NPK International Inc.: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2024

General

NPK International Inc. is a temporary worksite access solutions company that manufactures, sells, and rents recyclable composite matting products, along with a full suite of services, including planning, logistics, and site restoration. In 2024, 67% of our revenues were generated from the rental of our recyclable composite matting systems, along with related site construction and services to customers in various markets including power transmission, oil and natural gas exploration and production (“E&P”), pipeline, renewable energy, petrochemical, construction and other industries within the United States and United Kingdom. The remaining 33% of our 2024 revenues were generated from the sale of our manufactured recyclable composite mats to customers around the world, with power transmission being the primary end-market.

We previously operated a Fluids Systems business, which was historically reported as a separate operating segment, that provided drilling and completion fluids products and related technical services to customers for oil, natural gas, and geothermal projects primarily in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and North America, as well as certain countries in Asia Pacific. On September 13, 2024, we completed the sale of the equity interests in substantially all of the Company’s Fluids Systems segment (the “Sale Transaction”) to SCF Partners, a leading private equity firm serving the global energy industry (the “Purchaser”). The results of operations of Fluids Systems are reported in discontinued operations in the consolidated statements of operations. All results and information in the consolidated financial statements and related notes in this Form 10-K are presented for our continuing operations and exclude Fluids Systems unless otherwise noted specifically as discontinued operations. See Note 2 for additional information.

NPK International Inc., formerly known as Newpark Resources, Inc., was organized in 1932 as a Nevada corporation. In 1991, we changed our state of incorporation to Delaware. On December 9, 2024, we changed our name to NPK International Inc. Our principal executive offices are located at 9320 Lakeside Boulevard, Suite 100, The Woodlands, Texas 77381. Our telephone number is (281) 362-6800. You can find more information about us on our website located at www.npki.com (http://www.npki.com). We file or furnish annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports are available free of charge through our website. These reports are available as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file these materials with, or furnish them to, the SEC. Our Code of Ethics, our Corporate Governance Guidelines, our Audit Committee Charter, our Compensation Committee Charter, and our Environmental, Social and Governance Committee Charter are also posted to the governance section of our website. We make our website content available for informational purposes only. It should not be relied upon for investment purposes, nor is any information contained on our website incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K. The SEC also maintains a website at www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC, including us.

When referring to NPK International Inc. (“NPK,” the “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us”), the intent is to refer to NPK International Inc. and its subsidiaries as a whole. The reference to a “Note” herein refers to the accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

Strategy

Our long-term strategy includes key foundational elements that are intended to enhance long-term shareholder value creation:

• Accelerate Organic Growth – We seek to accelerate revenue growth through the expansion of our high-return rental business, which includes a combination of geographic expansion to new growth territories, primarily within the U.S., while also expanding customer market share within currently-served markets, and/or expanding our offering into adjacent products or services that are valued by our customers and leverage our core competencies. We prioritize investment capital to support this objective, where over the past several years, we have seen the strong market adoption of our specialty rental products and differentiated service offering.
• Pursue Inorganic Growth – We seek to accelerate our growth and enhance shareholder value through strategically-aligned inorganic actions, leveraging our scale to increase our value and relevance to customers.
• Drive Operational Efficiency – We are focused on efficiency improvements and operating cost optimization across every aspect of our business. With a simplified business model, we continue to evaluate and execute actions intended to streamline the organization and our cost structure, driving improvements in profitability.
• Enhance Return on Capital – We are committed to maintaining a strong balance sheet, prioritizing organic investment to expand our rental business while evaluating accretive inorganic growth opportunities to accelerate growth and returning excess cash generation via programmatic share repurchases.

Industry Fundamentals and Customers

The demand for temporary worksite access from customers in the industries we serve is driven, in part, by infrastructure construction and maintenance activity levels within the United States and United Kingdom. Approximately 55% of our 2024 rental and service revenues were derived from customers in the power transmission sector and we expect customer activity in this sector will grow over the next several years, driven in part by the impacts of increasing energy demand and required investments in grid reliance initiatives, due to the aging grid infrastructure. Product sales largely reflect sales to service companies supporting the power transmission market as well as utility companies, with product sales levels and customer mix typically fluctuating based on the timing of customer projects and orders. For 2024, 67% of our revenues were derived from rental and service activities while 33% of our revenues were derived from the sale of our manufactured worksite access products.

During 2024, approximately 67% of our revenues were derived from our 20 largest customers, of which our largest customer represented 19% of our revenues. Revenues from our largest customer were driven by product sales, which vary from year to year, as discussed above. We also generated 94% of our revenues domestically during 2024. Typically, we perform services either under short-term contracts or rental service agreements. As most agreements with our customers are cancellable upon short notice, our backlog is not significant. We do not derive a significant portion of our revenues from government contracts.

Raw Materials

The resins, chemicals, and other materials used to manufacture our recyclable composite mats are widely available. High Density Polyethylene (“HDPE”) is the largest material component in the manufacturing of our recyclable composite mat products. We believe that our sources of supply for materials used in our business are adequate for our needs. We are not dependent upon any one supplier, and we have not encountered significant shortages or delays in obtaining any raw materials. In recent years, we have also expanded the use of alternative materials, including recycled materials in our manufacturing process, which we believe provides further protection against potential shortages of virgin raw materials. During 2024, our manufacturing operations consumed approximately 1.1 million pounds of recycled resin.

Technology

We have certain patents related to the design and manufacturing of our recyclable DURA-BASE® mats and several of the components, as well as other products and systems related to these mats (including the connecting pins and the EPZ Grounding System™). Using proprietary technology and systems is an important aspect of our business strategy. In 2023, we launched our newest generation matting system, the DURA-BASE 800 SeriesTM, which fully integrates into our DURABASE® format and offers a nearly 15% reduction in weight. We believe the lightweight design of our recyclable matting system provides a distinct environmental benefit for our customers as compared to alternative wood mat products in the market, by eliminating deforestation required to produce wood mat products and also reducing CO2 emissions associated with product transportation. While we continue to enhance the performance, environmental, and safety benefits of our products and add to our patent portfolio, we believe that our scale, responsiveness to customers, reputation in the industry with respect to our technical development and know-how, understanding of regulatory requirements, and our ability to deliver superior worksite access solutions also have competitive significance in the markets we serve.

Competition

The rental and services market is fragmented and competitive, with many competitors providing various forms of worksite access products and services. Wood mats and stone continue to be the primary solutions utilized for temporary worksite access across industries, though composite matting solutions continue to gain market share. Yak Mat (United Rentals) is the largest competitor in the rental market, primarily using wood mats. We believe that our recyclable composite mats provide superior work surface and economics relative to timber-based products, providing a meaningful opportunity to expand our market share within the temporary worksite access market. The competitive landscape for composite mat sales is less fragmented than rental and services, with only a few competitors providing various alternatives to our DURA-BASE® composite mat products, including Signature Systems (Myers Industries) and Spartan Mat (Exchange Income Corporation). This is due to many factors, including large capital start-up costs and proprietary technology associated with these products. We believe that the principal competitive factors in our business includes reputation, product capabilities, price, innovation through R&D, and reliability, and that our competitive position is enhanced by our proprietary products, manufacturing expertise, services, and experience.

Human Capital

We believe our greatest assets are our people, and our long-term success depends on our ability to attract, motivate, and retain the highly talented individuals that make up the NPK team, while protecting each other like family and sustaining the environment in which we work. We appreciate our people and their achievements as we recognize they are integral to fully implementing our business strategy, which directly translates to improving our long-term profitability and increasing shareholder value.

We make a commitment to our people through training and development, employee engagement, and community outreach, with competitive pay aligned with pay-for-performance along with various benefits programs.

At December 31, 2024, we employed approximately 460 full and part-time personnel, including 410 in the United States and 50 in the United Kingdom. None of our employees are represented by labor unions. We consider our relations with our employees to be satisfactory and through various company-culture initiatives, strive to reinforce our commitment to our Core Values of safety, integrity, respect, excellence, and accountability.

• Safety: Protecting each other like family while sustaining the environment in which we work.
• Integrity: Acting honestly, ethically, and responsibly in all aspects of our business.
• Respect: Dealing fairly and openly with employees, customers, suppliers and community.
• Excellence: Delivering value through performance, innovation and service quality.
• Accountability: Using good judgment and taking responsibility for our actions.

Governmental Regulations

Our business exposes us to regulatory risks associated with the various industries that we serve, including governmental regulations relating to the utilities and oil and natural gas industries in general, as well as environmental, health, and safety regulations that have specific application to our business. Our activities are impacted by various federal, state, local, and foreign laws, regulations, and policies related to pollution control, health, and safety programs that are administered and enforced by regulatory agencies.

We have implemented various procedures designed to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and reduce the risk of damage or loss. These include specified handling procedures and guidelines for waste, ongoing employee training, and monitoring, as well as maintaining insurance coverage. We also utilize company-wide health, safety, and environmental management systems (“HSEMS”). The HSEMS is designed to capture information related to the planning, decision-making, and general operations of environmental regulatory activities within our operations. We also use the HSEMS to capture the information generated by regularly scheduled independent audits that are performed to validate the findings of our internal monitoring and auditing procedures.

The following summarizes the most significant risks to our business. In addition to these risks, we are subject to a variety of risks that affect many other companies generally, as well as other risks and uncertainties that are not known to us as of the date of this Annual Report. Our success will depend, in part, on our ability to anticipate and effectively manage these and other risks. Any of these risk factors, either individually or in combination, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition, or prevent us from meeting our profitability or growth objectives. If you hold our securities or are considering an investment in our securities, you should carefully consider the following risks, together with the other information contained in this Annual Report.

Risks in this section are grouped in the following categories: (1) Business and Industry Risks; (2) Indebtedness Risks; (3) Legal and Regulatory Risks; (4) Financial Risks; and (5) General Risks. Many risks affect more than one category, and the risks are not in order of significance or probability of occurrence because they have been grouped by categories.

Business and Industry Risks

Risks Related to our Recently Completed Sale of the Fluids Systems Business

On September 13, 2024, we completed the sale of the equity interests in one of our subsidiaries which held substantially all of the Company’s previously operated Fluids Systems business. We are subject to a number of risks associated with the sale of the Fluids Systems business, including risks associated with (i) our requirement to provide certain transition services in connection with the Sale Transaction and any issues, delays or complications in completing such services, including the incurrence of unanticipated costs to complete such services, (ii) the diversion of management’s attention away from the operations of our retained business; and (iii) any required payments of indemnification obligations under the Sale Transaction agreement for retained liabilities.

As a result of the Sale Transaction, we may incur or experience various adverse effects, including but not limited to (i) greater costs or realize fewer benefits than anticipated under the Sale Transaction agreement, (ii) operational or commercial difficulties segregating the divested assets from our retained assets, (iii) disputes with the Purchaser regarding the nature and sufficiency of the transition services we provide, (iv) higher vendor costs due to reduced economies of scale or other similar dis-synergies, (v) modified, terminated or scaled back relationships with our existing customers or difficulty in attracting prospective customers, (vi) loss or difficulty in retaining employees due to concerns over future job security or responsibilities, or (vii) losses or increased inefficiencies from stranded or underutilized assets. Any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

For 2024, through the closing date of the Sale Transaction in September 2024, the Fluids Systems business generated approximately 68% of total combined company revenue (72% and 76% for 2023 and 2022, respectively). Accordingly, our future financial results will differ materially from our previous results since our future financial results are dependent solely on our remaining business. Any downturn in our business could have a material adverse effect on our future financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. There can be no guarantee that the sale of the Fluids Systems business will result in stronger long-term financial and operational results for our remaining business.

Risks Related to Our Ability to Generate Organic Growth

Our ability to generate organic growth may be affected by, among other factors, our ability to:

• attract new customers;
• increase the number of projects performed for existing customers;
• successfully qualify and bid for new projects;
• hire and retain qualified personnel;
• obtain necessary levels of equipment; and
• adapt the range of products and services we offer to address our customers’ evolving needs.

In addition, our customers may reduce the number or size of projects available to us due to their inability to obtain capital or in response to economic conditions.

Furthermore, the growth of our business is heavily dependent upon the production of our recyclable composite mat products, which in turn is dependent on the operations and capacity of our manufacturing facility in Carencro, Louisiana.

Many of the factors affecting our ability to generate organic growth may be beyond our control, and we cannot be certain that our strategies will be successful or that we will be able to generate cash flow sufficient to fund our operations and to support organic growth. If we are unsuccessful, we may not be able to achieve organic growth, expand our operations or grow our business.

Risks Related to Economic and Market Conditions that May Impact Our Customers’ Future Spending

A substantial portion of our operating income, cash flows, and financial returns are generated from infrastructure construction and maintenance projects, the awarding of which we do not directly control. Infrastructure construction and maintenance historically has experienced cyclical fluctuations and unpredictable changes in project timing due to economic recessions, downturns in business cycles of our customers, material shortages, labor shortages, price increases by subcontractors, interest rate fluctuations and other economic factors beyond our control. When the general level of economic activity deteriorates, our customers may reduce investments in infrastructure construction and maintenance, or delay or cancel planned projects. Many factors, including the financial condition of the industry, could adversely affect our customers and their willingness to fund capital expenditures in the future.

We also derive revenues from customers in the oil and natural gas industry. Spending by our customers for exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas is based on a number of factors, including expectations of future hydrocarbon demand, the volatility of energy prices, the risks associated with developing reserves, our customers’ ability to finance exploration and development of reserves, regulatory developments, and the future value of the reserves. Reductions in customer spending levels adversely affect the demand for our products and services, and consequently, our revenues and operating results.

Our customers may also seek to implement measures aimed at greater cost savings, which may include the acceptance of lesser quality products and services in order to improve short term cost efficiencies as opposed to total cost efficiencies. The utilization of these kinds of cost saving measures by our customers could reduce the demand or pricing for our products and services and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

In addition, economic, regulatory, and market conditions affecting our specific end markets, including import tariffs and other laws and regulations that impact our customers’ ability to obtain materials necessary for their operations, may adversely impact the demand for our services, resulting in the delay, reduction or cancellation of certain projects and these conditions may continue to adversely affect us in the future.

Risks Related to the Effective Management of Our Fleet, Including Our Ability to Properly Manufacture, Safeguard, and Maintain Our Fleet

As of December 31, 2024, our property, plant and equipment includes $122.8 million of rental fleet assets, net of accumulated depreciation, including $112.0 million in the United States and $10.8 million in the United Kingdom. Managing our fleet is a critical element to our rental business. Rental equipment asset management requires anticipating customer needs as well as changes in legislation, regulations, and local permitting in the various markets in which we or our customers operate. Our composite matting systems have long economic lives, and we must cost-effectively safeguard and maintain our fleet to maximize the economic life of the products. In addition, as the needs of our customers change, we may incur costs to relocate our assets to better meet shifts in demand. If the distribution of our assets is not aligned with regional demand, we may be unable to take advantage of rental opportunities in certain regions, despite excess inventory in other regions. If we are not able to successfully manage our mat rental fleet, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be materially adversely affected.

Risks Related to International Operations

Our United Kingdom operations generated approximately 6% of our 2024 consolidated revenues, and represented 6% of our total assets at December 31, 2024. A decline or slowed growth in this region could result in reduced demand for our products and services, which may adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

In addition, international operations are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties which could negatively impact our results from operations, including among others:

• difficulties and cost associated with complying with a wide variety of complex foreign laws, treaties, and regulations;
• risks associated with failing to comply with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.K. Bribery Act, export laws, and other similar laws applicable to our operations in international markets;
• our inexperience in certain international markets;
• political and economic instability;
• ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East; and
• fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.

These risks and uncertainties may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks specified in our risk factors or disclosed in our public filings, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations. Such risks include, but are not limited to, our customers’ activity levels, spending for our products and services, and their ability to pay amounts owed us that could be impacted by the ability of our customers to access equity or credit markets; the cost and continued availability of borrowed funds; and cybersecurity incidents or business system disruptions.

Risks Related to Operating Hazards Present in Our and Our Customers’ Industries and Substantial Liability Claims

We are exposed to significant health, safety, and environmental risks. Our operations, and those of our customers, are subject to hazards present in the electrical utility industry, such as exposure to wildfires, high voltage electrocution, among other risks, as well as hazards in the oil and natural gas industry, such as fires, explosions, blowouts, oil spills, and leaks or spills of hazardous materials. These incidents as well as accidents or problems in normal operations can cause personal injury or death and damage to property or the environment. From time to time, customers seek recovery for damage to their equipment or property that occurred during the course of our service obligations. Damage to our customers’ property and any related spills of hazardous materials could be extensive if a major problem occurs.

Generally, we rely on contractual indemnities, releases, limitations on liability with our customers, and insurance to protect us from potential liability related to such events. However, our insurance and contractual indemnification may not be sufficient or effective to protect us under all circumstances or against all risks. In addition, our customers’ changing views on risk allocation together with deteriorating market conditions could force us to accept greater risks to obtain new business or retain renewing business and could result in us losing business if we are not prepared to take such risks. Moreover, we may not be able to maintain insurance at levels of risk coverage or policy limits that we deem adequate. Any damages caused by our services or products that are not covered by insurance or contractual indemnification, or are in excess of policy limits or subject to substantial deductibles, could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. See “Risks Related to the Inherent Limitations of Insurance Coverage” below for additional information.

Risks Related to Contracts that Can Be Terminated or Downsized by Our Customers Without Penalty

Certain of our contracts contain provisions permitting early termination by the customer at their convenience, generally without penalty, and with limited notice requirements. In addition, many of our contracts permit our customers to decrease the products or services without penalty, which could result in a decrease in our revenues and profitability. As a result, you should not place undue reliance on the strength of our customer contracts or the terms of those contracts.

Risks Related to Product Offering and Market Expansion

As a key component of our long-term strategy to diversify our revenue streams, we seek to continue to expand our product and service offerings, including through acquisitions, and enter new customer markets with our existing products. As with any market expansion effort, new customer and product markets require additional capital investment and include inherent uncertainties regarding customer expectations, industry-specific regulatory requirements, product performance, customer-specific risk profiles and competitor responses. In addition, we likely will not have the same level of operational experience with respect to the new customer and product markets as will our competitors. As such, new market entry is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

Risks Related to Our Ability to Attract, Retain, and Develop Qualified Leaders, Key Employees, and Skilled Personnel

Our business is highly dependent on our ability to attract and retain highly-skilled product specialists, technical sales personnel, and service personnel. Our failure to attract, retain, and develop qualified leaders and key employees could have a material adverse effect on our business. The market for qualified employees is extremely competitive. If we cannot attract and retain qualified personnel, our ability to compete effectively and grow our business will be severely limited. Also, a significant increase in wages paid by competing employers could result in a reduction in our skilled labor force or an increase in our operating costs.

We have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, a shortage of labor for certain functions, which has increased our labor costs and negatively impacted our profitability. The extent and duration of the effect of these labor market challenges are subject to numerous factors, including the availability of qualified persons in the markets where we and our contracted service providers operate and unemployment levels within these markets, behavioral changes, prevailing wage rates and other benefits, inflation, adoption of new or revised employment and labor laws and regulations (including increased minimum wage requirements) or government programs, safety levels of our operations, and our reputation within the labor market.

Risks Related to Expanding Our Services in the Utilities Sector, Which May Require Unionized Labor

Although none of our employees are currently represented by labor unions, we may expand our services offered in the utilities sector, the customers of which may require unionized labor. If we, a subsidiary, or a business partner were to have a unionized workforce, we may be subject to strikes or work stoppages, wage and hour regulations, or other regulations associated with a collective bargaining agreement, which could adversely impact our relationships with our customers and cause us to lose business and could result in an increase in our operating costs.

Risks Related to the Price and Availability of Raw Materials

Our ability to provide products and services to our customers is dependent upon our ability to obtain raw materials necessary to operate our business. These raw materials may be impacted by periodic supply chain disruptions and, particularly during times of high demand, there may be delays in the arrival of or otherwise constrain our supply of raw materials. These constraints could have a material adverse effect on our business and consolidated results of operations. In addition, price increases, whether as a result of inflation, geopolitical issues, or otherwise, imposed by our vendors for raw materials used in our business and the inability to pass these increases through to our customers could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Our business is highly dependent on the availability of HDPE, which is the primary raw material used in the manufacture of our recyclable composite mats. Our costs can vary based on the energy costs of the producers of HDPE, demand for this material, and the capacity or operations of the plants used to make HDPE. We may not be able to increase our customer pricing to cover the cost increases that we have experienced, which could result in a reduction in future profitability.

Risks Related to Inflation

Increases in the cost of wages, materials, equipment and other operational components has the potential to adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows and financial position by increasing our overall cost structure, particularly if we are unable to achieve commensurate increases in the prices we charge our customers for our products and services. In addition, inflation has also resulted in higher interest rates, which could cause an increase in the cost of debt borrowing in the future, as well as supply chain shortages, an increase in the costs of labor, currency fluctuations and other similar effects.

Risks Related to Capital Investments and Business Acquisitions

Our ability to successfully execute our business strategy will depend, among other things, on our ability to make capital investments and complete acquisitions which provide us with financial benefits and operational synergies. These investments and acquisitions are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including:

• incorrect assumptions regarding business activity levels or results from our capital investments, acquired operations, or assets;
• potential loss of significant revenue and income streams;
• increased or unexpected expenses;
• inadequate return of capital;
• regulatory or compliance issues;
• potential loss of key employees, customers, or suppliers of the acquired company;
• the triggering of certain covenants in our debt agreements (including accelerated repayment);
• unidentified issues not discovered in due diligence;
• failure to complete a planned acquisition transaction or to successfully integrate the operations or management of any acquired businesses or assets in a timely manner;
• diversion of management’s attention from existing operations or other priorities;
• unanticipated disruptions to our business associated with the implementation of our enterprise-wide operational and financial system; and
• delays in completion and cost overruns associated with large capital investments.

Any of the factors above could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Additionally, the anticipated benefits of a capital investment or acquisition may not be realized fully or at all, or may take longer to realize than expected. We may incur substantial indebtedness to make capital investments or finance future acquisitions, and we also may issue equity, debt or convertible securities in connection with any such acquisitions. The use of cash for acquisitions may adversely affect our cash available for capital investments and other uses, the incurrence of additional debt may limit our financial flexibility, and the issuance of additional equity or convertible securities could be dilutive to existing stockholders.

Risks Related to Market Competition

We face competition and compete vigorously on product performance and/or price. Many of our competitors provide various forms of worksite access products and services. More recently, several competitors have begun marketing composite products to compete with our DURA-BASE® matting system. In addition, there have been recent acquisitions of certain key competitors that provide temporary worksite access product manufacturing and rentals by larger, well-capitalized companies, potentially heightening this competition.

While we believe the design and manufacturing quality of our products provide a differentiated value to our customers, many of our competitors seek to compete on pricing. In addition, certain patents related to our DURA-BASE® matting system have expired, and competitors may begin offering mats that include features described in those patents. We have filed additional patent applications on improvements to the structure of, features of, and uses of the DURA-BASE® matting system, but there is no assurance that our competitors will not be able to offer products that are similar to these improvements, features, or uses of the DURA-BASE® matting system.

In addition, certain customer contracts are awarded through a competitive bidding process. The strong competition in our markets requires maintaining skilled personnel and investing in technology and also puts pressure on profit margins. We do not obtain contracts from all of our bids and our inability to win bids at acceptable profit margins would adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Risks Related to Technological Developments and Intellectual Property

The market for our products and services requires technological developments that generate improvements in product performance or service delivery. If we are not successful in continuing to develop new products, enhancements, or improved service delivery that are accepted in the marketplace or that comply with industry standards, we could lose market share to competitors, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

In addition, we may from time to time engage in expensive and time-consuming litigation to determine the enforceability, scope, and validity of our patent rights. In addition, we can seek to enforce our rights in trade secrets, or “know-how,” and other proprietary information and technology in the conduct of our business. However, it is possible that our competitors may infringe upon, misappropriate, violate or challenge the validity or enforceability of our intellectual property, and we may not be able to adequately protect or enforce our intellectual property rights in the future.

The tools, techniques, methodologies, programs, and components we use to provide our services may infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others. Infringement claims generally result in significant legal and other costs, and may distract management from running our business. Royalty payments under licenses from third parties, if applicable, could increase our costs. Additionally, developing non-infringing technologies could increase our costs. If a license were not available, we might not be able to continue providing a particular service or product, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Risks Related to Severe Weather, Natural Disasters, and Seasonality

We have significant operations located in market areas that are negatively impacted by severe adverse weather events or natural disasters. A potential result of climate change is more frequent or more severe weather events or natural disasters. To the extent such weather events or natural disasters become more frequent or severe, disruptions to our business and costs to repair damaged facilities could increase.

These severe weather events or natural disasters, such as excessive rains, hurricanes, fires, or droughts, could disrupt our operations and result in damage to our properties, including our manufacturing facility and technology center located in Carencro, Louisiana. Additionally, there are markets in which our operations are subject to seasonality such as summer in the U.S., where utility companies typically reduce maintenance project activity on the transmission grid due to elevated consumer electricity demand.

Severe weather, natural disasters, and seasonality could adversely affect our or our customers’ financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Risks Related to Public Health Crises, Epidemics, and Pandemics

The effects of future public health crises, epidemics, and pandemics may result in a significant and swift reduction in U.S. and international economic activity, including adversely affecting the demand for our products and services. If we encounter a significant and prolonged reduction in demand for our products and services, we plan to take (and have in the past taken) actions aimed at protecting our liquidity and reshaping the business for the market changes, including the sale of assets from our rental fleet, and reducing our workforce and cost structure. However, our business contains high levels of fixed costs, including significant facility and personnel expenses, which limits the effectiveness of such actions. The extent to which our operating and financial results are affected by a public health crisis, epidemic or pandemic will depend on various factors beyond our control, such as the duration and scope of such event, including any resurgences and the emergence and spread of a subject pathogen; actions taken by businesses and governments in response to such event; and the speed and effectiveness of responses to combat the subject pathogen, including the availability and public acceptance of effective treatments or vaccines, and how quickly and to what extent normal economic activity can resume, all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. Any such public health crisis, epidemic or pandemic could also materially and adversely impact our operating and financial results in a manner that is not currently known to us or that we do not currently consider as presenting material risks to our operations.

Indebtedness Risks

Risks Related to the Cost and Continued Availability of Borrowed Funds, including Risks of Noncompliance with Debt Covenants

We use borrowed funds as an integral part of our long-term capital structure and our future success is dependent upon continued access to borrowed funds to support our operations. The availability of borrowed funds on reasonable terms is dependent on the condition of credit markets and financial institutions from which these funds are obtained. Adverse events in the financial markets may significantly reduce the availability of funds, which may have an adverse effect on our cost of borrowings and our ability to fund our business strategy. Our ability to meet our debt service requirements and the continued availability of funds under our existing or future loan agreements is dependent upon our ability to generate operating income and generate sufficient cash flow to remain in compliance with the covenants in our debt agreements. This, in turn, is subject to competitive, economic, financial, and other factors that are beyond our control.

We primarily fund our ongoing operational needs through a $100 million asset-based revolving credit agreement (the “Amended ABL Facility”). The Amended ABL Facility terminates in May 2027. Borrowing availability under the Amended ABL Facility is calculated based on the level of eligible U.S. accounts receivable, inventory and composite mats included in the rental fleet, net of reserves and subject to limits on certain of the assets included in the borrowing base calculation, and accordingly, the total availability under the Amended ABL Facility may fluctuate. To the extent pledged by the borrowers, the borrowing base calculation also includes the amount of eligible pledged cash. The administrative agent may establish reserves in accordance with the Amended ABL Facility, in part based on appraisals of the asset base, and other limits in its discretion, which could reduce the amounts otherwise available under the Amended ABL Facility.

The Amended ABL Facility is a senior secured obligation of the Company and certain of our U.S. subsidiaries constituting borrowers thereunder, secured by a first priority lien on substantially all of the personal property and certain real property of the borrowers, including a first priority lien on certain equity interests of direct subsidiaries of the borrowers. The Amended ABL Facility contains certain financial covenants, customary representations, warranties and covenants that, among other things, and subject to certain specified circumstances and exceptions, restrict or limit the ability of the borrowers and certain of their subsidiaries to incur indebtedness (including guarantees), grant liens, make investments, pay dividends or distributions with respect to capital stock and make other restricted payments, make prepayments on certain indebtedness, engage in mergers or other fundamental changes, dispose of property, and change the nature of their business.

If we fail to comply with the various covenants and other requirements of the Amended ABL Facility, we would be in default thereunder, which would permit the holders of the indebtedness to accelerate the maturity thereof and proceed against their collateral. The acceleration of any of our indebtedness and the election to exercise any remedies could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition and we may not be able to make all of the required payments or borrow sufficient funds to refinance such indebtedness.

If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flows to repay our indebtedness when due or to fund our other liquidity needs, we may be required to adopt one or more alternatives, such as selling assets, restructuring debt or obtaining additional financing. Our ability to refinance our indebtedness will depend on the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. We may not be able to engage in any of these activities or engage in these activities on desirable terms, which could result in a default on our debt obligations and could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

Legal and Regulatory Risks

Risks Related to Environmental Laws and Regulations

We are responsible for complying with numerous federal, state, local, and foreign laws, regulations and policies that govern environmental protection, zoning and other matters applicable to our current and past business activities, including the activities of our former subsidiaries. Failure to remain compliant with these laws, regulations and policies may result in, among other things, fines, penalties, costs, investigation and/or cleanup of contaminated sites and site closure obligations, costs of remedying noncompliance, termination or suspension of certain operations, or other expenditures. We could be exposed to strict, joint and several liability for cleanup costs, natural resource damages and other damages as a result of our conduct that was lawful at the time it occurred or the conduct of, or conditions caused by, prior operators or other third parties. Private parties may also pursue legal actions against us based on alleged non-compliance with or liability under certain of these laws, rules and regulations.

The continued expansion of revenues in end-markets that are likely to benefit from increasing demand from electricity, such as power transmission and renewable energy, remains a strategic priority going forward, and we anticipate that our capital investments will primarily focus on supporting this objective. However, any changes in the current legal and regulatory environment could impact industry activity and the demand for our products and services, the scope of products and services that we provide, or our cost structure required to provide our products and services, or the costs incurred by our customers. It is unclear whether initiatives from federal, state, and local legislative bodies and administrative agencies, when implemented, will have a material adverse effect on the demand for our products and services.

There have also been efforts in recent years to influence the investment community, including investment advisors and certain sovereign wealth, pension and endowment funds, promoting divestment of fossil fuel equities and pressuring lenders to limit funding to companies engaged in the extraction of fossil fuel reserves. Such environmental activism and initiatives aimed at limiting climate change and reducing air pollution could interfere with our business activities, operations, and ability to access capital. Furthermore, some members of the investment community have increased their focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) practices and disclosures by public companies in recent years. Concerns over climate change have resulted in, and are expected to continue to result in, the adoption of regulatory requirements for climate-related disclosures, which could increase our compliance burden and costs. As a result, we may continue to face increasing pressure regarding our ESG disclosures and practices. We have published and may continue to publish a Sustainability Report, which outlines our progress and ongoing efforts to advance our ESG initiatives. Our disclosures on these matters rely on management’s expectations as of the date the statements are first made, as well as standards for measuring progress that are still in development and may change or fail to be realized. These expectations and standards may continue to evolve. If our ESG disclosures and practices do not meet regulatory, investor or other stakeholder expectations and standards, which continue to evolve, it could have a material adverse effect on our business or demand for our services.

Risks Related to Legal Compliance

As a global business, we are subject to complex laws and regulations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries in which we sell our products. These laws and regulations relate to several aspects of our business, including anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws, sanctions against business dealings with certain countries and third parties, the payment of taxes, employment and labor relations, immigration, fair competition, data privacy protections, securities regulation, and other regulatory requirements affecting trade and investment. The application of these laws and regulations to our business is often unclear and may sometimes conflict. Compliance with these laws and regulations may involve significant costs or require changes in our business practices that could result in reduced revenue and profitability. Non-compliance could also result in significant fines, damages, and other criminal sanctions against us, our officers or our employees, prohibitions or additional requirements on the conduct of our business and damage our reputation. Certain violations of law could also result in suspension or debarment from government contracts. We also incur additional legal compliance costs associated with global regulations. In some foreign countries, particularly those with developing economies, it may be customary for others to engage in business practices that are prohibited by laws such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.K. Bribery Act, Brazil’s Clean Companies Act, and Mexico’s Anti-Corruption Law. Although we implement policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with these laws, there can be no assurance that all of our employees, contractors, agents, and business partners will not take action in violation with our internal policies. Any such violation of our internal policies or the law could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition, or results of operations.

Financial Risks

Risks Related to the Inherent Limitations of Insurance Coverage

While we maintain liability insurance, this insurance is subject to coverage limitations. Specific risks and limitations of our insurance coverage include the following:

• self-insured retention limits on each claim, which are our responsibility;
• exclusions for certain types of liabilities and limitations on coverage for damages resulting from pollution;
• coverage limits of the policies, and the risk that claims will exceed policy limits; and
• the financial strength and ability of our insurance carriers to meet their obligations under the policies.

In addition, our ability to continue to obtain insurance coverage on commercially reasonable terms is dependent upon a variety of factors impacting the insurance industry in general, which are outside our control. Any of the issues noted above, including insurance cost increases, uninsured or underinsured claims, or the inability of an insurance carrier to meet their financial obligations could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Risks Related to Income Taxes

Our future effective tax rates could be adversely affected by changes in tax laws, both domestically and internationally, or the interpretation or application thereof. From time to time, U.S. and foreign tax authorities, including state and local governments, consider legislation that could increase our effective tax rate. Additionally, longstanding international tax norms that determine each country’s jurisdiction to tax cross-border international trade are subject to potential evolution. For example, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”), a global coalition of member countries, proposed a two-pillar plan to reform international taxation. The proposals aim to ensure a fairer distribution of profits among countries and to impose a floor on tax competition through the introduction of a global minimum tax. If such changes to tax laws are enacted, our profitability could be negatively impacted.

Our future effective tax rates could also be adversely affected by changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities, changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, or by changes in tax treaties, regulations, accounting principles or interpretations thereof in one or more countries in which we operate. In addition, we are subject to the potential examination of our income tax returns by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and by other tax authorities in jurisdictions where we file tax returns. We regularly assess the likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes. There can be no assurance that such examinations will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

General Risks

Risks Related to Cybersecurity Incidents or Business System Disruptions

We utilize various management information systems and information technology infrastructure to manage or support a variety of our business operations, as well as the operations of our recently-divested Fluids Systems business, and to maintain various records, which may include confidential business or proprietary information as well as information regarding our customers, business partners, employees or other third parties. We also utilize third-party vendors and their systems and technology to support our business activities, including secure processing of confidential, sensitive, proprietary and other types of information. Failures of or interference with access to these systems, such as communication disruptions, could have an adverse effect on our ability to conduct operations or directly impact financial reporting.

In addition, our information systems and information technology infrastructure are subject to security threats and sophisticated cyber-based attacks, including, but not limited to, denial-of-service attacks, hacking, “phishing” attacks, computer viruses, ransomware, malware, employee or insider error, malfeasance, social engineering, or physical breaches, that can cause deliberate or unintentional damage, destruction or misuse, manipulation, denial of access to or disclosure of confidential or important information or intellectual property. A failure of or breach in our information systems and information technology infrastructure, or those of our third-party vendors, could expose us and our employees, customers, and suppliers to risks of misuse of information or systems, transaction errors, the compromise of confidential information, manipulation and destruction of data, the loss of sales and customers and operations disruptions.

There can be no assurance that security incidents will not occur. In addition, there can be no assurance that the policies and procedures we or our third-party vendors have in place, including system monitoring and data back-up processes, to prevent or mitigate the effects of these potential disruptions or incidents will be sufficient to prevent, detect and limit the impact of disruptions or incidents. Even when an incident has been detected, it is not always immediately apparent what the full nature and scope of any potential harm may be, or how best to remediate it. We invest in security technology, perform penetration tests from time to time, and design our business processes to attempt to mitigate the risk of such incidents. Our processes require continuous monitoring as technologies change and efforts to overcome security measures evolve. We obtain cybersecurity insurance, though costs related to a cyber-based attack may exceed the amount of insurance coverage or be excluded under the terms of our cybersecurity insurance policy. In addition, as cyber-based attacks increase in frequency and magnitude, we may be unable to obtain cybersecurity insurance in amounts or on terms we view as appropriate for our operations.

On October 29, 2024, we experienced a ransomware cybersecurity incident, and we expect such cybersecurity threats and incidents involving our systems and third-party systems to continue. While none of the cybersecurity events have been material to date, a successful breach or attack could have a material negative impact on our operations or business reputation, harm our reputation and relationships with our customers, business partners, employees or other third parties, and subject us to consequences such as litigation and direct costs associated with incident response. These risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Risks Related to Complications with the Design or Implementation of Our Updated Enterprise Resource Planning System

We rely extensively on information systems and technology to manage our business and summarize operating results. We are in the process of a multi-year phased upgrade to our digital capabilities, including replacing our enterprise resource planning ("ERP") system to enhance operating efficiencies and transitioning to a cloud-based platform. The ERP system implementation update and cloud-based platform transition will require the training of personnel, migration of data, and the execution of certain new processes and procedures. We may be unable to successfully implement the updated ERP system or the new cloud-based platform without experiencing delays, increased costs and other difficulties. If we do not effectively manage the implementation or the resources necessary to build and sustain the upgraded technology infrastructure, or if we fail to achieve the expected benefits from this enhancement or it does not operate as designed, our business and operations could be adversely affected. Additionally, if we do not effectively implement the updated ERP system as planned or the updated ERP system does not operate as intended, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures could be adversely affected or our ability to assess those controls adequately could be delayed.

Risks Related to Activist Stockholders that May Attempt to Effect Changes at Our Company or Acquire Control Over Our Company

We have been the subject of campaigns by activist stockholders and may continue to be so in the future. Such activist stockholders may engage in proxy solicitations, advance stockholder proposals, or otherwise attempt to affect changes or acquire control over our company. Campaigns by stockholders to effect changes at publicly traded companies are sometimes led by investors seeking to increase short-term stockholder value through actions such as financial restructuring, increased debt, special dividends, stock repurchases or sales of assets or the entire company. Responding to proxy contests and other actions by activist stockholders can be costly and time-consuming and could divert the attention of our Board of Directors and senior management from the management of our operations and the pursuit of our business strategies. As a result, stockholder campaigns could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Risks Related to Share Repurchases

The amount and timing of all future purchases of shares of our common stock pursuant to our securities repurchase program, if any, are subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors and will depend upon business conditions, results of operations, financial condition and other factors. Our Board of Directors may, without advance notice, suspend or terminate our repurchase program. There can be no assurance that we will make repurchases of shares of our common stock in the future. Share repurchases under our repurchase program could diminish our available liquidity, which may impact our ability to finance future growth and to pursue possible future strategic growth projects. In addition, any elimination of, or downward revision in, our repurchase program could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.

Our Amended and Restated Bylaws, Which Designate the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the Sole and Exclusive Forum for Certain Types of Actions and Proceedings that May Be Initiated by Our Stockholders, and the U.S. Federal District Courts in Wilmington County, Delaware as the Exclusive Forum for Securities Act Claims, Could Limit Our Stockholders’ Ability to Obtain What Such Stockholders Believe To Be a Favorable Judicial Forum for Disputes with Us or Our Directors, Officers or Other Employees

Our amended and restated bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, (i) the Delaware Court of Chancery or, if such court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, another state or federal court located within the State of Delaware, will be the sole and exclusive forum with respect to (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (b) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our current or former directors, officers, stockholders, employees or agents to us or our stockholders, including a claim alleging the aiding and abetting of such a breach of fiduciary duty, (c) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our current or former directors, officers, stockholders, employees or agents arising out of or relating to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”), our certificate of incorporation or its amended and restated bylaws, (d) any action asserting a claim related to or involving us or any of our directors, officers, stockholders, employees or agents that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine of the State of Delaware, or (e) any action asserting an “internal corporate claim” as that term is defined in Section 115 of the DGCL, and (ii) the U.S. Federal District Court in Wilmington County, Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for any action arising under the Securities Act. Our choice-of-forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act, and investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring an interest in any shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in our amended and restated bylaws. These choice-of-forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that he, she or it believes to be favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits. Alternatively, if a court were to find these provisions of our amended and restated bylaws inapplicable or unenforceable with respect to one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We believe that cybersecurity is a critical component of our enterprise risk management process, and as such, we have implemented a cybersecurity program to assess, identify, and manage risks from cybersecurity threats that may result in adverse effects on the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our information systems.

The Board’s Oversight of Cybersecurity Risk

Our Board of Directors oversees management’s enterprise risk management process, including cybersecurity risks, to help align our risk exposure with our strategic objectives. Senior leadership, including our Chief Information Officer (CIO), regularly briefs the Board of Directors on our cybersecurity and information security, and we have processes by which certain cybersecurity incidents are escalated to the Board of Directors.

Management’s Involvement in the Oversight of Cybersecurity Risk

Our CIO, who reports to our Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, oversees our cybersecurity function. The Cybersecurity Manager reports to the CIO, and the CIO and Cybersecurity Manager are responsible for assessing and managing risks from cybersecurity threats, as well as our overall information security strategy, policy, security engineering, operations, and cybersecurity threat detection and response, and reporting on cybersecurity matters to the Board and executive management.

Our CIO has a Master of Science in Information Systems and has served in various roles in information technology for over 25 years. Our Cybersecurity Manager has served in various roles in information technology and information security for over 25 years, with 10 of those years as the leader responsible for enterprise cybersecurity, including serving as the Information Security Officer at another larger publicly traded company.

Risk Management and Strategy

Our CIO receives reports on cybersecurity threats from experienced information security personnel and third-party consultants and resources, and regularly reviews risk management measures implemented by the Company to identify and mitigate data protection and cybersecurity risks. Our processes and systems include automated tools and technical safeguards managed and monitored by our cybersecurity team. Additionally, we have a set of Company-wide policies and procedures regarding cybersecurity matters, which include an Information Security best practices intranet site, as well as other policies that directly or indirectly relate to cybersecurity, such as policies related to email usage, remote network access, internet usage, passphrase usage, information technology acceptable use, data governance and privacy, and information security. These policies go through an internal review process and are approved by appropriate members of management. We periodically conduct penetration and vulnerability testing, data recovery testing, and security audits. We also conduct regular employee training on cybersecurity.

With respect to our incident response, we have adopted a plan that applies in the event of a cybersecurity threat or incident to provide a framework for responding to such threats and incidents. Our plan sets out a coordinated approach to investigating, containing, documenting, and mitigating incidents, including reporting findings and keeping senior management and other key stakeholders informed and involved as appropriate. We also employ processes designed to oversee and identify risks from cybersecurity threats associated with our use of third-party service providers.

We also maintain what we believe are appropriate levels of cybersecurity insurance that covers settlements, judgments and defense costs arising out of a failure of network security, a privacy breach, media liability, business income loss resulting from a cyber event and for cyber extortion coverage. This cybersecurity insurance coverage also provides for certain breach response services in connection with incidents involving the theft, loss or unauthorized disclosure of third-party information, and computer system security breaches.

Risks from cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents, have not materially affected us, including our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition, but we face certain ongoing risks from cybersecurity threats that, if realized, are reasonably likely to have such an affect.

We own a facility containing approximately 108,000 square feet of office space (approximately 81,000 square feet of which is currently being leased to third parties) on approximately 11 acres of land in Katy, Texas, which houses certain administrative offices, and we own a facility containing approximately 93,000 square feet of industrial and office space on approximately 34 acres of land in Carencro, Louisiana, which houses our DURA-BASE® mats manufacturing facilities and technology center. We also lease and own office and warehouse space to support our field operations, as well as our administrative offices throughout the U.S. and U.K.

In the ordinary course of conducting our business, we become involved in litigation and other claims from private party actions, as well as judicial and administrative proceedings involving governmental authorities at the federal, state, and local levels. While the outcome of litigation or other proceedings against us cannot be predicted with certainty, management does not expect that any loss resulting from such litigation or other proceedings, in excess of any amounts accrued or covered by insurance, will have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial statements.

The following discussion of our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, and capital resources should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

Overview

NPK International Inc. is a temporary worksite access solutions company that manufactures, sells, and rents recyclable composite matting products, along with a full suite of services, including planning, logistics, and site restoration. In 2024, 67% of our revenues were generated from the rental of our recyclable composite matting systems, along with related site construction and services to customers in various markets including power transmission, oil and natural gas exploration and production (“E&P”), pipeline, renewable energy, petrochemical, construction and other industries within the United States and United Kingdom. The remaining 33% of our 2024 revenues were generated from the sale of our manufactured recyclable composite mats to customers around the world, with power transmission being the primary end-market.

We previously operated a Fluids Systems business, which was historically reported as a separate operating segment, that provided drilling and completion fluids products and related technical services to customers for oil, natural gas, and geothermal projects primarily in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and North America, as well as certain countries in Asia Pacific. On September 13, 2024, we completed the sale of the equity interests in substantially all of the Company’s Fluids Systems segment (the “Sale Transaction”) to SCF Partners, a leading private equity firm serving the global energy industry (the “Purchaser”). The results of operations of Fluids Systems are reported in discontinued operations in the consolidated statements of operations. All results and information in the consolidated financial statements and related notes are presented for our continuing operations and exclude Fluids Systems unless otherwise noted specifically as discontinued operations. See Note 2 for additional information.

2024 Strategic Actions

As aligned with our Strategy described in Part I. Item I. Business, the following strategic actions were taken in 2024.

• Completed the Fluids Systems Sale Transaction – The September 2024 sale marked an important strategic milestone for our company, simplifying our business model while meaningfully improving our margin profile, return on investment and profitability potential, as we focus on growing our scale as a leading, pure-play specialty rental and services business in the global worksite access and critical infrastructure markets. The estimated total consideration of the Sale Transaction was $88.2 million, which includes $70.2 million of cash proceeds received at closing, $16.0 million of receivables, primarily reflecting an adjustment for the final working capital conveyed at closing, and a $5 million interest-bearing note receivable, partially offset by net deferred consideration liabilities.
• Rebranded as NPK – In December 2024, we announced our new brand identity, aligning with our strategic focus on specialty rental solutions for the global access market, and launched a new company website (www.npki.com (http://www.npki.com)). NPK International commenced trading on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “NPKI” beginning December 19, 2024.
• Strengthened Balance Sheet – We ended 2024 with total cash of $17.8 million, total debt of $7.7 million, and available liquidity under our ABL credit facility of $65.8 million, positioning the Company to pursue our stated organic and inorganic growth strategy.
• Accelerated Organic Growth – In support of our efforts to accelerate revenue growth through the expansion of our high-return rental business, approximately $37 million of our 2024 capital expenditures were directed to the expansion of our mat rental fleet, expanding the rental fleet by approximately 11%, driving a 7% year-over-year increase in rental revenues.
• Drove Operational Efficiency – During 2024, we continually took actions to streamline our overhead structure, which contributed to a $5.0 million year-over-year reduction in selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) for 2024. SG&A as a percentage of revenues was 21.2% for 2024 compared to 24.6% for 2023. We plan to maintain our focus on efficiency improvements and operating cost optimization across every aspect of our business. With the recent completion of the sale of the Fluids Systems business and simplified business model, we continue to evaluate and execute actions intended to streamline the organization and our cost structure, driving improvements in profitability, with the goal of driving SG&A as a percentage of revenue to a mid-teens range by early 2026.

Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023

Consolidated Results of Operations

Summarized results of operations for 2024 compared to 2023 are as follows:

(In thousands)

The following table presents further disaggregated revenues by type:

(In thousands)

The following table presents gross profit margins by type:

(In thousands)

Revenues

Revenues increased 5% to $217.5 million for 2024, compared to $207.6 million for 2023, including a 24% increase in product sales revenues, partially offset by a 3% decline in rental and service revenues. Rental revenues increased $6.1 million (7%) primarily due to higher rental volume driven by our organic growth efforts, partially offset by lower pricing. Service revenues decreased $10.3 million (15%), primarily attributable to a reduced level of services required within customer rental projects. Product sales revenues increased $14.0 million (24%) for 2024, primarily reflecting an increasing customer adoption of manufactured composite matting products relative to timber-based products that continue to be the primary solution used for temporary worksite access. The majority of the 2024 and 2023 revenues were derived from customers in the power transmission sector.

Cost of revenues

Cost of revenues increased 4% to $140.4 million for 2024 (35.5% gross profit margin), compared to $135.1 million for 2023 (34.9% gross profit margin), primarily driven by the 5% increase in revenues described above. The improvement in gross profit margin is primarily attributable to the effects of an improved revenue mix. Rental and service margins increased primarily due to a higher proportion of rental revenues and a lower proportion of service revenues. Product sales margins decreased partially due to an approximately $1 million impact of an unscheduled downtime event on one of the production lines at our manufacturing facility in the third quarter 2024.

Selling, general and administrative expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased $5.0 million to $46.0 million for 2024, compared to $51.1 million for 2023. The decrease was primarily driven by lower performance-based incentives and other personnel expense resulting from efforts to streamline the overhead structure, lower severance costs, as well as increased lease and sublease income associated with our administrative offices. In addition, 2023 included $1.4 million of costs related to strategic planning projects. Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues was 21.2% for 2024 compared to 24.6% for 2023.

Other operating (income) loss, net

Other operating (income) loss, net primarily reflects gains and losses associated with the sale of assets. In addition, 2024 includes a $0.6 million gain related to a legal settlement.

Foreign currency exchange

Foreign currency exchange was a $0.9 million loss for 2024 compared to a $0.9 million gain for 2023 and reflects the impact of currency translation for assets and liabilities (including intercompany balances) that are denominated in currencies other than functional currencies, principally related to our U.K. operations.

Interest expense, net

Interest expense was $2.6 million for 2024 compared to $4.1 million for 2023. The decrease in interest expense is primarily due to a decrease in average debt outstanding. The 2024 expense includes a $0.5 million non-cash write off of debt issuance costs associated with the amendment of our Amended ABL Facility. Discontinued operations also includes an allocation of interest expense on corporate debt. Such interest expense totaled $1.4 million and $2.4 million for 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Provision (benefit) for income taxes from continuing operations

The benefit for income taxes from continuing operations was $6.7 million for 2024 compared to a provision for income taxes of $5.6 million for 2023. The 2024 benefit includes a $15.9 million benefit primarily related to the release of valuation allowances on U.S. federal and state net operating losses and tax credit carryforwards that are now expected to be realized following the sale of the Fluids Systems business. Excluding this valuation allowance benefit, the effective tax rate increased to 31.7% for 2024 compared to 28.3% for 2023, primarily attributable to higher state income taxes and the effect of unbenefited losses in the U.K.

Income (loss) from discontinued operations

Income (loss) from discontinued operations reflects the former Fluids Systems segment, which was sold in the third quarter of 2024. The loss from discontinued operations for 2024 includes the loss on sale of the segment of $195.7 million. Discontinued operations also include $8.9 million and $12.7 million in charges for 2024 and 2023, respectively, primarily related to the Sale Transaction, impairments, and other items. See Note 2 for additional information.

Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2022

Consolidated Results of Operations

Summarized results of operations for 2023 compared to 2022 are as follows:

(In thousands)

The following table presents further disaggregated revenues by type:

(In thousands)

The following table presents gross profit margins by type:

(In thousands)

Revenues

Revenues increased 8% to $207.6 million for 2023, compared to $193.0 million for 2022, including a 12% increase in rental and service revenues, partially offset by a 2% decline in product sales revenues. Rental revenues increased $7.8 million (10%) primarily due to higher rental volume, driven by our organic growth efforts, partially offset by lower pricing. Service revenues increased $7.9 million (13%), reflecting a modestly higher level of services included within customer rental projects. Product sales revenues decreased slightly for 2023, with continued strong demand across sectors, including utilities.

Cost of revenues

Cost of revenues increased 2% to $135.1 million for 2023 (34.9% gross profit margin), compared to $133.0 million for 2022 (31.1% gross profit margin). The improvement in gross profit margin is primarily associated with revenue growth, including the effects of improved operating cost leverage from increased manufacturing, rental, and service activity.

Selling, general and administrative expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased $2.3 million to $51.1 million for 2023, compared to $48.8 million for 2022. This increase was primarily driven by $1.4 million of costs related to strategic planning projects and a $1.3 million increase in severance costs. Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues was 24.6% for 2023 compared to 25.3% for 2022.

Other operating (income) loss, net

Other operating (income) loss, net primarily includes gains associated with the sale of assets. Other operating (income) loss, net for 2022 includes a gain on divestiture of $2.6 million for the sale of the Conroe, Texas blending facility. See Note 13 for additional details.

Impairments and other charges

For 2022, we recognized a $7.9 million non-cash impairment charge related to the exit of our Industrial Blending operations. See Note 13 for additional details.

Foreign currency exchange

Foreign currency exchange was a $0.9 million gain for 2023 compared to a $1.3 million loss for 2022 and reflects the impact of currency translation for assets and liabilities (including intercompany balances) that are denominated in currencies other than functional currencies, principally related to our U.K. operations.

Interest expense, net

Interest expense was $4.1 million for 2023 compared to $3.5 million for 2022. The increase in interest expense is primarily due to an increase in benchmark borrowing rates in 2023 partially offset by a decrease in average debt outstanding. Discontinued operations also includes an allocation of interest expense on corporate debt. Such interest expense totaled $2.4 million and $2.3 million for 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Provision (benefit) for income taxes from continuing operations

The provision for income taxes from continuing operations was $5.6 million for 2023, representing an effective tax rate of 28.3%, compared to a provision for income taxes of $0.9 million for 2022, representing an effective tax rate of 52.9%. The effective tax rate for 2022 was negatively impacted by the level of pretax income from continuing operations.

Income (loss) from discontinued operations

Income (loss) from discontinued operations reflects the former Fluids Systems segment, which was sold in the third quarter of 2024. Discontinued operations also include $12.7 million and $29.8 million in charges for 2023 and 2022, respectively, primarily related to impairments and other items. See Note 2 for additional information.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

We elected not to adjust the consolidated statements of cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 to exclude cash flows attributable to discontinued operations. As a result, the below descriptions of net cash provided by or used in operating, investing, and financing activities represents the consolidated cash flows for such activities. See Note 2 for depreciation, capital expenditures and significant operating and investing non-cash items related to discontinued operations.

Net cash provided by operating activities was $38.2 million for 2024 compared to $100.0 million for 2023. Net income adjusted for non-cash items provided cash of $54.5 million in 2024, compared to $57.2 million in 2023, while changes in working capital used cash of $16.3 million in 2024, compared to $42.8 million of cash provided in 2023. The cash provided by changes in working capital in 2023 benefited from the wind down of working capital associated with certain fourth quarter 2022 divestiture transactions.

Net cash provided by investing activities was $8.3 million for 2024, which includes $48.5 million in initial net proceeds from the sale of the Fluids Systems business, partially offset by capital expenditures of $43.5 million in 2024, the substantial majority of which were directed to expanding our mat rental fleet. Net cash used in investing activities was $5.7 million for 2023, including $29.2 million in capital expenditures partially offset by $19.8 million in proceeds received related to our fourth quarter 2022 divestiture transactions.

Net cash used in financing activities was $66.9 million for 2024 and primarily relates to net repayments on our Amended ABL Facility and other financing arrangements. Net cash used in financing activities was $81.0 million for 2023, which includes $47.4 million in net repayments on our Amended ABL Facility and other financing arrangements and $32.0 million in share purchases under our repurchase program.

Following completion of the Sale Transaction in September 2024, substantially all our $17.8 million of cash on hand at December 31, 2024 resides in the U.S. We primarily manage our liquidity utilizing cash on hand and availability under our Amended ABL Facility and other existing financing arrangements.

We expect future working capital requirements for our operations will generally fluctuate directionally with revenues, and total availability under the Amended ABL Facility to fluctuate directionally based on the level of eligible U.S. accounts receivable, inventory, and composite mats included in the rental fleet. We expect capital expenditures in 2025 to be $35 million to $40 million, with spending primarily focused on the expansion of our mat rental fleet to further support the utilities market penetration. We also expect to use a portion of our existing liquidity to return value to our shareholders and pursue our long-term strategic initiatives. We expect cash on hand and cash generated by operations, as well as the projected availability under our Amended ABL Facility and other existing financing arrangements, to be adequate to fund our current operations during the next 12 months.

Our capitalization is as follows:

(In thousands)

Asset-Based Loan Facility. In October 2017, we entered into a U.S. asset-based revolving credit agreement, which was amended in March 2019, amended and restated in May 2022, and further amended and restated in September 2024 (the “Amended ABL Facility”). The Amended ABL Facility provides financing of up to $100.0 million available for borrowings (inclusive of letters of credit), which can be increased up to $250.0 million, subject to certain conditions. The Amended ABL Facility has a five-year term expiring May 2027, is based on a Bloomberg Short-Term Bank Yield Index (“BSBY”) pricing grid, and includes a mechanism to incorporate a sustainability-linked pricing framework with the consent of the required lenders (as defined in the Amended ABL Facility). The BSBY rates were replaced with Term SOFR (Secured Overnight Financing Rate) beginning in November 2024.

As of December 31, 2024, our total availability under the Amended ABL Facility was $67.8 million, with no outstanding borrowings and $2.0 million was used for outstanding letters of credit, resulting in remaining availability of $65.8 million.

Borrowing availability under the Amended ABL Facility is calculated based on eligible U.S. accounts receivable, inventory and composite mats included in the rental fleet, net of reserves and subject to limits on certain of the assets included in the borrowing base calculation. To the extent pledged by the borrowers, the borrowing base calculation also includes the amount of eligible pledged cash. The administrative agent may establish reserves in accordance with the Amended ABL Facility, in part based on appraisals of the asset base, and other limits in its discretion, which could reduce the amounts otherwise available under the Amended ABL Facility.

Under the terms of the Amended ABL Facility, we may elect to borrow at a variable interest rate based on either, (1) the Term SOFR rate (subject to a floor of zero) or (2) the base rate (subject to a floor of zero), equal to the highest of (a) the federal funds rate plus 0.50%, (b) the prime rate of Bank of America, N.A., and (c) Term SOFR for a one-month interest period plus 1.00%, plus, in each case, an applicable margin per annum. The applicable margin ranges from 1.50% to 2.00% per annum for Term SOFR borrowings, and 0.50% to 1.00% per annum for base rate borrowings, based on the consolidated leverage ratio (as defined in the Amended ABL Facility) as of the last day of the most recent fiscal quarter. We are also required to pay a commitment fee equal to (i) 0.375% per annum at any time the average daily unused portion of the commitments is greater than 50% and (ii) 0.25% per annum at any time the average daily unused portion of the commitments is less than 50%.

As of December 31, 2024, the applicable margin for borrowings under the Amended ABL Facility was 1.50% with respect to Term SOFR borrowings and 0.50% with respect to base rate borrowings, and the applicable commitment fee on the unused portion of the Amended ABL Facility was 0.375% per annum.

The September 2024 amendment, among other things, (i) released Newpark Drilling Fluids from its obligations as a borrower under the Amended ABL Facility, (ii) reduced the aggregate commitments under the Amended ABL Facility from $175 million to $100 million, (iii) reduced the aggregate letter of credit sublimit under the Amended ABL Facility from $15 million to $10 million, (iv) provided that the financial covenant requiring the Consolidated Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Amended ABL Facility) to be less than or equal to 4.00 to 1.00 is tested for each fiscal quarter (beginning the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2024), instead of being tested only when availability under the Amended ABL Facility is below 40% of the borrowing base, (v) consented to the Sale Transaction and (vi) decreased certain other thresholds proportionally with the decreased commitments under the Amended ABL Facility. The Amended ABL Facility also requires a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.00 to 1.00 for the most recently completed four fiscal quarters.

The Amended ABL Facility is a senior secured obligation of the Company and certain of our U.S. subsidiaries constituting borrowers thereunder, secured by a first priority lien on substantially all of the personal property and certain real property of the borrowers, including a first priority lien on certain equity interests of direct subsidiaries of the borrowers.

The Amended ABL Facility contains customary representations, warranties and covenants that, among other things, and subject to certain specified circumstances and exceptions, restrict or limit the ability of the borrowers and certain of their subsidiaries to incur indebtedness (including guarantees), grant liens, make investments, pay dividends or distributions with respect to capital stock and make other restricted payments, make prepayments on certain indebtedness, engage in mergers or other fundamental changes, dispose of property, and change the nature of their business.

The Amended ABL Facility includes customary events of default including non-payment of principal, interest or fees, violation of covenants, inaccuracy of representations or warranties, cross-default to other material indebtedness, bankruptcy and insolvency events, invalidity or impairment of security interests or invalidity of loan documents, certain ERISA events, unsatisfied or unstayed judgments and change of control.

Other Financing Arrangements. In April 2022, a U.K. subsidiary entered a £7.0 million term loan and a £2.0 million revolving credit facility. In October 2024, all amounts outstanding under the term loan and revolving credit facility were repaid, and both were terminated.

We also maintain finance leases primarily related to transportation equipment. During 2024, we entered $3.5 million of new finance lease liabilities in exchange for leased assets.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We do not have any special purpose entities. At December 31, 2024, we had $6.2 million in outstanding letters of credit, performance bonds, and other guarantees for which certain of the letters of credit are collateralized by $0.5 million in restricted cash. We also enter into normal short-term operating leases for office and warehouse space, as well as certain operating equipment. None of these off-balance sheet arrangements either has, or is expected to have, a material effect on our financial statements.

Contractual Obligations

A summary of our outstanding contractual and other obligations and commitments at December 31, 2024 is as follows:

(In thousands)

(1) Financing obligations, finance lease liabilities, and operating lease liabilities represent the undiscounted future payments.

(2) Excludes the current portion of operating lease liabilities.

(3) Table does not allocate by year expected tax payments and uncertain tax positions due to the inability to make reasonably reliable estimates of the timing of future cash settlements.

We anticipate that the obligations and commitments listed above that are due in less than one year will be paid from available cash on-hand, cash generated by operations, and the projected availability under our Amended ABL Facility, subject to covenant compliance and certain restrictions as further discussed above. The specific timing of settlement for certain long-term obligations cannot be reasonably estimated.

Critical Accounting Policies

Critical Accounting Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”), which requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures. Significant estimates used in preparing our consolidated financial statements include estimated cash flows and fair values used for impairments of long-lived assets, including goodwill and other intangibles, and valuation allowances for deferred tax assets. See Note 1 in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for a discussion of the accounting policies for each of these matters. Our estimates are based on historical experience and on our future expectations that we believe to be reasonable. The combination of these factors forms the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from our current estimates and those differences may be material.

We believe the critical accounting policies described below affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in preparing the consolidated financial statements.

Sale of Fluids Systems Business

In September 2024, we completed the sale of the Fluids Systems business. See Note 2 for additional information. In connection with recognizing the loss on the Sale Transaction included in discontinued operations, we made certain estimates in determining the amounts of deferred consideration due from the Purchaser and estimated liabilities due to the Purchaser. Estimated deferred consideration due from the Purchaser is related to certain pre-closing tax assets and other receivables that are expected to be substantially realized in 2025. Estimated liabilities due to the Purchaser includes certain payables for pre-closing tax liabilities and obligations attributable to the Fluids Systems business that are expected to be substantially settled in 2025, as well as an estimated liability for contractual indemnifications related to various pre-closing contingencies of the Fluids Systems business.

Our estimates for the fair value of deferred consideration due from the Purchaser and liabilities due to the Purchaser required us to make judgments regarding the likelihood of possible outcomes and cash flows and the ultimate resolution of such matters. These judgments are uncertain in that they require assumptions about the potential outcomes and may change. Depending on the actual outcomes of such matters, or changes in these assumptions, the estimated amounts recognized for deferred consideration due from the Purchaser and estimated liabilities due to the Purchaser may change and any income or expense associated with such changes will be presented in discontinued operations.

Goodwill

As of December 31, 2024, our consolidated balance sheet includes $47.2 million of goodwill. Goodwill is tested for impairment annually as of November 1, or more frequently, if indicators of impairment exist. As part of our annual goodwill review, we first perform a qualitative assessment based on company performance and future business outlook to determine if indicators of impairment exist. When there are qualitative indicators of impairment, we use an impairment test which includes a comparison of the carrying value of net assets of our reporting unit, including goodwill, with its estimated fair values, which we estimate using a combination of a market multiple and discounted cash flow approach (classified within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy). In completing the annual evaluation during the fourth quarter of 2024, we determined that the fair value was significantly more than the net carrying value, and therefore, no impairment was required.

Income Taxes

We had total deferred tax assets of $78.6 million and $56.0 million at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. A valuation allowance must be established to offset a deferred tax asset if, based on available evidence, it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. We have considered future taxable income and tax planning strategies in assessing the need for our valuation allowance. At December 31, 2024, we had a total valuation allowance of $34.3 million, which includes valuation allowances of $20.3 million for U.S. capital loss carryforwards, $9.2 million for certain U.S. state and foreign net operating loss carryforwards, as well as $4.8 million for foreign tax credits. In 2024, we recognized a valuation allowance of $20.3 million on capital losses related to the sale of the Fluids Systems business that are not expected to be realized, partially offset by $15.9 million tax benefit recognized primarily related to the release of valuation allowances on U.S. federal and state net operating losses and tax credit carryforwards that are now expected to be realized following the sale of the Fluids Systems business. Changes in the expected future generation of qualifying taxable income within these jurisdictions or in the realizability of other tax assets may result in an adjustment to the valuation allowance, which would be charged or credited to income in the period this determination was made.

We file income tax returns in the U.S. and certain non-U.S. jurisdictions and are subject to examination in the various jurisdictions in which we file. We are no longer subject to income tax examinations for U.S. federal and substantially all state jurisdictions for years prior to 2020 and for substantially all foreign jurisdictions for years prior to 2018.

From time to time, we are examined by various tax authorities in countries where we operate. We fully cooperate with all audits but defend existing positions vigorously. We evaluate the potential exposure associated with various filing positions and record a liability for uncertain tax positions as circumstances warrant. Although we believe all tax positions are reasonable and properly reported in accordance with applicable tax laws and regulations in effect during the periods involved, the final determination of these matters could be materially different than that which is reflected in historical income tax provisions and accruals.

New Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 1 in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for a discussion of new accounting pronouncements.

We are exposed to market risk from changes in interest rates and changes in foreign currency exchange rates. A discussion of our primary market risk exposure in financial instruments is presented below.

Interest Rate Risk

We are primarily exposed to interest rate risk through our Amended ABL Facility, which is subject to variable interest rates as determined by the debt agreement. At December 31, 2024, we had no borrowings under our Amended ABL Facility.

Foreign Currency Risk

Following the Fluids Systems sale in September 2024, our principal foreign operations are currently conducted in the U.K., which contributed approximately 6% of our consolidated revenues. We have foreign currency exchange risks associated with these operations, which are conducted principally in British pounds. Historically, we have not used off-balance sheet financial hedging instruments to manage foreign currency risks when we enter into a transaction denominated in a currency other than our local currencies.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) as of the end of the period covered by this annual report. Based on such evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2024, the end of the period covered by this annual report.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

We are responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Securities and Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f). Our internal control system over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of our financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Internal control over financial reporting has inherent limitations and may not prevent or detect misstatements. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance, not absolute assurance with respect to the financial statement preparation and presentation. Further, because of changes in conditions, the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting may vary over time.

Under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we have evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024 as required by the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 Rule 13a-15(c). In making our assessment, we have utilized the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in a report entitled “Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013).” We concluded that based on our evaluation, our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2024.

The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024 has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which is included herein.

/s/ Matthew S. Lanigan

Matthew S. Lanigan

Chief Executive Officer

/s/ Gregg S. Piontek

Gregg S. Piontek

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the stockholders and the Board of Directors of NPK International Inc.

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of NPK International Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2024, of the Company and our report dated February 28, 2025, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.

Basis for Opinion

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Houston, Texas

February 28, 2025