource base and adjusted its processes with respect to the areas listed above.  Additional procedures are in the process of being established and will be evaluated for effectiveness in the future. 

This annual report does not include an attestation report of the company’s registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by the company’s registered public accounting firm pursuant to temporary rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission that permit the company to provide only management’s report in this annual report.

Item No. 9B – Other Information

None

PART III

Item No. 10 – Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance of the Registrant

Information called for by Item 10 of Part III is incorporated by reference to the 2020 Proxy Statement which is expected to be filed with the Commission within 30 days after this form 10-K is filed.

Item No. 11 – Executive Compensation

Information called for by Item 11 of Part III is incorporated by reference to the 2020 Proxy Statement which is expected to be filed with the Commission within 30 days after  this form 10-K is filed.

Item No. 12 – Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

Information called for by Item 12 of Part III is incorporated by reference to the 2020 Proxy Statement which is expected to be filed with the Commission within 30 days after this form 10-K is filed..

Item No. 13 – Certain Relationships and Related Transactions

Information called for by Item 13 of Part III is incorporated by reference to the 2020 Proxy Statement which is expected to be filed with the Commission within 30 days after this form 10-K is filed..

Item No. 14 – Principal Accountant Fees and Services

Information called for by Item 14 of Part III is incorporated by reference to the 2020 Proxy Statement which is expected to be filed with the Commission within 30 days after this form 10-K is filed..

PART IV

Item No. 15 – Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

(a)(1) The following documents are filed under pages F-# through F-# and are included as part of this Form 10-K:

(a)(2) All financial statement schedules are omitted because the information is inapplicable or presented in the notes to the financial statements, except for Schedule II – Valuation and qualifying accounts.

(a)(3) Exhibits required by Item 601 of Regulation S-K are incorporated herein by reference and are listed on the attached Exhibit Index.

Item No. 16 – Summary

None.

SIGNATURES

In accordance with Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act the Registrant caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized on May 14, 2020.

In accordance with the Exchange Act, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Yunhong CTI, LTD (f/k/a CTI Industries Corporation) and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Financial Statements

Years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018

Contents

All other schedules for which a provision is made in the applicable accounting regulation of the Securities and Exchange Commission are not required under the related instructions or are inapplicable and, therefore, have been omitted.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of

Yunhong CTI Ltd. (f/k/a CTI Industries Corporation) and Subsidiaries

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Yunhong CTI Ltd., (f/k/a CTI Industries Corporation) and Subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2019, , and the related consolidated statements of comprehensive income, stockholders' equity, and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2019 and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We did not audit the 2019 financial statements of Flexo Universal S. de R.L. de C.V., a 99.82 percent owned subsidiary, whose statements reflect total assets and revenue constituting 34 and 22 percent, respectively, of the related consolidated totals as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019. Those statements were audited by other auditors whose report has been furnished to us, and our opinion, insofar as it relates to the amounts included for Flexo Universal S. de R.L. de C.V., is based solely on the report of the other auditors. In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2019 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Substantial Doubt about the Company’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as going concern. As discussed in Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has suffered net losses from operations and liquidity limitations 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 3. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty

Explanatory Paragraph – Change in Accounting Principle

 As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company changed its method of accounting for leases in 2019 due to the adoption of ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), as amended, effective January 1, 2019, using the modified retrospective approach.

 Basis for Opinion

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audit. 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 audit 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 consolidated 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 audit 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 audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ [RBSM]

 We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2019.

Larkspur, CA
May 14, 2020

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors

Yunhong CTI (Formerly CTI Industries Corporation) and Subsidiaries

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of CTI Industries Corporation and Subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2018 and the related consolidated statements of comprehensive income, stockholders' equity, and cash flows for the year then ended and the related notes and financial schedule II - valuation and qualifying accounts (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We did not audit the 2018 financial statements of Flexo Universal, S. de R.L. de C.V., a 99.82 percent-owned subsidiary, whose statements reflect total assets and revenue constituting 27 percent and 18 percent of the related consolidated totals, respectively, as of and for the year ended December 31, 2018. Those statements were audited by other auditors whose report has been furnished to us, and our opinion, insofar as it relates to the amounts included for Flexo Universal, S. de R.L. de C.V., is based solely on the report of the other auditors. In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2018 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Continuation as a Going Concern

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern.  As discussed in Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has suffered losses from operations and liquidity limitations 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 3. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Emphasis of Matter

As discussed in Note 22 to the consolidated financial statements, the 2018 financial statements have been revised to present certain discontinued operations and assets held for sale for comparability purposes.

Basis for Opinion

The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated 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 audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated 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 consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ Plante & Moran, PLLC

We served as the Company’s auditor from 2007 to 2019.

Chicago, Illinois

April 15, 2019 except for note 22, as to which the date is May 14, 2020

Yunhong CTI, LTD (f/k/a CTI Industries Corporation) and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheets

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

Yunhong CTI, LTD (f/k/a CTI Industries Corporation) and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

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

Yunhong CTI, LTD (f/k/a CTI Industries Corporation) and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity

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

Yunhong CTI, LTD (f/k/a CTI Industries Corporation) and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)

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

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements Years Ended
December 31, 2019 and 2018