Friedman Industries Inc: Form 10-K for the period ended Mar 31, 2021

Friedman Industries, Incorporated (the “Company”), a Texas corporation incorporated in 1965, is a manufacturer and processor of steel products and operates in two reportable segments: coil products and tubular products. Significant financial information relating to the Company’s business segments for the last two years is contained in Note 13 of the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, which financial statements are incorporated herein by reference in Item 8 hereof.

Coil Products

The coil product segment consists of the operation of two hot-rolled coil processing facilities; one in Hickman, Arkansas (“Hickman”) and the other in Decatur, Alabama (“Decatur”). The Hickman facility operates a temper mill and a cut-to-length line. The temper mill improves the flatness and surface qualities of the coils and the cut-to-length line levels the steel and cuts the coils into sheet and plate of prescribed lengths. The Hickman facility is capable of cutting sheet and plate with thicknesses ranging from 14 gauge to ½” thick in widths ranging from 36” wide to 72” wide. The Decatur facility previously operated a temper mill and a cut-to-length line but during the quarter ended June 30, 2020, the equipment was removed to allow the foundation to be prepared for a new stretcher leveler line. In March 2021, the new stretcher leveler line was placed into service. The estimated total cost of this project is $7,200,000 with approximately $6,733,000 having been paid as of March 31, 2021. The new equipment expands the coil segment’s processing capabilities to include material up to 96” wide and material of higher grades and will allow the Decatur facility to cut material that is up to ½” thick compared to the previous equipment’s capability of 5/16” thick. In addition, sheet and plate that has been stretcher leveled is preferable to some customers and applications compared to material that has been leveled through the temper mill process. The coil product segment sells its prime grade inventory under the Friedman Industries name but also maintains an inventory of non-standard coil products, consisting primarily of mill secondary and excess prime coils, which are sold through the Company’s XSCP division. The coil product segment also processes customer-owned coils on a fee basis.

The Hickman and Decatur facilities are substantially similar with respect to products produced. The Company makes shipments of coil products based on which facility offers the desired product or, if the product is available at both facilities, based on other factors, such as customer location, freight conditions and the ability of the facility to fulfill the order on a timely basis. Coil products are sold on a wholesale, rapid-delivery basis in competition with other processors of hot-rolled steel coils. Shipments are made via unaffiliated truckers or by rail.

On May 25, 2021, the Company announced plans for a new facility in Sinton, Texas that will be part of the coil product segment. The new facility will be on the campus of Steel Dynamics, Inc.'s ("SDI") new flat roll steel mill currently under construction in Sinton, Texas. The Company's new location will consist of an approximately 70,000 square foot building located on approximately 26.5 acres leased from SDI under a 99-year agreement. The Company has selected Red Bud Industries to build one of the world’s largest stretcher leveler cut-to-length lines, capable of handling material up to 1” thick, widths up to 96” and yields exceeding 100,000 psi. The Company expects the location to commence operations in April 2022 and estimates the total cost of the project to be $21 million.

The coil segment purchases its inventory from a limited number of suppliers. Loss of any of these suppliers could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business.

Tubular Products

The tubular product segment consists of the Company’s Texas Tubular Products division (“TTP”) located in Lone Star, Texas. TTP operates two electric resistance welded pipe mills with a combined outside diameter (“OD”) size range of 2 3/8” OD to 8 5/8” OD. Both pipe mills are American Petroleum Institute (“API”) licensed to manufacture line pipe and oil country pipe and also manufacture pipe for structural purposes that meets other recognized industry standards. TTP has an API licensed pipe finishing facility that threads and couples oil country tubular goods and performs other services that are customary in the pipe finishing process. The pipe finishing facility is currently idled due to market conditions. TTP’s inventory consists of raw materials and finished goods. Raw material inventory consists of hot-rolled steel coils that TTP will manufacture into pipe. Finished goods inventory consists of pipe TTP has manufactured and mill reject pipe that TTP purchased from U.S. Steel Tubular Products, Inc.

TTP purchases its inventory from a limited number of suppliers. Loss of any of these suppliers could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business.

Marketing

The following table sets forth the approximate percentage of total sales contributed by each group of products and services during each of the Company’s last two fiscal years:

Coil Products. The Company sells coil products and processing services to approximately 200 customers located primarily in the midwestern, southwestern and southeastern regions of the United States. The Company’s principal customers for these products and services are steel distributors and customers manufacturing steel products such as steel buildings, railroad cars, barges, tanks and containers, trailers, component parts and other fabricated steel products. No individual coil products customer accounted for 10% or more of the Company's total sales for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, sales of coil products to Trinity Industries, Inc. accounted for approximately 18% of the Company's total sales.

The Company sells substantially all of its coil products through its own sales force. At March 31, 2021, the sales force was comprised of the Vice President of Sales – Coil Divisions and four professional sales personnel. Sales personnel are paid on a salary and commission basis.

Tubular Products. The Company sells its tubular products nationally to approximately 125 customers. The Company’s principal customers for these products are steel and pipe distributors. In fiscal years 2021 and 2020, no individual tubular customer accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s total sales.

The Company sells substantially all of its tubular products through its own sales force. At March 31, 2021, the sales force was comprised of the Vice President of Sales – Tubular Division and three professional sales personnel. Sales personnel are paid on a salary and commission basis.

Competition

The Company is engaged in a non-seasonal, highly-competitive business. The Company competes with other processors of hot-rolled steel coils, tubular manufacturers, steel distributors and brokers.

The Company believes that, generally, its ability to compete is dependent upon its ability to offer products at prices competitive with or below those of other steel suppliers, as well as its ability to provide products meeting customer specifications on a rapid-delivery basis.

Human Capital Resources

At March 31, 2021, the Company had 93 full-time employees and 1 part-time employee.

Executive Officers of the Company

The following table sets forth as of March 31, 2021, for each executive officer of the Company, the name, age, officer positions and arrangements with other persons regarding his selection as an officer, if any, and the period during which such officer has served in such capacity:

3

The principal real properties of the Company are described in the following table:

(1) All of the Company’s owned real properties, plants and offices are held in fee and are not subject to any mortgage or deed of trust.

(2) The office lease is with a non-affiliated party, expires on April 30, 2024, and requires a monthly rental payment by the Company of $4,878.

(3) This lease is a 99 year lease with Steel Dynamics Inc. that calls for an annual rental payment of $1 and has an expiration date of February 19, 2120.

The Company is not, and during fiscal year 2021 was not, a party to, nor is its property the subject of, any material pending legal proceedings.

Information with respect to Item 7 is hereby incorporated herein by reference from the section of the Company’s Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

In accordance with Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15, we have evaluated, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of March 31, 2021. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance that the information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC. Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of March 31, 2021.

MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and 15(d)-15(f) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended). We have established disclosure controls and procedures designed to ensure that material information required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified by the Securities and Exchange Commission and that any material information relating to us is recorded, processed, summarized and reported to our management including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures. In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures, our management recognizes that controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving desired control objectives. In reaching a reasonable level of assurance, our management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.

As required by Rule 13a-15(b) under the Exchange Act, we have evaluated, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this report and, during the audit process related to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of March 31, 2021.

Notwithstanding the identified material weakness, the Company's management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, have determined, based on the procedures we have performed, that the audited consolidated financial statements included in this report fairly present in all material respects our financial condition and results of operations as of and for the years ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

Material Weakness in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the Company's annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

During the audit process related to our fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, management, in connection with our independent auditors, identified a material weakness in our controls related to the review of the annual income tax provision prepared by a third-party firm. Specifically, we did not maintain effective controls to sufficiently review the completeness and accuracy of the annual tax provision. Our review was not sufficiently detailed to identify a material misstatement in deferred income taxes. The Company recorded an audit adjustment of approximately $3.5 million impacting the balance sheet items of deferred tax assets and accumulated other comprehensive loss. The audit adjustment caused the Company to change from a net deferred income tax liability position to a net deferred income tax asset position. Additionally, the Company’s review of the annual income tax provision did not include a process to sufficiently evaluate deferred tax assets to determine if a valuation allowance was necessary. The Company has since performed an analysis to consider if a valuation allowance is necessary in relation to the Company’s deferred tax assets and concluded that no valuation allowance is necessary due to anticipated recoverability through future taxable income.

Plan for Remediation of Material Weakness

Our Company is relatively small. As disclosed in our Form 10-K, we had 93 full-time employees as of March 31, 2021. Our accounting and finance team consisted of two degreed accountants as of March 31, 2021. Leading up to, and during the financial statement audit period, considerable time was expended by our accounting and finance team to finalize the asset-based credit facility described in Note 3 and to select our general contractor and equipment manufacturer related to our planned new facility in Sinton, Texas disclosed in Note 5 and to finalize contracts with such parties. This resulted in the Company falling behind in the timeline necessary to complete the audit process and regulatory filings in a timely manner. In an effort to meet regulatory deadlines, the Company did not perform a sufficient review of third-party materials. The Company concludes that the best remediation of the material weakness is an investment in human capital that will allow it to meet its regulatory requirements and growth objectives. On May 24, 2021, the Company hired an additional degreed accountant. The timing of this hire in relation to the audit process made it difficult for the hire to have a beneficial impact on the process related to our fiscal year end March 31, 2021. However, the Company believes the investment in human capital will provide sufficient remediation in future periods and the Company will continue to evaluate the appropriate level of staffing to ensure the controls over financial reporting are adhered to and the Company can meet its regulatory requirements in a timely manner.

We will continue to monitor the design and effectiveness of these procedures and controls and make any further changes the Company determines appropriate. We believe the additional investment in human capital described above will remediate the material weakness the Company has identified. However, this material weakness will not be considered remediated until the applicable remedial actions operate effectively for a sufficient period of time

Attestation Report of the Registered Public Accounting Firm

Pursuant to Regulation S-K Item 308(b), this Annual Report on Form 10-K does not include an attestation report of our Company's independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Except for the matter discussed above, there were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during our most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.