YUNHONG GREEN CTI LTD. - Annual Report: 2021 (Form 10-K)

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.

PART I

Item No. 1 –Business

Business Overview

We develop, produce, distribute and sell a number of consumer products throughout the United States and in several 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 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; 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 the assembly and sale of Candy Blossoms (small gift bouquets of arranged candy items often including ribbons and/or a small foil balloon).

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 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. 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 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, often, air-inflated balloons.

In 2021, 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 one of the largest manufacturers 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. Our former subsidiary in Guadalajara, Mexico, Flexo Universal, S. de R.L. de C.V. (“Flexo Universal”) manufactures 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 manufactured toy balloon products including punch balls, water bombs and "Animal Twisties." Flexo Universal was sold during October 2021. The Company currently sources latex products from a foreign supplier and resells those products to customers that seek both foil and latex solutions.

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 (typically a presentation of candy with a balloon in a decorate arrangement for gifting). 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 certain areas.

Foil balloons are now sold in virtually every region of the world. The United States 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.

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 either us or 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. We sell directly to foreign customers from the United States.

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 sometimes engage in advertising and promotional activities to promote the sale of our balloon products. We produce catalogs of our balloon products, and also prepare various flyers and brochures for special or seasonal products, which we disseminate to customers, potential customers and others. We maintain websites which show images of our products.

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 69,000 square foot facility in Elgin, Illinois consisting of warehouse, packaging and office space, and (iii) a 73,000 square foot facility in Guadalajara, Mexico, consisting of office, warehouse and production space for Flexo Universal which remained with Flexo Universal upon the sale of that entity in October 2021.

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 (until Flexo Universal was sold in October 2021), (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 produced all of our latex balloon products at our Guadalajara, Mexico plant. We print on films in Lake Barrington, Illinois and we printed on latex balloons in Guadalajara, Mexico. We complete air-filling and assembly of balloons in all our facilities except Lake Barrington, Illinois. We assemble Candy blossoms in our Elgin, Illinois facility.

We warehouse raw materials in Lake Barrington, Illinois and we warehouse finished goods at our facilities in Lake Barrington, Illinois and Elgin, Illinois. 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 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.

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 the 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.

The market for films, packaging, 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, 2021, 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, 2021 and 2020, we estimate that the total amount spent on research and development activities was approximately $206,000 and $317,000, respectively.

Employees

As of December 31, 2021, the Company had 66 full-time employees in the United States, of whom 16 are executive or supervisory, 2 are in sales, 35 are in manufacturing or warehouse functions and 13 are 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 conducted operations in one location outside of the United States until October 2021:

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 have been and may continue to 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 consumer spending and confidence levels, and supply availability and costs, all of which can affect our financial results, condition, and outlook. Our customers, suppliers and distributors may experience similar disruption. Importantly, the global pandemic resulting from COVID-19 has disrupted global health, economic and market conditions

Throughout 2021 and into 2022 the landscape improved from 2020, but the issue continues to drive elements of disruption in the ability to travel, attract and retain workers, manage production configurations and protocols, the supply chain and customer base. While we cannot predict the duration or scope of the COVID-19 pandemic, the resurgence of infections in one or more markets, or the impact of vaccines across the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted our business and is expected to continue to impact our financial results, condition and outlook in a way that may be material.

COVID-19 has also delayed certain strategic transactions the Company intended to close during 2020, most notably its attempted sale of Flexo Universal which was ultimately realized during October 2021 and the potential relocation of certain activities to the Laredo, Texas area, which is no longer a consideration of the Company.

Our business and results of operations have been and may continue to be negatively impacted by supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressure.

2021 saw material shortages, supply chain interruption, and reduced ability to transport goods throughout the United States and on a global scale. These pressures forced us to take steps to ensure the availability of product, including buying materials at higher prices and more aggressively managing lead times. Despite these efforts, our ability to fulfill customer demands was challenged. We also were forced to pass cost increases on to customers in the form of price increases, which threatened our ability to maintain sales volume. While we believe we were largely successful in passing along these increased costs, such pressures may negatively impact our financial results and book of business going forward.

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 executed a sale and leaseback transaction during 2021 on 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. The lease is for ten years, and annual rent increases from $500,000 the first year to $652,000 during the final year.

During 2021 we entered into a sublease agreement, expiring on August 30, 2022 to rent approximately 69,000 square feet of warehouse and assembly space in Elgin, Illinois. The annual lease cost for this facility is $408,000. The Company is currently engaged in discussions to extend that lease.

In 2017, Flexo Universal entered into a 5-year lease agreement, expiring March 2022, for the lease of approximately 73,000 square feet of manufacturing, warehouse and office space in Guadalajara, Mexico. The lease cost for these premises is 493,090 Mexican Pesos per month (approximately $20,000 per month). This property continues with Flexo Universal after the October 2021 sale of that subsidiary.

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.

Benchmark Investments, Inc. v. Yunhong CTI Ltd., Case No. 1:21-cv-02279, was filed a case in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on March 16, 2021 and served on the Company on March 31, 2021. The complaint seeks damages in excess of $500,000. The Company has filed its Answer and Counterclaim to the complaint. The matter is currently still pending. The Company is currently unable to estimate the probability of any potential loss and thus no accrual has been recorded.

During February 2022, Engie Resources LLC filed a claim against the Company, seeking payment of $94,000 related to utilities provided during 2019.  During March 2022, the parties agreed to settle all claims for a series of payments to be made by the Company during 2022 totaling $75,000.

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.

As of December 31, 2021 there were approximately 400 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 30.

The Company did not pay any cash dividends on its Common Stock during 2021 or 2020 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. During 2022 the Company received two deficiency notices from NASDAQ – one for the failure to hold an annual meeting of shareholders during 2021, and the other for failure to maintain the required $1 bid price during a 30 day period in 2022.  The Company must hold, and plans to hold, an annual meeting on or before June 17, 2022 to satisfy the first deficiency, and has 180 days, with a possible further extension of 180 days, to satisfy the bid price issue.  On March 30, 2022, the NASDAQ informed the Company that it had regained compliance with the minimum bid price issue and that the matter was resolved. 

On March 28, 2022, our common stock closed at $1.19 per share.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

There were no stock option incentive plans outstanding as of December 31, 2021. Effective January 2022, the Company issued an inducement grant to its newly hired Chief Executive Officer for 250,000 shares of restricted stock. 25,000 of those shares vested during January 2022, while the remaining shares are subject to achievement of certain performance conditions.

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 (sourced from an external party) and related products, films for packaging applications, and custom film products. We produce all of our film products for packaging and container applications at our facilities in Lake Barrington, Illinois. 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 and a number of additional countries. In addition, the Company assembles and sells Candy Blossoms (containers of arranged candy items) in the United States.

As determined by the Board of Directors beginning in 2019, we have been exiting our foreign operations in order to focus on our North America operations, particularly on foil balloons and related products. The sales entity in the UK was liquidated in 2019. The sales and distribution entity in Germany was fully closed during 2021. As noted herein, we sold Flexo Universal, our Mexican manufacturing subsidiary, during October 2021. Additionally, we stopped selling our vacuum sealing products as of March 30, 2020, after allowing the related license agreement to expire. More discussion is available in discontinued operations in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (see Note 23).

We have also changed our capital structure, beginning January 2020. This includes:

Series A Preferred Stock

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 (“LF International”), which is controlled by Company Chairman, Mr. Yubao Li, agreed to purchase, up to 500,000 shares of the Company’s newly created shares of Series A 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 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”). Approximately $1 million of Series A Preferred has been sold as of June 30, 2021, including to an investor which converted an account receivable of $478,000 owed to the investor by the Company in exchange for 48,200 shares of Series A Preferred. The Company completed several closings with LF International from January 2020 through June 2020. The majority of the funds received reduced our bank debt. We issued a total of 400,000 shares of common stock to LF International and, pursuant to the LF Purchase Agreement, changed our name from CTI Industries Corporation to Yunhong CTI Ltd. LF International had the right to name three directors to serve on our Board. They were Mr. Yubao Li, Ms. Wan Zhang and Ms. Yaping Zhang, the latter two of whom retired from our Board of Directors during January 2022.

Series B Preferred Stock

In November 2020, we issued 170,000 shares of Series B Preferred for an aggregate purchase price of $1,500,000. The Series B Preferred have an initial stated value of $10.00 per share and liquidation preference over common stock. The Series B Preferred is convertible into shares of our common stock equal to the number of shares determined by dividing the sum of the stated value and any accrued and unpaid dividends by the conversion price of $1.00. The Series B Preferred accrues dividends at a rate of 8 percent per annum, payable at our election either in cash or shares of the Company’s common stock. Initially, the Series B Preferred, in whole or part, was redeemable at the option of the holder (but not mandatorily redeemable) at any time on or after November 30, 2021 for the stated value, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends and thus was classified as mezzanine equity and initially recognized at fair value of $1.5 million (the proceeds on the date of issuance). In March 2021, the terms of the Series B Preferred were modified to eliminate the ability of the holder to redeem the Series B Preferred.

Series C Preferred Stock

In January 2021 we entered into an agreement with a related party, LF International Pte. Ltd. which is controlled by Company director, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Yubao Li, to purchase shares of Series C Preferred stock. We issued 170,000 shares of Series C Preferred for an aggregate purchase price of $1,500,000. The Series C Preferred have an initial stated value of $10.00 per share and liquidation preference over common stock. The Series C Preferred is convertible into shares of our common stock equal to the number of shares determined by dividing the sum of the stated value and any accrued and unpaid dividends by the conversion price of $1.00.

Series D Preferred Stock

In June 2021, the Company received $1.5 million from an unrelated third party as an advance on a proposed sale of Series D Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock, which was ultimately completed. The Series D Preferred have an initial stated value of $10.00 per share and liquidation preference over common stock. The Series D Preferred is convertible into shares of our common stock equal to the number of shares determined by dividing the sum of the stated value and any accrued and unpaid dividends by the conversion price of $1.00. We issued 170,000 shares of Series D Preferred for an aggregate price of $1.5 million. Additionally, 128,000 warrants were issued pursuant to this transaction which are convertible into our common stock at the lesser of $1.75 per share or 85% of the volume weighted average price of the shares over the ten trading days prior to conversion.

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 2021 and 2020, respectively, sales to our top 10 customers represented 85% and 85%, respectively, of net revenues for each year. During 2021 and 2020, there were two customers to whom our sales represented more than 10% of net revenues.

Our principal customer sales for 2021 and 2020 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, 2021 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020

Net Sales

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, consolidated net sales from continuing operations of the sale of all products were $24,086,000 compared to consolidated net sales of $21,059,000 for the year ended December 31, 2020, an increase of 14% as more fully described below.

Sales of foil balloons from continuing operations were $18,235,000 in 2021 and $16,853,000 in 2020, a increase of 8%. Our largest customer for foil balloons was Dollar Tree Stores. The remaining sales were made to hundreds of customers including distributors and retail stores.

Sales of latex balloons from continuing operations were less than $100,000 in each period. The decrease from prior years resulted principally from the sale of Flexo Universal, our latex balloon manufacturing facility. We intend to continue to sell outsourced latex balloons in order to offer a complete product line, but it will be much smaller than prior years.

Sales of film products from continuing operations were $2,386,000 in 2021 and $804,000 in 2021, an increase of nearly 200%. Our largest customer in this area underwent a merger and has now come back with more regular purchases. The inability for some vendors to meet customer requirements has also helped us gain more business in this area.

Sales of other products from continuing operations decreased to $3,370,000 in 2021 from $3,395,000 in 2020, for virtually no difference from year to year. This category includes sales of Candy Blossoms.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales from continuing operations increased to $20,321,000 in 2021 from $17,970,000 in 2020, an increase of 13%. The increase in cost of sales was primarily attributable to the increase in sales, and secondarily related to the broad increase in prices during 2021, which occurred faster than the Company could effectively update its pricing. 

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses from continuing operations increased to $3,815,000 in 2021 from $3,655,000 in 2020, an increase of 5%. We had financial services consulting expenses, forbearance costs, and other financing costs of approximately $0.8 million that concluded when we changed lenders in September 2021.

Selling and Marketing

Selling expenses from continuing operations increased to $131,000 in 2021 from $129,000 in 2020, as total sales increased. Marketing and advertising expense decreased to $323,000 in 2021, from $350,000 in 2020, a decrease of 8%. This area was also impacted by increased sales volume, but with fewer ancillary expenses as many customers were coming back from Covid related issues.

Other Income or Expense

During 2021, we incurred net interest expense from continuing operations of $564,000 compared to net interest expense of $1,167,000 during 2020. The decrease in interest expense was primarily attributable to the lower average outstanding balance of debt in 2021 as compared to 2020. Additionally, in 2020, we recorded a $1,047,700 net gain on the forgiveness of our Payroll Protection Plan loan. 

During 2021 we engaged in a Sale and Leaseback transaction of our principal headquarters in Lake Barrington, IL. This transaction resulted in a gain of $3.4 million. We also recorded an expense related to the disposition of our Flexo Universal subsidiary. We recorded an approximately $10 million expense in Other Expense and a $6 million gain in Other Comprehensive Income related to this transaction, all non-cash items.  

Deemed Dividends on Preferred Stock and Amortization of Beneficial Conversion Feature

In 2020 the Company issued Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock. In connection with these preferred stock issuances, and the related beneficial conversion features, the Company had deemed dividends of $4.4 million in 2020. During 2021, the Company issued Series C Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock. In connection with all of these preferred stock issuances, and the related beneficial conversation features, the Company had deemed dividends of $3.6 million during 2021. Although these deemed dividends do not impact Net loss attributable to Yunhong CTI, Ltd., they do impact Net loss attributable to Yunhong CTI Ltd. Common Shareholders and EPS.

Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources

Cash (Used In) Provided By Operating Activities 

During 2021, cash used by operating activities amounted to ($3,709,000), compared to cash provided by operating activities during 2020 of $1,322,000. Significant changes in working capital items affecting cash flow used in operating activities were:

Cash Provided By (Used In) Investing Activities 

During fiscal 2021, cash provided by investing activities amounted to $3,378,000 compared to cash used in investing activities during fiscal 2020 of ($115,000).

Cash Provided By (Used In) Financing Activities 

During fiscal 2021, cash provided by financing activities amounted to $626,000, compared to cash used in financing activities of ($2,267,000) during fiscal 2020

As discussed in Note 3, in the Series A Offering, during 2020 the Company sold 500,000 shares of Series A Preferred and 400,000 shares of common stock for aggregate gross proceeds of $5,000,000.

In November 2020, we issued 170,000 shares of Series B Preferred for an aggregate purchase price of $1,500,000.

In October 2020, we received an advance of $1,500,000 from an investor. In January 2021, we finalized the transaction with the investor and issued 170,000 shares of newly authorized Series C Preferred Stock.

In June 2021, the Company received $1.5 million from an investor as an advance on a proposed sale of Series D Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock, which has since occurred. We issued 170,000 shares of newly authorized Series D Preferred Stock and 128,000 warrants to purchase our common stock.

Going Concern, Liquidity and Financial Condition

The Company’s financial statements are prepared using account principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) applicable to a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and liquidation of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company has a cumulative net loss from inception to December 31, 2021 in excess of $20 million. The accompanying financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021 have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern. The Company’s cash resources may be insufficient to meet its anticipated needs during the next twelve months. The Company may require additional financing to fund it future planned operations. The ability of the Company to continue as a going concern is dependent on the Company’s execution of its business plans and the ability to raise any needed additional capital at acceptable terms to the Company. While Management plans to mitigate this issue with improved performance now that it has disposed of subsidiaries and their related losses, there can be no guarantee this will be successful. The accompanying financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary if the Company is unable to continue as a going concern.

During December 2017, 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. Available credit under the Revolving Credit facility was determined by eligible receivables and inventory at CTI Industries (U.S.) and Flexo Universal (Mexico). 

We notified PNC of our failure to meet certain financial covenants and conditions during multiple occasions between 2018 and 2021, resulting in amendments to the loan documents, and in some cases forbearance agreements, along with related fees, penalties and other conditions. Pursuant to an April 2021 forbearance agreement, the Company agreed to pay PNC a Forbearance Fee of $1,000,000. Provided, however, that, so long as no event of default under the Loan Agreement has occurred (including as a result of a failure of the Company to pay down the Revolving Loans by $1,500,000 with the proceeds of the Purchaser Promissory Note, (i) if the Company consummates the Equity Investment (as defined in the agreement) by June 30, 2021, the Forbearance Fee shall be reduced by $250,000, to $750,000, and (ii) if the Company causes all of the obligations under the Loan Agreement to be paid in full, in cash, on or before September 30, 2021, the Forbearance Fee shall be reduced by an additional $500,000, to $250,000. As the Company repaid all obligations under the Loan Agreement by September 30, 2021 and the Equity Investment was consummated by June 30, 2021, the forbearance fee was $250,000. During 2021, the Company recorded a forbearance expense of $250,000.

On September 30, 2021 (the “Closing Date”), the Company entered into a loan and security agreement (the “Agreement”) with Line Financial (the “Lender”), which provides for a senior secured financing consisting of a revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility) in an aggregate principal amount of up to $6 million (the “Maximum Revolver Amount”) and term loan facility (the “Term Loan Facility”) in an aggregate principal amount of $731,250 (“Term Loan Amount” and, together with the Revolving Credit Facility, the “Senior Facilities”). Proceeds of loans borrowed under the Senior Facilities were used to repay all amounts outstanding under the Company's PNC Agreements and for the Company’s working capital. The Senior Facilities are secured by substantially all assets of the Company.

Interest on the Senior Facilities shall be the prime rate published from time to time published in the Wall Street Journal (3.25% as of September 30, 2021), plus 1.95% per annum, accruing daily and payable monthly. Interest shall be calculated on the basis of a 360-day year for the actual number of days elapsed. The Term Loan Facility shall be repaid by the Company to Lender in 48 equal monthly installments of principal and interest, each in the amount of $15,234, commencing on November 1, 2021, and continuing on the first day of each month thereafter until the Term Loan Maturity Date (as defined in the Agreement). Also, the Company will pay the Lender collateral monitoring fees of 4.62% of the eligible accounts receivable, inventory, and equipment supporting the Revolving Credit Facility and the Term Loan. In addition, the Company paid the Lender a loan fee of 1.25% of the Maximum Revolver Amount and the Term Loan Amount upon the execution of the Agreement.

The Senior Facilities mature on September 30, 2023 and shall automatically be extended for successive periods of one year each, unless the Company or the Lender gives the other party written notice of termination not less than 90 days prior to the end of such term or renewal term, as applicable. If the Senior Facilities are renewed, the Company shall pay the Lender a renewal fee of 1.25% of the Maximum Revolver Amount and the Term Loan Amount upon each renewal on the anniversary of the Closing Date. The Company has the option to prepay the Term Loan Facility (together with all accrued but unpaid interest and a Term Loan Prepayment Fee (as defined the Agreement) in whole, but not in part, upon not less than 60 days prior written notice to the Lender.

The Senior Facilities require that the Company shall, commencing December 31, 2021, maintain Tangible Net Worth of at least $4,000,000 or greater (“Minimum Tangible Net Worth”). Minimum Tangible Net Worth may be adjusted downward by the Lender, from time to time, in its sole and absolute discretion, based on the effect of non-cash charges and other factors on the calculation of Tangible Net Worth. Other debt subordinated to Lender is not considered as a reduction of this calculation.

The Senior Facilities contain certain affirmative and negative covenants that limit the ability of the Company, among other things and subject to certain significant exceptions, to incur debt or liens, make investments, enter into certain mergers, consolidations, and acquisitions, pay dividends and make other restricted payments, or make capital expenditures exceeding $1,000,000 in the aggregate in any fiscal year.

As of January 1, 2019, the Company had a note payable to John H. Schwan, Director and former Chairman of the Board, for $1.6 million, including accrued interest. This loan accrues interest, is due on demand, and is subordinate to the Senior Facilities. During January 2019, Mr. Schwan converted $600,000 of the note into approximately 181,000 shares of our common stock at the then market rate of $3.32 per share. As a result of the conversion, the loan balance decreased to $1.0 million. The loan and interest payable to Mr. Schwan amounted to $1.2 million and $1.1 million as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. No payments were made to Mr. Schwan during 2020 or 2021. Interest expense related to this loan amounted to approximately $70,000 and $65,000 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

As of December 31, 2021, the Company had a note payable to Alex Feng for $166,667. This loan accrues interest at 3% and is subordinate to the Senior Facilities. The subordination agreement signed September 30, 2021 changes the term of the maturity date from November 2023 to March 2024 and payment date starting April 2022.

In October 2020, the Company received $1.5 million from an unrelated third party as an advance on a proposed sale of Series C Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock.   As of December 31, 2020, the Company was in the process of negotiating and finalizing the terms of the arrangement, which has since occurred.  As the agreement was not finalized as of December 31, 2020, the $1.5 million advance was classified as Advance from Investor within liabilities on the accompanying balance sheet and subsequently reclassified as stockholders equity. During 2021, $1.5 million was received for a series D Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock and 128,000 warrants to purchase our common stock.

Seasonality

In the foil balloon product line, sales have historically been seasonal. 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). The COVID-19 pandemic changed the shape of graduation season for 2020, resulting in a lower demand for balloons during the second quarter 2020, but then a surge of demand related to at-home parties and events. This increase in demand continued into 2021.

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. 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, 2021, the Company had established a reserve for obsolescence, marketability or excess quantities with respect to inventory in the aggregate amount of $290,000. As of December 31, 2020, the amount of the reserve was $311,000. 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 Container, a VIE that was until June 30, 2019. 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 has been reported in the statement of operations. This issue became moot with the sale of Flexo Universal during October 2021, which followed the elimination of other foreign subsidiaries (UK and Germany).

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 no employee stock-based compensation cost for the year ended December 31, 2021. At December 31, 2021, we had no unrecognized compensation cost relating to stock options. We will have compensation cost related to such equity instruments during 2022, including the inducement grants of restricted stock to the Chief Executive Officer beginning January 2022.

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.

Prior to September 30, 2021, we had been out of compliance with the terms of our credit facility and operating under a forbearance agreement, and had related going concern disclosure. We therefore established a valuation allowance reserve for substantially all of our deferred tax assets.  As of December 31, 2021, the amount of the net deferred tax asset was none, as we continued to record a valuation allowance against the gross value of the deferred tax asset.  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. Prior to July 1, 2019, we had determined that the Company was the primary beneficiary of Clever and VL (despite not having a majority ownership interest). 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 and 2020 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) Evaluation of 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, 2021. 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, 2021, the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, due to the material weaknesses described below.

(b) 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, 2021. 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:

Management concluded that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement could occur in the consolidated financial statements if the control deficiencies were not remediated. Accordingly, management concluded that the matters described above are material weaknesses in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and that the Company did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021.

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.  A controller has been brought on to provide assistance in this area. Further, the Company views the combination of Acting Chief Financial Officer duties with the Chief Executive Officer as temporary in nature.

This annual report does not include an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by its registered public accounting firm pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which permits the Company to provide only management’s report in this annual report.

(c) Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act, during our most recently completed fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Item No. 9B – Other Information

None

PART III

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

The members of our Board of Directors (the “Board”), and our executive officers, together with their respective ages and certain biographical information are set forth below. Directors hold office until the next annual meeting of our stockholders and until their successors have been duly elected and qualified. Our executive officers are elected by and serve at the designation and appointment of the Board.

The following is a brief account of the business experience of each of our directors and executive officers during the past five years or more.

Yubao Li, Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr Li has served as a Director of the Company since January 13, 2020 and was elected as Chairman of the Board on June 1, 2020. Mr. Li has been serving as the Chairman of Yunhong International since its inception in January 2019 and served as its Chief Executive Officer from January 2019 to September 2019. Mr. Li has been serving as the president of Hubei Academy of Science and Technology Service Station since July 2018, one of the key multi-disciplinary universities in the province of Hubei.Since June 2018, Mr. Li has been serving as the Director of Photoproteins Research Centre at China’s Academy of Management Science, a research institute situated in Beijing where he supports innovation by defining the research focus of the group. Mr. Li also serves as a director and/or officer of several other entities, including as the Executive Director and General Manager of Hubei Teruiga Energy Co., Ltd, a new energy technology company, since November 2017, the Executive Director of Hubei Yuntong Energy Co., Ltd., a solar power and agriculture company, since April 2016, the Executive Director and General Manager of Hubei Yun Hong photovoltaic Co., Ltd., a solar power and agriculture company, since May 2016, the President of Hubei Yunhong Deren Tourism Co., Ltd., a tourism project developer, since May 2016 and the President of Yunhong Group Holdings Co., Ltd., a company engaged in the business of solar power construction and solar photovoltaic power generation, since 2013. In addition, in 2013, Mr. Li founded China Hubei Yunhong Energy Group Co., Ltd., a Chinese nutrition company operating in China and abroad, and he currently serves as the Chairman of its board of directors.

Frank Cesario, Chief Executive Officer and Director; Acting Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Cesario first joined the Company in November 2017 as Chief Financial Officer. In December 2019 he was named President and Chief Executive Officer, and Director. He resigned as Chief Financial officer in June 2020 and President and Chief Executive Officer, and Director, in September 2020. During March 2021 he rejoined the Board as a Director. During January 2022 he was hired by the Company as Chief Executive Officer and Director. Upon the resignation of then Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Connerty during January 2022, Mr. Cesario also became the Acting Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Cesario brings 20 years of CFO experience at manufacturing entities. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Cesario served in similar roles with Nanophase Technologies Corporation and ISCO International, Inc., then publicly traded global suppliers of advanced materials and telecommunications equipment, respectively, as well as Turf Ventures LLC, a privately held chemicals distributor. From September 2020 until January 2022, Mr. Cesario served as Chief Financial Officer of Radiac Abrasives, Inc., a privately held manufacturer. He began his career with KPMG Peat Marwick and then served in progressively responsible finance positions within Material Sciences Corporation and Outokumpu Copper, Inc. Mr. Cesario holds an MBA (Finance) from DePaul University and a B.S. (Accountancy) from the University of Illinois, and is a registered CPA in the State of Illinois.

Douglas Bosley is a founding partner of Witan Law Group and a member of the firm’s Corporate Transactional and Securities practice. Mr. Bosley represents businesses and entrepreneurs at all stages of growth from inception to exit. Mr. Bosley’s practice focuses on three general areas of financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions and general corporate matters. Mr. Bosley’s financing experience includes representing venture capital firms and venture-backed companies, mezzanine debt transactions, and a wide range of other types of financing and securities transactions, as well as general corporate matters including formation and start-ups; equity compensation; contracts such as licensing, joint ventures, representative agreements, and development and service level agreements; and corporate governance matters. Before founding Witan Law, Mr. Bosley was a partner at Bosley Till Neue & Talerico (BTNT), a law firm, where he headed the transactional and securities practices. Prior to BTNT, Mr. Bosley operated Bosley Business Law, which he founded after more than a decade of sophisticated corporate and securities transactional experience at some of the world’s largest and most reputable corporate law firms. Mr. Bosley also served as general counsel of a Sacramento-based venture capital and professional services firm. He is a frequent speaker on legal issues related to start-ups, mergers and acquisitions and venture capital transactions. Mr. Bosley is a graduate of the Duke University School of Law, graduating with high honors and earning Order of the Coif. He received his B.A. in Economics from California State University, Sacramento.

Gerald (J.D.) Roberts, Jr. is Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at a Fortune 50 Corporation, having served in that capacity since 2018. In the previous 20 years, he held several senior roles at Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. and GenCorp/Aerojet. His career began in the aerospace and electronics industries in the United States and Australia, where he worked with companies including E-Systems, McDonnell Douglas, Northrop-Grumman, Gulfstream, Learjet and Hawker de Havilland. Mr. Roberts combined his credentials in engineering, finance and operations and his significant experience in strategic planning, organizational restructuring, and mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures to build value in international business opportunities. Mr. Roberts holds a Six Sigma greenbelt certification and has completed post-graduate coursework in Mergers and Acquisitions, leadership, strategic alliances, negotiation, innovation, and financial analysis. He received his MBA (Finance) from the University of California, Davis, and his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech.

Philip Wong is CEO of Shark AI Capital Corporation, an innovative business lending firm which he co-founded in 2020. Previously, he served as Chief Investment Officer of American Credit, Inc., as a Commercial Loan Officer at Applepie Capital, Inc., as Vice President / Senior Relationship Manager at Bank of the West / BNP Paribas, and as First Vice President / Senior Relationship Manager at Preferred Bank, among other roles in banking in business credit. Mr. Wong and has completed certifications in agile software development, software products management, healthcare analytics, and product management and marketing. He received his B.A. in Asian Studies from San Francisco State University.

Executive Officers Other Than Nominees

Jana Schwan.  Ms. Schwan has been employed by the Company in various operational, purchasing, and product development capacities since September 2002, and currently leads its Sales, Marketing and Business Development activities in addition to all Operations of the Company. Ms. Schwan was named Vice President of Operations in 2017 and Chief Operating Officer in 2020.

Jana Schwan is the daughter of John Schwan, who prior to his retirement from the Company served in several capacities, including as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Except as disclosed in this Item 10 or Item 13 (Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence), there are no arrangements or understandings with major stockholders, customers, suppliers or others pursuant to which any of our directors or members of senior management were selected as such. In addition, there are no family relationships among our executive officers and directors.

Our future success depends, in significant part, on the continued service of certain key execute officers, managers, and others in various aspects of our business. We may not be able to find an appropriate replacement for any of our key personnel. Any loss or interruption of our key personnel’s service to the Company could adversely affect our ability to implement our business plan.

Corporate Governance

The business and affairs of the Company are managed under the direction of the Board of Directors in accordance with the Illinois Business Corporation Act and the Articles of Incorporation and By-laws of the Company, as amended. Members of the Board of Directors are kept informed of the Company’s business through discussions with the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President and other officers, by reviewing materials provided to them and by participating in meetings of the Board of Directors and its committees.

As of January 2022, the Board of Directors had five members. The Board has determined that each of Douglas Bosley, Gerald (J.D.) Roberts, Jr., and Philip Wong, presently directors of the Company, are independent based upon the application of the rules and standards of the NASDAQ Stock Market.

The Board of Directors met 17 times during 2021. Each of the Directors was present for at least 75% of such meetings.

Board Leadership Structure

Yubao Li is Chairman of the Board of Directors, Frank Cesario is Chief Executive Officer and Jana Schwan is Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Cesario and Ms. Schwan are responsible for senior management functions. Mr. Cesario reports into the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors believes that this combination and allocation of roles provides the most efficient and effective leadership model for the Company, providing perspective and direction with regard to business strategies and plans to both the Board and management. The Company has no bylaw or policy in place that mandates that an officer serve as Chairman of the Board. The Board of Directors periodically evaluates its leadership structure.

Mr. Wong has been designated as the lead independent director. Mr. Wong is responsible for (i) communicating regularly with the Chief Executive Officer and other officers of the Company on behalf of the Board of Directors, and particularly the independent members of the Board of Directors, and (ii) calling separate meetings of the independent directors of the Company. At any such meetings, only independent directors are present and the independent directors are free to discuss any aspect of the Company’s business and risk management without the influence of interested directors or management.

All members of the Company’s Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Governance Committees have been determined to be independent based on application of the rules and standards of the NASDAQ Stock Market.

Board Role in Risk Oversight

The Board of Directors plays an active role, as a whole and at the committee level, in overseeing management of the Company’s risks. The Board regularly reviews information regarding our credit, liquidity and operations, as well as the risks associated with each. The Audit Committee oversees management of financial risks through regular meetings with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm and the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Financial Officer. The Company’s Compensation Committee evaluates and addresses risks relating to executive compensation, our incentive compensation plans and other compensatory arrangements. The Nominating and Governance Committee manages risks associated with the independence of the Board of Directors and potential conflicts of interest. While each committee is responsible for evaluating certain risks and overseeing the management of those risks, the entire Board of Directors is regularly informed through management and committee reports to the full Board about these and other operational risks.

Committees of the Board of Directors

The Board of Directors has standing Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Governance Committees.

Audit Committee

Since 2000, the Company has had a standing Audit Committee, which is presently composed of Mr. Wong (Chairman), Mr. Bosley and Mr. Roberts. Each of the members of the Audit Committee is independent based on the application of the rules and standards of the NASDAQ Stock Market and Rule 10a-3(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Mr. Wong has been designated as, and is, the Company’s “Audit Committee Financial Expert” in accordance with Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K and meets the requirements for an audit committee expert as set forth in that item. The Audit Committee has primary responsibility meetings with management and independent auditors to discuss the Company’s financial statements. The Company’s Board of Directors has adopted a written charter, as amended, for the Company’s Audit Committee, a copy of which has been posted and can be viewed on the Company’s Internet website at http://www.ctiindustries.com under the section entitled “Investor Relations.” In addition, the Audit Committee has adopted a complaint monitoring procedure to enable confidential and anonymous reporting to the Audit Committee of concerns regarding, among other things, questionable accounting or auditing matters. The Audit Committee has primary responsibility for:

The Audit Committee met four times during 2021.

Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee is composed of Mr. Roberts (Chairman), Mr. Bosley and Mr. Wong. The Board has determined that each of the members of the Compensation Committee is independent as defined in the listing standards for the NASDAQ Stock Market. The Compensation Committee reviews and acts on the Company’s executive compensation and employee benefit and retirement plans, including their establishment, modification and administration. It also recommends to the Board of Directors the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer and certain other executive officers. The Compensation Committee has a charter which has been posted and can be viewed on the Company’s Internet website at http://www.ctiindustries.com under the section entitled “Investor Relations.” The Compensation Committee did not meet in 2021.

Nominating and Governance Committee

In 2005, the Company established a Nominating and Governance Committee. The Nominating and Governance Committee consists of Mr. Bosley (Chairman), Mr. Roberts and Mr. Wong. The Nominating and Governance Committee does not have a charter. The Board of Directors has determined that each of the members of the Nominating and Governance Committee is independent as defined in the listing standards for the NASDAQ Stock Market.

The Nominating and Governance Committee has not adopted a formal policy with regard to consideration of director candidates recommended by security holders. The Company believes that continuing service of qualified incumbent members of the Board of Directors promotes stability and continuity at the Board level, contributes to the Board’s ability to work as a collective body and provides the benefit of familiarity and insight into the Company’s affairs. Accordingly, the process of the Nominating and Governance Committee for identifying nominees reflects the Company’s practice of re-nominating incumbent directors who continue to satisfy the criteria for membership on the Board. For vacancies that are anticipated on the Board of Directors, the Nominating and Governance Committee intends to seek out and evaluate potential candidates from a variety of sources that may include recommendations by security holders, members of management, the Board of Directors, consultants and others. The minimum qualifications for potential candidates for the Board of Directors include demonstrated business experience, decision-making abilities, personal integrity and a good reputation.

The Board’s statement regarding diversity is below. This has become a larger factor in the Nominating Committee’s evaluation of potential candidates. While there is no formal policy for considering diversity when nominating a potential director, it is a consideration that is evaluated along with other qualifications of potential candidates, and broadly a goal of the Company. In light of the foregoing, it is believed that a formal, written policy and procedure with regard to consideration of director candidates recommended by security holders is not necessary in order for the Nominating and Governance Committee to perform its duties.

The Nominating Committee did not meet in 2021. All of the independent directors of the Board of Directors participated in the nominating process and, in separate session, voted in favor of recommending to the Board of Directors the nomination of each of the nominees for election as directors.

Board Diversity

The current Board has five directors, all male, two of whom are of Asian background and three Caucasian. The Board recently had two female directors who retired from the Board during January 2022. With only five directors, the Company has limited opportunity to maintain the breadth of diversity it seeks at all times. The Company has made diversity a goal, particularly as it moved from a 100% Caucasian, 100% male Board of Directors at the beginning of 2020 to three Asian directors, two of whom female, later that year. The Company plans to continue to strive for broad representation on its Board of Directors.

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires the Company’s officers and directors, and persons who own more than ten percent of a registered class of the Company’s equity securities, to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the Securities and Exchange Commission and with the NASDAQ Stock Market. Officers, directors and greater than ten-percent shareholders are required by SEC regulation to furnish the Company with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file.

Based solely on a review of such forms furnished to the Company, the Company believes that during calendar year 2021, all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to the officers, directors and ten-percent beneficial shareholders were satisfied.

Code of Ethics

The Company has adopted a code of ethics that applies to its senior executive and financial officers. The Company’s Code of Ethics seeks to promote (i) honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships, (ii) full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure of information to the Commission, (iii) compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations, (iv) prompt internal reporting of violations of the Code to predesignated persons, and (v) accountability for adherence to the Code. A copy of the Code of Ethics has been posted and may be viewed on the Company’s Internet website at http://www.ctiindustries.com under the heading “Investor Relations.” The Company will provide to any person without charge upon request a copy of the Code of Ethics. You may make such request by sending a written request to the Corporate Secretary at 22160 N. Pepper Road, Lake Barrington, Illinois 60010 and providing a return address

Item No. 11 – Executive Compensation

The following table sets forth summary compensation information with respect to the Principal Executive Officer and each of the two other most highly compensated executive officers. These individuals, including the Principal Executive Officer, are collectively referred to in this proxy statement as the Named Executive Officers.

SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

Narrative Disclosure for Summary Compensation Table

Employment Agreements with Our Named Executive Officers

No employment agreements existed until January 2022, when Mr. Cesario entered into an employment agreement with the Company. That agreement includes a base salary of $250,000 per year. Mr. Cesario received an inducement grant of stock in the amount of 250,000 shares, 25,000 of which vested immediately, with the remaining shares scheduled to vest based upon the achievement of certain goals and objectives as set forth in the agreement. Mr. Cesario is eligible to receive a performance-based bonus of $300,000. In the event that Mr. Cesario is terminated without cause, he is eligible to receive twelve (12) months of salary in accordance with the agreement.

Information Relating to Cash Incentives

The Board of Directors previously had adopted an Incentive Compensation Plan providing for annual incentive compensation to be paid to executive and managerial employees of the Company. Under the Plan, designated Named Executive Officers and several other executive officers and managers may receive incentive compensation payments, determined on a quarterly and annual basis, based upon the income of the Company before provision for income tax or for incentive compensation if the net income exceeds a threshold amount of profit for any quarter of $100,000 and, for the year, of $250,000. The benefits under the Plan are divided into two Pools of compensation. Pool I (representing the largest pool of incentive compensation) covers senior executive officers and managers who participate in the pool of incentive compensation based upon a percentage allocation recommended by the Compensation Committee and determined by the Board of Directors each year. Pool II covers other executives and managers who are selected to participate in proportions determined by management. The Compensation Committee recommends the amount of the incentive compensation awards which, in the aggregate, may not exceed sixteen percent of the net income of the Company (before provision for income tax or incentive compensation under the Plan). Further, the amount of incentive compensation to any participant may not exceed the annual base compensation of the participant. The Compensation Committee believed such incentive compensation motivates participants to achieve strong profitability which is viewed as the most significant element of corporate performance, provides rewards for strong corporate performance and aligns the incentive with the interests of the shareholders. Incentive compensation participation levels are generally determined during the first quarter of each fiscal year.

In determining the executives who participate in the incentive compensation awards in Pool I each year, and the relative amount of the award to each participant, the Compensation Committee considers and takes into account (i) the position of the executive, (ii) the level of responsibility and authority of the executive, (iii) the performance of the executive, and (iv) the extent to which the executive is in a position to affect the financial results and profitability of the Company. The current Board of Directors is considering a revised incentive plan and terminating the plan described in this section. No replacement plan has yet been adopted, but the Board of Directors and Management have both indicated their desire to change this program.

Long-Term Equity Incentives

From time to time, upon the recommendation and action of the Compensation Committee and Board of Directors, stock options or grants under the 2009 Incentive Stock Plan have been awarded to officers, directors, or management personnel of the Company. At the Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders held in May 2009, the Company’s 2009 Incentive Stock Plan was approved by the shareholders.

The Board of Directors adopted and approved a new incentive option plan in April 2018 which was submitted to, and approved by, our stockholders at the annual meeting of stockholders on June 8, 2018 (the “Plan”). Under the Plan, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors is authorized to issue incentive options, non-statutory options, restricted stock awards and stock grants to officers, directors, management personnel and consultants of the Company. The Board of Directors determined that no further options would be granted under the 2009 Incentive Stock Plan.

Stock and option grants under the Plan will be determined from time to time by the Compensation Committee in consultation with management. The actual grant for each executive is determined by taking into consideration (i) individual performance, (ii) corporate performance and (iii) prior grants to, or stock ownership of the Company by, the executive or director. Generally, stock options are granted with an exercise price equal to or greater than the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the NASDAQ Stock Market on the date of the grant.

No stock options or grants were awarded or issued during 2021.

Retirement Benefits

The Company maintains a 401(k) employee savings plan in which all salaried employees are eligible to participate. The plan is a tax qualified retirement plan.

Under the 401(k) Plan, employees may contribute up to 15% of their eligible compensation to the Plan and the Company will contribute a matching amount to the Plan each year. Participating employees may direct the investment of individual and company contributions into one or more of the investment options offered by the Plan. Under the terms of the Plan, the Company has made a matching contribution equal to 100% of employee contributions that do not exceed 1% of eligible compensation plus 50% of employee contributions between 1% and 5% of eligible compensation. During 2017, the Board of Directors determined to cease matching contributions under the 401(k) Plan for the balance of the year. No such matching contributions were made during 2020 or 2021.

Outstanding Equity Awards

There are no outstanding equity awards as of December 31, 2021

Payments Upon Termination or Change of Control

None as of December 31, 2021. The employment agreement with Frank Cesario, effective January 2022, includes payment of twelve months salary upon termination except for cause as is defined by that agreement.

Director Compensation

The following table sets forth the compensation of directors of the Company during the year ended December 31, 2021:

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Narrative Description of Director Compensation

Payments to non-employee directors were suspended during 2019, and had not restarted as of December 31, 2021. The Company intends to begin paying non-employee directors during 2022.

Agreements Between Third Parties and Directors

There are no agreements or arrangements by which any directors or nominees are to receive compensation or other payments from third parties in return for serving on the Board of Directors.

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

The Board of Directors knows of no other matters to be presented for shareholder action at the Annual Meeting. On matters which may be raised at the Annual Meeting that are not covered by this Proxy Statement, the persons named in the proxy will have full discretionary authority to vote.

BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SHARES BY MANAGEMENT

AND SIGNIFICANT SHAREHOLDERS

The following table provides information concerning the beneficial ownership of the Company’s Common Stock by each director and nominee for director, certain executive officers, and by all directors and officers of the Company as a group as of December 31, 2021. In addition, the table provides information concerning the current beneficial owners, if any, known to the Company to hold more than 5 percent of the outstanding Common Stock of the Company.

The amounts and percentage of stock beneficially owned are reported based on regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) governing the determination of beneficial ownership of securities. Under the rules of the SEC, a person is deemed to be a “beneficial owner” of a security if that person has or shares “voting power,” which includes the power to dispose of or to direct the disposition of such security. A person is also deemed to be a beneficial owner of any securities of which that person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership within 60 days after December 31, 2021. Under these rules, more than one person may be deemed a beneficial owner of the same securities and a person may be deemed a beneficial owner of securities in which he has no economic interest. The percentage of Common Stock beneficially owned is based on 5,886,750 shares of Common Stock outstanding as of December 31, 2021.

Represents 400,000 shares of common stock and 6,700,000 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of 670,000 shares of Series A preferred and Series C preferred

Represents approximately 100% of the outstanding shares of the Company’s Series A & C Preferred.

These shares are held by LF Investments Pte. Ltd., a Singapore private limited company controlled by Mr. Li.

Pursuant to the Series A Certificate of Designation (as defined below), no holder of Series A Preferred may convert any portion of the Series A Preferred which would result in the holder beneficially owning more than 4.99% of the outstanding common stock of the Company. This limitation may be waived upon sixty-one (61) days’ prior notice from the holder to the Company.  

Represents 1,700,000 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of 170,000 shares of Series B preferred

Represents 1,700,000 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of 170,000 shares of Series D preferred including 128,000 warrants

*Less than one percent

Item No. 13 – Certain Relationships and Related Transactions

As of December 2017, Mr. John H. 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 representing the amount owed to Mr. Schwan. During January 2019, Mr. Schwan and the Company agreed to an exchange of $0.6 million of his debt for approximately 181,000 shares of CTI common stock at the then market rate of $3.32 per share. As of December 31, 2021, the balance of Mr. Schwan’s note was approximately $1.2 million, including accrued interest. Mr. Schwan is the father of Jana Schwan.

Relationships and transactions in which the Company and its directors and executive officers or their immediate family members are participants or have conflicts of interest are reviewed and approved by the Audit Committee. While the Audit Committee has not adopted a written policy for the review and approval of related party transactions, in determining whether to approve or ratify any such transaction, the Audit Committee considers, in addition to such other factors it may deem appropriate in the circumstances, whether (i) the transaction is fair and reasonable to the Company, (ii) under all of the circumstances, the transaction is in, or not inconsistent with, the Company’s best interests, and (iii) the transaction will be on terms no less favorable to the Company than could have been obtained in an arms’ length transaction with an unrelated third party. The Audit Committee, in its discretion, may request information from any party to facilitate its consideration of matter. The Audit Committee does not allow a director to participate in any review, approval or ratification of any transaction if he or she, or his or her immediate family member, has a direct or indirect material interest in the transaction.

Item No. 14 – Principal Accountant Fees and Services

The following table sets forth the amount of fees billed by RBSM LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, for professional services during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

All audits, tax and other services to be performed by RBSM LLP for the Company must be pre-approved by the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee reviews the description of services and an estimate of the anticipated costs to perform those services. Services not previously approved cannot commence until such approval has been granted. Pre-approval is granted usually at regularly scheduled meetings. If unanticipated items arise between meetings of the Audit Committee, the Audit Committee has delegated approval authority to the Chairman of the Audit Committee, in which case the Chairman communicates such pre-approvals to the full Committee at its next meeting.

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors reviews all relationships with its independent auditors, including the provision of non-audit services, which may relate to the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence.

PART IV

Item No. 15 – Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

(a)(1) The following documents are filed under pages F-1 through F-29 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 April 15, 2022.

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 and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Financial Statements

Years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020

Contents

Financial Statement Schedule:

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 the Board of Directors of

Yunhong CTI Ltd. and Subsidiaries

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Yunhong CTI Ltd. and Subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss), stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the years in the two year period ended December 31, 2021, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the financial statement). We did not audit the December 31, 2021 and 2020 financial statements of Flexo Universal S. de R.L. de C.V., a 99.82 percent owned subsidiary (Flexo) which the Company sold on October 28, 2021.  The Company has reclassified operations related to Flexo as discontinued operations for the period from January 1, 2021 to October 28, 2021 and for the year ended December 31, 2020. 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, is based solely on the report of the other auditors. In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flow for each of the years in the two year period ended December 31, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

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 a going concern. As discussed in Note 3 to the financial statements, the Company has suffered recurring losses from operations and will require additional capital to continue as a going concern.  This raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans regarding these matters are also described in Note 3. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classification of liabilities that may result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

Inventories Valuation

Critical Audit Matter Description

The Company's inventories, net of reserves totaled approximately $7,876,000 as of December 31, 2021. As described in Note 2 and Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements, inventories are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value.  On a periodic basis, the Company reviews its inventory levels for estimated obsolescence or unmarketable items, in reference to future demand requirements and the shelf life of the products. As of December 31, 2021, the Company had established a reserve for obsolescence, marketability or excess quantities with respect to inventory in the aggregate amount of $290,000.

Given the judgments made by management a high degree of subjective and complex auditor judgment was required to evaluate management's estimates of the net realizable value of its inventory and reserves for excess and obsolete inventory. 

How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit

The primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter included the following:

April 15, 2022

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements