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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Quarterly Period Ended November 30, 2019

Commission File Number: 1-9852

CHASE CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

295 University Avenue, Westwood, Massachusetts 02090

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

(781) 332-0700

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months, and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  YES ☒  NO ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  YES ☒  NO ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company.  See the definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by checkmark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  YES ☐  NO ☒

The number of shares of Common Stock outstanding as of December 31, 2019 was 9,423,946

CHASE CORPORATION

INDEX TO FORM 10-Q

For the Quarter Ended November 30, 2019

Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements, including without limitation forward-looking statements made under the caption “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” involve risks and uncertainties. Any statements contained in this Quarterly Report that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements as to our future operating results; seasonality expectations; plans for the development, utilization or disposal of manufacturing facilities; future economic conditions; our expectations as to legal proceedings; the effect of our market and product development efforts; and expectations or plans relating to the implementation or realization of our strategic goals and future growth, including through potential future acquisitions. Forward-looking statements may also include, among other things, statements relating to future sales, earnings, cash flow, results of operations, use of cash and other measures of financial performance, as well as statements relating to future dividend payments. Other forward-looking statements may be identified through the use of words such as “believes,” “anticipates,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “plans,” “projects,” “expects,” “expectations,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “targets,” “forecasts,” “strategy,” and other words of similar meaning in connection with the discussion of future operating or financial performance. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the industries in which we operate, and the beliefs and assumptions made by management. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Accordingly, the Company’s actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Investors, therefore, are cautioned against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. They are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance.  Readers should refer to the discussions under “Risk Factors” contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 concerning certain factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in such forward-looking statements. These Risk Factors are hereby incorporated by reference into this Quarterly Report.

Item 1 — Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

CHASE CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(UNAUDITED)

In thousands, except share and per share amounts

See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements

CHASE CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(UNAUDITED)

In thousands, except share and per share amounts

See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements

CHASE CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(UNAUDITED)

In thousands, except share and per share amounts

See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements

CHASE CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY

THREE MONTHS ENDED NOVEMBER 30, 2019 AND 2018

(UNAUDITED)

In thousands, except share and per share amounts

See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements

CHASE CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(UNAUDITED)

In thousands

See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements

Note 1 — Basis of Financial Statement Presentation

Description of Business

Chase Corporation (the “Company,” “Chase,” “we,” or “us”), a global specialty chemicals company founded in 1946, is a leading manufacturer of protective materials for high-reliability applications across diverse market sectors.   Our strategy is to maximize the performance of our core businesses and brands while seeking future opportunities through strategic acquisitions. Through investments in facilities, systems and organizational consolidation we seek to improve performance and gain economies of scale.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States of America generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial reporting, and instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Therefore, they do not include all information and footnote disclosures necessary for a complete presentation of Chase Corporation’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.  The year-end condensed balance sheet was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Chase Corporation filed audited consolidated financial statements which included all information and notes necessary for such a complete presentation for the three years ended August 31, 2019 in conjunction with its 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Certain immaterial reclassifications have been made to the prior year amounts to conform to the current year’s presentation.

The results of operations for the interim period ended November 30, 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for any future period or the entire fiscal year.  These interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended August 31, 2019 which are contained in the Company’s 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring items) that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair statement of the Company’s financial position as of November 30, 2019, and the results of its operations, comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows for the interim periods ended November 30, 2019 and 2018.

The financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries.  All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.  The Company uses the U.S. dollar as the reporting currency for financial reporting.  The financial position and results of operations of the Company’s U.K.-based operations are measured using the British pound as the functional currency. The financial position and results of operations of the Company’s operations based in France are measured using the euro as the functional currency.  The financial position and results of the Company’s HumiSeal India Private Limited business are measured using the Indian rupee as the functional currency. The functional currency for all our other operations is the U.S. dollar. Foreign currency translation gains and losses are determined using current exchange rates for monetary items and historical exchange rates for other balance sheet items, and are recorded as a change in other comprehensive income.  Transaction gains and losses generated from the remeasurement of assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of each applicable operation are included in other income (expense) on the condensed consolidated statements of operations, and were ($501) and $52 for the three-month periods ended November 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Other Business Developments

During the first quarter of fiscal 2020, third-party-led studies regarding the potential upgrading of the Company’s current worldwide ERP system were conducted. Chase is currently reviewing the data and recommendations provided by the study and may further utilize third-party engineering, IT and other professional services firms in the future for similar work, as well as work around our facilities rationalization and consolidation initiative. The Company recognized $150 in expense related to these services in the first quarter of fiscal 2020. Given the ongoing nature of the review, an estimate of future costs, including those that may be capitalized, cannot currently be determined.

During the third quarter of fiscal 2019, Chase began moving the pulling and detection operations housed in its Granite Falls, NC location to its Hickory, NC facility. This is in line with the Company’s ongoing initiative to consolidate its manufacturing plants and streamline its existing processes. Currently, the pulling and detection operations are the only Chase-owned production operations in Granite Falls, NC, with the remaining portions of the building being either utilized for research and development or leased to a third party. The process of moving has continued subsequent to the end of fiscal 2019 and is anticipated to be completed during the first half of fiscal 2020. The Company recognized $499 in expense related to the move in the three-month period ended November 30, 2019, having recognized $1,260 in expense during the second half of fiscal 2019. Future costs related to this move are currently anticipated to be approximately $200, and the Company plans to disclose these amounts separately on the condensed consolidated statement of operations in future periods.

On June 25, 2018, the Company announced to its employees the planned closing of its Pawtucket, RI manufacturing facility effective August 31, 2018. This is in line with the Company’s ongoing efforts to consolidate its manufacturing plants and streamline its existing processes. The manufacture of products previously produced in the Pawtucket, RI facility was substantially moved to Company facilities in Oxford, MA and Lenoir, NC during a two-month transition period.  In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018, the Company expensed $1,272 related to the closure. The Company also recognized $260 in expense related to the move in the three-month period ended November 30, 2018, with no additional expense recognized in fiscal 2019. Future costs related to this move are not anticipated to be significant to the condensed consolidated financial statements.

Significant Accounting Policies

The Company’s significant accounting policies are detailed in Note 1 — “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” within Item 8 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 31, 2019. Significant changes to these accounting policies as a result of adopting ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” during the first quarter of fiscal 2020 are discussed within Note 2 — “Recent Accounting Standards” and Note 8 — “Leases” within this Current Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Note 2 — Recent Accounting Standards

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842).” Under the new guidance, lessees will be required to recognize the following for all leases (with the exception of short-term leases) at the commencement date: (a) a lease liability, which is a lessee’s obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis; and (b) a right-of-use asset, which represents the lessee’s right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term.  In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, “Leases (Topic 842) Targeted Improvements.”  The updated guidance provides an optional transition method, which allows for the application of the standard as of the adoption date with no restatement of prior period amounts.  We adopted the standard on September 1, 2019 (start of fiscal 2020) under the optional transition method described above.  Consequently, historical financial information was not updated, and the disclosures required under the new standard are not provided for dates and periods prior to September 1, 2019.

The new standard provides several optional practical expedients in transition. The Company has elected to apply the “package of practical expedients” which allow us to not reassess i) whether existing or expired arrangements contain a lease, ii) the lease classification of existing or expired leases, or iii) whether previous initial direct costs would qualify for capitalization under the new lease standard. In preparation for adoption of the standard, the Company enhanced its internal controls to enable the preparation of financial information including the assessment of the impact of the standard. The initial adoption of the ASU resulted in the recognition of additional lease liabilities of $9,644  ($2,071 short-term and $7,573 long-term) and right-of-use assets of $10,200 as of September 1, 2019 on the condensed consolidated balance sheet as it relates to the Company’s operating leases. The new standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated statement of operations or cash flows.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, “Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) - Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income.” This ASU was issued to address a narrow-scope financial reporting issue that arose as a result of the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Reform”) on December 22, 2017. The objective of ASU 2018-02 is to address the tax effects of items within accumulated other comprehensive income (referred to as “stranded tax effects”) that do not reflect the appropriate tax rate enacted in the Tax Reform. As a result, the ASU 2018-02 allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the newly enacted federal corporate income tax rate. The amount of the reclassification would be the difference between the historical corporate income tax rate of 35 percent and the current enacted corporate income tax rate of 21 percent. ASU 2018-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted, including adoption in an interim period. The amendments in this ASU may be applied retrospectively to each period in which the effect of the change in the U.S. Federal corporate income tax rate in the Tax Reform is recognized. Therefore, the Company has adopted ASU 2018-02 in the first quarter of the year ending August 31, 2020, and has elected to reclassify the income tax effects related to its pension funding of the Tax Reform from accumulated other comprehensive loss to retained earnings.

Note 3 — Inventory

Inventory consisted of the following as of November 30, 2019 and August 31, 2019:

Note 4 — Net Income Per Share

The Company has unvested share-based payment awards with a right to receive nonforfeitable dividends which are considered participating securities under ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share.”  The Company allocates earnings to participating securities and computes earnings per share using the two-class method.  The determination of earnings per share under the two-class method is as follows:

For the three-month periods ended November 30, 2019 and 2018, stock options to purchase 8,805 and 12,418 shares, respectively, of common stock were outstanding but were not included in the calculation of diluted income per share because their inclusion would be anti-dilutive. Included in the calculation of dilutive common stock equivalents are the unvested portion of restricted stock and stock options.

Note 5 — Stock-Based Compensation

In August 2018, the Board of Directors of the Company approved the fiscal year 2019 Long Term Incentive Plan (“2019 LTIP”) for the executive officers and other members of management.  The 2019 LTIP is an equity-based plan with a grant date of September 1, 2018 and contains a performance and service-based restricted stock grant of 6,609 shares in the aggregate, subject to adjustment (as discussed below), with a vesting date of August 31, 2021. 

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019, an additional grant of restricted stock was made related to the 2019 LTIP grant in conjunction with an amendment to the equity compensation program for a promoted employee.  The additional grant contains the following restricted stock components: (a) a performance and service-based restricted stock grant of 211 shares in the aggregate, subject to adjustment based on fiscal 2019 results, with a vesting date of August 31, 2021, for which compensation expense is recognized on a ratable basis over the vesting period based on quarterly probability assessments; and (b) a time-based restricted stock grant of 132 shares in the aggregate, with a vesting date of August 31, 2021, for which compensation expense is recognized on a ratable basis over the vesting period.

In August 2019, restricted stock in the amount of 833 shares related to the 2019 LTIP grant was forfeited in conjunction with an amendment in the equity compensation agreement of an employee.

Based on the fiscal year 2019 financial results, 2,694 shares of restricted stock already granted was forfeited subsequent to the end of fiscal year 2019 in accordance with the performance measurement criteria.  No further performance-based measurements apply to this award.  Compensation expense is being recognized on a ratable basis over the vesting period.

In August 2019, the Board of Directors of the Company approved the fiscal year 2020 Long Term Incentive Plan (“2020 LTIP”) for the executive officers and other members of management.  The 2020 LTIP is an equity-based plan with a grant date of September 1, 2019 and contains the following equity components:

Restricted Shares — (a) a performance and service-based restricted stock grant of 3,697 shares in the aggregate, subject to adjustment based on fiscal 2020 results, with a vesting date of August 31, 2022.  Compensation expense is recognized on a ratable basis over the vesting period based on quarterly probability assessments; and (b) a time-based restricted stock grant of 3,689 shares in the aggregate, with a vesting date of August 31, 2022. Compensation expense is recognized on a ratable basis over the vesting period.

Stock options — options to purchase 13,418 shares of common stock in the aggregate with an exercise price of $100.22 per share.  The options will vest in three equal annual installments beginning on August 31, 2020 and ending on August 31, 2022. Of the options granted, 6,218 options will expire on August 31, 2029, and 7,200 options will expire on September 1, 2029. Compensation expense is recognized over the period of the award consistent with the vesting terms.

In August 2019, the Board of Directors of the Company approved equity retention agreements with certain executive officers.  The equity-based retention agreements have a grant date of September 1, 2019 and contain the following equity components: (a) time-based restricted stock grant of 15,945 shares in the aggregate, and having a vesting date of August 31, 2022; and (b) options to purchase 53,642 shares of common stock in the aggregate with an exercise price of $100.22 per share (the options will cliff vest on August 31, 2022 and will expire on August 31, 2029). Compensation expense for both the restricted stock and the stock option components of the equity retention agreements is recognized on a ratable basis over the vesting period.

Note 6 — Segment Data and Foreign Operations

The Company is organized into three reportable operating segments: Adhesives, Sealants and Additives; Industrial Tapes; and Corrosion Protection and Waterproofing. The segments are distinguished by the nature of the products manufactured and how they are delivered to their respective markets. In the fourth quarter of our fiscal year 2019, we reorganized from two into three reportable operating segments; prior year quarter amounts have been recast to reflect this change.

The Adhesives, Sealants and Additives segment offers innovative and specialized product offerings consisting of both end-use products and intermediates that are used in, or integrated into, another company’s product.  Demand for the segment’s product offerings is typically dependent upon general economic conditions. The Adhesives, Sealants and Additives segment leverages the core specialty chemical competencies of the Company, and serves diverse markets and applications.  The segment sells predominantly into the transportation, appliances, medical, general industrial and environmental market verticals. The segment’s products include moisture protective coatings and customized sealant and adhesive systems for electronics, polymeric microspheres, polyurethane dispersions and superabsorbent polymers.

The Industrial Tapes segment features legacy wire and cable materials, specialty tapes and other laminated and coated products. The segment derives its competitive advantage through its proven chemistries, diverse specialty offerings and the reliability its supply chain offers to end customers. These products are generally used in the assembly of other manufacturers’ products, with demand typically dependent upon general economic conditions. The Industrial Tapes segment sells mostly to established markets, with some exposure to growth opportunities through further development of existing products. Markets served include cable manufacturing, utilities and telecommunications, and electronics packaging.   The segment’s offerings include insulating and conducting materials for wire and cable manufacturers, laminated durable papers, laminates for the packaging and industrial laminate markets, custom manufacturing services, pulling and detection tapes used in the installation, measurement and location of fiber optic cables and water and natural gas lines, cover tapes essential to delivering semiconductor components via tape-and-reel packaging, and composite materials and elements.

The Corrosion Protection and Waterproofing segment is principally composed of project-oriented product offerings that are primarily sold and used as “Chase” branded products. End markets include new and existing infrastructure projects on oil, gas, water and wastewater pipelines, highways and bridge decks, water and wastewater containment systems, and commercial buildings. The segment’s products include protective coatings for pipeline applications, coating and lining systems for waterproofing and liquid storage applications, adhesives and sealants used in architectural and building envelope waterproofing applications, high-performance polymeric asphalt additives, and expansion joint systems for waterproofing applications in transportation and architectural markets. With sales generally dependent on outdoor project work, the segment experiences highly seasonal sales patterns.

The following tables summarize information about the Company’s reportable segments: