1.  Background

Unifi, Inc., a New York corporation formed in 1969 (together with its subsidiaries, “UNIFI,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”), is a multinational company that manufactures and sells innovative recycled and synthetic products, made from polyester and nylon, primarily to other yarn manufacturers and knitters and weavers (UNIFI’s “direct customers”) that produce yarn and/or fabric for the apparel, hosiery, home furnishings, automotive, industrial, and other end-use markets (UNIFI’s “indirect customers”).  We sometimes refer to these indirect customers as “brand partners.” Polyester products include partially oriented yarn (“POY”), textured, solution and package dyed, twisted, beamed, and draw wound yarns, and each is available in virgin or recycled varieties. Recycled solutions, made from both pre-consumer and post-consumer waste, include plastic bottle flake (“Flake”), polyester polymer beads (“Chip”), and staple fiber.  Nylon products include virgin or recycled textured, solution dyed, and spandex covered yarns.

UNIFI maintains one of the textile industry’s most comprehensive product offerings that include a range of specialized, value-added and commodity solutions, with principal geographic markets in North America, Central America, South America, Asia, and Europe. UNIFI has direct manufacturing operations in four countries and participates in joint ventures with operations in Israel and the United States (“U.S.”).

2.  Basis of Presentation; Condensed Notes

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited and have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information. As contemplated by the instructions of the SEC to Form 10-Q, the following notes have been condensed and, therefore, do not contain all disclosures required in connection with annual financial statements.  Reference should be made to UNIFI’s year-end audited consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto contained in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 3, 2022 (the “2022 Form 10-K”).

The financial information included in this report has been prepared by UNIFI, without audit.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments, which consist of normal, recurring adjustments, considered necessary for a fair statement of the results for interim periods have been included.  Nevertheless, the results shown for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the full year.  The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make use of estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported and certain financial statement disclosures.  Actual results may vary from these estimates.

All amounts, except per share amounts, are presented in thousands (000s), except as otherwise noted.

The fiscal quarter for each of Unifi, Inc., its primary domestic operating subsidiaries and its subsidiary in El Salvador ended on October 2, 2022. Unifi, Inc.’s remaining material operating subsidiaries’ fiscal quarter ended on September 30, 2022. There were no significant transactions or events that occurred between Unifi, Inc.’s fiscal quarter end and such wholly owned subsidiaries’ fiscal quarter end. The three-month periods ended October 2, 2022 and September 26, 2021 both consisted of 13 weeks. 

3.  Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Based on UNIFI’s review of Accounting Standards Updates issued since the filing of the 2022 Form 10-K, there have been no newly issued or newly applicable accounting pronouncements that have had, or are expected to have, a material impact on UNIFI’s consolidated financial statements.

4.  Revenue

Third-Party Manufacturer

Third-party manufacturer revenue is primarily generated through sales to direct customers. Such sales represent satisfaction of UNIFI’s performance obligations required by the associated revenue contracts. Each of UNIFI’s reportable segments derives revenue from sales to third-party manufacturers.

Service Revenue

Service revenue is primarily generated, as services are rendered, through fulfillment of toll manufacturing of textile products or transportation services governed by written agreements. Such toll manufacturing and transportation services represent satisfaction of UNIFI’s performance obligations required by the associated revenue contracts.

5.  Long-Term Debt

Debt Obligations

ABL Facility

Since the filing of the 2022 Form 10-K, Unifi, Inc. entered into the Sixth Amendment to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Sixth Amendment”) on September 2, 2022. The Sixth Amendment modified the Trigger Level (as defined in the Prior Credit Agreement and which relates to, among other things, the requirement to maintain a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (as defined in the Prior Credit Agreement)) such that it occurs when Excess Availability (as defined in the Prior Credit Agreement) falls below (a) for the period beginning on September 2, 2022 through and including the date that is 60 days after such date, $16,500 and (b) at all other times, the greatest of (i) $10.0 million, (ii) 20% of the Maximum Revolver Amount (as defined in the Prior Credit Agreement), and (iii) 12.5% of the sum of the Maximum Revolver Amount plus the outstanding principal amount of the Term Loan (as defined in the Prior Credit Agreement).  

On October 28, 2022, Unifi, Inc. and certain of its subsidiaries entered into a Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “2022 Credit Agreement”) with a syndicate of lenders. The 2022 Credit Agreement provides for a $230,000 senior secured credit facility (the “2022 ABL Facility”), including a $115,000 revolving credit facility and a term loan that can be reset up to a maximum amount of $115,000, once per fiscal year, if certain conditions are met. The 2022 ABL Facility has a maturity date of October 28, 2027.

Prior to entering the 2022 Credit Agreement, Unifi, Inc. and certain of its subsidiaries maintained a similar credit agreement that established a $200,000 senior secured credit facility (the “Prior ABL Facility”), including a $100,000 revolving credit facility (the “Prior ABL Revolver”) and a term loan that could be reset up to a maximum amount of $100,000, once per fiscal year, if certain conditions were met (the “Prior ABL Term Loan”). The Prior ABL Facility had a maturity date of December 18, 2023.

Borrowings under the 2022 ABL Facility bear interest at SOFR plus 0.10% plus an applicable margin of 1.25% to 1.75%, or the Base Rate (as defined in the 2022 Credit Agreement) plus an applicable margin of 0.25% to 0.75%, with interest paid on a monthly basis. Prior ABL Facility borrowings bore interest at LIBOR plus an applicable margin of 1.25% to 1.75%, or the Base Rate (as defined in the Prior Credit Agreement) plus an applicable margin of 0.25% to 0.75%, with interest paid on a monthly basis.

Construction Financing

In May 2021, UNIFI entered into an agreement with a third party lender that provides for construction-period financing for certain texturing machinery included in our capital allocation plans. UNIFI records project costs to construction in progress and the corresponding liability to construction financing (within long-term debt). The agreement provides for monthly, interest-only payments during the construction period, at a rate of SOFR plus 1.25%, and contains terms customary for a financing of this type.

Each borrowing under the agreement provides for 60 monthly payments, which will commence upon the completion of the construction period with an interest rate of approximately 4.4%. In connection with this construction financing arrangement, UNIFI has borrowed a total of $5,672 and transitioned $3,222 of completed asset costs to finance lease obligations as of October 2, 2022.

6.  Income Taxes

Income Tax Expense

UNIFI’s provision for income taxes for the three months ended October 2, 2022 and September 26, 2021 was calculated by applying the estimated annual effective tax rate to year-to-date pre-tax book income and adjusting for discrete items that occurred during the period.

The effective tax rate for the three months ended October 2, 2022 was lower than the U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to an increase in the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets and current U.S. tax on global intangible low-tax income (“GILTI”).    

The effective tax rate for the three months ended September 26, 2021 was higher than the U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to earnings taxed at higher rates in foreign jurisdictions, deferred tax on unremitted earnings, and foreign withholding taxes.

Unrecognized Tax Benefits

UNIFI regularly assesses the outcomes of both completed and ongoing examinations to ensure that its provision for income taxes is sufficient. Certain returns that remain open to examination have utilized carryforward tax attributes generated in prior tax years, including net operating losses, which could potentially be revised upon examination.

7.  Shareholders’ Equity

On October 31, 2018, UNIFI announced that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) approved a share repurchase program (the “2018 SRP”) under which UNIFI is authorized to acquire up to $50,000 of its common stock. Under the 2018 SRP, purchases may be made from time to time in the open market at prevailing market prices, through private transactions or block trades. The timing and amount of repurchases will depend on market conditions, share price, applicable legal requirements and other factors. The share repurchase authorization is discretionary and has no expiration date. Repurchases, if any, are expected to be financed through cash generated from operations and borrowings under the ABL Revolver, and are subject to applicable limitations and restrictions as set forth in the ABL Facility. UNIFI may discontinue repurchases at any time that management determines additional purchases are not beneficial or advisable.

Repurchased shares are retired and have the status of authorized and unissued shares.  The cost of the repurchased shares is recorded as a reduction to common stock to the extent of the par value of the shares acquired and the remainder is allocated between capital in excess of par value and retained earnings, on a pro rata basis.

8.  Stock-Based Compensation

On October 29, 2020, UNIFI’s shareholders approved the Unifi, Inc. Second Amended and Restated 2013 Incentive Compensation Plan (the “2020 Plan”). The 2020 Plan set the number of shares available for future issuance pursuant to awards granted under the 2020 Plan to 850.  No additional awards can be granted under prior plans; however, awards outstanding under a respective prior plan remain subject to that plan’s provisions.

On October 27, 2021, UNIFI’s shareholders approved the Unifi, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”) as described in Unifi, Inc.’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on September 2, 2021. The ESPP reserved 100 Company shares, is intended to be a qualified plan under applicable tax law, and allows eligible employees to purchase Company shares at a 15% discount from market value. ESPP activity is reflected as options exercised in the condensed consolidated statements of shareholders’ equity.

9.  Fair Value of Financial Instruments and Non-Financial Assets and Liabilities

Financial Instruments

Grantor Trust

The UNIFI, Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan (the “DCP”), established in fiscal 2022, is an unfunded non-qualified deferred compensation plan in which certain key employees are eligible to participate.  The fair value of the investment assets held by the grantor trust established in connection with the DCP were approximately $2,523 and $2,196 as of October 2, 2022 and July 3, 2022, respectively, and are classified as trading securities within Other non-current assets.  The grantor trust assets have readily-available market values and are classified as Level 1 trading securities in the fair value hierarchy. Trading gains and losses associated with these investments are recorded to Other operating (income) expense, net. The associated DCP liability is recorded within Other long-term liabilities, and any increase or decrease in the liability is also recorded in Other operating (income) expense, net.  During fiscal 2023, we recorded losses on investments held by the trust of $49.

Derivative Instruments

UNIFI uses derivative financial instruments such as foreign currency forward contracts or interest rate swaps to reduce its ongoing business exposures to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates or interest rates.  UNIFI does not enter into derivative contracts for speculative purposes.  As of October 2, 2022, there were no outstanding derivative instruments.

For the three months ended October 2, 2022 and September 26, 2021, there were no significant changes to UNIFI’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value, and there were no transfers into or out of the levels of the fair value hierarchy.

UNIFI believes that there have been no significant changes to its credit risk profile or the interest rates available to UNIFI for debt issuances with similar terms and average maturities, and UNIFI estimates that the fair values of its debt obligations approximate the carrying amounts.  Other financial instruments include cash and cash equivalents, receivables, accounts payable and accrued expenses.  The financial statement carrying amounts of these items approximate the fair values due to their short-term nature.

10.  Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

A summary of the after-tax effects of the components of other comprehensive loss, net for the three-month period ended October 2, 2022 and September 26, 2021 is included in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income.

11.  Earnings Per Share

The calculation of EPS is based on the weighted average number of Unifi, Inc.’s common shares outstanding for the applicable period.  The calculation of diluted EPS presents the effect of all potential dilutive common shares that were outstanding during the respective period, unless the effect of doing so is anti-dilutive.

12.  Commitments and Contingencies

Collective Bargaining Agreements

While employees of UNIFI’s Brazilian operations are unionized, none of the labor force employed by UNIFI’s domestic or other foreign subsidiaries is currently covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

Environmental

On September 30, 2004, Unifi Kinston, LLC (“UK”), a subsidiary of Unifi, Inc., completed its acquisition of polyester filament manufacturing assets located in Kinston, North Carolina (“Kinston”) from Invista S.a.r.l. (“INVISTA”).  The land for the Kinston site was leased pursuant to a 99-year ground lease (the “Ground Lease”) with E.I. DuPont de Nemours (“DuPont”).  Since 1993, DuPont has been investigating and cleaning up the Kinston site under the supervision of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”) pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action program.  The program requires DuPont to identify all potential areas of environmental concern (“AOCs”), assess the extent of containment at the identified AOCs and remediate the AOCs to comply with applicable regulatory standards.  Effective March 20, 2008, UK entered into a lease termination agreement associated with conveyance of certain assets at the Kinston site to DuPont.  This agreement terminated the Ground Lease and relieved UK of any future responsibility for environmental remediation, other than participation with DuPont, if so called upon, with regard to UK’s period of operation of the Kinston site, which was from 2004 to 2008.  At this time, UNIFI has no basis to determine if or when it will have any responsibility or obligation with respect to the AOCs or the extent of any potential liability for the same. UK continues to own property (the “Kentec site”) acquired in the 2004 transaction with INVISTA that has contamination from DuPont’s prior operations and is monitored by DEQ.  The Kentec site has been remediated by DuPont, and DuPont has received authority from DEQ to discontinue further remediation, other than natural attenuation.  Prior to transfer of responsibility to UK, DuPont and UK had a duty to monitor and report the environmental status of the Kentec site to DEQ. Effective April 10, 2019, UK assumed sole remediator responsibility of the Kentec site pursuant to its contractual obligations with INVISTA and received $180 of net monitoring and reporting costs due from DuPont.  In connection with monitoring, UK expects to sample and report to DEQ annually. At this time, UNIFI does not expect any active site remediation will be required but expects that any costs associated with active site remediation, if ever required, would likely be immaterial.

13.  Related Party Transactions

There were no related party receivables as of October 2, 2022 or July 3, 2022.

14.  Business Segment Information

UNIFI defines operating segments as components of the organization for which discrete financial information is available and operating results are evaluated on a regular basis by UNIFI’s principal executive officer, who is the chief operating decision maker (the “CODM”), in order to assess performance and allocate resources. Characteristics of UNIFI which were relied upon in making the determination of reportable segments include the nature of the products sold, the internal organizational structure, the trade policies in the geographic regions in which UNIFI operates, and the information that is regularly reviewed by the CODM for the purpose of assessing performance and allocating resources.

In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022, UNIFI realigned its operating and reportable segments to correspond with changes to its operating model, management structure, and organizational responsibilities, reflecting the manner in which business performance is evaluated, resources are allocated, and financial statement users can best understand the results of operations. Accordingly, UNIFI is now reporting the Americas Segment, Brazil Segment, and Asia Segment. The Americas Segment represents the combination of the previously reported Polyester Segment, Nylon Segment, and All Other category. There are no changes to the composition of the historical Brazil Segment and Asia Segment. Comparative prior period disclosures have been updated to conform to the new presentation.

UNIFI has three reportable segments.

UNIFI evaluates the operating performance of its segments based upon Segment Profit, which represents segment gross profit (loss) plus segment depreciation expense. This measurement of segment profit or loss best aligns segment reporting with the current assessments and evaluations performed by, and information provided to, the CODM.

The accounting policies for the segments are consistent with UNIFI’s accounting policies.  Intersegment sales are omitted from segment disclosures, as they are (i) insignificant to UNIFI’s segments and eliminated from consolidated reporting and (ii) excluded from segment evaluations performed by the CODM.

15.  Investments in Unconsolidated Affiliates

Included within Other non-current assets are UNIFI’s investments in unconsolidated affiliates: U.N.F. Industries, Ltd. (“UNF”); and UNF America LLC (“UNFA”) (collectively “UNFs”).

U.N.F. Industries, Ltd.

Raw material and production services for UNF are provided by Nilit Ltd. under separate supply and services agreements. UNF’s fiscal year end is December 31, and it is a registered Israeli private company located in Migdal Ha-Emek, Israel.

UNF America LLC

Raw material and production services for UNFA are provided by Nilit America Inc. under separate supply and services agreements.  UNFA’s fiscal year end is December 31, and it is a limited liability company located in Ridgeway, Virginia. UNFA is treated as a partnership for its income tax reporting.

In conjunction with the formation of UNFA, UNIFI entered into a supply agreement with UNF and UNFA whereby UNIFI agreed to purchase all of its first quality nylon POY requirements for texturing (subject to certain exceptions) from either UNF or UNFA.  The supply agreement has no stated minimum purchase quantities and pricing is typically negotiated every six months, based on market rates.  As of October 2, 2022, UNIFI’s open purchase orders related to this supply agreement were $1,180.

As of October 2, 2022 and July 3, 2022, UNIFI had combined accounts payable due to UNF and UNFA of $5,190 and $5,565, respectively.

UNIFI has determined that UNF and UNFA are variable interest entities and that UNIFI is the primary beneficiary of these entities, based on the terms of the supply agreement discussed above.  As a result, these entities should be consolidated with UNIFI’s financial results.  As (i) UNIFI purchases substantially all of the output from the two entities, (ii) the two entities’ balance sheets constitute 3% or less of UNIFI’s current assets and total assets, and (iii) such balances are not expected to comprise a larger portion in the future, UNIFI has not included the accounts of UNF and UNFA in its consolidated financial statements and instead is accounting for these entities as equity investments.  As of October 2, 2022, UNIFI’s combined investments in UNF and UNFA were $2,246.  The financial results of UNF and UNFA are included in UNIFI’s consolidated financial statements with a one-month lag, using the equity method of accounting and with intercompany profits eliminated in accordance with UNIFI’s accounting policy.  Other than the supply agreement discussed above, UNIFI does not provide any other commitments or guarantees related to either UNF or UNFA.