CLEARFIELD, INC.

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Clearfield, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, is referred to in this report as “we,” “us,” “our,” and the “Company.” We make statements from time to time regarding our business and prospects, such as projections of future performance, statements of management’s plans and objectives, forecasts of market trends, and other matters that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Statements containing the words or phrases “will likely result,” “are expected to,” “will continue,” “is anticipated,” “estimates,” “projects,” “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “target,” “goal,” “plans,” “objective,” “aims,” “should,” “could” or similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may appear in documents, reports, filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), news releases, written or oral presentations made by our authorized officers or other representatives. For such statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Our future results, including results expressed in or implied by forward-looking statements, involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future actions, outcomes, results, or performance. Any forward-looking statement made by us or on our behalf speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. We do not undertake any obligation to update or keep current any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date of such statement, except as required by law.

In addition to the factors identified or described by us from time to time in filings with the SEC, there are many important factors that could cause our future results to differ materially from historical results or trends, results anticipated or planned by us, or the results expressed in or implied by any forward-looking statements. These important factors are described below under Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors.”

ITEM 1.         BUSINESS

Company Overview

We design, manufacture, and distribute fiber protection, fiber management, and fiber delivery solutions to enable rapid and cost-effective fiber-fed deployment throughout the broadband service provider space primarily across North America. Our “fiber to anywhere” platform serves the unique requirements of Community Broadband customers (Tier 2 and 3 telco carriers, utilities, municipalities, and alternative carriers), Multiple System Operators (cable television), Large Regional Service Providers (ILEC operating a multi-state network with more than 500,000 subscribers), National Carriers (wireline/wireless national telco carriers (Tier 1)), and International customers (primarily Europe, Canada, Mexico, and Caribbean Markets).

Our mission is to enable the lifestyle that better broadband provides through innovative product design that accelerates fiber-based deployment, making communications simpler and more affordable for people everywhere. We believe our products offer broadband service providers a competitive advantage at a crucial time when demand for fiber-based services is increasing to historic levels as providers focus on passing and connecting more homes. We are driven to help broadband service providers reduce the cost - and increase the speed of fiber deployment.

Segments

We are engaged in global operations. Our operations currently comprise of two reportable segments: the Clearfield Operating Segment (referred to herein as “Clearfield”), and the Nestor Cables Operating Segment (referred to herein as “Nestor Cables” or “Nestor”).

Clearfield Operating Segment

Clearfield is focused on providing fiber management, fiber protection, and fiber delivery products that accelerate the turn-up of fiber-based networks in residential homes, businesses, and network infrastructure in the wireline and wireless access network. We offer a broad portfolio of fiber products that allow service providers to build fiber networks faster, meet service delivery demands, and align build costs with take rates.

Clearfield’s products allow its customers to connect twice as many homes in their Fiber to the Home (“FTTH”) builds by using fewer resources in less time. Our products speed up the time to revenue for our service provider customers in Multiple Dwelling Units (“MDUs”) and Multiple Tenant Units (“MTUs”) by reducing the amount of labor and materials needed to provide gigabit service. Our products help make business services more profitable through faster building access, easier reconfiguration, and quicker services turn-up. Finally, Clearfield is removing barriers to wireless 4G/5G deployments in backhaul from the tower to the cloud and fiber fronthaul from the tower to the antenna at the cell site through better fiber management, test access, and fiber protection.

Substantially all of the final build and assembly is completed at Clearfield’s plants in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota and Tijuana, Mexico, with manufacturing support from a network of domestic and global manufacturing partners. Clearfield specializes in producing these products on both a quick-turn and scheduled delivery basis.

Nestor Cables Operating Segment

Nestor Cables is based in Oulu, Finland, with operations in Estonia through its wholly owned subsidiary, Nestor Cables Baltics OÜ. Nestor Cables manufactures fiber optic and copper telecommunication cables and equipment which it distributes to telecommunication operators, network owners, electric companies, building contractors, and industrial companies. Nestor has two types of production processes, the process of making cable in its Finland and Estonia facility and the finished assembly portion of its business performed in Estonia. Nestor Cables’ customer base includes telecom operators, network owners, contractors, industries and wholesalers. Products are sold via distributors and directly to end users. Nestor Cables is subject to Finnish government regulation and Nestor Cables Baltics is subject to Estonian government regulation.

Products

Our product strategy involves analyzing the broadband communications industry environment and technology, with a particular focus on simplifying our customers’ business, and developing innovative, high-quality products utilizing modular designs wherever possible.  We are committed to make fiber deployment success easier by providing craft-friendly, pre-connectorized plug-and-play fiber assemblies, fiber management and pathway products to speed deployments and provide the lowest total cost of ownership for our customer’s networks. With the innovation of forward-thinking products, a 100 percent plug-and-play platform and creative deployment methods, we are fulfilling our mission to enable the lifestyle that better broadband provides.  

Throughout the fiber deployment journey from the Inside Plant (ISP) to the Outside Plant (OSP), into the Access Network and all the way to the fiber connection at the home, our labor lite solutions solve service provider fiber network design and installation challenges.  Our methodologies provide easy to engineer and easy to install solutions that take the mystery out of deploying fiber networks.  

Leveraging factory terminated single-fiber and multi-fiber plug-and-play connectors, homes passed, and homes connected metrics can be greatly increased.  The speed to turn up the entire network is maximized, while helping ensure superior optical performance achieved by using low-loss connectors, terminated in the factory.  

Whether inside a cabinet or at the home, innovative slack storage spools and deploy reels reduce the dependence on making exact cable measurements. This enables the deployment of double-ended, standard cable lengths rather than relying on highly engineered, built to order cable assemblies or multiple field splicing events.  

Product development for the Company’s product line program has mainly been conducted internally.  We believe that the communication industry environment is constantly evolving, and our success depends on our ability to anticipate and respond to these changes.  Research and development are reflected in Selling, General, & Administrative expenses. 

Some of our products currently offered are described below: 

FieldSmart® is a series of panels, cabinets, wall boxes and other enclosures that provide a consistent design from the inside plant of the telco’s “central office” or cable television’s head-end, all the way through the outside plant to the access network to within the home or business. The Clearview® Cassette is the core building block of every product within the FieldSmart fiber management system. Clearview configuration options support tool-less installation, in-cassette buffer tube/ribbon slack storage as well as front access-only designs. The small footprint reduces real estate costs and improves density without compromising critical design elements of access, bend-radius protection, physical fiber protection and route path diversity. All types of fiber cable construction can be integrated within the cassette to support all patch only, patch and splice (in-cassette splicing), passive optical component hardware and plug-and-play scenarios.

WaveSmart® optical components are integrated for signal coupling, splitting, termination, multiplexing, demultiplexing and attenuation for a seamless integration within our fiber management platform.  The products are built and tested for harsh environments to meet the strictest industry standards ensuring customers trouble-free performance in extreme outside plant conditions. 

Active Cabinets using our FiberFlex™ product lines feature either fully integrated, fully engineered cabinets equipped with specific active electronics configurations or universal cabinets ready for mounting other electronic equipment.  This product line features Clearfield’s fiber management solutions housing the Clearview Cassette. The FieldSmart FiberFlex product line of outdoor active cabinets feature multiple sizes for universal configurations of electronic equipment.  

CraftSmart® FiberFirst™ pedestals are designed to support fiber-only networks.  Purpose-built to support a wide variety of service network designs, the pedestal eliminates the need for multiple, specialty pedestals and can support a passive optical network (PON) option, a splice-only option, or an access terminal option.  The FiberFirst Pedestal Access Terminal options provide a cable management and mounting bracket kit that supports the deployment of all Clearfield access terminals. 

Access Terminals from Clearfield are designed to ensure every service provider has the freedom of choice to match drop cable configuration and technology with the needs of their environment and first-cost priorities.  The patented SeeChange® terminal and hardened connector system lets the operator push fiber deeper in the neighborhood using a completely plug-and-play approach.  The YOURx® access terminals also offer flexibility with cable mid-span and internal splicing options.  Clearfield access terminals can be deployed in a variety of locations including pedestal, vault, flowerpot, pole-mount, smart-pole, or strand mounted options. 

FieldShield® platform is a patented fiber pathway and protection method aimed at reducing the cost of broadband deployment. Our FieldShield fiber drop cable assemblies are designed to connect the fiber access point (hand hole, pedestal or aerial) to the optical network terminal (ONT), on the home, in a fiber to the home (FTTH) network.  FieldShield starts with a ruggedized microduct designed to support all aerial, direct bury, and inside plant “last mile” needs.  FieldShield microduct is strong enough to be placed using traditional methods of boring and plowing, leveraging existing conduit placement equipment, as well as newer, less disruptive technologies such as micro trenching or saw cutting. 

Fiber Assemblies - Clearfield manufactures high quality fiber assemblies with an industry-standard or customer-specified configuration.  In addition, Clearfield’s engineering services team works alongside the engineering design departments of our original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) customers to design and manufacture custom solutions for both in-the-box as well as network connectivity assemblies specific to that customer’s product line.  

Fiber Optic Cables manufactured by Nestor Cables include a comprehensive range of optical fiber cables that offer dependable solutions for various installation conditions and special requirements, including direct buried cables, duct cables, microduct cables, indoor/outdoor cables, aerial cables and submarine cable. 

Copper Cables manufactured by Nestor Cables include copper conducted instrumentation and automation cables as well as central and signaling cables. Nestor also manufactures copper cable for telecommunications networks.  

Nestor Optimus product family is a complete solution which includes all needed products - cables, microducts, microduct accessories and tools - for construction of microduct networks which are easily expandable, suitable for changing and growing urban and suburban areas, and enables the use of lighter installation techniques, which reduces construction costs and interference during installation. 

NesCon Connectivity Products is a product family by Nestor Cables that includes essential installation and connection accessories for fiber optic networks, all of which are compatible with Nestor Cable’s optical fiber cables. 

Markets and Customers 

The Company’s products are sold across broadband service providers, which we categorize as National Carrier (wireline/wireless national telco carriers (Tier 1)), Community Broadband (Tier 2 and 3 telco carriers, utilities, municipalities, and alternative carriers), Large Regional Service Providers (ILEC operating a multi-state network with more than 500,000 subscribers), Multiple System Operators (cable television), International (primarily Europe, Central/Latin America and Canada), and Legacy build-to-print copper and fiber assemblies (primarily contract manufacturing). Nestor’s products are sold to telecommunication wholesalers and telecommunication operators, primarily in Europe.  

The Company’s products are sold direct to customers through the Company’s sales force as well as through authorized distributors. In addition, the Company uses manufacturing sales representatives and sales agents for customer and geography specific needs.  

The Company considers the primary markets for its products to be as follows: 

FTTP 

Fiber to the Premise (also called Fiber to the Home) is a means of delivering the highest possible level of bandwidth directly to the user. The Company’s sales and marketing efforts have principally been focused on the U.S., with additional efforts in Canada and Central/Latin America. We intend to leverage our Nestor platform to cross sell connectivity products into Europe. 

FTTB 

Fiber to the Business is principally for Multiple System Operators (cable television) and wireline/wireless national telco carriers (Tier 1) to penetrate the business marketplace.  

FTT-Cell site 

Fiber to the Cell site is the trend in which wireless service providers enhance their coverage for bandwidth. Currently, the majority of these cell sites are served by fiber backhaul and fronthaul.  

Build to Print 

In addition to a proprietary product line designed for the broadband service provider marketplace, Clearfield provides contract manufacturing services for original equipment manufacturers requiring copper and fiber cable assemblies built to their specification.

Competition

The market for the fiber management, fiber protection, and fiber delivery products provided by the Clearfield segment is highly competitive. Competition is largely based on any one or a combination of the following factors: functionality and features, price, product quality, product availability and lead times, cost and ease of installation, service and support, long-term returns to customers, scalability, product innovation, and manufacturing capability.

Competitors to the FieldSmart product lines include, but are not limited to, products offered by Corning Cabling Systems, Inc., OFS (Furukawa Electric North America, Inc.), AFL Telecommunications (a subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd.), Fujikura Ltd., Nokia, Hextronics Group and CommScope, Inc. Competitors to the CraftSmart and FiberFlex active cabinet product lines include products offered by Emerson Network Power, a subsidiary of Vertiv Co., and Charles Industries, Ltd., a subsidiary of Amphenol. Competitors to FieldShield product lines include products offered by PPC Broadband, a subsidiary of Belden, Inc. and Emtelle UK Limited. In various geographic or vertical markets, there are also several smaller companies with which we compete. Clearfield believes that it has a competitive advantage with customers who can leverage the cost savings the Clearview Cassette can provide and those who require quick-turn, high-performance customized products, and that it is at a competitive disadvantage with customers who principally seek large volume commodity products.

The Nestor Cables segment faces competition from numerous competitors within each of the markets it serves. The Nestor Cables segment competes primarily on the basis of its product performance and its ability to meet its customers’ highly specified design, engineering and delivery needs on a timely basis. The market demand and resulting build rates of fiber optic networks and capital expenditures by telecommunications wholesalers and telecommunications providers, has a large and direct influence on the demand for the Nestor Cables segment products.

Many of our competitors have greater resources than we do, including greater sales, product development, marketing, financial, technical, or engineering resources. As a result, our competitors may be able to procure necessary components and labor at much lower prices than we can or may offer competitive products at below market prices, which could prevent us from competing effectively.

Sources of Materials and Supply Chain

Numerous purchased materials and components and sources of labor are used in the manufacturing of the Company’s products. Most of these are available from multiple suppliers. However, some components and third-party contract manufacturing services are purchased from a single or a limited number of suppliers. The loss of access to some components and third-party contract manufacturing services could have an adverse effect on our ability to deliver products on a timely basis and on our financial performance.

Clearfield’s Mexico facility operates under a Maquiladora arrangement. Under this arrangement, we contract with a company to provide certain personnel and other services at the production facilities in Mexico that complete final build and assembly of a significant portion of Clearfield’s products. Maquiladora status also allows us to import certain items from the United States into Mexico duty-free, provided that such items, after processing, are exported from Mexico within a stipulated time frame.

Our supply chain management team oversees our suppliers to source and procure materials, manufacture and deliver our products to customers from the site of manufacture, whether at Clearfield’s facilities in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota or the facility in Tijuana, Mexico that operates as a Maquiladora. Our supply chain management team consists of planning, sourcing, and logistics personnel. We tightly integrate our supply chain management, our product innovation activities, and our manufacturing operations. Our supply chain team also manages the critical logistics and transport services for our materials, components and finished products in and out of Mexico to ensure sufficient materials to timely produce products and to ensure timely export of products in order to qualify as duty-free.

Over the last several years, we have taken steps to improve our supply chain operations, enhance resiliency, and mitigate risk of disruption.

Major Customers and Financial Information about Geographic Areas

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, the Company had two customers that comprised 15% and 11% of net sales. These customers are distributors. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, the Company had one customer that comprised 16% of net sales. This customer was a distributor. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, the Company had one customer that comprised 14% of net sales. This customer was a distributor. These major customers, like our other customers, purchase our products from time to time through purchase orders and we do not have any agreements that obligate these major customers to purchase products in the future from us.

As of September 30, 2024, three customers accounted for a combined 37% of accounts receivable. These customers are all distributors. As of September 30, 2023, three customers accounted for a combined 40% of accounts receivable. These customers are all distributors.

The Company allocates sales from external customers to geographic areas based on the location to which the product is transported. Sales outside the United States are principally to customers in Canada as well as countries in the Caribbean, Europe and Central and South America. Since our acquisition of Nestor Cables in July 2022, we experienced an increased concentration of customers based in Europe.

Patents and Trademarks

As of September 30, 2024, Clearfield has 53 patents granted and multiple patent applications pending both inside and outside the United States. These patents begin to expire in 2028. We have also developed and are using multiple trademarks and logos to market and promote our products.         

Seasonality

We are affected by the seasonal trends in the industries we serve. We typically experience sequentially lower sales in our first and second fiscal year quarters, primarily due to customer budget cycles, deployment schedules of outdoor products, some customer geographical concentrations, as well as standard vacation and holiday calendars. Sales have usually reached a seasonal peak in our third and fourth fiscal quarters.

Human Capital Resources

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had approximately 400 full-time employees, of which 62% were based in the United States (“U.S.”) and 38% were based outside of the U.S., primarily in Finland and Estonia due to our Nestor Cables operations. We also employ seasonal, part-time employees and independent contractors. Except for customary local works council arrangements for employees in Finland and Estonia, none of our employees are covered by any collective bargaining agreement.

Our U.S. employees include approximately 160 office personnel and 90 manufacturing personnel as of September 30, 2024. The substantial majority of these employees work out of our Brooklyn Park, Minnesota headquarters. The Company’s office personnel are comprised of sales, marketing, engineering, and administrative personnel. The manufacturing personnel include both individuals directly involved in the manufacturing of our products, as well as warehouse and operations supervisory personnel. Certain positions within our organization require industry specific technical knowledge. Our manufacturing personnel currently work in one shift as needed at our Brooklyn Park facility.

We invest significant management attention, time, and resources to attract, engage, develop, and retain our employees, particularly for positions that require technical knowledge or expertise. For this reason, we offer rigorous training programs for manufacturing and other technical employees to allow them to develop the necessary skillset for their roles and promote career development. To date, our training programs and overall collaborative working environment have allowed us to be successful in attracting and retaining qualified technical personnel for these positions.

Nestor Cables has approximately 35 office personnel and 120 manufacturing personnel as of September 30, 2024.

As of September 30, 2024, we had contracted for approximately 330 personnel in the Mexico facility through a Maquiladora agreement. The manufacturing personnel contracted through the Maquiladora are covered by a customary local collective bargaining agreement with the company that provides the personnel and other services to Mexico facility.

In our manufacturing operations, we monitor key metrics and goals based on quality, productivity, and ability to meet shipping promise dates. As a measure of quality, we focus on First Pass Yield (“FPY”), which is calculated as the percentage of product that meets all performance criteria upon first completion from our manufacturing floor and requires no rework. The Company’s target for FPY ranges from 92-99%, depending on key manufacturing steps and the product line being produced. We also measure our On-Time Delivery (“OTD”) which is determined by the Company’s ability to ship product on the date necessary, accounting for standard shipping times, in order to meet the agreed upon delivery date with our customers. The Company’s OTD target is a minimum of 95%. This metric is important as the Company has taken a strategic approach to be able to offer low industry lead times for our customers. The Company incentivizes certain of its personnel based on these metrics.

Climate Change

Certain government and regulatory bodies have introduced or are contemplating regulatory changes relating to climate change. While we do not believe climate-related risks are reasonably likely to have a material impact on our business, results of operations, or financial condition at this time, we are continuing to assess the nature and extent of risk from a changing climate and the potential for increased regulation.

The majority of our manufacturing operations calls for compiling raw material and other purchased components from suppliers. As part of our operations, we focus on minimizing scrap and other waste and look to recycle and salvage this scrap wherever possible. Any new regulation of emissions may result in additional costs to our suppliers which may be passed on to us.

In addition, the physical impacts of climate change and other natural events, including adverse weather conditions such as heavy or sustained rainfall, flooding, cold weather and snow, can impact deployment schedules of outdoor products and potentially affect demand for our products. Additionally, we may need to take into account an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events in the development of our products.

An increase in the frequency of extreme weather events, changes in weather patterns, drought, rising ocean and temperature levels, earthquakes and the like may impact our manufacturing operations or the manufacturing operations of suppliers of our critical raw materials or components. These types of impacts may also result in transportation-related supply chain challenges and negatively impact the delivery of raw materials, components, or products to or from our facilities. These potential physical effects may increase costs, cause delays or shortages in components required to produce our products or cause delays in the shipment of our products to customers.

Changes in environmental and climate change laws or regulations, including laws relating to greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions, could lead to new or additional investment in the Company’s products or facilities and could increase environmental compliance expenditures. Changes in climate change concerns, or in the regulation of such concerns, including GHG emissions, could subject the Company to additional costs and restrictions, including increased energy and raw material costs and other compliance requirements which could negatively impact the Company’s reputation, business, capital expenditures, results of operations, and financial position.

Corporate Information

Clearfield, Inc. was incorporated under the laws of Minnesota in 1979. Our corporate headquarters are located at 7050 Winnetka Avenue North, Suite 100, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, 55428, and our corporate website is www.seeclearfield.com. We do not incorporate the information on or accessible through our website into this annual report on Form 10-K, and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed through, our website as part of this annual report on Form 10-K.

Our annual report on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act are available free of charge at our website as soon as reasonably practicable after we file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers, like Clearfield, that file electronically with the SEC and that internet site is http://www.sec.gov.

We use various trademarks and trade names in our business, including without limitation our corporate name and logo. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this annual report may be referred to without the ® and ™ symbols, but such references should not be construed as any indicator that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights thereto.

ITEM 1A.      RISK FACTORS

Risks Relating to Our Operations

Our business is dependent on interdependent management information systems.

We rely on effective management information systems, including our enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) software, for critical business operations and to support strategic business decisions. We rely on our ERP system to support such important business operations as processing sales orders and invoicing, manufacturing, shipping, inventory control, purchasing and supply chain management, human resources, and financial reporting. Some of these systems are made up of multiple software and system providers. The interdependence of these solutions and systems is a risk, and the failure of any one system could have a material adverse effect on our overall information technology infrastructure. We are in the process of consolidating several of these solutions and systems into one integrated ERP system for our North American operations. Failure to successfully consolidate and integrate these solutions and systems could result in disruptions to our operations and adversely impact our business. Failure or abandonment of all or any part of the ERP system consolidation and integration project could result in a write-off of all or part of the costs that have been capitalized in connection with the project, which may negatively impact our financial results. We also rely on management information systems to produce information for business decision-making and planning. If we are unable to maintain our management information systems, including our IT infrastructure, to support critical business operations and to produce information for business decision-making activities, we could experience a material adverse impact on our business or an inability to timely and accurately report our financial results.

Our IT systems may also be vulnerable to disruptions from human error, outdated applications, computer viruses, natural disasters, unauthorized access, cyber-attack, and other similar disruptions. Any system failure, accident or security breach could result in disruptions to our operations. To the extent that any disruptions, cyber-attack or other security breach results in a loss or damage to our data, or inappropriate disclosure of confidential information, it could harm our business. In addition, we may be required to incur significant costs to protect against damage caused by these disruptions or security breaches in the future.

Inflationary price pressures and uncertain availability of components, raw materials, labor and logistics used by us, and our suppliers could negatively impact our profitability.

Increases in the price of raw materials, labor and other components utilized in the production of our products, along with logistics and other related costs, may lead to higher production and shipping costs for our products. Additionally, increasing global demand for, and uncertain supply of, such materials could disrupt our ability to obtain such materials in a timely manner to meet our supply needs and could lead to increased costs. An increase in the cost of inputs needed to produce our products could lead to higher costs and could negatively impact our results of operation, future profitability, and ability to meet customer demand. Passing along these increased prices to our customers to offset the impact of higher costs may cause certain customers to cancel, push out, or refrain from purchasing our products, which could negatively impact demand for our products, and therefore also negatively impact our results of operations and future profitability.

We rely on single-source suppliers, which could cause delays, increases in costs, or prevent us from completing customer orders, all of which could materially harm our business.

We assemble our products using materials and components supplied by various subcontractors and suppliers. We purchase critical components for our products, including injected molded parts, various cabling, optical components, and connectors from third parties, some of whom are single- or limited-source suppliers. If any of our suppliers are unable to ship critical components, we may be unable to manufacture and ship products to our distributors or customers. If the price of these components increases for any reason, or if these suppliers are unable or unwilling to deliver, we may have to find another source, which could result in interruptions, increased costs, delays, lost sales, and quality control problems.

Further, the costs to obtain certain raw materials and supplies, such as fiber and copper cabling, are subject to price fluctuations, which may be substantial, because of global market demands. Many companies utilize the same raw materials and supplies in the production of their products as we use in our products. Companies with more resources than us may have a competitive advantage in obtaining raw materials and supplies due to greater purchasing power. Some raw materials or supplies may be subject to regulatory actions, which may affect available supplies. Further, new or increased tariffs may be imposed by governments on imports from other countries that are the single- or limited-source of our materials and components. Tariffs increase the cost of the materials and components that go into making our products, but we are generally unable to pass some or all of these increased costs to our customers. Accordingly, these increased costs adversely impact the gross margin that we earn on our products. Furthermore, due to general economic conditions in the U.S. and globally, our suppliers may experience financial difficulties, which could result in increased delays, additional costs, or loss of a supplier.

The termination or interruption of any of these relationships, or the failure of these manufacturers or suppliers to supply components or raw materials to us on a timely basis or in sufficient quantities, likely would cause us to be unable to meet orders for our products and harm our reputation and our business. Identifying and qualifying alternative suppliers would take time, involve significant additional costs, and may delay the production of our products. If we fail to forecast our manufacturing requirements accurately or fail to properly manage our inventory with our contract manufacturers, we could incur additional costs, experience manufacturing delays, and lose sales. Further, if we obtain a new supplier or assemble our product using an alternative source of supply, we may need to conduct additional testing of our products to ensure they meet our quality and performance standards. Any delays in delivery of our product to distributors or customers could be extended, and our costs associated with the change in product manufacturing could increase.

The failure of our third-party manufacturers to manufacture the products for us or the failure of our suppliers of components and raw materials to supply us these items consistent with our requirements as to quality, quantity and timeliness could materially harm our business by causing delays, lost sales, increases in costs and lower gross profit margins.

A number of products manufactured by the Company are produced outside the U.S., including in our Mexico facility. The Company’s manufacturing facility in Mexico is authorized to operate as a Maquiladora by the Ministry of Economy of Mexico. Maquiladora status allows the Company to import certain items from the U.S. into Mexico duty-free, provided that such items, after processing, are exported from Mexico within a stipulated time frame. Maquiladora status, which is renewed periodically, is subject to various restrictions and requirements, including compliance with the terms of the Maquiladora program and other local regulations. Failure to comply with these regulations or other disruptions within the program could adversely affect the Company’s financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.

We depend on the availability of sufficient supply of certain materials. Global disruptions in the supply chain for these materials could prevent us from meeting customer demand for our products.

We purchase critical components for our products, including injected molded parts, various cabling, optical components, components for active cabinets, and connectors from third parties, some of which are single- or limited-source suppliers. We depend on the ability of these third-party suppliers to secure a sufficient supply of raw materials and maintain sufficient manufacturing and shipping capacity. The global supply chain for raw materials critical to our products has in the past, and may again in the future, suffer shortages, shipping delays and shipping shortages. This may lead some manufacturers who depend on these raw materials to experience shortages, delivery delays and price increases for both the raw materials and shipping, with the corresponding consequence that these manufacturers may be delayed in delivering products to us or may charge higher prices for these products, or there may be increased shipping costs associated with the products. Some manufacturers may also allocate short supply of products among Clearfield and their other customers.

Increased demand for the Company’s products from its customers may put pressure on the Company’s supply chain, particularly during periods of disruption in the global supply chain and may lead to increases in costs or delays in obtaining the materials and components for our products from our suppliers. The Company’s ability to recognize revenue in the future for customer orders will depend on our ability to manufacture and deliver products to the customers and fulfill other contractual obligations. Our ability to meet future customer demand for our products will in turn depend upon our suppliers receiving timely and adequate supplies of raw materials to be able to produce the critical materials and components they supply to us. Although we place a high value on long-term relationships with our suppliers, generally we do not have long-term supply contracts but instead conduct business on an order-by-order basis. Therefore, we also compete with other companies for the production capacity of manufacturers of the materials and components we need for our products. We also are exposed to potentially increasing costs associated with the materials and components we purchase from suppliers or increased costs associated with shipping generally. We may attempt to mitigate the effect of increases in our cost of goods sold through sourcing or stocking initiatives and by selectively increasing the prices of our products. However, we may be unable to fully pass on these costs to our customers. Long lead times for certain components and changes in demand for our products may impact our ability to accurately forecast our production requirements. As a result, certain component inventory purchases may become excess or obsolete, which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

The reduction of available production capacity among our suppliers, their failures to meet production deadlines or increases to us in their manufacturing or shipping costs may impact our ability to deliver quality products to our customers on a timely basis, make our products less competitive due to extended delivery times or increased price, negatively impact our customer or distributor relationships, and result in lower net sales and profit. Any delays or inabilities in meeting customer required shipping dates may also expose us to order cancellations in our sales order backlog by customers, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

A significant percentage of our sales in the last three fiscal years have been made to a small number of customers, and the loss of these major customers could adversely affect us.

Our customer base includes direct customers, OEMs, and distributors. For fiscal year 2024, the Company had two customers that comprised 26% of net sales. For fiscal year 2023, the Company had one customer that comprised 16% of net sales, and for fiscal year 2022 the Company had one customer that comprised 14%, of net sales. These customers are all distributors.

These customers, like our other customers, purchase our products from time to time through purchase orders. We do not have any agreements that obligate our customers to purchase products in the future from us. Our agreements with our distributor customers do not prohibit them from purchasing or offering products or services that compete with ours.

We believe that the loss of our major distributor customers would likely result in purchases being re-directed through other sales channels, for example our other distributors, independent sales representatives, or through direct sales by the Company to customers. However, there can be no assurance that the loss of a distributor customer would not have an adverse effect on our sales or gross margins in this event.

The loss of any one or more of our key customers, the substantial reduction, delay, or cancellation of orders received from any of our customers in our sales backlog or our inability to collect the accounts receivable from these customers, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations.

Further consolidation among our customers may result in the loss of some customers and may reduce sales during the pendency of business combinations and related integration activities.

We believe consolidation among our customers in the future will continue in order for them to increase market share and achieve greater economies of scale. In connection with this merger and acquisition activity, our customers may postpone or cancel orders for our product based on revised plans for technology or network expansion pending consolidation activity. Customers integrating large-scale mergers or acquisitions may also reduce their purchases of equipment during the integration period or postpone or cancel orders.

The impact of significant mergers and acquisitions among our customers on our business is likely to be unclear until sometime after such transactions are completed, which may take a year or more. After a consolidation occurs, a customer may choose to reduce the number of vendors from which it purchases equipment and may choose one of our competitors as its preferred vendor. There can be no assurance that we will continue to supply equipment to the surviving company after a business combination is completed.

We may be subject to risks associated with acquisitions, and the risks could adversely affect future operating results.

We monitor our product portfolio and business and customer trends. In response, we have made and may continue to make acquisitions. The success of our acquisitions will depend on our ability to successfully identify and properly value suitable acquisition candidates, negotiate appropriate acquisition terms, obtain financing at a reasonable cost, prevail against competing acquirers, complete the acquisitions, and integrate the acquired businesses into our existing business. We cannot ensure that the expected benefits of any acquisition will be realized or will be realized within the time frames we expect. Costs could be incurred on pursuits or proposed acquisitions that have not yet or may not close which could impact our operating results, financial condition, or cash flows. Additionally, after the acquisition, unforeseen issues could arise which adversely affect the anticipated returns, or which are otherwise not recoverable as an adjustment to the purchase price. The price we pay for a business or product line may exceed the value we realize, and we cannot provide assurance that we will obtain the expected revenues, anticipated synergies, and strategic benefits of any acquisition within the time we expect or at all. Acquisitions may result in the recording of goodwill and other intangible assets which are subject to potential impairments in the future that could negatively impact our financial results.

If we are unable to complete acquisitions or successfully integrate and develop acquired businesses, our financial results could be materially and adversely affected. The risks inherent in pursuing or completing an acquisition include:

These risks associated with acquisition, integration of acquired businesses and management of our expanded operations may have a material adverse effect on our sales, financial condition, and results of operations.

We have exposure to movements in foreign currency exchange rates.

Nestor Cables’ functional currency is the Euro, which is translated to the Company’s reporting currency of the U.S. dollar. Fluctuations in exchange rates between the Euro and U.S. dollar may impact our results of operations, financial position and cashflows. The Company expects to continue to experience fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar against the Euro and other currencies if it is not possible, cost-effective or should we not elect to hedge certain currency exposure. These factors, which are variable and generally outside of our control, could materially impact our results of operations, anticipated future results, financial position, and cash flows.

Adverse global economic conditions and geopolitical issues could have a negative effect on our business, and results of operations and financial condition.

Our business, including global supply chain, is affected by global economic conditions and geopolitical issues. Geopolitical issues, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and related economic sanctions and tensions between Russia and NATO countries, has resulted in increasing global tensions, rising energy costs and creates uncertainty for our global supply chain. Sustained or worsening global economic conditions and geopolitical issues may disrupt or increase our cost of doing business and otherwise disrupt and delay our supply chain operations. These factors could negatively affect the cost and supply of components needed for our products, our ability to ship products to customers and ultimately impact our business, financial condition, and result of operations.

Growth may strain our business infrastructure, which could adversely affect our operations and financial condition.

As we grow, we will face the risk that our existing resources and systems, including management resources, enterprise technology and operating systems, may be inadequate to support our growth. There can be no assurance that we will be able to retain the personnel or make the changes in our systems that may be required to support our growth. Failure to secure these resources and implement these systems on a timely basis could have a material adverse effect on our operating results. In addition, hiring additional personnel and implementing changes and enhancements to our systems will require capital expenditures and other increased costs that could also have a material adverse impact on our operating results.

Product defects or the failure of our products to meet specifications or domestic content requirements could cause us to lose customers and sales or to incur unexpected expenses.

If our products do not meet our customers’ performance requirements, our customer relationships may suffer. Also, our products may contain defects or fail to meet product specifications. Any failure or poor performance of our products could result in:

In addition, certain of our products will be required to meet Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act domestic content requirements to enable certain customers to qualify for grant funding under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Any failure of such products to meet BABA domestic content requirements would result in those products being ineligible for purchase and use by certain customers under the BEAD program, and could result in lost sales, lost business opportunity, breach of warranty claims, and damage to our reputation and customer relationships.

Our products are often critical to the performance of telecommunications systems. We offer customers limited warranty provisions. If the limitations on the product warranties are unenforceable in a particular jurisdiction or if we are exposed to product liability claims that are not covered by insurance, a claim could harm our business.

We are dependent on key personnel.

Our failure to attract, develop and retain skilled personnel could hinder the management and growth of our business, our research and development, our sales and marketing efforts and our manufacturing capabilities. Our future success depends to a significant degree upon the continued services of key senior management personnel, including Cheryl Beranek, our Chief Executive Officer, and John P. Hill, our Chief Operating Officer. We have employment agreements with Ms. Beranek and Mr. Hill that provide that if we terminate the employment of either executive without cause or if the executive terminates her or his employment for good reason, we would be required to make specified payments to them as described in their employment agreements. We have key person life insurance on Ms. Beranek and Mr. Hill. We also have employment agreements with other key management. Further, our future success also depends on our continuing ability to attract, develop, retain, and motivate highly qualified managerial, technical and sales personnel. Our inability to attract, develop and retain qualified personnel could have a significant negative effect and thereby materially harm our business and financial condition.

Cyber-security incidents, including ransomware, data breaches or computer viruses, could disrupt our business operations, damage our reputation, result in increased expense and potentially lead to legal proceedings.

Cybersecurity threats continue to expand and evolve, making it difficult to detect and prevent such threats from impacting the Company. While we monitor our networks and continue to enhance our network security measures, cyber-attacks have increased in frequency and sophistication, and our efforts may not be adequate to prevent all cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity threats to the Company could lead to unauthorized access to the Company’s information technology systems, customers, suppliers, and third-party service providers. Cybersecurity incidents could potentially result in the disruption of our business operations and/or the theft, destruction, publication, or corruption of critical data and confidential or proprietary information. Cybersecurity events could also result in the Company being unable to access critical data in a timely manner, or at all. Cybersecurity incidents could also result from unauthorized parties gaining access to our systems or information through fraudulent or other means of deceiving our employees, suppliers, customers, or third-party service providers. Despite the Company’s implementation of preventative security measures and controls to prevent, detect, and mitigate these threats, our infrastructure may still be susceptible to disruptions from cybersecurity incidents including ransomware attacks, security breaches, computer viruses, outages, and systems failures, any of which could include the inability to access critical data, reputational damage, loss of our intellectual property, release of highly sensitive confidential information, litigation with third parties and/or governmental investigations and fines, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, as cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, we may be required to devote additional resources to continue to enhance our information security measures and controls to mitigate these new and emerging threats.

Natural disasters, extreme weather conditions or other catastrophic events could negatively affect our business, financial condition, and operating results.

Natural disasters, extreme weather events and other catastrophic events such as flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, unusually heavy precipitation, earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, explosions, acts of war, terrorism, civil unrest, or pandemics could increase the cost of doing business or otherwise harm our operations, our suppliers and our customers. Such events could reduce demand for our products or make it difficult or impossible for us to receive raw materials from suppliers and deliver products to our customers.

Pandemics and other health crises could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results.

Pandemics and other health crises, and governmental, business, and societal responses to pandemics or other health crises, have had, and in the future may have, an adverse effect on our operations, work force, supply chains, distribution channels, and customers. Constraints and limits imposed on our operations due to pandemics or other health crises may slow or diminish our sales and marketing programs, product development activities and qualification activities with our customers. Restrictions on our manufacturing, support operations or workforce, or similar limitations for our suppliers, could limit our ability to meet customer demand. Restrictions or disruptions of transportation, such as reduced availability of air transport, port closures and increased border controls or closures, resulting in higher costs and delays, could harm our profitability, make our products less competitive, or cause our customers to seek alternative suppliers. Employee health, availability, productivity, and efficiency may be adversely impacted.

Risks Relating to Our Markets and Industry

To compete effectively, we must continually improve existing products and introduce new products that achieve market acceptance.

The telecommunications equipment industry is characterized by rapid technological changes, evolving industry standards, changing market conditions and frequent new product and service introductions and enhancements. The introduction of products using new technologies, or the adoption of new industry standards can make our existing products, or products under development, obsolete or unmarketable. In order to remain competitive and increase sales, we will need to anticipate and adapt to these rapidly changing technologies, enhance our existing products and introduce new products to address the changing demands of our customers.

Many of our competitors have greater engineering and product development resources than we have. Although we expect to continue to invest resources in product development activities, our efforts to achieve and maintain profitability will require us to be selective and focused with our research and development expenditures. In addition, sales to certain broadband service providers may require third-party independent laboratory testing in order to obtain industry certifications to be able to sell to those customers. Further, our existing and development-stage products may become obsolete if our competitors introduce newer or more appealing technologies. If these technologies are patented or proprietary to our competitors, we may not be able to access these technologies.

If we fail to anticipate or respond in a cost-effective and timely manner to technological developments, changes in industry standards or customer requirements, or if we experience any significant delays in product development or introduction, our business, operating results, and financial condition could be affected adversely.

If the telecommunications market does not continue to expand, our business may not grow as fast as we expect, which could adversely impact our business, financial condition, and operating results.

Our future success as a provider of fiber management, fiber protection and fiber delivery products depends on the continued growth of demand for fiber broadband and, in particular, the continued expansion in the United States and in our other markets of information networks, particularly those directly or indirectly dependent upon a fiber optic infrastructure. As part of that growth, we anticipate that demand for voice, video, and other data services delivered over high-speed connections (both wired and wireless) will continue to increase. If this demand does not increase, the need for enhanced high-speed bandwidth using fiber connections may not increase. Currently, demand for high-speed broadband capabilities and access is increasing, but future growth may be limited by several factors, including, among others: (1) relative strength or weakness of the global economy or certain countries or regions, (2) an uncertain regulatory environment, (3) uncertainty regarding long-term sustainable business models as multiple industries, such as the cable, traditional telecommunications, wireless and satellite industries, offer competing content delivery solutions, (4) excess product inventory in the marketplace, (5) lack of available skilled labor to install product; and (6) delays in the permitting process for fiber optic network installations. If the factors described above were to occur and cause the demand for fiber broadband capabilities or access to slow, stop or reverse, our business, financial condition and operating results would be negatively affected.

Changes in U.S. government funding programs may cause our customers and prospective customers to delay, reduce, or accelerate purchases, leading to unpredictable and irregular purchase cycles.

The telecommunications and cable television industries are subject to significant and changing U.S. federal and state regulation, some of which subsidizes or encourages spending on initiatives that utilize our products.

For example, programs like the Connect America Fund (CAF), which provides a capital expenditure subsidy for the build-out of the country’s broadband network, the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), which provides a capital expenditure subsidy for the support of high-speed broadband networks in rural America, and the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, among others, which will provide funding for broadband deployment, mapping and adoption projects in unserved and underserved areas in the United States, its territories, and the District of Columbia, may subsidize or encourage spending by our customers or prospective customers on capital spending projects that utilize our products. Customers may seek to time or otherwise adjust their technology or network expansion projects to the availability of subsidies under these or other programs, which will affect the timing and size of orders for our products. In addition, other universal service reforms scheduled to begin in the coming years will eliminate subsidies that carriers have traditionally relied upon to support service in high-cost, rural areas. Changes in government programs in our industry or uncertainty regarding future changes could adversely impact our customers’ or prospective customers’ decisions regarding timing and amounts of capital spending, which could decrease demand for our products, delay orders or result in pricing pressure from these customers.

Intense competition in our industry may result in price reductions, lower gross profits, and loss of market share.

Competition in the telecommunications equipment and services industry is intense. Our competitors may have or could develop or acquire marketing, financial, development and personnel resources that exceed ours. Our ability to compete successfully will depend on whether we can continue to advance the technology of our products and develop new products, the acceptance of our products among our customers and prospective customers, and our ability to anticipate customer needs in product development, as well as the price, quality and reliability of our products, our delivery and service capabilities and our control of production capacity and operating expenses.

There can be no assurance that we will be able to compete successfully against our current or future competitors. Competition from manufacturers of telecommunications equipment such as ours may result in price reductions, lower gross profit margins, increased discounts to customers, and loss of market share, which could require increased spending by us on research and development, sales and marketing, and customer support.

Our success depends upon adequate protection of our patent and other intellectual property rights.

Our future success depends in part upon our proprietary technology. We attempt to protect our proprietary technology through patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. However, these legal means afford us only limited protection and may not adequately protect our rights or remedies to gain or keep any advantages we may have over our competitors. Accordingly, we cannot predict whether these protections will be adequate, or whether our competitors will develop similar technology independently, without violating our proprietary rights.

Our competitors, many of which have significant resources, may make substantial investments in competing products and technologies, or may apply for and obtain patents that will prevent, limit, or interfere with our ability to manufacture or market our products. We may litigate to enforce patents issued to us and to defend against claimed infringement of the rights of others or to determine the ownership, scope, or validity of our proprietary rights and the rights of others.

Litigation has been necessary in the past and may be necessary in the future to defend or enforce our intellectual property rights, to protect our patents and trade secrets, and to determine the validity and scope of our proprietary rights. Any litigation also may involve substantial costs and diversion of the attention of Company management away from operational activities. Any claim of infringement against us could involve significant liabilities to third parties, could require us to seek licenses from third parties, and could prevent us from manufacturing, selling or using our products. The occurrence of litigation or the effect of any settlement or an adverse determination in litigation could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We face risks associated with expanding our sales outside of the United States.

We believe that our future growth depends in part upon our ability to manage our international operations and increase sales in international markets. These sales are subject to a variety of risks, including fluctuations in currency exchange rates, tariffs, import restrictions and other trade barriers, unexpected changes in legal and regulatory requirements, longer accounts receivable payment cycles, potentially adverse tax consequences, and export license requirements. In addition, we are subject to the risks inherent in conducting business internationally, including political and economic instability, unexpected changes in diplomatic and trade relationships, and a complex system of commercial and trade laws, regulations, and policies, including those related to data privacy, trade compliance, anti-corruption, and anti-bribery. Currency fluctuations may also increase the cost of our international operations and increase the relative price of our product in international markets and thereby cause our products to become less affordable or less price competitive than those of international manufacturers. These risks associated with international operations may have a material adverse effect on our revenue from or costs associated with international operations or sales.

Expectations relating to environmental, social and governance matters may increase our cost of doing business and expose us to reputational harm and potential liability.

Many regulators, investors, employees, vendors, customers, community members and other stakeholders are increasingly focused on environmental, social and governance matters relating to businesses, including climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, human capital, civil rights, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. We may make public statements about various environmental, social and governance matters and initiatives from time to time through our website, press releases and other communications. Addressing stakeholder expectations relating to environmental, social and governance matters requires an investment of time, money and other resources, and depends in part on third-party performance or data that is outside of our control, any or all of which may increase our cost of doing business. In addition, as investor and other stakeholder expectations relating to environmental, social and governance matters change and evolve over time, any failure or perceived failure by us to adequately address those expectations may damage our reputation and adversely affect our business and results of operations. Similarly, public statements we make about environmental, social and governance matters and initiatives may result in increased scrutiny by our stakeholders and require additional attention relating to these issues. Federal, state or international government bodies or agencies have in the past adopted, and may in the future adopt, laws and regulations relating to environmental, social or governance matters. These laws or regulations could require us to modify our business practices to comply and could result in increased costs. Additionally, any failure to comply with federal, state, or international environmental, social and governance laws and regulations, could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Risks Relating to Our Common Stock

Our operating results may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter, which may make budgeting for expenses difficult and may negatively affect the market price of our common stock.

Because many purchases by customers of our products relate to a specific customer project and are procured by the customer from time to time through purchase orders, the short-term demand for our products can fluctuate significantly. This fluctuation can be further affected by the long sales cycles necessary to obtain contracts to supply equipment for these projects, the availability of capital to fund our customers’ projects, changes or delays in customer deployment schedules, and the impact of government programs to encourage service to unserved or underserved communities, rural areas or other high-cost areas on customer buying patterns. These long sales cycles may result in significant effort expended with no resulting sales or sales that are not made in the anticipated quarter or fiscal year. Certain customers and prospective customers, typically larger broadband service providers, are conducive to these long sales cycles which may be multi-year efforts. Demand for our products will also depend upon the extent to which our customers and prospective customers initiate these projects and the extent to which we are selected to provide our equipment in these projects, neither of which can be assured. In addition, a sharp increase in demand could result in actual lead times longer than quoted, and a sharp decrease in demand could result in excess stock. These factors generally result in fluctuations, sometimes significant, in our operating results. Other factors that may affect our quarterly operating results include:

Further, we budget our expenses based in part on expectations of future sales. If sales levels in a particular quarter are lower than expected, our operating results will be affected adversely.

Because of these factors, our quarterly operating results are difficult to predict and are likely to vary in the future. If our operating results are below financial analysts’ or investors’ expectations, the market price of our common stock may fall abruptly and significantly.

Our stock price has been volatile historically and may continue to be volatile. The price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly.

The trading price of our common stock has been and may continue to be subject to wide fluctuations. Our stock price may fluctuate in response to a number of events and factors, such as quarterly variations in operating results, announcements of technological innovations or new products by us or our competitors, changes in financial estimates and recommendations by securities analysts, the operating and stock price performance of other companies that investors may deem comparable to us, and new reports relating to trends in our markets or general economic conditions.

In addition, the stock market is subject to price and volume fluctuations that affect the market prices for companies in general, and small-capitalization, high-technology companies like us in particular. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the price of our common stock, regardless of our operating performance. Further, any failure by us to meet or exceed the expectations of financial analysts or investors is likely to cause a decline in our common stock price. Further, recent industry and economic conditions have resulted in significant fluctuations in stock prices for many companies, including Clearfield. We cannot predict when the stock markets and the market for our common stock may stabilize. In addition, although our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, our common stock has at times experienced low trading volume in the past. Limited trading volume subjects our common stock to greater price volatility and may make it difficult for our shareholders to sell shares at an attractive price.

Anti-takeover provisions in our organizational documents, Minnesota law, and other agreements could prevent or delay a change in control of our Company.

Certain provisions of our articles of incorporation and bylaws, Minnesota law, and other agreements may make it more difficult for a third-party to acquire, or discourage a third-party from attempting to acquire, control of our Company, including:

These measures could discourage or prevent a takeover of us or changes in our management, even if an acquisition or such changes would be beneficial to our shareholders. This may have a negative effect on the price of our common stock.

ITEM 1B.      UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

Not applicable.

ITEM 1C.      CYBERSECURITY

Risk Management and Strategy

We believe cybersecurity plays a strategic role in ensuring smooth business operations. We are committed to developing, implementing and maintaining cybersecurity measures and processes that are designed to safeguard our information systems, data and operations, and to assess, identify and manage cybersecurity threats that may impact our business.

We operationalize our cybersecurity program through an information security management system based on the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 standard. This does not imply that we meet any particular technical standards, specifications, or requirements - only that we use the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 standard as a guide in designing and implementing our cybersecurity program. We believe designing and building our cybersecurity program around best practices and principles helps support robust business continuity.

Our cybersecurity program is integrated into our overall risk management system and processes. Key elements of our cybersecurity risk management program include, among others:

While we have experienced cybersecurity incidents and expect to continue to be subject to such incidents, to date we have not experienced any cybersecurity incidents that have materially affected our business strategy, financial condition, or results of operations. The cybersecurity threat landscape continues to evolve and escalate. We are subject to ongoing risks from cybersecurity threats that could materially affect our business strategy, financial condition, or results of operations, as further described in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Governance

Our Board of Directors includes cybersecurity risk as part of its overall risk oversight function, and has delegated to our Audit Committee responsibility for overseeing, reviewing and discussing with management: (i) our cybersecurity, information technology and data security risks and threats; (ii) the potential impact of those risks and threats on our business, operations, and reputation; and (iii) management’s processes, procedures and actions to identify, assess, monitor, mitigate, and remediate such risks and threats. Management provides the Board and the Audit Committee regular reports and assessments on our cybersecurity program and material cybersecurity risks. In addition, management updates the Board and the Audit Committee, as appropriate, regarding significant cybersecurity incidents should they occur.

A cybersecurity incidence response team comprised of key function heads and personnel, including IT, Finance, Legal, and Human Resources, provides operational support for clarifying and acting on cybersecurity issues, including decision-making around materiality, escalation and disclosure. Our cybersecurity program is principally managed by our Chief Information Officer and our Information Security Manager. Together, they have over 50 years of experience in IT, including developing, implementing, and operating IT controls. Our Chief Information Officer and our Information Security Manager manage cybersecurity risks by continually working to reduce risks, respond appropriately to incidents, and invest in hardening our attack surface to improve our cybersecurity posture. Our GRC platform is designed to provide reliability in identifying, tracking, and mitigating cybersecurity risks. We also engage third party assessors, consultants, and auditors to extend internal team capabilities and support our cybersecurity program, including engaging a cybersecurity service provider that provides 24/7 continuous managed detection and response services.

ITEM 2.         PROPERTIES

Clearfield leases an 85,000 square foot facility at 7050 Winnetka Avenue North, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, consisting of corporate offices, manufacturing, and warehouse space. The original lease term was ten years and two months, ending on February 29, 2025, and was renewable. In April 2024, the Company exercised the renewal option, which extended the lease term three additional years to end on February 29, 2028. The exercise of the renewal option added a right of use asset and corresponding lease liability of $1,337,000 upon lease commencement.

The Company indirectly leases an approximately 318,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Tijuana, Mexico that operates as a Maquiladora. In April 2024, the Company terminated the lease for this manufacturing facility and signed a new lease for the same facility. The new lease has a term of seven years, of which five years are mandatory. The lease contains two options to extend the term of the lease for additional periods of five years each. The lease calls for monthly base rental payments of approximately $169,000, increasing 2% annually. The renewal options have not been included within the lease term because it is not reasonably certain that the Company will exercise either option. The termination of the original facility lease resulted in a decreased right of use asset and corresponding lease liability of $5,610,000, offset by the addition of the right of use asset and lease liability of the new facility lease for $8,637,000 upon lease termination and commencement, respectively.

Clearfield leases a 105,000 square foot warehouse and manufacturing facility in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. The lease term is five years ending on February 28, 2027, with rent payments increasing annually. The lease includes an option to extend the lease for an additional five years. The renewal option has not been included within the lease term because it is not reasonably certain that the Company will exercise the option.

Nestor leases an approximately 25,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Oulu, Finland, which is utilized for the operations of Nestor Cables. The original lease term ended on October 31, 2022, but auto renewed and continues to renew indefinitely until terminated with two years written notice. It is not reasonably certain that the Company will not exercise the termination option. The lease calls for monthly rental payments of approximately €40,000. Rent is increased each year on January 1st based upon the cost-of-living index published by the Finnish government.

Nestor Cables leases an approximately 49,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Tabasalu, Estonia, which is utilized for the operations of Nestor Cables Baltics. Additionally, the lease grants Nestor Cables the option to lease an expansion facility that is to be constructed no later than December 2024. The expansion facility will be constructed on the same premises as the existing facility. Nestor exercised the option to lease the expansion facility and the lease term of the existing facility will be 10 years commencing December 2024.

The lease called for monthly rental payments of approximately €20,400 until April 2024 and calls for monthly rental payments of €25,000 afterwards. Rent is increased each year on May 1st based upon the cost-of-living index published by the Estonian government and is capped at 5%.

Right-of-use lease assets and lease liabilities are recognized as of the commencement date based on the present value of the remaining lease payments over the lease term which includes renewal periods the Company is reasonably certain to exercise. The Company’s leases do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.

ITEM 3.         LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

There are no pending legal proceedings against or involving the Company for which the outcome is likely to have a material adverse effect upon its financial position or results of operations.

ITEM 4.         MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

PART II.

ITEM 5.         MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “CLFD.”

Number of Holders of Common Stock

There were 290 holders of record of our common stock as of September 30, 2024.

Dividends

We have never paid cash dividends on our common stock. We currently intend to retain any earnings for use in our operations, continued organic growth, and potential future strategic transactions, as well as execution of the repurchase program described below, and do not intend in the foreseeable future to pay cash dividends on our common stock.

Stock Performance Graph

The following graph shows a comparison of the 5-year cumulative total return on Clearfield, Inc.’s common stock relative to the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index (S&P500 Index), which the Company has selected as a broad market index, and The Standard & Poor’s 1500 Communications Equipment Index (S&P 1500 Communications Equipment Index), which the Company has selected as a published industry index. The graph assumes an investment of $100 (with reinvestment of all dividends) is made in the Company’s common stock and in each index on September 30, 2019, and its relative performance is tracked through September 30, 2024. The returns shown are based on historical results and are not intended to suggest future performance.

Issuer Repurchases

The Company repurchased a total of 6,736 shares of our common stock during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024 in connection with payment of taxes upon the vesting of restricted stock previously issued to employees. These repurchases are unrelated to the stock repurchase program.

Effective January 27, 2022, the Company reinstated its stock repurchase program that had been suspended due to COVID uncertainty in April 2020. The Company’s board of directors increased the share repurchase program to $18,000,000 effective November 7, 2023, and an additional $25,000,000 effective April 30, 2024, to an aggregate of $65,000,000. During the year ended September 30, 2024, the Company repurchased 1,164,190 shares for approximately $33,058,000. As of September 30, 2024, we have repurchased an aggregate of 1,729,780 shares for approximately $40,077,000 leaving approximately $24,923,000 available within our $65,000,000 stock repurchase program. The repurchase program does not obligate Clearfield to repurchase any particular amount of common stock during any period. The repurchase will be funded by cash on hand. During the year ended September 30, 2023, the Company did not repurchase any shares under the stock repurchase program.

The following table presents the total number of shares repurchased during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 by month and the average price paid per share:

Equity compensation plans information is incorporated by reference from Part III, Item 12, “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters,” of this Annual Report, and should be considered an integral part of Item 5.

ITEM 6.         [RESERVED]

ITEM 7.         MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, in the Company’s other SEC filings, in press releases and in oral statements, that are not statements of historical fact are “forward-looking statements.” Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results or performance of the Company to be materially different from the results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The words “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “seeks,” “may,” “will,” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statement was made. The risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements include those risks described in Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors.”

Overview of Business: The Clearfield operating segment designs, manufactures, and distributes fiber optic management, protection, and delivery products for communications networks. Its “fiber to the anywhere” platform serves the unique requirements of leading broadband service providers in the United States, which include Community Broadband, Large Regional Service Providers, National Carriers, and Multiple System Operators (“MSOs” or “cable TV”), while also serving the broadband needs of the International markets, primarily in Europe, the Caribbean, Canada, and Mexico. These customers are collectively included in the category of Broadband Service Providers. The Clearfield operating segment also provides contract manufacturing services to its Legacy customers for build-to-print services which include OEM requiring copper and fiber cable assemblies built to their specifications. The Company’s sales channels include direct to customer, through distribution partners, and to original equipment suppliers who private label its products. The Company’s products are sold by its sales employees and independent sales representatives.

The Nestor Cables operating segment manufactures fiber optic and copper telecommunication cables and equipment which it distributes to telecommunication operators, network owners, electric companies, building contractors, and industrial companies. Nestor Cables has been a supplier to Clearfield for over a decade. Nestor has two types of production processes, the process of manufacturing cable in its Finland facility and the finished assembly portion of its business performed in Estonia. Nestor Cables sells its products predominantly to customers in Europe.

Results of Operations

Year ended September 30, 2024, compared to year ended September 30, 2023

The Company’s net sales for fiscal year 2024 decreased 38%, or $102,015,000, to $166,705,000 from net sales of $268,720,000 in fiscal year 2023. The Company allocates sales from external customers to geographic areas based on the location to which the product is transported. Accordingly, international sales represented 27% and 19% of net sales for the years ended September 30, 2024, and 2023, respectively.

The decrease in net sales for fiscal year 2024 of $102,015,000 compared to fiscal year 2023 is attributable to decreased demand across the Clearfield segment’s core markets. Sales to the Community Broadband market decreased 41%, or $45,703,000, from $111,708,000 in fiscal year 2023 to $66,005,000 in fiscal year 2024. Sales to Clearfield’s MSO/Cable TV market decreased 49%, or $22,182,000, from $45,669,000 in fiscal year 2023 to $23,487,000 in fiscal year 2024. Sales to National Carriers decreased 2%, or $187,000, from $8,954,000 in fiscal year 2023 to $8,767,000 in fiscal year 2024. The decrease in sales to these customers was due to a lull in demand for fiber connectivity products as customers digest their larger than normal inventory levels built up during the pandemic which were purchased over the previous years.

Revenue from customers is obtained from purchase orders submitted from time to time, with a limited number of customers recently issuing purchase orders for longer time frames. The Company’s ability to predict orders in future periods or trends affecting orders in future periods is limited. The Company’s ability to predict revenue can be further limited by global supply chain issues and customer deployment schedules and factors affecting customer ordering patterns, which may result in changes in customer ordering trends in a relatively short period of time. The Company’s ability to recognize revenue in the future for customer orders will depend on the Company’s ability to manufacture and deliver products to the customers and fulfill its other contractual obligations.

Cost of sales for fiscal year 2024 was $137,816,000, a decrease of $45,625,000, or 25%, from $183,441,000 in fiscal year 2023. Gross profit decreased 66%, or $56,389,000, from $85,278,000 for fiscal year 2023 to $28,889,000 for fiscal year 2024. The decrease in gross profit was primarily due to lower net sales and lower gross profit margin in fiscal year 2024 in the Clearfield segment.

Gross profit percent was 17.3% in fiscal year 2024 compared to 31.7% for fiscal year 2023. Gross profit margin was negatively affected by unabsorbed overhead in our manufacturing facilities due to lower levels of demand. The Company’s gross profit was also negatively impacted by an increase in inventory reserves of $9,841,000 during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024. Inventory reserves are primarily due to excess inventory due to the lull in demand in the Clearfield Segment while customers draw down their existing products previously purchased during the period of long lead time supply chain created by the pandemic. The Company expects to operate at gross profit percentage levels at or below these levels for several quarters until revenue levels increase, which is expected to bring improved margins.

Selling, general and administrative expense for fiscal year 2024 was $52,111,000, an increase of $4,119,000, or 9%, compared to $47,992,000 for fiscal year 2023. The increase was primarily due to increased performance-based compensation of $1,307,000, increased stock-based compensation of $1,034,000, and increased professional fees of $1,970,000.

Loss from operations for fiscal year 2024 was $23,222,000 compared to income from operations of $37,286,000 for fiscal year 2023. The decrease is attributable to lower sales and gross profit due to excess supply of fiber products in the Clearfield segment as described above and also higher unabsorbed overhead related to expanded manufacturing capacities in the Clearfield segment.

Net investment income in fiscal year 2024 was $7,472,000 compared to $5,206,000 for fiscal year 2023. The increase in interest income is due to a higher average investments balance and higher interest rates earned for the year ended September 30, 2024. The higher overall investments balance is a result of the Company’s capital raise of approximately $130,000,000 completed late in the first fiscal quarter of 2023 and cash generated from operations in fiscal 2024. The Company invests its excess cash primarily in Federal Deposit Insurance Company (“FDIC”) backed bank certificates of deposit, United States (“U.S.”) treasury securities, and money market funds and accounts. We expect interest income to remain at these levels through fiscal year 2025, subject to changes in market interest rates and changes in the average investments balance.

Interest expense in fiscal year 2024 was $506,000 compared to $881,000 for fiscal year 2023. The decrease is primarily due to the decrease in the average factoring liability held by Nestor Cables during fiscal year 2024.

Income tax benefit for fiscal year 2024 was $3,803,000 compared to income tax expense of $9,079,000 for fiscal year 2023. The decrease in tax expense of $12,882,000 from the year ended September 30, 2023, is primarily due to the decrease in pretax book income for fiscal year 2024. The increase in the income tax expense rate to 23.4% for fiscal year 2024 from 21.8% for fiscal year 2023 is primarily due to changes in state tax, foreign tax and decreased excess tax benefits from stock option exercises and restricted stock vesting, resulting in a shortfall in the current period. decreased excess tax benefits related to stock option exercises and restricted stock vesting, resulting in a shortfall in the current period. Our provision for income taxes includes current U.S. federal, state and foreign current and deferred tax expense.

Net loss for fiscal year 2024 was $12,453,000 or $(0.85) per basic and diluted share compared to net income of $32,533,000 or $2.17 per basic and diluted share for fiscal year 2023.

Year ended September 30, 2023, compared to year ended September 30, 2022

The Company’s net sales for fiscal year 2023 decreased 1%, or $2,163,000, to $268,720,000 from net sales of $270,883,000 in fiscal year 2022. The Company allocates sales from external customers to geographic areas based on the location to which the product is transported. Accordingly, international sales represented 19% and 6% of net sales for the years ended September 30, 2023, and 2022, respectively.

The decrease in net sales for fiscal year 2023 of $2,163,000 compared to fiscal year 2022 is attributable to decreased demand across the Clearfield’s segment core markets. Sales to the Community Broadband market decreased 12%, or $15,312,000, from $127,478,000 in fiscal year 2022 to $112,166,000 in fiscal year 2023. Sales to Clearfield’s MSO/Cable TV market decreased 5%, or $2,252,000, from $47,921,000 in fiscal year 2022 to $45,669,000 in fiscal year 2023. Sales to National Carriers decreased 17%, or $1,817,000, from $10,772,000 in fiscal year 2022 to $8,954,000 in fiscal year 2023. The decrease in sales to these customers was due to a lull in demand for fiber connectivity products as customers digest their larger than normal inventory levels built up during the pandemic which were purchased over the previous years. Net sales to International customers increased 226% or $34,570,000 from $15,316,000 in fiscal year 2022 to $49,885,000 in fiscal year 2023, primarily driven by the Company’s acquisition of Nestor Cables in July 2022.

Revenue from customers is obtained from purchase orders submitted from time to time, with a limited number of customers recently issuing purchase orders for longer time frames. The Company’s ability to predict orders in future periods or trends affecting orders in future periods is limited. The Company’s ability to predict revenue is further limited by global supply chain issues, customer deployment schedules and factors affecting customer ordering patterns, which may result in changes in customer ordering trends in a relatively short period of time. The Company’s ability to recognize revenue in the future for customer orders will depend on the Company’s ability to manufacture and deliver products to the customers and fulfill its other contractual obligations.

Cost of sales for fiscal year 2023 was $183,441,000, an increase of $25,505,000, or 16%, from the $157,936,000 in fiscal year 2022. Gross profit decreased 25%, or $27,669,000, from $112,947,000 for fiscal year 2022 to $85,278,000 for fiscal year 2023. The decrease in gross profit was primarily due to lower net sales and lower gross profit margin in fiscal year 2023 in the Clearfield segment.

Gross profit percent was 31.7% in fiscal year 2023 compared to 41.7% in fiscal year 2022. Gross profit margin was negatively affected by excess overhead and production capacity in the Company’s Clearfield segment that was underutilized. The Company continues to realign capacity to current market conditions. Gross profit was also affected by lower gross profit realized in our Nestor Cables cable manufacturing business which was acquired in July 2022 and was not included in the comparable period of fiscal 2022.

Selling, general and administrative expense for fiscal year 2023 was $47,992,000, a decrease of $1,155,000, or 2%, compared to $49,130,000 for fiscal year 2022. While relatively consistent year over year, expense for the year ended September 30, 2023, decreased due to lower performance-based compensation and transaction costs, offset by additional professional and legal expenses related to the Nestor Cables business acquired in July 2022, as well as increased Clearfield employee compensation costs, stock-based compensation and travel and entertainment expenses.

Income from operations for fiscal year 2023 was $37,286,000 compared to $63,817,000 for fiscal year 2022. The decrease is attributable to lower sales and gross profit due to excess supply of fiber products in the Clearfield segment as described above, higher unabsorbed overhead related to expanded manufacturing capacities in the Clearfield segment, as well as a full year of Nestor Cables, which has a lower gross profit profile related to its bulk cable and duct product offerings.

Net investment income in fiscal year 2023 was $5,206,000 compared to $328,000 for fiscal year 2022. The increase in interest income was due to a higher average investments balance and higher interest rates earned for the year ended September 30, 2023. The higher investments balance was a result of the Company’s capital raise of approximately $130,000,000 completed in the first fiscal quarter of 2023. The Company invested its excess cash primarily in FDIC backed bank certificates of deposit, U.S. treasury securities, and money market funds and accounts.

Interest expense in fiscal year 2023 was $881,000 compared to $311,000 for fiscal year 2022. The increase was primarily due to incurring a full year of interest expense on the factoring liability held by Nestor Cables which was acquired in July 2022.

Income tax expense for fiscal year 2023 was $9,079,000 compared to $14,472,000 for fiscal year 2022. The decrease in tax expense of $5,393,000 from the year ended September 30, 2022, was primarily due to the decrease in taxable income for fiscal year 2023. The decrease in the income tax expense rate to 21.8% for fiscal year 2023 from 22.7% for fiscal year 2022 was due to decreased permanent addback items including nondeductible compensation and transaction costs. Our provision for income taxes included current U.S. federal tax expense and state tax expense, Finland taxes and deferred tax expense.

Net income for fiscal year 2023 was $32,533,000, or $2.17 per basic and diluted share, compared to $49,362,000, or $3.58 per basic and $3.55 per diluted share, for fiscal year 2022.

Reportable Segments

The Company’s reportable segments are based on the Company’s method of internal reporting. These results are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that would have occurred had each segment been an independent, stand-alone entity during the periods presented. The internal reporting of these operating segments is defined based, in part, on the reporting and review process used by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.

On July 26, 2022, Clearfield, through its newly created Finnish subsidiary, Clearfield Finland Oy, acquired all of the equity of Nestor Cables Oy, which has a wholly owned Estonian subsidiary Nestor Cables Baltics OÜ. Following the closing of the acquisition of Nestor Cables on July 26, 2022, the Company reassessed its operating segments as defined under ASC 280, Segment Reporting. Under ASC 280, operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise where discrete financial information is available that is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision-maker (“CODM”), in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. Prior to July 26, 2022, we were considered to be a single operating segment structure. Based upon the Company’s assessment following the acquisition of Nestor Cables, the Company determined that the business of Nestor Cables was considered a second reportable segment as of July 26, 2022. Accordingly, beginning with the year ended September 30, 2022, the Company has two reportable segments: (1) Clearfield; and (2) Nestor Cables. The entities that comprise the Nestor Cables segment are Clearfield Finland Oy, Nestor Cables Oy and Nestor Cables Baltics OÜ.

Reportable segments are as follows:

Clearfield Segment

The following table provides net sales and net (loss) income for the Clearfield segment for the fiscal years ended:

Net sales in the Clearfield segment decreased 44%, or $100,154,000, for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, resulting from decreased sales to its Community Broadband, MSO/Cable TV, and Large Regional customers as these customers work to digest inventory that was purchased previously during the period of long lead time supply chain created by the pandemic.

Net loss in the Clearfield segment for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 increased 128%, or $41,348,000, from net income of $32,834,000 for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, driven by the changes in sales outlined above, as well as lower gross profit margin which was negatively affected by the buildup in capacity that was not utilized, as well as reserves for inventory.

Nestor Cables Segment

The following table provides net sales and net loss for the Nestor Cables segment for the fiscal year ended:

Net sales in the Nestor Cables segment decreased 4%, or $1,861,000, for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, as compared to the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, excluding sales to the Clearfield segment.

Net loss in the Nestor Cables segment for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, increased 112%, or $3,638,000, from the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, driven by lower gross profit margin as well as increased operating expenses.

Sales Backlog

Sales backlog reflects purchase order commitments for our products received from customers that have yet to be fulfilled. The Company had a backlog of $25,133,000 and $57,285,000 as of September 30, 2024, and 2023, respectively. The decrease in backlog was primarily due to a lull in demand for fiber connectivity products at our Clearfield segment as customers digest their larger than normal inventory levels built up during the pandemic which were purchased over the previous years. We believe that the Nestor Cables segment generally experiences the same seasonality as the Clearfield segment.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had combined consolidated balances of cash, cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments of $155,497,000 compared to $174,456,000 as of September 30, 2023. Additionally, we have a line of credit for $40 million that has no outstanding borrowing as of September 30, 2024. Our excess cash is invested mainly in certificates of deposit backed by the FDIC, U.S. Treasury securities, and money market funds.

On April 27, 2022, Clearfield entered into a loan agreement and a security agreement to provide the Company with a $40 million revolving line of credit that is secured by certain of the Company’s U.S. assets. The line of credit matures on April 27, 2025, and borrowed amounts will bear interest at a variable rate of the CME Group one-month term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus 1.85%, but not less than 1.80% per annum. As of September 30, 2024, the interest rate was 7.05%. The loan agreement and the security agreement contained customary affirmative and negative covenants and requirements relating to the Company and its operations, including a requirement that the Company maintain a debt service coverage ratio of not less than 1.20 to 1 as of the end of each fiscal year for the fiscal year then ended and maintain a debt to cash flow ratio of not greater than 2 to 1 measured as of the end of each of the Company’s fiscal quarters for the trailing twelve (12) month period. Debt service coverage ratio is the ratio of Cash Available for Debt Service to Debt Service, each as defined in the loan agreement. Debt and Cash Flow are also as defined in the loan agreement for the purposes of the debt to cash flow ratio covenant.

On August 5, 2024, the Company entered into an amendment to the loan agreement that, among other things, (i) eliminated the requirement that the Company maintain a debt service coverage ratio of not less than 1.20 to 1 as of the end of each fiscal year for the fiscal year then ended and that the Company maintain a debt to cash flow ratio of not greater than 2 to 1 measured as of the end of each of the Company’s fiscal quarters for the trailing 12 month period; (ii) added a requirement that the Company maintain accounts with the lender with a minimum aggregate liquidity of unrestricted and unencumbered cash and cash equivalents at all times of not less than the outstanding principal balance of the Company’s revolving credit promissory note payable to the lender; and (iii) waived the Company’s compliance with the debt to cash flow ratio for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2024. As of the date of the amendment, there was not an outstanding principal balance on the Company’s revolving credit promissory note with the lender.

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had no borrowings against this line of credit and was in compliance with all applicable covenants. As of September 30, 2024, and 2023, the Company had a loan for €2,000,000, which equates to $2,228,000 and $2,112,000, as of September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. We believe the combined balances of short-term cash and investments, along with long-term investments and available bank lines of credit, provide a more accurate indication of our available liquidity.

We believe our existing cash equivalents and short-term investments, along with cash flow from operations and line of credit, will be sufficient to meet our working capital and investment requirements beyond the next 12 months. The Company intends on utilizing its available cash and assets primarily for its continued organic growth and potential future strategic transactions, as well as execution of the share repurchase program adopted by our board of directors. Effective January 27, 2022, the Company reinstated its stock repurchase program that had been suspended due to COVID uncertainty in April 2020. The Company’s board of directors increased the share repurchase program $18,000,000 effective November 7, 2023, and an additional $25,000,000 effective April 30, 2024, to an aggregate of $65,000,000. During the year ended September 30, 2024, the Company repurchased 1,164,190 shares for approximately $33,058,000. As of September 30, 2024, we have repurchased an aggregate of 1,729,780 shares for $40,077,000 leaving approximately $24,923,000 available within our $65,000,000 stock repurchase program. The repurchase program does not obligate Clearfield to repurchase any particular amount of common stock during any period. The repurchases will be funded by cash on hand. During the year ended September 30, 2023, the Company did not repurchase any shares under the stock repurchase program.

Operating Activities

Net cash provided by operations for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, totaled $22,223,000. Cash provided by operations included net loss of $12,453,000 for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, non-cash income and expenses for depreciation and amortization of $7,411,000, stock-based compensation of $4,641,000, amortization of discount on investments of $4,406,000, in addition to changes in operating assets and liabilities using cash. Changes in operating assets and liabilities using cash include a decrease in net inventories of $31,990,000 and a decrease in accounts receivable of $7,799,000. The decrease in inventory is due to lower inventory purchases during fiscal year 2024 as the Company utilized inventory on hand to fulfill customer orders to support sales demand, as well as higher excess inventory charges taken in fiscal year 2024. The decrease in accounts receivable is due to lower net sales in the fiscal 2024 compared to the prior year. Days sales outstanding (“DSO”), which measures how quickly receivables are collected, decreased 11 days from 53 to 42 from September 30, 2023, to September 30, 2024. Changes in operating assets and liabilities using cash include an increase in other assets of $9,225,000 and receiving cash due to an increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses of $544,000. The increase in other assets is related to prepaid expenses including value added taxes related to cross border inventory transfers.

Net cash provided by operations for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, totaled $18,423,000. Cash provided by operations included net income of $32,533,000 for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, non-cash expenses for depreciation and amortization of $6,054,000, stock-based compensation of $3,578,000, amortization of discount on investments of $3,512,000, in addition to changes in operating assets and liabilities using cash. Changes in operating assets and liabilities using cash include an increase in net inventories of $15,083,000 and a decrease in accounts payable and accrued expenses of $27,843,000. The increase in inventory is a result of additional stocking levels to support the Company’s anticipated customer demand, as well as stocking of long lead time components to limit manufacturing delays due to raw material component shortages and supply chain delays experienced during the pandemic. The decrease in accounts payable is due to lower purchasing activity of inventory near the end of the period in response to lower demand from customers, as well as lower performance-based compensation accruals as of September 30, 2023. Also, changes in operating assets and liabilities providing cash include a decrease in accounts receivable of $26,277,000, due to lower net sales in the Company’s fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 compared to the prior year. DSO remained consistent as it increased 1 day from 52 to 53 from September 30, 2022, to September 30, 2023.

Net cash provided by operations for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, totaled $2,258,000. Cash provided by operations included net income of $49,362,000 for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, non-cash expenses for depreciation and amortization of $3,426,000, stock-based compensation of $2,339,000, in addition to changes in operating assets and liabilities using cash. Changes in operating assets and liabilities using cash include an increase in net inventories of $43,744,000 and accounts receivables of $24,234,000. The increase in inventory is a result of additional stocking levels to support the Company’s increased sales backlog and higher demand, and stocking of high turn and long lead time components to limit manufacturing delays due to raw material component shortages and supply chain delays. The increase in accounts receivable was due to higher net sales as well as increased DSO due to higher sales to certain customers with longer payment terms. DSO increased 13 days from 39 to 52 from September 30, 2021, to September 30, 2022. Also, changes in operating assets and liabilities providing cash include an increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses of $15,760,000, due to timing of accounts payable and $8,738,000 in fiscal year 2022 incentive compensation accruals to be paid after year end.

Investing Activities

We invest our excess cash in money market accounts, U.S. Treasury securities, money market funds, and bank certificates of deposit in denominations across numerous banks. We believe we obtain a competitive rate of return given the economic climate and relative risk profile of these investments. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, the Company received proceeds from maturities of investments of $162,064,000 and used cash to purchase $159,393,000 of investments in certificates of deposit below FDIC insured levels and U.S. Treasuries. The Company used $9,567,000 in cash to purchase fixed and intangible assets. The result is cash used in investing activities of $6,896,000 in fiscal year 2024. In fiscal year 2025, the Company intends to continue investing in the necessary information technology, manufacturing equipment, and facility needs.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, the Company received proceeds from maturities of investments of $107,060,000 and used cash to purchase $210,923,000 of investments in certificates of deposit below FDIC insured levels and U.S. Treasuries. The Company used $8,384,000 in cash to purchase fixed and intangible assets. The result is cash used in investing activities of $112,247,000 in fiscal year 2023.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, the Company had $17,386,000 of FDIC-backed certificates of deposit and U.S. Treasuries mature or be sold. The Company used $9,148,000 in cash to purchase fixed and intangible assets. Additionally, the Company used $16,187,000 in cash to acquire Nestor Cables in July 2022. The result was cash used in investing activities of $8,197,000 in fiscal year 2022.

Financing Activities

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, the Company used cash to repurchase $33,058,000 of our common stock on the open market under our stock repurchase program. In connection with the stock repurchase, the Company accrued $316,000 of U.S. Federal excise taxes to be paid during fiscal year 2025. We received $586,000 from employees’ purchase of stock through our Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) The Company also used cash of $3,617,000 on repayments on factored accounts receivables, net of borrowings and $493,000 to pay for taxes as a result of employees’ vesting of restricted shares using share withholding. As a result, the net cash used for financing activities during fiscal year 2024 was $36,907,000.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, the Company received $130,262,000 of net proceeds through the issuance of common stock in the first quarter of fiscal 2023. The Company received cash of $1,587,000 on borrowings on factored accounts receivables, net of repayments The Company also received $611,000 from employees’ purchase of stock through our ESPP and $954,000 related to issuance of stock as payment for incentive compensation. The Company used $16,700,000 to pay down in full the then-outstanding principal on our line of credit, which was originally drawn in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 to fund the acquisition of Nestor Cables. The Company also used $491,000 related to share withholding for exercise and taxes associated with the issuance of common stock upon cashless exercise of stock options and used $1,220,000 to pay for taxes as a result of employees’ vesting of restricted shares using share withholding. As a result, the net cash provided by financing activities during fiscal year 2023 was $115,002,000.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, the Company borrowed $16,700,000 on its line of credit to fund the July acquisition of Nestor Cables. The Company received $544,000 from employees’ purchase of stock through our ESPP and $1,258,000 on repayments on factored accounts receivables, net of borrowings. The Company used $5,183,000 related to share withholding for exercise and taxes associated with the issuance of common stock upon cashless exercise of stock options and used $1,406,000 to pay for taxes as a result of employees’ vesting of restricted shares using share withholding. As a result, the net cash provided by financing activities during fiscal year 2022 was $9,397,000.

Operating Leases

We have entered into various non-cancelable operating lease agreements for office equipment at our office and manufacturing spaces in Minnesota, Mexico, Finland, and Estonia expiring at various dates through August 2034. Certain of these leases have escalating rent payment provisions. We recognize rent expense under such leases on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

Critical Accounting Estimates

In preparing our financial statements, we make estimates, assumptions and judgments that can have a significant impact on our sales, income from operations and net income, as well as on the value of certain assets and liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets. We believe there are several accounting policies that are critical to an understanding of our historical and future performance, as these policies affect the reported amounts of sales, expenses and significant estimates and judgments applied by management. While there are a number of accounting policies, methods and estimates affecting our financial statements, areas that are particularly significant include:

●    Accounting for stock-based compensation

●    Income taxes

●    Valuation of inventory, long-lived assets, finite lived intangible assets and goodwill

●    Valuation in business combinations

Stock-Based Compensation

We measure and recognize compensation expense for all stock-based awards at fair value over the requisite service period. We use the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of options. For restricted stock grants, fair value is determined as the closing price of the Company’s stock on the date of grant. Equity-based compensation expense is broken out between cost of sales and selling, general and administrative expenses based on the classification of the employee. The determination of fair value of stock-based awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing model is affected by our stock price as well as by assumptions regarding a number of subjective variables. These variables include, but are not limited to, the expected stock price volatility over the term of the awards, and actual and projected employee stock option exercise behaviors.

The expected terms of the options are based on evaluations of historical and expected future employee exercise behavior. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury rates at the date of grant with maturity dates approximately equal to the expected life at grant date. Volatility is based on historical and expected future volatility of the Company’s stock. The Company has not historically issued any dividends and does not expect to in the future. Forfeitures for both option and restricted stock grants are estimated at the time of the grant and revised in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from estimates.

If factors change and we employ different assumptions in the determination of the fair value of grants in future periods, the related compensation expense that we record may differ significantly from what we have recorded in the current periods.

Income Taxes

We account for income taxes in accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes, under which deferred income taxes are recognized based on the estimated future tax effects of differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities given the provisions of enacted tax laws. Deferred income tax provisions and benefits are based on changes to the assets or liabilities from year to year. In providing for deferred taxes, we consider tax regulations of the jurisdictions in which we operate, estimates of future taxable income, and available tax planning strategies. If tax regulations, operating results, or the ability to implement tax-planning strategies vary, adjustments to the carrying value of deferred tax assets and liabilities may be required. A valuation allowance is recorded when it is more likely than not that a deferred tax asset will not be realized. The recorded valuation allowance is based on significant estimates and judgments and if the facts and circumstances change, the valuation allowance could materially change.

In accounting for uncertainty in income taxes, we recognize the financial statement benefit of a tax position only after determining that the relevant tax authority would more likely than not sustain the position following an audit. For tax positions meeting the more likely than not threshold, the amount recognized in the financial statements is the largest benefit that has a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the relevant tax authority. The Company recognizes interest and penalties accrued on any unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense.

As of September 30, 2024, and 2023, the Company had no U.S. federal or Estonia net operating loss (“NOL”) carry-forwards. As of September 30, 2024, there is a state NOL of $64,000. There was no state NOL as of September 30, 2023 As of September 30, 2024, and 2023, there is a Finnish NOL of $1,851,000 and $1,000, respectively.

As part of the process of preparing our financial statements, we are required to estimate our income tax liability in each of the jurisdictions in which we do business. This process involves estimating our actual current tax expense together with assessing temporary differences resulting from differing treatment of items for tax and accounting purposes. These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities. We must then assess the likelihood that these deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income and, to the extent we believe that recovery is not more likely than not or unknown, we must establish a valuation allowance. If the valuation allowance is reduced, the Company would record an income tax benefit in the period in which that determination is made. If the valuation allowance is increased, the Company would record additional income tax expense.

The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. Federal jurisdiction and various state and foreign jurisdictions. Based on its evaluation, the Company has concluded that it has no significant unrecognized tax benefits. The Company is generally subject to U.S. federal examination for all tax years after 2019. The Company is subject to state examinations for all tax years after 2014 due to unexpired research and development credit carryforwards still open under statute. Nestor is generally subject to Finland examination for all tax years after 2020 and Estonia examination for all tax years after 2020.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets, Intangible Assets and Goodwill

The Company’s long-lived assets as of September 30, 2024, consisted primarily of property, plant and equipment, right of use lease assets, patents, intangibles, and goodwill. The Company reviews the carrying amount of its property, plant and equipment, right of use lease assets, and intangible assets if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable. When this review indicates the carrying amount of an asset or asset group exceeds the sum of the future undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the assets, the Company recognizes an asset impairment charge against operations for the amount by which the carrying amount of the impaired asset exceeds its fair value.

Determining fair values of property, plant, and equipment, right of use lease assets, and intangible assets using a discounted cash flow method involves significant judgment and requires the Company to make significant estimates and assumptions, including long-term projections of cash flows, market conditions and appropriate discount rates. Judgments are based on historical experience, current market trends, consultations with external valuation specialists and other information. If facts and circumstances change, the use of different estimates and assumptions could result in a materially different outcome. The Company generally develops these forecasts based on recent sales data for existing products, planned timing of new product launches or acquisitions, and estimated future growth of the FTTP market.

Goodwill represents the excess purchase price over the fair value of tangible net assets acquired in acquisitions after amounts have been allocated to intangible assets. Goodwill is tested for impairment annually at fiscal year-end, or more frequently when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. Examples of such events or circumstances include, but are not limited to, a significant adverse change in legal or business climate, an adverse regulatory action or unanticipated competition. The Company assesses qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances would indicate that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. During the years ended September 30, 2024, 2023, and 2022, there were no triggering events that indicated goodwill or intangible assets may be impaired.

If after assessing the totality of events or circumstances, the Company were to determine that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then the Company would perform a quantitative test that compares the fair value to its carrying value to determine the amount of any impairment.

If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the Company would measure the possible goodwill impairment loss based on an allocation of the estimate of fair value of the reporting unit to all of the underlying assets and liabilities of the reporting unit, including any previously unrecognized intangible assets. The excess of the fair value of a reporting unit over the amounts assigned to its assets and liabilities is the implied fair value of goodwill. An impairment loss is recognized to the extent that a reporting unit's recorded goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of goodwill. An impairment loss would be based on significant estimates and judgments, and if the facts and circumstances change, a potential impairment could have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

No impairment of goodwill or intangible assets has occurred during the years ended September 30, 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively.

Valuation of Inventory

The Company maintains a material amount of inventory to support its manufacturing operations and customer demand. This inventory is stated at average cost, subject to the lower of cost or net realizable value. On a regular basis, the Company reviews its inventory and identifies inventory which is excess, slow moving, or obsolete by considering factors such as inventory levels, expected product life, and forecasted sales demand. Any identified excess, slow moving, and obsolete inventory is written down to its market value through a charge to cost of sales. It is possible that additional inventory write-down charges may be required in the future if there is a significant decline in demand for the Company’s products and the Company does not adjust its inventory procurement accordingly.

Valuation in Business Combinations

We record tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations under the purchase method of accounting under ASC 805, Business combinations. Amounts paid for each acquisition are allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their fair values at the dates of acquisition. The value recorded is based on estimates of future financial projections. These cash flow projections are discounted with a risk adjusted rate. The fair value of identifiable intangible assets is based on detailed valuations that use information and assumptions provided by management, which is considered management’s best estimate of inputs and assumptions that a market participant would use. We allocate any excess purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed to goodwill.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

On October 1, 2023, the Company adopted the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, and subsequent amendments to the initial guidance: ASU No. 2018-19, ASU No. 2019-04, ASU No. 2019-05, and ASU No. 2020-02 (collectively, Topic 326). This guidance introduces a new model for recognizing credit losses on financial instruments based on an estimate of current expected credit losses (CECL). The measurement of expected credit losses under the CECL methodology is applicable to financial assets measured at amortized cost. The Company adopted Topic 326 using the modified retrospective method for all financial assets measured at amortized cost, which are primarily trade accounts receivable for the Company. Results for reporting periods beginning after October 1, 2023, are presented under Topic 326 while prior period amounts continue to be reported in accordance with previously applicable U.S. GAAP. The impact of adopting Topic 326 as of October 1, 2023, was not material to the consolidated financial statements.

New Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. ASU 2023-07 is intended to enhance financial reporting by requiring incremental disclosures for significant segment expenses on an annual and interim basis by public entities required to report segment information in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification Topic 280. The amendments in ASU 2023-07 are to be applied retrospectively to all periods presented in the financial statements and early adoption is permitted. This standard will be applicable to the Company for the 2025 annual period and quarterly periods thereafter. The Company is evaluating its disclosure approach for ASU 2023-07 and anticipates adopting the standard for the year ended September 30, 2025, and filings thereafter.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. The new guidance is expected to improve income tax disclosures primarily related to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid information by requiring 1) consistent categories and greater disaggregation of information in the rate reconciliation and 2) income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. The guidance is effective on a prospective basis, although retrospective application and early adoption is permitted. The Company is evaluating its disclosure approach for ASU 2023-09 and anticipates adopting the standard for the annual period starting October 1, 2025.

In March 2024, the SEC adopted rules under SEC Release No. 33-11275, The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors, which requires the disclosure of material Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions and other climate-related topics in annual reports and registration statements. For large-accelerated filers and accelerated filers, disclosure requirements will begin phasing in for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026, respectively, subject to legal challenges and the SEC’s voluntary stay of the disclosure requirements. The Company is currently evaluating the impact these rules will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

ITEM 7A.      QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

The Company currently invests its excess cash in bank certificates of deposit that are fully insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and United States Treasury securities with terms of not more than five years, as well as money market funds. The fair value of these investments fluctuates subject to changes in market interest rates. As of September 30, 2024, and 2023, the Company had combined consolidated balances of cash, cash equivalents, short term, and long-term investments of $155,497,000 and $174,456,000, respectively.

Foreign Exchange Rates

The Company uses the U.S. dollar as its reporting currency. The functional currency of Nestor Cables is the Euro. The changing relationships of the U.S. dollar to the Euro could have a material impact on our financial results. Fluctuations in the Euro to U.S. dollar exchange rate impacts our consolidated balance sheets, as well as sales, cost of sales, and net income. If the Euro had appreciated or depreciated by 10%, relative to the U.S. Dollar, our operating expenses for fiscal year 2024 would have increased or decreased by approximately $700,000 or approximately 1%. We do not hedge against foreign currency fluctuations. As such, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates could have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

Inflation

Rising costs, including wages, logistics, components, and commodity prices are negatively impacting our profitability. We are subject to market risk from fluctuating market prices of certain purchased commodities and raw materials which has outpaced our ability to reduce the cost structure and manufacturability. We do not hedge commodity prices. Accordingly, inflation impacts our profitability, including cost of sales and operating expenses, and may have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

ITEM 8.         FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining an adequate system of internal control over financial reporting of the Company. This system is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles.

Our internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that: (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Company’s 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 the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the system of internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2024. In making this evaluation, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control—2013 Integrated Framework. Based on management’s evaluation and those criteria, management concluded that the Company’s system of internal control over financial reporting was effective as of September 30, 2024.

Management’s internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2024, has been audited by Baker Tilly US, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report appearing on the following page, in which they expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Date:         November 15, 2024

Further discussion of our internal controls and procedures is included in Item 9A of this report, under the caption “Controls and Procedures.”

SEE ACCOMPANYING NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SEE ACCOMPANYING NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SEE ACCOMPANYING NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SEE ACCOMPANYING NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS