1. ORGANIZATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES.

Organization and Business – The consolidated financial statements include, for all periods presented, the accounts of Alto Ingredients, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Alto Ingredients”), and its direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”), including Kinergy Marketing LLC, an Oregon limited liability company (“Kinergy”), Alto Nutrients, LLC, a California limited liability company (“Alto Nutrients”), Alto Op Co., a Delaware corporation (“Alto Op Co.”), Alto Pekin, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Alto Pekin”) and Alto ICP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“ICP”), and the Company’s production facilities in Oregon and Idaho. As discussed in Note 3, on May 14, 2021 and November 4, 2021, the Company completed the sale of its production facilities located in Madera and Stockton, California, respectively.

As discussed in Note 2, on January 14, 2022, the Company acquired Eagle Alcohol Company LLC, a Missouri limited liability company (“Eagle Alcohol”). Eagle Alcohol specializes in break bulk distribution of specialty alcohols. Eagle Alcohol purchases bulk alcohol from suppliers, including the Company. Then it stores, denatures, packages, and resells alcohol products in smaller sizes, including tank trucks, totes, and drums, that typically garner a premium price to bulk alcohols. Eagle Alcohol delivers products to customers in the beverage, food, industrial and related-process industries via its own dedicated trucking fleet and common carrier. Beginning January 14, 2022, Eagle Alcohol is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.

On December 15, 2016, the Company and Aurora Cooperative Elevator Company, a Nebraska cooperative corporation (“ACEC”), closed a transaction under a contribution agreement under which the Company contributed its Aurora, Nebraska ethanol production facilities and ACEC contributed its Aurora grain elevator and related grain handling assets to Pacific Aurora, LLC (“Pacific Aurora”) in exchange for equity interests in Pacific Aurora. As a result, the Company owned 73.93% of Pacific Aurora and ACEC owned 26.07% of Pacific Aurora. As discussed further in Note 3, the Company sold its interest in Pacific Aurora on April 15, 2020. Therefore, from December 15, 2016, through April 15, 2020, the Company consolidated 100% of the results of Pacific Aurora and recorded ACEC’s 26.07% equity interest as noncontrolling interests in the accompanying financial statements.

The Company is a leading producer and distributor of specialty alcohols and essential ingredients. The Company also produces and markets fuel-grade ethanol. The Company’s production facilities in Pekin, Illinois are located in the heart of the Corn Belt. The Company’s two production facilities in Oregon and Idaho are located in close proximity to both feed and fuel-grade ethanol customers.

The Company has a combined alcohol production capacity of 350 million gallons per year and produces, on an annualized basis, over 1.6 million tons of essential ingredients, such as dried yeast, corn gluten meal, corn gluten feed, corn germ, and distillers grains and liquid feed used in commercial animal feed and pet foods. In addition, the Company markets and distributes fuel-grade ethanol produced by third parties.

The Company focuses on four key markets: Health, Home & Beauty; Food & Beverage; Essential Ingredients; and Renewable Fuels. Products for the Health, Home & Beauty market include specialty alcohols used in mouthwash, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, hand sanitizers, disinfectants and cleaners. Products for the Food & Beverage markets include grain neutral spirits used in alcoholic beverages and vinegar as well as corn germ used for corn oils. Products for Essential Ingredients markets include dried yeast, corn gluten meal, corn gluten feed, corn germ, and distillers grains and liquid feed used in commercial animal feed and pet foods. Renewable Fuels includes fuel-grade ethanol and distillers corn oil used as a feedstock for renewable diesel and biodiesel fuels.

For all of 2022, all of the Company’s production facilities were operating. On January 1, 2023, the Company temporarily hot-idled its Magic Valley production facility due to extreme natural gas prices, other unfavorable market conditions and to facilitate the installation of its new high protein systems. As market conditions change, the Company may increase, decrease or idle production at one or more operating facilities or resume operations at any idled facility.

Basis of Presentation – The consolidated financial statements and related notes have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) and include the accounts of the Company. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Segments – A segment is a component of an enterprise whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise’s chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and for which discrete financial information is available. The Company determines and discloses its segments in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Section 280, Segment Reporting, which defines how to determine segments. The Company reports financial and operating performance in three reportable segments (1) marketing and distribution, which includes marketing and merchant trading for Company-produced specialty alcohols, fuel-grade ethanol and essential ingredients, and sales of fuel-grade ethanol sourced from third parties, (2) Pekin production, which includes the entire campus in Pekin, Illinois (“Pekin Campus”), and (3) other production, which includes all of the Company’s other production facilities on an aggregated basis (“Other production”).

Cash and Cash Equivalents – The Company considers all highly-liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company maintains its accounts at several financial institutions. These cash balances regularly exceed amounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; however, the Company does not believe it is exposed to any significant credit risk on these balances.

Restricted Cash – The Company’s restricted cash comprises cash collateral balances held in derivative brokerage accounts.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Credit Losses – Trade accounts receivable are presented at original invoice amount, net of the allowance for credit losses. The Company sells specialty alcohols to large consumer product companies, sells fuel-grade ethanol to gasoline refining and distribution companies, sells essential ingredients to animal feed customers, including distillers grains and other feed co-products to dairy operators and animal feedlots and corn oil to poultry and biodiesel customers, in each case generally without requiring collateral. Due to a limited number of customers, the Company had significant concentrations of credit risk from sales as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, as described below. 

The carrying amount of accounts receivable is reduced by a valuation allowance that reflects the Company’s best estimate of the amounts that will not be collected. The Company regularly reviews accounts receivable and based on assessments of current customer creditworthiness, estimates the portion, if any, of the customer balance that will not be collected.

Of the accounts receivable balance, approximately $55,667,000 and $63,929,000 at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, were used as collateral under Kinergy’s operating line of credit. The allowance for credit losses was $105,000 and $378,000 as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company recorded a bad debt recovery of $217,000, and bad debt expenses of $158,000 and $245,000 for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Company does not have any off-balance sheet credit exposure related to its customers.

Concentration Risks – Credit risk represents the accounting loss that would be recognized at the reporting date if counterparties failed completely to perform as contracted. Concentrations of credit risk, whether on- or off-balance sheet, that arise from financial instruments exist for groups of customers or counterparties when they have similar economic characteristics that would cause their ability to meet contractual obligations to be similarly affected by changes in economic or other conditions described below. Financial instruments that subject the Company to credit risk consist of cash balances maintained in excess of federal depository insurance limits and accounts receivable which have no collateral or security. The Company has not experienced any significant losses in such accounts.

The Company sells specialty alcohols to consumer product companies and fuel-grade ethanol to gasoline refining and distribution companies. The Company sold to customers representing 10% or more of the Company’s total net sales, as follows.

The Company had accounts receivable due from these customers totaling $10,469,000 and $14,302,000, representing 15% and 16% of total accounts receivable, as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

The Company purchases corn, its largest cost component in producing alcohols, from its suppliers. The Company purchased corn from suppliers representing 10% or more of the Company’s total corn purchases, as follows:

As of December 31, 2022, approximately 44% of the Company’s employees were covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

Inventories – Inventories consisted primarily of bulk ethanol, specialty alcohols, corn, essential ingredients and unleaded fuel, and are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value, with cost determined on a first-in, first-out basis. Inventory is net of valuation adjustments of $4,612,000 and $0 as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Of the inventory balance, approximately $43,484,000 and $38,640,000 at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, were used as collateral under Kinergy’s operating line of credit. Inventory balances consisted of the following (in thousands):

Property and Equipment – Property and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:

The cost of normal maintenance and repairs is charged to operations as incurred. Significant capital expenditures that increase the life of an asset are capitalized and depreciated over the estimated remaining useful life of the asset. The cost of property and equipment sold, or otherwise disposed of, and the related accumulated depreciation or amortization are removed from the accounts, and any resulting gains or losses are reflected in current operations.

Intangible Assets – The Company amortizes intangible assets with definite lives using the straight-line method over their established lives of 10-12 years. Additionally, the Company assesses indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually, or more frequently if circumstances indicate impairment may have occurred. If the carrying value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. If the Company determines that an impairment charge is needed, the charge will be recorded as an asset impairment in the consolidated statements of operations.

Leases – The Company accounts for leases under ASC 842, whereby, lessees are required to recognize the following for all leases (with the exception of short-term leases) at the commencement date: (1) a lease liability, which is a lessee’s obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted cash flow basis; and (2) a “right of use” asset, which is an asset that represents the lessee’s right to use the specified asset for the lease term. See Note 10 for further information.

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities – Derivative transactions, which can include exchange-traded futures contracts, options and futures positions on the New York Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade, are recorded on the balance sheet as assets and liabilities based on the derivative’s fair value. Changes in the fair value of derivative contracts are recognized currently in income unless specific hedge accounting criteria are met. If derivatives meet those criteria, and hedge accounting is elected, effective gains and losses are deferred in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and later recorded together with the hedged item in consolidated income (loss). For derivatives designated as a cash flow hedge, the Company formally documents the hedge and assesses the effectiveness with associated transactions. The Company has designated and documented contracts for the physical delivery of commodity products to and from counterparties as normal purchases and normal sales.

Revenue Recognition – The Company recognizes revenue under ASC 606. The provisions of ASC 606 include a five-step process by which an entity will determine revenue recognition, depicting the transfer of goods or services to customers in amounts reflecting the payment to which an entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASC 606 requires the Company to apply the following steps: (1) identify the contract with the customer; (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (5) recognize revenue when, or as, the Company satisfies the performance obligation.

The Company recognizes revenue primarily from sales of alcohols and essential ingredients.

The Company has five production facilities from which it produces and sells alcohols to its customers through Kinergy. Kinergy enters into back-to-back sales contracts with its customers under exclusive intercompany sales agreements with each of the Company’s five production facilities. Kinergy also acts as a principal when it purchases third party fuel-grade ethanol which it resells to its customers. Finally, Kinergy has an exclusive sales agreement with a third-party owned fuel-grade ethanol production facility under which it sells the facility’s fuel-grade ethanol for a fee plus the costs to deliver the ethanol to Kinergy’s customers. These sales are referred to as third-party agent sales. Revenue from these third-party agent sales is recorded on a net basis, with Kinergy recognizing its predetermined fees and any associated delivery costs.

The Company has five production facilities from which it produces and sells essential ingredients to its customers through Alto Nutrients. Alto Nutrients enters into sales contracts with essential ingredient customers under exclusive intercompany sales agreements with each of the Company’s five production facilities.

The Company recognizes revenue from sales of alcohols and essential ingredients at the point in time when the customer obtains control of the products, which typically occurs upon delivery depending on the terms of the underlying contracts. In some instances, the Company enters into contracts with customers that contain multiple performance obligations to deliver volumes of alcohols or essential ingredients over a contractual period of less than 12 months. The Company allocates the transaction price to each performance obligation identified in the contract based on relative standalone selling prices and recognizes the related revenue as control of each individual product is transferred to the customer in satisfaction of the corresponding performance obligations.

When the Company is the agent, the supplier controls the products before they are transferred to the customer because the supplier is primarily responsible for fulfilling the promise to provide the product, has inventory risk before the product has been transferred to a customer and has discretion in establishing the price for the product. When the Company is the principal, the Company controls the products before they are transferred to the customer because the Company is primarily responsible for fulfilling the promise to provide the products, has inventory risk before the product has been transferred to a customer and has discretion in establishing the price for the product.

See Note 5 for the Company’s revenue by type of contracts.

Shipping and Handling Costs – The Company accounts for shipping and handling costs relating to contracts with customers as costs to fulfill its promise to transfer its products. Accordingly, the costs are classified as a component of cost of goods sold in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

Selling Costs – Selling costs associated with the Company’s product sales are classified as a component of selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

Stock-Based Compensation – The Company accounts for the cost of employee services received in exchange for the award of equity instruments based on the fair value of the award, determined on the date of grant. The expense is recognized over the period during which an employee is required to provide services in exchange for the award. The Company accounts for forfeitures as they occur. The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense as a component of either cost of goods sold or selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets – The Company assesses the impairment of long-lived assets, including property and equipment, internally developed software and purchased intangibles subject to amortization, when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the fair value of assets could be less than their net book value. In such event, the Company assesses long-lived assets for impairment by first determining the forecasted, undiscounted cash flows the asset group is expected to generate plus the net proceeds expected from the sale of the asset group. If this amount is less than the carrying value of the asset, the Company will then determine the fair value of the asset group. An impairment loss would be recognized when the fair value is less than the related asset group’s net book value, and an impairment expense would be recorded in the amount of the difference. Forecasts of future cash flows are judgments based on the Company’s experience and knowledge of its operations and the industries in which it operates. These forecasts could be significantly affected by future changes in market conditions, the economic environment, including inflation, and purchasing decisions of the Company’s customers. The Company performed an undiscounted cash flow analysis for its long-lived assets held-for-use, exclusive of the Company’s assets held-for-sale, and for those that failed step 1, the Company performed a further fair value assessment, resulting in an impairment of $2.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The Company’s assessment of assets held-for-use did not result in an impairment for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.

Deferred Financing Costs – Deferred financing costs are costs incurred to obtain debt financing, including all related fees, and are amortized as interest expense over the term of the related financing using the straight-line method, which approximates the effective interest rate method. Amortization of deferred financing costs, included in interest expense, net, in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations, was approximately $177,000, $778,000 and $1,394,000 for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Amortization was accelerated in 2020 to reflect increased payments of principal and the reduction of outstanding debt balances. Unamortized deferred financing costs were approximately $5,034,000 and $40,000 as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and are recorded as a reduction of long-term debt in the consolidated balance sheets.

Provision for Income Taxes – Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability approach, where deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities and are measured using enacted tax rates and laws that are expected to be in effect when the differences reverse. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized.

The Company accounts for uncertainty in income taxes using a two-step approach to recognizing and measuring uncertain tax positions. The first step is to evaluate the tax position for recognition by determining whether it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes, if any. The second step is to measure the tax benefit as the largest amount which is more than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. An uncertain tax position is considered effectively settled on completion of an examination by a taxing authority if certain other conditions are satisfied. Should the Company incur interest and penalties relating to tax uncertainties, such amounts would be classified as a component of interest expense, net, and other income (expense), net, respectively. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are classified as noncurrent in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

The Company files a consolidated federal income tax return. This return includes all wholly owned subsidiaries as well as the Company’s pro-rata share of taxable income from pass-through entities in which the Company owns less than 100%. State tax returns are filed on a consolidated, combined or separate basis depending on the applicable laws relating to the Company and its subsidiaries.

Income (Loss) Per Share – Basic income (loss) per share is computed on the basis of the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Preferred dividends are deducted from net income (loss) attributed to Alto Ingredients, Inc. and are considered in the calculation of income (loss) available to common stockholders in computing basic income (loss) per share. Common stock equivalents to preferred stock are considered participating securities and are also included in this calculation when dilutive.

The following tables compute basic and diluted earnings per share (in thousands, except per share data):

There were an aggregate of 964,000, 964,000 and 2,463,000 potentially dilutive shares from convertible securities outstanding for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. These convertible securities were not considered in calculating diluted loss per common share for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 as their effect would be anti-dilutive. In addition, there were an aggregate of 3,188,000, 8,900,500 and 5,031,000 weighted-average antidilutive shares from outstanding out-of-the-money warrants for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Financial Instruments – The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, notes receivable, derivative assets, accounts payable, accrued liabilities and derivative liabilities are reasonable estimates of their fair values because of the short maturity of these items. The Company believes the carrying value of its long-term debt instruments are not considered materially different than fair value because they were just recently issued.

Business Combinations – Business acquisitions are accounted for in accordance with FASB ASC 805 “Business Combinations”. FASB ASC 805 requires the reporting entity to identify the acquirer, determine the acquisition date, recognize and measure the identifiable tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed and recognize and measure goodwill or a gain from the purchase. Assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at their fair values and the excess of the purchase price over the amounts assigned is recorded as goodwill. Adjustments to fair value assessments are recorded to goodwill over the measurement period (not longer than twelve months).

Income from Cash Grant – For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company applied for and received $22,652,000 in cash from the USDA’s Biofuel Producer Program. The program was created as part of the CARES Act in 2020, which allocated $700,000,000 to support biofuel producers who experienced market losses due to the pandemic. The Company is not required to repay the grant. Since these funds are provided to subsidize historical losses of the Company, and are not required to be repaid, the Company accounted for the proceeds by analogy to International Accounting Standards 20, Accounting for Government Grants and Disclosure of Government Assistance, and reported the amount as income from cash grant in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

Employment-related Benefits – Employment-related benefits associated with pensions and postretirement health care are expensed based on actuarial analysis. The recognition of expense is affected by estimates made by management, such as discount rates used to value certain liabilities, investment rates of return on plan assets, increases in future wage amounts and future health care costs. Discount rates are determined based on a spot yield curve that includes bonds with maturities that match the expected timing of benefit payments under the plan.

Share Repurchase Program – On September 12, 2022, the Company announced a share repurchase program under which it may repurchase up to $50 million of its common stock with an initial purchase authorization of $10 million. The Company’s lender has further limited the Company’s purchase authorization to $5 million. Amounts in excess of the purchase authorization of $5 million will require additional lender consent and amounts in excess of the initial purchase authorization of $10 million will require additional board and preferred stockholder authorization. The share repurchase program does not have an expiration date, does not require the repurchase of any particular amount of shares, and may be implemented, modified, suspended or discontinued in whole or in part at any time and without further notice. As repurchases are made, the Company will retire the shares, resulting in a reduction of issued and outstanding shares. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company repurchased an aggregate of 351,000 shares for $1,325,000 in cash.

Estimates and Assumptions – The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates are required as part of determining the allowance for credit losses, net realizable value of inventory, long-lived asset impairments, fair value of warrants, valuation allowances on deferred income taxes and the potential outcome of future tax consequences of events recognized in the Company’s financial statements or tax returns, and the valuation of assets acquired and liabilities assumed as a result of business combinations. Actual results and outcomes may materially differ from management’s estimates and assumptions.

Subsequent Events – Management evaluates, as of each reporting period, events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet date through the date that the financial statements are issued for either disclosure or adjustment to the consolidated financial results.

Reclassifications – Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation. Such reclassifications had no effect on the consolidated net income (loss), working capital or stockholders’ equity reported in the consolidated statements of operations and consolidated balance sheets.