Park Aerospace Corp: Form 10-K for the period ended Mar 3, 2024

General

Park Aerospace Corp. (“Park”), and its subsidiaries (unless the context otherwise requires, Park and its subsidiaries are hereinafter called the “Company”), is an aerospace company which develops and manufactures solution and hot-melt advanced composite materials used to produce composite structures for the global aerospace markets. Park’s advanced composite materials include film adhesives and lightning strike protection materials. Park offers an array of composite materials specifically designed for hand lay-up or automated fiber placement (AFP) manufacturing applications. Park’s advanced composite materials are used to produce primary and secondary structures for jet engines, large and regional transport aircraft, military aircraft, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs commonly referred to as “drones”), business jets, general aviation aircraft and rotary wing aircraft. Park also offers specialty ablative materials for rocket motors and nozzles and specially designed materials for radome applications. As a complement to Park’s advanced composite materials offering, Park designs and fabricates composite parts, structures and assemblies and low-volume tooling for the aerospace industry. Target markets for Park’s composite parts and structures (which include Park’s proprietary composite SigmaStrut™ and AlphaStrut™ product lines) are, among others, prototype and development aircraft, special mission aircraft, spares for legacy military and civilian aircraft and exotic spacecraft. Park’s core capabilities are in the areas of polymer chemistry formulation and coating technology.

The Company's manufacturing and research and development facilities are located in Newton, Kansas.

Park was founded in 1954 by Jerry Shore, who was the Company’s Chairman of the Board until July 14, 2004.

The Company makes available free of charge on its website, www.parkaerospace.com (http://www.parkaerospace.com), its annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. None of the information on the Company's website shall be deemed to be a part of this Report.

AEROGLIDE®, AEROADHERE®, COREFIX®, ELECTROGLIDE®, ELECTROVEIL® and RADARWAVE® are registered trademarks of Park Aerospace Corp., and ALPHASTRUT®, PEELCOTE® and SIGMASTRUT® are common law trademarks of Park Aerospace Corp.

Operations

The Company designs, develops and manufactures engineered, advanced composite materials and advanced composite structures and assemblies and low-volume tooling for the aerospace markets and prototype tooling for such structures and assemblies.

The Company’s aerospace composite materials are designed, developed and manufactured at its facility located at the Newton, Kansas Airport. The Company’s aerospace composite structures and assemblies and low-volume tooling are also developed and manufactured at its facility located in Newton, Kansas.

Park offers a wide range of aerospace composite materials manufacturing capability, as well as composite structures design, assembly and production capability, all in its Newton facility. Park offers composite aircraft and space vehicle structures design and assembly services, in addition to “build-to-print” services. The Company believes that the ability to manufacture and develop both composite materials and structures at a single location can facilitate the needs of the aircraft and space vehicle industries.

Under a Business Partner Agreement with ArianeGroup SAS of Les Mureaux, France, Park is the exclusive North American distributor of ArianeGroup’s RAYCARB C2B® NG proprietary product. RAYCARB C2B® NG is used to produce ablative composite materials for critical rocketry and missile systems. Park is a long-term customer of ArianeGroup and uses ArianeGroup’s RAYCARB C2B® NG product in the production of many of Park’s key ablative materials, which Park supplies into critical rocket and missile programs.

Industry Background

The aerospace composite materials manufactured by the Company and its competitors are used primarily to fabricate light-weight, high-strength structures with specifically designed performance properties. Composite materials are typically highly specified combinations of resin formulations and reinforcements. Reinforcements can be unidirectional fibers, woven fabrics, or non-woven goods such as mats or felts. Resin formulations are typically highly proprietary, and include various chemical and physical mixtures. The Company produces resin formulations using various epoxies, polyesters, phenolics, cyanate esters, polyimides and other complex matrices. The reinforcement combined with the resin is referred to as a “prepreg”. Aerospace composite materials can be broadly categorized as either thermosets or thermoplastics. While both material types require the addition of heat to form a consolidated laminate, thermoplastics can be reformed using additional heat. Once fully cured, thermoset materials cannot be further reshaped. The Company believes that the demand for thermoset advanced materials is greater than that for thermoplastics due to the fact that parts fabrication processes for continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastics require much higher temperatures and pressures and are, therefore, typically more capital intensive than parts fabrication processes for most thermoset materials.

The Company works with aerospace Original Equipment Manufacturers (“OEMs”), such as general aviation aircraft manufacturers and commercial aircraft manufacturers, and certain tier 1 suppliers (manufacturers of major components or systems such as engines, control systems, landing gear, braking systems, flight deck, avionics, aerostructures, electronic warfare systems and interior cabin products that are supplied to the OEMs) to qualify its aerospace composite materials or structures and assemblies for use on current and upcoming programs. The Company’s customers typically design and specify a material specifically to meet the requirements of the customer’s application and processing methods. Such customers sometimes work with a supplier to develop the specific resin system and reinforcement combination to match the application. Composite structure fabrication methods may include hand lay-up, resin infusion or more advanced automated lay-up processes. Automated lay-up processes include automated tape lay-up, automated fiber placement and filament winding. These automated fabrication processes required different material formats but similar materials to hand lay-up. After the lay-up process is completed, the material is cured by the addition of heat and pressure. Cure and consolidation processes typically include vacuum bag/oven curing, high pressure autoclave and press forming. After the structure has been cured, final finishing and trimming, and assembly of the structure, is performed by the fabricator or the Company.

Products

The aerospace composite materials products manufactured by the Company are primarily thermoset curing prepregs. The Company has developed proprietary resin formulations to suit the needs of the markets in which it participates by analyzing the needs of the markets and working with its customers. The complex process of developing resin formulations and selecting the proper reinforcement is accomplished through a collaborative effort of the Company’s research and development, materials and process engineering and technical sales and marketing resources working with the customers’ technical staff. The Company focuses on developing a thorough understanding of its customers’ businesses, product lines, processes and technical challenges. The Company develops innovative solutions which utilize technologically advanced materials and concepts for its customers.

The Company’s aerospace composite materials products include prepregs manufactured from proprietary formulations using modified epoxies, phenolics, polyesters, cyanate esters and polyimides combined with woven, non-woven and unidirectional reinforcements. Reinforcement materials used to produce the Company’s products include polyacrylonitrile (“PAN”) based carbon fiber, E-glass (fiberglass), S2 glass, quartz, aramids, such as Kevlar® (“Kevlar” is a registered trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.), Twaron® (“Twaron” is a registered trademark of Teijin Twaron B.V. LLC), polyester and other synthetic materials. The Company also sells certain specialty fabrics and prepregs with carbonized rayon fabric reinforcements that are used mainly in the rocket motor industry.

The Company’s composite structures and assemblies are manufactured with carbon, fiberglass and other reinforcements impregnated with formulated resins. The Company also provides low-volume tooling in connection with its manufacture and sale of composite structures and assemblies.

Park is the exclusive North American distributor of ArianeGroup’s RAYCARB C2B® NG proprietary product. RAYCARB C2B® NG is used to produce ablative composite materials for critical rocketry and missile systems.

Customers and End Markets

The Company’s aerospace composite materials, structures and assemblies customers include manufacturers of turbofan engines, aircraft primary and secondary structures and radomes. A radome is a protective cover over an electrical antenna or signal generator, designed to minimize signal loss and distortion. Radomes are used in military aircraft, UAVs, business jets and turboprops, large and regional transport aircraft and helicopters, space vehicles, rocket motors and specialty industrial products.

The Company’s aerospace composite materials are marketed primarily by sales personnel and, to a lesser extent, by independent distributors. The Company’s aerospace composite structures and assemblies are marketed primarily by sales personnel.

The Company’s aerospace customers include fabricators of aircraft composite structures and assemblies. The Company’s aerospace composite materials are used by such fabricators and by the Company to produce primary and secondary structures, aircraft interiors and various other aircraft components. The Company’s customers for aerospace materials, and the Company itself, produce structures and assemblies for commercial aircraft and for the general aviation and business aviation, kit aircraft, special mission, UAVs and military markets. Many of the Company’s composite materials are used in the manufacture of aircraft certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (the “FAA”).

Customers for the Company’s rocket motor materials include United States defense prime contractors and subcontractors. These customers fabricate rocket motors for heavy lift space launchers, strategic defense weapons, tactical motors and various other applications. The Company’s materials are used to produce heat shields, exhaust gas management devices and insulative and ablative nozzle components. Rocket motors are primarily used for commercial and military space launch, and for tactical and strategic weapons. The Company also has customers for these materials outside of the United States.

End markets include military aircraft, UAVs, business jets and turboprops, large and regional transport aircraft and helicopters, space vehicles, rocket motors and specialty industrial products. The Company’s aerospace composite materials are marketed primarily by sales personnel and, to a lesser extent, by independent distributors. The Company’s aerospace composite structures and assemblies are marketed primarily by sales personnel.

During the Company’s 2024, 2023 and 2022 fiscal years, 37.7%, 41.2% and 49.5%, respectively, of the Company’s total worldwide net sales were to affiliate and non-affiliate subtier suppliers of GE Aerospace, a leading manufacturer of aerospace engines. During the 2024, 2023 and 2022 fiscal years, sales to no other customer of the Company equaled or exceeded 10% of the Company’s total worldwide sales. The loss of a major customer or of a group of customers could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business or its consolidated results of operations or financial position.

Manufacturing

The Company’s manufacturing facilities for aerospace composite materials and for composite structures and assemblies are located in Newton, Kansas. On August 19, 2019, the Company broke ground on the expansion of its facilities located in Newton, Kansas, which included the construction of a redundant manufacturing facility located adjacent to the existing facility. The Company completed the expansion of its facilities in fiscal 2023, which doubled the size and provides additional manufacturing capacity. The expansion includes enhanced and upgraded hot-melt film and tape lines and mixing and delivery systems, an expanded production lab, a new R&D lab, additional freezer and storage space and additional infrastructure to support the expanded operation. The new facility was originally conceived as a redundant manufacturing facility for Park’s major aerospace customer and the large aerospace OEMs it supports, but it will also support additional manufacturing capacity. See “Operations” elsewhere in this Report.

The process for manufacturing composite materials, structures and assemblies is capital intensive and requires sophisticated equipment, significant technical know-how and very tight process controls. The key steps used in the manufacturing process include resin mixing, resin film casting and reinforcement impregnation via hot-melt process or a solution process.

Prepreg is manufactured by the Company using either solvent (solution) coating methods on a treater or by hot-melt impregnation. A solution treater is a roll-to-roll continuous process machine which sequences reinforcement through tension/pressure rollers combining the solvated resin with the reinforcement and then passing the reinforced solvated resin through a drying oven. The reinforcement is dipped in resin, passed through a drying oven which removes most of the solvent and advances (or partially cures) the resin. The prepreg material is interleafed with a carrier and cut to the roll lengths desired by the customer. The Company also manufactures prepreg using hot-melt impregnation methods which use no solvent. Hot-melt prepreg manufacturing is achieved by mixing a resin formulation in a heated resin vessel, casting a thin film on a carrier paper, and laminating the reinforcement with the resin film.

The Company also completes additional processing services, such as slitting, sheeting, biasing, sewing and cutting, if needed by the customer. Many of the products manufactured by the Company also undergo extensive testing of the chemical, physical and mechanical properties of the product. These testing requirements are completed in the laboratories and facilities located at the Company’s manufacturing facilities.

Once the manufacturing process has been completed, the product is tested and packaged for shipment to the customer. The Company typically supplies final product to the customer in roll form.

The Company’s laboratories have been approved by several aerospace OEMs, and the Company has achieved certification pursuant to the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (“NADCAP”) for both non-metallic materials manufacturing and testing and composites fabrication. The Company believes its Newton Kansas facility is one of the few facilities in the world with NADCAP accreditation for manufacturing both composite materials and composite structures. The Company has also received AS9100C certification for its quality management system for the manufacture of advanced composite materials and design and manufacturing of structures for aircraft and aerospace industries.

Materials and Sources of Supply

The Company designs and manufactures its aerospace composite materials and film adhesives to its own specifications and to the specifications of its customers. Product development efforts are focused on developing prepreg materials that meet the specifications of the customers. The materials used in the manufacture of these engineered materials include graphite and carbon fibers and fabrics, carbonized rayon, aramids, such as Kevlar® ("Kevlar" is a registered trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.) and Twaron® (“Twaron” is a registered trademark of Teijin Twaron B.V. LLC), quartz, fiberglass, polyester, specialty chemicals, resins, films, plastics, adhesives and certain other synthetic materials. The Company purchases these materials from several suppliers. Substitutes for many of these materials are not readily available. The qualification and certification of aerospace composite materials for certain FAA certified aircraft typically include specific requirements for raw material supply and may restrict the Company’s flexibility in qualifying alternative sources of supply for certain key raw materials. The Company continues to work to determine acceptable alternatives for several raw materials.

Competition

The Company has many competitors in the aerospace composite materials, structures and assemblies markets, ranging in size from large international corporations to small regional producers. Several of the Company’s largest competitors are vertically integrated, producing raw materials, such as carbon fiber and woven fabric, as well as composite structures and assemblies. Some of the Company’s competitors may also serve as a supplier to the Company. The Company competes for business primarily on the basis of responsiveness, product performance and consistency, product qualification, FAA data base design allowables and innovative new product development.

Backlog

The Company considers an item as backlog when it receives a purchase order specifying the number of units to be purchased, the purchase price, specifications and other customary terms and conditions. At May 31, 2024, the unfilled portion of all purchase orders received by the Company, and believed by it to be firm, was $31,085,988, compared to $29,035,974 at April 24, 2023. A major portion of the Company’s backlog consists of composite materials.

Various factors contribute to the size of the Company’s backlog. Accordingly, the foregoing information may not be indicative of the Company’s results of operations for any period subsequent to the fiscal year ended March 3, 2024.

Patents and Trademarks

The Company holds several patents and trademarks or licenses thereto. In the Company’s opinion, some of these patents and trademarks are important to its products. Generally, however, the Company does not believe that an inability to obtain new; or to defend existing, patents and trademarks would have a material adverse effect on the Company.

The Company’s Workforce

At March 3, 2024, the Company had 123 employees. The Company’s success and future depends on the skills, experience, industry knowledge, passion and dedication of its work force. The Company places significant focus and attention on attracting, developing and retaining its employees, as well as ensuring its work force reflects Park’s principles of integrity and humility. These principles ensure that every Park employee is held to his or her word, and that every Park employee continuously strives to excel. These two principles guide Park’s actions, and the Company believes, foster a healthy work environment where all Park employees are treated with dignity and respect, irrespective of their backgrounds. The Company also believes that its principles are critical to fostering and maintaining what it calls Park’s “niche” culture of doing what others are unwilling or unable to do.

Employee health and safety is a top priority. Park’s safety performance has been an important focus of the Company. Safety performance is maintained by the Company ensuring appropriate safety equipment is installed and operational at all times and undertaking thorough reviews of any safety incidents that do occur.

The Company takes a comprehensive approach to developing its workforce, including by striving to use a fair recruiting process to select talented individuals. Park also believes that fair compensation, opportunities for career development, employee engagement, and a singular focus on the principles of integrity and humility, have organically cultivated a workforce that is diverse at all levels. Park believes that principle-based approach to hiring and retention makes the Company a desirable workplace for employees of all backgrounds while improving business performance by maintaining the Company’s “niche” culture.

Environmental Matters

Aviation is one of the fastest growing sources of the greenhouse gas emissions. Air travel is also considered to be one of the most carbon intensive activity an individual can make. Aircraft fuel efficiency is an important factor in addressing the reduction of greenhouse gas. Park’s composite material products and the aircraft parts that are crafted using such products, enable aircraft to operate on substantially less fuel than would be the case using comparable aluminum-crafted aircraft parts. This reduced fuel consumption creates economic savings for end-users of applicable aircraft, while also substantially reducing the carbon based emissions of such aircraft.

The Company is subject to stringent environmental regulation of its use, storage, treatment, disposal of hazardous materials and the release of emissions into the environment. The Company believes that it is currently in substantial compliance with the applicable Federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations to which it is subject and that continuing compliance therewith will not have a material effect on its capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position. The Company does not currently anticipate making material capital expenditures for environmental control facilities for its existing manufacturing operations during the remainder of its current fiscal year or its succeeding fiscal year. However, developments, such as the enactment or adoption of even more stringent environmental laws and regulations, could conceivably result in substantial additional costs to the Company.

The Company and certain of its subsidiaries have been named by the Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”) or a comparable state agency under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (the “Superfund Act”) or similar state law as potentially responsible parties in connection with alleged releases of hazardous substances at three sites.

Under the Superfund Act and similar state laws, all parties who may have contributed any waste to a hazardous waste disposal site or contaminated area identified by the EPA or comparable state agency may be jointly and severally liable for the cost of cleanup. Generally, these sites are locations at which numerous persons disposed of hazardous waste. In the case of the Company’s subsidiaries, generally the waste was removed from their manufacturing facilities and disposed at the waste sites by various companies which contracted with the subsidiaries to provide waste disposal services. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been accused of or charged with any wrongdoing or illegal acts in connection with any such sites. The Company believes it maintains an effective and comprehensive environmental compliance program. Management believes the ultimate disposition of known environmental matters will not have a material adverse effect on the liquidity, capital resources, business, consolidated results of operations or financial position of the Company.

See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Environmental Matters” included in Item 7 of Part II of this Report and Note 11 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this Report.

Factors That May Affect Future Results

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for forward-looking statements to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their companies without fear of litigation so long as those statements are identified as forward-looking and are accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the statement. Certain portions of this Report which do not relate to historical financial information may be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements that are subject to various factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from Park's expectations or from results which might be projected, forecasted, estimated or budgeted by the Company in forward-looking statements.

Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “budget,” “forecast,” “anticipate,” “goal,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “believes,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue” and similar expressions or the negative or other variations thereof. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations that involve a number of uncertainties and risks that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations.

The factors described under “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of this Report could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from any such results which might be projected, forecasted, estimated or budgeted by the Company in forward-looking statements.

The business of the Company faces numerous risks, including those set forth below or those described elsewhere in this Form 10-K Annual Report or in the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The risks described below are not the only risks that the Company faces, nor are they necessarily listed in order of significance. Other risks and uncertainties may also affect the Company’s business. Any of these risks may have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flow.

Geopolitical Events

The Company's operating results could be negatively affected if the Company were unable to attain the raw materials required in its manufacturing process. The Company’s suppliers of raw material, supplies and equipment could be impacted by geopolitical events, such as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, thus interrupting the Company’s supply chain. Additionally, the Company’s customers may experience interruptions from other suppliers that could cause a customer to delay or cancel orders.

The Company's business could suffer if the Company is unable to develop new products on a timely basis.

The Company's operating results could be negatively affected if the Company were unable to maintain and increase its technological and manufacturing capability and expertise to develop new products on a timely basis. Although the Company believes that it has certain technological and other advantages over its competitors, maintaining such advantages will require the Company to continue investing in research and development and sales and marketing. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to make the technological advances necessary to maintain such competitive advantages or that the Company can recover major research and development expenses.

The industries in which the Company operates are very competitive.

Certain of the Company's principal competitors are substantially larger and have greater financial resources than the Company, and the Company's operating results will be affected by its ability to maintain its competitive positions in these industries. The aerospace composite materials and composite structures and assemblies industries are intensely competitive, and the Company competes worldwide in the markets for such products.

The Company is vulnerable to an increase in inflation.

Changes in the cost raw materials, supplies, labor, utilities or services could materially increase the Company's cost of operations. The Company is experiencing inflation in raw material and other costs. The impact of inflation on the Company’s profits has been partially mitigated by the Company’s ability to adjust pricing for a large portion of its sales to pass the impact of inflation through to its customers. Significant increases in the cost of materials, supplies, labor, utilities or services purchased by the Company could also materially increase the Company’s cost of operations and could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and results of operations if the Company were unable to pass such increases through to its customers.

The Company is vulnerable to disruptions and shortages in the supply of, and increases in the prices of, certain raw materials.

There are a limited number of qualified suppliers of the principal materials used by the Company in its manufacture of aerospace composite materials and composite structures and assemblies. The Company has qualified alternate sources of supply for many, but not all, of its raw materials, but certain raw materials are produced by only one supplier. In some cases, substitutes for certain raw materials are not always readily available, and in the past, there have been shortages in the market for certain of these materials. Raw material substitutions for certain aircraft related products may require governmental (such as FAA) approval. While the Company considers its relationships with its suppliers to be strong, a shortage of these materials or a disruption of the supply of these materials caused by a natural disaster or otherwise could materially increase the Company’s cost of operations and could materially adversely affect the business and results of operations of the Company. Likewise, significant increases in the cost of materials purchased by the Company could also materially increase the Company’s cost of operations and could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and results of operations if the Company were unable to pass such increases through to its customers. If one or more of the Company’s suppliers is required to temporarily close manufacturing facilities, the Company’s ability to procure raw materials for its manufacturing processes may become limited and this could ultimately limit the Company’s ability to manufacture its products.

The Company's customer base is highly concentrated, and the loss of one or more customers could adversely affect the Company's business.

A loss of one or more key customers could adversely affect the Company's profitability. The Company's customer base is concentrated, in part, because the Company's business strategy has been to develop long-term relationships with a select group of customers. During the Company's fiscal years ended March 3, 2024, February 26, 2023, and February 27, 2022 , the Company's ten largest customers accounted for approximately 64%, 69% and 75%, respectively, of net sales. The Company expects sales to a relatively small number of customers will continue to account for a significant portion of its net sales for the foreseeable future. See “Customers and End Markets” in Item 1 of Part I of this Report.

The Company's business is dependent on the aerospace industry, which is cyclical in nature.

The aerospace industry is cyclical and has experienced downturns. The downturns can occur at any time as a result of events that are industry specific or macroeconomic, and in the event of a downturn, the Company may have no way of knowing if, when and to what extent there might be a recovery. Deterioration in the market for aerospace products has often reduced demand for, and prices of, advanced composite materials, structures and assemblies. A potential future reduction in demand and prices could have a negative impact on the Company’s business and operating results.

In addition, the Company is subject to the effects of general regional and global economic and financial conditions.

The Company relies on short-term orders from its customers.

A variety of conditions, both specific to the individual customer and generally affecting the customer’s industry, can cause a customer to reduce or delay orders previously anticipated by the Company, which could negatively impact the Company’s business and operating results. While some customers place orders based on long-term pricing agreements, such agreements are typically requirements-based and do not set forth minimum purchase obligations. As a result, the Company must continually communicate with its customers to validate forecasts and anticipate the future volume of purchase orders.

The Company’s customers may require the Company to undergo a lengthy and expensive qualification process with respect to its products, with no assurance of sales. Any delay or failure in such qualification process could negatively affect the Company’s business and operating results.

The Company’s customers frequently require that the Company’s products undergo an extensive qualification process, which may include testing for performance, structural integrity and reliability. This qualification process may be lengthy and does not assure any sales of the product to that customer. The Company devotes substantial resources, including design, engineering, sales, marketing and management efforts, and often substantial expense, to qualifying the Company’s products with customers in anticipation of sales. Any delay or failure in qualifying any of its products with a customer may preclude or delay sales of those products to the customer, which may impede the Company’s growth and cause its business to suffer.

In addition, the Company engages in product development efforts with OEMs. The Company will not recover the cost of this product development directly even if the Company actually produces and sells any resulting product. There can be no guarantee that such efforts will result in any sales.

Consolidation among the Company’s customers could negatively impact the Company’s business.

A number of the Company’s customers have combined in recent years and consolidation of other customers may occur. If an existing customer is not the controlling entity following a combination, the Company may not be retained as a supplier. While there is potential for increasing the Company’s position with the combined customer, the Company’s revenues may decrease if the Company is not retained as a supplier.

The Company is subject to a variety of environmental regulations.

The Company’s production processes require the use, storage, treatment and disposal of certain materials which are considered hazardous under applicable environmental laws, and the Company is subject to a variety of regulatory requirements relating to the handling of such materials and the release of emissions and effluents into the environment, non-compliance with which could have a negative impact on the Company’s business or results of operations. Other possible developments, such as the enactment or adoption of additional environmental laws, could result in substantial costs to the Company.

If the Company’s efforts to protect its proprietary information are not sufficient, the Company may be adversely affected.

The Company’s business relies upon proprietary information, trade secrets and know-how in its product formulations and its manufacturing and research and development activities. The Company takes steps to protect its proprietary rights and information, including the use of confidentiality and other agreements with employees and consultants and in commercial relationships, including with suppliers and customers. If these steps prove to be inadequate or are violated, the Company’s competitors might gain access to the Company’s trade secrets, and there may be no adequate remedy available to the Company.

The Company depends upon the experience and expertise of its senior management team and key technical employees, and the loss of any key employee may impair the Company’s ability to operate effectively.

The Company’s success depends, to a certain extent, on the continued availability of its senior management team and key technical employees. Each of the Company’s executive officers, key technical personnel and other employees could terminate his or her employment at any time. The loss of any member of the Company’s senior management team might significantly delay or prevent the achievement of the Company’s business objectives and could materially harm the Company’s business and customer relationships. In addition, because of the highly technical nature of the Company’s business, the loss of any significant number of the Company’s key technical personnel could have a material adverse effect on the Company. The Company competes for manufacturing and engineering talent in a competitive labor market. Personnel turnover and training costs could negatively impact the Company’s operations.

The Company’s business and operations may be adversely affected by cybersecurity breaches or other information technology system or network intrusions.

The Company depends on information technology and computerized systems to communicate and operate effectively, some of which are connected to networks of third parties that are not under the Company’s direct control. The Company stores sensitive data on its servers and databases including proprietary business information, intellectual property and confidential employee or other personal data pertaining to the Company’s business, customers, suppliers, OEMs, employees and other third parties. Attempts by others to gain unauthorized access to the Company’s information technology systems and data have become more frequent and sophisticated. These attempts, which might be related to industrial or foreign government espionage, activism, or other motivations, include covertly introducing malware and “ransomware” to the Company’s computers and networks, performing reconnaissance, impersonating authorized users, and stealing, corrupting or restricting the Company’s access to data, among other activities.

As with most companies, the Company has experienced cyber-attacks, attempts to breach the Company’s systems and other similar incidents, none of which, has resulted in loss of data or materially affected the Company’s business, operations or financial results. The Company has addressed past cybersecurity breaches by working with leading providers of incident response, risk management and digital forensics services. In coordination with such service providers, Park also continues to update its infrastructure, security tools (including firewalls and anti-virus software), and employee training and processes, to protect against security incidents and to prevent their recurrence. While Company personnel have been tasked to detect and investigate such incidents, cybersecurity attacks and other data security breaches can and are expected to occur in the future and the Company may be unable to implement adequate preventive or remediation measures, as breach and disruption techniques change frequently and are generally not detected until after an incident has occurred.

The unauthorized use of the Company’s intellectual property and/or confidential or personal information or any material disruption in the systems that store such information could materially harm the Company’s competitive position, reduce the value of the Company’s investment in research and development (through the loss of trade secrets or other proprietary and competitively sensitive information) and other strategic initiatives, compromise personally identifiable information regarding customers or employees, delay the Company’s ability to access its information systems at critical times, cause operational disruptions and delays, jeopardize the security of the Company’s facilities or otherwise materially and adversely affect the Company’s business or financial results. Any intrusion may also result in material fines, penalties, governmental investigations and proceedings, litigation, diminished competitive advantages through reputational damages and increased operational expenses (including remediation and damage expenses). Many victims of cyber-attacks also are forced to pay significant ransoms or incur significant expenses to recover critical business systems and data. Additionally, the Company may incur additional costs to comply with its customers’, including the U.S. Government’s, requirements for data security and increased cybersecurity protections and standards. The Company may be similarly harmed if any of the foregoing incidents occur at third parties that are connected to the Company’s networks and that are not under the Company’s direct control.

Acquisitions, mergers, business combinations or joint ventures may entail certain operational and financial risks.

The Company may acquire businesses, product lines or technologies that expand or complement those of the Company. It may also enter into mergers, business combinations or joint ventures for similar purposes. The integration and management of an acquired company or business may strain the Company's management resources and technical, financial and operating systems. In addition, implementation of acquisitions can result in large one-time charges and costs. A given acquisition, if consummated, may materially affect the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.

The Company’s securities may fluctuate in value.

The market price of the Company’s securities can be subject to fluctuations in response to quarter-to-quarter variations in operating results, changes in analyst earnings estimates, market conditions in the aerospace composite materials and composite structures and assemblies industries, as well as general economic conditions and other factors external to the Company.

The Company’s Common Stock is included in certain market indices. Funds that are based on the indices the Company’s Common Stock is included in are required to own the Company’s Common Stock. A change in any index the Company is included in could create sudden movement in the Company’s Common Stock price.

Safeguarding the Company’s information technology (“IT”) systems, intellectual property, and the confidential information and personal data that customers, suppliers, business partners, employees and others share is a critical concern. As such, the Company has processes in place to assess, identify, and manage material cybersecurity threats and incidents. The Company’s cybersecurity strategy includes policies, procedures, and technology that proactively safeguard its operations against cybersecurity threats. The Company utilizes IT that enables its team to access both operational and financial performance data in real time, while, at the same time, identifying and preventing cybersecurity threats and risks. The Company aims to incorporate industry best practices throughout its cybersecurity processes and its cybersecurity framework leverages internationally recognized standards, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (”NIST”) Cybersecurity Framework (Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover). These processes incorporate preventative, detective and corrective controls to identify relevant cyber risks and include network and endpoint protection technologies that are designed to block and detect security events at the perimeter and within its network as well as evaluation and monitoring of detected security events. The Company continuously monitors activity, frequently scans applications and systems for vulnerabilities to risk from cybersecurity threats. Continuous monitoring of the Company’s networks and systems for threats and vulnerabilities is a key component of the Company’s strategy, supported by the analysis of threat intelligence from external sources. This multi-layered approach enables early detection and facilitates prompt response to potential cybersecurity threats.

Management reviews the Company’s IT, data security and other systems, processes, policies, procedures and controls at least annually to (a) identify, assess, monitor and mitigate cybersecurity risks; and (b) identify measures to protect and safeguard against cybersecurity threats and breaches of confidential information and data and IT infrastructure and its other assets or assets of its customers or other third parties in the Company’s possession or custody.

The Company has not identified risks from known cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any prior cybersecurity incidents, that have materially affected it or are reasonably likely to materially affect it, including its operations, business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition.

The Company’s management supervises efforts to prevent, detect, mitigate, and remediate cybersecurity risks and incidents through various means, which may include briefings from internal security personnel; threat intelligence and other information obtained from governmental, public or private sources, including external consultants engaged by it; and alerts and reports produced by security tools deployed in the IT environment.

Set forth below are the locations of the significant properties owned and leased by the Company, the business use of the properties and the size of each such property. The Newton, Kansas property is used principally as a manufacturing facility. The lease for the Newton, Kansas location is a ground lease.

The Company believes its facilities and equipment to be in good condition and reasonably suited and adequate for its current needs. The Company’s manufacturing facilities have the capacity to substantially increase their production levels.

General:

Park Aerospace Corp. (“Park” or the “Company”) is an aerospace company which develops and manufactures solution and hot-melt advanced composite materials used to produce composite structures for the global aerospace markets. Park’s advanced composite materials include film adhesives and lightning strike protection materials. Park offers an array of composite materials specifically designed for hand lay-up or automated fiber placement (AFP) manufacturing applications. Park’s advanced composite materials are used to produce primary and secondary structures for jet engines, large and regional transport aircraft, military aircraft, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs commonly referred to as “drones”), business jets, general aviation aircraft and rotary wing aircraft. Park also offers specialty ablative materials for rocket motors and nozzles and specially designed materials for radome applications. As a complement to Park’s advanced composite materials offering, Park designs and fabricates composite parts, structures and assemblies and low volume tooling for the aerospace industry. Target markets for Park’s composite parts and structures (which include Park’s proprietary composite SigmaStrut™ and AlphaStrut™ product lines) are, among others, prototype and development aircraft, special mission aircraft, spares for legacy military and civilian aircraft and exotic spacecraft.

The Company’s fiscal year is the 52- or 53-week period ending the Sunday nearest to the last day of February. The 2024, 2023 and 2022 fiscal years ended on March 3, 2024, February 26, 2023 and February 27, 2022, respectively. The 2024 fiscal year consisted of 53 weeks and the 2023 and 2022 fiscal years each consisted of 52 weeks. Unless otherwise indicated in this Discussion and Analysis, all references to years and quarters in this Discussion and Analysis are to the Company’s fiscal years and fiscal quarters, and all annual and quarterly information in this Discussion and Analysis is for such fiscal years and quarters, respectively.

2024 Financial Overview

On February 9, 2023, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a special dividend of $1.00 per share payable April 6, 2023 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 9, 2023. The total amount of this special dividend was approximately $20.5 million.

The Company's total net sales worldwide in 2024 were 4% higher than in 2023. The increase in sales was primarily driven by an increase in military market sales, while sales to each of the other markets the Company serves were relatively even with the prior year sales levels.

The Company’s gross profit margin, measured as a percentage of sales, decreased to 29.5% in 2024 from 30.5% in 2023. Higher costs for labor, employee benefits, depreciation, utilities, and property taxes more than offset a favorable sales mix and higher pricing.

The Company’s earnings from operations in 2024 were 16% lower than in 2023, primarily as a result of higher selling, general and administrative expenses, including higher incentive payments, as well as higher legal expenses resulting from shareholder defense actions, costs to settle an insurance claim as the result of the bankruptcy of an insurer and higher recruiting fees. The Company’s net earnings from operations in 2024 were 30% lower than in 2023, primarily due to a higher tax rate in 2024 compared to 2023 and the increased costs described above offset by higher interest income. The increase in the 2024 tax rate compared to the 2023 tax rate resulted from a lower benefit from the reduction in uncertain tax positions in 2024 as compared to 2023.

The Company continues to experience inflation in costs of raw materials and supplies, freight costs and other costs and expenses. The impact of inflation on the Company’s profits has been partially mitigated by the Company’s ability to adjust pricing for a large portion of its sales to pass the impact of inflation through to its customers.

Programs in which the Company participates as a supplier are, in some cases, experiencing supply chain issues from other suppliers to the programs that could result in delays in production for certain customers of the Company. The Company’s sales could be impacted by supply chain challenges its customers are experiencing from other suppliers.

While the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have had a negative impact on the Company’s results of operations due to delayed shipments, the Company may experience an increase in future sales due to increases in spending worldwide on missile defense systems and other defense programs. The Company does not have any significant customers in Russia or Ukraine but does have customers in Israel. The Company has experienced some increases to raw material costs from overseas suppliers due to the impacts of the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The Company has a number of long-term contracts pursuant to which certain of its customers, some of which represent a substantial portion of the Company’s revenue, place orders. Long-term contracts with the Company’s customers are primarily requirements based and do not guarantee quantities. An order forecast is generally agreed concurrently with pricing for any applicable long-term contract. This order forecast is then typically updated periodically during the term of the underlying contract. Purchase orders are generally received in excess of three months in advance of delivery.

Results of Operations:

2024 Compared to 2023

(Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)

Net Sales

The Company’s total net sales worldwide in 2024 were 4% higher than in 2023. Higher sales in 2024 were primarily driven by increased sales in the military markets.

Gross Profit

The Company’s gross profit margin, measured as a percentage of sales, decreased to 29.5% in 2024 from 30.5% in 2023. The decrease in gross margin was primarily due to higher costs for labor, employee benefits, depreciation, utilities, property taxes and other items, partially offset by a favorable sales mix and higher pricing.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $1.6 million, or 25%, during 2024 compared to 2023. Such expenses, measured as percentages of sales, were 14.6% and 12.1% during 2024 and 2023, respectively.

The increase in selling, general and administrative expenses in 2024 was primarily due to shareholder activist defense costs in 2024, higher research and development costs, higher stock option expense due to the modification of previously granted stock options, costs to settle an insurance claim as the result of the bankruptcy of an insurer, higher recruiting fees, higher incentive compensation and the additional week in 2024 compared to 2023, which resulted in higher fixed expenses.

Earnings from Operations

For the reasons set forth above, the Company’s earnings from operations were $8.4 million for 2024 compared to earnings from continuing operations of $10.0 million for 2023.

Interest and Other Income

Interest and other income were $1.1 million in both 2024 and 2023. Higher weighted average interest rates in 2024 were offset by lower levels of marketable securities in 2024 due to the payment of the special dividend in the first quarter. During 2024 and 2023, the Company earned interest income principally from its investments, which were primarily in short-term instruments and money market funds.

Income Tax Provision

The Company’s effective income tax rate was 20.8% for 2024 compared to an effective rate of 2.7% for 2023. The increased rate was due primarily to the U.S. Federal rate and state income tax reductions in uncertain tax positions. The benefits from the reductions in 2024 and 2023 were $574,000 and $2,800,000, respectively, related to the expirations of statutes of limitations on tax positions taken in prior years regarding the taxability of funds repatriated from the Company’s subsidiary in Singapore in 2023 and to the expiration of statutes of limitations related to state throw-back rates in 2024.

Net Earnings from Operations

The Company’s net earnings from continuing operations for 2024 were $7.5 million compared to $10.7 million in 2023. As noted above, net earnings in 2024 included shareholder activist defense costs, a charge related to the modification of previously issued stock options, legal costs stemming from the settlement of an insurance claim due to the bankruptcy of an insurance carrier and recruiting fees, partially offset by the tax benefit from the reduction in uncertain tax positions. The 2023 earnings included the benefit from the reduction in uncertain tax positions of $2.8 million.

Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share

Basic and diluted earnings per share for 2024 were $0.37 compared to basic and diluted earnings per share for 2023 of $0.52. The lower earnings per share in 2024 reflects the impact of the higher costs in 2024 and the tax benefit from the reduction in uncertain tax positions in 2023.

2023 Compared to 2022

(Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)

Net Sales

The Company’s total net sales worldwide in 2023 were 1% higher than in 2022. Sales in 2023, to each of the markets the Company serves, were relatively even with the prior year sales levels.

Gross Profit

The Company’s gross profit margin, measured as a percentage of sales, decreased to 30.5% in 2023 from 33.4% in 2022. Higher costs for raw materials, supplies, freight, utilities, costs related to the new equipment trials and qualifications and higher waste costs from increased change-over resulting from supply chain challenges and uncertainties led to a decrease in gross margins.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $270,000, or 4%, during 2023 compared to 2022. Such expenses, measured as percentages of sales, were 12.1% and 11.7% during 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Selling, general and administrative expenses in 2023 included $369,000 of stock option expenses compared to $285,000 of such expenses in 2022.

Restructuring Charges

Restructuring charges were nil in 2023 compared to $259,000 in 2022 related to the closure of the Company’s Park Aerospace Technologies Asia, Pte. Ltd. facility located in Singapore.

Earnings from Operations

For the reasons set forth above, the Company’s earnings from operations were $10.0 million for 2023. The Company’s earnings from continuing operations were $11.4 million for 2022, including the pretax charges of $259,000 for the closure of the facility located in Singapore.

Interest and Other Income

Interest and other income were $1.1 million and $375,000 for 2023 and 2022, respectively. The increase from 2022 was due primarily higher weighted average interest rates. During 2023 and 2022, the Company earned interest income principally from its investments, which were primarily in short-term instruments and money market funds.

Income Tax Provision

The Company’s effective income tax rate of 2.7% for 2023 was due primarily to the U.S. Federal rate and state income taxes, including $214,000 of additional tax due to tax deductions becoming unavailable related to stock options expiring unexercised in the 2023 fiscal year, offset by a reduction in uncertain tax positions related to the expiring statute of limitations of tax positions taken in prior years regarding the taxability of funds repatriated from the Company’s subsidiary in Singapore of $2.8 million. The Company’s effective income tax rate of 28.2% was higher in 2022, due to the lack of the uncertain tax position reduction as occurred in 2023.

Net Earnings from Operations

The Company’s net earnings from continuing operations for 2023 were $10.7 million, including the reduction in uncertain tax positions of $2.8 million and $214,000 of additional tax due to tax deductions becoming unavailable as a result of stock options expiring unexercised. The Company’s net earnings from continuing operations for 2022 were $8.5 million, including the pretax charges of $259,000 for the closure of the facility located in Singapore.

Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share

Basic and diluted earnings per share for 2023 were $0.52, including the additional tax due to tax deductions becoming unavailable as a result of stock options expiring unexercised and the reduction in uncertain tax positions, compared to basic and diluted earnings per share for 2022 of $0.41, including the pretax charges for the closure of the facility located in Singapore. The net impact of the items described above was to increase basic and diluted earnings per share by $0.13 in 2023 and decrease basic and diluted earnings per share by $0.01 in 2022.

Liquidity and Capital Resources:

(Amounts in thousands)

(Amounts in thousands)

Cash and Marketable Securities

The Company believes it has sufficient liquidity to fund its operating activities for the 12 months from the date of the filing of this Form 10-K Annual Report and for the foreseeable future thereafter.

The change in cash and marketable securities at March 3, 2024 compared to February 26, 2023 was primarily the result of the special dividend of $1.00 per share paid in April 2023, which totaled $20.5 million, stock repurchases of $2.9 million in the second and third quarters of 2024, as well as regular dividends of $10.2 million. The significant changes in cash provided by operating activities were as follows:

• accounts receivable increased by 24% at March 3, 2024 compared to February 26, 2023 due primarily to the increase in total net sales in the last month of 2024;
• inventory decreased 5% due primarily to higher sales in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023 and higher raw material purchases at the end of February 2023, offset by higher material costs and an increase of RAYCARB C2B material inventoried in support of the distributor agreement with ArianeGroup;
• accounts payable decreased 23% due primarily to higher raw material purchases at the end of February 2023 and timing of other payments;
• accrued liabilities increased 48% due primarily to higher property tax accruals and higher incentive payroll accruals; and
• income taxes payable increased 89% at March 3, 2024 compared to February 26, 2023 due to higher transition tax installment due in fiscal 2025.

In addition, the Company paid $30.6 million and $8.2 million in cash dividends during 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Working Capital

Working capital at March 3, 2024 was lower compared to February 26, 2023. Decreases in cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities, and inventories and increases in accrued expenses and accrued income taxes were partially offset by higher accounts receivable and lower dividends payable and accounts payable.

The Company's current ratio (the ratio of current assets to current liabilities) was 10.2 to 1 at March 3, 2024 compared to 4.4 to 1 at February 26, 2023.

Cash Flows

During 2024, the Company's net earnings before depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, amortization of bond premium and gain on sale of fixed assets, were $11.1 million. Such earnings were decreased by changes in operating assets and liabilities of $6.7 million, resulting in $4.4 million of cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations. During 2024, the Company expended $0.6 million for the purchase of property, plant and equipment compared to $1.0 million during 2023, and the Company paid $30.6 and $8.2 million in cash dividends in 2024 and 2023, respectively. The 2024 dividends paid included a special dividend of $20.5 million paid in the first quarter of 2024.

Other Liquidity Factors

On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted comprehensive tax reform commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA” or “Tax Act”) and significantly revised U.S. corporate income tax by, among other things, lowering corporate income tax rates, imposing a one-time transition tax on deemed repatriated earnings of non-U.S. subsidiaries, and implementing a territorial tax system. As a result of the Tax Act, the Company recorded taxes payable to be paid in installments over eight years. The remaining balance of these installment payments, as of March 3, 2024, was approximately $9.5 million to be paid over the next two years.

The Company believes that its existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, and cash flow from operations will be sufficient to fund necessary capital expenditures and operating cash requirements for at least the next twelve months from the date of the filing of this Form 10-K Annual Report. The Company further believes that its consolidated balance sheet and financial position are very strong.

Contractual Obligations:

The Company's contractual obligations and other commercial commitments to make future payments under contracts, such as lease agreements, consist only of operating lease commitments, commitments to purchase raw materials and commitments to purchase equipment, as described in Note 10 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Report. The Company has no other long-term debt, capital lease obligations, unconditional purchase obligations or other long-term obligations, standby letters of credit, guarantees, standby repurchase obligations or other commercial commitments or contingent commitments, other than two standby letters of credit in the total amount of $0.1 million to secure the Company's obligations under its workers’ compensation insurance program.

Environmental Matters:

The Company is subject to various Federal, state and local govern‐ment and foreign government requirements relating to the protection of the environment. The Company believes that, as a general matter, its policies, practices and procedures are properly designed to prevent unreasonable risk of environmental damage and that its handling, manufacture, use and disposal of hazardous or toxic substances are in accord with environmental laws and regulations. However, mainly because of past operations of the Company’s former Electronics Business and operations of predecessor companies, which were generally in compliance with applicable laws at the time of the operations in question, the Company, like other companies engaged in similar businesses, is a party to claims by govern‐ment agencies and third parties and has incurred remedial response and voluntary cleanup costs associated with environmental matters. Additional claims and costs involving past environmental matters may continue to arise in the future. It is the Company's policy to record appropriate liabilities for such matters when remedial efforts are probable and the costs can be reasonably estimated.

In 2024, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred approximately $29,000, $14,000 and $13,000, respectively, for remedial response and voluntary cleanup costs and related legal fees, and the Company received, or expects to receive, reimbursement pursuant to general liability insurance coverage for approximately $29,000, $14,000 and $13,000, respectively, of such amounts. While annual environmental remedial response and voluntary cleanup expenditures, including legal fees, have generally been constant from year to year, and may increase over time, the Company expects it will be able to fund such expenditures from cash flow from operations. The timing of expenditures depends on a number of factors, including regulatory approval of cleanup projects, remedial techniques to be utilized and agreements with other parties. At March 3, 2024 and February 26, 2023, there were no amounts recorded in accrued liabilities for environmental matters.

Management does not expect that environmental matters will have a material adverse effect on the liquidity, capital resources, business, consolidated results of operations or consolidated financial position of the Company. See Note 11 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this Report for a discussion of the Company's contingencies, including those related to environmental matters.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates:

The following information is provided regarding critical accounting policies that are important to the Consolidated Financial Statements and that entail, to a significant extent, the use of estimates, assumptions and the application of management's judgment.

General

The Company’s Discussion and Analysis of its Financial Condition and Results of Operations are based upon the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these Consolidated Financial Statements requires the Company to make estimates, assumptions and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the related disclosure of contingent liabilities. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, including those related to sales allowances, allowances for doubtful accounts, inventories, valuation of long-lived assets, income taxes, restructurings, contingencies and litigation, and employee benefit programs. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form 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 these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

The Company believes the following critical accounting policies affect its more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of its Consolidated Financial Statements.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncement

See Note 14 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this Report for a discussion of the Company’s recently adopted accounting pronouncements.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue when a customer obtains control of promised goods or services in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the providing entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. We recognize revenue when all of the following criteria are met: (1) we have entered into a binding agreement, (2) the performance obligations have been identified, (3) the transaction price to the customer has been determined, (4) the transaction price has been allocated to the performance obligations in the contract, and (5) the performance obligations have been satisfied. The majority of the Company’s shipping terms define the performance obligation to be satisfied upon shipment.

Accounts Receivable

The Company’s accounts receivable are due from purchasers of the Company’s products. Credit is extended based on evaluation of a customer’s financial condition and, generally, collateral is not required. Accounts receivable are due within established payment terms and are stated at amounts due from customers net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. Accounts outstanding longer than established payment terms are considered past due. The Company determines its allowance by considering a number of factors, including the length of time accounts receivable are past due, the Company’s previous loss history, the customer’s current ability to pay its obligation to the Company, and the conditions of the general economy and the aerospace industry. If the financial condition of the Company’s customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required. The Company writes off accounts receivable when they become uncollectible.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out method) or net realizable value. The Company writes down its inventory for estimated obsolescence or unmarketability based upon the age of the inventory and assumptions about future demand for the Company’s products and market conditions.

Valuation of Long-Lived Assets

The Company assesses the impairment of long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of such assets may not be recoverable. In addition, the Company assesses the impairment of goodwill at least annually. Important factors that could trigger an impairment review include, but are not limited to, significant negative industry or economic trends and significant changes in the use of the Company’s assets or strategy of the overall business.

Income Taxes

As part of the processes of preparing its consolidated financial statements, the Company is required to estimate the income taxes in each of the jurisdictions in which it operates. This process involves estimating the actual current tax expense together with assessing temporary differences resulting from differing treatment of items for tax and accounting purposes. These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities, which are included in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. Deferred income taxes are provided for temporary differences in the reporting of certain items, such as depreciation and undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries, for income tax purposes compared to financial accounting purposes. In evaluating the Company’s ability to recover the deferred tax assets within the jurisdiction from which they arise, all positive and negative evidence is considered, including the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, tax planning strategies and results of recent acquisitions. If these estimates and assumptions change in the future, the Company may be required to record additional valuation allowances against its deferred tax assets, resulting in additional income tax expense in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations, or conversely to further reduce the existing valuation allowance, resulting in less income tax expense. The Company evaluates the realizability of the deferred tax assets and assesses the need for additional valuation allowances quarterly.

Tax benefits are recognized for an uncertain tax position when, in the Company’s judgment, it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination by a taxing authority. For a tax position that meets the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, the tax benefit is measured as the largest amount that is judged to have a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority. The liability associated with unrecognized tax benefits is adjusted periodically due to changing circumstances and when new information becomes available. Such adjustments are recognized entirely in the period in which they are identified. The effective tax rate includes the net impact of changes in the liability for unrecognized tax benefits and subsequent adjustments as considered appropriate by the Company. While it is often difficult to predict the final outcome or the timing of resolution of any particular tax matter, the Company believes its liability for unrecognized tax benefits is adequate. Interest and penalties recognized on the liability for unrecognized tax benefits are recorded as income tax expense.

Contingencies and Litigation

The Company is subject to a number of proceedings, lawsuits and other claims related to environmental, employment, product and other matters. The Company is required to assess the likelihood of any adverse judgments or outcomes in these matters as well as potential ranges of probable losses. A determination of the amount of reserves required, if any, for these contingencies is made after careful analysis of each individual issue. The required reserves may change in the future due to new developments in each matter or changes in approach, such as a change in settlement strategy in dealing with these matters.

Interest Rate Risk – The exposure to market risks for changes in interest rates relates to the Company's short-term investment portfolio. The Company does not use derivative financial instruments in its investment portfolio. The Company’s short-term investment portfolio is managed in accordance with guidelines issued by the Company. These guidelines are designed to establish a high quality fixed income portfolio of government and highly rated corporate debt securities with a maximum weighted maturity of less than two years. Based on the average anticipated maturity of the investment portfolio at the end of the 2024 fiscal year, the Company does not believe that a hypothetical 10% fluctuation in short-term interest rates would have had a material impact on the consolidated results of operations or financial position of the Company.

Commodities Risk – The Company is subject to fluctuations in the cost of raw materials used to manufacture its materials and products. In particular, the Company is exposed to market fluctuations in commodity pricing as the Company utilizes certain materials that are key materials in certain of its products. The Company generally passes changes in the costs of its raw material costs through to its customers. The Company currently does not use hedging strategies to minimize the risk of price fluctuations on commodity-based raw materials; however, the Company regularly reviews such strategies on an ongoing basis. See “Materials and Sources of Supply” in Item 1 of this Report.

(a) Disclosure Controls and Procedures.

The Company’s management, with the participation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15I and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act")) as of March 3, 2024, the end of the fiscal year covered by this annual report. Based on such evaluation, the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of the end of such fiscal year, the Company's disclosure controls and procedures were effective in recording, processing, summarizing and reporting, on a timely basis, information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act and are effective in ensuring that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

(b) Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.

Management of the Company is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is 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 in the United States of America. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company, (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of consolidated 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 (iii) 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 consolidated 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.

Management assessed the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of March 3, 2024. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) in Internal Control–Integrated Framework (2013). Based on management’s assessment and those criteria, management concluded that the Company maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of March 3, 2024.

(c) Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.

There has not been any change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the fourth fiscal quarter of the fiscal year to which this report relates that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.