CPI Aerostructures Inc: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2024

General

CPI Aerostructures, Inc., including its wholly owned subsidiary Welding Metallurgy, Inc. (“WMI”) and Compac Development Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of WMI (collectively, “CPI Aero”, the “Company”, “us”, or “we”) is a manufacturer of structural assemblies, integrated systems, and kitted components for the domestic and international aerospace and defense (“A&D”) markets. Our products are generally used by customers in the production and refurbishment of fixed wing aircraft, helicopters, electronic warfare (“EW”) systems, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (“ISR”) systems, missiles, autonomous systems, and other sophisticated A&D products. We are primarily a Tier 1 supplier to Original Equipment Manufacturers (“OEMs”). We are also a Tier 2 supplier to larger Tier 1 manufacturers and a prime contractor to the United States (“U.S.”) Department of Defense (“DOD”), primarily the U.S. Air Force (“USAF”). Our products are used by OEMs within both commercial aerospace and national security markets. In addition to our assembly operations, we provide manufacturing engineering, program management, supply chain management, kitting, and maintenance repair and overhaul (“MRO”) services.

CPI Aero has over 45 years of experience as a contractor. Our team possesses extensive technical expertise, program and supply chain management, and integration capabilities. Our competitive advantage lies in our ability to offer large contractor capabilities with the flexibility and responsiveness of a small company, while staying competitive in cost and delivering superior quality products.

We maintain a website located at www.cpiaero.com (http://www.cpiaero.com). Our corporate filings, including our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our Current Reports on Form 8-K, our proxy statements and reports filed by our officers and directors under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and any amendments to those filings, are available, free of charge, on our website as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with the SEC. The contents of our website are not incorporated in or otherwise to be regarded as a part of this Annual Report on

Form 10-K.

History

Conceived and started as a technical consulting firm on January 11, 1980, within a few years, Composite Products International Inc. (“CPI”) was manufacturing aircraft structural components for U.S. military aircraft under contract to the U.S. Government. By the late 1980s, CPI was also providing structural components for civil aircraft in the commercial market.

In the 1990s, CPI became a publicly traded company and changed its name to CPI Aerostructures, Inc. (“CPI Aero”). The Company continued to grow, both in size and in its business. U.S. Government contracts served as the mainstay of CPI Aero’s business, and the Company continued to grow its presence in the commercial market as well. Commitment to customer satisfaction and pride in a job well done propelled CPI Aero to the forefront as a reputable and hardworking supplier to OEMs.

On September 5, 2000, CPI Aero shares were listed on the American Stock Exchange (now known as NYSE American). We also started to focus on diversifying our business model to pursue more commercial contracts. In 2007, the Company won three major contracts and experienced great growth and expansion.

In 2018, CPI Aero acquired Welding Metallurgy Inc. This allowed for a small but strategically important amount of vertical integration in complex fusion welding and large diameter tube bending capability. The acquisition included Miller Stuart and Compac Development Corporation, two other business lines that added fabrication of electrical cables, harnesses and enclosures to the Company’s capabilities.

Today, CPI Aero continues to engage in traditional high quality structural assembly manufacturing while incorporating the latest in technology to improve quality and streamline production. Our success is rooted in our core company values, the dedication and skill of our employees, and our commitment to providing our customers the full-service solution they require.

Products and Services

We offer design, engineering, manufacture, build, MRO services, and supply chain and kitting services capabilities to the A&D industry as follows:

• Aerostructures: New Production and Repair/Overhaul of Fielded Wing Structures and other Control Surfaces, Rudder Island, Engine Inlets/Nacelles, Engine Exhaust Manifolds, Aircraft Doors and Windows, Aircraft Steps and Racks, and other Aircraft Secondary Structures
• Aerosystems: Airborne Pod Structures and Integration of Internal Systems, Radar Housing Structures, Panel Assemblies, Mechanical Door Locking Systems, and Canopy Lifting Systems
• Large Diameter Tube Bending: Complex Ducts and Tubes in Steel, Aluminum, Titanium, and Nickel Alloys
• Complex Specialty Welding: Fusion Welded Fluid Tanks and Resistance Welding (Spot and Seam) of complex metallic assemblies
• Electrical Cables, Harness, and Enclosures: Wire Harnesses, Power Control Systems, Fuel Management Systems, Power Distribution Systems, Fully Integrated Electrical Control Systems, and RF enclosures

Engineering Services and Capabilities

As a build-to-print structural assemblies manufacturer, CPI Aero’s engineering focus is on executing customer contracts through product realization, and to support collaborative design development using design for manufacturing and assembly (“DFMA”), geometric dimensioning & tolerancing (“GD&T”), and tooling concept support. CPI Aero has a deep well of experience on various types of detail part manufacturing that allows us to provide detailed design for manufacturing input during the design refinement process.

We have significant experience working in a full model-based definition environment, both CATIA and NX, due to our long sustainment support on older airframes. CPI Aero also possesses the capability to work with traditional blueprints, mylars and loft. The Company has executed several projects where older engineering data sets were “rehabilitated” to fully model-based datasets per customers’ requests.

CPI Aero is capable and has experience in designing many types of assembly type tools up to and including large floor mounted, articulated tooling at high levels of precision. We are also capable of designing various types of tooling that can be 3D printed for rapid response. Understanding our customers’ product performance needs and combining product GD&T layout and final tooling definitions and requirements helps us maximize product realization success.

Overall, CPI Aero’s engineering team is dedicated to providing our customers an experience where our activities are an extension of their business and complement their engineering goals.

Business Strategy

CPI Aero is committed to achieving revenue, gross profit margin, and earnings growth through the successful implementation of our business development strategy. CPI Aero’s future strategic direction is tied to aerostructures, aerosystems, supply chain, and kitting services, and a deeper market penetration of formerly acquired businesses in welding, tube bending, wire harnesses, and electronics. To accomplish this strategy, we are focused on executing on our current customer programs while pursuing new aerospace build-to-print opportunities - in both new production and MRO statements of work.

We believe that there has been a shift in the market for more build-to-print contracts by OEMs versus the past trend of design and build contracts. This trend fits in well with CPI Aero’s strengths. In addition, we expect to identify and close contracts for which we can provide more value added content to our customer (like integrating sub-assemblies into higher level Aerostructures and Aerosystems statements of work) and we intend to pursue statements of work that require proportionately higher CPI Aero value added content.

Another tenet of the CPI Aero business development strategy is portfolio reshaping of our existing business by identifying and closing long-term agreements or multi-year contracts, which provides an opportunity to firm-up supplier agreements and secure supplier capacity.

The final element of CPI Aero’s business development strategy is to build upon the Company’s existing customer relationships and to develop relationships with new customers. We intend to increase customer engagements by deploying our business development personnel to solidify existing customer relationships which have been established by performance excellence, transparency and trust over many years and multiple programs. We have also added additional resources to our business development function to cultivate new relationships with new customers.

We will make sure each customer has the best possible buying experience, by ensuring we are a best value partner through the delivery of high quality products delivered on time. The CPI Aero team will always work in a collaborative way to meet customers’ needs and solve their problems.

The Market

We have positioned the Company to take advantage of opportunities in the military aerospace market to a broad customer base, thereby reducing the impact of direct government contracting limitations. Our success as a subcontractor to defense prime contractors has provided us with opportunities to also act as a subcontractor to prime contractors in the production of commercial aircraft structures.

Over time, our Company has expanded in both capabilities and size, as evidenced by our growth in our operational, global supply chain management, program management, and engineering capabilities, as well as the growth in our manufacturing shop floor size and equipment base. These expansions have provided us the ability to supply larger and more complex Aerostructures and Aerosystems products in support of our government-based programs as well as to pursue opportunities within the commercial and business jet markets. Our capabilities have also allowed us to obtain MRO, kitting, tube bending, welding, and electronics related contracts.

Competition

We face competition in our role as both a prime contractor to the U.S. Government and as a Tier 1 or Tier 2 subcontractor to military and commercial aircraft manufacturers. With respect to Aerostructures products, we often compete against much larger Tier 1 suppliers, such as Spirit Aerosystems, Kaman Aerospace, GKN Aerospace, Ducommun, and LMI Aerospace. We believe that we can compete effectively with these larger companies by delivering products with the same level of quality and performance at a better value for our customer. With respect to Aerosystems products, such as our portfolio of EW and ISR integrated pod structures, we find more limited competition and are not aware of competition from any of the Aerostructures companies mentioned above. In these cases, we typically compete with the internal manufacturing arm of our customers. We believe our unique skills related to integrated pod structures combined with a very efficient and generally lower cost structure create a competitive advantage for bidding on Aerosystems contracts.

For certain unrestricted contracts for the U.S. Government, we may compete against well-established prime contractors, including Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing. All of these competitors possess significantly larger infrastructures, greater resources and the capabilities to respond to much larger contracts. We believe that our competitive advantage lies in our ability to offer large contractor capabilities with the flexibility and responsiveness of a small company, while staying competitive in cost and delivering superior quality products. While larger prime contractors compete for significant modification awards, they generally do not compete for awards in smaller modifications, spares and replacement parts, even for aircraft for which they are the original manufacturer. In certain instances, the large prime contractors often subcontract much of the work they win to their Tier 1 suppliers so we also may act as a subcontractor to them in these situations. Furthermore, in some cases these prime contractors are not permitted to bid, for example when the U.S. Government designates a contract as a Small Business Set-Aside. In these restricted contracts for the U.S. Government, CPI Aero typically competes against numerous small business competitors. We believe we compete effectively against the smaller competitors because of our 45 years of experience and expertise in responding to requests for proposals for government contracts

Our Customers

Approximately $5.1 million and $6.0 million of our revenue for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, were from customers outside the U.S. All other revenue for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 has been attributable to customers within the U.S. We have no assets outside the U.S.

We have positioned our Company to take advantage of opportunities in the military aerospace market to a broad customer base, which we believe will reduce the potential impact of industry consolidation or potential defense budget reductions. Our success as a subcontractor to defense prime contractors has provided us with opportunities to also act as a subcontractor to prime contractors in the production of commercial aircraft structures, which we believe will also reduce our exposure to defense industry consolidation, government spending decisions, and other defense industry risks.

Our OEM customers in the defense sector include leading prime defense contractors such as:

• Lockheed Martin Corporation - we provide products used in the production of Lockheed Martin Corporation’s (“Lockheed Martin”) F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and an international variant of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. We also provide structural assemblies to Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company (“Sikorsky”), for many of their military helicopter platforms including the UH-60 BLACK HAWK©, MH-60 Seahawk, CH-53E and CH-53K King Stallion, and a special purpose helicopter.
• RTX Corporation, formerly Raytheon Technologies – we provide products to multiple business divisions of RTX Corporation (“Raytheon”): Raytheon (Next Generation Jammer – Mid-Band Pod, Advanced Tactical Pods, Intelligence, Surveillance and Airborne Reconnaissance Pods, Missile Wings and Components, and Radar Racks) and Collins Aerospace (RF Enclosures).
• The Boeing Company - we provide critical wing structure for The Boeing Company’s (“Boeing”) A-10 re-wing program and welded structures for the CH-47 Chinook helicopter.
• Northrop Grumman Corporation – we provide structural components and kits for the Northrop Grumman Corporation (“NGC”) E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, various integrated radar and laser pod structures, welded tubes, and welded fluid tanks for a classified program.

80% and 81% of our revenue in 2024 and 2023, respectively, was generated by subcontracts with defense prime contractors.

Our OEM customers in the civil aviation market include:

• Embraer S.A. Executive Jets – we provide engine inlet assemblies for Embraer S.A.’s (“Embraer”) Phenom 300 business jet and recently were awarded a contract to manufacture engine inlets for the Phenom 100 business jet.

6% and 5% of our revenue in 2024 and 2023, respectively, was generated by commercial contract sales.

CPI Aero also is a prime contractor to the DOD, primarily through contracts directly with the USAF and the Defense Logistics Agency (“DLA”), providing supply chain management, assembly & integration, and kitting services for the F-16 and T-38 programs. 14% and 14 % of our revenue in 2024 and 2023, respectively, were generated by direct government sales.

Significant Contracts

Our most significant contracts are described below:

Military Aircraft – Subcontracts with Prime Contractors

E-2D Advanced Hawkeye: The NGC E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is an all-weather, carrier-based tactical Airborne Early Warning aircraft. The twin turboprop aircraft was designed and developed in the 1950s by the Grumman Aircraft Company for the U.S. Navy. The U.S. Navy aircraft has been progressively updated with the latest variant, the E-2D, first flying in 2007. In 2008, we received an initial $7.9 million order from NGC to provide structural kits used in the production of Outer Wing Panels (“OWP”) of the E-2D. We initially valued the long-term agreement at approximately $98 million over an eight-year period, with the potential to be in excess of $195 million over the life of the aircraft program. In February of 2019, we announced a new multi-year award valued at up to approximately $47.5 million. In June 2020, we announced that we had received firm orders valued in excess of $43 million and $5 million in long-lead funding in anticipation of purchase orders for OWP structural components and kits. In 2021, we received additional orders valued at approximately $11 million. Since 2008, the cumulative orders we have received on this program through December 31, 2024 exceed $210 million. We anticipate shipping against these orders into 2025.

In February 2020, the Company’s subsidiary WMI received approximately $4 million in purchase orders from NGC to produce numerous welded structures and tubes for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. Under the terms of the purchase orders, WMI manufactured more than 140 different items in support of the production of at least 25 E-2D aircraft. CPI received follow-on orders for additional quantities of welded products in 2024 totaling $2.8 million and anticipates additional orders in 2025.

ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer – Mid-Band Pod (“NGJ-MB”): The Raytheon NGJ-MB pod is an external jamming pod that will disrupt and degrade enemy aircraft and ground radar and communication systems, and will replace the ALQ-99 system on the U.S. Navy’s EA-6B Growler carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft. The U.S. Navy plans to install these pods on 139 EA-18G Growlers during the production phase. There are two pods per aircraft. There are also 11 EA-18Gs operated by the Royal Australian Air Force. Raytheon received a $1 billion sole source contract from the U.S. Navy in April 2016, and CPI Aero has a contract with Raytheon to assemble the pod structural housing and air management system (“AMS”) and integrate customer furnished equipment. In 2019, Raytheon authorized CPI Aero to begin production of pod structures and AMS components for the System Demonstration and Test Article (“SDTA”) phase of the NGJ-MB program. All SDTA pods and AMS components orders received were valued in excess of $60 million and completed delivery as of December 31, 2022.

On November 16, 2021 the Company announced it was authorized by Raytheon to start the production phase of the program. The Company was awarded low rate production (“LRIP”) I and II orders valued at approximately $18.5 million. LRIP III, for which the Company was awarded an order of approximately $14.0 million in October 2022, and later definitized at $32.5 million. In November 2023, Raytheon issued a Memorandum for Record for Lot4 with an anticipated Program Value of $32 million and an initial funding limit of $16 million. In December 2024, Lot 4 was fully funded at $33.4M. We believe that the total value of the NGJ-MB program through production will be in excess of $254 million through 2030.

A-10 Thunderbolt II “Warthog”: The Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II, also known as the Warthog, is a twin-engine aircraft that provides close-air support of ground forces and employs a wide variety of conventional munitions including general-purpose bombs. This simple, effective and survivable single-seat aircraft can be used against all ground targets, including tanks and other armored vehicles. On August 21, 2019, Boeing announced that it had received an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (“IDIQ”) contract award from the USAF with a maximum contract value of $999 million to manage the production of up to 112 new wing sets and spares kits for A-10 aircraft, and the USAF ordered 27 wing sets from Boeing immediately at contract award. In 2019, CPI Aero announced the receipt of an IDIQ contract with a maximum ceiling value of $48 million from Boeing for structural assemblies for the A-10. Under the terms of the IDIQ contract, CPI Aero will manufacture major structural subassemblies of the A-10 aircraft’s wing. The Company also announced that it had received initial purchase orders under the IDIQ contract valued at approximately $6 million for the production of four shipsets of assemblies and associated program start-up costs. In May 2020, CPI Aero announced the receipt of additional purchase orders totaling approximately $14 million from Boeing. In March of 2022, CPI Aero announced the receipt of additional purchase orders totaling approximately $3.2 million. Including additional orders received in 2023, the total purchase orders received as of December 31, 2024 aggregated $23.8 million. CPI will finish deliveries on this contract in 2025.

F-35 Lightning II: The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole fighter aircraft that provides unmatched multi-role capability, survivability, and connectivity with data sharing capabilities essential for joint all-domain operations. Current DOD plans call for acquiring a total of 2,456 F-35s. U.S. allies are expected to purchase hundreds of additional F-35s, with eight nations participating as cost-sharing partners in the program with the United States, and six other nations allied with the U.S. purchasing the F-35 via foreign military sales agreements with the DOD. In 2015, CPI Aero was awarded a multi-year contract to supply four different lock assemblies for the arresting gear door on the F-35C Carrier Take Off and Landing variant. CPI Aero made its first delivery under that contract in May 2017. In November 2017, CPI Aero was awarded an additional $15.8 million multi-year contract to manufacture canopy activation drive shaft assemblies for the F-35A, F-35B, and F-35C variants. In 2018, the Company received a new long-term agreement valued at approximately $8 million for lock assemblies for which deliveries were completed in January 2025.

UH-60 “BLACK HAWK”: The Sikorsky UH-60 BLACK HAWK helicopter is the leader in multi-mission rotary wing aircraft. Among the mission configurations it serves are troop transport, medical evacuation, electronic warfare, attack, assault support, and special operations. More than 4,000 BLACK HAWK helicopters are in use today, operating in 29 countries. CPI Aero manufactures several different structural assemblies, including welded structure for the BLACK HAWK. The majority of CPI Aero’s contracts for the BLACK HAWK are as a Tier 1 supplier to Sikorsky. The Company also is a Tier 2 supplier to GKN Aerospace and Ducommun for products ultimately used on the BLACK HAWK. In 2017, CPI Aero received an approximately $21 million long-term agreement through 2022 for the production of fuel panel assemblies, work it has performed for Sikorsky since 2010. Also in 2017, the Company received an $8 million long-term agreement through 2022 to manufacture machine gunner window assemblies for the BLACK HAWK, continuing work it has performed since 2010. A third five-year long-term agreement was awarded in January 2022, also for gunner window assemblies, estimated at $13.6 million with a period of performance from 2023-2027. Also, since October 2018, CPI Aero has received multiple purchase orders totaling $22 million for hover infrared suppression system (“HIRSS”) module assemblies for use as spares on older variants of the BLACK HAWK. The HIRSS is a defensive countermeasures system that is integral to the survival of the BLACK HAWK by reducing the opportunity for an infrared-seeking threat system to acquire, lock onto, track, and destroy the aircraft. Finally, in May 2021, the Company announced receiving a multi-year contract valued at up to $17.2 million for the repair and overhaul of outboard stabilator assemblies in support of the Sikorsky MH-60 SEAHAWK. In late 2024, Sikorsky kicked off proposal efforts for the next SEAHAWK PBL commencing in 2027. Through December 31, 2024, CPI received orders totaling $6.5 million.

F-16V Fighting Falcon: The Lockheed Martin F-16 is the world’s most successful, combat-proven multirole fighter. Approximately 3,000 operational F-16s are in service today in 25 countries. The F-16V is a new variant, sold exclusively to international air forces and is the most technologically advanced fourth generation fighter in the world. In 2019, the Company announced it had been awarded a multi-year contract by Lockheed Martin to manufacture Rudder Island and Drag Chute Canister (“RI/DCC”) assemblies for the F-16V. The RI/DCC is a large structural sub-assembly that is installed on the tail section of the aircraft. CPI Aero deliveries began in 2021. In June 2020, the Company announced that it had been awarded an order from Lockheed Martin as part of the previously announced multi-year contract to manufacture RI/DCC assemblies for new production F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft, in March 2021 the Company announced that it had received an additional order for these assemblies for $9.2 million and in November 2022, the Company announced another follow-on order for these assemblies for $4 million. On August 28, 2023 CPI announced the receipt of a 2nd Multiyear long-term agreement with not-to-exceed funding of $34.4 million. The total value of the RI/DCC program, including both multi-year contracts is approximately $60 million. In 2024, Lockheed initiated proposal efforts for the next pricing period, the anticipated LTA3.

CH-53K King Stallion: The CH-53K is a heavy-lift helicopter produced by Sikorsky for the U.S. Marine Corps. We manufacture composite electronics racks as a Tier 2 supplier to Spirit AeroSystems, Inc., the manufacturer of the CH-53K cockpit and cabin. Through December 31, 2024, we had received orders valued at more than $2.8 million from Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.

In addition, the Company also manufactures welded titanium and aluminum tubes for the CH-53K as a Tier 1 supplier to Sikorsky. In August 2023, CPI received a Long-term Agreement with a ceiling price of $17.4 million and a funding limit of $7.3 million. These tubes will be required for the multi-year on this program. This statement of work includes CPI Aero intellectual property.

Undisclosed Pod Structure: In 2019, the Company received an initial purchase order from Raytheon to manufacture pod structures for an undisclosed application. The value of the order was approximately $2.3 million for manufacturing engineering services, development of assembly tooling, and the production of the prototypes. The undisclosed pod structure is currently under development. In October 2021, the Company announced that Raytheon awarded the Company an approximately $6.1 million contract modification that changes the scope of work the Company would perform and increases the quantity of pods to be produced. The program value as of December 31, 2024 was $9.5 million for deliveries into 2025. CPI Aero has been awarded the follow-on to this development statement of work.

Undisclosed Vehicle: In 2018, the Company started production of a welded tank for NGC for an undisclosed application on an undisclosed platform. The total value of orders received as of December 31, 2024 is $3.2 million. Anticipated spares orders are expected to continue in 2025.

B-52 Radar Rack: In late 2021, the Company received an initial purchase order from Raytheon to manufacture radar rack structures for the B-52 Radar Modernization Program. The value of the order was approximately $4.0 million for manufacturing engineering services, development of assembly tooling, and the production of the initial units. The non-recurring and tooling phase of the program was completed and the initial 11 racks have been delivered in 2024. CPI submitted proposals for follow-on lots of racks and an award is anticipated in 2025.

Next Generation Jammer – Low Band Pod: In August of 2024, the Company received a letter contract from a new customer, L3Harris Technologies to manufacture pod structures for the Next Generation Low Band Program. The estimated value of this first development phase of the program is $12.1 million with initial Purchase Order funding received in fourth quarter of 2024 of $5 million for long lead material, manufacturing engineering services, development of assembly tooling, and the production of the initial units.

Military Aircraft – Prime Contracts with U.S. Government

T-38 Pacer Classic III, Phase 2: For more than 50 years, the NGC T-38 has been the principal supersonic jet trainer used by the USAF. The T-38C Pacer Classic III Fuselage Structural Modification Kit Integration program (“PC III”) and the Talon Repair Inspection and Maintenance (“TRIM”) program are expected to increase the structural service life of the T-38 beyond 2030. In 2015, CPI Aero was awarded Phase 2 of PC III and has received purchase orders valued at approximately $2.0 million from the USAF to provide structural modification kits for the PC III aircraft structural modification program.

T-38 Pacer Classic III, Phase 3 and TRIM: In July 2019, the Company announced a new $65.7 million IDIQ contract from the USAF for the final phase of PC III as well as TRIM. The TRIM program is a separate USAF structural modification effort that will extend the structural service life of T-38A and T-38 model types, as well as T-38C models that were not modified during PC III. Through December 31, 2020, the Company had received orders valued at approximately $15.3 million for the PC III, Phase 3 and TRIM programs, and in 2021, the Company announced it had received three separate orders for additional requirements valued at approximately $16.2 million. Through December 2024, CPI has received funded orders under this long term agreement totaling $48.7 million.

Commercial Aircraft – Subcontracts with Prime Contractors

Embraer Phenom 300: The Phenom 300 is a twin-engine, executive jet produced by Brazilian aircraft company Embraer that can carry between six and ten passengers and a crew of two. We have been producing engine inlet assemblies for Embraer under a long-term agreement we entered into in 2012. In January 2024, we celebrated the delivery of the 800th Shipset of Inlets. In 2024, we received funded orders totaling $5.0 million.

Embraer Phenom 100: The Phenom 100 is a light executive business jet twin-engine, produced by Brazilian aircraft company Embraer that can carry up to six passengers and a crew of two. Embraer unveiled the Phenom 100EX, the Company’s latest evolution from the Phenom 100 series with over 400 aircraft in operation. Embraer has informed us in December 2024 that we have been selected to produce the engine inlets for this aircraft. We anticipate our first deliveries to take place in 2025.

Backlog

We produce custom assemblies pursuant to long-term contracts and customer purchase orders. Funded backlog consists of aggregate funded values under such contracts and purchase orders, excluding the portion previously included in operating revenues pursuant to Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606 (“ASC 606”). Unfunded backlog is the estimated amount of future orders under the expected duration of the program. Substantially all of our unfunded backlog is subject to termination at will and rescheduling, without significant penalty. Funds are often appropriated for programs or contracts on a yearly or quarterly basis, even though the contract may call for performance that is expected to take a number of years. Therefore, our funded backlog does not include the full value of our contracts.

The total backlog at December 31, 2024 is $510,271,000.

Our total backlog as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 was as follows:

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Approximately 95% and 97% of the total amount of our backlog at December 31, 2024 and 2023 was attributable to government contracts. Our backlog attributable to government contracts at December 31, 2024 and 2023 was as follows:

Our backlog attributable to commercial contracts at December 31, 2024 and 2023 was as follows:

Material and Parts

We subcontract production of substantially all parts incorporated into our products to third-party manufacturers under firm fixed price orders. Our decision to purchase certain components generally is based upon whether the components are available to meet required specifications at a cost and with a delivery schedule consistent with customer requirements. From time to time, we are required to purchase custom made parts from sole suppliers and manufacturers in order to meet specific customer requirements.

We obtain our raw materials from several commercial sources. Although certain items are only available from limited sources of supply, we believe that the loss of any single supplier would not have a material adverse effect on our business.

Government Regulation

Environmental Regulation

We are subject to regulations administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, various state, county, and local agencies acting in cooperation with federal and state authorities. Among other things, these regulatory bodies impose restrictions to control air, soil, and water pollution, to protect against occupational exposure to chemicals, including health and safety risks, and to require notification or reporting of the storage, use, and release of certain hazardous chemicals and substances. The extensive regulatory framework imposes compliance burdens and risks on us. Governmental authorities have the power to enforce compliance with these regulations and to obtain injunctions or impose civil and criminal fines in the case of violations.

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (“CERCLA”) imposes strict, joint and several liability on the present and former owners and operators of facilities that release hazardous substances into the environment. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (“RCRA”) regulates the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. In New York State, the handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous substances are governed by the Environmental Conservation Law, which contains the New York counterparts of CERCLA and RCRA. In addition, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which requires employers to provide a place of employment that is free from recognized and preventable hazards that are likely to cause serious physical harm to employees, obligates employers to provide notice to employees regarding the presence of hazardous chemicals and to train employees in the use of such substances.

Our operations require the use of a limited amount of chemicals and other materials for painting and cleaning, including solvents and thinners, which are classified under applicable laws as hazardous chemicals and substances. We follow all federal, state and local rules and regulations regarding the disposal of these chemicals and associated waste. We have obtained a permit from the Town of Islip, New York, Building Division in order to maintain a paint booth containing flammable liquids.

Federal Aviation Administration Regulation

We are subject to regulation by the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) under the provisions of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended. The FAA prescribes standards and licensing requirements for aircraft and aircraft components. We are subject to inspections by the FAA and may be subjected to fines and other penalties (including orders to cease production) for noncompliance with FAA regulations. Our failure to comply with applicable regulations could result in the termination of or our disqualification from some of our contracts, which could have a material adverse effect on our operations.

Government Contract Compliance

Our government contracts and sub-contracts are subject to the procurement rules and regulations of the U.S. Government. Many of the contract terms are dictated by these rules and regulations. Specifically, cost-based pricing is determined under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”), which provide guidance on the types of costs that are allowable in establishing prices for goods and services under U.S. Government contracts. For example, costs such as those related to charitable contributions, advertising, interest expense, and public relations are unallowable, and therefore not recoverable through sales. During and after the fulfillment of a government contract, we may be audited in respect of the direct and allocated indirect costs attributed thereto. These audits may result in adjustments to our contract costs. Additionally, we may be subject to U.S. Government inquiries and investigations because of our participation in government procurement. Any inquiry or investigation can result in fines or limitations on our ability to continue to bid for government contracts and fulfill existing contracts. We believe that we are in compliance with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing our operations and have obtained all material licenses and permits required for the operation of our business.

The U.S. Government generally has the ability to terminate our contracts, in whole or in part, without prior notice, for convenience or for default based on performance. If a U.S. Government contract were to be terminated for convenience, we generally would be protected by provisions covering reimbursement for costs incurred on the contract and profit on those costs, but not the anticipated profit that would have been earned had the contract been completed. In the unusual circumstance where a U.S. Government contract does not have such termination protection, we attempt to mitigate the termination risk through other means. Termination resulting from our default may expose us to liability and could have a material adverse effect on our ability to compete for other contracts. The U.S. Government also has the ability to stop work under a contract for a limited period of time for its convenience. In the event of a stop work order, we generally would be protected by provisions covering reimbursement for costs incurred on the contract to date and for costs associated with the temporary stoppage of work on the contract. However, such temporary stoppages and delays could introduce inefficiencies for which we may not be able to negotiate full recovery from the U.S. Government, and could ultimately result in termination for convenience or reduced future orders on certain contracts. Additionally, we may be required to continue to perform for some period of time on certain of our U.S. Government contracts, even if the U.S. Government is unable to make timely payments.

Insurance

We maintain a $2.0 million general liability insurance policy, a $100 million products liability insurance policy, and a $5.0 million umbrella liability insurance policy. Additionally, we maintain $10.0 million of director and officers’ liability insurance. We believe this coverage is adequate for claims that have been and may be brought against us, and for the types of products presently marketed because of the strict inspection standards imposed on us by our customers before they take possession of our products. Additionally, the FAR generally provide that we will not be held liable for any loss of or damage to property of the U.S. Government that occurs after the U.S. Government accepts delivery of our products and that results from any defects or deficiencies in our products unless the liability results from willful misconduct or lack of good faith on the part of our managerial personnel.

Proprietary Information

None of our current assembly processes or products is protected by patents. We rely on proprietary know-how and information and employ various methods to protect the processes, concepts, ideas, and documentation associated with our products. These methods, however, may not afford complete protection and there can be no assurance that others will not independently develop such processes, concepts, ideas, and documentation.

CPI Aero® is a registered trademark of the Company.

Human Capital Management

Our ability to attract, develop and retain top talent across all of our business functions, and particularly in highly technical areas, has a significant impact on organizational success. Accordingly, our human capital management strategy places a significant focus on both attracting a diverse, highly skilled workforce and engaging and developing talent from within by creating a work environment that promotes inclusion and equitability. By providing our valued employees the opportunity to enhance their skillsets, develop their careers and pursue excellence through numerous training and development opportunities, we consistently emphasize the importance of innovation and continuous improvement throughout our organization. We continue to pursue opportunities that enable us to build our talent pipeline, particularly for skilled labor, including running an apprentice training program several times over the course of the year and forging relationships with local high school and trade schools.

We attract and compensate our employees by offering a competitive total rewards package which includes benefits, resources, and programs that support health, physical, mental, and financial wellness. The benefits package we offer, coupled with employee recognition opportunities and employee engagement activities help create a comprehensive employee experience. We periodically benchmark our benefits programs and associated costs to remain competitive.

As of December 31, 2024, we had 212 full-time employees as compared to 203 full-time employees as of December 31, 2023. On an as-needed basis, we employ temporary personnel with specialized disciplines to fill staffing gaps. We do not have any employees represented by a union, and we believe that our relations with our employees are good. We provide our team members with ongoing opportunities to share thoughts and perspectives on company and employment-related matters through surveys, all-hands meetings, and management open door policies. Our management, with oversight from the Compensation and Human Resources Committee of our board of directors, monitors the hiring, retention, and management of our employees and regularly conducts succession planning to ensure that we continue to cultivate the pipeline of talent needed to operate our business.

Diversity and Inclusion

We value diversity and inclusion in our workforce as we understand that diversity of background, thought, and experience leads to greater innovation and improved business results. We are committed to increasing and retaining diversity at all levels of our workforce, and focus on diversity and inclusion throughout our recruitment, hiring, and onboarding processes. Diversity within our board of directors is 29%, and our executive management team is comprised of 50% diverse employees.

Across our total employee population and based on employees who self-identify, as of December 31, 2024, approximately 20% of our workforce are female, 36% are multicultural and 4% are veterans.

Safety

Ensuring the safety and well-being of our employees is a top priority. The goal of our safety program is to increase safety knowledge and awareness throughout the organization to ensure occupational health, reduce risk, and prevent incidents. We regularly benchmark our safety performance, self-audit our safety compliance, and provide our employees with safety-related training. We conduct an investigation, including root cause analysis and corrective action, any time a safety incident or a near miss occurs.

Our Safety Committee is comprised of employees from various disciplines throughout the organization who meet on a regular basis to execute continuous improvement strategies, develop methods to increase ownership of safety throughout the organization, establish new safety initiatives, and assess safety performance.

We monitor the effectiveness of our safety program by comparing recordable incidents and incident severity year over year. We measure the number of safety incidents with the total recordable incident rate (“TRIR”) metric and the severity of incidents with the days away restricted and transferred (“DART”) metric. The table below represents our result from the two most recent calendar years:

TRIR = total number of recordable cases x 200,000 / total hours worked

DART = number of cases with days away from work x 200,000 / total hours worked by all employees

Community Involvement

Having a positive impact on the community around us is one of our most important values. We donate to local charitable organizations, such as United Way of Long Island, through both monetary contributions, as well as “drives” to collect and deliver employee donated food and school supplies. We actively engage and educate local high school students from surrounding districts about the manufacturing and engineering industry and career trajectory. This includes, hosting educational experiences and shop tours with high school and trade school classes. Members of our leadership team participate on the boards of trade associations that support and advance the interests of the local community.

In addition to other risks and uncertainties described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the following material risk factors should be carefully considered in evaluating our business because such factors may have a significant impact on our business, operating results, liquidity, and financial condition. As a result of the risk factors set forth below, actual results did and could continue to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements.

Risks Related to Our Business

We depend on government contracts for a significant portion of our revenues.

We are a supplier, either directly or as a subcontractor, to the U.S. Government and its agencies. We depend on government contracts for a significant portion of our business. If we are suspended or barred from contracting with the U.S. Government, if our reputation or relationship with individual federal agencies were impaired, or if the U.S. Government otherwise ceased doing business with us or significantly decreased the amount of business it does with us, our business, prospects, financial condition, and operating results would be materially adversely affected.

We face risks relating to government contracts.

The funding of U.S. Government programs is subject to congressional budget authorization and appropriation processes. For many programs, the U.S. Congress appropriates funds on a fiscal year basis even though a program may extend over several fiscal years. Consequently, programs are often only partially funded initially and additional funds are committed only as Congress makes further appropriations. Appropriations are driven by numerous factors, including geopolitical events, macroeconomic conditions, the ability of the U.S. Government to enact relevant legislation, such as appropriations bills and continuing resolutions, the threat or existence of a government shutdown and potential downgrades of the United States’ credit rating, and risks relating to the recent U.S. presidential election. We cannot predict the extent to which total funding and/or funding for individual programs will be included, increased or reduced in budgets approved by Congress or be included in the scope of separate supplemental appropriations. In the event that appropriations for any of our programs becomes unavailable, or is reduced or delayed, our contract or subcontract under such program may be terminated or adjusted by the U.S. Government, which could have a material adverse effect on our future sales under such program, and on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

We also cannot predict the impact of potential changes in priorities due to military transformation and planning and/or the nature of war-related activity on existing, follow-on, or replacement programs. A shift of government priorities to programs in which we do not participate and/or reductions in funding for or the termination of programs in which we do participate, unless offset by other programs and opportunities, could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.

In addition, the U.S. Government generally has the ability to terminate contracts, completely or in part, without prior notice, for convenience or for default based on performance. In the event of termination for the U.S. Government’s convenience, contractors are generally protected by provisions covering reimbursement for costs incurred on the contracts and profit on those costs but not the anticipated profit that would have been earned had the contract been completed. Termination by the U.S. Government of a contract for convenience could also result in the cancellation of future work on that program. Termination by the U.S. Government of a contract due to our default could require us to pay for re-procurement costs in excess of the original contract price, net of the value of work accepted from the original contract. Termination of a contract due to our default may expose us to liability and could have a material adverse effect on our ability to compete for contracts. Additionally, we are a subcontractor on some U.S. Government contracts. In these arrangements, the U.S. Government could terminate the prime contract for convenience or otherwise, without regard to our performance as a subcontractor. We can give no assurance that we would be awarded new U.S. Government contracts to offset the revenues lost as a result of the termination of any of our U.S. Government contracts.

We have risks associated with competing in the bidding process for contracts.

We obtain many of our contracts through a competitive bidding process. In the bidding process, we face the following risks:

• we must bid on programs in advance of their completion, which may result in unforeseen technological difficulties or cost overruns;
• we must devote substantial time and effort to prepare bids and proposals for competitively awarded contracts that may not be awarded to us; and
• awarded contracts may not generate sales sufficient to result in profitability.

Further consolidation in the aerospace industry could adversely affect our business and financial results.

The A&D industry has experienced significant consolidation, including among our customers, competitors, and suppliers. While we believe we have positioned our Company to take advantage of opportunities to market to a broad customer base, which we believe will reduce the potential impact of industry consolidation, there can be no assurance that industry consolidation will not impact our business. Consolidation among our customers may result in delays in the awarding of new contracts and losses of existing business. Consolidation among our competitors may result in larger competitors with greater resources and market share, which could adversely affect our ability to compete successfully. Consolidation among our suppliers may result in fewer sources of supply and increased costs to us.

We depend upon a select base of large prime defense contractors for the majority of our revenue, which subjects us to unique risks which may adversely affect us.

We currently generate a majority of our revenues by producing products for numerous programs under contracts with three prime defense contractors to the U.S. Government. These significant customers – Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and United States Air Force – constituted approximately 36%, 24% and 14%, respectively of our 2024 revenue. Our revenues from these customers are diversified over several different A&D products, programs, and subsidiaries within these customers, however, any significant change in production rates by any of these customers would have a material effect on our results of operations and cash flows. There is no assurance that our current significant customers will continue to buy products from us at current levels, that we will retain any or all our existing significant customers, or that we will be able to form new relationships with other customers upon the loss of one or more of our existing significant customers.

We are subject to strict governmental regulations relating to the environment, which could result in fines and remediation expenses in the event of non-compliance.

We are required to comply with extensive and frequently changing environmental regulations at the federal, state, and local levels. Among other things, these regulatory bodies impose restrictions to control air, soil, and water pollution, to protect against occupational exposure to chemicals, including health and safety risks, and to require notification or reporting of the storage, use, and release of certain hazardous substances into the environment. This extensive regulatory framework imposes significant compliance burdens and risks on us. In addition, these regulations may impose liability for the cost of removal or remediation of certain hazardous substances released on or in our facilities without regard to whether we knew of, or caused, the release of such substances. Furthermore, we are required to provide a place of employment that is free from recognized and preventable hazards that are likely to cause serious physical harm to employees, provide notice to employees regarding the presence of hazardous chemicals and to train employees in the use of such substances. Our operations require the use of a limited amount of chemicals and other materials for painting and cleaning that are classified under applicable laws as hazardous chemicals and substances. If we are found not to comply with any of these rules, regulations, or permits, we may be subject to fines, remediation expenses, and the obligation to change our business practice, any of which could result in substantial costs that would adversely affect our business operations and financial condition.

We may be subject to fines and disqualification for non-compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) regulations.

We are subject to regulation by the FAA under the provisions of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended. The FAA prescribes standards and licensing requirements for aircraft and aircraft components. We are subject to inspections by the FAA and may be subjected to fines and other penalties (including orders to cease production) for noncompliance with FAA regulations. Our failure to comply with applicable regulations could result in the termination of or our disqualification from some of our contracts, which could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition.

If our subcontractors or suppliers fail to perform their contractual obligations, our contract performance, and our ability to obtain future business and our profitability could be materially and adversely impacted.

Most of our contracts involve subcontracts with other companies upon which we rely to perform a portion of the services that we must provide to our customers. There is a risk that we may have disputes with our subcontractors, including disputes regarding the quality and timeliness of work performed by the subcontractor, customer concerns about the subcontract, our failure to extend existing task orders or issue new task orders under a subcontract, our hiring of personnel of a subcontractor, or disputes concerning payment. A failure by one or more of our subcontractors to satisfactorily provide on a timely basis the agreed-upon supplies or perform the agreed-upon services may materially and adversely affect our ability to fulfill our obligations as the prime contractor. Subcontractor performance deficiencies could result in a customer eliminating our ability to progress bill or terminate our contract for default. A prohibition on progress billing may have an adverse effect upon our cash flow and profitability and a default termination could expose us to liability and have a material adverse effect on our ability to compete for future contracts and orders. In addition, a delay in our ability to obtain components and equipment parts from our suppliers may affect our ability to meet our customers’ needs and may have a material adverse effect upon our profitability.

Due to fixed contract pricing, increasing contract costs exposes us to reduced profitability and the potential loss of future business.

Operating margin is adversely affected when contract costs that cannot be billed to customers are incurred. This cost growth can occur if estimates to complete a contract increase due to technical challenges or if initial estimates used for calculating the contract price were incorrect. The cost estimation process requires significant judgment and expertise. Reasons for cost growth may include unavailability and productivity of labor, the nature and complexity of the work to be performed, the effect of change orders, the availability and cost of materials, the effect of any delays in performance, availability, and timing of funding from the customer, natural disasters, pandemics, and the inability to recover any claims included in the estimates to complete. A significant increase in cost estimates on one or more programs could have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.

We use estimates when accounting for contracts. Changes in estimates may affect our profitability and our overall financial position.

We primarily recognize revenue from our contracts over the contractual period pursuant to ASC 606. Pursuant to ASC 606, revenue and gross profit are recognized as work is performed based on the relationship between actual costs incurred and total estimated costs at the completion of the contract. Recognized revenues that will not be billed under the terms of the contract until a later date are recorded on our consolidated balance sheet as an asset captioned “Contract assets.” Contracts where billings to date have exceeded recognized revenues are recorded on our consolidated balance sheet as a liability captioned “Contract liabilities.” Changes to the original estimates may be required during the term of the contract. Estimates are reviewed quarterly and the effect of any change in the estimated gross margin percentage for a contract is reflected in the consolidated financial statements for the period the change becomes known. ASC 606 requires the use of considerable estimates in determining revenues and profits and in assigning the amounts to accounting periods. As a result, there can be a significant disparity between earnings (both for accounting and taxes) as reported and actual cash received by us during any reporting period.

We continually evaluate all the issues related to the assumptions, risks and uncertainties inherent with the application of ASC 606; however, there is no assurance that our estimates will be accurate. If our estimates are not accurate or a contract is terminated, we will be forced to adjust revenue in later periods. Furthermore, even if our estimates are accurate, we may have a shortfall in our cash flow and we may need to borrow money to pay for costs until the reported earnings materialize to actual cash receipts.

We may be unable to attract and retain personnel who are key to our operations.

Our success, among other things, is dependent on our ability to attract and retain highly qualified senior officers and employees at all levels. Competition for key personnel is intense. Our ability to attract and retain senior officers and experienced, top rate employees is dependent on several factors, including prevailing market conditions and compensation and benefit packages offered by companies competing for the same talent and our reputation in the industry. If our reputation is adversely affected, we may be unable to recruit, hire, and retain talented personnel. The inability to hire and retain these people may adversely affect our production operations and other aspects of our business.

We are subject to intense competition for the skilled technicians necessary to manufacture our products.

We are subject to intense competition for the services of skilled technicians necessary to manufacture our products. The demand for these individuals may increase as other manufacturers seek to bring to the U.S. manufacturing processes currently outsourced overseas. If the U.S. economy continues to undergo a period of inflation, our labor costs may increase which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We are subject to the cyclical nature of the commercial aerospace industry, and any future downturn in the commercial aerospace industry or general economic conditions, including inflation could adversely impact the demand for our products.

Our business may be affected by certain characteristics and trends of the commercial aerospace industry or general economic conditions that affect our customers, such as the current inflationary and high interest rate environment in the U.S. and the resultant impacts on the supply chain, the labor market and the general economy, as well as fluctuations in the aerospace industry’s business cycle, varying fuel and labor costs, intense price competition and regulatory scrutiny, certain trends, including a possible decrease in aviation activity and a decrease in outsourcing by aircraft manufacturers, or the failure of projected market growth to materialize or continue. If these characteristics and trends adversely affect customers in the commercial aerospace industry, they may reduce the overall demand for our products.

Our working capital requirements may negatively affect our liquidity and capital resources.

Our working capital requirements can vary significantly, depending in part on the timing of new program awards and the payment terms with our customers and suppliers. If our working capital needs exceed our cash flows from operations, we would look to our cash balances and any availability for borrowings under our credit facility to satisfy those needs. See “Risks Related to Our Indebtedness and Liquidity” below.

We incur risks associated with new programs.

New programs with new technologies typically carry risks associated with design changes, development of new production tools, increased capital and funding commitments, ability to meet customer specifications, delivery schedules and unique contractual requirements, supplier performance, ability of the customer to meet its contractual obligations to us, and our ability to accurately estimate costs associated with such programs. In addition, any new program may not generate sufficient demand or may experience technological problems or significant delays in the regulatory or other certification or manufacturing and delivery schedule. If we were unable to perform our obligations under new programs to the customer’s satisfaction, if we were unable to manufacture products at our estimated costs, or if a new program in which we had made a significant investment was terminated or experienced weak demand, delays, or technological problems, then our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. This risk includes the potential for default, quality problems, or inability to meet specifications, as well as our inability to negotiate final pricing for program changes and could result in low margin or forward loss contracts, and the risk of having to write-off contract assets if they were deemed to be unrecoverable. In addition, beginning new work on existing programs also carries risk associated with the transfer of technology, knowledge, and tooling.

To perform on new programs, we may be required to expend up-front costs which may not have been negotiated in our selling price. Additionally, we may have made margin assumptions related to those costs, that in the case of significant program delays and/or program cancellations, or if we are not successful in negotiating favorable margin on scope changes, could cause us to experience margin degradation which may be material, for costs that are not recoverable. Such charges and the loss of up-front costs could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity.

We are presently classified as a small business and the loss of our small business status may adversely affect our ability to compete for government contracts.

We are presently classified as a small business under the North American Industry Classification Systems (“NAICS”) industry and product specific codes that are regulated in the U.S. by the Small Business Administration (“SBA”). We are not considered a small business under all NAICS codes. While we do not presently derive a substantial portion of our business from contracts that are set aside for small businesses, we are able to bid on small business set-aside contracts as well as contracts that are open to non-small business entities. As the NAICS codes are periodically revised, it is possible that we may lose our status as a small business. The loss of small business status would adversely affect our eligibility for special small business programs and limit our ability to collaborate with other business entities which are seeking to team with small business entities as may be required under a specific contract.

Cyber security attacks, internal system or service failures and technological changes, including the use of machine learning and generative artificial intelligence, may adversely impact our business and operations.

Any system or service disruptions, including those caused by projects to improve our information technology systems, if not anticipated and appropriately mitigated, could disrupt our business, and impair our ability to effectively provide products and related services to our customers and could have a material adverse effect on our business. We could also be subject to systems failures, including network, software, or hardware failures, whether caused by us, third-party service providers, intruders or hackers, computer viruses, natural disasters, power shortages, or terrorist attacks. Cyber security threats are evolving and include, but are not limited to, malicious software, phishing, and other unauthorized attempts to gain access to sensitive, confidential, or otherwise protected information related to us or our products, customers, or suppliers, or other acts that could lead to disruptions in our business. Because the techniques used by cyber-attackers to access or sabotage networks change frequently and may not be recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these tactics. Any such failures to prevent or mitigate cyber-attacks could cause loss of data and interruptions or delays in our business, cause us to incur remediation costs, or subject us to claims and damage our reputation. In addition, the failure or disruption of our communications or utilities could cause us to interrupt or suspend our operations or otherwise adversely affect our business. Although we utilize various procedures and controls to monitor and mitigate the risk of these threats, including contracting with an outside cyber security firm to provide constant monitoring of our systems, and training our employees to recognize attacks, there can be no assurance that these procedures and controls will be sufficient. Our property and business interruption insurance may be inadequate to compensate us for all losses that may occur because of any system or operational failure or disruption which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Moreover, expenditures incurred in implementing cyber security and other procedures and controls could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Our ability to utilize our tax benefits could be substantially limited if we fail to generate sufficient income or if we experience an “ownership change”.

As of December 31, 2024, we had approximately $66.0 million of gross net operating losses (“NOLs”) for federal tax purposes and approximately $18.0 million of post-apportionment NOLs for state tax purposes. As a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020, NOLs arising before January 1, 2018, and NOLs arising after January 1, 2018, are subject to different rules. Our pre-2018 NOLs totaled approximately $51.6 million; these NOLs will expire in varying amounts from 2034 through 2037, if not utilized, and can offset 100% of future taxable income for regular tax purposes. Our NOLs arising in 2018, and later years can be carried forward indefinitely and can offset up to 80% of future taxable income.

Our ability to fully recognize the benefits from our NOLs is dependent upon our ability to generate sufficient income prior to their expiration. In addition, our NOL carryforwards may be limited if we experience an ownership change as defined by Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code (“Section 382”). In general, an ownership change under Section 382 occurs if 5% shareholders increase their collective ownership of the aggregate amount of our outstanding shares by more than 50 percentage points over a relevant lookback period. The company completed a section 382 analysis for the year ended December 31, 2024 and believes that no ownership change occurred during the relevant lookback period through December 31, 2024 that would limit our ability to use our NOLs.

Product liability claims in excess of insurance could adversely affect our financial results and financial condition.

We face potential liability for property damage, personal injury, or death as a result of the failure of products designed or manufactured by us. Although we currently maintain product liability insurance (including aircraft product liability insurance), any material product liability not covered by insurance could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

Increased scrutiny from investors, lenders, regulators and other market participants regarding our environmental, social, governance, sustainability or climate responsibilities could expose us to additional costs and adversely impact our liquidity, results of operations, reputation, employee retention, and stock price.

There is an increasing focus from certain investors, customers, and other key stakeholders concerning corporate responsibility, specifically related to environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) factors. Some investors may use ESG criteria to guide their investment strategies and, in some cases, may choose not to invest in us if they believe our policies relating to corporate responsibilities are inadequate.

The ESG factors by which companies’ corporate responsibility practices are assessed may change. This could result in greater expectations of us and cause us to undertake costly initiatives to satisfy such new criteria. If we are unable to satisfy the new corporate responsibility criteria, investors may view our policies related to corporate responsibility as inadequate. We risk damage to our reputation in the event our corporate responsibility procedures or goals do not meet the standards or goals set by various constituencies. In addition, if our competitors’ corporate responsibility performance is perceived to be greater than ours, potential or current investors may elect to invest in our competitors instead. Further, in the event we communicate certain initiatives or goals related to ESG, we could fail, or be perceived to have failed, in our achievement of such initiatives or goals. If we fail to satisfy the expectations of investors and other key stakeholders, or our initiatives are not executed as planned, our reputation, employee retention, and willingness of our customers and suppliers to do business with us, financial results, and stock price could be materially and adversely affected.

Risks Related to Our Indebtedness and Liquidity

In the past, CPI obtained amendments to and received waivers of and consents to non-compliance with certain covenants under our credit facility with BankUnited and there can be no assurance that we will not fall out of compliance with our covenants in the future.

If we fall out of compliance with our banking covenants under our credit facility (the “BankUnited Facility” or the “Credit Agreement”) with BankUnited, N.A. (“BankUnited”), they may declare a default under the BankUnited Facility and, among other remedies, could declare the full amount of the BankUnited Facility immediately due and payable and could foreclose against our collateral. If this were to occur, we may be unable to secure outside financing, if needed, to fund ongoing operations and for other capital needs. Any sources of financing that may be available to us could also be at higher costs and require us to satisfy more restrictive covenants, which could limit or restrict our operations, cash flows, and earnings. We cannot ensure that additional financing would be available to us or be sufficient or available on satisfactory terms.

Our capital requirements, liquidity and financial condition raise significant risks as to our ability to continue as a going concern.

Our working capital requirements can vary significantly, depending in part on the timing of the conclusion of mature programs and new program awards and the payment terms with our customers and suppliers. There is currently no availability for borrowings under the BankUnited Facility and the Company finances its operations from internally generated cash flow. Note 8 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II - Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K includes a discussion regarding the BankUnited Facility and recent amendments thereto.

Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming we will continue to operate as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. If we become unable to continue as a going concern, we may have to liquidate our assets and the values we receive for our assets in liquidation or dissolution could be significantly lower than the values reflected in our consolidated financial statements. It is management’s estimation that there will likely not be any individual conditions or combination of events that will occur in the coming year which would cause the Company to be unable to continue as a going concern.

Our cost of borrowing under the Credit Agreement is based on the Prime Rate of interest per annum published in the Money Rates section of The Wall Street Journal (the “Prime Rate”) plus the margin charged by our lender, and increases in the Prime Rate negatively impact our profitability.

Interest rates under our Credit Agreement are based on the Prime Rate, and as a result, we have exposure to interest rate risk. Certain central banks, such as the U.S. Federal Reserve, effected multiple interest rate decreases in 2024. Decreases in interest rates decrease our cost of borrowing and/or potentially make it more viable to refinance our existing indebtedness. Conversely, increases in interest rates increase our cost of borrowing and/or potentially make it more difficult to refinance our existing indebtedness.

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting over a number of years which adversely affected our ability to report our financial condition and results of operations in a timely and accurate manner. The material weaknesses led to multiple restatements of our consolidated financial statements. The material weaknesses and restatements have resulted in our failure to meet SEC reporting obligations, affected and may continue to affect investor confidence, our stock price and our ability to raise capital in the future, and have resulted and may continue to result in stockholder litigation.

In June 2024, the Company entered into a settlement with the SEC to fully remediate its material weakness in internal control over financial reporting (“ICFR”) and have effective ICFR and disclosure controls and procedures by December 31, 2024 to publicly disclose, concurrent with the filing of the Company’s 2024 annual report, on form 10-K. Per this agreement, if the Company fails to comply with these undertakings, a civil monetary penalty in the amount of $400,000 will be due to the SEC by June 30, 2025. Although the company believes that it has appropriately remediated its material weakness in internal controls, the risk exists that the SEC’s determination could result in an adverse opinion.

If a future failure in internal control should occur, it may cause us to fail to meet SEC reporting obligations, negatively affect the accuracy of our financial statements and disclosures, investor and customer confidence, our ability to raise capital in the future and result in events of default under our banking agreement, any of which could have a negative effect on the price of our common stock, subject us to regulatory investigations and penalties and additional stockholder litigation, and have a material adverse impact on our business and financial condition.

Risks Related to Global Events

The conflict between Israel and Hamas, rising tensions between China and Taiwan, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, and terrorist acts and acts of war may seriously harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.

U.S. and global responses to actual or potential military conflicts such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, terrorism, perceived nuclear, biological, and chemical threats and other global political crises increase uncertainties with respect to the U.S. and other business and financial markets. Several factors associated, directly or indirectly, with actual or potential military conflicts, terrorism, perceived nuclear, biological, and chemical and cyber threats, and other global political crises and responses thereto, may adversely affect the mix of products purchased by defense departments in the U.S. or other countries to platforms not serviced by us. A shift in defense budgets to product lines we do not produce could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We cannot predict the consequences of future geo-political events on our operations or our profitability.

New or increased economic and trade sanctions, including tariffs, may create economic and political uncertainties and could potentially impact the cost of our raw materials and subassemblies having an adverse effect on our business, operations and profitability. Although our supply chain predominantly consists of US based suppliers, any increases in their manufacturing costs may directly affect the Company’s profitability on previously negotiated Firm Fixed Price contracts.

Cybersecurity risk management is an important part of our overall risk management efforts. We maintain a cybersecurity program that is comprised of policies, procedures, controls and plans whose objective is to help us prevent and effectively respond to cybersecurity threats or incidents. Through our cybersecurity risk management process, we continuously monitor cybersecurity vulnerabilities and potential attack vectors to company systems. We maintain various measures to safeguard against cybersecurity threats such as monitoring systems, security controls, policy enforcement, data encryption, employee training, tools and services from third-party providers and management oversight to assess, identify and mitigate risks from cybersecurity threats. We conduct regular testing of these controls and systems including vulnerability scanning, penetration testing and simulating the execution of parts of our disaster recovery plan. All employees are required to pass a mandatory cybersecurity training course on an annual basis and we regularly conduct phishing simulations to train our employees on how to recognize phishing attempts.

We have implemented cybersecurity frameworks, policies and practices which incorporate industry-standards and contractual requirements. We also contractually flow cybersecurity regulatory requirements to our subcontractors as required by the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement and other government agency specific requirements. These contractual flow downs include the requirement that our subcontractors implement certain information security controls. Additionally, we gather information and review the SOC-2 reports of certain third-parties who integrate with our systems, such as our payroll processor, managed solutions provider and software as a service providers on an annual basis to identify and manage risk. We continuously evaluate and seek to improve and mature our cybersecurity processes. We apply lessons learned from our defense and monitoring efforts to help prevent future attacks and utilize data analytics to detect anomalies and search for cyber threats. Additionally, our Internal Audit function regularly assesses our program effectiveness through audits of systems and processes to help maintain compliance with policies.

Cybersecurity threats of all types, such as attacks from computer hackers, cyber criminals, nation-state actors, social engineering and other malicious internet-based activities, continue to increase. We believe that our current preventative actions and response planning provide adequate measures of protection against cybersecurity risks. While we have implemented measures to safeguard our information technology systems, the evolving nature of cybersecurity attacks and vulnerabilities means that these protections may not always be effective. In 2024, we did not identify any cybersecurity threats that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. However, despite our efforts, we cannot eliminate all risks from cybersecurity threats, or provide assurances that we have not experienced undetected cybersecurity incidents. For additional information about these risks, see Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Governance

Our board of directors has oversight of our strategic and business risk management and oversees management’s execution of our cybersecurity risk management program. The board receives regular updates from management on our cybersecurity risks. In addition, management updates the board as necessary, regarding any material cybersecurity incidents, as well as incidents with lesser impact potential. Management is responsible for identifying, assessing, and managing cybersecurity risks on an ongoing basis, establishing processes to ensure that such potential cybersecurity risk exposures are monitored, putting in place appropriate mitigation measures, maintaining cybersecurity policies and procedures, and providing regular reports to our board of directors. In the event of an incident, we intend to follow our incident response plan, which outlines the steps to be followed from incident detection to mitigation, recovery and notification, including notifying functional areas (e.g. legal), as well as senior leadership and the board, as appropriate.

Our Director of Information Technology leads our cybersecurity program and is responsible for our overall information security strategy, policy, security engineering, operations and cyber threat detection and response. The Director of Information Technology manages a team of information technology professionals with broad experience, including in cybersecurity threat assessments and detection, mitigation technologies, incident response, insider threats and regulatory compliance. Our Director of Information Technology brings extensive experience in cybersecurity, including conducting DIBCAC (Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center) audit and overseeing NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) internal audits. This expertise ensures our organization aligns with strict industry standards and maintains robust compliance measures.

Our cybersecurity program is regularly assessed through management self-evaluation and ongoing monitoring procedures to evaluate our program effectiveness, including assessments associated with internal controls over financial reporting as well as vulnerability management through active discovery and testing to validate patching and configuration.

CPI Aero’s executive offices and production facility is situated in an approximately 171,000 square foot building located at 91 Heartland Blvd., Edgewood, New York 11717. We use approximately 131,000 square feet of this building for manufacturing space and 40,000 square feet for offices and laboratories for engineering and design work. CPI Aero occupies this facility under a lease that expires on April 30, 2026.

This information is set forth in Note 16 to our Consolidated Financial Statements, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis includes forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties and should be read together with the “Risk Factors” section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Such risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.

Recent Developments

On November 13, 2024, the Company entered into a Fourteenth Amendment to the Credit Agreement (the “Fourteenth Amendment”). Under the Fourteenth Amendment, the parties amended the Credit Agreement by: (i) extending the maturity date of the Company’s existing revolving line of credit (the “Revolving Credit Loans”) to August 31, 2026; (ii) reducing the Base Rate Margin (as defined in the Credit Agreement) from 3.50% to 2.0%; (iii) resetting the aggregate maximum principal amount of all Revolving Credit Loans to $16,890,000 from January 1, 2025 through March 31, 2025, $16,140,000 from April 1, 2025 through June 30, 2025, $15,390,000 from July 1, 2025 through September 30, 2025, $14,640,000 from October 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, $13,890,000 from January 1, 2026 through March 31, 2026, $13,140,000 from April 1, 2026 through June 30, 2026, and $12,390,000 from July 1, 2026 onward and for payments to be made by the Company to comply therewith (if any such payments are necessary), on the first day of each such period; and (iv) requiring the Company, if it does not deliver to BankUnited, N.A. by December 31, 2025, a commitment letter with banks and terms and conditions reasonably acceptable to the Lenders for refinancing the obligations under the Credit Agreement, to make a payment by January 31, 2026, equal to 2% of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Revolving Credit Loans as of December 31, 2025, with 50% of such payment applied to reduce the aggregate outstanding principal and the remaining 50% retained by the Lenders as an amendment fee with respect to the Fourteenth Amendment.

Business Operations

We are engaged in the contract production of structural aircraft assemblies for fixed wing aircraft and helicopters in both the commercial and defense markets. We also have a strong and growing presence in the aerosystems sector of the market, with our production of various reconnaissance pod structures and fuel panel systems. Within the global aerostructure and aerosystem supply chain, we are either a Tier 1 supplier to aircraft OEMs or a Tier 2 subcontractor to major Tier 1 manufacturers. We also are a prime contractor to the U.S. DOD, primarily the USAF. In conjunction with our assembly operations, we provide engineering, program management, supply chain management and kitting, and MRO services.

Critical Accounting Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of certain assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses, and disclosure of contingencies during the reporting period. Significant estimates and assumptions include revenue recognition, and the valuation of deferred income taxes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

We believe that the following discussion addresses our critical accounting policies which require management’s most difficult, subjective and complex judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. For more discussion of these and other significant accounting policies, refer to Part II, Item 8, Note 1 “Principal Business Activity and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in our notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Revenue Recognition

In accordance with ASC 606, the Company recognizes revenue when it transfers control of a promised good or service to a customer in an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to be entitled to in exchange for the good or service. The majority of the Company’s performance obligations are satisfied over time as the Company (i) sells products with no alternative use to the Company and (ii) has an enforceable right to recover costs incurred plus a reasonable profit margin for work completed to date. Under the over time revenue recognition model, revenue and gross profit are recognized over the contract period as work is performed based on actual costs incurred and an estimate of costs to complete and resulting total estimated costs at completion. See Part II, Item 8, Note 1 “Principal Business Activity and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for additional information regarding the Company’s revenue recognition policy.

Deferred Income Taxes – Valuation Allowance

On a quarterly basis, we assess the likelihood that we will be able to recover our deferred tax assets against future sources of taxable income and reduce the carrying amounts of deferred tax assets by recording a valuation allowance if, based on the available evidence, it is more likely than not (defined as a likelihood of more than 50%) that all or a portion of such assets will not be realized.

Assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets requires the determination of whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all the deferred tax assets will not be realized. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, the Company considers all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, loss carryback and tax-planning strategies. Generally, more weight is given to objectively verifiable evidence, such as a cumulative loss in recent years, as a significant piece of negative evidence to overcome. For the period ended December 31, 2023, the Company achieved three years of cumulative book and taxable income, along with projections of profitability, for which management determined that there was sufficient positive evidence to conclude that it is more likely than not that a portion of the deferred tax assets will be realized. As such, $14,170,891 of the valuation allowance was released during the fourth quarter of 2023. During 2024 the Company continued to assess its ability to realize its deferred tax asset. The Company continued to be profitable in 2024 and there was no significant change to the Company’s forecast of income or its ability to realize the deferred tax asset at December 31, 2024. The increase of $404,224 is most significantly related to the state valuation allowance.

Results of Operations

The following discussion provides an analysis of our results of operations and should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes thereto.

Revenue

Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $81,078,864 compared to $86,466,321 for the year ended December 31, 2023, representing a decrease of $5,387,457, or 6.2%. The decrease was primarily related to various programs that neared completion in 2024 including NGC E-2D and Sikorsky HIRRS programs coupled with the timing of work performed on the Lockheed Martin F-16 program. These decreases were partly offset by NGJ Mid Band production and Sikorsky Welded Tubes.

Revenue generated from prime government contracts for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $11,677,152 compared to $11,842,145 for the year ended December 31, 2023, a slight decrease of $164,993, or 1.4%. This decrease is the result of decreased revenue recognized on the T-38 Pacer Classic program.

Revenue generated from government subcontracts for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $64,704,370 compared to $69,672,602 for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $4,968,232, or 7.1%. The decrease was primarily related to various programs that neared completion in 2024 including NGC E-2D and Sikorsky HIRRS programs coupled with the timing of work performed on the Lockheed Martin F-16 program. These decreases were partly offset by NGJ Mid Band production and Sikorsky Welded Tubes.

Revenue generated from commercial contracts for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $4,697,342 compared to $4,951,574 for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $254,232 or 5.1%. The decrease in revenue resulted from decreased revenue recognized on the timing of work performed on the Embraer Phenom 300 Inlet program.

Cost of sales

Cost of sales for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $63,840,803 compared to $69,400,693 for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $5,559,890 or 8.0%.

The components of cost of sales were as follows:

Procurement for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $40,100,196 compared to $46,020,628 for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $5,920,432 or 12.9%. This decrease is primarily the result of a decrease in procurement for the NGC E-2D MYP II OWP program, Sikorsky HIRRS program, USAF T-38 Pacer Classic Structural Modification Kits program, offset by an increase in our Raytheon NGJ – Mid Band Pods program and Sikorsky Welded Tubes.

Labor costs for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $7,303,563 compared to $7,054,308 for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $249,255 or 3.5%. The increase is primarily the result of work performed on the Boeing A-10 program, offset by decreases on our Raytheon NGJ – Mid Band Pods program due to efficiencies.

Factory overhead costs for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $16,154,150 compared to $16,028,140 for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $126,010 or 0.8%.

Other cost of sales relates to items that can increase or decrease cost of sales such as changes in inventory levels, changes in inventory valuation, changes to inventory reserves, changes in loss contract provisions and direct charges to cost of sales. For the year ended December 31, 2024, there were costs in the amount of $282,894 compared to $297,617 for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $14,723 or 4.9%.

Gross profit

Gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $17,238,061 compared to $17,065,628 for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $172,433 or 1.0%. Gross profit percentage (“gross margin”) for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 21.3% compared to 19.7% for year ended December 31, 2023.

Favorable/(Unfavorable) Adjustments to Gross Profit

During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we made changes in estimates to various contracts. Such changes in estimates resulted in changes in total gross profit as net unfavorable adjustments totaling $3,750,020 and 1,450,502 for the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023.

Selling, general and administrative expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $10,506,439 compared to $10,758,624 for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $252,185 or 2.3%. The decrease was primarily due to a reduction of consulting and legal fee expenses.

Interest expense

Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $2,288,834, compared to $2,455,214 for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $166,380 or 6.8%. The decrease is the result of a year-over-year decrease in the amount of our outstanding debt under the Credit Agreement coupled with a lower year-over-year interest rates charged.

Income before provision for income taxes

Income before provision for income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $4,442,788 compared to $3,851,790 for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $590,998 or 15.3%. The increase was driven by the aforementioned increase in gross profit and decreases in both SG&A and interest expense described above.

Provision (benefit) for income taxes

The income tax (benefit) for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $1,143,454, which was an effective tax (benefit) rate of 25.7%, as compared to the income tax (benefit) of ($13,349,414) for the year ended December 31, 2023, which was an effective tax (benefit) rate of (346.6%). The income tax recorded in 2024 and income tax benefit realized in 2023 was primarily due to federal and state statutory rates in 2024 and the reduction of the Company’s deferred tax asset valuation allowance recorded by the Company in the fourth quarter of 2023, respectively.

Net income

Net income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $3,299,334 compared to $17,201,204 for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $13,901,870 or 80.8%. The decrease in net income was driven by the 2023 income tax benefit.

Earnings per share

Basic earnings per share was $0.26 for the year ended December 31, 2024 calculating utilizing 12,593,213 weighted average shares outstanding as compared to $1.40 for the year ended December 31, 2023 calculated utilizing 12,311,219 weighted average shares outstanding, an decrease of $1.14 per share, or 81.4%. Diluted earnings per share was $0.26 for the year ended December 31, 2024 calculated utilizing 12,709,237 weighted average shares outstanding as compared to $1.38 for the year ended December 31, 2023 calculated utilizing 12,471,961 weighted average shares outstanding, an decrease of $1.12 per share, or 81.2%. Decrease in the basic and diluted earnings per share are due to the reduction of the Company’s deferred tax asset valuation allowance recorded by the Company in the fourth quarter of 2023 which favorably impacted 2023 by $1.12 per share.

Business Outlook

The statements in the “Business Outlook” section and other forward-looking statements of this Annual Report on Form 10-K are subject to revision during the course of the year in our quarterly earnings releases and SEC filings and at other times.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

General

At December 31, 2024, we had working capital of $17,122,111 compared to working capital of $15,402,381 at December 31, 2023, an increase of $1,719,730, or 11.2%. The increase is primarily the result of an increase in net contract assets and a decrease to accrued expenses offset by decreases in accounts receivable and inventory, and an increase in accounts payable.

Cash Flow

A large portion of our cash is used to pay for materials and processing costs associated with contracts that are in process and which do not provide for progress payments. Costs for which we are not able to bill on a progress basis are components of contract assets on our consolidated balance sheet and represent the aggregate costs and related earnings for uncompleted contracts for which the customer has not yet been billed. These costs and earnings are recovered upon shipment of products and presentation of billings in accordance with contract terms.

Because ASC 606 requires us to use estimates in determining revenues, costs and profits and in assigning the amounts to accounting periods, there can be a significant disparity between earnings (both for accounting and tax purposes) as reported and actual cash that we receive during any reporting period. Accordingly, it is possible that we may have a shortfall in our cash flow and may need to borrow money or take steps to defer cash outflows until the reported earnings materialize into actual cash receipts.

Several of our programs require us to expend up-front costs that may have to be amortized over a portion of production units. In the case of significant program delays and/or program cancellations, we could experience margin degradation, which may be material for costs that are not recoverable. Such charges and the loss of up-front costs could have a material impact on our liquidity and results of operations.

We continue to work to obtain better payment terms with our customers, including accelerated progress payment arrangements, as well as exploring alternative funding sources.

At December 31, 2024, our cash balance was $5,490,963 compared to $5,094,794 at December 31, 2023, an increase of $396,169 or 7.8%. The increase was driven by $3,558,935 in cash provided by operations, partly offset by our pay down of outstanding debt during 2024 of $2,694,498 and purchase of equipment of $403,854.

BankUnited Facility

This information is set forth in Note 8 to our Consolidated Financial Statements, appearing following Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Leases

This information is set forth in Note 9 to our Consolidated Financial Statements, appearing following Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Liquidity

Our working capital requirements can vary significantly, depending in part on the timing of the conclusion of mature programs and new program awards and the payment terms with our customers and suppliers. There is currently no availability for borrowings under the BankUnited Facility and the Company finances its operations from internally generated cash flow. Note 8 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II - Item 8 includes a discussion regarding the BankUnited Facility and recent amendments thereto which provide, among other things, for increases in principal payments and the interest rate on the loans provided for therein. Management has (i) negotiated and executed a further amendment to the Credit Agreement which extended the maturity date of the Credit Agreement to August 31, 2026, (ii) obtained and regularly seeks additional progress payment and advance payment customer contract funding provisions, (iii) maintained procedures to minimize investments in inventory and contract assets, (iv) remained focused on its military customer base and (v) maintained its approximately $85.0 million backlog of funded orders, 97% of which are for military programs. Based upon the aforementioned factors, it is management’s estimation that there will likely not be any individual conditions or combination of events that will occur in the coming year which would cause the Company to be unable to meet its obligations or otherwise continue as a going concern. However, there can be no assurance that such plans will accomplish their intended goals.

Contractual Obligations

The table below summarizes information about our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2024 and the effects these obligations are expected to have on our liquidity and cash flow in the future years.

Inflation

Inflation historically has not had a material effect on our operations, although the current inflationary environment in the U.S., and its impact on interest rates, supply chain, labor markets and general economic conditions, are factors that the Company actively monitors in an attempt to mitigate and manage potential negative impacts on and risks faced by the Company. The majority of the Company’s long term contracts with its customers and suppliers reflect fixed pricing. When bidding for work, the Company takes inflation risk and supply side pricing risk into account in its proposals.

Interest Rate Risk

We are exposed to interest rate risk on variable-rate credit facilities for which there was $17,390,000 outstanding at December 31, 2024. Additionally, if we were to refinance our long-term debt, it may be refinanced at higher interest rates.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Based on such evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that as of such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to provide reasonable assurance that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is (1) recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) rules and forms and (2) accumulated and communicated to our management, including our CEO and CFO, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f), is a process designed by, or under the supervision of, our principal executive and principal financial officers and effected by our board of directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. GAAP and includes those policies and procedures that:

• pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our assets;
• provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors; and
• provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. 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 conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting based on criteria established in Internal Control- Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). Based on this evaluation, management concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective at the reasonable assurance level as of December 31, 2024.

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 consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

In connection with management’s evaluation of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting described above, management identified a material weakness in its internal controls for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 relating to the inadequate review, assessment of and reporting of the Company’s temporary differences between book and taxable income. The Company remediated the aforementioned material weakness. The Company’s remediation included (a) we replaced the Company's outside tax accounting and tax return preparer with a new firm (the “Tax Accounting Firm”); (b) we retained the Tax Accounting Firm (i) to prepare the Company’s income tax accounting and disclosures for the year ended December 31, 2024 and (ii) to review the income tax accounting and disclosures prepared by the predecessor firm for the quarter ended March 31, 2024 prior to the filing of the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024; (c) we updated our financial risk assessment to reflect tax accounting as a high risk area, and (d) we adopted a tax accounting review checklist provided by our Sarbanes-Oxley consulting firm for use by CPI’s finance management in reviewing the quarterly and annual work of the Tax Accounting Firm, beginning with the tax accounting for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 and continuing through the year ended December 31, 2024.

Conclusion

As described above, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) as of December 31, 2024 management believes that the consolidated financial statements and related financial information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K fairly present in all material respects our financial position, results of operations and cash flows as of and for the dates presented, and for the periods ended on such dates, in conformity with U.S. GAAP.

CPI is a non-accelerated filer for 2024. As such, CPI is not subject to the requirement to have an auditor attestation report on internal control over financial reporting in the 10-K filed in 2025 for 2024.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Other than as disclosed above, there were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Disclosure Pursuant to SEC Order Dated June 20, 2024

As mandated by the SEC in its Order Instituting Cease-and-Desist Proceedings Pursuant to Section 21C of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, dated June 20, 2024 (Release No. 34-100389) (the “SEC Order”), and as previously disclosed in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 21, 2024, the Company undertook, among other things, to fully remediate its material weaknesses in ICFR and have effective ICFR and disclosure controls and procedures (“DCP”) by December 31, 2024 and to publicly disclose, concurrent with the filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, whether, in management’s opinion, the Company has fully remediated its material weaknesses in ICFR and has effective ICFR and DCP.

In compliance with the SEC Order, management confirms that, as of December 31, 2024, in its opinion, the Company has fully remediated its material weaknesses in ICFR and that the Company’s ICFR and DCP were effective as of that date.