Orion Group Holdings - 10-Q quarterly report FY2018 Q3

(Mark One)

Orion Group Holdings, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates (hereafter collectively referred to as the "Company"), provide a broad range of specialty construction services in the infrastructure, industrial, and building sectors of the continental United States, Alaska, Canada and the Caribbean Basin. The Company’s marine segment services the infrastructure sector through marine transportation facility construction, marine pipeline construction, marine environmental structures, dredging of waterways, channels and ports, environmental dredging, design, and specialty services.  Its concrete segment services the building sector by providing turnkey concrete construction services including pour and finish, dirt work, layout, forming, rebar, and mesh across the light commercial, structural and other associated business areas. The Company is headquartered in Houston, Texas with offices throughout its operating areas.

In making this determination, the Company considered the similar economic characteristics of its operations that comprise its marine segment. For the marine segment, the methods used, and the internal processes employed, to deliver marine construction services are similar throughout the segment, including standardized estimating, project controls and project management. This segment has the same customers with similar funding drivers, and it complies with regulatory environments driven through Federal agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA"), among others. Additionally, the segment is driven by macro-economic considerations including the level of import/export seaborne transportation, development of energy-related infrastructure, cruise line expansion and operations, marine bridge infrastructure development, waterway pipeline crossings and the maintenance of waterways. These considerations, and others, are key catalysts for future prospects and are similar across the segment.

On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates the significant accounting policies used to prepare its consolidated financial statements, including, but not limited to, those related to:

    

The Company’s revenue is derived from contracts to provide marine construction, dredging, turnkey concrete services, and other specialty services. The Company’s projects are typically short in duration and usually span a period of less than one year. The Company determines the appropriate accounting treatment for each contract before work begins and generally records revenue on contracts over time.

Performance obligations are promises in a contract to transfer distinct goods or services to the customer and are the unit of account under Topic 606. The Company's contracts and related change orders typically represent a single performance obligation because individual goods and services are not separately identifiable and the Company provides a significant integrated service. Revenue is recognized over time because control is continuously transferred to the customer. For contracts with multiple performance obligations, the Company allocates the contract's transaction price to each performance obligation using its best estimate of the stand-alone selling price of each distinct good or service. Progress is measured by the percentage of actual contract costs incurred to date to total estimated costs for each contract. This method is used because management considers contract costs incurred to be the best available measure of progress on these contracts. Contract costs include all direct costs, such as material and labor, and those indirect costs incurred that are related to contract performance such as payroll taxes and insurance. General and administrative costs are charged to expense as incurred. Upfront costs, such as incurring costs to mobilize personnel and equipment prior to satisfying a performance obligation are capitalized and amortized over the contract performance period.

Changes in job performance, job conditions and estimated profitability, including those arising from final contract settlements, may result in revisions to costs and reported revenue and are recognized in the period in which the revisions are determined. The effect of changes in estimates of contract revenue or contract costs is recognized as an adjustment to recognized revenue on a cumulative catch-up basis. When losses on uncompleted contracts are anticipated, the entire loss is recognized in the period in which such losses are determined. Revenue is recorded net of any sales taxes collected and paid on behalf of the customer, if applicable.

Contract assets and liabilities include the following:

The Company’s evaluation of its construction contracts under the new standard focused on the following areas which have the most significant impact on the amount and timing of revenue recognized:

The following table summarizes the cumulative effect of the changes made to the Company’s unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheet as of January 1, 2018 from the adoption of Topic 606:

The Company includes in current assets and liabilities amounts realizable and payable in the normal course of contract completion.

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk principally consist of accounts receivable.

The Company depends on its ability to continue to obtain federal, state and local governmental contracts, and indirectly on the amount of funding available to these agencies for new and current governmental projects. Therefore, a portion of the Company’s operations is dependent upon the level and timing of government funding.  Statutory mechanics liens provide the Company high priority in the event of lien foreclosures following financial difficulties of private owners, thus minimizing credit risk with private customers.

 

The Company negotiates change orders and claims with its customers. Unsuccessful negotiations of claims could result in a change to contract revenue that is less than amounts recorded, which could result in the recording of a loss. Successful claims negotiations could result in the recovery of previously recorded losses. Significant losses on receivables could adversely affect the Company’s financial position, results of operations and overall liquidity.

The Company primarily obtains contracts through an open bid process, and therefore advertising costs are not a significant component of expense.  Advertising costs are expensed as incurred.  

The Company generally applies fair value valuation techniques on a non-recurring basis associated with (1) valuing assets and liabilities acquired in connection with business combinations and other transactions; (2) valuing potential impairment loss related to long-lived assets; and (3) valuing potential impairment loss related to goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets.

When property and equipment are retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is included in results of operations for the respective period.  Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets for financial statement purposes, as follows:

The Company generally uses accelerated depreciation methods for tax purposes where appropriate.

 

The Company assesses the fair value of its reporting units based on a weighted average of valuations based on market multiples, discounted cash flows and consideration of its market capitalization. The key assumptions used in the discounted cash flow valuations are discount rates, weighted average cost of capital and perpetual growth rates applied to cash flow projections. Also inherent in the discounted cash flow valuation models are past performance, projections and assumptions in current operating

plans and revenue growth rates over the next five years. These assumptions contemplate business, market and overall economic conditions. Other considerations are assumptions that market participants may use in analysis of comparable companies. The underlying assumptions used for determining fair value, as discussed above, require significant judgment and are susceptible to change from period to period and could potentially cause a material impact to the income statement. In the future, the Company's estimated fair value could be negatively impacted by extended declines in its stock price, changes in macroeconomic indicators, sustained operating losses and other factors which may affect its assessment of fair value.

 

Intangible assets that have finite lives are amortized.  In addition, the Company evaluates the remaining useful life of intangible assets in each reporting period to determine whether events and circumstances warrant a revision of the remaining period of amortization.  If the estimate of an intangible asset’s remaining life is changed, the remaining carrying value of such asset is amortized prospectively over that revised remaining useful life. Intangible assets that have indefinite lives are not amortized, but are subject to impairment testing at least annually or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate the asset may be impaired.

The Company has one indefinite-lived intangible asset, a trade name, which is tested for impairment annually on October 31, or whenever events or circumstances indicate the carrying amount of the trade name may not be recoverable. Impairment is calculated as the excess of the trade name's carrying value over its fair value. The fair value of the trade name is determined using the relief from royalty method, a variation of the income approach. This method assumes that if a company owns intellectual property, it does not have to "rent" the asset and is, therefore, "relieved" from paying a royalty. Once a supportable royalty rate is determined, the rate is then applied to the projected revenues over the expected remaining life of the intangible asset to estimate the royalty savings. This approach is dependent on a number of factors, including estimates of future growth and trends, royalty rates, discount rates and other variables.

The Company recognizes compensation expense for equity awards over the vesting period based on the fair value of these awards at the date of grant. The computed fair value of these awards is recognized as a non-cash cost over the period the employee provides services, which is typically the vesting period of the award. The fair value of options granted is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Black-Scholes option-pricing model requires the use of subjective assumptions in the computation. Changes in these assumptions can cause significant fluctuations in the fair value of the option award. The fair value of restricted stock grants is equivalent to the fair value of the stock issued on the date of grant and is measured as the closing price of the stock on the date of grant.

The Company determines its consolidated income tax provision using the asset and liability method prescribed by U.S. GAAP, which requires the recognition of income tax expense for the amount of taxes payable or refundable for the current period and for deferred tax assets and liabilities for the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in an entity’s financial statements or tax returns. The Company must make significant assumptions, judgments and estimates to determine its current provision for income taxes, its deferred tax assets and liabilities and any valuation allowance to be recorded against any deferred tax asset. The current provision for income tax is based upon the current tax laws and the Company’s interpretation of these laws as well as the probable outcomes of any tax audits. The value of any net deferred tax asset depends upon estimates of the amount and category of future taxable income reduced by the amount of any tax benefits the Company does not expect to realize. Actual operating results and the underlying amount and category of income in future years could render current assumptions, judgments and estimates of recoverable net deferred taxes inaccurate, thus impacting the Company’s financial position and results of operations. The Company computes deferred income taxes using the liability method. Under the liability method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be

recovered or settled. Under the liability method, the effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period of the enactment date.

The Company accounts for uncertain tax positions in accordance with the provisions of ASC 740-10 which prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for financial statement disclosure of tax positions taken, or expected to be taken, on its consolidated tax return.  The Company evaluates and records any uncertain tax positions based on the amount that management deems is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination and ultimate settlement with the tax authorities in the tax jurisdictions in which it operates.

The Company maintains insurance coverage for its business and operations.  Insurance related to property, equipment, automobile, general liability and a portion of workers' compensation is provided through traditional policies, subject to a deductible or deductibles.  A portion of the Company's workers’ compensation exposure is covered through a mutual association, which is subject to supplemental calls.

 

If a claim arises and a potential insurance recovery is probable, the impending gain is recognized separately from the related loss. The recovery will only be recognized up to the amount of the loss once the recovery of the claim is deemed probable and any excess gain will fall under contingency accounting and will only be recognized once it is realized. The Company does not net insurance recoveries against the related claim liability as the amount of the claim liability is determined without consideration of the anticipated insurance recoveries from third parties.

 

The FASB issues accounting standards and updates (each, an "ASU") from time to time to its ASC, which is the primary source of U.S. GAAP. The Company regularly monitors ASUs as they are issued and considers applicability to its business. All ASUs are adopted by their respective due dates and in the manner prescribed by the FASB. The following are those recently issued ASUs most likely to affect the presentation of the Company's consolidated financial statements:

optional transition method under ASU 2018-11 and elect the available practical expedients. This method allows the Company an option to allow transition of the new lease guidance at the effective date and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings at the effective date. The Company has developed a detailed plan to implement the new standard and, through a cross-functional steering committee, is assessing the impact of the new standard for all contractual arrangements that may qualify as leases. The Company expects the adoption of the new standard to have a material and equal increase to assets and liabilities on its Consolidated Balance Sheets, primarily as a result of operating leases currently not recognized on its balance sheet.

 

During the periods presented in these financial statements, the Company implemented other new accounting pronouncements other than those noted above that are discussed in the notes where applicable.

Contract revenues are recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to the customer in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The following table represents a disaggregation of the Company’s contract revenues by service line for the marine and concrete segments:

services, such as engineering, dredging, diving and construction, into one distinct finished product which is transferred to the customer.  These contracts are often estimated and bid as one project and evaluated on performance as one project, not by individual services performed by each.  Both the marine and concrete segments have a single CODM for the entire segment, not by service lines of the segments.  Resources are allocated by segment, and financial and budgetary information is compiled and reviewed by segment, not service line. 

Construction services include construction, restoration, maintenance, dredging and repair of marine transportation facilities, marine pipelines, bridges and causeways and marine environmental structures. Dredging services generally enhance or preserve the navigability of waterways or the protection of shorelines through the removal or replenishment of soil, sand or rock. Specialty services include design, salvage, demolition, surveying, towing, diving and underwater inspection, excavation and repair.

Structural services include elevated concrete pouring for products such as columns, elevated beams and structural walls. Light commercial services include horizontally poured concrete for products such as sidewalks, ramps, tilt walls and trenches. Other services comprise labor related to concrete pouring such as rebar installation and pumping services and typically support the segment's structural and light commercial services.

The Company does not believe that the loss of any one of its customers would have a material adverse effect on the Company or its subsidiaries and affiliates since no single specific customer sustains such a large portion of receivables or contract revenue over time.

In addition, the concrete segment primarily purchases concrete from select suppliers. The loss of one of these suppliers could adversely impact short-term operations.

Substantially all of the Company’s long-lived assets are located in the United States.

The fair value of financial instruments is the amount at which the instrument could be exchanged in a current transaction between willing parties.  Due to their short-term nature, the Company believes the carrying value of its accounts receivable, other current assets, accounts payable and other current liabilities approximate their fair values.

The Company classifies financial assets and liabilities into the following three levels based on the inputs used to measure fair value in the order of priority indicated:

Financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company's assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value requires judgment and may affect the placement of assets and liabilities within the fair value hierarchy levels.

The Company generally applies fair value valuation techniques on a non-recurring basis associated with (1) valuing assets and liabilities acquired in connection with business combinations and other transactions; (2) valuing potential impairment loss related to long-lived assets; and (3) valuing potential impairment loss related to goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets.

The tables below present the activity and amortization of finite-lived intangible assets:

The Company's obligations under debt arrangements consisted of the following:

The Company is subject to a Commitment Fee for the unused portion of the maximum available to borrow under the revolving line of credit. The Commitment Fee, which is due quarterly in arrears, is equal to the Applicable Margin of the actual daily amount by which the Aggregate Revolving Commitments exceed the Total Revolving Outstanding. The revolving line of credit termination date is the earlier of the Credit Facility termination date, July 31, 2023, or the date the outstanding balance is permanently reduced to zero. The Company has the intent and ability to repay the amounts outstanding on the revolving line of credit within one year, therefore, any outstanding balance is classified as current.

Restrictive financial covenants under the Credit Facility include:

In addition, the Credit Facility contains events of default that are usual and customary for similar arrangements, including non-payment of principal, interest or fees; breaches of representations and warranties that are not timely cured; violation of covenants; bankruptcy and insolvency events; and events constituting a change of control.

The Company expects to meet its future internal liquidity and working capital needs, and maintain or replace its equipment fleet through capital expenditure purchases and major repairs, from funds generated by its operating activities for at least the next 12

months. The Company believes that its cash position and available borrowings together with cash flow from its operations is

adequate for general business requirements and to service its debt.

The Company's effective tax rate is based on expected income, statutory rates and tax planning opportunities available to it. For interim financial reporting, the Company estimates its annual tax rate based on projected taxable income (or loss) for the full year and records a quarterly tax provision in accordance with the anticipated annual rate. Income tax expense included in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations were as follows (in thousands, except percentages):

The Act made broad and complex changes to the U.S. tax code that significantly affected the Company's income tax rate. The Act, among other things, reduced the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%; limited the use of foreign tax credits to reduce U.S. income tax liability; repealed the corporate alternative minimum tax ("AMT") and changed how existing AMT credits can be realized; allowed immediate expensing for qualified assets; created a new limitation on deductible interest expense; repealed the domestic production activities deduction; and limited the deductibility of certain executive compensation and other deductions.

The exercise price for certain stock options awarded by the Company exceeds the average market price of the Company's common stock. Such stock options are antidilutive and are not included in the computation of (loss) earnings per share. The following table reconciles the denominators used in the computations of both basic and diluted (loss) earnings per share:

The risk-free interest rate is based on interest rates on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues that match the contractual terms of the stock option grants. The expected term represents the period in which the Company's equity awards are expected to be outstanding.

From time to time, the Company is a party to various lawsuits, claims and other legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of business.  These actions typically seek, among other things, compensation for alleged personal injury, breach of contract, property damage, punitive damages, civil penalties or other losses, or injunctive or declaratory relief.  With respect to such lawsuits, the Company accrues reserves when it is probable a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated.  The Company does not believe any other proceedings, individually or in the aggregate, would be expected to have a material adverse effect on results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.