Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Basis of Presentation

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Basis of Presentation
9 Months Ended
Oct. 02, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals, considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included.
Operating Results
The results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the volatility we experience in our financial results in recent periods and this could continue in future interim and annual periods. Operating results for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2021.
The balance sheet at December 31, 2020 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for complete financial statements.
For further information, refer to the financial statements and footnotes thereto included in Astronics Corporation’s 2020 annual report on Form 10-K.
Description of the Business
Astronics Corporation (“Astronics” or the “Company”) is a leading provider of advanced technologies to the global aerospace, defense and electronics industries. Our products and services include advanced, high-performance electrical power generation, distribution and motion systems, lighting and safety systems, avionics products, systems and certification, aircraft structures and automated test systems.
We have principal operations in the United States (“U.S.”), Canada, France and England, as well as engineering offices in the Ukraine and India.
On February 13, 2019, the Company completed a divestiture of its semiconductor test business within the Test Systems segment. The transaction included two elements of contingent earnouts. The First Earnout is calculated based on a multiple of all future sales of existing and certain future derivative products to existing and future customers in each annual period from 2019 through 2022. The First Earnout may not exceed $35.0 million in total. The Second Earnout is calculated based on a multiple of future sales related to an existing product and program with an existing customer exceeding an annual threshold for each annual period from 2019 through 2022. The Second Earnout is not capped. For the Second Earnout, if the applicable sales in an annual period do not exceed the annual threshold, no amounts will be paid relative to such annual period; the sales in such annual period do not carry over to the next annual period. Due to the degree of uncertainty associated with estimating the future sales levels of the divested business and its underlying programs, and the lack of reliable predictive market information, the Company will recognize such earnout proceeds, if received, as additional gain on sale when such proceeds are realized or realizable.
In February 2021, the Company was notified by the buyer that they have calculated $10.7 million as being payable to the Company under the contingent earnouts related to the year ended December 31, 2020. In April 2021, the buyer provided a revised calculation, indicating, rather, that $7.1 million is payable to the Company for the 2020 earnout. The Company and the buyer are currently reviewing the calculations and underlying data and are engaged in negotiations. The Company expects to record the additional gain when that review is complete and agreement is reached. The timing and amount of any amount realized is uncertain and subject to risks and uncertainties as we continue the review and negotiation process.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus (“COVID-19”) surfaced in Wuhan, China, and has since spread to other countries, including the United States. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization classified the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic had a sudden and significant impact on the global economy, and particularly in the aerospace industry, resulting in the grounding of the majority of the global commercial transportation fleet and significant cost
cutting and cash preservation actions by the global airlines. This in turn has resulted in a significant reduction in airlines spending for both new aircraft and on upgrading their existing fleet with the Company’s products. This low level of investment by the airlines has continued into 2021, and while the industry is seeing some improvement on rising vaccination rates and easing travel restrictions, the ultimate impact of COVID-19 on our business results of operations, financial condition and cash flows is dependent on future developments, including the duration of the pandemic, vaccination rates and efficacy and the related length of impact on the global economy and the aerospace industry, which are uncertain and cannot be predicted at this time.
In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, we took immediate and aggressive action early in 2020 to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in our workplaces and reduce costs. Since the early days of the pandemic, we have been following guidance from the World Health Organization and the U.S. Center for Disease Control to protect employees and prevent the spread of the virus within all of our facilities globally. Some of the actions implemented include: social distancing; appropriate personal protective equipment; facility deep cleaning; flexible work-from-home scheduling; pre-shift temperature screenings, where allowed by law; and restrictions on facility visitors and unnecessary travel. Material actions to reduce costs included: (1) reducing our workforce to align operations with customer demand; (2) suspension of certain benefit programs; and (3) delaying non-essential capital projects and minimizing discretionary spending. At the same time, we addressed the ongoing needs of our business to continue to serve our customers. In addition to these measures, we amended our revolving credit facility in May 2020, as further described in Note 7. We are also monitoring the impacts of COVID-19 on the fair value of assets. Refer to Note 6 for a discussion of goodwill impairment charges recorded in 2020. Should future changes in sales, earnings and cash flows differ significantly from our expectations, long-lived assets to be held and used and goodwill could become impaired in the future.
The Company qualified for government subsidies from the Canadian and French governments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on our foreign operations. The Canadian and French subsidies are income-based grants intended to reimburse the Company for certain employee wages. The grants are recognized as income over the periods in which the Company recognizes as expenses the costs the grants are intended to defray.
In September 2021 the Company also entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation (“USDOT”) under the Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection Program (“AMJP”) for a grant of up to $14.7 million. The Company received the first installment of $7.3 million under the grant in September 2021. The remaining balance due to be received of $7.4 million has been classified within Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets on the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets as of October 2, 2021. The Company expects to receive a second installment in the range of $5 million to $6 million during the fourth quarter of 2021 and a final installment in the second or third quarter of 2022 upon final confirmation from the USDOT of the Company meeting its grant commitments. The receipt of the full award is primarily conditioned upon the Company committing to not furlough or lay off a defined group of employees during the six-month period of performance between September 2021 and March 2022. The grant benefit will be recognized over the six-month performance period as a reduction to Cost of Products Sold in proportion to the compensation expense that the award is intended to defray. During the quarter ended October 2, 2021, the Company recognized $1.1 million of the award. The unearned portion of the AMJP award of $13.6 million has been reported within Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheet at October 2, 2021.
The following table presents the COVID-19 related government assistance, including AMJP, recorded during the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021:
Nine Months Ended Three Months Ended
(In thousands) October 2, 2021 September 26, 2020 October 2, 2021 September 26, 2020
Cost of Products Sold $ 3,185  $ 1,457  $ 1,706  $ 906 
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses 190  176  43  75 
Total $ 3,375  $ 1,633  $ 1,749  $ 981 
Trade Accounts Receivable and Contract Assets
The allowance for estimated credit losses is based on the Company’s assessment of the collectability of customer accounts. The Company regularly reviews the allowance by considering factors such as the age of the receivable balances, historical experience, credit quality, current economic conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions that may affect a customer’s ability to pay. The allowance for estimated credit losses balance was $3.3 million and $3.2 million at October 2, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. The Company’s bad debt expense was insignificant during the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021, and insignificant and $1.7 million in the three and nine months ended September 26, 2020, respectively. Total writeoffs charged against the allowance were insignificant in the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021, and $1.1 million and $1.2 million in the three and nine months ended September 26, 2020. Total recoveries were insignificant in both the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020.
The Company's exposure to credit losses may increase if its customers are adversely affected by global economic recessions, disruption associated with the current COVID-19 pandemic, industry conditions, or other customer-specific factors. Although the Company has historically not experienced significant credit losses, it is possible that there could be a material adverse impact from potential adjustments of the carrying amount of trade receivables and contract assets as airlines and other aerospace companies’ cash flows are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Assets of Business Held for Sale
Assets held for sale are to be reported at lower of its carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell. Judgment is required in estimating the sales price of assets held for sale and the time required to sell the assets. These estimates are based upon available market data and operating cash flows of the assets held for sale.
As of October 2, 2021, the Company has agreed to sell one of its facilities within the Aerospace segment as a result of consolidating certain facilities. Accordingly, the property, plant and equipment assets associated with this facility of $3.8 million have been classified as held for sale in the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets at October 2, 2021. The facility was sold subsequent to quarter-end. See note 19 for further information.
Cost of Products Sold, Engineering and Development, Interest, and Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Cost of products sold includes the costs to manufacture products such as direct materials and labor and manufacturing overhead as well as all engineering and development costs. The Company is engaged in a variety of engineering and design activities as well as basic research and development activities directed to the substantial improvement or new application of the Company’s existing technologies. These costs are expensed when incurred and included in cost of products sold. Research and development, design and related engineering amounted to $21.8 million and $16.4 million for the three months ended and $64.7 million and $65.0 million for the nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020, respectively. Selling, general and administrative expenses include costs primarily related to our sales and marketing departments and administrative departments. Interest expense is shown net of interest income. Interest income was insignificant for the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020.
Goodwill Impairment
The Company tests goodwill at the reporting unit level on an annual basis or more frequently if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount.
As a result of the qualitative factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as discussed above, we performed interim quantitative assessments for the reporting units which had goodwill as of March 28, 2020, and an additional assessment of our PECO reporting unit as of June 27, 2020. Based on our quantitative assessments, the Company recorded goodwill impairment charges associated with four Aerospace reporting units, totaling $86.3 million within the Impairment Loss line in the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations in the nine months ended September 26, 2020.
As of October 2, 2021, the Company concluded that no indicators of impairment relating to intangible assets or goodwill existed and an interim test was not performed in the three or nine months then ended.
For additional information regarding the quantitative test and the related goodwill impairment see Note 6.
Valuation of Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets are evaluated for recoverability whenever adverse effects or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. The recoverability test consists of comparing the undiscounted projected cash flows with the carrying amount. Should the carrying amount exceed undiscounted projected cash flows, an impairment loss would be recognized to the extent the carrying amount exceeds fair value. In conjunction with the deteriorating economic conditions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, we recorded an impairment charge to right-of-use (“ROU”) assets of approximately $0.7 million incurred in one reporting unit in the Aerospace segment within the Impairment Loss line in the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations in the nine months ended September 26, 2020. As of October 2, 2021 and for the three and nine month periods then ended, the Company concluded that no indicators of additional impairment relating to long-lived assets existed.
Foreign Currency Translation
The aggregate foreign currency transaction gain or loss included in operations was insignificant for the three and nine months ended October 2, 2021 and September 26, 2020.
Newly Adopted and Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Adopted
Standard Description Financial Statement Effect or Other Significant Matters
ASU No. 2018-14
Compensation—Retirement Benefits—Defined Benefit Plans—General (Subtopic 715-20)
The standard includes updates to the disclosure requirements for defined benefit plans including several additions, deletions and modifications to the disclosure requirements. The provisions of this ASU are effective for years beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted.
This ASU did not have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements, as it only includes changes to disclosure requirements.

Date of adoption: Q1 2021
ASU No. 2019-12
Income Taxes (Topic 740), Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes
The amendments in this update simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740 and improve consistent application by clarifying and amending existing guidance. The amendments of this standard are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in any interim period for which financial statements have not been issued, with the amendments to be applied on a respective, modified retrospective or prospective basis, depending on the specific amendment.
This ASU simplifies the accounting for income taxes by, among other things, eliminating certain existing exceptions related to the general approach in ASC 740 relating to franchise taxes, reducing complexity in the interim-period accounting for year-to-date loss limitations and changes in tax laws, and clarifying the accounting for transactions outside of business combination that result in a step-up in the tax basis of goodwill. As we do not have any significant activity associated with these items, this ASU did not have a material impact on consolidated results or operations and financial condition.
Date of adoption: Q1 2021
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
Standard Description Financial Statement Effect or Other Significant Matters
ASU No. 2020-04
Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848), Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting
The amendments in Update 2020-04 are elective and apply to all entities that have contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued due to reference rate reform. The new guidance provides the following optional expedients: simplify accounting analyses under current U.S. GAAP for contract modifications, simplify the assessment of hedge effectiveness, allow hedging relationships affected by reference rate reform to continue and allow a one-time election to sell or transfer debt securities classified as held to maturity that reference a rate affected by reference rate reform.
The amendments are effective for all entities from the beginning of an interim period that includes the issuance date of the ASU. An entity may elect to apply the amendments prospectively through December 31, 2022. The administrator of LIBOR has announced it will consult on its intention to cease the publication of the one week and two month USD LIBOR settings immediately following the LIBOR publication on December 31, 2021, and the remaining USD LIBOR settings immediately following the LIBOR publication on June 30, 2023. Extending the publication of certain USD LIBOR tenors until June 30, 2023 would allow most legacy USD LIBOR contracts to mature before LIBOR experiences disruptions. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance.

Planned date of adoption: Before December 31, 2022
We consider the applicability and impact of all ASUs. ASUs not listed above were assessed and determined to be either not applicable, or had or are expected to have minimal impact on our financial statements and related disclosures.