Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Debt

v3.22.4
Debt
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Debt [Abstract]  
DEBT

9. DEBT.

 

Long-term borrowings are summarized as follows (in thousands):

 

    December 31,
2022
    December 31,
2021
 
Kinergy line of credit   $ 18,076     $ 50,401  
Orion term loan     60,000      
 
      78,076       50,401  
Less unamortized debt discount     (4,686 )    
 
Less unamortized debt financing costs     (5,034 )     (40 )
Less current portion    
     
 
Long-term debt   $ 68,356     $ 50,361  

 

Kinergy Line of Credit – Kinergy has an operating line of credit for an aggregate amount of up to $100,000,000. The line of credit matures on November 7, 2027. The credit facility is based on Kinergy’s eligible accounts receivable and inventory levels, subject to certain concentration reserves. The credit facility is subject to certain other sublimits, including inventory loan limits. Interest accrues under the line of credit at a rate equal to (i) the daily Secured Overnight Financing Rate, plus (ii) a specified applicable margin ranging between 1.25% and 1.75%. The applicable margin was 1.50%, for a total rate of 5.90% at December 31, 2022. The credit facility’s monthly unused line fee is an annual rate equal to 0.25% to 0.375% depending on the average daily principal balance during the immediately preceding month. Payments that may be made by Kinergy to the Company as reimbursement for management and other services provided by the Company to Kinergy are limited under the terms of the credit facility to $1,500,000 per fiscal quarter. The credit facility also includes the accounts receivable of Alto Nutrients as additional collateral. Payments that may be made by Alto Nutrients to the Company as reimbursement for management and other services provided by the Company to Alto Nutrients are limited under the terms of the credit facility to $500,000 per fiscal quarter.

 

If the monthly excess borrowing availability of Kinergy and Alto Nutrients falls below certain thresholds, they are collectively required to maintain a fixed-charge coverage ratio (calculated as a twelve-month rolling earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization divided by the sum of interest expense, capital expenditures, principal payments of indebtedness, indebtedness from capital leases and taxes paid during such twelve-month rolling period) of at least 1.1 and are prohibited from incurring certain additional indebtedness (other than specific intercompany indebtedness).

 

The obligations of Kinergy and Alto Nutrients under the credit facility are secured by a first-priority security interest in all of their assets in favor of the lender. Alto Ingredients has guaranteed all of Kinergy’s obligations under the line of credit. As of December 31, 2022, Kinergy had $57.9 million in unused borrowing availability under the credit facility.

 

On November 7, 2022, Kinergy and Alto Nutrients entered into an Amendment No. 6 to its credit facility. Under the Amendment, the parties agreed, among other things, to extend the maturity date of the loans under the credit facility from 2023 to 2027. The parties also agreed to amend the fixed-charge coverage ratio from not less than 2.00 to 1.00 to not less than 1.10 to 1.00 and amended the amount of cash distributions that Kinergy or Alto Nutrients could make to the Company from up to 50% of excess cash flow to up to 75% of excess cash flow.

 

Orion Term Loan – On November 7, 2022, the Company entered into a credit agreement with certain funds managed by Orion Infrastructure Capital (collectively, the “Lenders”), and OIC Investment Agent, LLC, as administrative agent and collateral agent (“OIC”), under which the Lenders agreed to extend a senior secured credit facility in the amount of up to $125,000,000 (the “Term Loan”). The Term Loan is secured by a first priority lien on certain assets of the Company and a second priority lien on certain assets of Kinergy and Alto Nutrients.

 

The Lenders agreed to advance to the Company up to $100,000,000, with up to an additional $25,000,000 upon the satisfaction of certain conditions. The Company also agreed to issue to the Lenders upon its first funding request, an aggregate of 1,282,051 shares of the Company’s common stock, and up to an additional 320,513 shares of the Company’s common stock upon additional funding or fundings.

 

On November 23, 2022, the Company received its initial funding of $60,000,000 and issued 1,282,051 shares of common stock. As of December 31, 2022, the amount outstanding under the Term Loan was $60,000,000. The Company allocated $3,912,000 of the loan proceeds to additional paid-in capital for the common stock issued based on the relative fair values of the debt and equity instruments and recorded a corresponding amount as a debt issuance discount that will be amortized to interest expense over the term of the loan.

 

Interest accrues on the unpaid principal amount of the Term Loan at a fixed rate of 10% per annum. The Term Loan matures on November 7, 2028, or earlier upon acceleration.

 

The Company must prepay amounts outstanding under the Term Loan on a semi-annual basis beginning with the six-month period ending December 31, 2023 in an amount equal to a percentage of the Company’s excess cash flow based on a specified leverage ratio, as follows: (i) if the leverage ratio is greater than or equal to 3.0x, then the mandatory prepayment amount will equal 100% of the Company’s excess cash flow, (ii) if the leverage ratio is less than 3.0x and greater than or equal to 1.5x, then the mandatory prepayment amount will equal 50% of the Company’s excess cash flow and (iii) if the leverage ratio is less than 1.5x, then the mandatory prepayment amount will equal 25% of the Company’s excess cash flow.

 

The terms and conditions of the Term Loan also contain customary representations, warranties, covenants and other obligations, including events of default, and other customary terms and conditions.

 

Registration Rights Agreement - On November 7, 2022, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement with the Lenders and agreed to register for resale with the Securities and Exchange Commission the shares of common stock issued to the Lenders under the Term Loan. The related registration statement has been declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Pekin Loans – On December 15, 2016, Alto Pekin entered into a credit agreement with 1st Farm Credit Services, PCA and CoBank, ACB, (“CoBank”). Under the terms of the agreement, Alto Pekin borrowed from 1st Farm Credit Services $64.0 million under a term loan facility that was to mature on August 20, 2021 and up to $32.0 million under a revolving term loan facility that was to mature on February 1, 2022. These loans were secured by a first-priority security interest in all of Alto Pekin’s assets.

 

On November 5, 2021, the Company repaid in full the outstanding balances on these loans.

 

ICP Loans — On September 15, 2017, ICP, Compeer Financial, PCA, or Compeer, and CoBank as agent, entered into a credit agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, ICP borrowed from Compeer $24.0 million under a term loan facility that was to mature on September 20, 2021, and up to $18.0 million under a revolving term loan facility that was to mature on September 1, 2022. These loans were secured by a first-priority security interest in all of ICP’s assets.

 

On November 5, 2021, the Company repaid in full the outstanding balances on these loans.

 

Parent Notes Payable – On December 12, 2016, the Company entered into a Note Purchase Agreement with five accredited investors and sold $55.0 million in aggregate principal amount of senior secured notes to the investors in a private offering for aggregate gross proceeds of 97% of the principal amount of the notes sold. On June 26, 2017, the Company entered into a second Note Purchase Agreement with five accredited investors and sold an additional $13.9 million in aggregate principal amount of senior secured notes to the investors in a private offering for aggregate gross proceeds of 97% of the principal amount of the notes sold (and collectively with the notes previously sold, the “Notes”). The Notes were secured by a first-priority security interest in all of the Company’s equity interests in Alto Op Co.

 

On May 14, 2021, with proceeds from the Company’s sale of its Madera, California facility, the Company repaid $19.3 million of principal on the Notes, resulting in an aggregate remaining balance of $0.7 million.

 

On November 5, 2021, the Company repaid the remaining outstanding balance on the Notes.

 

CARES Act Loans – On May 4, 2020, Alto Ingredients and Alto Pekin, received loan proceeds from Bank of America, NA under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), through the Paycheck Protection Program administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”). Alto Ingredients received $6.0 million and Alto Pekin received $3.9 million in loan proceeds. Under the terms of the loans, certain amounts may be forgiven if they are used for qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act. In June 2021, the SBA approved Alto Pekin’s forgiveness application for the full amount of $3.9 million. In September 2021, the SBA approved Alto Ingredients’ forgiveness application for the full amount of $6.0 million. As a result, the Company recognized income from loan forgiveness of $9.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The SBA may audit the loan forgiveness applications and further examine eligibility for forgiveness, including the facts and circumstances existing at the time the loans were made. The Company can provide no assurance that any loan forgiven will not require repayment following an audit by the SBA.

 

Maturities of Long-term Debt – The Company’s long-term debt matures as follows (in thousands):

 

December 31:

     
2027   $ 18,076  
2028     60,000  
    $ 78,076