ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Business Overview
Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives, Inc., a Delaware corporation (‘‘IEA’’, the ‘‘Company’’, ‘‘we’’, ‘‘us’’, or ‘‘our’’) is a holding company that, through various subsidiaries, is a leading diversified infrastructure construction company with specialized energy and heavy civil expertise throughout the United States (“U.S.”). We were founded in 1947 as White Construction and we became a public company in March 2018 when we merged with a special purpose acquisition company. Our Common Stock trades on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol ‘‘IEA’’.
The Company specializes in providing complete engineering, procurement and construction (“EPC”) services throughout the U.S. for the renewable energy, traditional power and civil infrastructure industries. In 2019, Engineering News-Record (“ENR”) ranked IEA as the 2nd leading provider of wind EPC services based on revenue. These services include the design, site development, construction, installation and restoration of infrastructure. We believe we have the ability to continue to expand these services to leverage our expertise and relationships in the wind energy business to provide additional infrastructure solutions to the clean energy markets.
The acquisitions we made in 2018 have expanded our construction capabilities and geographic footprint in the areas of environmental remediation, industrial maintenance, specialty paving, heavy civil and rail infrastructure construction, creating a diverse national platform of specialty construction capabilities. See Note 2. Merger and Acquisitions in the notes to the audited consolidated financial statements for more information on the acquisitions.
Reportable Segments
The Company operates its business in two reportable segments:
Renewables Segment
The Renewables segment operates throughout the U.S. and specializes in a range of services that include full EPC project delivery, design, site development, construction, installation and maintenance of infrastructure services for the wind and solar industries.
We have maintained a heavy focus on construction of renewable power production capacity as renewable energy, particularly from wind and solar, has become widely accepted within the electric utility industry and has become a cost-effective solution for the creation of new generating capacity.
Specialty Civil Segment
The Specialty Civil segment operates throughout the U.S. and specializes in a range of services that include:
•Environmental remediation services such as site development, environmental site closure, outsourced contract mining and coal ash management services.
•Rail Infrastructure services such as planning, design, procurement, construction and maintenance of infrastructure projects for major railway and intermodal facilities.
•Heavy civil construction services such as road and bridge construction, specialty paving, industrial maintenance and other local, state and government projects.
Strategy
The key elements of our business strategy are as follows:
Retention of strong relationships with our customers to expand services offered — We believe that we have strong, long-term relationships with each of our customers and have historically worked together with them to meet their needs. By leveraging our established relationships with these customers, we intend to provide expanded products and services that will continue to diversify our revenue streams and assist our customers with their business strategies.
Maintain Operational Excellence — We have a continual focus on maintaining operational excellence, which includes the following:
•Quality - We believe in satisfying our clients, mitigating risk, and driving improvement by performing work right the first time.
•Technical Expertise - We have an established reputation for safe, high quality performance, reliable customer service and technical expertise in constructing technically demanding projects.
•Safety - We believe the safety of our employees, the public and the environment is a moral obligation as well as good business. By identifying and concentrating resources to address jobsite hazards, we continually strive to reduce our incident rates and the costs associated with accidents.
•Productivity - We strive to use our resources efficiently to deliver work on time and on budget.
Ownership of Equipment — Many of our services are equipment intensive and certain key equipment used by us is specialized or customized for our businesses. The cost of construction equipment, and in some cases the availability of construction equipment, provides a significant barrier to entry into several of our businesses. We believe that our ownership and if needed, ability to lease a large and varied construction fleet at a reasonable cost, enables us to compete more effectively by ensuring availability and maximizing returns on investment of the equipment.
Maintain a strong balance sheet and an optimal capital structure — We believe that continued focus on our capital structure provides our customers, our lenders, and our bonding companies assurance of our financial capabilities. We will continue to focus on optimizing our capital structure in order to find the best mix of debt and equity financing that can maximize the Company's market value while minimizing our cost of capital. We maintain a revolving credit facility to provide letter of credit capability and, if needed, to augment our liquidity needs.
Future Strategic Acquisitions and Arrangements — We will continue to pursue selected and opportunistic acquisitions, that fit our strategy of acquiring businesses with complementary cultures, niche market capabilities, excellent relationships with blue chip customers and strong, proven management teams that are retained post acquisition.
Customers
We have longstanding customer relationships with many established companies in the renewable energy, thermal power, environmental remediation, civil and industrial power industries, with a recurring base of blue-chip utility customers, as well as with original equipment manufacturers that produce the equipment for our business. We have completed renewable projects for top U.S. developers and owners, rail infrastructure projects with top tier railroads and heavy civil construction projects with many government agencies.
Although we are not dependent upon any one customer in any year, a relatively small number of repeat customers constitute a substantial portion of our total revenues. Accordingly, our senior management is responsible for developing and maintaining existing relationships with customers to secure additional projects and increase revenue from our current customer base. We believe that our strategic relationships with customers will result in future opportunities. Our management is also focused on pursuing growth opportunities with prospective new customers.
The Company had the following approximate revenue and accounts receivable concentrations, net of allowances, for the periods ended:
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Revenue %
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Accounts Receivable %
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Year Ended December 31,
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December 31,
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2020
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2019
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2018
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2020
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2019
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Company A (Renewables Segment)
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*
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*
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21.0
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*
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*
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Company B (Specialty Civil Segment)
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*
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10.9
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*
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*
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*
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———
* Amount was not above 10% threshold.
Our work is generally performed pursuant to contracts for specific projects or jobs that require the construction or installation of an entire complex of specified units within an infrastructure system. Generally, customers are billed monthly throughout the completion of work on a project; however, some contracts provide for additional billing upon the achievement of specific completion milestones, which may increase the billing period to more than one month. Many contracts may include retainage provisions under which, generally, from 5% to 10% of the contract price is withheld until the work has been completed and accepted by the customer.
We believe that our industry experience, technical expertise and reputation for customer service, as well as the relationships developed between our customers and our senior management and project management teams are important to our being retained by our customers.
Backlog
Estimated backlog represents the amount of revenue we expect to realize in 2021 and beyond from the uncompleted portions of existing construction contracts, including new contracts under which work has not begun and awarded contracts for which the definitive project documentation is being prepared, as well as revenue from change orders and renewal options. Estimated backlog for work under fixed price contracts and cost-reimbursable contracts is determined based on historical trends, anticipated seasonal impacts, experience from similar projects and estimates of customer demand based on communications with our customers. These contracts are included in backlog based on the estimated total contract price upon completion.
The following table summarizes our backlog by segment for December 31:
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(in millions)
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Segments
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December 31, 2020
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December 31, 2019
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Renewables
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$
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1,513.4
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$
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1,582.5
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Specialty Civil
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556.1
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588.7
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Total
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$
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2,069.5
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$
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2,171.2
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We expect to realize approximately $1,628.9 million of our estimated backlog during 2021 and $440.6 million during 2022 and beyond.
Based on historical trends in the Company’s backlog, we believe awarded contracts to be firm and that the revenue for such contracts will be recognized over the life of the project. Timing of revenue for construction and installation projects included in our backlog can be subject to change as a result of customer delays, regulatory factors, COVID-19 pandemic, weather and/or other project-related factors. These changes could cause estimated revenue to be realized in periods later than originally expected, or not at all. In the past, we have occasionally experienced postponements, cancellations and reductions on construction projects due to market volatility and regulatory factors. There can be no assurance as to our customers’ requirements or the accuracy of our estimates. As a result, our backlog as of any particular date is an uncertain indicator of future revenue and earnings and may not result in actual revenue or profits.
Backlog is not a term recognized under U.S. GAAP, although it is a common measurement used in our industry. Backlog also differs from the amount of our remaining performance obligations, which are described in Note 1 - Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies in the notes to the consolidated financial statements. Additionally, our methodology for determining backlog may not be comparable to the methodologies used by others. See
‘‘Risk Factors’’ for a discussion of the risks associated with our backlog. As of December 31, 2020, total backlog differed from the amount of our remaining performance obligations primarily due to the inclusion of contracts that were awarded but not yet fully executed.
Competition
We compete with a number of companies in the markets in which we operate, ranging from small local independent companies to large national firms, and some of our customers employ their own personnel to perform some of the services we provide.
The primary factors influencing competition in our industry are price, reputation, quality and delivery, relevant expertise, adequate financial resources, geographic presence, high safety ratings and a proven track record of operational success. We believe that our national platform, track record of completion, relationships with vendors, strong safety record and access to skilled labor enables us to compete favorably in all of these factors. We also believe that our ability to provide unionized and non-unionized workforces across a national footprint allows us to compete for a broad range of projects. While we believe our customers consider a number of factors when selecting a service provider, they award most of their work through a bid process. We believe our safety record, experience, quality of service and price are often principal factors in determining which service provider is selected.
Seasonality
Our revenues and results of operations can be subject to seasonal and other variations. These variations are influenced by weather, customer spending patterns, bidding seasons, receipt of required regulatory approvals, permits and rights of way, project timing and schedules and holidays. See ‘‘Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Impact of Seasonality and Cyclical Nature of Business.’’
Safety and Insurance/Risk Management
We strive to instill and enforce safe work habits in our employees, and we require that our employees participate in training programs relevant to their employment, including all those required by law. We evaluate employees in part based upon their safety performance and the safety performance of the employees they supervise. Our business units have established robust safety programs to encourage, monitor and improve compliance with safety procedures and regulations including, behavioral based safety, jobsite safety analysis, site-specific safety orientation, subcontractor orientation, site safety audits, accident and incident safety investigations, OSHA 30-hour and 10-hour training, drug and alcohol testing and regular trainings in fall protection, confined spaces, crane rigging and flagman, first aid, CPR and AED, among others.
Our business involves the use of heavy equipment and exposure to potentially dangerous workplace conditions. While we are committed to operating safely and prudently, we may be subject to claims by employees, customers and third parties for property damage and personal injuries that occur in connection with our work. We maintain insurance policies for worker’s compensation, employer liability, automobile liability, general liability, inland marine property and equipment, professional and pollution liability, excess liability, and director and officers’ liability. See Note 9. Commitments and Contingencies in the notes to the audited consolidated financial statements.
Our business may subject us to the risk of adverse site conditions and unfavorable weather. While we mitigate these risks contractually to the extent possible, market conditions prevent us from fully passing these risks to our customers, and there is not a robust insurance market to cover these risks. While we have evaluated the feasibility of insurance products to mitigate weather risk, we do not believe that the current insurance market offers commercially practicable solutions to protect the Company against significant losses caused by adverse weather.
Suppliers and Materials
Under many of our contracts, our customers provide the necessary materials and supplies for projects, such as wind turbines, and we are responsible for the installation, but not the cost or warranty of those materials. Under certain other projects, we purchase the necessary materials and supplies on behalf of our customers from third-party providers. We are not dependent upon any one vendor and have not experienced significant difficulty in obtaining project-related materials or supplies as and when required for the projects we manage.
We utilize independent contractors to assist on projects and to help manage our work flow. Our independent
contractors typically provide their own vehicles, tools and insurance coverage.
We bear some risk of increases in the price of materials and supplies used in the performance of our work, such as aggregate, reinforced steel, cable, and fuel. These risks are managed contractually, by entering into contracts with suppliers that fix the price paid by the Company within the budget established for a project, or by passing the risk of commodity cost increases to the customer.
Regulation
Our operations are subject to various federal, state, and local laws and regulations including:
•licensing, permitting and inspection requirements applicable to contractors, electricians and engineers;
•regulations relating to worker safety and environmental protection;
•permitting and inspection requirements applicable to construction projects;
•wage and hour regulations;
•regulations relating to transportation of equipment and materials, including licensing and permitting requirements;
•building and electrical codes; and
•special bidding, procurement and other requirements on government projects.
We believe we have all material licenses and permits needed to conduct operations and that we are in material compliance with applicable regulatory requirements. However, we could incur significant liabilities if we fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements.
Environmental and Climate Change Matters
We are also subject to numerous environmental laws, including the handling, transportation and disposal of non-hazardous and hazardous substances and wastes, as well as emissions and discharges into the environment, including discharges into air, surface water, groundwater and soil. We also are subject to laws and regulations that impose liability and cleanup responsibility for releases of hazardous substances into the environment.
The potential impact of climate change on our operations is highly uncertain. Climate change may result in, among other things, changes in rainfall patterns, storm patterns and intensity and temperature levels. Our operating results are significantly influenced by weather and major changes in historical weather patterns could significantly impact our future operating results. For example, if climate change results in significantly more adverse weather conditions in a given period, we could experience reduced productivity and increases in certain other costs, which could negatively impact revenues and gross margins.
Production Tax Credit (the ‘‘PTC’’) and Investment Tax Credit (‘‘ITC’’)
In light of changes in federal government priorities and the cost-competitiveness of wind and solar power production, certain of the tax credits for production of renewable energy are phasing out. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 (‘‘CAA’’), which contains certain federal tax incentives applicable to the renewable energy industry, provided for the gradual elimination of certain of these incentives. In December 2020, the federal government implemented an agreement that extended lapsed and expiring tax breaks. The extension provides a one year extension of the PTC for wind projects at a 60% level for projects that begin construction on or before December 31, 2021 and a two year extension of 26% ITC for projects that begin construction before January 1, 2023 and 22% ITC for projects that begin construction before January 1, 2024 for all solar projects placed into service prior to December 31, 2025.
Employees
As of December 31, 2020, we employed 745 salaried employees and 2,627 hourly employees. The total number of hourly personnel employed is subject to the volume of specialty services and construction work in progress.
We believe that our employees are the most valuable resource in successfully completing our projects. Our ability to maintain sufficient, continuous work for hourly employees helps us to maintain a stable workforce with a loyalty to and an understanding of our policies and culture and contributes to our strong performance, safety and quality record. Our talent acquisition team uses internal and external resources to recruit highly skilled and talented workers, and we encourage employee referrals for open positions. In addition, we have partnerships with technical schools where we recruit and hire craft employees.
We employ a dynamic mix of people to create the strongest company possible. Our policy forbids discrimination in employment on the basis of age, culture, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, physical appearance, race or religion. We are an inclusive, diverse company with people of all backgrounds, experience, culture, styles and talents.
As part of our compensation philosophy, we believe that we must offer and maintain market competitive total rewards programs for our employees in order to attract and retain superior talent. In addition to base wages, additional programs include annual bonus opportunities, a Company matched 401(k) Plan, healthcare and insurance benefits, health savings and flexible spending accounts, paid time off, family leave, flexible work schedules, and employee assistance programs.
We strive to develop and sustain a skilled labor advantage by providing on and off-site training programs, project management training, and leadership development programs. Our leadership development program is designed to further develop each participant’s leadership skills and requires program participants to challenge themselves and their peers as they progress.
We are committed to the health, safety and wellness of our employees, and we pride ourselves on above-average workplace safety. We track and maintain several key safety metrics, which senior management reviews monthly, and we evaluate management on their ability to provide safe working conditions on job sites and to create a safety
Available Information
Our principal executive offices are located at 6325 Digital Way, Suite 460, Indianapolis, Indiana 46278, and our telephone number is (800) 688-3775. Our website is located at www.iea.net. We make available our periodic reports and other information filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including our annual reports on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, our current reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements, and all amendments to those reports, free of charge through our website, as soon as reasonably practicable after those reports and other information are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. Any materials filed with the SEC may be read and copied at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Risk Factor Summary
Below is a summary of the principal factors that make an investment in IEA and our Common Stock speculative or risky. This summary does not address all of the risks that we face. Additional discussion of the risks summarized in this risk factor summary, and other risks that we face, can be found below, after this summary, and should be carefully considered, together with other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and our other filings with the SEC before making an investment decision regarding IEA and our Common Stock.
Risks Related to IEA:
•Our business is seasonal and is affected by adverse weather conditions and the spending patterns of our customers, exposing us to variable quarterly results.
•Our failure to recover adequately on claims against project owners, subcontractors or suppliers for payment or performance could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
•The ultimate effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic are unknown and evolving, and could result in negative effects on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
•Our business is affected by delays, which could increase our costs and reduce profitability.
•We may be unable to obtain sufficient bonding capacity to support certain service offerings, and the need for performance and surety bonds may reduce our availability under our Third A&R Credit Agreement.
•Our business is subject to physical hazards that could result in substantial liabilities for us which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial conditions, profitability and growth prospects.
•We are self-insured against certain potential liabilities.
•Our failure to recover adequately on claims against project owners, subcontractors or suppliers for payment or performance could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
•Acquisition activity presents certain risks to our business, operations and financial positions, and we may not realize the financial and strategic goals contemplated at the time of a transaction.
•If we are unable to attract and retain qualified and skilled employees we will be unable to operate efficiently, which could reduce our revenue, profitability and liquidity.
•Our business benefits from economic incentives and governmental policies. A significant change in these incentives and policies could adversely affect our business, financial conditions, results of operations, cash flows and growth prospects.
•We derive a portion of our revenues from government contracts which pose risks of inadequate funding and competitive bidding processes,
•Amounts included in our backlog may not result in actual revenue or translate into profits.
•Many of our customers are regulated by federal, state and local government agencies, and the addition of new regulations or changes to existing regulations may adversely impact the demand and profitability of our services.
•We recognize revenue from installation/construction fixed price contracts using the cost-to cost input method (formerly known as percentage-of-completion method); and variations of actual results from our assumptions may reduce our profitability.
•We derive a significant portion of our revenue from a concentrated base of customers, and the loss of a small number of our significant customers, due to decreased demand or otherwise, could impair our financial performance.
•Certain of our businesses have employees subject to collective bargaining agreements; any related obligations to such agreements could adversely affect our business, financial condition, profitability and growth prospects.
•Unanticipated changes in effective tax rates or adverse outcomes resulting from examination of our income or other tax returns could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
•We rely on information, communication and data systems in our operations, and systems and information technology disruptions could adversely affect our ability to operate and could result in harm to our reputation.
Risks Related to Our Capital Structure
•We have a significant amount of debt, and our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to meet our payment obligations.
•Our Third A&R Credit Agreement, the Series A Preferred stock and Series B Preferred Stock impose restrictions on us that may prevent us from engaging in transactions that might benefit us.
•There may be future sales of our Common Stock or other dilution of our equity that could adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock.
•Mohsin Meghji has significant ability to influence corporate decisions.
•Ares and the Ares Parties may have the ability to influence certain corporate decisions through their ownership of Common Stock obtainable upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock and the exercise of rights, including under the respective certificates of designation for the Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock.
•Our liquidity remains seasonally constrained and we could require additional sources of liquidity in the future to fund our operations and service our indebtedness.
•Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate significantly and could fall below the expectations of analysts and investors due to certain factors, some of which are beyond our control, resulting in a decline in our stock price.
•Our Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and certain provisions of Delaware law contain certain anti-takeover provisions that could impair a takeover attempt, even if a change of control would be of benefit to our stockholders.
•The terms of our Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock reduce the likelihood of dividends payments on our Common Stock, and may otherwise adversely affect the Common Stock.
•Our Common Stockholders may face substantial dilution as a result of warrants.
•The Series A Preferred Stock may result in substantial dilution to holders of our Common Stock.
•Our stock price has experienced significant volatility.
Risks Related to Our Industry and Our Customers’ Industries
•Economic downturns could reduce capital expenditures in the industries we serve, which could result in decreased demand for our services.
•Our industry is highly competitive, which may reduce our market share and harm our financial performance.
•Our customers may be adversely affected by market conditions and economic downturns, which could impair their ability to pay for our services.
Risks Related to IEA
Our business is seasonal and is affected by adverse weather conditions and the spending patterns of our customers, exposing us to variable quarterly results.
Some of our customers reduce their expenditures and work order requests towards the end of the calendar year. Adverse weather conditions, particularly during the fall and winter seasons, can also affect our ability to perform outdoor
services in certain regions of North America. As a result, we generally experience reduced revenue in the first quarter of each calendar year. Natural catastrophes such as hurricanes or other severe weather could also have a negative effect on the economy overall and on our ability to perform outdoor services in affected regions or utilize equipment and crews stationed in those regions, which could negatively affect our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity.
Our results for the year ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, reflect the effect of multiple severe weather events on our wind business that began late in the third quarter of 2018 and were completed in the second quarter of 2019. These weather conditions had a significant impact on the construction of six wind projects across South Texas, Iowa, and Michigan, resulting in additional labor, equipment and material costs as well as change orders.
The cumulative impact of these severe weather events negatively impacted our liquidity during 2019 and, combined with the inability to timely recover excess costs from these adverse weather conditions required us to seek additional financing and to renegotiate our senior credit facility. There can be no assurance that our liquidity will not be negatively impacted in the future due to significant adverse weather conditions.
Our failure to recover adequately on claims against project owners, subcontractors or suppliers for payment or performance could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
We occasionally bring claims against project owners for additional costs that exceed the contract price or for amounts not included in the original contract price. Similarly, we present change orders and claims to our subcontractors and suppliers. If we fail to properly document the nature of change orders or claims, or are otherwise unsuccessful in negotiating a reasonable settlement, we could incur reduced profits, cost overruns or a loss on the project. These types of claims can often occur due to matters such as owner-caused delays, changes from the initial project scope and adverse conditions, which result in additional cost, both direct and indirect, or from project or contract terminations. From time to time, these claims can be the subject of lengthy and costly proceedings, and it is often difficult to accurately predict when these claims will be fully resolved. When these types of events occur and unresolved claims are pending, we may invest significant working capital in projects to cover cost overruns pending the resolution of the relevant claims. A failure to promptly recover on these types of claims could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and financial results.
The ultimate effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic are unknown and evolving, and could result in negative effects on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a constantly evolving situation that has adversely impacted economic activity and conditions in the United States and worldwide. In particular, efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 have led to reoccurring shutdowns and stay-at-home orders, stock price declines, employee layoffs, and governmental programs to support the economy.
The COVID-19 pandemic could affect us in a number of other ways, including but not limited to:
•Delays in receiving permits resulting in unanticipated changes to construction schedules;
•Inabilities to properly staff our construction projects due to quarantines and stay at home orders;
•Inabilities of customers to fund project obligations due to liquidity issues;
•Termination or delay in project construction at our customers’ discretion due to financial uncertainties;
•Inability of, or delays by, our subcontractors to deliver equipment and services;
•Restrictions on our ability to obtain new business if our customer base is financially constrained;
•Inability to obtain bonding from our sureties due to tightening of credit markets; and
•Decrease in demand for civil construction resulting from corresponding decreases in federal, state and local budgets.
Each of the foregoing could cause project delays, force majeure events and project terminations, which could negatively impact our ability to recognize revenues and bill our customers for current costs. In addition, if our customers are unable to finance new projects as a result of their liquidity issues during and in the aftermath of the pandemic, our business outlook will be negatively impacted. A prolonged continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic, or a resurgence of the pandemic even if the current pandemic is significantly reduced, could also result in additional impacts to our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. The ultimate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are unknown at this time. We are continuing to monitor developments but cannot predict at this time whether COVID-19 will have a material impact on our business, financial condition, liquidity or results of operations.
Our business may be affected by delays, which could increase our costs and reduce profitability.
Our projects involve challenging engineering, procurement and construction phases that may occur over extended time periods and that may involve many parties. Delays on a particular project can arise from a number of events involving the customer, third parties and us, including delays in design and engineering; delays or difficulties in obtaining equipment and materials; schedule changes; failures to timely obtain permits or rights-of-way or to meet other regulatory requirements; delays due to epidemics and pandemics (including COVID-19); weather-related delays; and other governmental, market and political events, many of which are beyond our control. A significant amount of equipment used in our projects is sourced from China. The current COVID-19 outbreak could cause meaningful delays in owner and third party provided equipment being manufactured and shipped out of China. Excessive delays in connection with the COVID-19 outbreak could result in project delays and increased costs.
We perform work under a variety of conditions, including, but not limited to, challenging and hard to reach terrain and difficult site conditions. Some of our contracts require that we assume the risk should actual site conditions vary from those expected, and these projects may be at increased risk for delays.
Delays may result in the cancellation or deferral of project work (including through a customer and or third party’s assertion of force majeure, or our assertion of force majeure), which could lead to a decline in revenue from lost project work, or, for project deferrals, could cause us to incur costs which are not reimbursable by the customer, and may lead to personnel shortages on other projects scheduled to commence at a later date. In some cases, delays and additional costs may be substantial, and we may be required to cancel a project and/or compensate the customer for the delay. We may not be able to recover any of such costs. Any such delays or cancellations or errors or other failures to meet customer expectations could result in damage claims substantially in excess of the revenue associated with a project. Delays or cancellations could also negatively impact our reputation or relationships with our customers, which could adversely affect our ability to secure new contracts and our business, financial condition, results of operations, profitability, cash flows and growth prospects.
We may be unable to obtain sufficient bonding capacity to support certain service offerings, and the need for performance
and surety bonds may reduce our availability under our Third A&R Credit Agreement.
Some of our contracts require performance and payment bonds. If we are not able to renew or obtain a sufficient level of bonding capacity in the future, we may be precluded from being able to bid for certain contracts or successfully contract with certain customers. In addition, even if we are able to successfully renew or obtain performance or payment bonds, we may be required to post letters of credit or other collateral security in connection with the bonds, which would only be obtainable if we have sufficient availability under our Third A&R Credit Agreement and, if available, would reduce availability for borrowings under our Third A&R Credit Agreement. Furthermore, under standard terms in the surety market, sureties issue bonds on a project-by-project basis and can decline to issue bonds at any time or require the posting of additional collateral at any time. If we were to experience an interruption or reduction in the availability of bonding capacity as a result of these or any other reasons, we may be unable to compete for or work on certain projects that require bonding.
Our business is subject to physical hazards that could result in substantial liabilities and weaken our financial condition.
Construction projects undertaken by us expose our employees to heavy equipment, mechanical failures, transportation accidents, adverse weather conditions and the risk of damage to equipment and property. These hazards can cause personal injuries and loss of life, severe damage to or destruction of property and equipment and other consequential damages and could lead to suspension of operations and large damage claims which could, in some cases, substantially exceed the amount we charge for the associated services. In addition, if serious accidents or fatalities occur, or if our safety records were to deteriorate, we may be restricted from bidding on certain work and obtaining new contracts and certain existing contracts could be terminated. Our safety processes and procedures are monitored by various agencies and ratings bureaus. The occurrence of accidents in our business could result in significant liabilities, employee turnover, increase the costs of our projects, or harm our ability to perform under our contracts or enter into new customer contracts, all of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, profitability, cash flows and growth prospects.
Our experience modification rate, a measure of our history and safety record as compared to other businesses in our industry, was 0.58 and our total recordable incident rate was 0.61 in 2020, both of which were significantly below the industry averages of 1.0 and 2.8, respectively, reported by the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While these standards are still below industry averages, we experienced a fatality at one of our work sites in 2018 and there is no guarantee, based on the hazards discussed above, that we can maintain these averages.
We are self-insured against certain potential liabilities.
Although we maintain insurance policies with respect to employer’s liability, general liability, auto and workers compensation claims, those policies are subject to deductibles or self-insured retention amounts of up to $500,000 per occurrence. We are primarily self-insured for all claims that are less than the amount of the applicable deductible/self-insured retention. In addition, for health insurance coverage for our employees not part of a collective bargaining agreement, we provide employee health care benefit plans. Our health insurance plans have a self-insurance component up to specified deductibles per individual per year.
Our insurance policies include various coverage requirements, including the requirement to give appropriate notice. If we fail to comply with these requirements, our coverage could be denied.
Projected losses under our insurance programs are accrued based upon our estimates of the ultimate liability for claims reported and an estimate of claims incurred but not reported. Insurance liabilities are difficult to assess and estimate due to unknown factors, including the severity of an injury, the extent of damage, the determination of our liability in proportion to other parties and the number of incidents not reported. The accruals are based upon known facts and historical trends.
Acquisition activity presents certain risks to our business, operations and financial position, and we may not realize the financial and strategic goals contemplated at the time of a transaction.
We expect that the acquisitions will be an important part of our long-term growth strategy. Successful execution following the closing of an acquisition is essential to achieving the anticipated benefits of the transaction. We have made acquisitions to expand into new markets and our acquisition strategy depends on our ability to complete and integrate the acquisitions. Mergers and acquisitions are inherently risky, and any mergers and acquisitions that we complete may not be successful. The process of integrating an acquired company’s business into our operations and investing in new technologies is challenging and may result in expected or unexpected operating or compliance challenges, which may require significant expenditures and a significant amount of our management’s attention that would otherwise be focused on the ongoing operation of our business. The potential difficulties or risks of integrating an acquired company’s business include, among others:
•the effect of the acquisition on our financial and strategic positions and our reputation;
•risk that we fail to successfully implement our business plan for the combined business;
•risk that we are unable to obtain the anticipated benefits of the acquisition, including synergies or economies of scale;
•risk that we are unable to complete development and/or integration of acquired technologies;
•risk that the market does not accept the integrated product portfolio;
•challenges in reconciling business practices or in integrating product development activities, logistics or information technology and other systems;
•challenges in reconciling accounting issues, especially if an acquired company utilizes accounting principles different from those we use;
•retention risk with respect to key customers, suppliers and employees and challenges in retaining, assimilating and training new employees;
•potential failure of the due diligence processes to identify significant problems, liabilities or other shortcomings or challenges of an acquired company, which could result in unexpected litigation, regulatory exposure, financial contingencies and known and unknown liabilities; and
•challenges in complying with newly applicable laws and regulations, including obtaining or retaining required approvals, licenses and permits.
Our acquisitions may also result in the expenditure of available cash and amortization of expenses any of which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results or financial condition. Investments in immature businesses with unproven track records and technologies have an especially high degree of risk, with the possibility that we may lose the value of our entire investments or incur additional unexpected liabilities. Large or costly acquisitions or investments may also
diminish our capital resources and liquidity or limit our ability to engage in additional transactions for a period of time. All of the foregoing risks may be magnified as the cost, size or complexity of an acquisition or acquired company increases, or where the acquired company’s products, market or business are materially different from ours, or where more than one integration is occurring simultaneously or within a short period of time.
In addition, in the future we may require significant financing to complete an acquisition or investment, whether through bank loans, raising of debt or otherwise. We cannot assure you that such financing options will be available to us on reasonable terms, or at all. If we are not able to obtain such necessary financing, it could have an impact on our ability to consummate a substantial acquisition or investment and execute our growth strategy. Alternatively, we may issue a significant number of shares as consideration for an acquisition, which would have a dilutive effect on our existing stockholders.
If we are unable to attract and retain qualified managers and skilled employees, we will be unable to operate efficiently, which could reduce our revenue, profitability and liquidity.
Our business is labor intensive, and some of our operations experience a high rate of employee turnover. In addition, given the nature of the highly specialized work we perform, many of our employees are trained in, and possess, specialized technical skills that are necessary to operate our business and maintain productivity and profitability. At times of low unemployment rates in the areas we serve, it can be difficult for us to find qualified and affordable personnel. We may be unable to hire and retain a sufficiently skilled labor force necessary to support our operating requirements and growth strategy. Our labor and training expenses may increase as a result of a shortage in the supply of skilled personnel. We may not be able to pass these expenses on to our customers, which could adversely affect our profitability. Additionally, our business is managed by a number of key executive and operational officers and is dependent upon retaining and recruiting qualified management. Labor shortages, increased labor or training costs, or the loss of key personnel could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, profitability, cash flows and growth prospects.
The U.S. wind and solar industries benefit from tax and other economic incentives and political and governmental policies. A significant change in these incentives and policies could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and growth prospects.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 (“CAA”) extended certain provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, which contains federal tax incentives applicable to the renewable energy industry, provided for the gradual elimination of certain of these incentives. Currently, the tax code provides that the production tax credit for wind projects (the ‘‘PTC’’) applies to qualifying projects for which the construction commencement date was prior to January 1, 2021. The PTC was reduced by 20% for 2018, has been reduced by 40% for 2019, and finally will be reduced by 60% for 2020, and by 40% for 2021. Similarly, a phase down rate of the investment tax credit (the ‘‘ITC’’), which is available in lieu of PTC, is available for wind projects: 30% ITC for projects commencing before 2017, 24% for projects commencing in 2017, 18% for projects commencing in 2018 and 12% for projects commencing in 2019, and 18% for projects commencing in 2020. Solar projects, however, will be eligible for an investment tax credit (the ‘‘Solar ITC’’) only. The Solar ITC is 30% for projects commencing prior to 2020 and will be reduced to 26% for projects commencing in 2020 and to 26% for projects commencing in 2021. After 2021, the Solar ITC will remain at 26% for projects that commence in 2022, but will be reduced to 22% for projects that commence in 2023. After 2023, the Solar ITC will permanently remain at 10% for projects that commence in 2024 and onwards.
In December 2020, there was a one year extension of the Production Tax Credit (“PTC”) at 60% for projects that begin construction on or before December 31, 2021 and a two year extension of 26% Solar Investment Tax Credit (“ITC”) to 2022 (22% credit extended through 2023).
The PTC, ITC, and Solar ITC program provide material incentives to develop wind energy generation facilities and thereby impact the demand for our manufactured products and services. The increased demand for our products and services resulting from the credits and incentives may continue until such credits or incentives lapse. The failure of Congress to extend or renew these incentives beyond their current expiration dates could significantly delay the development of wind energy generation facilities and the demand for wind turbines, towers and related components. In addition, we cannot assure you that any subsequent extension or renewal of the PTC, ITC or Solar ITC program would be enacted prior to its expiration or, if allowed to expire, that any extension or renewal enacted thereafter would be enacted with retroactive effect. It is possible that these federal incentives will not be extended beyond their current expiration dates. Any delay or failure to extend or renew the PTC, ITC or Solar ITC program in the future could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, financial performance and future development efforts.
State renewable energy portfolio standards generally require state-regulated electric utilities to supply a certain proportion of electricity from renewable energy sources or devote a certain portion of their plant capacity to renewable energy
generation. Typically, subject utilities comply with such standards by qualifying for renewable energy credits evidencing the share of electricity that was produced from renewable sources. Under many state standards, these renewable energy credits can be unbundled from their associated energy and traded in a market system allowing generators with insufficient credits to meet their applicable state mandate. These standards have spurred significant growth in the wind energy industry and a corresponding increase in the demand for our manufactured products. Currently, the majority of states and the District of Columbia have renewable energy portfolio standards in place and certain states have voluntary utility commitments to supply a specific percentage of their electricity from renewable sources. The enactment of renewable energy portfolio standards in additional states or any changes to existing renewable energy portfolio standards, or the enactment of a federal renewable energy portfolio standard or imposition of other greenhouse gas regulations may impact the demand for our products. We cannot assure you that government support for renewable energy will continue. The elimination of, or reduction in, state or federal government policies that support renewable energy could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations, profitability, cash flows and growth prospects.
Contracts with federal, state and local governments pose additional risks, including lack of funding, onerous terms, and competitive bidding processes.
We derive a portion of our revenues from contracts with federal, state and local governments and their agencies and departments. These contracts are directly affected by changes in governmental spending and availability of adequate funding. Factors that could affect current and future governmental spending include:
•policy or spending changes implemented by current administrations, departments or other government agencies;
•governmental shutdowns, failure to pass budget appropriations, continuing funding resolutions or other budgetary decisions;
•changes, delays or cancellations of government programs or requirements;
•adoption of new laws or regulations that affect companies providing services;
•curtailment of the governments’ outsourcing of services to private contractors; or
•the level of political instability due to war, conflict, epidemics, pandemics or natural disasters.
Contracts with federal, state and local governments and their agencies and departments are often subject to various uncertainties, rules, restrictions, regulations, oversight audits and profit and cost controls. If we violate a rule or regulation, fail to comply with a contractual or other restriction or do not satisfy an audit, a variety of penalties can be imposed on us including monetary damages, withholding or delay of payments to us and criminal and civil penalties. In “qui tam” actions brought by individuals or the government under the U.S. Federal False Claims Act or under similar state and local laws, treble damages can be awarded. Government contracts may also contain unlimited indemnification obligations. In addition, most of our government clients may modify, delay, curtail, renegotiate or terminate contracts at their convenience any time prior to their completion.
Many government contracts are awarded through a rigorous competitive process. Governments and their agencies have increasingly relied upon multiple-year contracts with multiple contractors that generally require those contractors to engage in an additional competitive bidding process for each task order issued under a contract. This process may result in us facing significant additional pricing pressure and uncertainty and incurring additional costs. Moreover, we may not be awarded government contracts because of existing policies designed to protect small businesses and under-represented minorities. Any of the foregoing events could negatively affect our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity.
Amounts included in our backlog may not result in actual revenue or translate into profits. Our backlog is subject to cancellation and unexpected adjustments and therefore is an uncertain indicator of future operating results.
Our backlog consists of the estimated amount of services to be completed from future work on uncompleted contracts or work that has been awarded with contracts still being negotiated. It also includes revenue from change orders and renewal options. Most of our contracts are cancelable on short or no advance notice. Reductions in backlog due to cancellation by a customer, or for other reasons, could significantly reduce the revenue that we actually receive from contracts in backlog. In the event of a project cancellation, we may be reimbursed for certain costs, but we typically have no contractual right to the total revenues reflected in our backlog.
Backlog amounts are determined based on target price estimates that incorporate historical trends, anticipated seasonal impacts, experience from similar projects and from communications with our customers. These estimates may prove inaccurate, which could cause estimated revenue to be realized in periods later than originally expected, or not at all. In the past, we have occasionally experienced postponements, cancellations and reductions in expected future work due to changes in our customers’ spending plans, as well as on construction projects, due to market volatility, regulatory and other factors. There can be no assurance as to our customers’ requirements or the accuracy of our estimates. As a result, our backlog as of any particular date is an uncertain indicator of future revenue and earnings. In addition, contracts included in our backlog may not be profitable. If our backlog fails to materialize, our business, financial condition, results of operations, profitability, cash flows and growth prospects could be materially and adversely affected.
Many of our customers are regulated by federal and state government agencies, and the addition of new regulations or changes to existing regulations may adversely impact demand for our services and the profitability of those services.
Many of our energy customers are regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, and our utility customers are regulated by state public utility commissions. These agencies could change the way in which they interpret the application of current regulations and/or may impose additional regulations. Interpretative changes or new regulations having an adverse effect on our customers and the profitability of the services they provide could reduce demand for our services, which could adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity.
Any future restrictions or regulations that might be adopted could lead to operational delays, increased operating costs for our customers in the wind industry, reduced capital spending and/or delays or cancellations of future wind infrastructure projects, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, profitability, cash flows and growth prospects.
We could incur substantial costs to comply with environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations and to address violations of or liabilities under these requirements.
Our operations and products are subject to a variety of environmental laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate and sell products governing, among other things, air emissions, wastewater discharges, the use, handling and disposal of hazardous materials, soil and groundwater contamination, employee health and safety, and product content, performance and packaging. We cannot guarantee that we will at all times be in compliance with such laws and regulations and if we fail to comply with these laws and regulations or our permitting and other requirements, we may be required to pay fines or be subject to other sanctions. Also, certain environmental laws can impose the entire or a portion of the cost of investigating and cleaning up a contaminated site, regardless of fault, upon any one or more of a number of parties, including the current or previous owner or operator of the site. These environmental laws also impose liability on any person who arranges for the disposal or treatment of hazardous substances at a contaminated site. Third parties may also make claims against owners or operators of sites and users of disposal sites for personal injuries and property damage associated with releases of hazardous substances from those sites.
Changes in existing environmental laws and regulations, or their application, could cause us to incur additional or unexpected costs to achieve or maintain compliance. The assertion of claims relating to on- or off-site contamination, the discovery of previously unknown environmental liabilities, or the imposition of unanticipated investigation or cleanup obligations, could result in potentially significant expenditures to address contamination or resolve claims or liabilities. Such costs and expenditures could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, profitability, cash flows and growth prospects.
We may not accurately estimate the costs associated with services provided under fixed price contracts, which could impair our financial performance.
We derive a significant portion of our revenue from fixed-price contracts. Under these contracts, we typically set the price of our services on a per unit or aggregate basis and assume the risk that certain costs associated with our performance may be greater than what we estimated. In addition, we enter into contracts for specific projects or jobs that may require the installation or construction of an entire infrastructure system or specified units within an infrastructure system, which are priced on a per unit basis. Profitability will be reduced if actual costs to complete each unit exceed our original estimates. If estimated costs to complete the remaining work for the project exceed the expected revenue to be earned, the full amount of any expected loss on the project is recognized in the period the loss is determined. Our profitability is therefore dependent upon our ability to accurately estimate the costs associated with our services and our ability to execute in accordance with our plans. A variety of factors affect these costs, such as lower than anticipated productivity, conditions at work sites differing materially from those anticipated at the time we bid on the contract and higher costs of materials and labor. These variations, along with other risks
inherent in performing fixed price contracts, may cause actual project revenue and profits to differ from original estimates. As a result, if actual costs exceed our estimates, we could have lower margins than anticipated, or losses, which could reduce our business, financial condition, results of operations, profitability, cash flows and growth prospects.
We recognize revenue from installation/construction fixed price contracts using the cost-to cost input method (formerly known as percentage-of-completion method) and variations of actual results from our assumptions may reduce our profitability.
Revenues derived from fixed-price contracts that are recognized as performance obligations are satisfied over time (formerly known as the percentage-of-completion method), measured by the relationship of total cost incurred compared to total estimated contract costs (cost-to-cost input method). The cost-to-cost input method therefore relies on estimates of total expected contract costs. Contract revenue and total cost estimates are reviewed and revised on an ongoing basis as the work progresses. Adjustments arising from changes in the estimates of contracts revenue or costs are reflected in the fiscal period in which such estimates are revised. Estimates are based on management’s reasonable assumptions, judgment and experience, but are subject to the risks inherent in estimates, including unanticipated delays or technical complications. Variances in actual results from related estimates on a large project, or on several smaller projects, could be material. The full amount of an estimated loss on a contract is recognized in the period that our estimates indicate such a loss. Such adjustments and accrued losses could result in reduced profitability, which could negatively impact our liquidity and results of operations.
We derive a significant portion of our revenue from a concentrated base of customers, and the loss of a small number of our significant customers, or a reduction in their demand for our services, could impair our financial performance.
Our business is concentrated among relatively few customers, and a significant proportion of our services are provided on a project-by-project basis. Although we have not been dependent upon any one customer, our revenue could significantly decline if we were to lose a small number of our significant customers, or if a few of our customers elected to perform the work that we provide with in-house service teams. In addition, our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity could be negatively affected if our customers reduce the amount of business they provide to us, or if we complete the required work on non-recurring projects and cannot replace them with similar projects. Many of the contracts with our largest customers may be canceled on short or no advance notice. Any of these factors could negatively impact our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity. See “Note 1. Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies” and “Note 9. Commitments and Contingencies,” in the notes to audited consolidated financial statements.
In the ordinary course of our business, we may become subject to lawsuits, indemnity or other claims, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, profitability, cash flows and growth prospects.
From time to time, we are subject to various claims, lawsuits and other legal proceedings brought or threatened against us in the ordinary course of our business. These actions and proceedings may seek, among other things, compensation for alleged personal injury, workers’ compensation, employment discrimination and other employment-related damages, breach of contract, property damage, environmental liabilities, multiemployer pension plan withdrawal liabilities, punitive damages and civil penalties or other losses, liquidated damages, consequential damages, or injunctive or declaratory relief. We may also be subject to litigation involving allegations of violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage and hour laws. In addition, we generally indemnify our customers for claims related to the services we provide and actions we take under our contracts, and, in some instances, we may be allocated risk through our contract terms for actions by our customers or other third parties.
Claimants may seek large damage awards and defending claims can involve significant costs. When appropriate, we establish reserves against these items that we believe to be adequate in light of current information, legal advice and professional indemnity insurance coverage, and we adjust such reserves from time to time according to developments. See “Note 9. Commitments and Contingencies” in the notes to the audited consolidated financial statements. We could experience a reduction in our profitability and liquidity if our legal reserves are inadequate, our insurance coverage proves to be inadequate or becomes unavailable, or our self-insurance liabilities are higher than expected. The outcome of litigation is difficult to assess or quantify, as plaintiffs may seek recovery of very large or indeterminate amounts in these types of lawsuits or proceedings, and the magnitude of the potential loss may remain unknown for substantial periods of time. Furthermore, because litigation is inherently uncertain, the ultimate resolution of any such claim, lawsuit or proceeding through settlement, mediation, or court judgment could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, claims, lawsuits and proceedings may harm our reputation or divert management’s attention from our business or divert resources away from operating our business, and cause us to incur significant expenses, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, profitability, cash flows and growth prospects.
Certain of our businesses have employees who are represented by unions or are subject to collective bargaining agreements. The use of a unionized workforce and any related obligations could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, profitability, cash flows and growth prospects.
Certain of our employees are represented by labor unions and collective bargaining agreements. Although all such collective bargaining agreements prohibit strikes and work stoppages, we cannot be certain that strikes or work stoppages will not occur despite the terms of these agreements. Strikes or work stoppages could adversely affect our relationships with our customers and cause us to lose business. Additionally, as current agreements expire, the labor unions may not be able to negotiate extensions or replacements on terms favorable to their members, or at all, or avoid strikes, lockouts or other labor actions from time to time that may affect their members. Therefore, it cannot be assured that new agreements will be reached with employee labor unions as existing contracts expire, or on desirable terms. Any action against us relating to the union workforce we employ could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, profitability, cash flows and growth prospects.
Unanticipated changes in effective tax rates or adverse outcomes resulting from examination of our income or other tax returns could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to income taxes in the United States, and our domestic tax liabilities are subject to the allocation of expenses in differing jurisdictions. Our future effective tax rates could be subject to volatility or adversely affected by a number of factors, including:
•changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities;
•expected timing and amount of the release of any tax valuation allowances;
•tax effects of stock-based compensation;
•costs related to intercompany restructurings;
•changes in tax laws, regulations or interpretations thereof; and
•lower than anticipated future earnings in jurisdictions where we have lower statutory tax rates and higher than anticipated future earnings in jurisdictions where we have higher statutory tax rates.
In addition, we may be subject to audits of our income, sales and other transaction taxes by U.S. federal and state authorities. Outcomes from these audits could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We rely on information, communications and data systems in our operations.
Systems and information technology interruptions and/or breaches in our data security could adversely affect our ability to operate and our operating results or could result in harm to our reputation. We are heavily reliant on computer, information and communications technology and related systems in order to operate. From time to time, we experience system interruptions and delays. Our operations could be interrupted or delayed, or our data security could be breached, if we are unable to add software and hardware, effectively maintain and upgrade our systems and network infrastructure and/or take other steps to improve the efficiency of and protect our systems. In addition, our computer and communications systems and operations could be damaged or interrupted by natural disasters, power loss, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, acts of war or terrorism, physical or electronic break-ins and similar events or disruptions, including breaches by computer hackers and cyber-terrorists. Any of these or other events could cause system interruptions, delays and/or loss of critical data including private data, could delay or prevent operations, including the processing of transactions and reporting of financial results, processing inefficiency, downtime, or could result in the unintentional disclosure of customer or our information, which could adversely affect our operating results, harm our reputation and result in significant costs, fines or litigation. Similar risks could affect our customers and vendors, indirectly affecting us. While management has taken steps to address these concerns by implementing network security and internal control measures, there can be no assurance that a system failure or loss or data security breach will not materially adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.
Risks Related to Our Capital Structure
We have a significant amount of debt. Our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to meet our payment obligations.
We have a significant amount of debt and substantial debt service requirements. This level of debt could have significant consequences on our future operations, including:
•making it more difficult for us to meet our payment and other obligations;
•our failure to comply with the financial and other restrictive covenants contained in our debt agreements, which could trigger events of default that could result in all of our debt becoming immediately due and payable;
•reducing the availability of our cash flows to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions or strategic investments and other general corporate requirements, and limiting our ability to obtain additional financing for these purposes;
•subjecting us to increased interest expense related to our indebtedness with variable interest rates, including borrowings under our credit facility;
•limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, and increasing our vulnerability to changes in our business, the industry in which we operate and the general economy;
•placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less debt or are less leveraged;
•making cash dividends more expensive under our Series B Preferred Stock; and
•preventing us from paying dividends.
Any of the above-listed factors could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to meet our payment obligations. Our ability to meet our payment and other obligations under our debt instruments depends on our ability to generate significant cash flow in the future. This, to some extent, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative and regulatory factors as well as other factors that are beyond our control. We cannot assure you that our business will generate cash flow from operations, or that future borrowings will be available to us under our Third A&R Credit Agreement in an amount sufficient to enable us to meet our payment obligations and to fund other liquidity needs. If we are not able to generate sufficient cash flow to service our debt obligations, we may need to refinance or restructure our debt, sell assets, reduce or delay capital investments, or seek to raise additional capital, and some of these activities may be on terms that are unfavorable or highly dilutive. Our ability to refinance our indebtedness will depend on the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. If we are unable to implement one or more of these alternatives, we may not be able to meet our payment obligations.
Our Third A&R Credit Agreement, the Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock impose restrictions on us that may prevent us from engaging in transactions that might benefit us.
The Third A&R Credit Agreement contains restrictions that, among other things prevents or restricts us from:
•engaging in certain transactions with affiliates;
•buying back shares or paying dividends in excess of specified amounts;
•making investments and acquisitions in excess of specified amounts;
•incurring additional indebtedness in excess of specified amounts;
•creating certain liens against our assets;
•prepaying subordinated indebtedness;
•engaging in certain mergers or combinations;
•failing to satisfy certain financial tests; and
•engaging in transactions that would result in a “change of control.”
Additionally, the holders of our Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock have the right to consent to certain actions prior to us undertaking them, including, but not limited to:
•creating or authorizing any senior stock, parity stock and stock that votes together with the Series A Preferred Stock or Series B Preferred Stock, or capital stock of a subsidiary;
•reclassifications, alterations or amendments of any of our capital stock or of our subsidiaries that would render such capital stock senior or on parity to the Series A Preferred Stock or Series B Preferred Stock;
•entering into any agreement with respect to, or consummating, any merger, consolidation or similar transaction with any other person pursuant to which we or a subsidiary of ours would not be the surviving entity, if as a result of such transaction, any capital stock or equity or equity-linked securities of such person would rank senior to or pari passu with the Series A Preferred Stock or Series B Preferred Stock;
•entering certain agreements with respect to, or consummating, any merger, consolidation or similar transaction with any other person pursuant to which we or a subsidiary of ours would not be the surviving entity, if as a result of such transaction, any capital stock or equity or equity-linked securities of such person would rank senior to or on parity with such Series A Preferred Stock or Series B Preferred Stock;
•assuming, incurring or guarantying, or authorizing the creation, assumption, incurrence or guarantee of, any indebtedness for borrowed money (subject to certain exceptions);
•authorizing or consummating certain change of control events or liquidation events; or
•altering, amending, supplementing, restating, waiving or otherwise modifying the certificates governing the Series A Preferred Stock or Series B Preferred Stock or any other of our documents in a manner that would reasonably be expected to be materially adverse to the rights or obligations of the holders of Series A Preferred Stock or Series B Preferred Stock.
The Series B Preferred Stock contains additional consent rights, including with respect to:
•increasing the size of the Board;
•conducting any business or entering into or conducting any transaction or series of transaction with, or for the benefit of, any affiliate, subject to limitations;
•entering into any transaction, contract, agreement or series of related transactions, contracts, or agreement with respect to the provision of services to customers exceeding certain amounts; or
•with respect to Saiia, subject to certain limitations: (i) entering into any agreement with respect to, or consummate any, merger, consolidation or similar transaction with Saiia or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) assuming, incurring or guaranteeing, or authorizing the creation, assumption, incurrence or guarantee of any indebtedness by, or for the benefit of Saiia or any of its subsidiaries, (iii) creating, incurring, assuming or suffering to exist any lien upon or with respect to any property or assets for the benefit of Saiia or any of its subsidiaries or security any obligations of Saiia or any of its subsidiaries above certain limits, (iv) consummating any sale, lease, transfer, issuance or other disposition, including by means of a merger, consolidation or similar transaction, of any shares of capital stock of a subsidiary or any other of our assets or of or any subsidiary to Saiia or any of its subsidiaries, or (v) subject to certain exceptions, making any advance, loan, extension of credit or capital contribution to, or purchase any capital stock, bonds, notes, debentures or other debt securities of Saiia or any of its subsidiaries.
Accordingly, provisions in the Third A&R Credit Agreement that restrict our business could make compliance with the terms and conditions of the Third A&R Credit Agreement more difficult. Furthermore, provisions in the Third A&R Credit Agreement, as well as rights of holders of the Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock could impact our ability to engage in transactions we deem beneficial.
There may be future sales of our Common Stock or other dilution of our equity that could adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock. In connection with certain completed acquisitions, we have issued shares of our Common Stock, and
we additionally have the option to issue shares of our Common Stock instead of cash as consideration for future earn-out obligations.
We may agree to issue additional shares in connection with other future acquisition or financing transactions, which, if issued, would dilute your share ownership and could lead to volatility in our Common Stock price. We grow our business organically as well as through acquisition. One method of acquiring companies or otherwise funding our corporate activities is through the issuance of equity securities. In connection with certain acquisitions, we have the option to issue shares of our Common Stock instead of paying cash for the related earn-out obligations. Such issuances could have the effect of diluting our earnings per share as well as our existing stockholders’ individual ownership percentages and could lead to volatility in our Common Stock price.
We are not restricted from issuing additional Common Stock. The issuance of additional shares of our Common Stock in connection with future acquisitions, convertible securities or other issuances of our Common Stock, including restricted stock awards, restricted stock units and/or options, or otherwise, will dilute the ownership interest of our holders of our Common Stock. Sales of a substantial number of shares of our Common Stock or other equity-related securities in the public market could depress the market price of our Common Stock and impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity or equity-linked securities. We cannot predict the effect that future sales of our Common Stock or other equity-related securities would have on the market price of our Common Stock.
Mohsin Meghji has significant ability to influence corporate decisions.
Mr. Meghji directly and indirectly through M III Sponsor I LLC (“M III Sponsor”) and other entities, beneficially owns 979,308 shares of Common Stock (representing approximately 4.3% of the issued and outstanding Common Stock as of March 8, 2021) and warrants exercisable for an additional 1,434,496 shares of Common Stock.
Pursuant to the terms of the Third Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement, dated as of January 23, 2020 (the "Third A&R Investor Rights Agreement"), M III Sponsor has consent rights over certain matters for so long as M III Sponsor and certain of their permitted transferees and affiliates, directly or indirectly, beneficially own at least fifty percent (50%) of the Common Stock beneficially owned by them as of the closing of our business combination, including entering into, waiving, amending or otherwise modifying the terms of certain transactions or agreements, and except as contemplated by the Third A&R Investor Rights Agreement, increasing or decreasing the size of our Board. Under the Third A&R Investor Rights Agreement, M III Sponsor also has ongoing rights to nominate one director, depending on the ownership interests of M III Sponsor.
Our Certificate of Incorporation also provides that M III Sponsor and its respective partners, principals, directors, officers, members, managers and/or employees, including any of the foregoing who serve as officers or directors of the post-combination company, do not have any fiduciary duty to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as the post-combination company or any of its subsidiaries.
Accordingly, Mr. Meghji has the ability to influence corporate decisions, whether through a representative on our Board, voting shares of Common Stock (including those obtained upon exercise of warrants), or rights granted under agreements entered into with Mr. Meghji and M III Sponsor.
The interests of Mr. Meghji and M III Sponsor may not align with the interests of our other stockholders. M III Sponsor is in the business of making investments in companies and may acquire and hold interests in businesses that compete directly or indirectly with us. M III Sponsor may also pursue acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business, and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us.
Ares and the Ares Parties may have the ability to influence certain corporate decisions through their ownership of Common Stock obtainable upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock, and the exercise of rights, including under the respective certificates of designation for the Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock.
Ares Special Situations Fund IV, L.P. (“ASSF IV”) and ASOF Holdings I, L.P. (“ASOF Holdings, and together with ASSF IV, the “Ares Parties”), each a fund affiliated with Ares Management LLC (“Ares”), on behalf of its affiliated funds, investment vehicles and/or managed accounts collectively own:
•17,482.50 shares of our Series A Preferred Stock (constituting all of the issued and outstanding Series A Preferred Stock);
•50,000 shares Series B-1 Preferred Stock (constituting all of the issued and outstanding Series B-1 Preferred Stock);
•50,000 shares of Series B-2 Preferred Stock (constituting all of the issued and outstanding Series B-2 Preferred Stock);
•99,123.87 shares of Series B-3 Preferred Stock (constituting 99.6% of the 99,473.87 issued and outstanding Series B-3 Preferred Stock); and
•Warrants to purchase 5,996,310 shares of Common Stock.
Ares has the right to appoint two directors to our Board pursuant to the terms of the certificate of designations for the Series B-1 Preferred Stock and Series B-2 Preferred Stock, but has agreed to only nominate one member so long as the terms of a waiver agreement are satisfied. On March 4, 2020, Ares designated a director to our Board. Ares has consent rights under the certificate of designations for the Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock. The Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock impose restrictions on us that may prevent us from engaging in transactions that might benefit us.
Accordingly, Ares and the Ares Parties have the ability to influence corporate decisions, whether through a representative on our Board, voting shares of Common Stock obtained upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock or exercise of warrants, or rights granted under the certificate of designations of the Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock, and other agreements entered into with such parties.
The interests of Ares, ASSF IV and ASOF Holdings may not align with the interests of our other stockholders. Ares, ASSF IV and ASOF Holdings are in the business of making investments in companies and may acquire and hold interests in businesses that compete directly or indirectly with us. Ares, ASSF IV and ASOF Holdings may also pursue acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business, and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us.
Our liquidity remains seasonally constrained and we could require additional sources of liquidity in the future to fund our operations and service our indebtedness.
We have experienced decreased liquidity due to the increase of our required seasonal payments and interest under our Third A&R Credit Agreement, acquisition integration costs and delayed collections for costs relating to the multiple severe weather events in the third quarter 2018 and were completed in the second quarter of 2019. Although we have taken steps to enhance our liquidity, our liquidity remains seasonally constrained.
We believe the cash generated from operations, along with our unused credit capacity of $67.2 million and available cash balances as of December 31, 2020, will be sufficient to fund any working capital needs for the next 12 months, but we cannot provide any assurance that these sources will be sufficient because there are many factors that could affect our liquidity, including some that are beyond our control. Factors that could cause our future liquidity to vary materially from expectations include, but are not limited to, weather events, bonding obligations, contract disputes with customers, loss of customers, spending patterns of customers, unforeseen costs and expenses and our ability to maintain compliance with the covenants and restrictions in our Third A&R Credit Agreement (or obtain waivers in the event of noncompliance). If we encounter circumstances that place unforeseen constraints on our capital resources, we will be required to take additional measures to conserve or enhance liquidity.
In the future, we may require additional funds for operating purposes and may seek to raise additional funds through debt or equity financing. If we ever need to seek additional financing, there is no assurance that this additional financing will be available, or if available, will be on reasonable terms. If our liquidity and capital resources are insufficient to meet our working capital requirements or fund our debt service obligations, we could face substantial liquidity problems, may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service all our indebtedness and may be forced to take other actions to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness, which may not be successful. In the event we are not able to fund our working capital, we will not be able to implement or may be required to delay all or part of our business plan, and our ability to improve our operations, generate positive cash flows from operating activities and expand the business would be materially adversely affected.
If our results of operations were negatively impacted by unforeseen factors, or impacted to a greater degree than anticipated, we might not be able to maintain compliance with the covenants and restrictions in our Third A&R Credit Agreement. If we are unable to comply with the financial covenants in the future, and are unable to obtain a waiver or forbearance, it would result in an uncured default under the Third A&R Credit Agreement. If a default under the Third A&R Credit Agreement were not cured or waived, we would be unable to borrow under the Third A&R Credit Agreement and the indebtedness thereunder could be declared immediately due and payable. A default under our Third A&R Credit Agreement may also be considered a default under certain other of our instruments and contracts. If we were unable to borrow under the
Third A&R Credit Agreement, we would need to meet our capital requirements using other sources. Alternative sources of liquidity may not be available on acceptable terms if at all. Even if we were able to obtain an amendment, forbearance agreement or waiver in the future, we might be required to agree to other changes to the Third A&R Credit Agreement, including increased interest rates or premiums, more restrictive covenants and/or pay a fee for such amendment, forbearance agreement or waiver. Any of these events would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and liquidity.
Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate significantly and could fall below the expectations of securities analysts and investors due to seasonality and other factors, some of which are beyond our control, resulting in a decline in our stock price.
Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate significantly because of several factors, including:
•weather events;
•labor availability and costs for hourly and management personnel;
•profitability of our products and services, especially in new markets and due to seasonal fluctuations;
•changes in interest rates;
•impairment of long-lived assets;
•macroeconomic conditions, both nationally and locally;
•negative publicity relating to products and services we offer;
•changes in consumer preferences and competitive conditions;
•expansion to new markets; and
•fluctuations in commodity prices.
Our Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and certain provision of Delaware law contain anti-takeover provisions that could impair a takeover attempt.
As a Delaware corporation, anti-takeover provisions may impose an impediment to the ability of others to acquire control of us, even if a change of control would be of benefit to our stockholders. In addition, certain provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws, also may impose an impediment or discourage others from a takeover.
These provisions include:
•a staggered board of directors providing for three classes of directors, which limits the ability of a stockholder or group to gain control of our board of directors;
•a prohibition on stockholder action by written consent, which forces stockholder action to be taken at an annual or special meeting of our stockholders;
•a prohibition on stockholders calling a special meeting and the requirement that a special meeting of stockholders may only be called by (i) the chairman of our Board, (ii) our Chief Executive Officer, (iii) a majority of our Board, or (iv) directors designated by M III Sponsor subject to certain conditions set forth in the Third A&R Investor Rights Agreement; and
•the requirement that changes or amendments to certain provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws must be approved by holders of at least two-thirds of the Common Stock and, in some cases under our Bylaws, 80% of the Common Stock.
The terms of our Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock reduce the likelihood of dividend payments on our Common Stock, and may otherwise adversely affect the Common Stock.
If not paid in cash at a rate of 10% per annum, dividends on our Series A Preferred Stock will accrue and increase the stated value of the Series A Preferred Stock at a rate of 12% per annum. If not paid in cash at a rate of 13.5% per annum (or 12% in the event our Total Net Leverage Ratio is less than or equal to 1.50 to 1.00), dividends on our Series B Preferred Stock will accrue and increase the stated value of the Series B Preferred Stock at a rate of 15% per annum.
If we elect not to pay cash dividends, or our business does not generate enough cash to make the cash dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock, dividends will accrue and increase the stated value. An increase in the stated value would result in an increase in the aggregate amount of cash we need to pay future cash dividends. Dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock rank senior in priority to dividends on our Common Stock. Accordingly, the terms of the Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock reduce the likelihood that we will pay dividends on our Common Stock in the future, which may cause the price of our Common Stock to decline. An increase in the stated value may also result in holders of Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock having larger claims in the event of our liquidation or dissolution.
Our Common Stockholders may face substantial dilution as a result of warrants.
On May 20, 2019, under the First Equity Commitment Agreement, we issued the First ECA Warrants exercisable into an aggregate of 2,545,934 shares of Common Stock. On August 30, 2019, under the Second Equity Commitment Agreement, we issued the Second ECA Warrants exercisable into an aggregate of 900,000 shares of Common Stock. On November 14, 2019, we issued the Third ECA Warrants exercisable into 3,568,750 shares of Common Stock. On November 14, 2019, we also issued the Preferred Exchange Agreement Warrants exercisable into 657,383 shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Preferred Exchange Agreement.
Each of the First Equity Commitment Agreement, Second Equity Commitment Agreement, Third Equity Commitment Agreement and Preferred Exchange Agreement has provisions that require us to issue additional warrants upon additional issuances of Common Stock and warrants. These additional issuances may result in a significant additional number of warrants and Common Stock, the exact number of which cannot be determined and which may are depend on future events, many of which are out of our control
The warrants issued under the First Equity Commitment Agreement, Second Equity Commitment Agreement, Third Equity Commitment Agreement and Preferred Exchange Agreement are exercisable into our Common Stock at an exercise price per share of $0.0001, which the holder may pay by check or wire transfer, or by instructing us to withhold a number of shares of Common Stock then issuable upon exercise of the Warrant with an aggregate fair market value as of the date of exercise equal to the aggregate exercise price, or any combination of the foregoing. The number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants adjust for dividends, subdivisions or combinations; cash distributions or other distributions; reorganization, reclassification, consolidation or merger; and spin-offs.
The shares of Common Stock that may be issued under the warrants pursuant to the First Equity Commitment Agreement, Second Equity Commitment Agreement, Third Equity Commitment Agreement and Preferred Exchange Agreement are subject to that certain Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, dated March 26, 2018, as amended (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), and accordingly, we may be required to register the shares of Common Stock underlying the warrants for resale.
Accordingly, our presently existing warrants and warrants that may be issued in the future may result in substantial additional issuances and resales of Common Stock. In certain instances, the timing and number of additional warrants that may be issued is unknown and dependent upon future events and circumstances, some of which are outside of our control. Additional issuances of Common Stock, and/or sales of Common Stock, would have the effect of diluting our earnings per share as well as our existing shareholders’ individual ownership percentages and could lead to volatility in our Common Stock price. Sales of a substantial number of shares of our Common Stock could depress the market price of our Common Stock and impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity or equity-linked securities.
The Series A Preferred Stock may result in substantial dilution to holders of our Common Stock.
On November 14, 2019, we issued 19,123.87 shares of Series B-3 Preferred Stock and 657,383 Preferred Exchange Agreement Warrants to IEA LLC in exchange for 50% of the outstanding Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to the Preferred Exchange Agreement. As of the date hereof, we have 17,482.5 shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding. Any holder of
Series A Preferred Stock may elect, by written notice to us (w) at any time and from time to time on or after the third anniversary of March 26, 2018, (x) at any time and from time to time if the terms of the Series B Preferred Stock or Third A&R Credit Agreement (or other facility) would prohibit the payment of cash dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock, (y) at any time any shares of Series B Preferred Stock are outstanding, or (z) at any time and from time to time on or after the non-payment of dividends when due, failure to redeem shares of Series A Preferred Stock when required or any other material default (in each case, as further specified in the certificate) until such non-payment, failure or default is cured by us, to cause us to convert, without the payment of additional consideration by such holder, all or any portion of the issued and outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock held by such holder, as specified by such holder in such notice, into a number of shares of Common Stock determined by dividing (i) the stated value plus accrued and unpaid dividends by (ii) the VWAP per share of Common Stock for the 30 consecutive trading days ending on the trading day immediately preceding the conversion date. In the event the Series A Preferred Stock is converted following an uncured non-payment, failure or default event, or if a holder of Series A Preferred Stock is converting pursuant to (x) or (y) above, for the purposes of the foregoing calculation, VWAP per share shall be multiplied by 90%. The “VWAP per share” is defined as the per share volume-weighted average price as reported by Bloomberg (as further described in the certificate governing the Series A Preferred Stock).
The shares of Common Stock that may be issued upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock are subject to the Registration Rights Agreement, and accordingly, we may be required to register the shares of Common Stock underlying the Series A Preferred Stock for resale.
Accordingly, the Series A Preferred Stock may result in substantial additional issuances and resales of Common Stock. The timing and number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued as a result of the Series A Preferred Stock is unknown and dependent upon future events and circumstances, some of which are outside of our control. Additional issuances of Common Stock, and/or sales of Common Stock, would have the effect of diluting our earnings per share as well as our existing shareholders’ individual ownership percentages and could lead to volatility in our Common Stock price. Sales of a substantial number of shares of our Common Stock could depress the market price of our Common Stock and impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity or equity-linked securities.
Our stock price has experienced significant volatility.
Our stock price has exhibited substantial volatility in 2020. Our price may fluctuate in response to a number of events and factors, including, but not limited to:
•actual or anticipated quarterly operating results;
•new developments and significant transactions;
•the financial projections we provide to the public, and any changes to the projections or failure to meet the projections;
•changes in our credit ratings;
•the public’s reaction to our press releases, other public announcements and filings with the SEC;
•changes in financial estimates, recommendations and coverages by securities analysts;
•media coverage of our business and financial performance;
•trends in our industry;
•significant changes in our management;
•lawsuits threatened or filed against us; and
•general economic conditions.
Price volatility over a given period or a low stock price may result in a number of negative outcomes, including, but not limited to:
•creating potential limitations on the ability to raise capital through the issuance of equity or equity linked securities;
•impacting the value of our equity compensation, which affects our ability to recruit and retain employees;
•decreasing the value of the contingent earn-out related to our merger agreement, held in large part by members of management, which could cause a decline in job satisfaction or lead to management turnover;
•difficulty complying with the listing standards of NASDAQ; and
•increasing the risk of regulatory proceedings and litigation, including class action securities litigation
If any of these outcomes were to occur, it could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations, and the value of your investment.
Risks Related to Our Industry and Our Customers’ Industries
Economic downturns could reduce capital expenditures in the industries we serve, which could result in decreased demand for our services.
The demand for our services has been, and will likely continue to be, cyclical in nature and vulnerable to general downturns in the U.S. economy. During economic downturns, our customers may not have the ability to fund capital expenditures for infrastructure, or may have difficulty obtaining financing for planned projects. In addition, uncertain or adverse economic conditions that create volatility in the credit and equity markets may reduce the availability of debt or equity financing for our customers, causing them to reduce capital spending. This has resulted, and in the future could result, in cancellations of projects or deferral of projects to a later date. Such cancellations or deferrals could materially and adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity. These conditions could also make it difficult to estimate our customers’ demand for our services and add uncertainty to the determination of our backlog.
In addition, our customers are negatively affected by economic downturns that decrease the need for their services or the profitability of their services. During an economic downturn, our customers also may not have the ability or desire to continue to fund capital expenditures for infrastructure or may outsource less work. A decrease in related project work could negatively impact demand for the services we provide and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, profitability, cash flows and growth prospects.
Our industry is highly competitive, which may reduce our market share and harm our financial performance.
We compete with other companies in most of the markets in which we operate, ranging from small independent firms servicing local markets to larger firms servicing regional and national markets. We also face competition from existing and prospective customers that employ in-house personnel to perform some of the services we provide. Additionally, organizations that have adequate financial resources and access to technical expertise and skilled personnel may become a competitor. Most of our customers’ work is awarded through a bid process. Consequently, although management believes reliability is often more important to customers than price, price is often the principal factor that determines which service provider is selected, especially on smaller, less complex projects. Smaller competitors sometimes win bids for these projects based on price alone due to their lower costs and financial return requirements. Additionally, our bids for certain projects may not be successful because of a customer’s perception of our relative ability to perform the work as compared to our competitors or a customer’s perception of technological advantages held by our competitors as well as other factors. Our business, financial condition, results of operations, profitability, cash flows and growth prospects could be materially and adversely affected if we are unsuccessful in bidding for projects or renewing our contracts, or if our ability to win such projects or agreements requires that we accept lower margins.