EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 1136294
Filing Year: 2022
Filename: 1136294_10-K_2022_0001558370-22-003770.json

---

ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Item 1. Business.
Overview
Williams Industrial Services Group Inc. (together with its wholly owned subsidiaries, “Williams,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”, unless the context indicates otherwise) was initially formed in 1998 as GEEG Inc., a Delaware corporation, and in 2001 changed its name to “Global Power Equipment Group Inc.,” and, as part of a reorganization, became the successor to GEEG Holdings, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company. Effective June 29, 2018, the Company changed its name to Williams Industrial Services Group Inc. to better align its name with the Williams business, and the Company’s stock trades on the NYSE American LLC (the “NYSE American”) under the ticker symbol “WLMS.” Williams has been safely helping plant owners and operators enhance asset value for more than 50 years. It provides a broad range of infrastructure services including construction, maintenance, and support, to customers in energy, power, and industrial end markets. The Company’s mission is to be the preferred provider of construction, maintenance, and specialty services through commitment to superior safety performance, focus on innovation, and dedication to delivering unsurpassed value to its customers.
Our Restructuring
Beginning in 2016, we shifted our strategy to become a preferred provider of construction, maintenance, and specialty infrastructure services, to exit all product manufacturing businesses and to use the proceeds from the sales to reduce and restructure our term debt, and during 2018, we completed the restructuring of our Company and began expanding our services. This resulted in us selling our wholly owned subsidiaries, Hetsco Holdings, Inc. and Hetsco, Inc. in January 2017 and our Mechanical Solutions segment and the liquidating, in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy process, of the entity comprising the Electrical Solutions segment in 2017 and 2018, respectively. The Mechanical Solutions and Electrical Solutions segments qualified as discontinued operations for all periods presented. This allowed us to review financial information presented on a company-wide basis as a single reporting segment which is comprised of Williams Industrial Services Group, LLC (collectively with Williams Plant Services, LLC, Williams Specialty Services, LLC, Williams Industrial Services, LLC, and WISG Canada, LTD,
the “Williams business”), as we did as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. Unless otherwise specified, the financial information and discussion in this Form 10-K are based on our continuing operations (previously referred to as our Services segment); they exclude any results of our discontinued operations. Please refer to “Note 4-Changes in Business” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for additional information.
In 2018, we implemented major cost reduction initiatives to reduce our overhead costs, including restructuring and consolidating our corporate functions, and began working on a comprehensive strategic plan to grow and improve our business, which was finalized in early 2019. Our strategy has been focused on a comprehensive plan to grow and improve our operations, strengthen our core competencies, aggressively manage working capital, and reduce costs in order to improve liquidity and reduce debt. Our common stock now trades on the NYSE American under the ticker symbol “WLMS”. This was the final stage in our restructuring process, and we believe it provides us the opportunity to have increased visibility to a significantly broader pool of investors.
During November 2021, we changed our corporate management structure to reinforce our customer focus and strengthen operations. The Company added a Chief Operating Officer, an Executive Vice President of Business Development, a Vice President of Safety and a Chief Information Officer to strengthen operational effectiveness. Our Chief Financial Officer was appointed Chief Operating Officer and our Corporate Controller was appointed Chief Financial Officer. We are enhancing our management methods and implementing new information technology and operating systems to augment our efficiency and effectiveness and provide additional process capabilities and enhanced information security.
In early 2022, we lost a major contract with a customer in Canada, and as a result, we are in the process of exiting the Canadian market. This customer contributed to 12% of our revenue and approximately 15% of our gross margin in 2021. In addition, in early 2022, we lost a major multi-year contract with a customer within the nuclear decommissioning market. This customer accounted for 10% of our revenue and approximately 8% of our gross margin in 2021, and contributed to a loss of approximately $361.0 million in backlog in the years 2022 through 2029, including backlog of approximately $30.0 million for 2022 and $50.0 million for 2023. We continue to target other growth opportunities within our end markets with greater customer focus and strengthened operational effectiveness. This loss was not a result of performance and does not diminish the Company’s ability to serve its customers. Please refer to Item 1. Business under “Backlog” and “Note 17-Subsequent Events” included in this Form 10-K for additional information.
Our success in our operations is based on our effectiveness in using estimating and planning technologies, deploying rigorous project management techniques, initiating various process improvement projects and employing experienced industry-recognized sales professionals. We expect to continue to leverage the strength of the Williams brand, capitalize on our industry knowledge and customer relationships and safely provide timely, reliable services for our customers to grow revenue. We are excited about Williams’ anticipated future growth potential, the foundation of which is adherence to our core values. We plan to continue to successfully execute our strategic plan with discipline, passion, and persistence. We believe we are well positioned to grow our business, and to realize the operating leverage our restructuring has created.
The Company continues to monitor several factors that may cause actual results of operations and financial results to differ from our historical results or current expectations. These factors include: inflationary pressures, the political environment, work delays on projects and supplies, labor shortages and rising labor costs, new laws, regulations and guidelines, new project requirements, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the consequences of governmental and other measures designed to prevent the spread of the virus, including the potential impact of any vaccine mandates on our labor supply and future results of operations, the continued sporadic outbreaks of COVID-19 cases and the ongoing spread of the new COVID-19 variants, the impact of COVID-19 vaccines, including the speed at which they, or related “boosters,” are approved, disseminated and widely adopted, and their effectiveness against COVID-19 and its evolving strains, and the ultimate duration and scope of the pandemic. These and other factors could affect the Company’s operational results and cause them to not be comparable to those of the same period in previous years. We continued to experience some impact associated with COVID-19 project specific protocols in 2021, which we expect may continue into 2022. While the Company has not yet experienced a material negative impact on its operational results, these project specific requirements are expected to remain in place for the foreseeable future, which will continue to impact project schedules and workflow going forward.
In addition, federal and state governments have increased spending as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the economy. The amount and timing of such spending will be directly impacted by the duration of required efforts to contain COVID-19 and the severity of the negative impacts created by the virus and its effect on the economy. Any recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic impact may also be slowed or reversed by a number of factors, including any widespread resurgence in COVID-19 infections. The results presented in this Form 10-K are not necessarily indicative of future operating results.
Our Business
We provide a comprehensive range of infrastructure services, including construction, maintenance, and support, to customers in energy, power, and industrial end markets. We provide these services both on a constant presence basis and for discrete projects. The services we provide are designed to improve or sustain operating efficiencies and extend the useful lives of these plants and facilities.
Our services include the following:
● Plant Maintenance, Modification and Construction. We perform a full range of critical services, including maintenance, modification, repair and other capital project services designed to extend the life cycles of nuclear, paper, chemical, fossil fuel, industrial gas, hydro power, natural gas, municipal water and wastewater and other facilities for customers in energy, power and industrial end markets.
● Water/Wastewater System New Installation, Expansions and Modifications. We install, maintain, and modify water and wastewater systems, including piping, pumping, storage tank and other related facilities.
● Painting and Coatings. We perform cleaning, surface preparation, coatings application, quality control and inspection testing on major coating projects for nuclear and fossil fuel power plants, industrial facilities, and petrochemical plants.
● Insulation. We provide a variety of industrial insulation services, primarily in power generation installations.
● Asbestos and Lead Abatement. We provide abatement services for the removal of asbestos and heavy metal-based coatings such as lead paint. We do not take ownership of hazardous materials and do not assume responsibility for the liability associated with the materials other than for our actions meeting applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
● Roofing Systems. We replace, repair and upgrade industrial facility roofing systems, primarily at pulp and paper manufacturing facilities and nuclear power plant locations.
● Analog to Digital Conversions. We provide services to convert analog control systems to digital control systems to enhance reliability and, accuracy, and increase output of operating plants. Utilities will continue to make significant capital investments in these upgrades throughout the industry. We have extensive experience in performing these upgrades, based on our successful history of completing several projects across our fleet of customers. Moreover, we see substantial opportunity to leverage our experience with performing these projects in the future as the industry continues to invest in these upgrades.
● Canada Nuclear. In 2021, we performed professional services for a power company in Canada. We are in the process of exiting the Canadian market.
● Decommissioning. We have provided decommissioning services to U.S. nuclear stations that have been retired. Several U.S. nuclear stations have already been shut down, and several more shutdowns are planned. After shutdown, the plants must be decommissioned. This process takes many years. We have worked with owners and prime contractors for decommissioning work and are targeting the decommissioning market as it grows. We are also exploring opportunities related to the decommissioning of fossil power plants.
● Nuclear Power Plant Services and New Nuclear Power Plant Construction. We are one of a limited number of companies qualified to perform comprehensive services anywhere in U.S. nuclear power facilities under the rules issued by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the “NRC”). Additionally, we are one of only a small number of contractors with a qualified and audited Nuclear Quality Assurance (“NQA-1”) Program, which is required to perform construction of “Safety” related systems in new nuclear power plants. Through our Appendix B Program and other programs, we provide training, certifications, and ongoing safety monitoring to all of our employees working at nuclear sites and have been one of the leading providers of coatings at U.S. nuclear facilities for almost 40 years. Under the rules issued by the NRC, owners of nuclear facilities must qualify contractors by requiring the contractors to demonstrate that they will comply with NRC regulations on quality assurance, reporting of safety issues, security and control of personnel access and conduct. For the majority of our maintenance and project work, we directly hire the labor and provide the management and supervision to perform the work directly for the owner. In some cases, we act as a general contractor and subcontract portions of the work or, alternatively, subcontract our services to full scope engineering, procurement, and construction (“EPC”) firms or general contractor firms. We maintain good relationships with the utilities, the EPC firms, the general contractor firms, and relevant engineering firms.
We provide these services throughout the U.S., primarily on a direct hire basis, with experienced craft laborers who are directed and managed by an experienced team of supervisors and project managers across our network. We also act as a general contractor where we manage multiple subcontractors and, in other cases, we are retained as a subcontractor on a project. Our flexible staffing model enables us to meet seasonal and outage demand without being restricted by internal capacity limitations, thereby minimizing our fixed costs.
We bid against other contractors based on customer specifications. Fixed-price contracts present certain inherent risks, including the possibility of ambiguities in the specifications received, problems with new technologies and economic and other changes that may occur over the contract period. Alternatively, because of efficiencies that may be realized during the contract term, fixed-price contracts may offer greater profit potential than cost-plus contracts.
In 2021, we contracted for 85% of our revenue on cost-plus contracts that provide for reimbursement of costs incurred plus an amount of profit. The remaining 15% of our revenue was generated from fixed-price contracts.
Safety
For over 15 years, we have maintained a safety record in the top quartile of the industry, benefiting both us and our customers. We also maintain a broad range of professional certifications and memberships in national organizations relevant to the performance of many of the specialized services we provide.
In fiscal year 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on our safety and human capital management. We continue to maintain work policies for the corporate office in Atlanta, Georgia, that permit flexible schedules, including certain remote work, when feasible. Our enhanced safety policies at our worksites include: modified cleaning schedules, social distancing, facial covering requirements, employee screening practices, and contract tracing methods to meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. We continue to maintain safety measures necessary to preserve the health and wellbeing of our workforce.
Market Overview
Power Generation Market and the Industrial Services Industry. The U.S. industrial services industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, broadly defined as routine modification, maintenance and technical services provided to industrial facilities ranging from manufacturing facilities to power generation plants. The industry continues to benefit from a shift towards outsourcing as plant operators seek to alleviate financial constraints, reduce labor costs, increase labor utilization and productivity, and eliminate operational redundancies. Due to the impact of COVID-19, we have seen a decrease in new business development based on restrictions on travel and in-person meetings and stricter safety guidelines, coupled with decreased spending related to market uncertainty.
We expect that power industry demand for these services will be driven by the following factors in the future:
● Aging Power Generation Infrastructure Increases Demand for Plant Maintenance and Decommissioning Services. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (the “EIA”), more than half of the electrical generating capacity in the U.S. was placed in service before 1990. Coupled with the relatively limited number of large-scale power generation facilities being constructed in the U.S., the efforts to maintain older plants of all types and to take advantage of newer and more efficient technologies at existing sites result in opportunities for companies providing services to plant operators. The low price of natural gas is driving demand for new, upgraded and replacement electric generation capacity toward combined cycle gas powered plants, which are more economical to run. With natural gas pricing expected to remain low, this is also driving the conversions of simple cycle plants to combined cycle technology.
Additionally, at the end of December 2020, the United States had 94 operating commercial nuclear reactors at 56 nuclear power plants in 28 states. The average age of these nuclear reactors is about 39 years old. Although in 2020 there were fewer operating nuclear reactors than in 2012, total nuclear electricity generation capacity at the end of 2020 was about the same as total capacity in 2003, when the United States had 104 operating reactors. Power plant uprates-modifications to increase capacity-at nuclear power plants have made it possible for the entire operating nuclear reactor fleet to maintain a relatively consistent total electricity generation capacity. These uprates, combined with high capacity utilization rates (or capacity factors), have helped nuclear power plants maintain a consistent share of about 20% of total annual U.S. electricity generation since 1990. Some reactors have also increased annual electricity generation by shortening the length of time reactors are offline for refueling.
While the remainder of the operating plants are planned to operate 60 to 80 years with a stable amount of required generating capacity, utilities plan to invest in maintenance, modification, and upgrades to enable continued operations. Older nuclear reactors require extensive ongoing engineering and maintenance services to support operations and improve performance. Nuclear power plants in the U.S. are subject to a rigorous program of NRC oversight, inspection, preventive and corrective maintenance, equipment replacement and equipment testing. Nuclear power plants are required to go offline to refuel at intervals of no more than 24 months and to perform condition monitoring and preventive maintenance during every refueling outage. While decommissioning work on retired nuclear reactors provides opportunities for growth, the focus is on extending the life of plants through capital improvements.
● North America Infrastructure Growth. Increased levels of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquid production and accelerated new build and expansion of pipeline and related infrastructure to reduce transportation bottlenecks have combined to supply additional petroleum products to key markets. The value proposition of low-cost shale resources is altering the landscape for pipelines, terminals, refineries, chemical facilities, and power generation assets. Infrastructure growth and modifications provide opportunities for us to assist in the construction and maintenance of these facilities.
● Standby and Distributed Power Generation. Unlike central station generation, standby and distributed power generation equipment can sit on either side of the utility meter and may be owned by a utility, a customer or a third party. Peak energy demand requirements and higher costs, as well as transmission and distribution infrastructure limits, are driving investment into this space. The growth in industries with high power demand and sensitivity to power supply instability, such as datacenters, medical centers, universities and remotely located industrial loads, are straining the traditional power infrastructure. The electric power needs for these markets have historically been served by small-scale utility-owned diesel or gas engine generators strategically located to support distributed system operations. The power supply is trending toward larger (greater than 1,000 kilowatts) diesel engine generator systems and expanding into alternative energy assets.
● Water and Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure Maintenance and Capital Improvements Demand. Population growth and the percentage of the population served by public systems has accelerated our expansion in water and wastewater infrastructure maintenance and capital improvements. The growing demand for water and wastewater treatment facilities provide us the opportunity to deliver services for capital upgrades and maintenance on booster pump stations, well buildouts, treatment expansions, lift stations, and pipe installation, along with other services that we can provide to enhance our brand.
We also provide similar services to industrial wastewater treatment customers in the pulp and paper and other sectors that require wastewater treatment.
Customers, Marketing and Seasonality
Our customers include major private and government-owned utilities throughout the U.S., as well as leaders in the U.S. pulp and paper and industrial sectors. We market our services using dedicated sales and marketing personnel as well as our experienced on-site operations personnel. We use our safety and service track record with long-term renewable contracts to expand our services and supplement existing contracts with small- to medium-sized capital projects. Our sales initiatives directly seek to apply operational strengths to specific facilities within our targeted industries and customers throughout the U.S. We are impacted by seasonality, resulting in fluctuations in revenue and gross profit during our fiscal year. Generally, this is driven by our customers’ schedule of planned outages which are typically scheduled for every other year.
We depend on a relatively small number of customers for a significant portion of our revenue, and the loss of any of those customers could have a material adverse effect on our business. For a listing of our major customers, please refer to “Note 15-Major Customers and Concentration of Credit Risk” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.
The Company lost a multi-year contract within the nuclear decommissioning market in early 2022 that contributed to a loss of approximately $361.0 million of backlog for the years 2022 through 2029. This contract did not represent a material amount of gross profit and is expected to contribute an estimated 3.5% of total gross profit in 2022. The Company’s total backlog, adjusted for the loss of the decommissioning multi-year contract, as of December 31, 2021 was $270.7 million. The Company now estimates that approximately $157.2 million of its adjusted year-end backlog will be converted to revenue within 2022. The remaining $113.5 million of total adjusted backlog is expected to convert to revenue between 2023 and 2026. Please refer to Item 1. Business under “Backlog” and “Note 17-Subsequent Events” included in this Form 10-K for additional information.
Materials and Suppliers
The markets for most of the materials we use are served by a large number of suppliers, and we believe that we can obtain required materials from more than one supplier. Although there are ongoing supply chain disruptions globally due, in part, to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we experienced minor delays in delivery of materials and supplies during 2020 and did not experience any supply shortages in 2021. In those cases in which materials have been delayed due to supply chain disruptions, we have been able to execute strategies with our customers to mitigate the impact of the delays which have included the advance purchase of materials or alternative sourcing arrangements. Our contractual arrangements with our customers incorporate these arrangements should they become necessary. Although we cannot predict the ultimate impact COVID-19 or other factors, including geopolitical instability and general supply shortages, will have on delivery and availability of materials and supplies, we do not currently anticipate we will have difficulties obtaining supplies during 2022.
Competition
Our competitors vary depending on geography and the scope of services to be rendered. Several national service providers, which are significantly larger and have significantly greater financial resources than we do, will often compete for larger maintenance and capital project opportunities that become available. These service providers include, among others, Allied Power, APTIM Corp., BHI Energy and Day & Zimmermann. Additionally, smaller contractors that operate on a regional basis often compete for smaller opportunities associated with open shop labor sources. We compete based on reputation, safety, price, service, quality, and our breadth of service capabilities. We believe our strong reputation, longevity in the industry, project management capabilities, including service diversity, long-term customer relationships, safety record and performance, and our success at identifying and retaining qualified personnel differentiate us from our competitors. We also believe that the fact that we maintain a presence at several of our customers’ sites is a competitive advantage because it provides us with an intimate understanding of these facilities, which allows us to better identify our customers’ service needs. Specific to our customers that operate nuclear power plants, barriers to entry include the requirement to hold and maintain the rigorous NRC qualifications and safety standards.
Insurance
We maintain insurance coverage for various aspects of our operations; however, we remain exposed to potential losses because we are subject to deductibles, coverage limits and retention requirements.
Typically, our contracts require us to indemnify our customers for third party injury, damage or loss arising from the performance of our services and provide for warranties for materials and workmanship. We may also be required to name the customer as an additional insured up to the limits of insurance available, or we may be required to purchase special insurance policies for specific customers. We maintain performance and payment bonding lines to support our business. In rare cases we may provide a letter of credit in lieu of a bond to satisfy performance and financial guarantees on a project.
We require all subcontractors working with us at a customer’s location to indemnify us and our customers and name us as an additional insured for activities arising out of such subcontractors’ work. We also require certain subcontractors to provide additional insurance policies, including surety bonds in favor of us, to secure such subcontractors’ work or as required by contract. It is possible that our insurance and the additional insurance coverage provided by our subcontractors will not fully protect us against a valid claim or loss under the contracts with our customers.
Intellectual Property
As of December 31, 2021, we used the Williams trade name and its logo. We have registered federal trademarks related to certain Company logos as well as registered trademarks related to certain Company logos in Canada. We presently have no U.S. patents in force. We rely on trade secret laws and employee and third-party nondisclosure agreements to protect our intellectual property rights. This Form 10-K may refer to brand names, trademarks, service marks and trade names of other companies and organizations, and those brand names, trademarks, service marks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
Compliance with Government Regulations
We are subject to certain federal, state, and local environmental, occupational health and nuclear regulatory laws applicable in the U.S. We also purchase materials and equipment from third parties and engage subcontractors who are also subject to these laws and regulations. Below is a summary of certain laws and regulations applicable to our business.
● Environmental. We are subject to extensive and changing environmental laws and regulations in the U.S. These laws and regulations relate primarily to air and water pollutants and the management and disposal of hazardous materials. We are exposed to potential liability for personal injury or property damage caused by any release, spill, exposure, or other accident involving such pollutants, substances, or hazardous materials.
● Health and Safety Regulations. We are subject to the requirements of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Act and comparable state and international laws. Regulations promulgated by these agencies require employers and independent contractors who perform construction services, including electrical and repair and maintenance, to implement work practices, medical surveillance systems and personnel protection programs to protect employees from workplace hazards and exposure to hazardous chemicals and materials. In recognition of the potential for accidents within various scopes of work, these agencies have enacted very strict and comprehensive safety regulations.
● NRC. Owners of nuclear power plants in the U.S. are licensed to build, operate, and maintain those plants by the NRC. Their license requires that they qualify their suppliers and contractors to ensure that the suppliers and contractors comply with NRC regulations. We must demonstrate to our customers that we comply with NRC regulations related to quality assurance, reporting of safety issues, security and control of personnel access and conduct.
● Department of the Treasury. The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions based on U.S. foreign policy and national security goals against targeted foreign countries and regimes, terrorists, international narcotics traffickers, those engaged in activities related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and other threats to the national security, foreign policy or economy of the United States. A failure to comply with these laws and regulations could result in civil or criminal sanctions, including the imposition of fines and suspension or debarment from participation in U.S. government contracts.
While we believe that we operate safely and prudently and in material compliance with all environmental, occupational health, nuclear regulatory and other applicable laws, there can be no assurance that accidents will not occur or that we will not incur substantial liability in connection with the operation of our business. We do not anticipate any material capital expenditures or material adverse effect on earnings or cash flows as a result of complying with these laws.
Backlog
The services we provide are typically carried out under construction contracts, long-term maintenance contracts and master service agreements. Total backlog represents the dollar amount of revenue expected to be recorded in the future for work performed under awarded contracts.
Revenue estimates included in our backlog can be subject to change as a result of project accelerations, cancellations or delays due to various factors, including, but not limited to, the customer’s budgetary constraints and adverse weather. These factors can also cause revenue amounts to be recognized in different periods and at levels other than those originally projected. Additional work that is not identified under the original contract is added to our estimated backlog when we reach an agreement with the customer as to the scope and pricing of that additional work. Backlog is reduced as work is performed and revenue is recognized, or upon cancellation.
Backlog is not a measure defined by accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“GAAP”), and our methodology for determining backlog may vary from the methodology used by other companies in determining their backlog amounts. Backlog may not be indicative of future operating results and projects in our backlog may be cancelled, modified, or otherwise altered by our customers. We utilize our calculation of backlog to assist in measuring aggregate awards under existing contractual relationships with our customers. We believe our backlog disclosures will assist investors in better understanding this estimate of the services to be performed pursuant to awards by our customers under existing contractual relationships.
The following table summarizes our backlog on December 31, 2021:
December 31,
(in thousands)
Cost plus
$
559,417
$
430,694
Lump sum
72,276
13,156
Total
$
631,693
$
443,850
Backlog as of December 31, 2021 increased $187.8 million, or 42.3%, from December 31, 2020, due primarily to our decommissioning and nuclear work. As of December 31, 2021, approximately $424.8 million, or 67.2%, of the total backlog was related to decommissioning projects and $115.5 million, or 18.3% was related to nuclear projects in the United States. As of December 31, 2020, approximately $213.5 million, or 48.1% of the total backlog was related to decommissioning projects and $161.9 million, or 36.5% of the total backlog was related to nuclear projects in the United States.
The Company lost a multi-year contract within the nuclear decommissioning market in early 2022, contributing to a loss of approximately $361.0 million in backlog for the years 2022 through 2029, including backlog of approximately $30.0 million for 2022 and $50.0 million for 2023. The Company’s total backlog, adjusted for the loss of the decommissioning multi-year contract, as of December 31, 2021 was $270.7 million. The Company now estimates that approximately $157.2 million of its adjusted year-end backlog will be converted to revenue within 2022. The remaining $113.5 million of total adjusted backlog is expected to convert to revenue between 2023 and 2026. Please refer to “Note 17-Subsequent Events” included in this Form 10-K for additional information. For additional discussion of our backlog, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors-Risk Factors Related to Our Operations.”
The following tables summarizes our adjusted backlog and estimated adjusted backlog conversion period (tables incorporate the loss in backlog subsequent to December 31, 2021):
December 31,
(in thousands)
Cost plus
$
198,448
$
430,694
Lump sum
72,276
13,156
Total
$
270,724
$
443,850
Estimated Conversion Period
(in thousands)
Thereafter
Total
Cost plus
$
88,877
$
109,571
$
198,448
Lump sum
68,328
3,948
72,276
Total
$
157,205
$
113,519
$
270,724
Employees
We believe our employees are our greatest asset. Our business success is dependent upon our ability to attract, develop, and retain high performing talent by providing a culture that is built on our core values of safety, integrity, excellence, and results.
Along with our core values, we act in accordance with our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics requires a commitment from employees, officers and directors at the Company and its subsidiaries to conduct business honestly and ethically. Among other things, our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics encourages employees to talk to supervisors, managers, or other appropriate personnel, including, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, or the General Counsel, about observed illegal or unethical behavior and the best course of action in a particular situation. The Company has a confidential hotline administered by an outside firm that an employee can call or visit on the internet to anonymously submit a report in the event he or she has ethical concerns or suspects instances of misconduct.
For over 15 years, we have maintained a safety record in the top quartile of the industry, benefiting both us and our customers. We also maintain a broad range of professional certifications and memberships in national organizations relevant to the performance of many of the services we provide.
In fiscal year 2021 and 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on our safety and human capital management. We continue to maintain work policies for the corporate office in Atlanta, Georgia that permit flexible schedules, including certain remote work, when feasible. Our enhanced safety policies at our worksites include: modified cleaning schedules, social distancing, facial covering requirements, employee screening practices, and contract tracing methods to meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. We continue to maintain safety measures necessary to preserve the health and wellbeing of our workforce.
We have implemented a robust human performance strategy that focuses on organizational factors, job-site conditions, individual behavior, and results. This strategy has contributed to a highly reliable organizational culture that has produced and consistently sustained positive results.
As of December 31, 2021, we had 572 full-time employees (excluding temporary staff and craft labor) and we did not have any part-time employees. The number of our employees, including temporary staff and craft labor, fluctuates greatly, depending on the timing and requirements for craft labor. Many of the craft labor employees are employed through various union agreements. As of December 31, 2021, there were 943 craft labor employees, of which 820 were under collective bargaining agreements. We believe that our relationships with our employees, both full-time and temporary, are satisfactory. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic caused slight delays in 2021, but did not result in any complete project stoppage. We are not aware of any circumstances related to our employees that are likely to result in a work stoppage at any of the project sites where we are performing services.
Information about our Executive Officers
The following information is being furnished with respect to the Company’s executive officers as of March 7, 2022:
Name
Position
Tracy D. Pagliara
President and Chief Executive Officer and Director
Randall R. Lay
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Charles E. Wheelock
Senior Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary
Damien A. Vassall
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Dawn A. Jenkins
Vice President, Human Resources
Raymond A. Hruby, Jr.
Executive Vice President, Business Development
Tracy D. Pagliara, 59, has served as our President and CEO starting in April 2018, having previously served as Co-President and Co-CEO from July 2017 through April 2018. Mr. Pagliara has also served as a member of our Board of Directors since July 2017. Prior to July 2017, he served as our Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary from January 2014, and also as Senior Vice President from November 2015. He previously served as our General Counsel, Secretary and Vice President of Business Development from April 2010 through December 2013. Prior to joining the Company in April 2010, Mr. Pagliara served as the Chief Legal Officer of Gardner Denver, Inc., a leading global manufacturer of highly engineered compressors, blowers, pumps and other fluid transfer equipment, from August 2000 through August 2008. He also had responsibility for other roles during his tenure with Gardner Denver, including Vice President of Administration, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary. Prior to joining Gardner Denver, Mr. Pagliara held positions of increasing responsibility in the legal departments of Verizon Communications/GTE Corporation from August 1996 to August 2000 and Kellwood Company from May 1993 to August 1996, ultimately serving in the role of Assistant General Counsel for each company. Mr. Pagliara currently serves on the board of directors and audit, compensation and nominating and corporate governance committees of Westwater Resources, Inc. (formerly Uranium Resources, Inc.) (NYSE American: WWR), a diversified energy materials developer, where he has served since July 2017. He is a member of the Missouri and Illinois State Bars and a Certified Public Accountant. In addition, in accordance with customary practice, Mr. Pagliara and other officers of the Company have served as officers of the Company’s various subsidiaries, although not acting in an executive role for the relevant subsidiary. As previously disclosed, such subsidiaries included Koontz-Wagner Custom Controls Holdings LLC, which filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 7 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in July 2018 and ceased operations at such time.
Randall R. Lay, 67, was appointed to serve as our Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer in November 2021. He previously served as our Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and our principal financial and accounting officer from September 2019 until November 2021. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Lay served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer of GEO Specialty Chemicals, Inc., a supplier of specialty chemicals and materials to the coatings, adhesives, medical, water treatment and construction markets, from December 2017 to August 2019, when it was acquired by CPS Performance Materials. From 2007 to June 2017, Mr. Lay served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Lazy Days' R.V. Center, Inc. (now a subsidiary of Lazydays Holdings, Inc.), which operates RV dealerships. From 2006 through 2007, Mr. Lay served as Senior Vice President of Buccino & Associates, Inc., a financial advisory and turnaround firm. Prior to that, Mr. Lay served at Universal Access Global Holdings Inc., a communications network integrator, from 2002 to 2006, including as Chief Financial Officer from June 2002 to July 2003; director and Chief Executive Officer from July 2003; and additionally as President from November 2003 until June 2006. From October 2001 to April 2002, Mr. Lay served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Metromedia Fiber Networks, Inc., a telecommunications company. From September 1993 to September 2001, Mr. Lay was employed by International Specialty Products Inc., a global supplier of specialty chemicals, most recently as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
Charles E. Wheelock, 53, has served as our Senior Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary since August 2019. He previously served as our Vice President, Administration, General Counsel and Secretary beginning July 2017. He joined the Company in September 2011 as Associate General Counsel and thereafter assumed roles of increasing responsibility, including Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. He led the human resources, recruiting and labor relations groups in our Tucker, Georgia office prior to his July 2017 appointment. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Wheelock spent 10 years at General Electric Company, serving in a variety of roles in its Energy Services and Power Generation businesses. Mr. Wheelock is a member of the State Bar of Georgia.
Damien A. Vassall, 45, was appointed Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and principal financial and accounting officer in November 2021. He previously served in a variety of financial roles for the Company, including our Vice President and Controller from February 2020 until November 2021, a consultant for the Company from June 2019 to February 2020, Chief Financial Officer of our Services division from October 2015 until November 2018, and our Controller of the Services division from October 2010 to October 2015. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Vassall served at Delta Apparel, Inc., an apparel company, as a division controller from June 2008 until October 2010 and as manager of accounting and financial reporting from November 2006 through May 2008. Previously, he also served as senior associate at both Grant Thornton LLP and KPMG LLP.
Dawn A. Jenkins, 50, has served as our Vice President, Human Resources since August 2021. She has served in a variety of roles at the Company and its subsidiaries since January 2007, including as our Vice President, Treasurer from December 2020 to August 2021, as Treasurer from January 2019 until December 2020, as Director, Transactional Accounting from August 2018 to January 2019, as Director ERP, Operations Support and Trade Compliance from November 2013 to August 2018, and as Assistant Director Supply Chain of a former subsidiary from January 2007 to November 2013.
Raymond A. Hruby, Jr., 62, was appointed Executive Vice President, Business Development in November 2021. Mr. Hruby previously served as our Senior Vice President of Key Accounts from May 2021 to November 2021. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Hruby served at Bruce Power, an electricity company based in Bruce County, Ontario, as Vice President, Project Management Office from March 2020 to April 2021 and Vice President, Project Controls from April 2017 to March 2020; at Southern Company, a gas and electric utility holding company, as Director of Engineering, Farley Nuclear Plant, from 2015 to 2017; and at Tennessee Valley Authority, an electric utility company, as General Manager, Technical Services, Watts Bar 2 Nuclear Plant from 2012 to 2015 and Project Director, Bellefonte Nuclear Plant, from 2010 to 2012. Prior to that, he served in a variety of roles at American Electric Power, FirstEnergy and Duquesne Light Company, all of which are electric service providers.
Available Information
We file reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished to the SEC pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The SEC maintains an Internet site, www.sec.gov, which contains the Company’s reports, proxy and information statements and other information we have filed electronically with the SEC.
We make available on our website, www.wisgrp.com, free of charge, our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to these reports as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file the reports with, or furnish them to the SEC. The information disclosed on our website is not incorporated by this reference and is not a part of this Form 10-K. The following corporate governance related documents are also available free on our website:
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics;
Corporate Governance Guidelines;
Related Party Transactions Policy;
Charter of the Audit Committee;
Charter of the Compensation Committee;
Charter of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee; and
Procedures for Reporting Complaints Regarding Accounting or Auditing Matters of Williams Industrial Group Inc.

---

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be impacted by one or more of the following factors, any of which could cause actual results to vary materially from historical and current results or anticipated future results. The disclosure of any risk factor should not be interpreted to imply that the risk has not already materialized. There may be additional risks that are not presently material or known.
Risk Factors Related to Our Liquidity and Capital Resources
We may not generate sufficient cash resources to continue funding our operations.
We require substantial working capital in order to meet the demands of our growing business. If our liquidity generating initiatives do not produce the expected results, or if we are otherwise unable to obtain sufficient cash resources to operate our business, we may need to raise additional debt capital or sell assets outside the normal course of business. For additional information, please refer to “Part II-Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Liquidity and Capital Resources” and “Note 10-Debt” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.
If we do not timely pay amounts due and comply with the covenants under our debt facilities, our business, financial condition, and ability to continue as a going concern would be materially and adversely impacted.
Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that we will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Term Loan, among other things, requires high interest payments, and both the Term Loan and the PNC Facility place encumbrances on our assets,
and subject us to restrictive covenants that limit our operating flexibility. Additionally, under the terms of the Term Loan, the Company is required to make quarterly loan amortization payments of $0.3 million per quarter through December 16, 2025.
The terms of the Term Loan and the PNC Facility have been structured in such a way that, if we default under one, we will also default under the other. In the event of a continuing default, our senior secured lenders would have the right to accelerate the then-outstanding amounts under each such facility and to exercise their respective rights and remedies to collect such amounts, which would include foreclosing on collateral constituting substantially all of our assets and those of our subsidiaries. Any continuing default on the Term Loan or the PNC Facility could result in the outstanding principal balance under each such facility becoming immediately due and payable. We do not currently have sufficient cash on hand to repay the outstanding balances, so if our lenders under the Term Loan and the PNC Facility exercised their rights and remedies as permitted by each such facility and applicable law, we would likely be forced to seek bankruptcy protection and our investors could lose the full value of their investment in our common stock. Accordingly, a default could have a material adverse effect on our business.
For additional information, please refer to “Part II-Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Liquidity and Capital Resources” and “Note 10-Debt” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.
The limitations and covenants in our debt facilities constrain our ability to borrow additional money, sell assets and make acquisitions, which may impair our ability to fully implement elements of our business strategy and otherwise adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition.
Both the Term Loan and the PNC Facility contain certain limitations and covenants that limit our ability, and that of our subsidiaries, to, among other things, incur additional debt, make capital expenditures, incur liens, pay dividends or make other restricted payments, merge or sell assets, make acquisitions, and enter into transactions with affiliates.
The Term Loan bears interest at LIBOR, plus a margin of 8.50% (if the total leverage ratio is less than 2.50:1) or 9.00% per year (if the total leverage ratio is greater than or equal to 2.50:1), subject to a minimum LIBOR floor of 1.00%, payable in cash on a quarterly basis. In addition, upon the occurrence of an event of default, and for so long as such event of default continues, default interest equal to 2.00% per year in excess of the rate otherwise applicable will be payable. Our obligations under the Term Loan are guaranteed by certain of our material, wholly-owned subsidiaries, subject to customary exceptions, and are secured by first-priority security interests in substantially all of our assets and those of our subsidiaries guaranteeing our obligations, as well as a second-priority security interest on such entities’ accounts receivable and inventory, subject to the intercreditor agreement with PNC. Borrowings under the PNC Facility bear interest, at our election, at either (1) the base commercial lending rate of PNC, as publicly announced, plus 1.25%, payable in cash on a monthly basis, (2) the 30, 60 or 90 day LIBOR rate, subject to minimum LIBOR floor of 1.00%, plus 2.25%, payable in cash on the last day of each interest period, or (3) with respect to Canadian dollar loans, the Canadian Dollar Offered Rate (“CDOR”), subject to a minimum CDOR rate of 1.00%, payable in cash on a monthly basis. In addition, upon the occurrence of an event of default, and for so long as such event of default continues, default interest equal to 2.00% per year in excess of the rate otherwise applicable will be payable. Our obligations under the PNC Facility are guaranteed by certain of our material, wholly-owned subsidiaries, subject to customary exceptions, and are secured by first-priority security interests on substantially all of our and such subsidiaries’ accounts and a second-priority security interest in substantially all other assets of such entities, subject to the terms of the intercreditor agreement. Any increase in LIBOR or the cessation of LIBOR as a viable reference rate may result in an increase in our interest rates on our outstanding principal debt under our debt facilities and therefore negatively affect our cash flow and financial condition.
Both facilities also include additional restrictive covenants, including covenants under the Term Loan that require us to maintain a maximum total leverage ratio and a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio and covenants under the PNC Facility that require us to maintain a springing minimum fixed charge coverage ratio. If we do not comply with the restrictive covenants, including failing to satisfy the required financial covenants, or obtain waivers as needed, our lenders could accelerate our debt and foreclose on our assets, and our stockholders may lose the full value of an investment in our common stock. Our ability to comply with the restrictive covenants in the debt facilities depends upon our ability to successfully implement our business strategy, as well as other general economic and competitive conditions and financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on us and our customers. Our business may not generate sufficient cash flow from operations to fund our cash requirements and debt service obligations, and we may continue to face significant liquidity constraints. For additional information, please refer to “Part II-Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Liquidity and Capital Resources” and “Note 10-Debt” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.
Any inability to finance our business or repay the Term Loan and the PNC Facility, including due to deterioration of the credit markets, could adversely affect our business.
We intend to finance our existing operations and initiatives with existing cash and cash equivalents, cash flows from operations, the Term Loan and the PNC Facility. The Term Loan and the PNC Facility contain a number of restrictive covenants and other terms that limit our operating flexibility. Any deterioration in the credit markets, could adversely affect the ability of many of our customers to pay us on time and the ability of many of our suppliers to meet our needs on a competitive basis. Any inability to pay amounts due under the Term Loan and the PNC Facility or access necessary additional funds on acceptable terms or at all may negatively impact our business or operations. In addition, we may require additional sources of funds in order to meet the working capital requirements of our growing business. If we are unable to access sufficient capital from our existing lenders or otherwise, our business and operations would be adversely impacted. For additional information, please refer to “Part II-Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Liquidity and Capital Resources” and “Note 10-Debt” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.
We are exposed to market risks from changes in interest rates.
We are subject to market risk exposure related to changes in interest rates. The Term Loan and the PNC Facility provide for variable rates of interest based on LIBOR. The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, has publicly announced that it intends to discontinue the reporting of certain LIBOR rates after 2021, with a complete cessation for all USD LIBOR rates after June 2023. The future of LIBOR at this time remains uncertain, and any changes in the methods by which LIBOR is determined or regulatory activity related to LIBOR’s phase out could cause LIBOR to perform differently than in the past or cease to exist. In the U.S., the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) has been proposed as an alternative to LIBOR. Although our debt facilities include customary LIBOR replacement provisions that contemplate an alternate benchmark rate to be mutually agreed upon by us and the administrative agent, if necessary, any such changes may result in interest obligations which are more than or do not otherwise correlate over time with the payments that would have been made if LIBOR was available in its current form. As a result, there can be no assurance that discontinuation of LIBOR will not result in significant increases in benchmark interest rates, substantially higher financing costs or a shortage of available debt financing, any of which could have an adverse effect on us.
If we become unable to obtain adequate surety bonding, or letters of credit, our ability to bid on new work could be reduced, which could, in turn, have a material adverse effect on our future revenue and business prospects.
Consistent with industry practice, we are at times required to provide performance and payment surety bonds to customers. These bonds provide credit support for the customer if we fail to perform our obligations under the contract. If security is required for a particular project and we are unable to obtain a bond on terms commercially acceptable to us, we may not be able to pursue that project. In addition, bonding may be more difficult to obtain in the future or may only be available at significant additional cost.
In addition, in line with industry practice, we are at times required to provide letters of credit. These letters of credit provide credit support for the client if we fail to perform our obligations under the contract. Each of the Term Loan and the PNC Facility contains restrictions on the maximum amount that may be drawn against letters of credit. The PNC Facility provides for a letter of credit sublimit in an amount up to $2.0 million. As of December 31, 2021, we had $0.5 million letters of credit outstanding under the PNC Facility letter of credit sublimit and had $0.4 million outstanding cash collateralized standby letters of credit pursuant to our prior revolving credit facility with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, which we refinanced and replaced in June 2017. If security is required for a particular project and we are unable to obtain a letter of credit on terms commercially acceptable to us, we may not be able to pursue that project. Any inability to obtain letters of credit on commercially reasonable terms could have a material adverse effect on our revenue and business prospects.
Changes to tax regulations, laws, accounting principles, future business operations or examinations by tax authorities may adversely impact our provision for income taxes and ability to use deferred tax assets, increase our tax burden or otherwise adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Changes in tax laws or exposures to additional tax liabilities could negatively impact our effective tax rate and results of operations. For instance, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “Tax Act”) (i) reduced the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% beginning in 2018, (ii) generally limited our annual deductions for interest expense to no more than 30% of our “adjusted taxable income” (plus 100% of our business interest income) for the year and (iii) permitted us to offset only 80% (rather than 100%) of our taxable income with any NOLs we generate after 2017. The disallowed interest and NOLs generated after 2017 can be carried to future periods indefinitely. It is possible in the future that the NOL and/or interest deductibility limitations could have the effect of causing us to incur income tax liability sooner than we otherwise would have
incurred such liability or, in certain cases, could cause us to incur income tax liability that we might otherwise not have incurred, in the absence of these tax law changes. Further, the current administration could introduce modifications, technical corrections or clarifications to the Tax Act or other changes in tax laws, including an increase in the corporate tax rate.
In addition, our ability to use our deferred tax assets is subject to volatility and could be adversely affected by earnings differing materially from our projections, changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities, expiration of or lapses in tax credits, changes in ownership as defined by Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and outcomes as a result of tax examinations or changes in tax laws, regulations and accounting principles. As a result, our income tax provisions are also subject to volatility from these changes, as well as changes in accounting for uncertain tax positions, or interpretations thereof.
Significant judgment is required in determining the recognition and measurement attributes prescribed in GAAP related to accounting for income taxes. In addition, GAAP applies to all income tax positions, including the potential recovery of previously paid taxes, which, if settled unfavorably, could adversely impact our provision for income taxes or additional paid-in capital. We could also be subject to examinations of our income tax returns by the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities. We assess the likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from these examinations in determining the adequacy of our provision for income taxes. There may be exposure that the outcomes from these examinations will have an adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition.
Our ability to use NOL carryforwards or other tax attributes may be subject to limitations under the Code.
As of December 31, 2021, we had U.S. federal tax NOL, foreign tax credits and general business tax credit carryforwards of $225.9 million, $4.1 million, and $0.4 million, respectively. Generally, NOL, foreign tax credit and general business credit carryforwards may be used to offset future taxable income and thereby reduce or eliminate U.S. federal income tax liabilities. Section 382 of the Code limits a corporation’s ability to utilize NOL carryforwards to reduce tax liabilities if the corporation undergoes an “ownership change.” For these purposes, an ownership change is deemed to occur if there has been a change of more than 50% in the ownership of shareholders owning 5% or greater of the value of a corporation’s stock over a three-year period. Code Section 383 applies the same limitations to foreign tax credit, general business credit and capital loss carryforwards after an ownership change.
Based upon our review, we had not experienced an ownership change as defined under Code Section 382 as of December 31, 2021. If we issue additional equity in the future, an ownership change pursuant to Code Section 382 may occur. In addition, an ownership change under Code Section 382 could be caused by circumstances beyond the Company’s control, such as market purchases or sales by certain 5% or greater shareholders of our stock. There is also a risk that, due to regulatory changes, such as suspensions on the use of NOLs or other unforeseen reasons, our existing NOLs could expire or otherwise be unavailable to offset future income tax liabilities. In addition, under the Tax Act, the amount of NOLs incurred after the end of the 2017 fiscal year that we are permitted to deduct in any taxable year is limited to 80% of our taxable income in such year, where taxable income is determined without regard to the NOL deduction itself. The Tax Act also generally eliminates the ability to carry back any NOLs to prior taxable years, while allowing post-2017 unused NOLs to be carried forward indefinitely. There is a risk that, due to changes under the Tax Act, regulatory changes, or other unforeseen reasons, our existing NOLs could expire or otherwise be unavailable to offset future income tax liabilities. Thus, there can be no assurance that the Company will not experience an ownership change which would significantly limit the utilization of the Company’s NOL, foreign tax credit or general business credit carryforwards in calculating future federal tax liabilities.
Risk Factors Related to Our Operations
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected, and may further adversely affect, our business, operating and financial results, and liquidity, and could have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition in the future.
Our results for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While we anticipate that our future results of operations could continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, we do not currently expect that the impact from the COVID-19 outbreak will materially affect our liquidity or financial position. The severity, magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 outbreak is uncertain, rapidly changing, and hard to predict. While the full impact of COVID-19 and the long-term worldwide reaction to it and impact from it remains unknown at this time, government reactions to the pandemic and restrictions and limitations applied by such governments as a result, the implementation of any vaccine mandates, any new widespread growth in infections, the emergence of new variants of COVID-19, and travel restrictions, quarantines, or site closures as a result of the virus could, among other things, impact the ability of our employees and our contractors to perform their duties, cause increased technology and security risk due to extended and Company-wide
telecommuting, and lead to disruptions in our supply chain (including necessary vendors or service providers) and product shortages, our infrastructure acquisition or permitting activities and in our relationships with our customers.
For example, as a result of the pandemic and various governmental orders, a significant number of our corporate, accounting and finance employees worked, and some continue to work remotely, and we have altered our operations to allow for appropriate social distancing and hygiene, invested in additional employee safety equipment, implemented additional cleaning measures, and adapted new processes for interactions with our suppliers and customers to safely manage our operations, any or all of which could lead to decreased efficiency and productivity in our workforce and our operations. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately impacts us will depend on numerous evolving factors and future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including the following: the severity of the virus and the emergence of new variants, some of which have been, and may be in the future, more virulent or transmissible than the initial strain; the ultimate duration and scope of the pandemic, including the extent of any additional resurgences in cases across the United States, including breakthrough infections; the timing, acceptance, and availability and effectiveness of effective medical treatments and vaccines; governmental, business, individual and other actions taken in response to the pandemic; the effect on our suppliers and disruptions to the global supply chain, including shortages of certain supplies and the resulting cost inflation; the extent and duration of the impact on the economy and spending; the effect on our customers and their ability to pay for our services; the effect of any closures or other changes in operations of our and our suppliers’ or customers’ facilities; the health of and the effect on our employees and contractors and our ability to meet staffing needs in our construction and other critical functions, particularly if and when employees become ill, are quarantined as a result of exposure, or are reluctant to show up for work, as well as the impact of labor shortages; our ability to provide services, including as a result of travel restrictions, work from home requirements and arrangements, and other restrictions or changes in behavior or preferences for interactions; the effect on employee healthcare costs; restrictions or disruptions to transportation; and the effect on our ability to access capital on favorable terms and continue to meet our liquidity needs, as well as our ability to remain in compliance with the covenants of our debt facilities.
Any recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic impact may also be slowed or reversed by a number of factors, including any widespread resurgence in COVID-19 infections. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, we may continue to experience adverse impacts to our business as a result of any economic recession that has occurred or may occur in the future. In addition, to the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our business and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening or exacerbating many of the other risks set forth in this Form 10-K.
A substantial portion of our revenue is related to services performed at nuclear power plants, and reduced investment in, or increased regulation related to, nuclear power plants could have a material adverse effect on our business and prospects.
The demand for the services we provide at nuclear power plants is directly tied to the number of nuclear power facilities that utilize our services. Additionally, the demand for U.S. nuclear capacity and electricity generation is expected to decline due to an increase in domestic energy production supporting natural gas exports and the rapid expansion of low-cost renewable energy and new technologies in the U.S., displacing more traditional sources of power, including nuclear power. Declining demand for U.S. nuclear power generation and related construction and maintenance budgets could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, and cash flow.
There are two new nuclear power plants at one U.S. site under construction, and several nuclear reactors are undergoing decommissioning. Pricing pressure has resulted in a decrease in the maintenance budgets for existing nuclear plants.
In addition, decreases in state and federal government subsidies and increased regulation could negatively impact the financial viability of merchant nuclear power plants, decreasing the demand for the services we provide.
If our costs exceed the estimates we use to set the fixed prices on certain of our contracts, our earnings will be reduced.
Fixed-price contracts present certain inherent risks, including the possibility of ambiguities in the specifications received, erroneous or incomplete cost estimates, problems with new technologies and economic and other changes that may occur over the contract period.
In addition, we have a limited ability to recover any cost overruns, such as those experienced during the third quarter of 2021, which negatively impacted our gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2021. Contract prices are established based in part on our projected costs, which are subject to a number of assumptions. The costs that we incur in connection with each contract can vary, sometimes substantially, from our original projections. Because of the large scale and complexity of our contracts, unanticipated changes may occur, such as customer budget decisions, design changes, delays in receiving permits and cost increases. Unanticipated cost increases or delays may occur as a result of several factors, including: increases in the cost of commodities, labor or freight; unanticipated technical problems; problems related to successfully managing contract performance; suppliers’ or subcontractors’ failure to perform, requiring modified execution plans or re-work; and decreases in labor efficiency realized.
We often are contractually subject to liquidated damages in the event that we fail to perform our obligations in a timely manner. Such damages can be significant and may have a negative impact on our profit margins and financial results.
Cost increases or overruns that we cannot pass on to our customers or our payment of liquidated damages or other penalties under our contracts will lower our earnings. In addition, increases in commodity prices may adversely affect our gross margins.
If we are unable to control the delivery of services provided because of internal operational issues or poor subcontractor performances, our reputation could be adversely affected, and we could lose customers. In the event of subcontractor insolvency, if we are unable to recover any advance progress payments made to subcontractors, our profitability could be adversely affected.
We rely on subcontractors to perform services on various projects for scopes of work that are outside of our current service offerings. Our subcontractors do not account for a significant percentage of our service costs. The quality and performance of our subcontractors are not entirely under our control. Our subcontractors may not always meet the requisite level of quality control or our delivery schedules. The failure of our subcontractors to perform quality services in a timely manner could adversely affect our reputation and result in the cancellation of orders for our services, significant warranty and repair costs and the loss of customers. In addition, our contracts with customers may contain liquidated damages, and triggering such provisions could result in significant financial penalties, or, even if not triggered, could affect our ability to recognize revenue in a given period.
Other potential consequences of the failure of our subcontractors to meet our standards include a potential need to change subcontractors, resulting in increased costs. At times, we make advance progress payments to subcontractors in anticipation of completion of services, and we may be unable to recover those advances if a subcontractor fails to complete the scope of work. In addition, we generally provide warranties for terms of two years or less on our services; defects with respect to services previously provided, whether caused by our actions or a subcontractor’s, could require us to incur costs fixing such issues. The occurrence of any of the above may adversely affect our financial condition, profitability, and cash flow.
We operate our business in regions subject to natural disasters, including hurricanes, and other severe catastrophic events, such as public health emergencies, acts of war and terrorism, and any disruption to our business resulting from such events will adversely affect our revenue and results of operations.
We operate our business in regions subject to natural disasters and other extreme weather events, the nature, frequency and severity of which may be negatively impacted by climate change, and other severe catastrophic events. Any disaster could adversely affect our ability to conduct business and provide services to our customers, including damage to work sites, and the insurance we maintain may not be adequate to cover our losses resulting from any business interruption resulting from a natural disaster or other catastrophic events. These and any future disruptions to our operations, including outbreak of contagious diseases and other adverse public health developments, epidemics or pandemics, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest, geopolitical instability, acts of war, terrorism or other force majeure, could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. Although preventative measures may help to mitigate damage, we cannot provide any assurance that any measures we may take will be successful, and delays in recovery may be significant.
We may not be able to compete successfully against current and future competitors.
The industry in which we operate is highly competitive. Some of our competitors and potential competitors are less leveraged than we are, have greater financial or other resources than we have and may be better able to withstand adverse market conditions within the industry. Our competitors typically compete aggressively on the basis of pricing, and such competition may continue to impact our ability to attract and retain customers or maintain the rates we charge. To the extent that we choose to match our competitors’ prices, it may result in lower margins and, as a result, could harm our results of operations. Should we choose not to match, or remain within a reasonable competitive distance from, our competitors’ pricing, our sales volume would likely decrease, which could harm our results of operations. In addition, our future growth will depend on our ability to gauge the direction of the commercial and technological progress in our markets that may be adopted by our competitors. However, any such developments would likely require additional financing, and we may not be able to obtain the necessary financing on acceptable terms, if at all. A failure to keep pace with our competitors or the technological innovations in the markets we serve could have a material adverse impact on our business.
Our future revenue and operating results may vary significantly from reporting period to reporting period.
Our quarterly and annual revenue and earnings have varied in the past and are likely to vary in the future. Our service contracts contain customer-specific commercial terms that, coupled with other factors beyond our control, may result in uneven recognition of revenue and earnings over time. Customer-imposed delays can significantly impact the timing of revenue recognition and lengthen our cash conversion cycle. Due to our relatively large average contract size, our volume during any given period may be concentrated to relatively few contracts, intensifying the magnitude of these fluctuations. Furthermore, some of our operating costs are fixed. As a result, we may have limited ability to reduce our operating costs in response to unanticipated decreases in our revenue or the demand for our services in any given reporting period. Therefore, our operating results in any reporting period may not be indicative of our future performance. Because we must make significant estimates related to potential costs when we recognize revenue on a percentage-of-completion basis, these costs may change significantly from reporting period to reporting period based on new project information.
A small number of major customers account for a significant portion of our revenue, and the loss of any of these customers could negatively impact our business.
We depend on a relatively small number of customers for a significant portion of our revenue. In 2021, our top four customers accounted for 50%, and in 2020, our top four customers accounted for 73% of our consolidated revenue. For a listing of our major customers, please refer to “Note 15-Major Customers and Concentration of Credit Risk” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K. We expect to continue to depend upon a relatively small number of customers for a significant percentage of our revenue. Because our major customers represent a large part of our business, the loss of any of our major customers could negatively impact our business and results of operations. Our business volume with each of our largest customers is highly dependent on operations and maintenance budgets for U.S. utilities. Fluctuations in any of these factors could materially adversely impact our financial results.
In early 2022, we lost a contract with a customer in Canada, and as a result, we are in the process of exiting the Canadian market. This former customer contributed 12% of total revenue in 2021. In addition, in early 2022, we lost a major multi-year contract with a customer within the nuclear decommissioning market. This former customer accounted for 10% of our revenue in 2021, and contributed to a loss of approximately $361.0 million in backlog for the years 2022 through 2029, including backlog of approximately $30.0 million for 2022 and $50.0 million for 2023. Please refer to Item 1. Business under “Backlog” and “Note 17-Subsequent Events” included in this Form 10-K for additional information.
We are subject to potential insolvency or financial distress of third parties, including our customers and suppliers.
We are exposed to the risk that third parties to various arrangements who owe us money or goods, or who purchase services from us, will be unable to perform their obligations or continue to place orders due to insolvency or financial distress. If such third parties fail to perform their obligations under arrangements with us, we may be forced to replace the underlying commitment at current or above market prices or on other terms that are less favorable to us, or we may have to write off receivables in the case of a customer failing to pay.
If a customer becomes insolvent or files for bankruptcy, our ability to recover accounts receivable from that customer would be adversely affected and any payment we received during the preference period prior to a bankruptcy filing may be potentially recoverable by the bankruptcy estate. Any of the foregoing could adversely impact our results of operations, financial position, and liquidity.
The dollar amount of our backlog, as stated at any time, is not necessarily indicative of our future revenue.
Our backlog consists of firm orders or blanket authorizations from our customers. Backlog may vary significantly from reporting period to reporting period due to the timing of customer commitments. The time between receipt of an order and actual completion of services can vary. However, backlog may not be indicative of future operating results, and projects in our backlog may be cancelled, modified, or otherwise altered by our customers. To the extent projects are delayed, the timing of our revenue could be affected. If a customer cancels an order, we may be reimbursed for the costs we have incurred. Typically, however, we have no contractual right to the full amount of the revenue reflected in our backlog contracts in the event of cancellation. In addition, projects may remain in our backlog for extended periods of time. Furthermore, a portion of our backlog for multi-year service maintenance contracts is based on what we expect to realize in the future and is therefore not necessarily supported by a firm purchase order. If that work does not materialize, then our backlog would be negatively impacted, as that work would be considered a “cancellation.” For example, our backlog was negatively affected by the loss of a multi-year contract in the nuclear decommissioning market in early 2022, as described further in Item 1. Business under “Backlog”. Revenue recognition occurs over extended periods of time and is subject to unanticipated delays. Fluctuations in our reported backlog levels also result from the fact that we may receive a small number of relatively large orders in any given reporting period that may be included in our backlog. Because of these large orders, our backlog in that reporting period may reach levels that may not be sustained in subsequent reporting periods. Our backlog, therefore, is not necessarily indicative of our future revenue or of long-term industry trends.
Our success is partially dependent upon maintaining our safety record, and an injury to or death of any of our employees, customers or vendors could result in material liabilities to our Company.
The activities we conduct at our customers’ facilities present a risk of injury or death to our employees, customers, or visitors, notwithstanding our efforts to comply with safety regulations. We may be unable to avoid material liabilities for an injury or death, and our workers’ compensation and other insurance policies may not be adequate or may not continue to be available on terms acceptable to us, or at all, which could result in material liabilities to us. In addition, our ability to obtain new business and retain our current business is partially dependent on our continuing ability to maintain a safety record that exceeds the industry average. If we fail to maintain superior safety performance, or if serious accidents occur in spite of our safety procedures, our revenue and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
Adverse changes in our relationships with suppliers, vendors, and subcontractors could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and our business, reputation, and results of operations.
We rely significantly on third-party suppliers and vendors to obtain necessary materials, and on subcontractors to perform certain services. Although we are not dependent on any single supplier, vendor or subcontractor, any substantial limitation on the availability of or deterioration in our relationship with required suppliers or subcontractors would negatively impact our operations.
Changes in our credit profile can affect the way such third parties view our ability to make payments and may induce them to shorten the payment terms of their invoices or require credit enhancement. For instance, as a result of delays in our payments, certain suppliers and subcontractors have imposed less favorable payment terms on us, including requirements to provide them with additional security in the form of prepayments, surety bonds or letters of credit. The imposition of burdensome payment terms or collateral requirements could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity and our ability to make payments to other parties. This in turn could cause us to be unable to operate our business at the desired service levels, which might adversely affect our profitability and cash flow. In other cases, our relationships with certain third parties have been terminated, requiring us to rely on new firms for certain services, which may cost more and be of inferior quality.
In addition, changes in market and economic conditions, such as the ongoing supply chain disruptions, product shortages and inflationary cost pressure, could increase the risk of a lack of available suppliers or subcontractors. If any supplier or subcontractor upon which we rely is unable or unwilling to meet its obligations under present or future agreements with us, we may be forced to pay higher prices to obtain necessary services and may suffer an interruption in our ability to provide our services to customers.
To the extent we cannot engage quality subcontractors or acquire equipment or materials on acceptable terms, we would not be able to meet the full demands of our customers, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation and results of operations.
Legal matters could divert management’s focus, result in substantial expenses, and have an adverse impact on our reputation, financial condition, and results of operations.
Lawsuits and investigations involving us, or our current or former officers and directors, could result in significant expenses and divert attention and resources of our management and other key employees. We could be required to pay damages or other penalties or have injunctions or other equitable remedies imposed against us or our current or former directors and officers. In addition, we are generally obligated to indemnify our current and former directors and officers in connection with lawsuits, governmental investigations and related litigation or settlement amounts. Such amounts could exceed the coverage provided under our insurance policies. Any of these factors could harm our reputation, business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Compliance with environmental, health, safety and other related laws and regulations is costly, and our ongoing operations may expose us to related liabilities.
Our operations are subject to laws and regulations governing the discharge of materials into the environment or otherwise related to the protection of the environment or human health and safety. We are subject to various U.S. federal statutes and the regulations implementing them, as well as similar laws and regulations at the state and local levels. Environmental laws and regulations are complex and subject to frequent change, and the current U.S. presidential administration is expected to revise existing environmental regulations and to pursue new initiatives. There continues to be a lack of consistent climate legislation, which creates economic and regulatory uncertainty; however, there has been an increasing amount of legislative and regulatory activity, and a number of legal and regulatory measures and social initiatives have been introduced in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas and other carbon emissions. Any such initiatives, restrictions and requirements could restrict or reduce, or require us to make changes to, our operating activities, which could increase our operating costs, increase our energy, supply and transportation costs or limit their availability, or otherwise adversely affect our results of operations, liquidity or capital resources, and these effects could be material to us. If we fail to comply with existing for future environmental laws or regulations, we may be subject to significant liabilities for fines, penalties, or damages, or lose or be denied significant operating permits. Changes in environmental laws and regulations could also increase our environmental compliance expenditures.
In addition, we have been, and may be in the future, subject to liability allegations involving claims of personal injury or property damage. The operation of complex, large-scale equipment used in a variety of locations and climates and integration of a variety of purchased components entails an inherent risk of disputes and liabilities related to the operation of the equipment and the health and safety of the workers who operate and come into contact with the machinery. Because our services are primarily provided in power plants, claims could arise in different contexts, including fires, explosions and power surges, which can result in significant property damage or personal injury, and equipment failure, which can result in personal injury or damage to other equipment in the power plant.
The insurance policies we maintain to cover claims of this nature are subject to deductibles and recovery limitations, as well as limitations on contingencies covered, and we may, therefore, suffer losses from these claims for which no insurance recovery is available. Such losses could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We may become subject to risks associated with doing business outside the U.S.
We previously provided services in Canada, and we may seek to expand our services outside the U.S. in the future. Doing business internationally creates risk that could materially and adversely affect our business, including: the imposition of trade barriers, currency exchange rate fluctuations and currency controls, longer payment cycles, greater difficulties in accounts receivables collection, difficulties in complying with a variety of foreign laws, changes in legal or regulatory requirements, the potential for shortages of trained labor, complex and uncertain employment environments, exposure to local economic and political conditions, the impact of social unrest, such as risks of terrorism or other hostilities, and potentially adverse tax consequences. To the extent we experience these risks, our business and results of operations could be adversely affected, and, as a result, we may determine to scale back or terminate our international operations. During 2021, we provided services in Canada; however, in early 2022, we lost a major contract with a customer in Canada, and, as a result, we are in the process of exiting the Canadian market. The Company continues to target other growth opportunities within the Company’s end markets and may again expand outside the U.S. in the future, although there can be no assurance that we will be successful in such endeavors outside of the U.S.
We may be unable to effectively manage our growth, including any expansion into international markets.
We are subject to the risk that we may be unable to effectively manage our growth, which requires us to develop and improve our existing administrative and operational systems and our financial and management controls and further expand, train and manage our work force. As we continue this effort, we may incur substantial costs and expend substantial resources in connection with any such expansion due to different technology standards, legal considerations, and cultural differences. We may not be able to efficiently or effectively manage future international operations and growth of such operations, compete effectively in such markets, or recruit top talent and train our personnel. Any failure to successfully manage our expansion may materially and adversely affect our business and future growth and may cause us to scale back or terminate such expansion efforts. In addition, acquisitions and other business transactions may disrupt or otherwise have a negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations, and any acquisitions of businesses and their respective assets also involve the risks that the businesses and assets acquired may prove to be less valuable than we expect, and we may assume unknown or unexpected liabilities, costs and problems.
Limitations or modifications to indemnification regulations of the U.S. could adversely affect our business.
We provide services to the nuclear industry. The Price-Anderson Act promotes the nuclear industry by offering broad indemnification to commercial nuclear power plant operators and U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) contractors for liabilities arising out of nuclear incidents at power plants licensed by the NRC and at DOE nuclear facilities. That indemnification protects not only the NRC licensee or DOE prime contractor, but also others like us who may be doing work under contract or subcontract for a licensed power plant or under a DOE prime contract. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended the period of coverage to include all nuclear power reactors issued construction permits through December 31, 2025. The Price-Anderson Act indemnification provisions may not apply to all liabilities that we might incur while performing services as a contractor for the DOE and the nuclear power industry. If an incident or evacuation is not covered under the Price-Anderson Act’s indemnification provisions, we could be held liable for damages, regardless of fault, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. In addition, if such indemnification authority is not applicable in the future, for instance, our business could be adversely affected if the owners and operators of nuclear power plants fail to retain our services in the absence of commercially adequate insurance and indemnification. In addition, any well-publicized problem with our nuclear industry services, whether actual or perceived, could adversely affect our reputation and reduce demand for our services.
During 2021, we also provided other services to the nuclear power industry in Canada. Canada’s Nuclear Liability and Compensation Act generally conforms to international conventions and is conceptually similar to the Price-Anderson Act in the U.S.
Our failure to attract and retain qualified personnel, skilled workers and key officers could have an adverse effect on us.
Our ability to attract and retain qualified professional and/or skilled personnel in accordance with our needs, either through direct hiring, subcontracting or acquisition of other firms employing such professionals, is an important factor in determining our future success. The market for these professionals is competitive, and there can be no assurance that we will be successful in our efforts to attract and retain needed personnel. Our ability to successfully execute our business strategy depends, in part, on our ability to attract and retain highly qualified, experienced mechanical, design, structural and software engineers, service technicians and marketing and sales personnel who share our values and are able to operate effectively consistent with our culture. Demand for these workers can, at times, be high and the supply extremely limited, particularly for employees who can work remotely, as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has increased remote opportunities. In addition, we may be constrained in hiring and retaining sufficient qualified employees to support our strategy due to general labor shortages in our industry, including potential employee attrition in connection with any applicable COVID-19 vaccine or testing mandates. A lack of qualified personnel or increased turnover rates within our employee base could lead to increased costs, such as increased overtime to meet demand and increased wage rates to attract and retain qualified employees. Our success is also highly dependent upon the continued services of our key officers, and we do not maintain key employee insurance on any of our executive officers.
We have experienced significant turnover in our senior management team and reductions in our workforce over the past few years and have promoted or hired new employees to fill certain key roles. In November 2021, the President of Williams Services Group L.L.C., resigned following the Company’s management restructuring, which sought to shift the organizational structure to be more customer-centric. If we are unable to retain qualified personnel, the roles and responsibilities of those employees will need to be filled, which may require that we devote time and resources to identifying, hiring, and integrating new employees. In addition, the failure to attract and retain key employees, including officers, could impair our ability to successfully implement our business strategy, sustain or expand our operations, provide services to our customers, and conduct our business effectively. Furthermore, if key employees do not meet the expectations of their roles, we could experience
operational and administrative inefficiencies and added costs that could adversely impact our results of operations, our stock price and our customer relationships and may make recruiting for future management positions more difficult.
Demand for our services is cyclical and vulnerable to economic slowdowns and reductions in private industry and government spending. In times of general economic contraction, our revenue, profits, and financial condition may be adversely affected and will not necessarily rise in tandem with general economic expansion.
The industries we serve historically have been, and will likely continue to be, cyclical in nature and vulnerable to general slowdowns in the U.S. economy. Consequently, our results of operations have fluctuated and may continue to fluctuate depending on the level of demand for services from these industries.
Our bookings and revenue may rise or fall sharply as total industry orders tend to follow pronounced cycles of general expansion and contraction. During a contraction phase, limited investment in new projects, deferrals of planned projects and project cancellations may significantly reduce our potential recognition of revenue and profits. At the end of an expansion phase, any existence of excess capacity will negatively affect power prices, which will result in a reduction in new orders. In addition to being cyclical in nature, our revenue does not correlate precisely with changes in actual or forecasted new capacity due to timing differences in revenue recognition.
During periods of declining demand for power, many of our customers may face budget shortfalls or may delay capital expenditures, which could result in a decrease in the overall demand for our services. Our customers may find it more difficult to obtain project financing due to limitations on the availability of credit and other uncertainties in the global credit markets. In addition, our customers may demand better pricing terms and their ability to timely pay our invoices may be affected in times of economic slowdown. Any such reduction in private industry or government spending could have a material adverse effect on our revenue, net income, or overall financial condition.
The Company continues to monitor several factors that may cause our revenue, profits, and financial condition to differ from our historical results, including the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, although federal and state governments increased spending as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, any recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic impact may also be slowed or reversed by a number of factors, including delayed deployment and widespread adoption of vaccinations, or additional widespread resurgences in COVID-19 infections. While the COVID-19 pandemic created challenges during 2020, our ability to adapt to uncertainty and quickly deploy our resources to overcome the unknown, helped us to keep our employees safe and produce what we believe are sustainable financial results in 2021, and we do not expect the effects of the pandemic to materially impact our results during 2022.
Information technology vulnerabilities and cyberattacks on our networks could have a material adverse impact on our business.
We rely upon information technology to manage and conduct business, both internally and with our customers, suppliers and other third parties. Internet transactions involve the transmission and storage of data, including, in certain instances, customer and supplier business information. Accordingly, maintaining the security of our computers and other electronic devices, computer networks and data storage resources is a critical issue for us and our customers and suppliers because security breaches could result in reduced or lost ability to carry on our business and loss of and/or unauthorized access to confidential information. From time to time, we experience cyberattacks on our information technology systems, and those of our distributors, manufacturers, suppliers and other partners, whose systems we do not control. We have limited personnel and other resources to address information technology reliability and security of our computer networks and respond to known security incidents to minimize potential adverse impacts. Information security risks have generally increased in recent years because of the proliferation of new technologies and the increased sophistication and activities of perpetrators of cyberattacks. Experienced hackers, cybercriminals and perpetrators of threats may be able to penetrate our network security and misappropriate or compromise our confidential information or that of third parties, create system disruptions or cause shutdowns. These perpetrators of cyberattacks also may be able to develop and deploy viruses, worms, malware, and other malicious software programs that attack our information and networks or otherwise exploit any security vulnerabilities of our information and networks. Techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to or sabotage systems change frequently and often are not recognized until long after being launched against a target, so we may be unable to anticipate these techniques, implement adequate preventative measures or remediate any intrusion on a timely or effective basis. Moreover, the development and maintenance of these preventative and detective measures is costly and requires ongoing monitoring and updating as technologies change and efforts to overcome security measures become more sophisticated. We, therefore, remain potentially vulnerable to additional known or as yet unknown threats, as in some instances, we, our distributors, manufacturers,
suppliers, and other partners may be unaware of an incident or its magnitude and effects. We also face the risk that we may expose our customers or partners to cyberattacks.
A breach of our information technology systems and security measures as a result of third party action, malware, employee error, malfeasance or otherwise could materially adversely impact our business and results of operations and expose us to customer, supplier and other third party liabilities, as well as result in disruptions to critical systems, theft of funds, data or intellectual property, corruption or loss of data and unauthorized release of proprietary, confidential or sensitive information of ours or our customers. Any damage, security breach, delay or loss of critical data associated with our systems may delay or prevent certain operations and may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows; in addition, such events could expose us to data and funds loss, disrupt our operations, allow others to unfairly compete with us and subject us to litigation, government enforcement actions, regulatory penalties and costly response measures, and we may not have adequate insurance coverage to compensate us for any losses relating to such events. Any resulting negative publicity could also significantly harm our reputation. As cyber threats continue to advance, we may be required to expend additional significant resources to continue to enhance our information security measures and/or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities. In addition, cybersecurity and data protection laws and regulations continue to evolve, and are increasingly demanding, which adds compliance complexity and may increase our costs of compliance and expose us to litigation, monetary damages, regulatory enforcement actions or fines in one or more jurisdictions.
Our failure to comply with applicable governmental privacy laws and regulations in the U.S. could substantially impact our business, operations, financial position, and cash flows.
We are subject to extensive and evolving federal, state, and international privacy laws and regulations. Changes in privacy and data security laws or regulations or new interpretations of existing laws or regulations could have a negative effect on our operating methods and costs. Failure to comply with such regulations could result in the termination or loss of contracts, the imposition of contractual damages, private and government civil litigation, civil sanctions, damage to our reputation or, in certain circumstances, criminal penalties, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, cash flows, business and prospects. Determining compliance with such regulations is complicated by the fact that many of these laws and regulations have not been fully interpreted by governing regulatory authorities or the courts, and many of the provisions of such laws and regulations are open to a range of interpretations. There can be no assurance that we are, or have been, in compliance with all applicable existing laws and regulations or that we will be able to comply with new laws or regulations, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act and the California Privacy Rights Act.
We are implementing a new enterprise resource planning system. Our failure to implement such system successfully, on time and on budget could have a material adverse effect on us.
We are in the process of implementing a new ERP system, which includes a cloud-based solution, and expect we will be implementing the new system over the next one to one and a half years, beginning in 2022. ERP implementations are complex, time-consuming and involve substantial expenditures on system software and implementation activities. The ERP system will be critical to our ability to provide important information to our management, provide services and customer support, send invoices and track payments, fulfill contractual obligations, obtain and deliver products, accurately maintain books and records, provide accurate, timely and reliable reports on our financial and operating results, and otherwise operate our business. ERP implementations also require transformation of business and financial processes in order to reap the benefits of the ERP system. Any such implementation involves risks inherent in the conversion to a new computer system, including loss of information and potential disruption to our normal operations. The implementation and maintenance of the new ERP system has required, and will continue to require, the investment of significant financial and human resources and the implementation may be subject to delays and cost overruns. In addition, we may not be able to successfully complete the implementation of the new ERP system without experiencing difficulties. Any disruptions, delays or deficiencies in the design and implementation or the ongoing maintenance of the new ERP system could adversely affect our ability to process orders, provide services and customer support, send invoices and track payments, fulfill contractual obligations, accurately maintain books and records, provide accurate, timely and reliable reports on our financial and operating results, including reports required by the SEC, and otherwise operate our business. New system implementations across the enterprise, such as the implementation of our new ERP system, also pose risks of outages or disruptions, which could affect our suppliers, operations and customers. Issues faced by us or our third-party cloud computing providers, including technological or business-related disruptions and cybersecurity threats, could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition for future periods. Additionally, if we do not effectively implement the ERP system as planned or the system does not operate as intended, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting could be adversely affected or our ability to assess it adequately could be delayed, which could cause us to incur significant additional expenses, damage our reputation and have a material adverse effect on us.
Our participation in multiemployer pension plans could adversely impact our liquidity and results of operations.
During 2021, we contributed to approximately 92 multiemployer pension plans throughout the U.S. and, historically, we have contributed to over 150 multiemployer pension plans in which we may have withdrawal liabilities. We believe that our responsibility for potential withdrawal liabilities associated with participating in multiemployer pension plans is limited because the building and construction trades exemption pursuant to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 should apply to the substantial majority of our plan contributions. However, pursuant to the Pension Protection Act of 2006 and other applicable laws, we are exposed to other potential liabilities associated with plans that are underfunded. As of December 31, 2021, we had been notified that certain pension plans were in critical funding status. Currently, certain plans are developing, or have developed, a rehabilitation plan that may call for a reduction in participant benefits or an increase in future employer contributions. Therefore, in the future, we could be responsible for potential surcharges, excise taxes and/or additional contributions related to these plans, which could impact our liquidity and results of operations. While we continue to actively monitor, assess and take steps to limit our potential exposure to any surcharges, excise taxes, additional contributions and/or withdrawal liabilities, any market conditions or the number of participating employers remaining in each plan may result in a reorganization, insolvency or mass withdrawal that could have a material adverse effect on the funded status of the multiemployer plans and our potential withdrawal liability.
We are subject to anti-bribery laws, and failure to comply with these laws could result in our becoming subject to penalties and the disruption of our business activities.
We are subject to laws in the U.S. that restrict the offer or payment of anything of value to government officials or other persons with the intent of gaining business or favorable government action. In addition to prohibiting certain bribery-related activity with U.S. officials and other persons, these laws provide for recordkeeping and reporting obligations. Any failure by us, our subcontractors, agents or others who work for us on our behalf to comply with these legal and regulatory obligations could impact us in a variety of ways that include, but are not limited to, significant criminal, civil and administrative penalties. The failure to comply with these legal and regulatory obligations could also result in the disruption of our business activities and have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Work disruptions resulting from the expiration of our collective bargaining agreements or otherwise could result in increased operating costs and adversely affect our operating performance.
The majority of our temporary craft employees are represented by labor unions with which we have collective bargaining agreements. There can be no assurance that we will not experience labor disruptions associated with a lengthy strike or the expiration or renegotiation of collective bargaining agreements or other work stoppage at our facilities or customer locations, which could adversely affect our operating performance and may result in additional expenses and possible loss of revenue.
The increasing focus by stakeholders on environmental, social and governance policies and practices could result in additional costs and could adversely impact our reputation, consumer perception, employee retention and willingness of third parties to do business with us.
There has been increased focus from stakeholders, including investors, consumers and employees, on our environmental, social, or governance (“ESG”) policies and practices, including corporate citizenship and sustainability. Additionally, public interest and legislative pressure related to public companies’ ESG practices continues to grow. If our ESG policies and practices fail to meet regulatory requirements or stakeholders’ evolving expectations and standards for responsible corporate citizenship in areas including environmental stewardship ,employee health and safety practices, Board and employee diversity, human capital management, corporate governance and transparency and employing ESG strategies in our operations, our brand, reputation and employee retention may be negatively impacted, and customers and suppliers may be unwilling to do business with us. We could also incur additional costs and require additional resources to monitor, report and comply with various ESG practices, as well as any initiatives or goals we may establish or announce, including those related to climate change. If we do establish such initiatives or goals, there can be no assurance that our stakeholders will agree with our strategy or that we will be successful in achieving such initiatives or goals, and we will remain subject to climate change risks regardless. As a result, the effects of climate change and increased focus by stakeholders on ESG matters could have short- and long-term impacts on our business and operations. Inconsistency of legislation and regulations among jurisdictions and expected additional regulations may also affect the costs of compliance with such laws and regulations. Any assessment of the potential impact of future climate change legislation, regulations or industry standards, as well as any international treaties and accords, is uncertain given the wide scope of potential regulatory change where we operate. If we fail to adopt ESG standards or practices as quickly as stakeholders desire, fail, or are perceived to fail, in our achievement of any initiatives or goals, or fail in fully and accurately reporting our progress on any such initiatives and goals, our reputation, business, financial performance and growth
may be adversely impacted. Any such matters, or related corporate citizenship and sustainability matters, could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Risk Factors Related to Our Common Stock
We may not be able to maintain our NYSE American listing and may incur additional costs as a result of our NYSE American listing.
Our common stock commenced trading on the NYSE American on February 22, 2021, and we are subject to certain NYSE American continued listing requirements and standards. We cannot provide any assurance that we will be able to continue to satisfy the requirements of the NYSE American’s continued listing standards. A delisting of our common stock could negatively affect the price and liquidity of our common stock and could impair our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, we may incur costs that we have not previously incurred relating to compliance with the rules and requirements of the NYSE American.
The market price for our common stock has historically been volatile, and our stockholders may not be able to resell their shares of common stock at or above the purchase price paid.
The market price of our common stock has historically fluctuated significantly and may be affected by numerous factors (some of which are beyond our control), including:
● The risk factors described in this Item 1A;
● Actual or anticipated fluctuations in our operating results and financial condition;
● Changes in laws or regulations and court rulings and trends in our industry;
● The significant concentration of ownership of our common stock in the hands of a small number of investors;
● Changes in supply and demand of components and materials;
● Changes in tax or accounting standards affecting our industry;
● A shortfall in operating revenue or net income from that expected by securities analysts and investors;
● Changes in securities analysts’ estimates of our financial performance or the financial performance of our competitors or companies in our industry;
● Increase in inflation and higher commodity prices;
● General conditions in our customers’ industries; and
● The degree of trading liquidity in our common stock, including our ability to remain listed on the NYSE American, and general market conditions.
Declines in the price of our common stock could impede our ability to obtain additional capital and attract and retain qualified employees and could reduce the liquidity of our common stock. In addition, a reduction in our stock price increases the cost to us, in terms of dilution, of using our equity for employee compensation.
The stock markets have experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of similarly situated companies, including geopolitical instability. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
We do not currently expect to pay any cash dividends on our common stock; as such, appreciation in the price of our common stock may be the only method for investors to realize a return on their investment.
We have not paid any dividends since March 2015 and each of the Term Loan and the PNC Facility prohibits us from paying cash dividends. Accordingly, we do not anticipate paying dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.
Any future determination with respect to the payment of dividends will be at the discretion of the Board and will depend upon our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, general business conditions, terms of financing arrangements and other factors that our Board may deem relevant. Future dividends, their timing and amount will be subject to capital availability and periodic determinations by our Board that cash dividends are in the best interest of our stockholders and are in compliance with all of our respective laws and agreements applicable to the declaration and payment of cash dividends and may be affected by, among other factors: our views on potential future capital requirements for organic initiatives and strategic transactions; debt service requirements; our credit rating; changes to applicable tax laws or corporate laws; limitations in our debt facilities; and changes to our business model. We cannot provide any assurance that we will declare dividends of any particular amounts or at all.
We are subject to anti-takeover effects of certain charter and bylaw provisions and Delaware law, as well as of our substantial insider ownership.
Provisions of our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), Fourth Amended and Restated By-Laws (the “By-Laws”) and Delaware law may discourage, delay or prevent a merger or acquisition that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which investors might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. In addition, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our management and Board. These provisions include providing our Board the ability to set the number of directors and to fill vacancies on the Board occurring between stockholder meetings.
We are also subject to provisions of the Delaware corporation law that, in general, prohibit any business combination with a beneficial owner of 15% or more of our common stock for three years following the date the beneficial owner acquired at least 15% of our stock, unless various conditions are met, such as approval of the transaction by our Board. Together, these charter and statutory provisions could make the removal of management more difficult and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our common stock.
The existence of the foregoing provisions and anti-takeover measures, as well as the significant amount of common stock beneficially owned by Wynnefield Capital, Inc. and its affiliates, the Company’s largest equity investors (“Wynnefield”), could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock. They could also deter potential acquirers of us, thereby reducing the likelihood that you could receive a premium for your common stock in an acquisition.
We may issue a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the future, and stockholders may be adversely affected by the issuance of those shares.
We may raise additional capital or refinance or restructure our debt by issuing shares of common stock, or other securities convertible into common stock, which would increase the number of shares of common stock outstanding and result in potentially substantial dilution in the equity interest of our current stockholders and may adversely affect the market price of our common stock. For instance, in March 2020, we issued 5,384,615 shares of our common stock in connection with the closing of our $7.0 million rights offering, pursuant to which we received net proceeds of $6.5 million (the “Rights Offering”). We could seek to issue new debt, equity, and hybrid securities in the future. In addition, we have issued shares of our common stock pursuant to private placement exemptions from Securities Act registration requirements and may do so in the future in connection with financings, acquisitions, the settlement of litigation and other strategic transactions. We may also issue equity securities (including, but not limited to, warrants to purchase shares of our common stock) in connection with future financing transactions. The issuance, and the resale or potential resale, of shares of our common stock could adversely affect the market price of our common stock and could be dilutive to our stockholders.
Future sales of our common stock and any of our other efforts to raise additional capital may depress our stock price.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market or otherwise, either by us, a member of management or a major stockholder, or the perception that such sales could occur, could depress the market price of our common stock and have a material adverse effect on our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. We may seek additional capital through a combination of private and public equity and debt offerings. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, investor ownership interest may be diluted, and the terms may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect investor rights as a stockholder. Additional debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures, or declaring dividends. Any of the above could cause a decline in our stock price.

---

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
None.

---

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Item 2. Properties.
Our corporate office is located in Atlanta, Georgia. We do not own any real property. Below is a summary of properties leased by our continuing operations as of December 31, 2021.
Lease
Approximate
Location
Expiration Date
Sq. Footage
Principal Uses
Tucker, Georgia
March 31, 2023
23,726
Administrative office (corporate headquarters)
Atlanta, Georgia (1)
April 30, 2031
13,870
Administrative office
Astoria, New York
March 31, 2023
4,500
Administrative office/warehouse
Deer Park, Texas
Month to Month
Administrative office
Norwalk, Connecticut
August 31, 2024
9,681
Administrative office/warehouse
Tampa, Florida
November 30, 2022
4,400
Administrative office/warehouse
Dothan, Alabama
November 30, 2022
1,100
Administrative office
Jacksonville, Florida
September 30, 2022
10,708
Administrative office/warehouse
Port Elgin, Ontario (2)
April 30, 2022
8,005
Administrative office
(1) The Company moved its corporate headquarters from Tucker, Georgia to Atlanta, Georgia in March 2022.
(2) The Company will not renew its lease of office space in Port Elgin, Ontario.

---

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
Litigation and Claims
We are from time-to-time party to various lawsuits, claims and other proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of our business. With respect to all such lawsuits, claims and proceedings, we record a reserve when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. We do not believe that the resolution of any currently pending lawsuits, claims and proceedings, either individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or liquidity. However, the outcomes of any currently pending lawsuits, claims and proceedings cannot be predicted, and therefore, there can be no assurance that this will be the case.
For a description of our material pending legal and regulatory proceedings and settlements, please refer to “Note 14-Commitments and Contingencies-Litigation and Claims” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

---

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
Part II

---

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
Market Information
Our common stock commenced trading on the NYSE American on February 22, 2021, under the symbol “WLMS.” Prior to that date, our common stock was quoted on the OTCQX tier of the OTC Markets Group Inc. under the symbol “WLMS.”
Holders
As of March 7, 2022, there were 26,231,515 shares of our common stock outstanding and 118 holders of record of our common stock. We believe that the number of beneficial holders of our common stock is substantially greater than the number of holders of record.
Dividends
We have not paid dividends to holders of our common stock since March 2015, and the terms of the Term Loan and the PNC Facility currently prohibit us from paying cash dividends. In addition, declaration and payment of future dividends would depend on many factors, including, but not limited to, our earnings, financial condition, business development needs, regulatory considerations and the terms of the Term Loan Facility and PNC Facility, and is at the discretion of our Board of Directors. We currently have no plan in place to pay cash dividends. See “Part I-Item 1A. Risk Factors-We do not currently expect to pay any cash dividends on our common stock, so investors may not receive any return on investment unless investors sell their shares of common stock for a price greater than that which investors paid for them.”
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, we did not sell any of our equity securities in transactions that were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, not previously disclosed in a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or in a Current Report on Form 8-K.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Company and Affiliated Purchasers
Neither we, nor any “affiliated purchaser,” as defined in SEC Rule 10b-18(a)(3), purchased any of our equity securities during the three months ended December 31, 2021.

---

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Item 6. [Reserved]

---

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
The following discussion provides an analysis of the results of our continuing operations, an overview of our liquidity and capital resources and other items related to our business. It contains forward-looking statements about our future revenue, operating results, and expectations. See “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Part I-Item 1A. Risk Factors” for a discussion of the risks, assumptions and uncertainties affecting these statements. This discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with Part I of this Form 10-K as well as our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in this Form 10-K.
Our Restructuring
Beginning in 2016, we shifted our strategy to become a preferred provider of construction, maintenance, and specialty services, to exit all product manufacturing businesses and to use the proceeds from the sales to reduce and restructure our term debt, and during 2018, we completed the restructuring of our Company and began expanding our services. Unless otherwise specified, the financial information and discussion in this Form 10-K are as of December 31, 2021 and are based on our continuing operations; they exclude any results of our discontinued operations. Please refer to “Note 4-Changes in Business” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for additional information on our discontinued operations.
In 2018, we implemented major cost reduction initiatives to reduce our overhead costs, including restructuring and consolidating our corporate functions, and began working on a comprehensive strategic plan to grow and improve our business, which was finalized in early 2019. Our strategy has been focused on a comprehensive plan to grow and improve our operations, strengthen our core competencies, aggressively manage working capital, and reduce costs in order to improve liquidity and reduce debt.
During 2021, we changed our corporate management structure to reinforce our customer focus and strengthen operations. The Company added a Chief Operating Officer, an Executive Vice President of Business Development, a Vice President of Safety and a Chief Information Officer to strengthen operational effectiveness. Our Chief Financial Officer was appointed Chief Operating Officer and our Corporate Controller was appointed Chief Financial Officer. We are enhancing our management methods and implementing new information technology and operating systems to augment our efficiency and effectiveness and provide additional process capabilities and enhanced information security.
In early 2022, we lost a major contract with a customer in Canada, and as a result, we are in the process of exiting the Canadian market. This customer contributed to 12% of our revenue in 2021. In addition, in early 2022, we lost a major multi-year contract with a customer within the nuclear decommissioning market. This customer accounted for 10% of our revenue in 2021, and contributed to a loss of approximately $361.0 million in backlog in the years 2022 through 2029, including backlog of approximately $30.0 million for 2022 and $50.0 million for 2023. We continue to target other growth opportunities within our end markets with greater customer focus and strengthened operational effectiveness. This loss was not a result of performance and does not diminish the Company’s ability to serve its customers. Please refer to Item 1. Business under “Backlog” and “Note 17-Subsequent Events” included in this Form 10-K for additional information.
Industry Trends and Outlook
Electric Power Generation - We are primarily focused on nuclear and fossil power generation. We are involved in new build power generation facilities, maintenance of existing facilities and the decommissioning of retired facilities. Net electricity generation in the U.S. increased approximately 2.4% in 2021 compared to 2020 according to Fitch research. Fitch projects that electricity generation will increase by 1.5% in 2022.
Nuclear New Builds - In nuclear power generation, we are heavily involved in the construction of the only new nuclear reactors being built in the U.S., Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4. In 2017, we formed a limited liability company with Bechtel Power Corporation, a global leader in EPC and project management, Richmond County Constructors, LLC (“RCC”). RCC operates as construction subcontractor to Bechtel Power Corporation, which has been selected as the prime construction contractor for the Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4. RCC provides construction craft labor for the project. Williams is a 25% member in RCC. Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 are expected to become operative in 2023. We also have won additional scope of work outside RCC and are currently bidding on other opportunities for direct scope of work. Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 are expected to become operative in 2023.
In the future, we believe the nuclear generation market will provide innovative developments and high growth opportunities. According to Fitch research, the future of nuclear power capacity additions within the U.S. will come from the development of plants using small modular reactor (“SMR”) technologies. SMR technology has several benefits in comparison to traditional nuclear power facilities given their smaller size, including that they require a reduced footprint and lower capital investments and offer several safety benefits. While the “DOE” has already awarded significant funding for research and development towards the development of SMR technologies and pilot projects, there is the potential for additional funding over the coming years given that nuclear is expected to play a key role in the current administration’s efforts toward reaching carbon pollution-free power according to Fitch research.
Nuclear Decommissioning - Given the average age of nuclear facilities in the U.S. of 39 years old, nuclear decommissioning represents one of the fastest growing fields within the nuclear industry. According to the U.S. NRC, as of November 2021, there were 24 shut down commercial nuclear power reactors at 19 sites in various stages of decommissioning. We are currently working with a major contractor in the decommissioning field and believe there may be an opportunity for us to expand our capabilities and more broadly serve the decommissioning of nuclear power facilities. We are actively pursuing projects in the decommissioning market and see this as an opportunity for future growth.
Water and Wastewater Treatment Landscape - Technological advances in order to keep up with population growth and industrial capacity, are transforming the water and wastewater treatment industry. Nationally, the EPA estimates that the cost of replacing all 10 million lead service lines (LSLs) in the U.S. could range from $16 billion to as much as $80 billion. We are expanding our services to target capital projects and maintenance on booster pump stations, well buildouts, treatment expansions, and lift stations within the water and wastewater treatment industry. A significant portion of the November 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has been allocated to improve water infrastructure ($55 billion).
Other Fossil Fuel Power Generation - The reduction of coal-fired electricity production has reduced demand for routine maintenance, plant upgrades, modification, and new construction at U.S. coal-fired power generation facilities.
The U.S. EIA reported that natural gas-fired generation surpassed coal-fired generation and was the most common electricity fuel starting in 2016. As a result, we have seen the demand for routine maintenance, plant upgrades, modification, and new construction in the gas-fired generation market increase. We have maintained a presence in that market, primarily in capital projects for efficiency improvements. However, because most of those plants are newer than their nuclear and coal counterparts, they require fewer upgrades, which means they also require less maintenance than either coal or nuclear plants.
Natural Gas Distribution Market - The U.S. accounts for a natural gas pipeline network of 305,000 miles of transmission pipelines and 2.2 million miles of distribution pipes within utility service areas. Natural gas usage remained broadly flat in 2021 with gas delivered to consumers rising only 0.1%. In the long-term it is expected that natural gas will likely serve as a transition fuel with the expected growth in demand, driven mostly by the power sector, projected to average at 1.6% year-over-year from 2022 to 2030. Nationwide, about 40% of natural gas is used for energy production and the remainder is mostly used for commercial uses (heating and cooking) and industrial uses. In New York and the northeastern U.S., we are involved in projects forecasted to invest in a range of $500 million to $1.5 billion in infrastructure improvements related to natural gas distribution. The Company estimates that the market opportunity is worth $6.0 billion per year.
Transmission and Distribution and Storm Hardening - Following extensive damage from storms, such as Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Hurricane Michael in 2018, the Florida legislature passed Senate Bill 796 in 2019. Bill 796 requires investor owned utilities to file 10-year storm protection plans in order to strengthen its grid as a prevention measure from future hurricane damage. In 2021, utilities operating in Florida included projects with a value of approximately $20 billion within their 10-year storm-hardening plans in Florida with execution that began in 2020. We have a significant presence in the Florida market and our activities have historically included infrastructure projects that are comparable to those that are included in the planned projects. We believe that we are positioned with the talent and experience to be part of these undergrounding projects related to storm hardening and are currently working with utility companies to identify and pursue these opportunities. A significant portion of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has been allocated to improve power infrastructure ($73 billion).
Results of Operations
The following summary and discussion of our results of operations is based on our continuing operations and excludes any results of our discontinued operations. You should refer to this information, as well as the financial data provided in our consolidated financial statements and related notes included in this Form 10-K, when reading our discussion and analysis of results of operations below.
Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands)
Revenue
$
304,946
$
269,051
Cost of revenue
273,520
235,035
Gross profit
31,426
34,016
Selling and marketing expenses
General and administrative expenses
23,409
23,721
Depreciation and amortization expense
Total operating expenses
24,549
24,477
Operating income
6,877
9,539
Interest expense, net
5,001
6,083
Loss on extinguishment of debt
-
1,455
Other income, net
(1,619)
(1,367)
Income from continuing operations before income tax expense
3,495
3,368
Income tax expense
1,385
Income from continuing operations
$
2,702
$
1,983
Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased $35.9 million, or 13.3% compared with 2020. The increase in revenue was primarily driven by our growth in the decommissioning market of $26.1 million, and the timing of a planned utility outage related to our long-term maintenance and modification contract of $18.9 million. In addition, our volume increased in the fossil fuel market by $13.8 million. These increases were partially offset by reduced volume in the nuclear market of $26.1 million.
Gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2021 decreased $2.6 million, or 7.6% compared with 2020. The decrease was primarily driven by cost overruns on uncompleted fixed price projects in the industrial markets we serve in Florida. The decrease was partially offset by growth in the decommissioning market and the timing of a planned utility outage related to our long-term maintenance and modification contract, each of which has a lower gross margin profile compared to other services we perform and accounted for a greater portion of revenue compared with 2020.
Operating income for the year ended December 31, 2021 decreased $2.7 million, or 27.9% compared with 2020, due primarily to the decrease in gross profit of $2.6 million and an increase of $0.4 million in selling and marketing expenses. This was partially offset by a decrease of $0.3 million in general and administrative costs.
General and Administrative Expenses
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands)
Employee-related expenses
$
12,518
$
12,237
Stock-based compensation expense
3,045
2,503
Professional fees
2,799
3,645
Other expenses
5,047
5,336
Total
$
23,409
$
23,721
Total general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 decreased $0.3 million, or 1.3%, compared with 2020. The decrease was primarily driven by a reduction of $0.8 million in professional fees due to a claim recovery on previously incurred expenses and a $0.3 million decrease in other expenses related to our cost reduction initiatives. These decreases were partially offset by increases of $0.3 million in employee-related expenses due to increased compensation costs, and a $0.5 million increase in stock-based compensation expense due to an accelerated vesting of restricted stock awards along with a new grant of restricted stock units and awards to key employees and non-employee directors.
Other Expense, Net
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands)
Interest expense, net
$
5,001
$
6,083
Loss on extinguishment of debt
-
1,455
Other income, net
(1,619)
(1,367)
Total
$
3,382
$
6,171
Total other expense, net, for the year ended December 31, 2021 decreased $2.8 million, or 45.2%, compared with 2020. The decrease was primarily due to a $1.1 million decrease in interest expense resulting from the refinancing of our previous debt facilities. We also recorded a non-recurring $1.5 million loss recognized in 2020 related to our unamortized debt issuance costs and other fees related to extinguishment of our previous term loan.
Income Tax Expense
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands)
Income tax expense
$
$
1,385
We recorded income tax expense from continuing operations of $0.8 million and $1.4 million in 2021 and 2020, respectively. Our effective tax rates from continuing operations were 22.8% and 41.1% for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
The income tax expense in 2021 was mainly comprised of a $0.8 million Canadian tax provision and the $0.3 million foreign withholding tax deferred expense related to the APB 23 deferred tax liability accrued for the undistributed Canadian earnings, with the rest attributable to interest and penalties accrued on uncertain tax positions, partially offset by the release of 2010 uncertain tax positions, and the net increase in the indefinitely-lived deferred tax assets related to post-2017 NOLs and Section 163(j) interest addback carryover, which was partially offset by an increase in deferred tax liabilities related to indefinitely-lived intangibles.
Discontinued Operations
Please refer to “Note 4-Changes in Business” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for information regarding discontinued operations.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
During 2021, our principal sources of liquidity were borrowings under the PNC Facility and effective management of our working capital. Our principal uses of cash were to pay for customer contract-related material, labor and subcontract labor, operating expenses, and interest expense on the Term Loan and the PNC Facility. See discussion in “Note 10-Debt” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for additional information regarding the Term Loan and the PNC Facility.
Net Cash Flows
Our net consolidated cash flows, including cash flows related to discontinued operations, consisted of the following:
Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands)
Cash flows provided by (used in):
Operating activities
$
(4,497)
$
11,181
Investing activities
(538)
(117)
Financing activities
(1,280)
(9,826)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash
Net change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
$
(6,234)
$
1,366
Cash and Cash Equivalents
As of December 31, 2021, our operating unrestricted cash and cash equivalents decreased $6.2 million to $2.5 million. As of December 31, 2021, $0.7 million of our operating cash balance was held in U.S. bank accounts and $1.8 million in Canadian bank accounts. Total liquidity (the sum of unrestricted cash and availability under the PNC Facility) was $27.7 million as of December 31, 2021.
At March 7, 2022, we had $1.9 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents that could be used, along with normal cash flows from operations, to fund unanticipated shortfalls in future cash flows.
Operating Activities
Cash flows from operating activities result primarily from earnings sources and are affected by changes in operating assets and liabilities, which consist primarily of working capital balances related to our projects. For the year ended December 31, 2021, cash from operating activities decreased $15.7 million to $4.5 million cash used in operating activities compared to $11.2 million cash provided by operating activities in 2020. The decrease in our operating cash in 2021 was primarily attributable to a $7.8 million increase in accounts receivable, a $4.7 million increase in contract assets, and $4.7 million increase in other current assets. These amounts were partially offset by a $1.2 million increase in net income, a $5.9 million increase in accounts payable and a $6.2 million decrease in cash and cash equivalents.
During 2021, our working capital increased $3.2 million, or 17.8%, to $20.9 million compared to $17.7 million in 2020, primarily as a result of the changes described above.
Investing Activities
For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, our investing activities did not have a significant impact on our net cash flows.
Financing Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2021, net cash used in financing activities was $1.3 million primarily due to $1.1 million cash used to pay down our Term Loan and $0.5 million cash used in connection with our stock-based awards for payments of statutory taxes, which was partially offset by cash provided by our borrowings under the PNC Facility exceeding our repayments from customer cash receipts by $0.3 million. At any point in time, the outstanding balance under the PNC Facility is a function of the timing of collections of our customer receivables and the timing of our cash expenditure needs for the following week for payment of trade payable obligations, payroll, and related tax obligations. For additional information about our outstanding debt, including the Term Loan and the PNC Facility, please refer to “Note 10-Debt” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, net cash used in financing activities was $9.8 million primarily due to refinancing our previous term loan and asset-based lending facility, partially offset by the proceeds from our Rights Offering.
On December 16, 2020, we refinanced and replaced our previous term loan with Centre Lane with the Term Loan. This required the Company to pay $1.0 million in prepayment penalties and legal fees, $1.0 million in structuring fees, $4.2 million in debt issuance costs, and complete repayment of $33.6 million principal due on our prior term loan. This amount was offset by $35.0 million of borrowings under the Term Loan.
In addition, on December 16, 2020, we also refinanced and replaced our previous asset-based lending facility with MidCap Financial Trust with the PNC Facility. As such, our borrowings under the PNC Facility are currently our primary source of liquidity. During the year ended December 31, 2020, our payments from customer cash receipts under our prior asset-based lending facility exceeded our borrowings by $10.5 million primarily due to timing and completely repaying our prior asset-based lending facility.
On March 2, 2020, we successfully completed our Rights Offering which provided $6.5 million in net proceeds, partially offsetting our net cash used from refinancing our debt.
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash
For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the effect of Canadian foreign exchange rate changes on our cash balances was not material.
Dividends
We do not currently anticipate declaring dividends in the future. As of December 31, 2021, the terms of the Term Loan and PNC Facility restricted our ability to pay dividends. In addition, the timing and amounts of any dividends would be subject to determination and approval by our Board of Directors.
Liquidity Outlook
Overall, we expect liquidity to improve through 2022 as a result of managing our borrowing and repayments of our PNC Facility and expected net profits. However, we may experience periodic short-term constraints on our liquidity as a result of the cash flow requirements of specific projects. A high percentage of our cost of service comes from weekly craft labor payrolls, and the lag between incurrence of those payrolls and the subsequent collection of the resulting customer billings results in negative cash flows for that time period. Although we utilize the PNC Facility to address those time period negative cash flows, contract terms restricting customer invoicing frequency, delays in customer payments, and underlying surety bonds negatively impact our available borrowing base. We believe that we have sufficient resources to satisfy our 2022 working capital requirements and our long-term liquidity needs and foreseeable material cash requirements, as we strategically use our $30.0 million borrowing availability under our PNC Facility and continue to implement our future growth initiatives. A variety of factors can affect our short- and long-term liquidity, which impact could be material, including, but not limited to: cash for operations; matters relating to our contracts, including contracts billed based on milestones that may require us to incur significant expenditures prior to collections from our customers and others that allow for significant upfront billing at the beginning of a project, which temporarily increases liquidity in the near term; the outcome of potential contract disputes, which may be significant; payment collection issues, including those caused by economic slowdowns or other factors which can lead to credit deterioration of our customers; required payments on the Term Loan and the PNC Facility and on our operating and finance leases; pension obligations requiring annual contributions to multiemployer pension plans; insurance coverage for contracts that require us to indemnify third parties; and issuances of letters of credit. We believe that we have adequate sources of liquidity to meet our long-term liquidity needs of developing key management and craft personnel, enhancing our services to meet new opportunities and obtaining the amount of capital needed to drive our long-term growth initiatives of attracting new customers and expanding our market reach. In the event that we are unable to address potential liquidity shortfalls in the future, management will need to seek additional funding, which may not be available on reasonable terms, if at all.
While we have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, we currently cannot predict the ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows, as such impact is dependent on future developments, including the duration and severity of the pandemic and the related length of its impact on the global economy, which remain uncertain and cannot be predicted at this time. During 2021, we experienced a decrease in new business development based on restrictions on travel and in-person meetings, and stricter safety guidelines, coupled with decreased spending related to market uncertainty due to COVID-19. Any recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic impact may also be slowed or reversed by a number of factors, including the continued sporadic outbreaks of COVID-19 cases, the ongoing spread of new COVID-19 variants and the impact of COVID-19 vaccines, including the speed at which they are approved, disseminated and widely adopted and their effectiveness against COVID-19 and its evolving strains. Management will continue to closely monitor conditions using the data available and will draw on the expertise of health officials, including the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the on-site medical professionals. Our liquidity, as well as our ability to satisfy our working capital requirements, may be adversely affected to some degree by the COVID-19 pandemic. We currently believe that the impact of COVID-19 will not negatively impact our ability to comply with the covenants under our existing credit facilities. However, we cannot provide any assurance that the assumptions used to estimate our liquidity requirements will remain accurate due to the unprecedented nature and the unpredictability of the COVID-19 global pandemic and its potential impact on us and our customer base. As a consequence, our estimates of the duration and severity of the pandemic and its impact on our future earnings and cash flows could change and have a material impact on our results of operations and financial condition. In addition, even after the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, we may continue to experience an adverse impact to our business as a result of the pandemic’s global economic impact, including any recession that has occurred or may occur in the future.
Off-Balance Sheet Transactions
Our liquidity is currently not dependent on the use of off-balance sheet transactions but, in line with industry practice, we are often required to provide payment and performance surety bonds to customers and may be required to provide letters of credit. If performance assurances are extended to customers, generally our maximum potential exposure is limited in the contract with our customers. We frequently obtain similar performance assurances from third-party vendors and subcontractors for work performed in the ordinary course of contract execution. However, the total costs of a project could exceed our original cost estimates, and we could experience reduced gross profit or possibly a loss for a given project. In some cases, if we fail to meet certain performance standards, we may be subject to contractual liquidated damages.
As of December 31, 2021, we had a contingent liability for issued and outstanding standby letters of credit, generally issued to secure performance on customer contracts. As of December 31, 2021, we had $0.5 million of letters of credit under the PNC facility sublimit and $0.4 million of outstanding cash collateralized standby letters of credit pursuant to a prior revolving credit facility with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, and there were no amounts drawn upon these letters of credit. In addition, as of December 31, 2021, we had outstanding payment and performance surety bonds on projects of $67.6 million. Our subsidiaries also provide financial guarantees for certain contractual obligations in the ordinary course of business.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of our consolidated financial statements and related notes requires us to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We have based our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions and conditions.
An accounting policy is considered critical if it requires an accounting estimate to be made based on assumptions about matters that are highly uncertain at the time the estimate is made, and if different estimates that reasonably could have been used, or changes in the accounting estimates that are reasonably likely to occur periodically, could materially impact the consolidated financial statements. We believe that the following critical accounting policies reflect the significant estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. The following descriptions of critical accounting policies, judgments and estimates should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.
Revenue Recognition. We provide construction, maintenance, and support services to customers in energy, power, and industrial end markets. Our services, which are provided through long-term maintenance or discrete project agreements, are designed to improve or sustain our customers’ operating efficiencies and extend the useful lives of their process equipment. The contracts are awarded on a competitively bid and negotiated basis with the majority structured as cost-plus arrangements and the remainder as lump-sum.
Our contracts generally include a single performance obligation for which revenue is recognized over time, as performance obligations are satisfied, due to the continuous transfer of control to the customer. For cost-plus contracts, we recognize revenue when services are performed and contractually billable based upon the hours incurred and agreed-upon hourly rates. Revenue on fixed-price contracts is recognized and invoiced over time using the cost-to-cost percentage-of-completion method. To the extent a contract is deemed to have multiple performance obligations, we allocate the transaction price of the contract to each performance obligation using our best estimate of the standalone selling price of each distinct good or service in the contract. We do not adjust the price of the contract for the effects of a significant financing component. Change orders are generally not distinct from the existing contract due to the significant integration service provided in the context of the contract and are accounted for as a modification of the existing contract and performance obligation. We believe these methods of revenue recognition most accurately reflect the economics of the transactions with our customers.
Our contracts may include several types of variable consideration, including change orders, rate true-up provisions, retainage, claims, incentives, penalties, and liquidated damages. We estimate the amount of revenue to be recognized on variable consideration using estimation methods that best predict the amount of consideration to which we expect to be entitled. We include variable consideration in the estimated transaction price to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur or when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is resolved. Our estimates of variable consideration and determination of whether to include estimated amounts in the transaction price are based on an assessment of our anticipated performance and all information (historical, current, and forecasted) that is reasonably available. We update our estimate of the transaction price each reporting period and the effect of variable consideration on the transaction price is recognized as an adjustment to revenue on a cumulative catch-up basis. In circumstances where we cannot reasonably determine the outcome of a contract, we recognize revenue over time as the work is performed, but only to the extent of recoverable costs incurred (i.e. zero margin). A loss provision is recorded for the amount of any estimated unrecoverable costs in excess of total estimated revenue on a contract as soon as we become aware. We generally provide a limited warranty for a term of two years or less following completion of services performed under our contracts. Historically, warranty claims have not resulted in material costs incurred.
Long-Lived Assets. Long-lived assets, such as property, plant, and equipment, and purchased intangible assets subject to amortization, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable. If circumstances require a long-lived asset held for use to be tested for possible impairment, we first compare the undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset to the carrying value of the asset. If the carrying value of the asset exceeds expected future cash flows, the excess of the carrying value over the estimated fair value is charged to impairment expense in the consolidated statements of operations. Assets held for sale are reported at the lower of their carrying value, less estimated costs to sell. Fair value is determined through various valuation techniques, including discounted cash flow models, quoted market values and third-party independent appraisals, as considered necessary. We group long-lived assets by legal entity for purposes of recognition and measurement of an impairment loss, as this is the lowest level for which cash flows are independent.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets. Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are tested for impairment annually as of October 1 and whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Our indefinite-lived intangible asset consists of the Williams trade name. Our testing of goodwill for potential impairment involves the comparison of each reporting unit’s carrying value to its estimated fair value, which is determined using a combination of income and market approaches.
For purposes of the income approach, fair value is determined based on the present value of estimated future cash flows, discounted at an appropriate risk-adjusted rate. We use our internal forecasts to estimate future cash flows and include an estimate of long-term future growth rates based on our most recent views of the long-term outlook for our reporting unit. Under the market approach, the fair value is determined by utilizing comparative market multiples in the valuation estimates. The fair value of our Williams reporting unit exceeded book value on December 31, 2021.
Similarly, the testing of our trade names for potential impairment involves the comparison of the carrying value for each trade name to its estimated fair value, which is determined using the relief from royalty method.
Impairment write-downs are charged to results of operations in the period in which the impairment is determined. We recorded no impairment write-downs in 2021.
Income Taxes. We account for income taxes using the asset and liability method under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis. We measure deferred tax assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates expected to be applied to taxable income in the years in which those differences are expected to be recovered or settled. We recognize income as a result of changes in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities in the period that includes the enactment date.
Under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 740-Income Taxes, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) requires companies to assess whether valuation allowances should be established against their deferred tax assets based on the consideration of all available positive and negative evidence and utilizing a “more likely than not” standard. In making such assessments, significant weight is given to evidence that can be objectively verified. A company’s current or previous operating history is given more weight than its future outlook, although we do consider future taxable income projections, ongoing tax planning strategies and the limitation on the use of carryforward losses in determining valuation allowance needs. We establish valuation allowances for our deferred tax assets if, based on the available evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion of or all the deferred tax assets will not be realized.
During the ordinary course of business, there are many transactions and calculations for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. We recognize the tax benefit from uncertain tax positions only if it is more likely than not to be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. We believe that our benefits and accruals recognized are appropriate for all open audit years based on our assessment of many factors, including past experience and interpretation of tax law. This assessment relies on estimates and assumptions and may involve a series of complex judgments about future events. To the extent that the final tax outcome of these matters is determined to be different than the amounts recorded, those differences will impact income tax expense in the period in which the determination is made.
Tax Cuts and Jobs Acts of 2017
On December 22, 2017, the Tax Act was signed into law, making significant changes to the Internal Revenue Code. Such changes include, but are not limited to, a U.S. federal corporate tax rate decrease from 35% to 21% effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, the transition of U.S. international taxation from a worldwide tax system to a territorial system, and a one-time transition tax on the mandatory deemed repatriation of cumulative foreign earnings as of December 31, 2017.
Due to changes in interpretations and assumptions, and future guidance that may be issued and actions we may take in response to the Tax Act, the ultimate impact of the Tax Act may change in future periods. The Tax Act is highly complex, and we will continue to assess the impact of certain aspects of the Tax Act. For additional information, please refer to “Note 8-Income Taxes” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.
Insurance. The Company maintains insurance coverage for most insurable aspects of its business and operations. The Company’s insurance programs, including, but not limited to, health, general liability, and workers’ compensation, have varying coverage limits depending upon the type of insurance. We retain exposure to potential losses based on deductibles, coverage limits and retentions. For the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, insurance expense, including insurance premiums related to the excess claim coverage and claims incurred for continuing operations, was $2.0 million and $2.4 million, respectively.
The Company’s consolidated balance sheets include amounts representing its probable estimated liability related to insurance-related claims that are known and have been asserted against the Company, and for insurance-related claims that are believed to have been incurred, but had not yet been reported as of December 31, 2021 and 2020. As of December 31, 2021, and 2020, the Company provided $0.9 million and $0.5 million, respectively, in letters of credit and provided cash collateral of $1.0 million and $0.6 million, respectively, as security for possible workers’ compensation claims.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In December 2019, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2019-12, “Income Taxes”, which simplifies the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions for investments, intraperiod allocations and interim calculations, and adding guidance to reduce complexity in accounting for income taxes. The update is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company historically did not rely on the exceptions in computing the tax provision. The Company adopted the guidance as of January 1, 2021. The adoption of ASU 2019-12 did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

---

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and are not required to provide the information required under this item.

---

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
The financial statements and other information required by this Item are contained in the consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto contained elsewhere in this report.

---

ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
None.

---

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure based on the definition of “disclosure controls and procedures” in Rules 13a-15(e) or 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act. In designing and evaluating disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. The Company’s management, under the supervision of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2021. Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of that date, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were not effective due to the material weakness described below. However, our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has concluded that, notwithstanding the identified material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, the financial statements in this Form 10-K fairly present, in all material respects, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented in conformity with U.S. GAAP.
Material Weakness in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting that existed as of December 31, 2021. 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 our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. We have determined that we did not design and maintain effective user access controls to adequately restrict user access and the ability to modify financial data within certain financial applications, including ensuring appropriate segregation of duties relating to the preparation and review of journal entries in these financial applications. This control deficiency did not result in a misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim consolidated financial statements. However, this control deficiency could have resulted in misstatements of interim or annual consolidated financial statements and disclosures that may have been material. Therefore, management has concluded that: (1) this control deficiency constitutes a material weakness; and (2) in turn, the Company did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021.
Management’s Plan to Remediate the Material Weakness
Management has evaluated the material weakness described above and is in the process of updating its design and implementation of internal control over financial reporting to remediate the aforementioned material weakness and enhance the Company’s internal control environment. However, the implemented and enhanced controls have not operated for a sufficient period of time to demonstrate that the material weakness was remediated as of December 31, 2021. We are committed to continuing to improve our internal control processes and will continue to diligently and vigorously review our financial reporting controls and procedures.
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) or 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues within a company are detected. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, utilizing the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) in the Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013). The COSO framework summarizes each of the components of a company’s internal control system, including (i) the control environment, (ii) risk assessment, (iii) control activities, (iv) information and communication and (v) monitoring. Based on this evaluation, our management concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021 was not effective due to the following material weakness that was identified by management:
● We did not design and maintain effective user access controls to adequately restrict user access and the ability to modify financial data within certain financial applications, including ensuring appropriate segregation of duties relating to the preparation and review of journal entries in these financial applications.
The control deficiency identified above did not result in a misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim consolidated financial statements. However, this control deficiency could have resulted in misstatements of interim or annual consolidated financial statements and disclosures that may have been material.
The attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm on our internal control over financial reporting is included in this Form 10-K under Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
While we continue to implement design enhancements to our internal control procedures, we believe that, other than the changes described above regarding the ongoing remediation efforts, there were no changes to our internal control over financial reporting which were identified in connection with the evaluation required by Rules 13a-15(d) or 15d-15(d) under the Exchange Act during the fourth quarter of 2021 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, we are engaged in a transformation project to upgrade our ERP system to a cloud-based platform to increase efficiency, provide additional process capabilities and enhance information security. We currently expect this upgrade to be completed in early 2023.

---

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 9B. Other Information.
None.

---

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
The information required by Item 10 with respect to our executive officers is included in Part I of this Form 10-K under the caption “Information about our Executive Officers”. The other information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to the information included under the captions “Proposal No. 1 - Election of Directors,” “Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports,” and “The Board, its Committees and its Compensation - Board Leadership Structure and Committee Composition” in our Proxy Statement for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which we plan to file within 120 days after December 31, 2021, the end of our fiscal year.
The Board of Directors has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which outlines the principles of legal and ethical business conduct under which we do business. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is applicable to all of our directors, officers, and employees. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is available under the heading “Governance - Governance Documents” of the Investor Relations section of our website at http://www.wisgrp.com. Upon written request to our Corporate Secretary sent to our principal executive offices, we will provide a copy of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics free of charge. Any substantive amendment of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, and any waiver of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for executive officers or directors, will be made only after approval by the Board or a committee of the Board, and will be disclosed on our website. In addition, any such waiver will be disclosed within four days on a Form 8-K filed with the SEC if then required by applicable rules and regulations.

---

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
The information required by Item 11 is incorporated by reference to the information included under the captions “Executive Compensation,” “The Board, its Committees and its Compensation - Director Compensation” and “The Board, its Committees and its Compensation - 2021 Director Compensation” in our Proxy Statement for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

---

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
The information required by Item 12 is incorporated by reference to the information included under the captions “Executive Compensation - Equity Compensation Plan Information” and “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” in our Proxy Statement for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

---

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
The information required by Item 13 is incorporated by reference to the information included under the captions “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions” and “The Board, its Committees and its Compensation - Director Independence” in our Proxy Statement for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

---

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
The information required by Item 14 is incorporated by reference to the information included under the caption “Proposal No. 2 - Ratification of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” in our Proxy Statement for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
Part IV

---

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
Documents filed as part of this Report:
Financial Statements: The following reports of our independent accountants and our consolidated financial statements are set forth in the index beginning on page:
● Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (Moss Adams LLP, Dallas, Texas, PCAOB ID: 659)
● Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2021 and 2020
● Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
● Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
● Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
● Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
● Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
All other schedules are omitted because they are not applicable, or the required information is shown in the consolidated financial statements or the notes thereto.
List of Exhibits
We agree to furnish to the SEC, upon request, copies of any long-term debt instruments that authorize an amount of securities constituting 10% or less of the total assets of Williams on a consolidated basis.
Exhibit
Description
3.1
Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Form 10 (Commission File No. 001-16501) filed with the Commission on April 30, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference).
3.2
Certificate of Amendment, dated June 30, 2010, to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (filed as Exhibit 3.2 to our Amendment No. 2 to Form 10 filed with the Commission on July 20, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference).
3.3
Second Certificate of Amendment, dated June 27, 2018, to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Form 8-K filed with the Commission on June 29, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference).
3.4
Fourth Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Company (filed as Exhibit 3.2 to our Form 8-K filed with the Commission on June 29, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference).
4.1
Form of Common Stock Certificate (filed as Exhibit 4.1 to our Form 8-K filed with the Commission on June 29, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference).
4.2
Description of the Company’s Registered Securities (filed as Exhibit 4.2 to our Form 10-K filed with the Commission on March 31, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference).
10.1
Election and Nomination Agreement, dated as of June 1, 2016 and effective May 25, 2016, by and among (i) Wynnefield Partners Small Cap Value, L.P., Wynnefield Partners Small Cap Value, L.P. I, Wynnefield Small Cap Value Offshore Fund, Ltd., Wynnefield Capital, Inc. Profit Sharing & Money Purchase Plan, Wynnefield Capital Management, LLC, and Wynnefield Capital, Inc. and (ii) the Company (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to our Form 8-K filed with the Commission on June 1, 2016 and incorporated herein by reference).
10.2
Short-Term Incentive Plan (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to our Form 8-K filed with the Commission on February 26, 2013 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.3
2015 Equity Incentive Plan (as amended and restated as of May 12, 2020) (filed as Exhibit 10.6 to our Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on May 13, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.4
Executive Severance Plan, as Amended and Restated on August 19, 2015 (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to our Form 8 K filed with the Commission on September 25, 2015 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.5
Form of Performance Based Restricted Share Unit Agreement (filed as Exhibit 10.66 to our Form 10-K filed with the Commission on March 15, 2017 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.6
Form of Performance-Based Restricted Share Unit Agreement (dated April 17, 2017) (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to our Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on December 19, 2017 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.7
Employment Agreement, dated June 20, 2018, by and between the Company and Tracy D. Pagliara (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to our Form 8-K filed with the Commission on June 26, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.8
Employment Agreement, dated August 12, 2019, between the Company and Charles E. Wheelock (filed as Exhibit 10.5 to our Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on August 14, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.9
Form of Restricted Shares Award Agreement (dated January 22, 2019) (filed as Exhibit 10.42 to our Form 10-K filed with the Commission on April 1, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.10
Form of Time-Based Restricted Share Unit Agreement (2019) (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to our Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on August 14, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.11
Form of Cash-Based Performance Award Agreement (2019) (filed as Exhibit 10.3 to our Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on August 14, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.12
Employment Agreement, dated September 30, 2019, between the Company and Randall R. Lay (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to our Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on November 14, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.13
Time-Based Restricted Share Unit Agreement (Inducement Grant), dated September 30, 2019, between the Company and Randall R. Lay (filed as Exhibit 10.3 to our Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on November 14, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.14
Performance-Based Restricted Share Unit Agreement (Inducement Grant), dated September 30, 2019, between the Company and Randall R. Lay (filed as Exhibit 10.4 to our Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on November 14, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.15
Form of Time-Based Award Agreement (March 31, 2020) (filed as Exhibit 10.4 to our Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on May 13, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.16
Form of Performance-Based Award Agreement (March 31, 2020) (filed as Exhibit 10.20 to our Form 10-K filed with the Commission on March 31, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.17
Offer Letter, dated November 14, 2019, between the Company and Michael K. (Kelly) Powers (filed as Exhibit 10.4 to our Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on November 12, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.18
Term Loan, Guarantee and Security Agreement, dated December 16, 2020, among Williams Industrial Services Group Inc., as borrower, EICF Agent LLC, as agent, and the other credit parties party thereto (filed as Exhibit 10.24 to our Form 10-K filed with the Commission on March 31, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference).**
10.19
Revolving Credit and Security Agreement, dated December 16, 2020, among Williams Industrial Services Group Inc., Williams Industrial Services Group, L.L.C., Williams Industrial Services, LLC, Williams Specialty Services, LLC, Williams Plant Services, LLC, Williams Global Services, Inc., and Construction & Maintenance Professionals, LLC, as borrowers, Global Power Professional Services Inc., GPEG, LLC, Steam Enterprises LLC, WISG Canada Ltd., WISG Nuclear Ltd. and WISG Electrical Ltd., as guarantors, and PNC Bank, National Association, as agent, and the lenders party thereto (filed as Exhibit 10.25 to our Form 10-K filed with the Commission on March 31, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference).**
10.20
Form of Time-Based Unit Agreement (March 31, 2021) (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to our Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on May 19, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.21
Form of Performance-Based Award Agreement (March 31, 2021) (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to our Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on May 19, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.22
Employment Agreement, dated November 15, 2021, between the Company and Damien Vassall (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to our Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on November 17, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference).*
10.23
Form of Restricted Shares Award Agreement (Non-Employee Directors) (2022).*♦
21.1
Subsidiaries of the Company.♦
23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (Moss Adams LLP).♦
24.1
Powers of Attorney for our directors and certain executive officers (included on signature page).♦
31.1
Certification by the Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.♦
31.2
Certification by the Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.♦
32.1
Certification by the Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (furnished herewith).
32.2
Certification by the Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (furnished herewith).
The following financial statements from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, formatted in Inline XBRL: (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii) Consolidated Statements of Operations, (iii) Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss), (iv) Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity, (v) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, and (vi) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.♦
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).♦
*Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
**
Certain schedules and exhibits to this agreement have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Registration S-K. A copy of any omitted schedule and/or exhibit will be furnished supplementally to the SEC upon request.
♦Filed herewith.