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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-K

 

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019

 

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from ___ to ____

Commission file number 1-13905

 

COMPX INTERNATIONAL INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None.

 

Indicate by check mark:

If the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

If the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ☒    No   ☐

Whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registration was required to submit such files).    Yes  ☒    No   ☐

Whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company”, and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Whether the Registrant is a shell Company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

The aggregate market value of the 1.7 million shares of voting stock held by nonaffiliates of CompX International Inc. as of June 28, 2019 (the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter) approximated $28.3 million.

As of February 20, 2020, registrant had 12,443,057 shares of Class A common stock, $.01 par value per share, outstanding.

Documents incorporated by reference

The information required by Part III is incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s definitive proxy statement to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this report.

 

 

 

 

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PART I

 

General

CompX International Inc. (NYSE American: CIX), incorporated in Delaware in 1993, is a leading manufacturer of security products used in the recreational transportation, postal, office and institutional furniture, cabinetry, tool storage, healthcare and a variety of other industries.  We are also a leading manufacturer of stainless steel exhaust systems, gauges, throttle controls, wake enhancement systems and trim tabs for the recreational marine industry. Our products are principally designed for use in medium to high-end product applications where design, quality and durability are valued by our customers.

At December 31, 2019, (i) NL Industries, Inc. (NYSE: NL) owns 86% of our outstanding common stock, Valhi, Inc. (NYSE: VHI) owns 83% of NL’s outstanding common stock and a subsidiary of Contran Corporation owns 92% of Valhi’s outstanding common stock.  As discussed in Note 1 to our Consolidated Financial Statements, Lisa K. Simmons, Serena Simmons Connelly and a trust established for the benefit of Ms. Simmons and Ms. Connelly and their children and for which a third-party financial institution serves as trustee may be deemed to control Contran, Valhi, NL and us.

Our corporate offices are located at Three Lincoln Centre, 5430 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1700, Dallas, Texas 75240.  Our telephone number is (972) 448-1400.  We maintain a website at www.compx.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, references in this report to “we,” “us,” or “our” refer to CompX International Inc. and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended.  Statements in this Annual Report that are not historical facts are forward-looking in nature and represent management’s beliefs and assumptions based on currently available information.  In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “believes,” “intends,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “anticipates,” “expects” or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategies or trends.  Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we do not know if these expectations will be correct.  Such statements by their nature involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could significantly impact expected results.  Actual future results could differ materially from those predicted.  The factors that could cause actual future results to differ materially from those described herein are the risks and uncertainties discussed in this Annual Report and those described from time to time in our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and include, but are not limited to, the following:

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Should one or more of these risks materialize or if the consequences worsen, or if the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from those currently forecasted or expected.  We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement whether as a result of changes in information, future events or otherwise.

Industry Overview

We manufacture engineered components utilized in a variety of applications and industries. We manufacture mechanical and electrical cabinet locks and other locking mechanisms used in recreational transportation, postal, office and institutional furniture, cabinetry, tool storage and healthcare applications. We also manufacture stainless steel exhaust systems, gauges, throttle controls, wake enhancement systems and trim tabs for the recreational marine and other industries. We continuously seek to diversify into new markets and identify new applications and features for our products, which we believe provide a greater potential for higher rates of earnings growth as well as diversification of risk. See also Item 6 – “Selected Financial Data” and Item 7 – “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

Business Segments

We currently have two operating business segments – Security Products and Marine Components.  For additional information regarding our segments, see “Part II – Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Manufacturing, Operations and Products

Security Products.  Our Security Products segment manufactures mechanical and electrical cabinet locks and other locking mechanisms used in a variety of applications including ignition systems, mailboxes, file cabinets, desk drawers, tool storage cabinets, high security medical cabinetry, electronic circuit panels, storage compartments, gas station security, vending and cash containment machines.  Our Security Products segment has one manufacturing facility in Mauldin, South Carolina and one in Grayslake, Illinois which is shared with Marine Components.  We believe we are a North American market leader in the manufacture and sale of cabinet locks and other locking mechanisms.  These products include:

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A substantial portion of our Security Products’ sales consist of products with specialized adaptations to an individual customer’s specifications, some of which are listed above.  We also have a standardized product line suitable for many customers, which is offered through a North American distribution network to locksmith and smaller original equipment manufacturer distributors via our STOCK LOCKS^® distribution program.

Marine Components.  Our Marine Components segment manufactures and distributes stainless steel exhaust components, gauges, throttle controls, wake enhancement systems, trim tabs and related hardware and accessories primarily for performance and ski/wakeboard boats.  Our Marine Components segment has a facility in Neenah, Wisconsin and a facility in Grayslake, Illinois which is shared with Security Products.  Our specialty Marine Component products are high precision components designed to operate within tight tolerances in the highly demanding marine environment.  These products include:

For information regarding our three principal manufacturing facilities, see “Item 2 – Properties.”

 

Raw Materials

Our primary raw materials are:

These raw materials are purchased from several suppliers, are readily available from numerous sources and accounted for approximately 13% of our total cost of sales for 2019.  Total material costs, including purchased components, represented approximately 45% of our cost of sales in 2019.

We occasionally enter into short-term commodity-related raw material supply arrangements to mitigate the impact of future price increases in commodity-related raw materials, including zinc, brass and stainless steel.  These arrangements generally provide for stated unit prices based upon specified purchase volumes, which help us to stabilize our commodity-related raw material costs to a certain extent. During 2018, markets for the primary commodity-related raw materials used in the manufacture of our locking mechanisms, primarily zinc and brass, generally strengthened, but these markets moderated at the end of 2018 and remained relatively stable through 2019. Over that same period, the market for stainless steel, the primary raw material used for the manufacture of marine exhaust headers and pipes and wake enhancement systems, remained relatively stable. While we expect the markets for our primary commodity-related raw materials to remain stable during 2020, we recognize that economic conditions could introduce renewed volatility on these and other manufacturing materials. When purchased on the spot market, each of these raw materials may be subject to sudden and unanticipated price increases.  When possible, we seek to mitigate the impact of fluctuations in these raw material costs on our margins through improvements in production efficiencies or other operating cost reductions.  In the event we are unable to offset raw material cost increases with other cost reductions, it may be difficult to recover those cost increases through

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increased product selling prices or raw material surcharges due to the competitive nature of the markets served by our products.  Consequently, overall operating margins can be affected by commodity-related raw material cost pressures.  Commodity market prices are cyclical, reflecting overall economic trends, specific developments in consuming industries and speculative investor activities.

Patents and Trademarks

We hold a number of patents relating to our component products, certain of which we believe to be important to us and our continuing business activity.  Patents generally have a term of 20 years, and our patents have remaining terms ranging from 1 year to 15 years at December 31, 2019.  

Our major trademarks and brand names in addition to CompX^® include:

 

Sales, Marketing and Distribution

A majority of our component sales are direct to large OEM customers through our factory-based sales and marketing professionals supported by engineers working in concert with field salespeople and independent manufacturer’s representatives. We select manufacturer’s representatives based on special skills in certain markets or relationships with current or potential customers.

In addition to sales to large OEM customers, a substantial portion of our Security Products sales are made through distributors. We have a significant North American market share of cabinet lock security product sales as a result of the locksmith distribution channel. We support our locksmith distributor sales with a line of standardized products used by the largest segments of the marketplace. These products are packaged and merchandised for easy availability and handling by distributors and end users.

We sell to a diverse customer base with only one customer representing 10% or more of our sales in 2019 (United States Postal Service representing 14%). Our largest ten customers accounted for approximately 47% of our sales in 2019.

Competition

The markets in which we participate are highly competitive. We compete primarily on the basis of product design, including space utilization and aesthetic factors, product quality and durability, price, on-time delivery, service and technical support. We focus our efforts on the middle and high-end segments of the market, where product design, quality, durability and service are valued by the customer. Our Security Products segment competes against a number of domestic and foreign manufacturers. Our Marine Components segment competes with small domestic manufacturers and is minimally affected by foreign competitors.

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Regulatory and Environmental Matters

Our operations are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the use, storage, handling, generation, transportation, treatment, emission, discharge, disposal, remediation of and exposure to hazardous and non-hazardous substances, materials and wastes (“Environmental Laws”).  Our operations also are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to worker health and safety.  We believe we are in substantial compliance with all such laws and regulations.  To date, the costs of maintaining compliance with such laws and regulations have not significantly impacted our results.  We currently do not anticipate any significant costs or expenses relating to such matters; however, it is possible future laws and regulations may require us to incur significant additional expenditures.

Employees

As of December 31, 2019, we employed 547 people, all in the United States.  We believe our labor relations are good at all of our facilities.

Website and Available Information

Our fiscal year end is always the Sunday closest to December 31, and our operations are reported on a 52 or 53-week fiscal year.  For presentation purposes, annual and quarterly information in this Form 10-K are presented as ended on March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31, as applicable.  The actual date of our fiscal years ended December 31, 2017, 2018 and 2019 are December 31, 2017, December 30, 2018, and December 29, 2019, respectively. We furnish our stockholders with annual reports containing audited financial statements.  In addition, we file annual, quarterly and current reports; proxy and information statements and other information with the SEC.  We also make our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and all related amendments, available free of charge through our website at www.compx.com as soon as reasonably practical after they have been filed with the SEC.  We also provide to anyone, without charge, copies of the documents upon written request.  Requests should be directed to the attention of the Corporate Secretary at our address on the cover page of this Form 10-K.

Additional information, including our Audit Committee Charter, our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and our Corporate Governance Guidelines, can also be found on our website.  Information contained on our website is not a part of this Annual Report.

We are an electronic filer.  The SEC maintains an internet website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers, such as us, that file electronically with the SEC.

 

Listed below are certain risk factors associated with us and our businesses.  In addition to the potential effect of these risk factors discussed below, any risk factor which could result in reduced earnings, or increased operating losses, or reduced liquidity, could in turn adversely affect our ability to service our liabilities or pay dividends on our common stock or adversely affect the quoted market prices for our securities.

We operate in mature and highly competitive markets, resulting in pricing pressure and the need to continuously reduce costs.

Many of the markets we serve are highly competitive, with a number of competitors offering similar products.  We focus our efforts on the middle and high-end segment of the market where we feel that we can compete due to the importance of product design, quality and durability to the customer.  However, our ability to effectively compete is impacted by a number of factors.  The occurrence of any of these factors could result in reduced earnings or operating losses.

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Our development of innovative features for current products is critical to sustaining and growing our sales.

Historically, our ability to provide value-added custom engineered products that address requirements of technology and space utilization has been a key element of our success.  We spend a significant amount of time and effort to refine, improve and adapt our existing products for new customers and applications.  Since expenditures for these types of activities are not considered research and development expense under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), the amount of our research and development expenditures, which is not significant, is not indicative of the overall effort involved in the development of new product features.  The introduction of new product features requires the coordination of the design, manufacturing and marketing of the new product features with current and potential customers.  The ability to coordinate these activities with current and potential customers may be affected by factors beyond our control.  While we will continue to emphasize the introduction of innovative new product features that target customer-specific opportunities, we do not know if any new product features we introduce will achieve the same degree of success that we have achieved with our existing products.  Introduction of new product features typically requires us to increase production volume on a timely basis while maintaining product quality.  Manufacturers often encounter difficulties in increasing production volumes, including delays, quality control problems and shortages of qualified personnel or raw materials.  As we attempt to introduce new product features in the future, we do not know if we will be able to increase production volumes without encountering these or other problems, which might negatively impact our financial condition or results of operations.

Higher costs or unavailability of our raw materials could negatively impact our financial results.

Certain raw materials used in our products are commodities that are subject to significant fluctuations in price in response to world-wide supply and demand as well as speculative investor activity.  Zinc and brass are the principal raw materials used in the manufacture of security products.  Stainless steel and aluminum are the major raw materials used in the manufacture of marine components.  These raw materials are purchased from several suppliers and are generally readily available from numerous sources.  We occasionally enter into short-term raw material supply arrangements to mitigate the impact of future increases in commodity-related raw material costs.  Materials purchased outside of these arrangements are sometimes subject to unanticipated and sudden price increases.

Certain components used in our products are manufactured by foreign suppliers located in China and elsewhere. Global economic and political conditions, including natural disasters, terrorist acts, global conflicts and public heath crises such as the coronavirus, could prevent our vendors from being able to supply these components. Should our vendors not be able to meet their supply obligations or should we be otherwise unable to obtain necessary raw materials or components, we may incur higher supply costs or may be required to reduce production levels, either of which may decrease our liquidity or negatively impact our financial condition or results of operations as we may be unable to offset the higher costs with increases in our selling prices or reductions in other operating costs.

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Failure to protect our intellectual property rights or claims by others that we infringe their intellectual property rights could substantially harm our business.

We rely on patent, trademark and trade secret laws in the United States and similar laws in other countries to establish and maintain our intellectual property rights in our technology and designs.  Despite these measures, any of our intellectual property rights could be challenged, invalidated, circumvented or misappropriated.  Others may independently discover our trade secrets and proprietary information, and in such cases we could not assert any trade secret rights against such parties.  Further, we do not know if any of our pending trademark or patent applications will be approved.  Costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to enforce and determine the scope of our intellectual property rights.  In addition, the laws of certain countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States.  Therefore, in certain jurisdictions, we may be unable to protect our technology and designs adequately against unauthorized third party use, which could adversely affect our competitive position.

Third parties may claim that we or our customers are infringing upon their intellectual property rights.  Even if we believe that such claims are without merit, they can be time-consuming and costly to defend and distract our management’s and technical staff’s attention and resources.  Claims of intellectual property infringement also might require us to redesign affected technology, enter into costly settlement or license agreements or pay costly damage awards, or face a temporary or permanent injunction prohibiting us from marketing or selling certain of our technology.  If we cannot or do not license the infringed technology on reasonable pricing terms or at all, or substitute similar technology from another source, our business could be adversely impacted.

Global climate change legislation could negatively impact our financial results or limit our ability to operate our businesses.

All of our production facilities are located in the United States and we believe all of our production facilities are in substantial compliance with applicable environmental laws.  To date, legislation and regulatory actions related to climate change have not had a material adverse effect on our financial results.  However, if new legislation or regulatory actions related to climate change were to be enacted or implemented, it could negatively impact our future results from operations through increased costs of production, particularly as it relates to our energy requirements.  If such increased costs of production were to materialize, we may be unable to pass price increases on to our customers to compensate for increased production costs, which may decrease our liquidity, operating income and results of operations.

Technology failures or cyber security breaches could have a material adverse effect on our operations.

We rely on information technology systems to manage, process and analyze data, as well as to facilitate the manufacture and distribution of our products to and from our plants.  We receive, process and ship orders, manage the billing of and collections from our customers, and manage the accounting for and payment to our vendors. Although we have systems and procedures in place to protect our information technology systems, there can be no assurance that such systems and procedures would be sufficiently effective. Therefore, any of our information technology systems may be susceptible to outages, disruptions, or destruction as well as cyber security breaches or attacks, resulting in a disruption of our business operations, injury to people, harm to the environment or our assets, and/or the inability to access our information technology systems. If any of these events were to occur, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.  

None.

 

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Our principal executive offices are located in leased space at 5430 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, Texas 75240.  The following table sets forth the location, size and business operating segment for each of our principal operating facilities. 

 

SP – Security Products business segment

MC – Marine Components business segment

We believe all of our facilities are well maintained and satisfactory for their intended purposes.

We are involved, from time to time, in various environmental, contractual, product liability, patent (or intellectual property), employment and other claims and disputes incidental to our business.  See Note 10 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.  We currently believe that the disposition of all claims and disputes, individually or in the aggregate, should not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

Not applicable.

 

 

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PART II

Common Stock and Dividends.  Our Class A common stock is listed and traded on the NYSE American (symbol: CIX).  As of February 20, 2020, there were approximately 17 holders of record of CompX Class A common stock.

Performance Graph.  Set forth below is a line graph comparing the yearly change in our cumulative total stockholder returns on our Class A common stock against the cumulative total return of the Russell 2000 Index and an index of a self-selected peer group of companies for the period from December 31, 2014 through December 31, 2019.  The peer group index is comprised of The Eastern Company and Strattec Security Corporation.  The graph shows the value at December 31 of each year assuming an original investment of $100 at December 31, 2014 and reinvestment of dividends. 

 

Equity compensation plan information.  We have a share based incentive compensation plan, approved by our stockholders, pursuant to which an aggregate of 200,000 shares of our common stock can be awarded to non-employee members of our board of directors. At December 31, 2019, 149,050 shares are available for award under this plan.  See Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

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The following selected financial data should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Item 7 - “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

Our fiscal year end is always the Sunday closest to December 31, and our operations are reported on a 52 or 53-week fiscal year.  2015 was a 53-week year; all other years shown are 52-week years.

 

 

 

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Business Overview

We are a leading manufacturer of engineered components utilized in a variety of applications and industries.  Through our Security Products segment we manufacture mechanical and electrical cabinet locks and other locking mechanisms used in recreational transportation, postal, office and institutional furniture, cabinetry, tool storage and healthcare applications.  We also manufacture stainless steel exhaust systems, gauges, throttle controls, wake enhancement systems and trim tabs for the recreational marine and other industries through our Marine Components segment.

Operating Income Overview

We reported operating income of $17.7 million in 2019 compared to operating income of $17.8 million in 2018 and $15.2 million in 2017. Operating income in 2019 was comparable to operating income in 2018. The increase in operating income in 2018 over 2017 is primarily due to higher sales at both Security Products and Marine Components.

Our product offerings consist of a large number of products that have a wide variation in selling price and manufacturing cost, which results in certain practical limitations on our ability to quantify the impact of changes in individual product sales quantities and selling prices on our net sales, cost of sales and gross margin.  In addition, small variations in period-to-period net sales, cost of sales and gross margin can result from changes in the relative mix of our products sold.

Results of Operations - 2019 Compared to 2018 and 2018 Compared to 2017

 

Net Sales. Net sales increased approximately $6.0 million in 2019 compared to 2018 primarily due to higher Marine Components sales to the towboat market. Relative changes in selling prices did not have a material impact on net sales comparisons.

Net sales increased approximately $6.2 million in 2018 compared to 2017 primarily due to higher Marine Components sales volumes to manufacturers of ski/wakeboard boats and larger center-console boats, and to a lesser extent higher Security Products sales to certain markets, particularly transportation and office furniture. Relative changes in selling prices did not have a material impact on net sales comparisons.

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Cost of Sales and Gross Margin.  Cost of sales increased in 2019 compared to 2018 due to the effects of increased sales volumes for both Security Products and Marine Components and increased labor costs at Security Products.  As a result, gross margin as a percentage of sales decreased over the same period. The decrease in gross margin percentage is the result of the decline in Security Products gross margin percentage in 2019 as compared to 2018.

Cost of sales increased from 2017 to 2018 primarily due to increased sales volumes for both the Security Products and Marine Components segments. Gross margin dollars and gross margin as a percentage of sales increased from 2017 to 2018 primarily due to greater fixed cost leverage facilitated by higher production volumes for each of our business segments.

Operating Costs and Expenses. Operating costs and expenses consist primarily of sales and administrative-related personnel costs, sales commissions and advertising expenses directly related to product sales and administrative costs relating to business unit and corporate management activities, as well as gains and losses on sales of property and equipment.  Operating costs and expenses as a percentage of sales were comparable in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Operating Income. As a percentage of net sales, operating income decreased from 2018 to 2019 while operating income increased from 2017 to 2018. Operating margins were primarily impacted by the factors impacting cost of sales, gross margin and operating costs discussed above.  

General. Our profitability primarily depends on our ability to utilize our production capacity effectively, which is affected by, among other things, the demand for our products and our ability to control our manufacturing costs, primarily comprised of labor costs and materials.  The materials used in our products consist of purchased components and raw materials some of which are subject to fluctuations in the commodity markets such as zinc, brass and stainless steel. Total material costs represented approximately 45% of our cost of sales in 2019, with commodity-related raw materials accounting for approximately 13% of our cost of sales. During 2018, markets for the primary commodity-related raw materials used in the manufacture of our locking mechanisms, primarily zinc and brass, generally strengthened, but moderated at the end of 2018 and remained relatively stable through 2019. Over that same period, the market for stainless steel, the primary raw material used for the manufacture of marine exhaust headers and pipes and wake enhancement systems, remained relatively stable. While we expect the markets for our primary commodity-related raw materials to remain stable during 2020, we recognize that economic conditions could introduce renewed volatility on these and other manufacturing materials.

We occasionally enter into short-term commodity-related raw material supply arrangements to mitigate the impact of future increases in commodity related raw material costs.  See Item 1 - “Business- Raw Materials.”

  Interest Income. Interest income in 2019 increased compared to 2018 primarily due to higher average loan balances and higher interest rates on our loan to an affiliate as well as higher average investment balances and higher interest rates on our cash investments. Interest income in 2018 increased compared to 2017 primarily due to higher interest rates on our loan to an affiliate as well as our cash investments. See Note 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Provision for income taxes. A tabular reconciliation of our actual tax provision to the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate is included in Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.  As a member of the group of companies consolidated for U.S. federal income tax purposes with Contran, the parent of our consolidated U.S. federal income tax group, we compute our provision for income taxes on a separate company basis, using the tax elections made by Contran.

Our effective income tax rate was 23% in 2017, 25% in 2018 and 24% in 2019. On December 22, 2017, H.R.1, formally known as the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (“2017 Tax Act”) was enacted into law. This tax legislation, among other changes, (i) reduced the U.S Federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018; (ii) eliminated the domestic production activities deduction beginning in 2018; and (iii) allowed the expensing of certain capital expenditures. Following the enactment of the 2017 Tax Act, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) 118 to provide guidance on the accounting and reporting impacts of the 2017 Tax Act. SAB 118 required that companies account for changes related to the 2017 Tax Act in

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the period of enactment unless the impact of such changes could not be reasonably estimated. Such revaluation resulted in a non-cash deferred income tax benefit of $1.9 million recognized in continuing operations for the period ended December 31, 2017, reducing our net deferred income tax liability as of that date.  During 2018 we finalized our analysis of the 2017 Tax Act and recorded an immaterial adjustment within the defined measurement period. See Notes 7 and 10 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

While our effective income tax rate for 2018 was favorably impacted by the reduction in the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate from 35% to 21%, our effective income tax rate was higher in 2018 as compared to 2017 due to the $1.9 million non-cash deferred income tax benefit recognized in 2017 resulting from the revaluation of our net deferred income tax liability discussed above. Our effective income tax rate was lower in 2019 as compared to 2018 primarily due to recognizing a current cash tax benefit of $0.2 million in 2019 resulting from a deduction under the foreign derived intangible income provisions ($0.1 million of such current cash tax benefit is related to 2018).

Segment Results

The key performance indicator for our segments is the level of their operating income (see discussion below).  For additional information regarding our segments refer to Note 2 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

Security Products.  Security Products net sales increased 1% to $99.3 million in 2019 compared to $98.4 million in 2018, primarily due to higher sales to government security and medical cart manufacturing markets, partially offset by lower sales to the transportation, electronic control panel and distribution markets. As a percentage of sales, gross margin and operating income for 2019 declined as compared to 2018 primarily due to increased labor rates and associated payroll costs resulting from regional pressure on wages for certain skilled labor positions, partially offset by favorable medical costs.

Security Products net sales increased 2% to $98.4 million in 2018 compared to $96.6 million in 2017, primarily due to higher sales to the transportation and office furniture markets. As a percentage of sales, gross margin for 2018 increased slightly over 2017 due to lower production costs, including headcount reductions made during the second quarter of 2017, and improved coverage of fixed costs over increased production volumes.  Operating costs and expenses for 2018 were slightly lower than 2017.  As a result, Security Products operating income as a percentage of net sales for 2018 exceeded 2017.

 

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Marine Components. Marine Components net sales increased 26% in 2019 as compared to 2018 primarily due to increased sales to the towboat market, primarily wake enhancement systems and surf pipes to an original equipment boat manufacturer. Gross margin as a percentage of sales in 2019 was comparable to 2018. Operating income as a percentage of net sales increased in 2019 compared to 2018 principally due to improved leverage on operating costs and expenses facilitated by higher production volumes.

Marine Components net sales increased 29% in 2018 as compared to 2017 as a result of continued strong demand for our products, particularly those sold to the ski/wakeboard boat market as well as to manufacturers of large center-console boats and industrial customers. Gross margin and operating income as a percentage of net sales increased in 2018 compared to 2017 principally due to improved fixed cost leverage facilitated by higher production volumes.

Outlook. 2019 was a breakout year for our Marine Components segment which sustained the significant growth we experienced in the second half of 2018 for the full year of 2019. We expect growth of this segment to be more normalized in 2020. Our Security Products segment experienced modest sales growth in 2019; however we began to notice headwinds late in 2019 which may carry into 2020. In 2020, we plan to capitalize on the positive momentum our Marine Components segment has experienced over the last two years while maintaining strong results in our Security Products segment. We will continue to monitor economic conditions and sales order rates and respond to fluctuations in customer demand through continuous evaluation of staffing levels and consistent execution of our lean manufacturing and cost improvement initiatives. Additionally, we continue to seek opportunities to gain market share in markets we currently serve, to expand into new markets and to develop new product features in order to mitigate the impact of changes in demand as well as broaden our sales base.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our significant accounting policies are more fully described in Note 1 to our Consolidated Financial Statements. Our Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) which requires us to make estimates, judgments, and assumptions we believe are reasonable based on our historical experience, contract terms, observations of known trends in our company and the industry as a whole and information available from other outside sources. Our estimates affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from initial estimates.

We believe the most critical accounting policies and estimates involving significant judgments and estimates primarily relate to the considerations in the impairment assessments for goodwill and certain long-lived assets. We have discussed the development, selection and disclosure of our critical accounting estimates with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors.

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When performing a qualitative assessment considerable management judgment is necessary to evaluate the qualitative impact of events and circumstances on the fair value of a reporting unit.  Events and circumstances considered in our impairment evaluations, such as historical profits and stability of the markets served, are consistent with factors utilized with our internal projections and operating plan.  However, future events and circumstances could result in materially different findings which could result in the recognition of a material goodwill impairment.

Evaluations of possible impairment utilizing the two-step quantitative impairment test require us to estimate, among other factors: forecasts of future operating results, revenue growth, operating margin, tax rates, capital expenditures, depreciation, working capital, weighted average cost of capital, long-term growth rates, risk premiums, terminal values, and fair values of our reporting units and assets.  The goodwill impairment test is subject to uncertainties arising from such events as changes in competitive conditions, the current general economic environment, material changes in growth rate assumptions that could positively or negatively impact anticipated future operating conditions and cash flows, changes in the discount rate, and the impact of strategic decisions.  If any of these factors were to materially change such change may require revaluation of our goodwill.  Changes in estimates or the application of alternative assumptions could produce significantly different results.

In 2019, we used the qualitative assessment for our annual impairment test and determined it was not necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test, as we concluded it is more-likely- than-not the fair value of the security products reporting unit exceeded its carrying amount.  See Notes 1 and 5 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

Summary

Our primary source of liquidity on an on-going basis is our cash flow from operating activities, which is generally used to (i) fund capital expenditures, (ii) repay short-term or long-term indebtedness incurred primarily for capital expenditures, business combinations or buying back shares of our outstanding stock and (iii) provide for the payment of dividends (if declared).  From time-to-time, we may incur indebtedness to fund capital expenditures, business combinations or other investment activities.  In addition, from time-to-time, we may also sell assets outside the ordinary course of business, the proceeds of which are generally used to repay indebtedness (including indebtedness which may have been collateralized by the assets sold) or to fund capital expenditures or business combinations.

Consolidated cash flows

Operating activities.  Trends in cash flows from operating activities, excluding changes in assets and liabilities, for the last three years have generally been similar to the trends in our earnings.  Depreciation and amortization were comparable in each of 2019, 2018 and 2017. See Note 1 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Changes in assets and liabilities result primarily from the timing of production, sales and purchases.  Such changes in assets and liabilities generally tend to even out over time.  However, year-to-year relative changes in assets and liabilities can significantly affect the comparability of cash flows from operating activities. Cash provided by operating activities was $18.5 million in 2019 compared to $17.2 million in 2018.  The $1.3 million increase in cash provided by operating activities is primarily the net result of:  

Cash provided by operating activities was $17.2 million in 2018 compared to $12.6 million in 2017.  The $4.6 million increase in cash provided by operating activities is primarily the net result of:  

Relative changes in working capital can have a significant effect on cash flows from operating activities.  As shown below, our total average days sales outstanding decreased from December 31, 2018 to December 31, 2019 primarily as a result of the timing of sales and collections in the last month of 2019 as compared to 2018.  For comparative purposes, we have provided 2017 numbers below.

 

As shown below, our average number of days in inventory at December 31, 2019 is comparable to December 31, 2018. The variability in days in inventory among our segments primarily relates to the complexity of

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the production processes, and therefore the length of time it takes to produce end products, as well as seasonal cycles.  For comparative purposes, we have provided 2017 numbers below.

 

Investing activities.  Capital expenditures have primarily emphasized improving our manufacturing facilities and investing in manufacturing equipment, utilizing new technologies and increased automation of the manufacturing process, to provide for increased productivity and efficiency in order to meet expected customer demand and properly maintain our facilities and technology infrastructure.  Capital expenditures were $2.8 million in 2017, $3.1 million in 2018 and $3.2 million in 2019.  See Note 2 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.  

Capital expenditures for 2020 are estimated at approximately $4.0 million primarily to maintain and improve the cost-effectiveness of our facilities and equipment.  Capital spending for 2020 is expected to be funded through cash on hand and cash generated from operations.

We have entered into an unsecured revolving demand promissory note with Valhi whereby we have agreed to loan Valhi up to $40 million.  Our loan to Valhi, as amended, bears interest at prime rate plus 1.00%, payable quarterly, with all principal due on demand, but in any event no earlier than December 31, 2021.  Loans made to Valhi at any time under the agreement are at our discretion. During 2018, Valhi repaid a net $4.2 million under the promissory note for an outstanding balance of $34.0 million at December 31, 2018 ($46.8 million of gross borrowings and $51.0 million of gross repayments). During 2019, Valhi repaid a net $5.9 million under the promissory note for an outstanding balance of $28.1 million at December 31, 2019 ($34.9 million of gross borrowings and $40.8 million of gross repayments). See Note 9 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Financing activities.  Cash dividends paid totaled $2.5 million ($.20 per share, or $.05 per share per quarter) in each of 2017 and 2018 and $3.5 million ($.28 per share, or $.07 per share per quarter) in 2019. On February 26, 2020 our board of directors declared a first quarter 2020 dividend of $.10 per share, to be paid on March 19, 2020 to CompX stockholders of record as of March 9, 2020.  The declaration and payment of future dividends and the amount thereof, if any, is discretionary and is dependent upon our results of operations, financial condition, cash requirements for our businesses, contractual requirements and restrictions and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors.  The amount and timing of past dividends is not necessarily indicative of the amount or timing of any future dividends which we might pay.

Future Cash Requirements

We believe cash generated from operations together with cash on hand will be sufficient to meet our liquidity needs for working capital, capital expenditures, debt service and dividends (if declared) for the next twelve months and our long term obligations for the next five years.  To the extent that actual operating results or other developments differ materially from our expectations, our liquidity could be adversely affected.

All of our $63.3 million aggregate cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2019 were held in the U.S.

We periodically evaluate our liquidity requirements, alternative uses of capital, capital needs and available resources in view of, among other things, our capital expenditure requirements, dividend policy and estimated future operating cash flows.  As a result of this process, we have in the past and may in the future seek to raise additional capital, refinance or restructure indebtedness, issue additional securities, repurchase shares of our common stock, modify our dividend policy or take a combination of such steps to manage our liquidity and capital resources.  In the normal course of business, we may review opportunities for acquisitions, joint ventures or other business combinations in the component products industry.  In the event of any such transaction, we may consider using available cash, issuing additional equity securities or increasing our indebtedness or that of our subsidiaries.

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Off balance sheet financing arrangements  

Neither we nor any of our subsidiaries or affiliates are parties to any off-balance sheet financing arrangements.

Commitments and contingencies

As more fully described in the notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, we are a party to various agreements that contractually and unconditionally commit us to pay certain amounts in the future.  See Note 10 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.  The following table summarizes such contractual commitments as of December 31, 2019 by the type and date of payment.

 

The timing and amount shown for our commitments related to operating leases and fixed asset acquisitions are based upon the contractual payment amount and the contractual payment date for those commitments.  The timing and amount shown for purchase obligations, which consist of all open purchase orders and contractual obligations (primarily commitments to purchase raw materials), is also based on the contractual payment amount and the contractual payment date for those commitments.  The amount shown for income taxes is the consolidated amount of income taxes payable at December 31, 2019, which is assumed to be paid during 2020.  Fixed asset acquisitions include firm purchase commitments for capital projects.  

Recent accounting pronouncements

See Note 12 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

General.  We are exposed to market risk from changes in interest rates and raw materials prices.

Interest rates.  We are exposed to market risk from changes in interest rates, primarily related to our note receivable from affiliate.  The outstanding principal amount of the note receivable from affiliate of $28.1 million at December 31, 2019 bears interest at prime plus 1.0% (5.75% at December 31, 2019). We received interest income of $2.4 million from the note during 2019.  

Raw materials.  We will occasionally enter into short term commodity-related raw material supply arrangements to mitigate the impact of future increases in commodity-related raw material costs.  We do not have long-term supply agreements for our raw material requirements because either we believe the risk of unavailability of those raw materials is low and we believe the downside risk of price volatility to be too great or because long-term supply agreements for those materials are generally not available.  We do not engage in commodity raw material hedging programs.

The information called for by this Item is contained in a separate section of this Annual Report.  See “Index of Financial Statements” (page F-1).

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None.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures. We maintain disclosure controls and procedures which, as defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e), means controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file or submit to the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Act”), is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information we are required to disclose in the reports that we file or submit to the SEC under the Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions to be made regarding required disclosure. Our management with the participation of Scott C. James, our President and Chief Executive Officer, and Amy A. Samford, our Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the design and operating effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2019. Based upon their evaluation, these executive officers have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective as of the date of such evaluation.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.  Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting which, as defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f), means a process designed by, or under the supervision of, our principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, and effected by our board of directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), and includes those policies and procedures that:

Our evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting is based upon the framework established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in 2013 (commonly referred to as the “2013 COSO” framework).  Based on our evaluation under that framework, our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2019.

This annual report does not include an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting.  Management’s report was not subject to attestation by our registered public accounting firm pursuant to rules of the SEC that permit us to provide only management’s report in this annual report.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.  There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2019 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

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Certifications.  Our chief executive officer and chief financial officer are required to, among other things, quarterly file a certification with the SEC regarding the quality of our public disclosures, as required by Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.  We have filed the certifications for the quarter ended December 31, 2019 as exhibits 31.1 and 31.2 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Not applicable.

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PART III

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to our definitive Proxy Statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this report (“Proxy Statement”).

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement.

 

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement.

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement.  See also Note 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement.

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PART IV

(a) and (c) Financial Statements

The consolidated financial statements listed on the accompanying Index of Financial Statements (see page F-1) are filed as part of this Annual Report.

All financial statement schedules have been omitted either because they are not applicable or required, or the information that would be required to be included is disclosed in the notes to the consolidated financial statements.

We have retained a signed original of any of these exhibits that contain signatures, and we will provide such exhibits to the Commission or its staff.  Included as exhibits are the items listed in the Exhibit Index.  We, upon request, will furnish a copy of any of the exhibits listed below upon payment of $4.00 per exhibit to cover our costs of furnishing the exhibits.  Instruments defining the rights of holders of long-term debt issues which do not exceed 10% of consolidated total assets will be furnished to the Commission upon request.  Such requests should be directed to the attention of our Corporate Secretary at our corporate offices located at 5430 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1700, Dallas, Texas 75240.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

 

 

 

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Annual Report on Form 10-K

Items 8 and 15(a)

Index of Financial Statements

 

All financial statement schedules have been omitted either because they are not applicable or required, or the information that would be required to be included is disclosed in the notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

 

 

 

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of CompX International Inc.

 

Opinion on the Financial Statements

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of CompX International Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 29, 2019 and December 30, 2018, and the related consolidated statements of income, of stockholders’ equity and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 29, 2019, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 29, 2019 and December 30, 2018, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 29, 2019 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.  

 

Basis for Opinion

 

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management.  Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audits of these consolidated financial statements in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting.  Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

 

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

 

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Dallas, Texas

February 26, 2020

 

We have served as the Company's auditor since 1993.

 

 

 

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COMPX INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands)

 

F-3

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COMPX INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (CONTINUED)

(In thousands, except share data)

 

 

 

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

 

 

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COMPX INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(In thousands, except per share data)

 

 

 

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F-5

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COMPX INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Years ended December 31, 2017, 2018 and 2019

(In thousands, except per share data)

 

 

 

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

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COMPX INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

 

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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COMPX INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

December 31, 2019

Note 1 – Summary of significant accounting policies:

 

Organization.  We (NYSE American: CIX) are 86% owned by NL Industries, Inc. (NYSE: NL) at December 31, 2019.  We manufacture and sell component products (security products and recreational marine components).  At December 31, 2019, Valhi, Inc. (NYSE: VHI) owns 83% of NL’s outstanding common stock and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Contran Corporation owns 92% of Valhi’s outstanding common stock. A majority of Contran’s outstanding voting stock is held directly by Lisa K. Simmons and Serena Simmons Connelly and various family trusts established for the benefit of Ms. Simmons and Ms. Connelly and their children and for which Ms. Simmons or Ms. Connelly, as applicable, serves as trustee. In addition, each of Ms. Simmons and Ms. Connelly serves as co-chair of the Contran board of directors.  The remainder of Contran’s outstanding voting stock is held by another trust (the “Family Trust”), which was established for the benefit of Ms. Simmons and Ms. Connelly and their children and for which a third-party financial institution serves as trustee.  Consequently, at December 31, 2019, Ms. Simmons, Ms. Connelly and the Family Trust may be deemed to control Contran, and therefore may be deemed to indirectly control the wholly-owned subsidiary of Contran, Valhi, NL and us.  

Unless otherwise indicated, references in this report to “we,” “us,” or “our” refer to CompX International Inc. and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

Management estimates.  In preparing our financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) we are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at each balance sheet date and the reported amounts of our revenues and expenses during each reporting period.  Actual results may differ significantly from previously estimated amounts under different assumptions or conditions.

Principles of consolidation.  Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of CompX International Inc. and our wholly-owned subsidiaries.  We eliminate all material intercompany accounts and balances.

Fiscal year.  Our fiscal year end is always the Sunday closest to December 31, and our operations are reported on a 52 or 53-week fiscal year. Each of the years ended December 31, 2017, 2018 and 2019 consisted of 52 weeks.  For presentation purposes, annual and quarterly information in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes are presented as ended on March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31, as applicable. The actual date of our fiscal years are December 31, 2017, December 30, 2018, and December 29, 2019, respectively.

Cash and cash equivalents.  We classify bank time deposits and government and commercial notes and bills with original maturities of three months or less as cash equivalents.

Net sales.  Our sales involve single performance obligations to ship our products pursuant to customer purchase orders.  In some cases, the purchase order is supported by an underlying master sales agreement, but our purchase order verification notice generally evidences the contract with our customer by specifying the key terms of product and quantity ordered, price and delivery and payment terms. Effective January 1, 2018 with the adoption of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) (see Note 12), we record revenue when we satisfy our performance obligations to our customers by transferring control of our products to them, which generally occurs at point of shipment or upon delivery.  Such transfer of control is also evidenced by transfer of legal title and other risks and rewards of ownership (giving the customer the ability to direct the use of, and obtain substantially all of the benefits of, the product), and our customers becoming obligated to pay us and such payment being probable of occurring.  In certain arrangements we provide shipping and handling activities after the transfer of control to our customer (e.g. when control transfers prior to delivery). In such

F-8

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arrangements shipping and handling are considered fulfillment activities, and accordingly, such costs are accrued when the related revenue is recognized. Prior to the adoption of ASU 2014-09, we recorded sales when our products were shipped and title and other risks and rewards of ownership had passed to the customer, which was generally at the time of shipment (although in some instances shipping terms were FOB destination point, for which we did not recognize revenue until the product was received by our customers).

 

Revenue is recorded in an amount that reflects the net consideration we expect to receive in exchange for our products. Prices for our products are based on terms specified in published list prices and purchase orders, which generally do not include financing components, noncash consideration or consideration paid to our customers. As our standard payment terms are less than one year, we have elected the practical expedient under ASC 606 and we have not assessed whether a contract has a significant financing component. We state sales net of price, early payment and distributor discounts as well as volume rebates (collectively, variable consideration). Variable consideration, to the extent present, is not material and is recognized as the amount to which we are most-likely to be entitled, using all information (historical, current and forecasted) that is reasonably available to us, and only to the extent that a significant reversal in the amount of the cumulative revenue recognized is not probable of occurring in a future period.  Differences, if any, between estimates of the amount of variable consideration to which we will be entitled and the actual amount of such variable consideration have not been material in the past. We report any tax assessed by a governmental authority that we collect from our customers that is both imposed on and concurrent with our revenue-producing activities (such as sales, use, value added and excise taxes) on a net basis (meaning we do not recognize these taxes either in our revenues or in our costs and expenses).

 

Frequently, we receive orders for products to be delivered over dates that may extend across reporting periods. We invoice for each delivery upon shipment and recognize revenue for each distinct shipment when all sales recognition criteria for that shipment have been satisfied. As scheduled delivery dates for these orders are within a one year period, under the optional exemption provided by ASC 606, we do not disclose sales allocated to future shipments of partially completed contracts.

 

ASU 2014-09 requires a disaggregation of our sales into categories that depict how the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows are affected by economic factors. We have determined such disaggregation of our sales is the same as the disclosure of our sales by segment.  See Note 2.

Accounts receivable.  We provide an allowance for doubtful accounts for known and estimated potential losses arising from our sales to customers based on a periodic review of these accounts.

Inventories and cost of sales.  We state inventories at the lower of cost or net realizable value. We record a provision for obsolete and slow-moving inventories.  We generally base inventory costs for all inventory categories on average cost that approximates the first-in, first-out method.  Inventories include the costs for raw materials, the cost to manufacture the raw materials into finished goods and overhead.  Depending on the inventory’s stage of completion, our manufacturing costs can include the costs of packing and finishing, utilities, maintenance and depreciation, shipping and handling, and salaries and benefits associated with our manufacturing process.  We allocate fixed manufacturing overhead costs based on normal production capacity.  Unallocated overhead costs resulting from periods with abnormally low production levels are charged to expense as incurred.  As inventory is sold to third parties, we recognize the cost of sales in the same period that the sale occurs.  We periodically review our inventory for estimated obsolescence or instances when inventory is no longer marketable for its intended use, and we record any write-down, equal to the difference between the cost of inventory and its estimated net realizable value, based on assumptions about alternative uses, market conditions and other factors.

Selling, general and administrative expenses; advertising costs.  Selling, general and administrative expenses include costs related to marketing, sales, distribution, research and development and administrative functions such as accounting, treasury and finance, and include costs for salaries and benefits, travel and entertainment, promotional materials and professional fees.  We expense advertising and research and development costs as incurred.  Advertising costs were not significant in 2017, 2018 or 2019.

Goodwill.  Goodwill represents the excess of cost over fair value of individual net assets acquired in business combinations.  Goodwill is not subject to periodic amortization.  We evaluate goodwill for impairment annually or when circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable.  See Note 5.

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Property and equipment; depreciation expense.  We state property and equipment, including purchased computer software for internal use, at cost.  We compute depreciation of property and equipment for financial reporting purposes principally by the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of 15 to 40 years for buildings and 3 to 20 years for equipment and software.  We use accelerated depreciation methods for income tax purposes, as permitted. Upon sale or retirement of an asset, the related cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any gain or loss is recognized in income currently.  Expenditures for maintenance, repairs and minor renewals are expensed; expenditures for major improvements are capitalized.

We perform impairment tests when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable.  We consider all relevant factors.  We perform the impairment test by comparing the estimated future undiscounted cash flows associated with the asset to the asset’s net carrying value to determine if impairment exists.

Leases. We enter into various arrangements (or leases) that convey the rights to use and control identified underlying assets for a period of time in exchange for consideration. We lease various facilities and equipment. From time to time, we may also enter into an arrangement in which the right to use and control an identified underlying asset is embedded in another type of contract. We determine if an arrangement is a lease (including leases embedded in another type of contract) at inception. All of our leases are classified as operating leases under ASC Topic 842 Leases. Operating leases are not material.

Employee benefit plans.  We maintain various defined contribution plans in which we make contributions based on matching or other formulas.  Defined contribution plan expense approximated $2.4 million in 2017, $3.0 million in 2018 and $3.2 million in 2019.

Self-insurance.  We are partially self-insured for workers’ compensation and certain employee health benefits and self-insured for most environmental issues.  We purchase coverage in order to limit our exposure to significant workers’ compensation or employee health benefit claims.  We accrue self-insured losses based upon estimates of the aggregate liability for uninsured claims incurred using certain actuarial assumptions followed in the insurance industry and our own historical claims experience.

Income taxes.  We, and our parent NL, are members of the Contran Tax Group.  We have been and currently are a part of the consolidated tax returns filed by Contran for U.S. federal purposes as well as for certain U.S. state jurisdictions.  As a member of the Contran Tax Group, we are jointly and severally liable for the federal income tax liability of Contran and the other companies included in the Contran Tax Group for all periods in which we are included in the Contran Tax Group. See Note 10.

As a member of the Contran Tax Group, we are a party to a tax sharing agreement which provides that we compute our provision for U.S. income taxes on a separate-company basis.  Pursuant to the tax sharing agreement, we make payments to or receive payments from NL in amounts we would have paid to or received from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or the applicable state tax authority had we not been a member of the Contran Tax Group.  The separate company provisions and payments are computed using the tax elections made by Contran. We made net cash payments for income taxes to NL of $6.7 million in 2017, $4.3 million in 2018 and $5.0 million in 2019.

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the income tax and financial reporting carrying amounts of assets and liabilities.  Deferred income tax assets and liabilities for each tax-paying jurisdiction in which we operate are netted and presented as either a noncurrent deferred income tax asset or liability, as applicable.  We periodically evaluate our deferred tax assets in the various taxing jurisdictions in which we operate and adjust any related valuation allowance based on the estimate of the amount of deferred tax assets which we believe do not meet the more-likely-than-not recognition criteria.  See Notes 7 and 10.

We record a reserve for uncertain tax positions for tax positions where we believe it is more-likely-than-not our position will not prevail with the applicable tax authorities.  We did not have a reserve for uncertain tax positions in 2017, 2018 or 2019.

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Note 2 – Business and geographic segments:

Our operating segments are defined as components of our operations about which separate financial information is available that is regularly evaluated by our chief operating decision maker in determining how to allocate resources and in assessing performance.  At December 31, 2019, we had two reportable operating segments – Security Products and Marine Components.

The Security Products segment, with a facility in South Carolina and a facility shared with Marine Components in Illinois, manufactures locking mechanisms and other security products for sale to the transportation, postal, office and institutional furniture, cabinetry, tool storage, healthcare and other industries.

Our Marine Components segment, with a facility in Wisconsin and a facility shared with Security Products in Illinois, manufactures and distributes stainless steel exhaust systems, gauges, throttle controls, wake enhancement systems, trim tabs and related hardware and accessories primarily for performance and ski/wakeboard boats.

The chief operating decision maker evaluates segment performance based on segment operating income, which is defined as income before income taxes, exclusive of certain general corporate income and expense items (primarily interest income) and certain non-recurring items (such as gains or losses on the disposition of long-lived assets outside the ordinary course of business).  The accounting policies of the reportable operating segments are the same as those described in Note 1.  Capital expenditures include additions to property and equipment, but exclude amounts attributable to business combinations.

Segment assets are comprised of all assets attributable to the reportable segments.  Corporate assets are not attributable to the operating segments and consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents and note receivable from affiliate.  For geographic information, the point of origin (place of manufacture) for all net sales is the U.S., the point of destination for net sales is based on the location of the customer, and property and equipment are attributable to their physical location.  Intersegment sales are not material.

 

 

 

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Intersegment sales are not material.

 

Net property and equipment for 2017, 2018 and 2019 is entirely located in the United States.

Note 3 – Accounts receivable, net:

 

 

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Note 4 – Inventories:

 

 

Note 5 – Goodwill:

We assign goodwill based on reporting unit (as that term is defined in ASC Topic 350-20-20, Goodwill) which corresponds to our operating segments. All of our net goodwill relates to our Security Products segment and was generated from acquisitions relating to our Security Products segment prior to 2001. We test for goodwill impairment at the reporting unit level. In accordance with the requirements of ASC Topic 350-20-20, we review goodwill for each of our reporting units for impairment during the third quarter of each year or when circumstances arise that indicate an impairment might be present.

In 2017, 2018 and 2019, our goodwill was tested for impairment only in the third quarter of each year in connection with our annual testing date. No impairment was indicated as part of such annual reviews of goodwill.  As permitted by GAAP, during 2017, 2018 and 2019 we used the qualitative assessment of ASC 350-20-35 for our annual impairment test and determined it was not necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test.  During 2016, we used the quantitative assessment of ASC 350-20-35 for our annual impairment test using discounted cash flows to determine the estimated fair value of our Security Products reporting unit. Such discounted cash flows are a Level 3 input as defined by ASC 820-10-35.  

Our gross goodwill at December 31, 2019 is $33.6 million. Prior to 2017, we recorded a $9.9 million goodwill impairment in our Marine Components segment resulting in a net consolidated carrying amount of $23.7 million. There have been no changes in the carrying amount of our goodwill during the past three years.

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Note 6 – Accounts payable and accrued liabilities:

 

 

Note 7 – Income taxes:

The provision for income taxes and the difference between such provision for income taxes and the amount that would be expected using the U.S. federal statutory income tax are presented below.  All of our pre-tax income relates to operations in the United States.

 

On December 22, 2017, H.R.1, formally known as the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (“2017 Tax Act”) was enacted into law. This tax legislation, among other changes, (i) reduced the federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018; (ii) eliminated the domestic production activities deduction beginning in 2018; and (iii) allows for the expensing of certain capital expenditures. Following the enactment of the 2017 Tax Act, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) 118 to provide guidance on the accounting and reporting impacts of the 2017 Tax Act. SAB 118 required that companies account for changes related to the 2017 Tax Act in the period of enactment unless the impact of such changes could not be reasonably estimated.  Where the use of estimated provisional amounts was necessary, SAB 118 provided for a measurement period of no longer than one year during which companies could adjust those amounts as additional information became available. Therefore, as required under GAAP, we revalued our net deferred tax liability associated with our net taxable temporary differences based on deferred tax balances as of the enactment date to reflect the effect of the reduction in the corporate income tax rate. Our temporary differences as of December 31, 2017 were not materially different from our temporary differences as of the enactment date, accordingly revaluation of our net taxable

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temporary differences was based on our net deferred tax liability as of December 31, 2017. Such revaluation resulted in a non-cash deferred income tax benefit of approximately $1.9 million recognized in continuing operations for the period ended December 31, 2017, reducing our net deferred income tax liability as of that date.  During 2018 we finalized our analysis of the 2017 Tax Act and recorded an immaterial adjustment within the defined measurement period.

Under the 2017 Tax Act, beginning in 2018, domestic corporations who are U.S. exporters with no foreign operations may be eligible for a deduction under the foreign derived intangible income provisions.  We qualify for this deduction and recognized a current cash tax benefit of $0.2 million in 2019 ($0.1 million of such current cash tax benefit is related to 2018). See also Note 10 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

The components of the net deferred tax liability are summarized below.

We and Contran file income tax returns in U.S. federal and various state and local jurisdictions.  Our income tax returns prior to 2016 are generally considered closed to examination by applicable tax authorities.

Note 8 – Stockholders’ equity:

Class A and Class B common stock. At our 2018 annual meeting of stockholders held May 23, 2018, our stockholders approved our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation, which among other things added a right for each holder of shares of our Class B common stock, at its option, to convert any or all of those shares into the same number of shares of our Class A common stock. Previously, shares of our Class B common stock were convertible into the same number of Class A common shares only under certain specified conditions. The shares of our Class A and Class B common stock were otherwise identical in all respects, except for certain voting rights in which holders of our shares of Class B common stock were entitled to ten votes per share for election of our directors and one vote per share on all other matters presented to our stockholders for their approval. Holders of our shares of Class A common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters. Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation became effective on July 17, 2018 when we filed such certificate with the Delaware Secretary of State.  Immediately after such effectiveness, NL, which owned all of the 10,000,000 issued and outstanding shares of our Class B common stock, converted such Class B shares into 10,000,000 shares of our

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Class A common stock.  This conversion eliminated the dual-class voting structure with respect to election of our directors, providing for equal voting rights with respect to the election of directors for all shares of common stock and providing for uniform and equivalent corporate governance rights to all holders of our common stock.  The rights of holders of Class A common stock were not otherwise affected, and the conversion did not affect the calculation of our earnings per share and had no impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity. The second amended and restated certificate of incorporation did not permit the reissuance or resale of any of the shares of Class B common stock which were converted. On November 5, 2018, upon the filing of a Certificate of Retirement with respect to the shares of Class B common stock with the Delaware Secretary of State, the shares of Class B common stock were retired, and our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation was amended to eliminate all references to the Class B common stock. Following the conversion and subsequent retirement of our shares of Class B common stock, our authorized capital stock consists of 20,000,000 shares of Class A common stock and 1,000 shares of preferred stock.

Share repurchases and cancellations.  Prior to 2017, our board of directors authorized various repurchases of shares of our Class A common stock in open market transactions, including block purchases, or in privately-negotiated transactions at unspecified prices and over an unspecified period of time.  We may repurchase our common stock from time to time as market conditions permit.  The stock repurchase program does not include specific price targets or timetables and may be suspended at any time.  Depending on market conditions, we may terminate the program prior to its completion.  We will generally use cash on hand to acquire the shares.  Repurchased shares will be added to our treasury and cancelled.  We made no treasury purchases during 2017, 2018 or 2019 and at December 31, 2019, approximately 678,000 shares were available for purchase under these authorizations.

Incentive compensation plan.  We have a share based incentive compensation plan pursuant to which an aggregate of up to 200,000 shares of our common stock can be awarded to non-employee members of our board of directors.  All of the Class A common shares we issued in 2017, 2018 and 2019 were issued under this plan.  At December 31, 2019, 149,050 shares were available for award under this plan.

Dividends.  We paid regular quarterly dividends of $.05 per share during 2017 and 2018 and $0.07 per during 2019. Declaration and payment of future dividends and the amount thereof, if any, is discretionary and dependent upon our results of operations, financial condition, cash requirements for our businesses, contractual requirements and restrictions and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors.

Note 9 – Related party transactions:

We may be deemed to be controlled by Ms. Lisa Simmons, Ms. Serena Connelly and the Family Trust.  See Note 1.  Corporations that may be deemed to be controlled by or affiliated with these individuals sometimes engage in (a) intercorporate transactions such as guarantees, management and expense sharing arrangements, shared fee arrangements, joint ventures, partnerships, loans, options, advances of funds on open account, and sales, leases and exchanges of assets, including securities issued by both related and unrelated parties and (b) common investment and acquisition strategies, business combinations, reorganizations, recapitalizations, securities repurchases, and purchases and sales (and other acquisitions and dispositions) of subsidiaries, divisions or other business units, which transactions have involved both related and unrelated parties and have included transactions that resulted in the acquisition by one related party of a publicly-held minority equity interest in another related party.  We continuously consider, review and evaluate, and understand that Contran and related entities consider, review and evaluate such transactions.  Depending upon the business, tax and other objectives then relevant, it is possible that we might be a party to one or more such transactions in the future.

From time to time, we may have loans and advances outstanding between us and various related parties pursuant to term and demand notes.  We generally enter into these loans and advances for cash management purposes.  When we loan funds to related parties, we are generally able to earn a higher rate of return on the loan than we would earn if we invested the funds in other instruments.  While certain of these loans may be of a lesser credit quality than cash equivalent instruments otherwise available to us, we believe we have evaluated the credit risks in the terms of the applicable loans.  In this regard, prior to 2017, we entered into an unsecured revolving demand promissory note with Valhi whereby we have agreed to loan Valhi up to $40 million.  Our loan to Valhi, as amended, bears interest at prime plus 1.00%, payable quarterly, with all principal due on demand, but in any event

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no earlier than December 31, 2021.  Loans made to Valhi at any time under the agreement are at our discretion. At the end of our fiscal year in 2018 and 2019, the outstanding principal balance receivable from Valhi under the promissory note was $34.0 million and $28.1 million, respectively.  Interest income (including unused commitment fees) on our loan to Valhi was $1.8 million in 2017, $2.1 million in 2018 and $2.4 million in 2019.  On December 31, 2019 (two days after our 2019 fiscal year, but on the last day of the fiscal year for Valhi), we loaned $5.7 million to Valhi, increasing the outstanding principal balance receivable from Valhi under the promissory note to $33.8 million.

Under the terms of an Intercorporate Service Agreement (“ISA”) with Contran, employees of Contran perform certain management, tax planning, financial, legal and administrative services for us on a fee basis. Such fees are based upon estimates of time devoted to our affairs by individual Contran employees and the compensation of such persons.  Because of the large number of companies affiliated with Contran, we believe we benefit from cost savings and economies of scale gained by not having certain management, financial and administrative staffs duplicated at each entity, thus allowing certain individuals to provide services to multiple companies but only be compensated by one entity.  Fees pursuant to these agreements aggregated $2.8 million in 2017, $3.5 million in 2018 and $3.4 million in 2019.

Contran and certain of its subsidiaries and affiliates, including us, purchase certain of their insurance policies as a group, with the costs of the jointly-owned policies being apportioned among the participating companies. Tall Pines Insurance Company (“Tall Pines”) and EWI RE, Inc. (“EWI”), each subsidiaries of Valhi, provide for or broker certain insurance policies for Contran and certain of its subsidiaries and affiliates, including us. Tall Pines purchases reinsurance from third-party insurance carriers with an A.M. Best Company rating of generally at least A-(Excellent) for substantially all of the risks it underwrites.  Consistent with insurance industry practices, Tall Pines and EWI receive commissions from the insurance and reinsurance underwriters and/or assess fees for the policies that they provide or broker. Prior to our sale of EWI’s insurance and risk management business to a third party in November 2019, EWI brokered certain insurance policies, provided claims and risk management services and, where appropriate, engaged certain third-party risk management consultants. The aggregate premiums we paid to Tall Pines and EWI were approximately $2.2 million in 2017, $2.0 million in 2018 and $2.3 million through the date of the sale in 2019.  These amounts principally represent insurance premiums paid to Tall Pines or EWI, including amounts paid to EWI that EWI then remitted, net of brokerage commissions, to insurers. These amounts also include payments to insurers or reinsurers through EWI for the reimbursement of claims within our applicable deductible or retention ranges that such insurers and reinsurers paid to third parties on our behalf, as well as amounts for claims and risk management services and various other third-party fees and expenses incurred by the program.  We expect that the relationship with Tall Pines will continue in 2020, except that a third-party brokerage and risk management company is now the broker for Contran’s insurance policies and Tall Pines’ reinsurance policies.  

With respect to certain of such jointly-owned insurance policies, it is possible that unusually large losses incurred by one or more insureds during a given policy period could leave the other participating companies without adequate coverage under that policy for the balance of the policy period. As a result, and in the event that the available coverage under a particular policy would become exhausted by one or more claims, Contran and certain of its subsidiaries and affiliates, including us, have entered into a loss sharing agreement under which any uninsured loss arising because the available coverage had been exhausted by one or more claims will be shared ratably amongst those entities that had submitted claims under the relevant policy. We believe the benefits in the form of reduced premiums and broader coverage associated with the group coverage for such policies justifies the risk associated with the potential for any uninsured loss.

Note 10 – Commitments and contingencies:

Legal proceedings.  We are involved, from time to time, in various environmental, contractual, product liability, patent (or intellectual property), employment and other claims and disputes incidental to our business.  We currently believe the disposition of all claims and disputes, individually or in the aggregate, should not have a material long-term adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

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Environmental matters and litigation.  Our operations are governed by various federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations.  Our policy is to comply with environmental laws and regulations at all of our facilities and to continually strive to improve environmental performance in association with applicable industry initiatives.  We believe that our operations are in substantial compliance with applicable requirements of environmental laws.  From time to time, we may be subject to environmental regulatory enforcement under various statutes, resolution of which typically involves the establishment of compliance programs.

Income taxes.  From time to time, we undergo examinations of our income tax returns, and tax authorities have or may propose tax deficiencies.  We believe that we have adequately provided accruals for additional income taxes and related interest expense which may ultimately result from such examinations and we believe that the ultimate disposition of all such examinations should not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

We are a party to a tax sharing agreement with Contran and NL providing for the allocation of tax liabilities and tax payments as described in Note 1.  Under applicable law, we, as well as every other member of the Contran Tax Group, are each jointly and severally liable for the aggregate federal income tax liability of Contran and the other companies included in the Contran Tax Group for all periods in which we are included in the Contran Tax Group.  NL has agreed, however, to indemnify us for any liability for income taxes of the Contran Tax Group in excess of our tax liability in accordance with the tax sharing agreement.

Concentration of credit risk.  Our products are sold primarily in North America to original equipment manufacturers.  Our ten largest customers accounted for approximately 44% of sales in each of 2017 and 2018 and 47% in 2019.  One customer of the Security Products segment accounted for 16% of consolidated sales in 2017, 13% in 2018 and 14% in 2019.

Note 11 – Financial instruments:

The following table presents the financial instruments that are not carried at fair value but which require fair value disclosure:

 

Due to their near-term maturities, the carrying amounts of accounts receivable and accounts payable are considered equivalent to fair value.

Note 12 – Recent Accounting Pronouncements:

Adopted

On January 1, 2019, we adopted ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which was a comprehensive rewriting of the lease accounting guidance which aimed to increase comparability and transparency with regard to lease transactions. The primary change for leases currently classified as operating leases is the balance sheet recognition of a lease asset for the right to use the underlying asset and a lease liability for the lessee’s obligation to make payments. Due to our minimal utilization of lease financing, the adoption of this standard did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

 

Pending Adoption

 

In December 2019, The FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes, which changes the accounting for certain income tax transactions and reduces complexity in accounting for income taxes in

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certain areas.  The ASU introduces new guidance including providing a policy election for an entity to not allocate consolidated current and deferred tax expense when a member of a consolidated tax return is not subject to income tax in its separate financial statements and is a disregarded entity by the taxing authority; and providing guidance to evaluate whether a step-up in tax basis of goodwill relates to a business combination in which book goodwill was recognized or a separate transaction.  The ASU also changes existing guidance in a number of areas, including: the method of making an intraperiod allocation of total income tax expense if there is a loss in continuing operations and gains outside of continuing operations; accounting for tax law changes and year-to-date losses in interim periods; and determining how to apply the income tax guidance to franchise taxes that are partially based on income.  The amendments in ASU 2019-12 are effective for us beginning in the first quarter of 2021, with early adoption permitted.  We expect to adopt this ASU in the first quarter of 2020 and we do not expect the adoption to have a material effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Note 13 – Quarterly results of operations (unaudited):

 

The sum of the quarterly per share amounts may not equal the annual per share amounts due to relative changes in the weighted-average number of shares used in the per share computations.

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Exhibit 4.1

 

CompX International Inc.

Description of Capital Stock

February 26, 2020

 

General

Our authorized capital stock consists of 20,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), and 1,000 shares of Preferred stock, par value $.01 per share (the “Preferred Stock”). As used below, the term “Charter” refers to our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended by the Certificate of Retirement of Class B Common Stock filed with the Delaware Secretary of State on November 5, 2018, which had the effect of amending our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to eliminate all references to Class B Common Stock.

The following summary does not purport to be complete and is subject to the detailed provisions of, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, our Charter and amended and restated bylaws and to the applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (“DGCL”).

Common Stock

Voting Rights. The holders of Common Stock are entitled to one vote per share. The Common Stock does not have cumulative voting rights, which means that holders of the shares of Common Stock with a majority of the votes to be cast for the election of directors can elect all directors then being elected.

Dividends. Each share of Common Stock has an equal and ratable right to receive dividends to be paid from our assets legally available therefor when, as and if declared by our Board of Directors. Delaware law generally requires that dividends be paid only out of our surplus or current net profits in accordance with the DGCL.

Liquidation. In the event we are dissolved, liquidated or wound up, the holders of Common Stock are entitled to share equally and ratably in the assets available for distribution after payments are made to our creditors and to the holders of any of our Preferred Stock that may be outstanding at the time.        

Other. The holders of shares of Common Stock have no preemptive, subscription or redemption rights and are not liable for further call or assessment.

Preferred Stock

Our Board of Directors is authorized, without further stockholder action, to divide any or all shares of authorized Preferred Stock into series and to fix and determine the designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights, and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereon, of any series so established, including voting powers, dividend rights, liquidation preferences, redemption rights and conversion or exchange privileges. As of February 26, 2020, our Board of Directors has not authorized any series of Preferred Stock.

Delaware General Corporation Law        

Section 203 of the DGCL provides, in general, that a stockholder acquiring more than 15% of the outstanding voting stock of a corporation subject to the statute (an “Interested Stockholder”) but less than 85% of such stock may not engage in certain Business Combinations (as defined in Section 203) with the corporation for a period of three years subsequent to the date on which the stockholder became an Interested Stockholder unless (i) prior to such date the corporation’s board of directors approved either the Business Combination or the transaction in which the stockholder became an Interested Stockholder or (ii) the Business Combination is approved by the corporation’s board of directors and authorized by a vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation not owned by the Interested Stockholder. The provisions of Section 203 (“Section 203”) of the DGCL

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do not apply to us. Such provisions, if they were to apply to us, would restrict our ability to enter into business combinations with certain of our stockholders and would render an unsolicited takeover attempt of us more difficult.

Any action required to be taken at any annual or special meeting of our stockholders may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, upon the written consent of the minimum number of stockholders necessary to authorize such action.  

Limitations on Directors’ Liability        

Our Charter provides that our directors are not personally liable to the us or our stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) in respect of certain unlawful dividend payments or stock purchases or redemptions, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. The effect of these provisions is to eliminate the rights of us and our stockholders to recover monetary damages against a director for breach of fiduciary duty as a director (including breaches resulting from grossly negligent behavior), except in the situations described above. These provisions do not limit the liability of directors under federal securities laws and do not affect the availability of equitable remedies such as an injunction or rescission based upon a director’s breach of his duty of care.  

Exhibit 10.3

TAX AGREEMENT

Between

NL Industries, Inc.

and

CompX International Inc.

 

 

TAX AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) dated as of January 1, 2020 by and among NL Industries, Inc. (“NL”), a Delaware corporation having its principal executive offices at Three Lincoln Centre, 5430 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1700, Dallas, Texas   75240, Contran Corporation (“Contran”), a Delaware corporation having its principal executive offices at Three Lincoln Centre, 5430 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1700, Dallas, Texas 75240 and CompX International Inc. (“CompX”), a Delaware corporation having its principal executive offices at Three Lincoln Centre, 5430 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1700, Dallas, Texas 75240.

 

WHEREAS, NL and CompX file consolidated returns of federal income taxes and, subject to certain jurisdictional limitations, are subject to combined state and local tax reporting;

 

WHEREAS, this Agreement supersedes and amends and restates the Amended and Restated Tax Agreement dated December 1, 2012, previously entered into among NL, Contran and CompX;

 

WHEREAS, NL and CompX wish to provide for the allocation of liabilities, and procedures to be followed, with respect to federal income taxes of CompX and any subsidiaries of CompX and with respect to certain combined state and local taxes on the terms of this Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and agreements herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings set forth below:

 

(a)Code: The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and with respect to any section thereof any successor provisions under such Code or any successor Code.

 

(b)Combined Foreign, State and Local Taxes: For a taxable period, and with respect to a specified group of entities, the amount of all Foreign, State and Local Taxes, for which liability is computed on the basis of a combined, unitary or consolidated return (whether at the initiative of the tax authority or of the taxpayer).

 

(c)Contran Corporation: A Delaware corporation that is the common parent of a group of corporations, which group of corporations includes the CompX Group and NL Group, electing to file a consolidated federal income tax return.

 

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(d)Federal Taxes: All federal income taxes, together with all interest and penalties with respect thereto.

 

(e)Foreign, State and Local Taxes: All foreign, state and local taxes, including franchise and similar taxes, together with all interest and penalties with respect thereto.

 

(f)NL Group: NL and each of its direct and indirect subsidiaries which would be a member of an affiliated group, within the meaning of section 1504(a) of the Code, and eligible to file a combined, unitary or consolidated return of which Contran was the common parent (the “Contran Tax Group”), as such NL Group is constituted from time to time. For purposes of this Agreement (to the extent related to the determination of Combined Foreign, State and Local Taxes for the NL Group), the term “NL Group” shall include all direct and indirect subsidiaries of NL with reference to which Combined Foreign, State and Local Taxes are determined.

 

(g)CompX Group: CompX and each of its direct or indirect subsidiaries which would be a member of an affiliated group, within the meaning of section 1504(a) of the Code, and eligible to file a combined, unitary or consolidated return of which CompX was the common parent, as such CompX Group is constituted from time to time. For purposes of this Agreement (to the extent related to the determination of Combined Foreign, State and Local Taxes for the CompX Group), the term “CompX Group” shall include all direct and indirect subsidiaries of CompX with reference to which Combined, Foreign, State and Local taxes are determined.

 

(h)CompX Group Tax Liability: For a taxable period, the liability for Federal Taxes and Combined Foreign, State and Local taxes, as applicable, that the CompX Group would have had if it were not a member of the NL Group or Contran Tax Group during such taxable period (or during any taxable period prior thereto), and instead filed a separate consolidated or combined return, as applicable, for such taxable period; provided, however, that for purposes of determining such liability for a taxable period all tax elections shall be consistent with the tax elections made by Contran for such period. In making such tax elections it is understood Contran will make those tax elections which are beneficial to the Contran Tax Group on a consolidated basis. Nevertheless, Contran will use its best efforts in the case of those elections which affect the computation of the CompX Group Tax Liability, to make elections in a reasonable manner so as to minimize the CompX Group Tax Liability.  For purposes of this Agreement, in determining the Combined Foreign, State and Local Taxes for the CompX Group, such determination shall be made based on a separate Foreign, State and Local Tax Calculation as if the CompX Group were a separate unitary filer with respect to states and other jurisdictions in which Contran is required to file on a unitary or combined basis.

 

(i)Foreign, State and Local Tax Calculation: For each reporting period, the Tax Calculation will be based on the estimated taxable income of the CompX Group for the taxable period that includes such reporting period, applied to current year tax rates and using the CompX Group’s applicable apportionment factors and state, local or other applicable adjustments, in each case based on the applicable combined or unitary return

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most recently-filed as of each reporting period by the Contran Tax Group for each applicable tax jurisdiction (as modified for extraordinary, one-time event adjustments or tax law changes, if any, impacting the unitary calculation for the CompX Group).

 

2.Contran as Agent. Contran shall be the sole agent for the CompX Group in all matters relating to the CompX Group Tax Liability. The CompX Group shall not (a) terminate such agency or (b) without the consent of Contran, participate, or attempt to participate, in any matters related to the CompX Group Tax Liability, including, but not limited to, preparation or filing of, or resolution of disputes, protests or audits with the Internal Revenue Service, state or local taxing authorities concerning, the Contran Tax Group’s consolidated returns of Federal Taxes, returns of Combined Foreign, State and Local Taxes or the CompX Group Tax Liability with respect thereto. The CompX Group shall cooperate fully in providing Contran with all information and documents necessary or desirable to enable Contran to perform its obligations under this Section, including completion of Internal Revenue Service and state or local tax audits in connection with such CompX Group Tax Liability and determination of the proper liability for such CompX Group Tax Liability.

 

3.Liability for Taxes; Refunds.

 

(a)NL, as the common parent of the CompX Group, shall be responsible for, and shall pay to Contran or a taxing authority, as applicable, the consolidated tax liability for Federal Taxes and Combined Foreign, State and Local Taxes for the NL Group and has the sole right to any refunds received from Contran or a taxing authority, as applicable, subject to the provisions of Sections 5 and 6 of this Agreement.

 

(b)Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, CompX and each subsidiary of CompX which is a member of the CompX Group shall be severally liable to NL for the CompX Group Tax Liability.

 

(c)CompX shall indemnify NL and hold it and the NL Group other than the CompX Group, harmless from and against any deficiency in the CompX Group Tax Liability that may be due to NL.

 

(d)NL shall indemnify CompX and hold it and the CompX Group harmless from and against any Federal Taxes and Combined Foreign, State and Local Taxes attributable to the NL Group or any other member of the Contran Tax Group, other than the CompX Group, as such taxes are determined under this and other tax sharing agreements.

 

4.Tax Returns. Contran shall file on behalf of the CompX Group any and all federal, foreign, state and local tax returns that are required as they pertain to the CompX Group Tax Liability. The CompX Group, at Contran’s request, shall join in any applicable consolidated returns of Federal Taxes and any returns of Combined Foreign, State and Local Taxes (for which returns have not been theretofore filed) and execute its consent, if such consent has not previously been executed, to each such filing on any form as may be prescribed for such consent if such consent is required. The decision of Contran’s Chief Tax Officer (or any other officer so designated

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by Contran) with responsibility for tax matters shall, subject to the provisions of this Agreement, be binding in any dispute between Contran, NL and the CompX Group as to what tax position should be taken with respect to any item or transaction of the CompX Group. The preceding sentence is limited to the tax positions that affect the CompX Group Tax Liability and the combined NL Group and Contran Tax Group. In addition, NL and members of the NL Group, including CompX and members of the CompX Group, shall provide each other with such cooperation, assistance and information as each of them may request of the other with respect to the filing of any tax return, amended return, claim for refund or other document with any taxing authority. CompX shall be solely responsible for all taxes due for the CompX Group with respect to tax returns filed by CompX or a member of the CompX Group that are required to be filed on a separate company basis, independent of Contran or NL.

 

5.Payment of CompX Group Tax Liability for Federal Taxes and Foreign, State and Local Taxes. On or before each date, as determined under section 6655 of the Code (with respect to Federal Taxes) and the applicable tax provisions with respect to any Foreign, State and Local Taxes due pursuant to this Agreement, for payment of an installment of estimated Federal Taxes or any Foreign, State and Local Taxes, CompX shall pay to NL an amount equal to the installment which the CompX Group would have been required to pay as an estimated payment of Federal Taxes to the Internal Revenue Service or any Foreign, State and Local Taxes to the applicable taxing authority if it were filing a separate consolidated, combined or unitary return in respect of the CompX Group Tax Liability. Any balance owed with respect to the CompX Group Tax Liability for such taxable period shall be paid to NL on or before the 15th day of the third month after the close of such taxable period. If it is not possible to determine the amount of such balance on or before such day, (a) a reasonable estimate thereof shall be paid on or before such day, (b) the amount of such balance shall be finally determined on or before the earlier of; (i) the 15th day of the ninth month after the close of such taxable period (or the applicable due date for the Contran foreign, state or local combined or unitary return) and (ii) the date on which the Contran Tax Group consolidated tax return for such period is filed with the Internal Revenue Service or the applicable tax authority, and (c) any difference between the amount so determined and the estimated amount paid shall; (i) in the case of an underpayment, be promptly paid to NL and (ii) in the case of an overpayment, be promptly refunded or applied against the estimated CompX Group Tax Liability for the immediately following tax period, at the option of NL. If the overpayment is not applied to the immediately following tax period, such overpayment shall be promptly refunded to the CompX Group. As between the parties to this Agreement, the CompX Group shall be solely responsible for the CompX Group Tax Liability and shall have no responsibility for Federal Taxes of the NL Group or the Contran Tax Group other than payment of the CompX Group Tax Liability in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, NL at its option may extend the payment due date for any of the payments referenced above.

 

6.Refunds for CompX Group Losses and Credits for Federal Taxes. If the calculation with respect to the CompX Group Tax Liability for Federal Taxes results in a net operating loss (“NOL”) for the current tax period that, in the absence of a Code Section 172(b)(3) election made by Contran, is carried back under Code Sections 172 and 1502 to a prior taxable period or periods of the CompX Group with respect to which the CompX Group previously made payments to NL, then, in that event, NL shall pay (or credit) CompX an amount equal to the tax refund to which the CompX Group would have been entitled had the CompX Group filed a separate consolidated

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federal income tax return for such year (but not in excess of the net aggregate amount of the CompX Group Tax Liability paid to NL with respect to the preceding two taxable periods). If the calculation with respect to the CompX Group Tax Liability results in an NOL for the current tax period, that subject to the Code Section 172(b)(3) election made by Contran, is not carried back under Code Sections 172 and 1502 to a prior taxable period or periods of the CompX Group with respect to which CompX made payments to NL or is not carried back because the Contran Tax Group does not have a consolidated net operating loss for the current tax period, then, in that event such NOL shall be an NOL carryover to be used in computing the CompX Group Tax Liability for future taxable periods, under the law applicable to NOL carryovers in general, as such law applies to the relevant taxable period. Payments made pursuant to this Section 6 shall be made on the date that Contran (or any successor common parent of a tax group to which the NL Group is a member) files its consolidated federal income tax return for the taxable period involved. Principles similar to those discussed in this Section 6 shall apply in the case of the utilization of all CompX Group loss and credit carrybacks and carryovers.

 

7.Refunds for CompX Group Combined or Unitary Foreign, State and Local Losses and Credits. The foregoing principles contained in Section 6 shall apply in similar fashion to any consolidated, unitary or combined foreign, state or other local income tax returns, containing any member of the CompX Group, which may be filed based on the CompX Group Tax Liability for Foreign, State and Local Taxes.

 

8.Subsequent Adjustments. If any settlement with the Internal Revenue Service, foreign, state or local tax authority or court decision which has become final results in any adjustment to any item of income, deduction, loss or credit to the Contran Tax Group in respect of any taxable period subject to this Agreement, which, in any such case, affects or relates to any member of the CompX Group as constituted during such taxable period, the CompX Tax Group Liability shall be redetermined to give effect to such adjustment as if it had been made as part of or reflected in the original computation of the CompX Tax Group Liability and proper adjustment of amounts paid or owing hereunder in respect of such liability and allocation shall be promptly made in light thereof.

 

9.Term; Amendments.

 

a.a.The term of this Agreement shall end on December 31, 2024 and will automatically be renewed for successive five-year periods unless terminated by any party by giving the other two parties written notice of termination at least ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the then-current term; provided, however, that this Agreement shall automatically terminate at such time as CompX is no longer a member of the Contran Tax Group.

 

b.This Agreement may be amended, modified, superseded or cancelled, and any of the terms, covenants, or conditions hereof may be waived, only by a written instrument specifically referring to this Agreement and executed by all parties (or, in the case of a waiver, by or on behalf of the party waiving compliance). The failure of any party at any time or times to require performance of any provision of this Agreement shall in no manner affect the right at a later time to enforce the same. No waiver by any party of any condition, or of any breach of any term or covenant, contained in this Agreement, in any one or more instances, shall be deemed to be or

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construed as a further or continuing waiver of any such condition or breach, or a waiver of any other condition or of any breach of any other term or covenant.

 

10.Retention of Records. Contran shall retain all tax returns, tax reports, related workpapers and all schedules (along with all documents that pertain to any such tax returns, reports or workpapers) that relate to a taxable period in which the CompX Group is included in a consolidated or combined tax return with NL and Contran. Contran shall make such documents available to CompX at CompX’s request. Contran shall not dispose of such documents without the permission of CompX.

 

11.Headings. The headings of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only, and shall not in any way affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

12.Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to conflicts of laws provisions.

 

13.Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but all of which shall constitute but one agreement.

 

14.Successors. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective subsidiaries, and their respective successors and assigns.

 

15.Amendment and Restatement. Effective as of January 1, 2020, this Agreement supersedes and amends and restates the Amended and Restated Tax Agreement dated as of December 1, 2012, previously entered into among NL, Contran and CompX.

 

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the date first above written.

 

NL INDUSTRIES, INC.

 

By:     /s/ Amy A. Samford                       

Amy A. Samford

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

:

CONTRAN CORPORATION

 

By:      /s/ Gregory M. Swalwell              

Gregory M. Swalwell

Executive Vice President,

Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer

 

 

COMPX INTERNATIONAL INC.

 

By:   /s/ Kelly D. Luttmer                        

Kelly D. Luttmer

Executive Vice President and

Chief Tax Officer

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.5

UNSECURED REVOLVING

DEMAND PROMISSORY NOTE

$40,000,000.00December 31, 2019

 

 

Section 1.  Promise to Pay.  For and in consideration of value received, the undersigned, Valhi, Inc., a corporation duly organized under the laws of the state of Delaware (“Borrower”), promises to pay, in lawful money of the United States of America, to the order of COMPX INTERNATIONAL INC., a corporation duly organized under the laws of the state of Delaware (“CompX”), or the holder hereof (as applicable, CompX or such holder shall be referred to as the “Noteholder”), the principal sum of FORTY MILLION and NO/100ths United States Dollars ($40,000,000.00) or such lesser amount as shall equal the unpaid principal amount of the loan made by the Noteholder to Borrower together with accrued and unpaid interest on the unpaid principal balance from time to time pursuant to the terms of this Unsecured Revolving Demand Promissory Note, as it may be amended from time to time (this “Note”).  This Note shall be unsecured and will bear interest on the terms set forth in Section 6 below. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined shall have the meanings given to such terms in Section 18 of this Note.

 

Section 2.  Amendment and Restatement.  This Note renews, replaces, amends and restates in its entirety the Unsecured Revolving Demand Promissory Note dated December 31, 2018 in the original principal amount of $40,000,000.00 payable to the order of the Noteholder and executed by the Borrower (the “Prior Note”).   As of the close of business on December 31, 2019, the unpaid principal balance of the Prior Note was $33,800,000.00, the accrued and unpaid interest thereon was nil and the accrued and unpaid commitment fee thereon was nil, which is the unpaid principal, accrued and unpaid interest and accrued and unpaid commitment fee owed under this Note as of the close of business on the date of this Note.  This Note contains the entire understanding between the Noteholder and the Borrower with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby and supersedes all other instruments, agreements and understandings between the Noteholder and the Borrower with respect to the subject matter of this Note.

 

Section 3.  Place of Payment.  All payments will be made at Noteholder’s address at Three Lincoln Centre, 5430 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1700, Dallas, Texas   75240-2620, Attention:  Treasurer, or such other place as the Noteholder may from time to time appoint in writing.

 

Section 3.  Payments.  The unpaid principal balance of this Note and any accrued and unpaid interest thereon shall be due and payable on the Final Payment Date.  Prior to the Final Payment Date, any accrued and unpaid interest on an unpaid principal balance shall be paid in arrears quarterly on the last day of each March, June, September and December, commencing March 31, 2020.  All payments on this Note shall be applied first to accrued and unpaid interest, next to accrued interest not yet payable and then to principal.  If any payment of principal or interest on this Note shall become due on a day that is not a Business Day, such payment shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day and the payment shall be the amount owed on the original payment date.

 

Section 4.  Prepayments.  This Note may be prepaid in part or in full at any time without penalty.

 

Section 5.  Borrowings.  Prior to the Final Payment Date, Noteholder expressly authorizes Borrower to borrow, repay and re-borrow principal under this Note in increments of $100,000 on a daily basis so long as:

 

 

Notwithstanding anything else in this Note, in no event will Noteholder be required to lend money to Borrower under this Note and loans under this Note shall be at the sole and absolute discretion of Noteholder.

 

Section 6.  Interest.  The unpaid principal balance of this Note shall bear interest at the rate per annum of the Prime Rate plus one percent (1.00%).  In the event that an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the unpaid principal amount shall bear interest from the Event of Default at the rate per annum of the Prime Rate plus four percent (4.00%) until such time as the Event of Default is cured.  Accrued interest on the unpaid principal of this Note shall be computed on the basis of a 365- or 366-day year for actual days (including the first, but excluding the last day) elapsed, but in no event shall such computation result in an amount of accrued interest that would exceed accrued interest on the unpaid principal balance during the same period at the Maximum Rate. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, this Note is expressly limited so that in no contingency or event whatsoever shall the amount paid or agreed to be paid to the Noteholder exceed the Maximum Rate.  If, from any circumstances whatsoever, the Noteholder shall ever receive as interest an amount that would exceed the Maximum Rate, such amount that would be excessive

 

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interest shall be applied to the reduction of the unpaid principal balance and not to the payment of interest, and if the principal amount of this Note is paid in full, any remaining excess shall be paid to Borrower, and in such event, the Noteholder shall not be subject to any penalties provided by any laws for contracting for, charging, taking, reserving or receiving interest in excess of the highest lawful rate permissible under applicable law.  All sums paid or agreed to be paid to Noteholder for the use, forbearance or detention of the indebtedness of the Borrower to Noteholder shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, be amortized, prorated, allocated and spread throughout the full term of such indebtedness until payment in full of the principal (including the period of any renewal or extension thereof) so that the interest on account of such indebtedness shall not exceed the Maximum Rate.  If at any time the Contract Rate is limited to the Maximum Rate, any subsequent reductions in the Contract Rate shall not reduce the rate of interest on this Note below the Maximum Rate until the total amount of interest accrued equals the amount of interest that would have accrued if the Contract Rate had not been limited by the Maximum Rate.  In the event that, upon the Final Payment Date, the total amount of interest paid or accrued on this Note is less than the amount of interest that would have accrued if the Contract Rate had not been limited by the Maximum Rate, then at such time, to the extent permitted by law, in addition to the principal and any other amounts Borrower owes to the Noteholder, the Borrower shall pay to the Noteholder an amount equal to the difference between:  (i) the lesser of the amount of interest that would have accrued if the Contract Rate had not been limited by the Maximum Rate or the amount of interest that would have accrued if the Maximum Rate had at all times been in effect; and (ii) the amount of interest actually paid on this Note.

 

Section 7.  Fees and Expenses. On the last day of each March, June, September and December, commencing March 31, 2020, and on the Final Payment Date, Borrower shall pay to Noteholder the Unused Commitment Fee for such period, provided, however, Borrower will not owe any Unused Commitment Fee for any part of such period (prorated as applicable) that the Noteholder is a net borrower of money from the Borrower. In addition, Borrower and any guarantor jointly and severally agree to pay on the Final Payment Date to Noteholder any other cost or expense reasonably incurred by Noteholder in connection with Noteholder’s commitment to Borrower pursuant to the terms of this Note, including without limitation any other cost reasonably incurred by Noteholder pursuant to the terms of any credit facility of Noteholder.

 

Section 8.  Remedy.  Upon the occurrence and during the continuation of an Event of Default, the Noteholder shall have all of the rights and remedies provided in the applicable Uniform Commercial Code, this Note or any other agreement among Borrower and in favor of the Noteholder, as well as those rights and remedies provided by any other applicable law, rule or regulation.  In conjunction with and in addition to the foregoing rights and remedies of the Noteholder, the Noteholder may declare all indebtedness due under this Note, although otherwise unmatured, to be due and payable immediately without notice or demand whatsoever. All rights and remedies of the Noteholder are cumulative and may be exercised singly or concurrently.  The failure to exercise any right or remedy will not be a waiver of such right or remedy.

 

Section 9.  Right of Offset.  The Noteholder shall have the right of offset against amounts that may be due by the Noteholder now or in the future to Borrower against amounts due under this Note.

 

Section 10.  Record of Outstanding Indebtedness.  The date and amount of each repayment of principal outstanding under this Note or interest thereon shall be recorded by Noteholder in its records.  The principal balance outstanding and all accrued or accruing interest owed under this Note as recorded by Noteholder in its records shall be the best evidence of the principal balance outstanding and all accrued or accruing interest owed under this Note; provided that the failure of Noteholder to so record or any error in so recording or computing any such amount owed shall not limit or otherwise affect the obligations of the Borrower under this Note to repay the principal balance outstanding and all accrued or accruing interest.

 

Section 11.  Waiver.  Borrower and each surety, endorser, guarantor, and other party now or subsequently liable for payment of this Note, severally waive demand, presentment for payment, notice of nonpayment, notice of dishonor, protest, notice of protest, notice of the intention to accelerate, notice of acceleration, diligence in collecting or bringing suit against any party liable on this Note, and further agree to any and all extensions, renewals, modifications, partial payments, substitutions of evidence of indebtedness, and the taking or release of any collateral with or without notice before or after demand by the Noteholder for payment under this Note.

 

Section 12.  Costs and Attorneys’ Fees.  In addition to any other amounts payable to Noteholder pursuant to the terms of this Note, in the event the Noteholder incurs costs in collecting on this Note, this Note is placed in the hands of any attorney for collection, suit is filed on this Note or if proceedings are had in bankruptcy, receivership,

 

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reorganization, or other legal or judicial proceedings for the collection of this Note, Borrower and any guarantor jointly and severally agree to pay on demand to the Noteholder all expenses and costs of collection, including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred in connection with any such collection, suit, or proceeding, in addition to the principal and interest then due.

 

Section 13.  Time of Essence.  Time is of the essence with respect to all of Borrower’s obligations and agreements under this Note.

 

Section 14.  Jurisdiction and Venue.  THIS NOTE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DOMESTIC LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO ANY CHOICE OF LAW OR CONFLICT OF LAW PROVISION OR RULE (WHETHER OF THE STATE OF TEXAS OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION) THAT WOULD CAUSE THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANY JURISDICTION OTHER THAN THE STATE OF TEXAS. BORROWER CONSENTS TO JURISDICTION IN THE COURTS LOCATED IN DALLAS, TEXAS.

 

Section 15.  Notice.  Any notice or demand required by this Note shall be deemed to have been given and received on the earlier of (i) when the notice or demand is actually received by the recipient or (ii) 72 hours after the notice is deposited in the United States mail, certified or registered, with postage prepaid, and addressed to the recipient.  The address for giving notice or demand under this Note (i) to the Noteholder shall be the place of payment specified in Section 3 or such other place as the Noteholder may specify in writing to the Borrower and (ii) to Borrower shall be the address below the Borrower’s signature or such other place as the Borrower may specify in writing to the Noteholder.

 

Section 16.  Amendment or Waiver of Provisions of this Note.  No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Note shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in a writing referring to this Note and signed by the Borrower and the Noteholder.  Such amendment or waiver shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given.  No waiver of any of the provisions of this Note shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions, whether or not similar, nor shall any waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

 

Section 17.  Successors and Assigns.  All of the covenants, obligations, promises and agreements contained in this Note made by Borrower shall be binding upon its successors and permitted assigns, as applicable.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, Borrower shall not assign this Note or its performance under this Note without the prior written consent of the Noteholder.  Noteholder at any time may assign this Note without the consent of Borrower.

 

Section 18.  Definitions.  For purposes of this Note, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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BORROWER:

 

Valhi, Inc.

 

 

 

 

James W. Brown

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

Address:

 

5430 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1700

Dallas, Texas   75240-2620

 

 

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As of the date hereof, CompX International Inc., as the Noteholder, hereby agrees that this Note renews, replaces, amends and restates in its entirety the Prior Note, and that the unpaid principal of $33,800,000.00, the accrued and unpaid interest thereon of nil and the accrued and unpaid commitment fee thereon of nil that was owed under the Prior Note as of the close of business on December 31, 2019 are the unpaid principal, the accrued and unpaid interest thereon and the accrued and unpaid commitment fee thereon, respectively, owed under this Note as of the close of business on the date of this Note.

 

 

COMPX INTERNATIONAL INC.

 

 

 

 

Amy A. Samford

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

 

Page 5 of 5.

Exhibit 21.1

SUBSIDIARIES OF THE REGISTRANT

 

 

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (No. 333-181794) of CompX International Inc. of our report dated February 26, 2020 relating to the consolidated financial statements, which appears in this Form 10-K.

 

 

 

Exhibit 31.1

CERTIFICATION

I, Scott C. James, certify that:

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 31.2

CERTIFICATION

I, Amy A. Samford, certify that:

 

 

 

Exhibit 32.1

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Annual Report of CompX International Inc. (the Company) on Form 10-K for the period ending December 31, 2019 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the Report), I, Scott C. James, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and I, Amy A. Samford, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350, as adopted pursuant to §906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

(1)The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2)The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and result of operations of the Company.

 

Date: February 26, 2020

Note:  The certification the registrant furnishes in this exhibit is not deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section.  Registration Statements or other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission shall not incorporate this exhibit by reference, except as otherwise expressly stated in such filing.