EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 38264
Filing Year: 2022
Filename: 38264_10-K_2022_0001683168-22-008471.json

---

ITEM 1. BUSINESS
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
General
Forward Industries, Inc. (“Forward”, “we”, “our” or the “Company”), through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Forward Industries (IN), Inc. (“Forward US”), Forward Industries (Switzerland) GmbH (“Forward Switzerland”), Forward Industries UK Limited (“Forward UK”), Intelligent Product Solutions, Inc. (“IPS”), and Kablooe, Inc. (“Kablooe”), is a global design, manufacturing, sourcing and distribution group serving top tier medical and technology customers worldwide. As a result of the continued expansion of our design development capabilities through our wholly-owned subsidiaries, IPS and Kablooe, we are able to introduce proprietary products to the market from concepts brought to us from a number of different sources, both inside and outside the Company.
The principal customer market in our original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) distribution business has been OEMs or the contract manufacturing firms of these OEM customers, that either package our products as accessories “in box” together with their branded product offerings or sell them through their retail distribution channels. Our OEM products include carrying cases and other accessories for medical monitoring and diagnostic kits and a variety of other portable electronic and non-electronic products such as sporting and recreational products, bar code scanners, GPS location devices, tablets and firearms. Our OEM customers are located in various regions worldwide.
Our retail distribution business, which we began in 2019, sources and sells smart-enabled furniture, hot tubs and a variety of other products through various online retailer websites to customers predominantly located in the U.S. The rollout of many of these products was delayed by COVID-19 as discussed below. As we expanded our retail distribution network, we have been able to sell a variety of products through retailers such as Best Buy, Wayfair, Walmart, Costco, and Amazon. The manufacturer representative model allows us to engage and support a large sales team and cover a larger territory with a variable cost model as these representatives work on commission only.
We do not manufacture any of our OEM or retail distribution products and source substantially all these products from independent suppliers in China through Forward Industries Asia-Pacific Corporation, a British Virgin Islands corporation (“Forward China”). Forward China is owned by our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Our design business provides a full spectrum of hardware and software product design and engineering services to customers predominantly located in the U.S. Our expertise in various disciplines enables us to serve a wide variety of industries and provide clients with a single source solution for concepts, industrial design, mechanical engineering, embedded software and systems architecture, mobile and enterprise application software, and optical engineering.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 virus had a significant impact on our business. In Fiscal 2020, the business shutdowns resulting from the pandemic disrupted our supply chain and the manufacture and shipment of our OEM products and delayed the rollout of our retail products. Demand for our design and development services was reduced or delayed because of the pandemic as certain customers reduced discretionary spending. In Fiscal 2021, the economy began to open across the world, and consumer demand grew much faster than manufacturers could satisfy, leading to extensive shipping delays, a global shipping container shortage and higher ocean freight costs. This continued to reduce the availability of many of our products and increased their cost of importation. The increase in consumer demand continued in Fiscal 2022, which dramatically increased demand for ocean freight, particularly from the Asia-Pacific region. Labor shortages at U.S. ports and in ground transportation services caused container ships to spend a significant amount of time waiting to be unloaded and to arrive at our warehouses, which caused an increase in the demand for and cost of ground transportation. These factors resulted in further cost increases and delayed consumer availability for many of our products. The impact of inflation in Fiscal 2022 caused an increase in the cost of acquiring and retaining employees in our design business.
The effects of COVID-19 may further impact our business in ways we cannot predict, and such impacts could be significant. The current economic conditions may continue to negatively impact our results of operations, cash flows and financial position in future periods as well as that of our customers, including their ability to pay for our products and services and to choose to allocate their budgets to new or existing projects which may or may not require our products and services. The long-term financial impact on our business cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. As a result, the effects of COVID-19 may not be fully reflected in our financial results until future periods.
Until the effects of the pandemic have fully receded, we expect business conditions to remain challenging. In response to these challenges, we will continue to focus on those factors that we can control: closely managing and controlling our expenses and inventory levels; aligning our design and development schedules with demand in a proactive manner to minimize our cash operating costs; pursuing further improvements in the productivity and effectiveness of our development, selling and administrative activities and, where appropriate, taking advantage of opportunities to enhance our business growth and strategy.
Corporate History
Forward was incorporated in 1961 as a manufacturer and distributer of advertising specialty and promotional products. In 1989, we acquired Forward US, a manufacturer of soft-sided carrying cases. The carrying case business became our predominant business, and in September 1997, we sold the assets relating to the production of advertising specialty and promotional products, ceasing to operate in that segment.
In May 2001, we formed Forward Switzerland to facilitate distribution of aftermarket products under our licenses for cell phone cases with a major North American multinational and to further develop our OEM European business presence. After the expiration of the last of these licenses in March 2009, staff at Forward Switzerland was significantly reduced and in recent years has primarily served our OEM customers in Europe.
In January 2018, Forward acquired IPS, an engineering design company, and in August 2020, Forward acquired the assets of Kablooe Design, a medical and consumer design and development company. We believe that the design and engineering service capabilities of Kablooe will complement the IPS business and further diversify the industries and customers with which we do business.
Customers
Our OEM distribution customers are located in all geographic regions worldwide. Our retail distribution customers are predominantly located in the U.S.
Our design business provides product development services for Fortune 500 companies, established mid-level companies, and start-ups. The wide range of industries served includes industrial electronics, medical and dental equipment, food/beverage, certain luxury brands, and oil/gas. Our design customers are located primarily in the U.S.
Products
Our products include carrying cases and other accessories for medical monitoring and diagnostic kits and a variety of other portable electronic and non-electronic products (such as sporting and recreational products, bar code scanners, GPS location devices, tablets, and firearms). Our products also include smart-enabled furniture, hot tubs and a variety of other products sold through our retail distribution network. We do not manufacture any of our products and we source substantially all our products from independent suppliers in China through Forward China, a related party (see Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements).
Diabetic Products
We sell carrying cases for blood glucose diagnostic kits directly to OEM customers, or their contract manufacturers. These electronic monitoring kits are made for use by diabetics. The diabetic products customer (or its contract manufacturer) packages our carry cases “in box” as a custom accessory for the customer’s blood glucose testing and monitoring kits, or to a much lesser extent, sells them through their retail distribution channels. These kits typically include a small, electronic blood glucose monitor, testing strips, lancets for drawing a drop of blood and our carrying case, customized with the manufacturer’s logo and designed to fit and secure the glucose monitor, testing strips, and lancets in separate straps, pouches, and holders. As the kits and technology change, our carrying case designs change to accommodate the changes in size, shape and layout of the electronic monitoring device, strips and lancet.
Other Products
We also sell carrying and protective solutions to customers for a diverse array of other portable electronic and other products, including sporting and recreational products, bar code scanners, GPS location devices, tablets, and firearms, on a made-to-order basis that are customized to fit the products sold by our customers. Our selling prices for these products vary across a broad range, depending on the size and nature of the product for which we design and sell the carry solution.
Retail Products
In Fiscal 2020, as a result of the build out and growth of our retail distribution network, we began selling smart-enabled products, such as speakers and lamps that provide lighting and sound with Bluetooth® connectivity. In Fiscal 2021, we began expanding our retail product offerings to include additional smart-enabled furniture, such as desks and side tables, as well as hot tubs and various other products that are sold through retailer websites.
Our design business provides a complete range of design, engineering and development services with respect to a diverse array of consumer and industrial electronics products. These include but are not limited to medical products, smart displays, beverage vending, enterprise and mobile software applications, lighting, security and detections systems, cameras, wearables and vehicle controls. Solutions in these and other areas are designed and developed in-house, beginning at product concept, extending through design, engineering and prototype, and final design for manufacturing and computer-aided design files.
Product Development
In the OEM division, we typically receive requests to submit product designs in connection with a customer’s introduction and rollout to market of a new product. We collaborate with clients to determine functionality, size and other basic specifications and requirements for products. Our design and production resources develop more detailed product specifications and design options for our customers’ evaluation. We provide documentation of each phase to the client and gain approval of a working prototype. Working with our suppliers and the customer, samples are modified and refined. Once approved for commercial introduction and order by our customer, we work with our suppliers to ensure conformity of commercial production to the definitive product samples and specifications. Manufacture and delivery of products in production quantities are coordinated with the customer’s manufacturing and shipment schedules so that our products are available to be packaged with the customer’s additional product components prior to shipment and sale, or to make the product available to the customer for direct sale through its retail distribution channels.
In the retail division, we work with various retailers to understand their product requirements and specifications and consumer demand and utilize our sourcing resources to obtain products that meet these needs. Additionally, we have a portfolio of retail products that we share with retailers to gauge the level of consumer interest. We receive design and marketing services for some retail products from The Justwise Group Ltd., a company owned by Terence Wise, our Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and largest shareholder.
Services
Services offered in our design business vary from full development utilizing a wide range of in-house design and engineering functions, to targeted design and engineering support for clients with in-house development teams. Our in-house capabilities include the following:
· Electrical Engineering
· Mechanical Engineering
· Software Engineering
· Industrial Design
· User Experience/User Interface (UX/UI) Design and Development
· Optical Engineering
· Program Management
· IoT System Architecture
· Marketing
·
IT Support
Distribution
Channels of Distribution
We primarily ship our OEM distribution products directly to our customers (or their contract manufacturers), who package our accessory products “in box” with their branded products. Some of our customers also purchase certain of our products and offer them for sale as stand-alone accessories to complement their product offerings.
We primarily ship our retail distribution products directly to end customers from distribution centers located in the U.S. and Canada. We may also ship certain retail products directly to some larger retailers. We continue to evaluate our strategy for the retail distribution business in an effort to increase profitability and match our product offerings with consumer demand.
Distribution Hubs for Customers
We have arrangements with certain customers’ distribution hubs. These arrangements obligate us to supply our products to our customers’ distribution hubs where their products are manufactured, kitted, and/or warehoused pending sale, and where our products are packaged “in box” with the distribution customers’ products. The product quantities we are required to supply to each distribution hub are based on the distribution customer’s purchase orders and forecasts. We do not recognize revenue for product shipped to a customer’s hub until we have been notified by our customer that our product has been used by the distribution hub. Hub arrangements have had the general effect of providing financing for our customers’ inventory purchases by extending the time between our placement of orders to our suppliers and the time that we are able to recognize revenue. The corollary effect is an increase in our inventory levels.
Third-Party and Consignment Warehouses
We also have arrangements with third-party warehouses and consignment warehouses of major retailers in the U.S. and Canada to store, manage and ship our retail products. We do not recognize revenue for retail products shipped to any of these warehouses until the product has been shipped to the end customer and our performance obligation is complete.
Product Supply
Manufacturing
The manufacture of custom carrying cases and other carry and protective solutions generally consists of die cutting fabrics and heat sealing, gluing, sewing, and affixing logos to the cut-outs by means of silk screening, hot-stamping, embroidering or embossing. The principal materials used in the manufacture of our products are vinyl, nylon, leather, metal and plastic parts (for clips, buckles, loops, hinges and other hardware), foam padding and cardboard, all of which are obtained from suppliers based on our specifications.
The manufacture of smart furniture consists of laser cutting, punching, welding and powder coating the various parts and finished product, including lamination, board cutting and drilling for certain products. The main materials used include particle board, engineered wood composite, tempered glass and metal. The manufacture of certain other retail products includes mold creation and assembly and uses various plastics and light components.
We do not believe that any of the component materials or parts used in the manufacture of our products are supply constrained. We believe that there are adequate available alternative sources of supply for all of the materials used to manufacture, package, and ship our products.
Dependence on Sourcing Agent
We have a Buying Agency and Supply Agreement (the “Supply Agreement”) with Forward China. The Supply Agreement provides that Forward China acts as our exclusive buying agent for the products we sell. Forward China also arranges for sourcing, manufacture and exportation of such products. We purchase products at Forward China’s cost and pay them a monthly service fee calculated at $100,000 plus 4% of “Adjusted Gross Profit”, which is defined as the selling price less the cost from Forward China. The Supply Agreement has been extended to October 22, 2023. Terence Wise, our Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and largest shareholder, is the owner of Forward China. See “Item 1A. - Risk Factors” regarding our dependence on Forward China.
Suppliers
We procure substantially all our OEM and retail distribution products from independent suppliers in China through Forward China. Depending on the product, we may require several different suppliers to furnish component parts or pieces. We place orders for particular products and do not have minimum supply requirement agreements to guarantee a supply of finished product, nor have we made purchase commitments to purchase minimum amounts. However, from time to time, we may order certain OEM products in advance of receiving a customer purchase order, or in quantities in excess of those forecasted to us by our customer, for which they are contractually obligated to us, in order to meet our customers’ anticipated delivery demands.
There are very few suppliers required for the design segment of the business as it is a service-based business. We do, however, purchase supplies and equipment to develop prototypes or “mock-ups” for design and development projects. Design business suppliers are predominantly based in the United States.
Quality Assurance
Forward’s quality assurance manager oversees the process to ensure that our distribution products manufactured in China meet our quality assurance standards. The quality assurance manager independently verifies and supervises the inspection of products provided by independent contractors in China. In July 2015, Forward China received its ISO 9001:2008 quality certification, which was renewed and is valid until July 2024.
Our design business follows general industry standard practices for review and corrective actions related to its design services. There are no independent quality assurance standards in place for its design and engineering work. Customer specifications and scope of services are laid out in the project contracts and we work closely with the customer to identify and correct any quality issues that arise.
Competition
Distribution Business
Our OEM and retail distribution businesses are highly competitive in terms of product pricing, design, delivery terms, and customer service. In the production of our distribution products, we compete with numerous U.S. and foreign producers and distributors. Some of our competitors are substantially larger than we are and have greater financial and other resources. We believe that we sustain our competitive position through maintenance of an effective product design capability, rapid response time to customer requests for proposals and product shipment, reliable product delivery and product quality, and competitive pricing. We believe that our ability to compete based on product quality assurance considerations is enhanced by Forward China’s local presence, quality control, shipment capabilities and expertise in sourcing.
Design Business
The depth and breadth of services offered and industries served by our design segment are unique. Our management team is aware that there are very few competitive firms that have the full set of capabilities that our design segment has under one roof. There are, however, numerous design and engineering companies that compete with us in specific industries and/or with specific targeted skills or have competitive advantages.
Human Capital/Employees
As of November 30, 2022, we had approximately 100 employees, substantially all of whom work full-time, none of which are covered by a collective bargaining agreement. We hire consultants on an as-needed basis.
Human capital management is critical to our ongoing business success, which requires investing in our people. Our aim is to create a highly engaged and motivated workforce where employees are inspired by leadership, engaged in purpose-driven, meaningful work and have opportunities for growth and development. We are committed to creating and maintaining a work environment in which employees are treated with respect and dignity. We value our diverse employees and provide career and professional development opportunities that foster the success of our company.
An effective approach to human capital management requires that we invest in talent, development, culture and employee engagement. We aim to create an environment where our employees are encouraged to make positive contributions and fulfill their potential. We emphasize our core values of innovation, encouragement, motivation, and curiosity with our employees to instill our culture and create an environment of growth and positivity.
Our Compensation Committee is also actively involved in reviewing and approving executive compensation, and succession plans so that we have leadership in place with the requisite skills and experience to deliver results the right way. We offer fair, competitive compensation and benefits that support our employees’ overall wellbeing. In addition to health benefits, we contribute to employees’ 401(k) plans and offer student tuition reimbursement (if certain requirements are met).
Impact of COVID-19
The health and well-being of our employees is of utmost importance to us. Starting in March 2020, the majority of our employees transitioned to a remote workforce. Since that time, our employees have demonstrated resilience, wisdom, commitment, and compassion in working with our customers. As conditions improved, employees in the U.S. were encouraged to return to their offices. We encourage all employees to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local guidelines and recommendations.
Regulation and Environmental Protection
Our retail and OEM distribution businesses are subject to various regulations in various jurisdictions, including the U.S. and member states of the European Union, that restrict the use or importation of products manufactured with compounds deemed to be hazardous. We work with our suppliers to ensure compliance with such regulations. In addition, from time to time, one or more customers may require testing of our products to ensure compliance with applicable consumer safety rules and regulations or the customer’s safety or packaging protocols. Because we do not manufacture the products that we sell and distribute, compliance with federal, state and local laws and regulations pertaining to the discharge of materials into the environment, or otherwise relating to the protection of the environment, has not had, and is not anticipated to have, any direct material effect upon our capital expenditures, earnings, or competitive position. However, compliance with such laws and regulations on the part of our suppliers may result in increased costs of supply to us, particularly if domestic environmental regulations in China become more prevalent.
We have not been engaged in any environmental litigation or incurred any material costs related to compliance with environmental or other regulations. From time to time, we incur chemical and/or safety laboratory testing expenses in order to address customer requests regarding our product materials or method of manufacture, or regarding their packaging methods and standards.
There are no specific regulatory or environmental requirements imposed upon the design segment of our business. As a paid service provider, customers are assisted in securing regulatory certifications including UL (Underwriters Laboratories - a U.S. based safety certification organization), FCC (Federal Communications Commission - U.S. governmental certification department for electronic goods), CE (Conformité Européenne - a European certification for health, safety and environmental protection standards) and others depending on needs, product types and locations of customers’ product markets.
Available Information
Our corporate website is www.forwardindustries.com. On our website under “Investors” "SEC Filings", we make available access to our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, Proxy Statements on Schedule 14A and amendments to those materials filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), free of charge. The contents of the website are not incorporated into this report.

---

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risk factors before deciding whether to purchase or sell stock in the Company. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently deem immaterial, may also impair our business operations or our financial condition. If any of the events discussed below occur, our business, consolidated financial condition, results of operations or prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In such case, the value and marketability of the common stock could decline.
Risks Relating to Our Business, Liquidity and Operations
The COVID-19 pandemic and measures intended to prevent its spread have had, and may continue to have, a material and adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Global health concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and related government actions taken to reduce the spread of the virus have weighed on the macroeconomic environment, and the pandemic has significantly increased economic uncertainty and reduced economic activity in the past. Small businesses, which represent a large portion of our design customers, were impacted particularly hard. The pandemic resulted in government authorities and businesses implementing numerous measures to try to contain the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter in place or total lockdown orders, school closures, and business limitations and shutdowns. Such measures contributed significantly to increased unemployment and negatively impacted consumer and business spending. Business shutdowns disrupted our supply chain and the manufacture or shipment of our products and delayed the rollout of our retail distribution products. While many of the foregoing developments have largely subsided since the pandemic’s peak, there can be no assurances that a subsequent wave will not occur in the future or that a new, potentially more contagious or dangerous variant will not arise.
Various regions throughout China have been subject to government mandated Covid lockdowns. While these lockdowns have not had a material impact on our ability to source product, there is no assurance that future actions will not affect our supply chain. The timing and extent of these lockdowns, as well as the potential impact on our business, are largely unknown and difficult to predict. Disruption of our key suppliers could have a material impact on our ability to source product and the related cost of these products.
Even after the COVID-19 pandemic has completely subsided, we may experience material and adverse impacts to our business as a result of the virus’s global economic impact, including the availability of credit, bankruptcies or insolvencies of customers, and recession or economic downturn. For example, in the U.S. and other countries, stimulus packages, rising inflation and demand and other developments during and in the wake of the pandemic have created an inflationary market environment, and in response the Federal Reserve and foreign entities have imposed significant interest rate increases which have resulted in the increased likelihood of a recession in the short-term.
Any of the issues discussed above could have a material adverse effect on our business if this continues for an extended period of time. If we incur significant declines in customer orders, increased aging of accounts receivable or other negative consequences due to COVID-19, the extent of which remains highly uncertain, it will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
During Fiscal 2022, we generated an operating loss and negative cash flow from operations. We cannot assure you that we will regain profitability in the future.
In Fiscal 2022, we generated an operating loss of approximately $1,240,000. We can provide no assurance that we will not continue to experience operating losses. In addition to our $1,300,000 commercial line of credit (the “Line of Credit”), none of which has been utilized as of the date of this report, Forward China holds a $1,400,000 note which is due December 31, 2024. Forward China, which is owned by our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, has previously agreed to extend this note numerous times to assist the Company with its liquidity. We cannot provide you with any assurance that Forward China will continue to grant us extensions on this note. If we cannot generate sufficient revenues to operate profitably, we may be forced to cease, limit or suspend operations, or we may be required to raise capital or incur additional debt to maintain or grow our operations. There is no assurance that we will be able to raise such capital and if so on terms that are not onerous and dilutive to the Company and its shareholders. While we believe that our existing cash resources are sufficient to support our growth strategy, there can be no assurances that our growth strategy will be successful or that we will earn a return on these investments.
Our OEM distribution business remains highly concentrated in our diabetic products line. If our diabetic products line were to suffer the loss of a principal customer or a material decline in revenues from any such large customer, our business would be materially and adversely affected.
Revenues from diabetic products accounted for 85% of our OEM distribution revenues in Fiscal 2022, and OEM distribution revenue accounted for approximately 43% of our overall revenue in Fiscal 2022. As a result, our financial condition and results of operations are subject to higher risk from the loss of a major diabetic products customer or changes in their business practices. For example, in 2018 a new diabetes monitoring product was brought to the market which does not use a carrying case. If our customers use new solutions in their diabetes product lines that do not use carrying cases, our business would be materially and adversely affected.
The loss of any of, or a material reduction in orders from, our largest customers would materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Each of our distribution and design businesses can at times be concentrated with certain larger customers. Our largest design customer accounted for 10.6% of our consolidated net revenue in Fiscal 2022. Further, two distribution customers accounted for 23.0% of our consolidated net revenue in Fiscal 2022 and three distribution customers represented 36.8% of our consolidated net revenue in Fiscal 2021. Although our customer concentration changes from year to year, and we continue our efforts to diversify our business, we cannot provide any assurance that we will be successful. The loss of any of these customers would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations.
If any one or more of our OEM distribution customers elect to reduce or discontinue inclusion of cases “in box”, our results of operations and financial condition would be materially and adversely affected.
The predominant percentage of our OEM distribution revenues is derived from sales of case accessories to our OEM customers who package our cases “in box” with their electronics. During recent years, there have been numerous federal legislative and administrative actions that have affected government programs, including adjustments that have reduced or increased payments to healthcare providers and patients. Any measures to restrict healthcare spending could result in decreased sales of our products. If one or more of our distribution customers reduce or discontinue the practice of including carry case accessories “in box” or if our customers experience reduced demand for their products as a result of political changes, we may incur a significant decline in our revenues and our results of operations and financial condition would be materially and adversely affected.
Rising threats of international tariffs, including tariffs applied to goods between the U.S. and China, may materially and adversely affect our business.
Rising threats of international tariffs, including tariffs applied to goods traded between the U.S. and China, could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations. Since the beginning of 2018, there has been increasing rhetoric, in some cases coupled with legislative or executive action, from several U.S. and foreign leaders regarding the possibility of instituting tariffs on the foreign imports of certain materials and products. More specifically, throughout 2020 and 2019, the U.S. and China imposed tariffs or announced proposed tariffs to be applied in the future to certain of each other’s exports. As of the date of this report, the Company had not been directly affected by any tariffs previously implemented by former President Trump on the medical technology industry which remain in place pending the Biden Administration’s continued review of the tariffs. However, we do not know if the Biden administration will implement any new tariffs or alter current tariffs. If any such tariffs or any restrictions are imposed on products that we import for our customers, we would be required to raise our prices, which may result in the loss of customers and harm our business. Additionally, some of our non-diabetic distribution customers and customers in the design and development business have been affected by these tariffs, specifically those who manufacture electronic products. This may cause these customers to reduce the amount of discretionary spending they use on outsource product design and engineering services supplied by our design segment.
Changes in political conditions in China and changes in the state of China-U.S. relations, including any tensions relating to potential military conflict between China and Taiwan, are difficult to predict and could adversely affect the operations or financial condition of the Company. In addition, because of our involvement in the Chinese market, any deterioration in political or trade relations might cause a public perception in the U.S. or elsewhere that might cause our business to become less attractive. Such an impact could adversely affect our revenues and cash flows. In an effort to reduce the impact of this potential disruption, we continue to explore low-cost opportunities from non-China manufacturers. We can provide no assurance that we will obtain alternate sources or that our mitigation efforts will prevent any such disruptions.
We continue to encounter pressure from our largest customers to maintain or even decrease prices, or to provide lower priced solutions, and expect such pressure to persist. The effects of such price constraints on our business may be exacerbated by inflationary pressures that affect our costs of supply and labor.
During Fiscal 2022, we continued to experience significant pricing pressure from many customers, including some of our largest customers, to reduce the prices we charge them. When we are unable to extract comparable concessions from our suppliers on prices they charge us, our product sales margins erode. The recent inflationary environment in the U.S. and globally has caused production costs to increase in Fiscal 2022. Similarly, due to continued trends of high demand and low supply in the labor market which have persisted despite Federal Reserve interest rate increases, the cost of labor has risen in both our design and distribution businesses. These developments have a material adverse impact on our margins and our ability to achieve or maintain profitability. In addition, competitors may reduce their average selling prices faster than we are able to reduce costs, which can also accelerate the rate of decline of our selling prices.
In addition to margin compression from customers in general, we are encountering increased costs from our Chinese suppliers who are reacting to inflationary increases in materials and labor costs incurred by them. In addition, prices that our Chinese vendors charge to us may reflect appreciation of the Chinese currency against the U.S. dollar, which can be passed through to us in the form of higher U.S. dollar prices. This in turn will tend to reduce gross profit if we are unable to raise our prices. Any decrease in demand for our products or services, coupled with pressure from the market and our customers to decrease our prices, would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Increasingly, our OEM distribution customers are requesting that we enter into supply agreements with them that have restrictive terms and conditions. These agreements typically include provisions that increase our financial exposure, which could result in significant costs to us.
Increasingly, our OEM distribution customers are requesting that we enter into supply agreements with them. These agreements typically do not include volume commitments but do include provisions that generally serve to increase our exposure for product liability and limited sales returns, which could result in higher costs to us as a result of such claims. In addition, these agreements typically contain provisions that seek to limit our operational and pricing flexibility and extend payment terms, which could materially adversely affect our cash flow, business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our distribution business depends on a single exclusive buying agent who, in turn, depends on a limited number of key suppliers.
Our Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and largest shareholder is the owner of Forward China, our exclusive sourcing agent in the Asia Pacific region. We have entered into a Buying Agency and Supply Agreement with Forward China whereby Forward China will act as the Company’s exclusive agent to arrange for sourcing, manufacturing and exporting the Company’s distribution products. Historically, Forward China has relied on a limited number of suppliers to supply the component parts and pieces necessary for the production of our carry and protective solutions products. As a result, our ability to effectively push back against rising material costs may diminish, although historically Forward China has absorbed these costs. In addition, any inability to obtain supplies from a single or limited number of suppliers may result in difficulty obtaining the supplies necessary for our business and may restrict our ability to produce our carry and protective solutions products. Where practical, we intend to establish alternative sources through Forward China to mitigate the risk that the failure of any single supplier will adversely affect our business. Nevertheless, either a prolonged inability to obtain certain components or the failure of one of our suppliers to do so could impair our ability to ship products and generate revenues, which could adversely affect our operating results and damage our customer relationships.
In addition, we depend significantly on Forward China as our exclusive buying agent for substantially all of our component parts. As a result, we have limited visibility as to our supplier base, making it difficult to forecast future events and to plan our operations. In addition, if Forward China fails to satisfactorily perform its obligations, including payment obligations, to our suppliers or its duties to us as our exclusive buying agent as a result of financial or other difficulties or for any other reason, or if our relationship with Forward China was to suffer or we are unable to extend our agreement with Forward China which expires in October 2023, we could suffer irreparable harm resulting in substantial damage to the distribution business.
Our business has benefited from customers deciding to outsource their carry and protective solutions assembly needs, as well as product development and design functions, to us. If our customers choose to provide these services in-house or select other providers, our business could suffer.
Our future revenue growth partially depends on new outsourcing opportunities from our current and prospective customers. Current and prospective customers continuously evaluate our performance against other providers. They also evaluate the potential benefits of developing, designing, manufacturing and transporting their products themselves. To the extent that outsourcing opportunities are not available either due to these customers deciding to develop, design, produce or transport these products themselves or to use other providers, our financial results and future growth could be materially adversely affected.
If we are unable to provide our customers with high-quality products and services or if we are unable to deliver our products and/or services to our customers in a timely manner, our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.
In order to maintain our existing customer base and obtain business from new customers, we must demonstrate our ability to develop, design and produce products and services at the level of quality, responsiveness, timeliness, and cost that our customers require. If our products or services are provided at what customers believe are of a substandard quality, if they are not delivered on time, if we are not responsive to our customers’ demands or cannot meet their needs, our reputation as a reliable supplier of high-quality products and a sophisticated product designer and developer would likely be damaged. If we are unable to meet anticipated product and service standards imposed by contractual arrangements, customer expectations, industry practices, regulatory requirements and competitive forces, we may be unable to obtain new or keep our existing customers, and this would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
If our design teams fail to complete a project in a timely manner, miss a required performance standard, or otherwise fail to adequately perform on a project, then we may incur a loss on that project.
Our design engagements often involve large-scale, complex projects. The quality of our performance on such projects depends in large part upon our ability to manage the relationship with our clients and our ability to effectively manage the project and deploy appropriate resources, including third-party contractors and our own personnel, in a timely manner. We may commit to a client that we will complete a project by a scheduled date and/or at a fixed fee. We may also commit that a project, when completed, will achieve specified performance standards. If the project is not completed by the scheduled date or fails to meet required performance standards, we may incur significant additional costs or be held responsible for the costs incurred by the client to rectify damages due to late completion or failure to achieve the required performance standards. The uncertainty of the timing of a project can present difficulties in planning the amount of personnel needed for the project. If the project is delayed or canceled, we may bear the cost of an underutilized workforce that was dedicated to fulfilling the project. In addition, performance of projects can be affected by a number of factors beyond our control, including unavoidable delays from government inaction, inability to obtain financing, weather conditions, unavailability of vendor materials, changes in the project scope of services requested by our clients, industrial accidents, environmental hazards, and labor disruptions. Furthermore, our entrance into fixed price arrangements mean that if the costs of supplies, labor and other resources rise due to shortages, heightened demand, inflation or other factors, our margin for a given project will decline. To the extent these events occur, the total costs of the project could exceed our estimates, and we could experience reduced profits or, in some cases, incur a loss on a project, which may reduce or eliminate our overall profitability on that project or in general. Further, any defects or errors, or failures to meet our clients’ expectations, could result in claims for damages against us. Failure to meet performance standards or complete performance on a timely basis could also adversely affect our reputation.
Our results of operations could suffer if we are not able to maintain adequate utilization of our workforce.
The cost of providing our design services, including the extent to which we utilize our workforce, affects our profitability. The rate at which we utilize our workforce is affected by a number of factors, including:
· our ability to transition employees from completed projects to new assignments and to hire and assimilate new employees;
· our ability to forecast demand for our services and thereby maintain an appropriate headcount in each of our operating units;
· our ability to engage employees in assignments during natural disasters or pandemics;
· our ability to manage attrition;
· our need to devote time and resources to training, business development, professional development, and other non-chargeable activities; and
· our ability to match the skill sets of our employees to the needs of the marketplace.
If we over-utilize our workforce, our employees may become disengaged, which could impact employee attrition. If we under-utilize our workforce, our profit margin and profitability could suffer.
Employee or agent misconduct, or our failure to comply with anti-bribery and other laws or regulations, could harm our reputation, reduce our revenue and profits, and subject us to criminal and civil enforcement actions.
Misconduct, fraud, non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations, or other improper activities by one of our employees or agents could have a significant negative impact on our business and reputation. Such misconduct could include the failure to comply with various procurement regulations, regulations regarding the protection of confidential information, regulations prohibiting bribery and other foreign corrupt practices, regulations regarding the pricing of labor and other costs in contracts, regulations on lobbying or similar activities, regulations pertaining to the internal controls over financial reporting, environmental laws, and any other applicable laws or regulations. For example, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, and similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to non-U.S. officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Our policies mandate compliance with these regulations and laws, and we take precautions to prevent and detect misconduct. However, since our internal controls are subject to inherent limitations, including human error, it is possible that these controls could be intentionally circumvented or become inadequate because of changed conditions. As a result, we cannot assure that our controls will protect us from reckless or criminal acts committed by our employees or agents. Our failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations or acts of misconduct could subject us to fines and penalties and suspension or debarment from contracting, any or all of which could harm our reputation, reduce our revenue and profits, and subject us to criminal and civil enforcement actions.
If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results. As a result, current and potential stockholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting, which could harm our business and the trading price of our stock.
Effective internal controls over financial reporting are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports. If we cannot maintain effective controls and reliable financial reports, our business and operating results could be harmed. We continue to work on improvements to our internal controls over financial reporting. Any failure to implement and maintain internal controls over our financial reporting or difficulties encountered in the implementation of improvements in our controls, could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. Any failure to improve our internal controls over financial reporting or to address identified weaknesses in the future, if they were to occur, could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative impact on the trading price of our stock.
Our results of operations are subject to the risks of fluctuations in the values of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar.
Our results of operations are expressed in U.S. dollars. When the U.S. dollar appreciates or depreciates in value against a currency in which all or a significant portion of revenues or other accounts receivable are denominated, such as the Euro, our results of operations can be adversely affected or benefited, respectively. The degree of impact is proportional to the amount of foreign currency expense or revenue, as the case may be, and the fluctuations in exchange rates over the period in which the effect is measured on our financial statements. In addition, such currency fluctuations may affect the comparability of our results of operations between financial periods.
Future revenues are difficult to predict and are likely to show significant variability as a consequence of customer concentration and operating in multiple segments.
Because our revenues can at times be concentrated in a few large customers, and because the volumes of these customers’ order flows to us can fluctuate markedly in a short period of time, our quarterly revenues, and consequently our results of operations, may be highly variable and subject to significant changes over a relatively short period of time. Our largest OEM distribution customers may keep consumer products with which our carry solutions are packaged “in-box” in active promotion for many months, or for a very short period of time, depending on various factors, including sales trends for the product, product development cycles, new product introductions, and our customers' competitors' product offerings. As demand for the consumer product relating to the in-box program matures and decreases, we may be forced to accept significant price and/or volume reductions in customer orders for our carry solutions, which will adversely affect revenues. Additionally, our large design and development customers may have their budgets limited from many factors including economic declines (resulting from a pandemic or any other reason) causing discretionary budgets to decline or may from-time-to-time choose to do their development work in-house. Further, in our design and development business customers may decline to use us for future work after a project is completed, which may be due to lack of continued need for our services after their product has been developed, produced and marketed or because they are dissatisfied with our pricing or performance. All of these factors tend to lead to a high degree of variability in our quarterly revenue levels. Significant, rapid shifts in our operating results may occur if and when one or more of these customers increases or decreases the size(s) of, or eliminates, their orders or engagement from us by amounts that are material to our business.
Our gross margins, and therefore our potential profitability, vary considerably by customer and by product and service offering, and if the revenue contribution from one or more customers or products or project changes materially, relative to total revenues, our gross profit percentage may fluctuate.
Our gross profit margins on the products and services we sell can vary widely depending on the product or project type, customer, and contract or order size. Because of the broad variability in price ranges and product and project types, we anticipate that gross margins, and accordingly their impact on operating income or loss, may fluctuate depending on the relative revenue contribution from each customer or product. Similarly, because we offer a wide range of products and services which often vary with each customer and project, we face challenges in maintaining and enhancing operational efficiencies. For example, because of the range of products and services we offer and our general lack of specializations within our fields relative to some of our competitors, we may not enjoy the advantages offered by more focused or streamlined operations, such as economies of scale or improved production capabilities from our labor, facilities, and procedures with the passage of time. If our gross margins decrease, our results of operations will be adversely affected.
Product manufacture is often outsourced by our distribution customers to contract manufacturing firms in China and in these cases, it is the contract manufacturer to which we must look for payment.
Contract manufacturing firms are performing manufacturing, assembly, and product packaging functions, including the bundling of our product accessories with the OEM distribution customer's product. As a consequence of this business practice, we often sell our carry solutions products directly to the contract manufacturing firm. This is particularly significant in the case of diabetic product sales to certain customers. In these cases, we invoice the contract manufacturing firm and not the OEM distribution customer. Therefore, it is the contract manufacturing firm to which we must look for payment in such cases and not our OEM distribution customer. If we fail to receive payment from the contract manufacturer, our ability to be paid for products already delivered would be limited. In such event, our results of operations and cash flows will be adversely affected.
Our dependence on foreign manufacturers creates quality control and other risks to our business. From time to time, we may experience certain quality control, on-time delivery, cost, or other issues that may jeopardize customer relationships.
Our reliance on foreign suppliers, manufacturers and other contractors involves significant risks, including risk of product quality issues and reduced control over quality assurance, manufacturing yields and costs, pricing, timely delivery schedules, the potential lack of adequate manufacturing capacity and availability of product, the lack of capital and potential misappropriation of our designs. In any such event, our reputation and our business will be harmed.
Our shipments of products may become subject to delays or cancellation due to work stoppages or slowdowns, piracy, damage to port facilities, and congestion due to inadequacy of port terminal equipment and other causes.
To the extent that there are disruptions or delays in loading container cargo in ports of origin or off-loading cargo at ports of destination as a result of labor disputes, work-rules related slowdowns, tariff or World Trade Organization-related disputes, piracy, physical damage to port terminal facilities or equipment caused by severe weather or terrorist incidents, congestion in port terminal facilities, inadequate equipment to load, dock and offload container vessels or energy-related tie-ups or otherwise, or for other reasons, product shipments to our customers will be delayed. For example, in March 2021, a container ship carrying some of our products ran aground in the Suez Canal and was immobilized for six days. Although this accident did not have a material adverse effect on our business, there is no assurance that, if it happened again, that it would not. In any such case, our customers may cancel or change the terms of its purchase order, resulting in a cancellation or delay of payments to us. A closure or partial closure of port facilities or other causes of delays in the loading, importation, offloading or movement of our products to the shipping destination agreed to with our customer could result in increased expenses, as we try to avoid such delays, delayed shipments or cancelled orders, or all of the above. Depending on the severity of such consequences, this may have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Issues with our products or services may lead to product liability, personal injury or property damage claims, recalls, withdrawals, replacements of products, or regulatory actions by governmental authorities that could divert resources, affect business operations, decrease sales, increase costs, and put us at a competitive disadvantage, any of which could have a significant adverse effect on our financial condition.
We may experience issues with products that we source or develop, or with the services we render, that may lead to product liability, personal injury or property damage claims, recalls, withdrawals, replacements of products, or regulatory actions by governmental authorities. Any of these activities could result in increased governmental scrutiny, harm to our reputation, reduced demand by consumers for products or services, decreased willingness by retailer customers to purchase our products or procure our services, absence or increased cost of insurance, or additional safety and testing requirements. Such results could divert development and management resources, adversely affect our business operations, decrease sales, increase legal fees and other costs, and put us at a competitive disadvantage compared to other companies not affected by similar issues with products and services, any of which could have a significant adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Although the Company carries product liability insurance and works with its customers to satisfy product quality concerns (the cost of such efforts are typically covered by our sourcing agent, Forward China) we can provide no assurance that customers will not seek damages beyond what we warranty or beyond our insurance coverage. Although we have not had significant claims for damages or losses from the products we distribute in our distribution business or assist in the development, design or production of in our design business, any uninsured claim, if successful and of significant magnitude, could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations or financial condition.
The product distribution and design businesses are highly competitive and do not pose significant barriers to entry.
There are many competitors in the sale of carry solutions products to our customers including OEMs, and competition is intense. Since little or no significant proprietary technology is involved in the design, production or distribution of the types of products we sell, others may enter the business with relative ease and compete against us. Such competition may result in the diminution of our market share or the loss of one or more major customers, thereby adversely affecting our net revenues, results of operations, and financial condition. Further, with respect to our design business, while management believes there are a limited number of customers offering the broad range of design and development services we do, there are numerous design and engineering companies that compete with us in specific industries and/or with specific targeted skills or competitive advantages, and some prospective customers might prefer a competitor that focuses in a specialty area in which they operate or target over an offering such as ours that is not limited to any specific industry or product type.
Many of our competitors are larger, better capitalized and more diversified than we are and may be better able to withstand a downturn in the general economy or in the product areas in which we specialize. Potential customers may prefer the pricing terms offered by competitors. These competitors may also have less sales concentration than we do and be better able to withstand the loss of a key customer or diminution in its orders. If we are not effectively able to compete, our results of operations will be adversely affected.
If we fail to retain our key personnel, we may not be able to achieve our anticipated level of growth and our business could suffer.
Our future depends, in part, on our ability to attract and retain key sales personnel and the continued contribution of our executive officers including Terence Wise, our Chief Executive Officer, who would be difficult to replace. Our design and development business is highly labor intensive and, therefore, our ability to attract and retain professional and technical staff is an important factor in our future success. The market for qualified engineers is competitive and, from time to time, it may be difficult to attract and retain qualified individuals with the required expertise within the timeframe demanded by our clients. The loss of the services of any of our key personnel and the process to replace any key personnel would involve significant time and expense and may significantly delay or prevent the achievement of our business objectives.
If a third party asserts that we are infringing on its intellectual property, whether successful or not, it could subject us to costly and time-consuming litigation or require us to obtain expensive licenses, and our business may be adversely affected.
Third party lawsuits alleging our infringement of patents, trade secrets or other intellectual property rights could cause us to do one or more of the following:
· stop using technology that contains the allegedly infringing intellectual property;
· incur significant legal expenses;
· cause our management to divert substantial time to our defenses;
· pay substantial damages to the party whose intellectual property rights we may be found to be infringing;
· indemnify customers; or
· attempt to obtain a license to the relevant intellectual property from third parties, which may not be available to us on reasonable terms or at all.
Third party lawsuits alleging our infringement of patents, trade secrets or other intellectual property rights could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition to our products, potential adverse developments involving intellectual property described above may occur with respect to customers’ products incorporating our products or services that we render.
If we experience system interruptions, it may cause us to lose customers and may harm our business.
Our inability to maintain and improve our information technology systems and infrastructure may result in system interruptions. System interruptions and slow delivery times, unreliable service levels, prolonged or frequent service outages, or insufficient capacity may prevent us from efficiently providing services to our customers on our website, which could result in our losing customers and revenue.
We lease space for our data center for power, security, connectivity and other services. We also rely on third-party providers for bandwidth. We do not control these vendors and it would take significant time and effort to replace them. We have experienced, and may experience in the future, website disruptions, outages and other performance problems due to a variety of factors, including infrastructure changes, human or software errors and capacity constraints.
Our systems are vulnerable to damage or interruption from terrorist attacks, floods, fires, power loss, telecommunications failures, hurricanes, computer viruses, computer denial of service attacks or other attempts to harm our systems. Any such damage or interruption would adversely affect our results of operations.
Because our networks and IT systems may be vulnerable to unauthorized persons hacking our systems, it could disrupt our operations and result in the theft of our proprietary information.
A party who is able to breach the security measures on our networks could misappropriate either our or our customers’ proprietary information, or cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations. Hacking of companies’ infrastructure is a growing problem. Although we believe our systems and engineering team have the capability of protecting the Company from any such hacking, we can provide you with no such assurance. If we grow and obtain more visibility, we may be more vulnerable to hacking. We may be required to expend significant capital and other resources to protect against such threats or to alleviate problems caused by breaches in security, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial performance and operating results.
Our design business uses software that is highly technical, and undetected errors, if any, could adversely affect our business.
Our design business may use software that is highly technical and complex. Our software has contained, and may now or in the future contain, undetected errors, bugs, flaws, corrupted data or vulnerabilities. Some errors in our software code may only be discovered after the code has been released. Any errors, bugs, flaws or corrupted data could result in damage to our reputation, loss of users, or loss of revenue, any of which could adversely affect our business and financial results.
We maintain cash balances in our bank accounts that exceed the FDIC insurance limitation.
We maintain our cash assets at commercial banks in the U.S. in amounts in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance limit of $250,000 and in Europe in amounts that may exceed any applicable deposit insurance limits. In the event of a failure at a commercial bank where we maintain our deposits or uninsured losses on money market or other cash equivalents in which we maintain cash balances, we may incur a loss to the extent such loss exceeds the insurance limitation, which could have a material adverse effect upon our financial conditions and our results of operations.
Our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer is a significant shareholder, which makes it possible for him to have significant influence over the outcome of all matters submitted to our shareholders for approval and which influence may be alleged to conflict with our interests and the interests of our other shareholders.
Terence Wise, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, is a significant shareholder who beneficially owns approximately 18% of the outstanding shares of our common stock as of December 9, 2022. Mr. Wise has substantial influence over the outcome of all matters submitted to our shareholders for approval, including the election of our directors and other corporate actions. This influence may be alleged to conflict with our interests and the interests of our other shareholders. In addition, such influence by Mr. Wise could have the effect of discouraging potential business partners or create actual or perceived governance instabilities that could adversely affect the price of our common stock.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
Due to factors beyond our control, our stock price may be volatile.
Any of the following factors could affect the market price of our common stock:
· Our failure to increase revenue in each succeeding quarter and achieve and thereafter maintain profitability;
· Our failure to meet our revenue and earnings guidance or our failure to meet financial analysts’ performance expectations;
· The loss of Forward China as our agent;
· Cybersecurity breaches;
· The loss of customers or our failure to attract more customers;
· Creditworthiness and solvency of clients;
· Loss of key employees;
· The sale of a large amount of common stock by our shareholders;
· Our announcement of a pending or completed acquisition or our failure to complete a proposed acquisition;
· An adverse court ruling or regulatory action;
· Changes in regulatory practices, including tariffs and taxes;
· Changes in market valuations of similar companies;
· Short selling activities;
· Our announcement of any financing or a change in the direction of our business;
· Announcements by us, or our competitors, of significant contracts, acquisitions, commercial relationships, joint ventures or capital commitments; or
· Other forces outside of our control such as inflation, Federal Reserve interest rate increases and the recessionary environment it could bring, geopolitical turmoil such as the recent Ukraine war, and other developments that could adversely impact the U.S. and global economies and erode investor sentiment.
In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted. A securities class action suit against us could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s time and attention, which would otherwise be used to benefit our business.
Failure to meet the continued listing requirements of Nasdaq, could result in delisting of our common stock, which in its turn would negatively affect the price of our common stock and limit investors’ ability to trade in our common stock.
Our common stock trades on Nasdaq. Nasdaq rules impose certain continued listing requirements, including the minimum $1 bid price, corporate governance standards and number of public stockholders. At December 9, 2022, our closing price was $1.25. If we fail to meet these continued listing requirements, Nasdaq may take steps to delist our common stock. If our common stock is delisted from The Nasdaq Capital Market, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
· a limited availability of market quotations for our common stock;
· reduced liquidity with respect to our common stock;
· a determination that our shares of common stock are a “penny stock” which will require broker-dealers trading in our common stock to adhere to more stringent rules, possibly resulting in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our common stock;
· a limited amount of news and analyst coverage for our company; and
· a limited ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
If we become subject to a regulatory investigation, it could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices in a manner materially adverse to our business.
From time to time, we may receive inquiries from regulators regarding our compliance with laws and other matters. In 2019, we incurred significant expenses responding to an SEC investigation into potential insider trading by certain insiders of the Company. Although that investigation has concluded, responding to, or defending other such actions would cause us to continue to incur substantial expenses and divert our management’s attention.
Violation of existing or future regulatory orders or consent decrees could subject us to substantial monetary fines and other penalties that could negatively affect our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, it is possible that future orders issued by, or enforcement actions initiated by, regulatory authorities could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices in a manner materially adverse to our business.
We do not expect to pay dividends in the future, which means that investors may not be able to realize the value of their shares except through a sale.
We do not anticipate that we will declare or pay a cash dividend. We expect to retain future earnings, if any, for our business and do not anticipate paying dividends on common stock at any time in the foreseeable future. Because we do not anticipate paying dividends in the future, the only opportunity for our shareholders to realize the creation of value in our common stock will likely be through a sale of those shares.

---

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Not Applicable.

---

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
We lease all properties where our business is operated. We believe that these properties are adequate for the purposes for which they are used. All leases are with unaffiliated third parties. We believe that the loss of any lease would not have a material adverse effect on our operations, as we believe that we could identify and lease comparable facilities upon approximately equivalent terms. The following properties which are material to the Company’s business are described below:
We lease 14,000 square feet in Hauppauge, New York for our executive offices and IPS, which we rent under a lease agreement scheduled to expire in 2027. The lease has annual escalations and rent payments were approximately $30,000 per month during Fiscal 2022.
We lease 11,000 square feet in Coon Rapids, Minnesota for Kablooe, which we rent under a lease agreement scheduled to expire in June 2026. The lease has annual escalations and rent payments were approximately $10,000 per month during Fiscal 2022.

---

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
From time to time, the Company may become a party to legal actions or proceedings in the ordinary course of its business. As of September 30, 2022, there were no such actions or proceedings, either individually or in the aggregate, that, if decided adversely to the Company’s interests, the Company believes would be material to its business.

---

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 SHAREHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market for Common Stock
The principal market for our common stock is Nasdaq. Our common stock is traded under the symbol “FORD”.
On December 9, 2022, the closing price for our common stock was $1.25.
Holders of Common Stock
At November 30, 2022, there were approximately 70 holders of record of our common stock. Because many of our shares of common stock are held by brokers and other institutions on behalf of stockholders, we are unable to estimate the total number of stockholders represented by these record holders.
Dividends
We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock since 1987 and do not plan to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future. The payment of dividends in the future, if any, will depend upon our results of operations, as well as our short-term and long-term cash availability, net working capital, working capital needs, and other factors, as determined by our Board of Directors. Currently, except as may be provided by applicable laws, there are no contractual or other restrictions on our ability to pay dividends if we were to decide to declare and pay them.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
None.

---

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
ITEM 6. RESERVED
Not applicable.

---

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this report on Form 10-K. The following discussion and analysis compares our results of operations for the year ended September 30, 2022 (“Fiscal 2022”) with those for the year ended September 30, 2021 (“Fiscal 2021”). All dollar amounts and percentages presented herein have been rounded to approximate values. In addition to historical information, this discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including but not limited to those set forth under “Risk Factors.”
Cautionary statement regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This report includes “forward-looking statements”, as such term is used within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, among other things, statements regarding our liquidity, plans on repaying outstanding debt obligations, expectations regarding the effect of the pandemic and inflation on our business, as well as other statements regarding our future operations, financial condition and prospects, and business strategies. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by words such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "projects," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and in particular, the risks discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in Item 1A of this report and those discussed in other documents we file with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.
Business Overview
Forward Industries, Inc. is a global design, manufacturing, sourcing and distribution group serving top tier medical and technology customers worldwide. As a result of the continued expansion of our design development capabilities through our wholly-owned subsidiaries, IPS and Kablooe, the Company is now able to introduce proprietary products to the market from concepts brought to it from a number of different sources, both inside and outside the Company.
Our design division provides hardware and software product design and engineering services to customers predominantly located in the U.S. Our OEM distribution division sources and sells carrying cases and other accessories for medical monitoring and diagnostic kits as well as a variety of other portable electronic and non-electronic devices to OEMs, or their contract manufacturers worldwide, that either package our products as accessories “in box” together with their branded product offerings or sell them through their retail distribution channels. Our retail distribution division sources and sells smart-enabled furniture, hot tubs and various other products through various online retailer websites to customers predominantly located in the U.S.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to impact the retail and OEM distribution segments of our business. The increase in global consumer demand, coupled with the global shipping container shortage, dramatically increased demand for both ocean freight and ground transportation. These factors led to a significant increase in freight costs, particularly from the Asia-Pacific region and most notably in Fiscal 2022. Labor shortages at U.S. ports and in ground transportation services caused container ships to spend a significant amount of time waiting for goods to be unloaded and to arrive at our warehouses. These factors caused an increase in the demand for and cost of ground transportation and delayed consumer availability for many of our products in Fiscal 2022. The timing and extent of these COVID-19 related transportation disruptions are still largely unknown but are expected to continue into Fiscal 2023.
The effects of the pandemic had a lesser impact on the design segment of our business. Rising inflation caused an increase in the cost of acquiring and retaining our employees, particularly in the second half of Fiscal 2022. The timing and extent of future inflation is difficult to predict, but we expect these rising costs to continue into Fiscal 2023.
The effects of COVID-19 may further impact our business in ways we cannot predict, and such impacts could be significant. The current economic conditions may continue to negatively impact our results of operations, cash flows and financial position in future periods as well as that of our customers, including their ability to pay for our products and services and to choose to allocate their budgets to new or existing projects which may or may not require our products and services. The long-term financial impact on our business cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. As a result, the effects of COVID-19 may not be fully reflected in our financial results until future periods.
Until the effects of the pandemic have fully receded, we expect business conditions to remain challenging. In response to these challenges, we will continue to focus on those factors that we can control: closely managing and controlling our expenses and inventory levels; aligning our design and development schedules with demand in a proactive manner to minimize our cash operating costs; pursuing further improvements in the productivity and effectiveness of our development, selling and administrative activities and, where appropriate, taking advantage of opportunities to enhance our business growth and strategy.
Additionally, see Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors” for a description of the material risks we currently face in connection with COVID-19.
Variability of Revenues and Results of Operations
A significant portion of our revenue is concentrated with several large customers, some of which are the same and some of which change over time. Orders from some of these customers can be highly variable, with short lead times, which can cause our quarterly revenues, and consequently our results of operations, to vary over a relatively short period of time.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
We have identified the accounting policies and significant estimation processes below as critical to our business operations and the understanding of our results of operations. The discussion below is not intended to be comprehensive. In many cases, the accounting treatment of a particular transaction is specifically dictated by U.S. GAAP, with no need for management’s judgment. In other cases, management is required to exercise judgment in the application of accounting principles with respect to particular transactions. The impact and any associated risks related to these policies on our business operations are discussed throughout this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” where such policies affect reported and expected financial results. For a detailed discussion of the applications of these and other accounting policies, see “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in this report. The preparation of our consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ from those estimates and such differences could be significant.
Revenue Recognition
OEM Distribution Segment
The OEM distribution segment recognizes revenue when finished goods are shipped to its customers (in general, these conditions occur at either point of shipment or point of destination, depending on the terms of sale and transfer of control); (ii) there are no other deliverables or performance obligations; and (iii) there are no further obligations to the customer after the title of the goods has transferred. If the Company receives consideration before achieving the criteria previously mentioned, it records a contract liability, which is classified as a component of deferred income in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
Retail Distribution Segment
The retail distribution segment sells products primarily through online websites operated by authorized third-party retailers. Revenue is recognized when control, as defined in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”, of the related goods is transferred to the retailer, which generally occurs upon shipment to the end customer. Other than product delivery, the retail distribution segment does not typically have other deliverables or performance obligations associated with its products. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration expected to be received in exchange for the products provided, net of allowances taken by retailers for product returns and any taxes collected from customers that will be remitted to governmental authorities. When the Company receives consideration before achieving the criteria previously mentioned, it records a contract liability, which is classified as a component of deferred income in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
Design Segment
The design segment applies the “cost to cost” and “right to invoice” methods of revenue recognition to its contracts with customers. The design segment typically engages in two types of contracts: (i) time and material and (ii) fixed price. The Company recognizes revenue over time on its time and material contracts utilizing a “right to invoice” method. Revenues from fixed price contracts that require performance of services that are not related to the production of tangible assets are recognized by using cost inputs to measure progress toward the completion of its performance obligations, or the “cost to cost” method. Revenues from fixed price contracts that contain specific deliverables are recognized when the performance obligation has been satisfied or the transfer of goods to the customer has been completed and accepted.
Recognized revenues that will not be billed until a later date, or contract assets, are recorded as an asset and classified as a component of accounts receivable in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Contracts where collections to date have exceeded recognized revenues, or contract liabilities, are recorded as a liability and classified as a component of deferred income in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
Segment Reporting
We have three reportable segments: OEM distribution, retail distribution and design. The OEM distribution segment sources and distributes carrying cases and other accessories for medical monitoring and diagnostic kits and a variety of other portable electronic and non-electronic devices directly to OEMs or their contract manufacturers worldwide. The retail distribution segment sources and sells smart-enabled furniture, hot tubs and a variety of other products through various online retailer websites to customers predominantly located in the U.S. The design segment consists of two operating segments (IPS and Kablooe, which have been aggregated into one reportable segment) that provide a full spectrum of hardware and software product design and engineering services to customers predominantly located in the U.S.
Our chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) regularly reviews revenue and operating income for each segment to assess financial results and allocate resources. For our OEM and retail distribution segments, we exclude general and administrative and general corporate expenses from their measure of profitability as these expenses are not allocated to the segments and therefore not included in the measure of profitability used by the CODM. For the design segment, general and administrative expenses directly attributable to that segment are included in its measure of profitability as these expenses are included in the measure of its profitability reviewed by the CODM. We do not include intercompany activity in our segment results to be consistent with the information that is presented to the CODM. Segment assets consist of accounts receivable and inventory, which are regularly reviewed by the CODM, as well as goodwill and intangible assets resulting from design segment acquisitions (see Note 15 to the consolidated financial statements).
Inventory Valuation
Inventories consist primarily of finished goods and are stated at the lower of cost (determined by the first-in, first-out method) or net realizable value. Based on management’s estimates, an allowance is made to reduce excess, obsolete, or otherwise unsellable inventories to net realizable value. The allowance is established through charges to cost of sales in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. In determining the adequacy of the allowance, management’s estimates are based upon several factors, including analyses of inventory levels, historical loss trends, sales history and projections of future sales demand. The Company’s estimates of the allowance may change from time to time based on management’s assessments, and such changes could be material.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets
We review goodwill for impairment at least annually, or more often if triggering events occur. We have two reporting units with goodwill (the IPS and Kablooe operating segments) and we perform our annual goodwill impairment test on September 30, the end of the fiscal year, or upon the occurrence of a triggering event. We have the option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine if an impairment is more likely than not to have occurred. If we can support the conclusion that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then we would not need to perform a quantitative impairment test for the reporting unit. If we cannot support such a conclusion or do not elect to perform the qualitative assessment, then we will perform the quantitative impairment test by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, no impairment charge is recognized. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, an impairment charge will be recognized for the amount by which the reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value. A significant amount of judgment is required in performing goodwill impairment tests including estimating the fair value of a reporting unit. There were no indications of goodwill impairment in Fiscal 2022 or Fiscal 2021.
Our intangible assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. In assessing the recoverability of our intangible assets, we must make estimates and assumptions regarding future cash flows and other factors to determine the fair value of the respective assets. These estimates and assumptions could have a significant impact on whether an impairment charge is recognized and the magnitude of any such charge. Fair value estimates are made at a specific point in time, based on relevant information. These estimates are subjective in nature and involve uncertainties and matters of significant judgments and therefore cannot be determined with precision. Changes in assumptions could significantly affect the estimates. If these estimates or material related assumptions change in the future, we may be required to record impairment charges related to our intangible assets. There were no indications of impairment of intangible assets in Fiscal 2022 or 2021.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In November 2019, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2019-11, “Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses.” ASU 2019-11 is an accounting pronouncement that provides clarity to and amends earlier guidance on this topic and would be effective concurrently with the adoption of such earlier guidance. This pronouncement is effective for us for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022 and interim periods within those fiscal years. We are currently evaluating the effects of this pronouncement on our consolidated financial statements.
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12 “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes.” This guidance removes certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740 and provides consistent application of U.S. GAAP by clarifying and amending existing guidance. The effective date of the new guidance for public companies is for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020 and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. We adopted this guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2022 with no material impact to our consolidated financial statements.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS FOR FISCAL 2022 COMPARED TO FISCAL 2021
Consolidated Results
The table below summarizes our consolidated results of operations for Fiscal 2022 as compared to Fiscal 2021:
Consolidated Results of Operations
Fiscal 2022 Fiscal 2021 Change ($) Change (%)
Net revenues $ 42,337,000 $ 39,022,000 $ 3,315,000 8.5%
Cost of sales 33,969,000 30,888,000 3,081,000 10.0%
Gross profit 8,368,000 8,134,000 234,000 2.9%
Sales and marketing expenses 2,855,000 2,503,000 352,000 14.1%
General and administrative expenses 6,753,000 6,396,000 357,000 5.6%
Loss from operations (1,240,000 ) (765,000 ) (475,000 ) 62.1%
Other expense/(income), net 135,000 (1,289,000 ) 1,424,000 (110.5% )
Income tax provision 3,000 - 3,000 -
Consolidated net (loss)/income $ (1,378,000 ) $ 524,000 $ (1,902,000 ) (363.0% )
The increase in net revenues in Fiscal 2022 was primarily driven by revenue growth in the design segment and to a lesser extent, revenue growth in the retail segment, which was partially offset by a decline in revenue in the OEM distribution segment.
Gross profit increased $234,000, but gross margin declined from 20.8% in Fiscal 2021 to 19.8% in Fiscal 2022. Better utilization and higher billing rates in the design segment were mostly offset by higher importation and logistics costs, which drove OEM and retail distribution margins down. Due to inflation and the continued uncertainty surrounding supply chain stability, management believes there will be continued volatility in OEM and retail distribution cost of sales in Fiscal 2023.
Sales and marketing expenses increased due to higher advertising and promotional costs, primarily in the retail segment. Sales and marketing expenses as a percentage of revenue increased from 6.4% in Fiscal 2021 to 6.7% in Fiscal 2022. If revenues from the retail segment grow to comprise a larger portion of the overall business, management expects sales and marketing costs, both in total and as a percentage of revenue, to increase in future periods.
General and administrative expenses increased in Fiscal 2022, primarily related to an increase in payroll costs and non-employee board members’ cash and equity compensation due to the cost cutting measures taken in Fiscal 2021 which were not implemented in Fiscal 2022. These increases were partially offset by lower bad debt expense. Management continues to monitor the various components of general and administrative expenses and how these costs are affected by inflationary and other factors. We intend to adjust these costs as needed based on the overall needs of the business.
We reported other expense of $135,000 in Fiscal 2022 as compared to other income of $1,289,000 in Fiscal 2021. The variance is primarily due to the $1,357,000 forgiveness of note payable related to the Paycheck Protection Program loan (“PPP loan”) and to a lesser extent, driven by a decrease in interest income on a note receivable from a customer which was fully reserved for in Fiscal 2019.
In Fiscal 2022, we recorded a tax provision of $3,000, generated a loss before income taxes of $1,376,000 and had an effective tax rate of (0.2%). In Fiscal 2021, we recorded no tax provision or benefit, and we generated income before income taxes of $524,000, primarily resulting from the $1,357,000 forgiveness of note payable related to the PPP loan. The forgiveness of the PPP loan was not recognized as taxable income per the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”). We maintain significant net operating loss carryforwards and do not recognize a significant income tax provision or benefit as our deferred tax provision is typically offset by maintaining a full valuation allowance on our net deferred tax assets.
Consolidated basic and diluted earnings/(loss) per share was $(0.14) and $0.05 for Fiscal 2022 and Fiscal 2021, respectively.
Segment Results
The discussion that follows below provides further details about the results of operations for each segment as compared to the prior year.
Segment Results of Operations
OEM Distribution Retail Distribution Design Corporate Expenses Consolidated
Fiscal 2022 revenues $ 18,036,000 $ 4,130,000 $ 20,171,000 $ - $ 42,337,000
Fiscal 2021 revenues 19,290,000 3,183,000 16,549,000 - 39,022,000
Change $ (1,254,000 ) $ 947,000 $ 3,622,000 $ - $ 3,315,000
Fiscal 2022 operating income/(loss) $ 905,000 $ (1,809,000 ) $ 2,148,000 $ (2,484,000 ) $ (1,240,000 )
Fiscal 2021 operating income/(loss) 1,479,000 (779,000 ) 603,000 (2,068,000 ) (765,000 )
Change $ (574,000 ) $ (1,030,000 ) $ 1,545,000 $ (416,000 ) $ (475,000 )
OEM Distribution
Net revenues in the OEM distribution segment declined due to reduced revenues in the sale of diabetic products and, to a lesser extent, a decline in other OEM product revenue. Revenues from diabetic products declined $1,185,000 and revenues from other products declined $69,000. As consumer demand increases for diabetic testing products which require no carrying case, we expect diabetic product sales to represent a smaller portion of our OEM distribution revenue.
The following tables set forth revenues by product line of our OEM distribution segment customers for the periods indicated:
OEM Revenues by Product Line
Fiscal 2022 Fiscal 2021 Change ($) Change (%)
Diabetic products $ 15,403,000 $ 16,588,000 $ (1,185,000 ) (7.1% )
Other products 2,633,000 2,702,000 (69,000 ) (2.6% )
Total net revenues $ 18,036,000 $ 19,290,000 $ (1,254,000 ) (6.5% )
Diabetic Product Revenues
Our OEM distribution segment sources to the order of, and sells carrying cases for, blood glucose diagnostic kits directly to OEMs (or their contract manufacturers). The OEM customer or its contract manufacturer packages our carry cases “in box” as a custom accessory for the OEM’s blood glucose testing and monitoring kits or, to a lesser extent, sells them through their retail distribution channels.
Revenues from diabetic products declined due to lower revenues from all major diabetic customers due to a reduction in the volume of orders from most major diabetic customers. An increase in competition and continued pricing pressures, driven by inflation and in some cases a transition to lower cost carrying cases, drove diabetic revenues down further. These declines were partially offset by a net increase in revenue from other diabetic customers which were less significant. As mentioned above, management believes that revenues from diabetic customers will continue to decline.
Revenues from diabetic products represented 85% of net revenues for the OEM distribution segment in Fiscal 2022 compared to 86% in Fiscal 2021.
Other Product Revenues
Our OEM distribution segment sources and sells cases and protective solutions for a diverse array of portable electronic and non-electronic products (such as sporting and recreational products, bar code scanners, GPS devices, tablets and firearms) on a made-to-order basis that are customized to fit the products sold by our OEM customers.
Revenues from other products decreased due to a decrease in sales volume from certain existing customers, which was offset by increases in business from other customers. We will continue to focus on our sales and sales support teams in our attempt to expand and diversify our other products customer base.
Operating Income
Operating income for the OEM distribution segment declined and operating income margin declined to 5.0% in Fiscal 2022, compared to 7.7% in Fiscal 2021, primarily due to rising material and importation costs and continued pricing pressure from our major diabetic customers. The cost of importing all products from China has increased and both the diabetic and other OEM product lines have experienced pricing pressures from customers, resulting in a decrease in gross margin as compared to the prior year. The decline in gross margin was partially mitigated by lower selling and marketing costs related to OEM sales commissions. We continue to work on expanding our product offerings to include higher margin products and enhancing our sales efforts to grow revenue and increase gross profit.
Retail Distribution Segment
Net revenues increased in Fiscal 2022 due to an increase in sales volume on certain products with two retailers. As the cost of products increases and inflation continues to reduce consumer spending, profitability becomes more challenging in the retail segment. We plan to focus our sales and sales support teams on efforts to match our product offerings with consumer demand, strategically increase the volume of revenue from more profitable products and expand these product offerings through additional retailer websites.
The rising cost of freight, storage and other logistics services outpaced the increase in revenue, which, when coupled with additional expense associated with increases in other inventory related costs, led to a decrease in gross profit from Fiscal 2021 to Fiscal 2022. This was further exacerbated by higher sales and marketing expenses related to sales commissions, and advertising and promotional expenses necessary to support the growth in revenue, which increased the operating loss margin from 24.5% in Fiscal 2021 to 43.8% in Fiscal 2022.
Design Segment
The increase in net revenues was driven by new customers and an increase in projects from certain existing customers, which was partially offset by declines in revenues from certain prior year customers.
Operating income increased and operating income margin improved from 3.6% in Fiscal 2021 to 10.6% in Fiscal 2022. The increase in gross profit, driven by higher revenue and better utilization and billing rates, was further enhanced by a decrease in general and administrative expenses primarily due to a reduction in bad debt expense, partially offset by higher payroll costs.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Our primary source of liquidity is our operations. The primary demand on our working capital has historically been (i) operating losses, (ii) repayment of debt obligations, and (iii) any increases in accounts receivable and inventories arising in the ordinary course of business. Historically, our sources of liquidity have been adequate to satisfy working capital requirements arising in the ordinary course of business. At September 30, 2022, our working capital was $4,362,000 compared to $5,587,000 at September 30, 2021, the decrease primarily due to higher payables and accrued expenses, partially offset by higher inventory levels. At November 30, 2022, we had approximately $3,200,000 cash on hand and $1,300,000 available under our line of credit with a bank which matures May 31, 2023.
Forward China, our largest vendor and an entity owned by our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, holds a $1,600,000 promissory note (the “FC Note”) issued by us which matures on December 31, 2024 (see Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements). The balance of the FC Note was reduced to $1,400,000 after we made principal payments of $200,000 in Fiscal 2022. Although the FC Note has been extended on multiple occasions to assist us with our liquidity position, we plan on funding the repayment at maturity using existing cash balances and/or obtaining an additional credit facility as deemed necessary. Additionally, Forward China has extended payment terms on our outstanding payables due to them when necessary. We can provide no assurance that (i) Forward China will extend the FC Note again if we request an extension, (ii) Forward China will continue to extend payment terms on outstanding payables when we need them, or (iii) any additional credit facility will be available on terms acceptable to us or at all.
We anticipate that our liquidity and financial resources for the 12 months following the date of this report will be adequate to manage our operating and financial requirements. If we have the opportunity to make a strategic acquisition (as we have in the past with the acquisitions of IPS and Kablooe) or an investment in a product or partnership, we may require additional capital beyond our current cash balance to fund the opportunity. If we seek to raise additional capital, there is no assurance that we will be able to raise funds on terms that are acceptable to us or at all. In the current environment of rising interest rates, any future borrowing is expected to result in higher interest expense.
Although we do not anticipate the need to purchase any additional material capital assets in order to carry out our business, it may be necessary for us to purchase equipment and other capital assets in the future, depending on need.
Cash Flows
During Fiscal 2022 and Fiscal 2021, our sources and uses of cash were as follows:
Operating Activities
During Fiscal 2022, cash provided by operating activities of $1,535,000 resulted from an increase in accounts payable and amounts due to Forward China of $1,856,000, a decrease in accounts receivable of $953,000, non-cash charges for depreciation, amortization, share-based compensation and bad debt expense of $775,000, an increase in accrued expenses of $624,000 and the net change in other operating assets and liabilities of $443,000, partially offset by the net loss of $1,378,000 and an increase in inventories of $1,738,000.
During Fiscal 2021, cash used in operating activities of $528,000 resulted from an operating loss of $765,000, an increase in accounts receivable of $1,665,000, an increase in inventories of $787,000, a decrease in deferred income of $297,000 and the net change in other operating assets and liabilities of $223,000, partially offset by an increase in accounts payable and amounts due to Forward China of $2,306,000 and non-cash expenses of $903,000 related to depreciation, amortization, share-based compensation and bad debt expense.
Investing Activities
In Fiscal 2022 and Fiscal 2021, cash used for investing activities of $170,000 and $67,000, respectively, resulted from purchases of property and equipment.
Financing Activities
In Fiscal 2022, cash used in financing activities of $200,000 consisted of principal payments on the promissory note held by Forward China.
In Fiscal 2021, cash used in financing activities of $919,000 consisted of net repayments under our line of credit of $1,000,000, repayments of notes payable and finance lease liabilities of $187,000, partially offset by proceeds from stock options exercised of $268,000.

---

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Not applicable.

---

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
The consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in this Annual Report may be found beginning on page of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

---

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
Our management carried out an evaluation, with the participation of our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act. Based on their evaluation, our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of September 30, 2022.
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 Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act). Our management, under the supervision and with the participation of our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of the end of the period covered by this report. In making this assessment, our management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control-Integrated Framework as issued in 2013. Based on that evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2022 was effective based on that criteria.
Our internal control over financial reporting is a process designed under the supervision of our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of our financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our assets; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and that receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Changes in Internal Control
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in management's evaluation pursuant to Rules 13a-15(d) or 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act during the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2022 that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

---

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 this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022. Our Board has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to all officers, directors and employees, which is available on our website (https://forwardindustries.com) under “Investors”, "Governance." We intend to satisfy the disclosure requirement under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K regarding amendment to, or waiver from, a provision of our Code of Conduct and by posting such information on the website address and location specified above.

---

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022.

---

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022.

---

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022.

---

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022.
PART IV

---

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(a) Documents filed as part of the report.
(1) Financial Statements. See Index to Consolidated Financial Statements, which appears on page hereof. The financial statements listed in the accompanying Index to Consolidated Financial Statements are filed herewith in response to this Item.
(2) Financial Statements Schedules. All schedules are omitted because they are not applicable or because the required information is contained in the consolidated financial statements or notes included in this report.
(3) Exhibits. See the Exhibit Index.