EACO EACO Corporation (PK)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

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Commission file number:  001-14311

EACO CORPORATION

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

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Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (714) 876-2490

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: Common Stock, $0.01 Par Value (Title of Class)

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ⌧

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ⌧

Indicate by check mark 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 (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ⌧ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ⌧ No ☐

Indicate by a check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ◻

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

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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. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2). Yes ☐ No ☒

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter (based upon the closing sale price of the common stock on that date) was approximately $5,309,166. For the purposes of this calculation, shares owned by officers, directors and 10% stockholders known to the registrant have been deemed to be owned by affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.

As of November 21, 2023, 4,861,590 shares of the registrant’s common stock were outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

No documents required to be listed hereunder are incorporated by reference in this Report on Form 10-K.

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Forward-Looking Information

This report may contain forward-looking statements. Such statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “possible,” “project,” “should,” “will” and similar words or expressions. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our anticipated revenue, expenses, profits and capital needs, and our planned initiatives. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and forecasts of future events and results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially including, among other things, the following: failure of facts to conform to management estimates and assumptions; economic conditions and uncertainties; competitive pressures; our ability to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting; potential losses from trading in securities; our ability to retain key personnel and relationships with suppliers; the willingness of Citizen’s Business Bank (the “Bank”) or other lenders to extend financing commitments and the availability of capital resources; and other risks identified from time to time in our reports and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and in public announcements. It is not possible to foresee or identify all factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. As such, investors should not consider any of such factors to be an exhaustive statement of all risks or uncertainties.

No forward-looking statements can be guaranteed and actual results may vary materially. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement except as required by law, but investors are advised to consult any further disclosures by us in our filings with the SEC, especially on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, in which we discuss in more detail various important factors that could cause actual results to differ from expected or historical results.

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PART I

Item 1.  Business

EACO Corporation (“EACO”), incorporated in Florida in September 1985, is a holding company, primarily comprised of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bisco Industries, Inc. (“Bisco”) and Bisco’s wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary, Bisco Industries Limited. Substantially all of EACO’s operations are conducted through Bisco and Bisco Industries Limited. Bisco is a distributor of electronic components and fasteners with 51 sales offices and seven distribution centers located throughout the United States and Canada and 1 additional sales office location in the Philippines. Bisco supplies parts used in the manufacture of products in a broad range of industries, including the aerospace, circuit board, communication, computer, fabrication, instrumentation, industrial equipment and marine industries.

Bisco commenced operations in Illinois in 1973 and was incorporated in 1974. Bisco’s principal executive offices are located at 5065 East Hunter Avenue, Anaheim, California 92807, which also serves as the principal executive offices of EACO. EACO’s website address is www.eacocorp.com and Bisco’s website address is www.biscoind.com. The inclusion of these website addresses in this annual report does not include, or incorporate by reference into this annual report, any information on or accessible through the websites.

EACO, Bisco and Bisco Industries Limited are collectively referred to herein as the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our.”

Operations

Products and Services

Bisco stocks thousands of items from more than 260 manufacturers. Bisco’s products include electronic components such as spacers and standoffs, card guides and ejectors, component holders and fuses, circuit board connectors, and cable components, as well as a large variety of fasteners and hardware. The breadth of Bisco’s products and extensive inventory provide a one-stop shopping experience for many customers.

Bisco also provides customized services and solutions for a wide range of production needs, including special packaging, bin stocking, kitting and assembly, bar coding, electronic requisitioning, and integrated supply programs, among others.

Divisions

Bisco Industries

Bisco sells a broad spectrum of products that it offers to many markets, but primarily sells to original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”). While historically, the substantial majority of Bisco’s revenues have been derived from the Bisco Industries division, Bisco has also established additional divisions that specialize in specific industries and products. Bisco believes that the focus by industry and/or product enhances Bisco’s ability to provide superior service and devise tailored solutions for its customers.

National-Precision

The National-Precision division primarily sells electronic hardware and commercial fasteners to OEMs in the aerospace, fabrication and industrial equipment industries. National-Precision seeks to be the leading global distributor of mil-spec and commercial fasteners, hardware and distribution services used in production.

Fast-Cor

The Fast-Cor division was established to be a distributor’s source for a broad range of components and fasteners. Fast-Cor has access to the entire inventory of products that Bisco offers but primarily focuses on selling to other distributors, not manufacturers.

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Customers and Sales

Bisco’s customers operate in a wide variety of industries and range from large global companies to small local businesses. Bisco strives to provide exceptional service to all customers, including smaller businesses, and continues to focus on growing its share of that market. As of August 31, 2023, Bisco had more than 10,000 customers; however, no single customer accounted for more than 10% of Bisco’s revenues for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2023. For each of the fiscal years ended August 31, 2023 and 2022 (“fiscal 2023” and “fiscal 2022,” respectively), Bisco’s top 20 customers represented in the aggregate approximately 13% of Bisco’s revenues.

Bisco generally sells its products through its sales representatives in its 51 sales offices located in the United States and Canada and 1 additional sales office in the Philippines. Customers can also place orders through Bisco’s website. Bisco currently maintains seven distribution centers located in Anaheim and San Jose, California; Dallas, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; Boston, Massachusetts; Atlanta, Georgia; and Toronto, Canada. Each of Bisco’s selling facilities and distribution centers are linked to Bisco’s central computer system, which provides Bisco’s management and salespersons with online, real-time data regarding inventory levels throughout Bisco and facilitates control of purchasing, shipping and billing. Bisco generally ships products to customers from one of its seven distribution centers, based on the geographic proximity to the customer and the location of the available ordered products.

Bisco sells its products primarily in the United States, Canada, and countries within Asia. Bisco’s international sales represented 11.3% and 11.8% of its sales in fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022, respectively. Sales to customers in Canada accounted for approximately 36% and 27% of such international sales in fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022, respectively. Sales to customers located within Asia accounted for approximately 40% and 48% of such international sales in fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022, respectively. Sales to customers in other countries make up 24% and 25% of such international sales in fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022, respectively

Suppliers

As of August 31, 2023, Bisco offered products from over 260 manufacturers. The Company’s authorized distributor agreements with most manufacturers are typically cancelable by either party at any time or on short notice. While Bisco doesn’t manufacture its products, it does perform kitting and packaging of existing products for certain of its customers. Although Bisco sells more products of certain brands, Bisco believes that most of the products it sells are available from other sources at competitive prices. No single supplier accounted for more than 10% of Bisco’s purchases in fiscal 2023 or fiscal 2022.

Human Capital Resources

As of August 31, 2023, the Company had 561 full-time employees, which include 359 sales and marketing employees, 89 management, administrative and finance employees, 63 warehouse and fulfillment personnel and 50 supply chain management employees. None of our employees are subject to a collective bargaining agreement.

A key element of our business strategy is to expand our operations and revenues by opening additional sales offices in new geographic locations, and we plan to add additional sales personnel to support such new offices. The Management believes it has been successful in attracting and retaining qualified sales personnel for these new positions. We continue to focus on employee development and training, and embrace diversity and inclusion. We believe an innovative workforce needs to be diverse and leverage the skills and perspectives of a wealth of backgrounds and experiences.

Compliance with Government Regulations

We are not aware of the need for any government approvals for our products. Because we use contract manufacturers, any laws regarding the manufacturing of the products we distribute will typically be the responsibility of our contract manufacturers. Prior to entering into any contracts with new manufacturers, we typically conduct diligence to determine that the manufacturer has satisfied all such requirements. We do not believe that we are subject to any state or federal environmental laws.

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Item 1A.  Risk Factors

Our business is subject to a number of risks, some of which are discussed below. The risk factors discussed in this section should be considered together with information included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and should not be considered the only risks to which the Company is exposed. If any of the risks actually occur, our business, financial condition, or results of operations could be seriously harmed. In that event, the market price for shares of our common stock may decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Company and Operational Risks

We generally do not have long-term supply agreements or guaranteed price or delivery arrangements with the majority of our suppliers.

In most cases, we have no guaranteed price or delivery arrangements with our suppliers. Consequently, we may experience inventory shortages on certain products from time to time. Furthermore, our industry occasionally experiences significant product supply shortages and customer order backlogs due to the inability of certain manufacturers to supply products as needed. We cannot assure you that our suppliers will maintain an adequate supply of products to fulfill our orders on a timely basis, at a recoverable cost, or at all, or that we will be able to obtain particular products on favorable terms or at all. Additionally, we cannot assure you that product lines currently offered by suppliers will continue to be available to us. A decline in the supply or continued availability of the products of our suppliers, or a significant increase in the price of those products, could reduce our sales, harm our reputation and negatively affect our operating results.

Our supply agreements are generally terminable at the suppliers’ discretion.

Substantially all of the agreements we have with our suppliers, including our authorized distributor agreements, are terminable with little or no notice or penalty. Suppliers that currently sell their products through us could decide to sell, or increase their sales of, their products directly or through other distributors or channels. Any termination, interruption or adverse modification of our relationship with a key supplier or a significant number of other suppliers would likely adversely affect our operating income, cash flow and future prospects.

We generally do not have long-term sales contracts with our customers.

Most of our sales are made on a purchase order basis, rather than through long-term sales contracts. As such, our customers typically do not have any obligation to purchase any products from us. A variety of conditions, both specific to each customer and generally affecting each customer’s industry, may cause customers to reduce, cancel or delay orders that were either previously made or anticipated. In addition, customers may go bankrupt or fail, or default on their payments. Significant or numerous cancellations, reductions, delays in orders by customers, losses of customers, and/or customer defaults on payment could materially adversely affect our business and revenues.

We rely on third party suppliers for most of our products, and may not be able to identify and procure relevant new products and products lines that satisfy our customers’ needs on favorable terms and prices, or at all.

We currently rely on a large number of third party suppliers for most of our products. Since we do not manufacture our products, we rely on these suppliers to provide quality products that are in demand by our customers. Our success depends in part on our ability to develop product expertise and continue to identify and provide future high quality products and product lines that complement our existing products and product lines and that respond to our customers’ needs. We may not be able to compete effectively unless we can continue to offer a broad range of high quality, reliable products that address the trends in the markets in which we compete.

Our advertising and marketing efforts may be costly and may not achieve desired results.

We expect to continue to incur substantial expense in connection with our advertising and marketing efforts. Postage represents a significant advertising expense for us because we generally mail flyers to current and potential customers through the U.S. Postal Service. Any future increases in postal rates will increase our mailing expenses and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. For fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022, we spent $431,000 and $427,000 on advertising, respectively.

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Increases in the costs of energy, shipping and raw materials used in our products could impact our cost of goods and distribution and occupancy expenses, which would result in lower operating margins.

Costs of raw materials used in our products and energy costs have been rising during the last several years, which has resulted in increased production costs for our suppliers. These suppliers typically look to pass their increased costs along to us through price increases. The shipping costs for our products have risen as well and may continue to rise. While we typically try to pass increased supplier prices and shipping costs through to our customers or to modify our activities to mitigate the impact, we may not be successful. Failure to fully pass these increased prices and costs through to our customers or to modify our activities to mitigate the impact would have an adverse effect on our operating margins and could make our products less competitive, either of which could adversely impact our margins and results of operations.

The unauthorized access to, or theft or destruction of, customer or employee personal, financial or other data or of our proprietary or confidential information that is stored in our information systems or by third parties on our behalf could impact our reputation and brand and expose us to potential liability and loss of revenues.

The protection of customer, employee and Company data is critical to us. We are subject to laws relating to information security, privacy, cashless payments, consumer credit and fraud. Additionally, an increasing number of government and industry groups have established laws and standards for the protection of personal information. The regulatory environment surrounding information security and privacy is increasingly demanding, with the frequent imposition of new and constantly changing requirements. Compliance with these requirements may result in cost increases due to necessary system changes and the development of new administrative processes. If we fail to comply with laws and regulations regarding privacy and security, we could be subject to significant fines, and become subject to investigations, litigation and the disruption of our operations.

In the ordinary course of business, we receive and maintain credit card and other personal information from our customers, employees and vendors. Customers and employees have a high expectation that we will adequately protect their personal information. Third parties may have the technology or know-how to breach the security of this customer information, and our security measures and those of our technology vendors may not effectively prohibit others from obtaining improper access to this information. A number of retailers have experienced security breaches in which credit and debit card information may have been stolen. While we have not experienced a cyber attack, we are working with a third-party vendor to assist us in safeguarding our systems and protecting the personal information of our customers, employees and vendors. Our analysis may not be able to adequately address or remedy the potential harm, which could result in the assessment against us for large remedial costs and other penalties, and could damage our reputation and adversely impact our customers.

We rely heavily on our internal information systems, which, if not properly functioning, could materially and adversely affect our business.

Our information systems have been in place for many years and are subject to system failures as well as problems caused by human error, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Many of our systems consist of a number of legacy or internally developed applications, which can be more difficult to upgrade to commercially available software. It may be time consuming and costly for us to retrieve data that is necessary for management to evaluate our systems of control and information flow. In the future, management may decide to convert our information systems to a single enterprise solution. Such a conversion, while it would enhance the accessibility and reliability of our data, could be expensive and would not be without risk of data loss, delay or business interruption. Maintaining and operating these systems requires continuous investments. Failure of any of these internal information systems or material difficulties in upgrading these information systems could have material adverse effects on our business and our timely compliance with our reporting obligations.

We may not be able to attract and retain key personnel.

Our future performance will depend to a significant extent upon the efforts and abilities of certain key management and other personnel, including Glen Ceiley, our Chairman and CEO, and Don Wagner, Bisco President and Chief Operating Officer, as well as other executive officers and senior management. The loss of service of one or more of our key management members could have a material adverse effect on our business.

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The competitive pressures we face could have a material adverse effect on our business.

The market for our products and services is very competitive. We compete for customers with other distributors, who sell similar or sometimes identical products, as well as with many of our suppliers. A failure to maintain and enhance our competitive position could adversely affect our business and prospects. Furthermore, our efforts to compete in the marketplace could cause deterioration of gross profit margins and, thus, overall profitability. Some of our competitors may have greater financial, personnel, capacity and other resources or a more extensive customer base than we do.

Expansion Risks

Our strategy of expanding into new geographic areas could be costly and may not expand our revenues.

One of our primary growth strategies is to grow our business through the opening of sales offices in new geographic markets. This strategy requires continued investment, both financially, as well as management’s efforts to get the new offices operational. Based on our analysis of demographics in the United States, Canada, Mexico and countries within Asia, we currently estimate there is potential market opportunity in North America and Asia to support additional sales offices. We cannot guarantee that our estimates are accurate or that we will open enough offices to capitalize on the full market opportunity or that any new offices will be successful or profitable in the near future, or at all. In addition, a particular local market’s ability to support a sales office may change due to competition or local economic conditions.

We may be unable to meet our goals regarding new office openings.

Our growth, in part, is primarily dependent on our ability to attract new customers. Historically, our most effective way to attract new customers has been opening new sales offices in additional geographic regions or new markets. During fiscal 2023, the Company opened two new geographical sales locations and relocated some existing locations to larger office locations within its original region. Given the recent economic uncertainty, we may not be able to open or grow new offices at our projected or desired rates or hire the qualified sales personnel necessary to make such new offices successful. Failure to do so could negatively impact our long-term growth and market share.

Opening sales offices in new markets presents increased risks that may prevent us from being profitable in these new locations, and/or may adversely affect our operating results.

Our new sales offices do not typically achieve operating results comparable to our existing offices until after several years of operation. The added expenses relating to payroll, occupancy, and transportation costs can impact our ability to generate earnings. Offices in new geographic areas face additional challenges to achieving profitability, and we cannot guarantee how long it will take new offices to become profitable, or that such offices will ever become profitable. In new markets, we have less familiarity with local customer preferences and customers in these markets are less familiar with our name and capabilities. Entry into new markets may also bring us into competition with new, unfamiliar competitors. These challenges associated with opening new offices in new markets may have an adverse effect on our business and operating results.

Our ability to successfully attract and retain qualified sales personnel is uncertain.

Our success depends in large part on our ability to attract, motivate, and retain a sufficient number of qualified sales employees, who understand and appreciate our strategy and culture and are able to adequately represent us to our customers. During fiscal 2023, the Company added 49 sales employees and plan to continue to expand our sales team in the future. Qualified individuals of the requisite caliber and number needed to fill these positions may be in short supply in some areas, and the turnover rate in the industry is high. If we are unable to hire and retain personnel capable of consistently providing a high level of customer service, as demonstrated by their enthusiasm for our culture and product knowledge, our sales could be materially adversely affected. Additionally, competition for qualified employees could require us to pay higher wages to attract a sufficient number of employees. An inability to recruit and retain a sufficient number of qualified individuals in the future may also delay the planned openings of new offices. Any such delays, material increases in existing employee turnover rates, or increases in labor costs, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or operating results.

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Financial Risks

We have incurred significant losses in the past from trading in securities, and we may incur such losses in the future, which may also cause us to be in violation of covenants under our loan agreement.

Bisco has historically supplemented its capital resources in part from cash generated by trading in marketable domestic equity securities. Bisco’s investment strategy includes taking both long and short positions, as well as utilizing options to maximize return. This strategy can lead, and has led, to significant losses from time to time based on market conditions and trends, as well as the performance of the specific companies in which we invest. We may incur losses in future periods from such trading activities, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition.

In addition, unanticipated losses from our trading activities may cause Bisco to be in violation of certain covenants under its line of credit agreement with Citizen’s Business Bank, located in Anaheim, CA. The agreement is secured by substantially all of Bisco’s assets. The loan agreement contains covenants which require that, on a quarterly basis, Bisco’s losses from trading in securities not exceed its pre-tax operating income. We cannot assure you that unanticipated losses from our trading activities will not cause us to violate our covenants in the future or that the bank will grant a waiver for any such default or that it will not exercise its remedies, which could include the refusal to allow additional borrowings on the line of credit or the acceleration of the obligation’s maturity date and foreclosure on Bisco’s assets, with respect to any such noncompliance, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations.

We may not have adequate or cost-effective liquidity or capital resources.

Our ability to satisfy our cash needs depends on our ability to generate cash from operations and to access our line of credit and the capital markets, which are subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control. In October 2023, the Company used $31.0 million of cash to purchase our Anaheim corporate headquarters and distribution center. As of August 31, 2023, there was zero outstanding on our line of credit, which line of credit is secured by substantially all of Bisco’s assets. Further, the Company has a loan agreement with the Bank that financed the tenant improvements on the corporate headquarters, of which approximately $4.5 million was outstanding as of August 31, 2023. See Notes 4 and 11 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in Part II, Item 8 of this report for further explanation. Our ability to continue to secure financing is subject to our satisfaction of certain covenants contained in such agreements. As a result of the recent economic uncertainty primarily caused by inflation and high borrowing interest rates, we may need to pursue additional debt or equity financing, which funding may not be available on acceptable or favorable terms, on a timely basis or at all. The securities that might be issued in any future equity financing may have rights, preferences, and privileges that are senior to our common stock. Our failure to obtain such funding could adversely impact our ability to execute our business plan and our financial condition and results of operations.

We are exposed to foreign currency exchange rate risk, and changes in foreign exchange rates could increase our costs to procure products and impact our foreign sales.

Because the functional currency related to our Canadian operations and certain of our foreign vendor purchases is the applicable local currency, we are exposed to foreign currency exchange rate risk arising from transactions in the normal course of business. Fluctuations in the relative strength of foreign economies and their related currencies could adversely impact our ability to procure products overseas at competitive prices and our foreign sales. Historically, our primary exchange rate exposure has been with the Canadian dollar.

Concentration of Ownership Risks

The Company’s Chairman and CEO holds almost all of our voting stock and can control the election of directors and significant corporate actions.

Glen Ceiley, our Chairman and CEO, beneficially owns or controls approximately 96% of our outstanding voting stock. As such, Mr. Ceiley is able to exert significant influence over the outcome of almost all corporate matters, including the election of the Board of Directors and significant corporate transactions requiring a stockholder vote, such as a merger or a sale of the Company or our assets. This concentration of ownership and influence in management and board decision-making could also harm the price of our common stock by, among other things, discouraging a potential acquirer from seeking to acquire shares of our common stock (whether by making a tender offer or otherwise) or otherwise attempting to obtain control of the Company.

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Sales of our common stock by Glen Ceiley could cause the price of our common stock to decline.

There is currently no established trading market for our common stock, and the volume of any stock sales has generally been low. As of August 31, 2023, the number of shares held by non-affiliates of Mr. Ceiley was less than 200,000 shares. If Mr. Ceiley sells or seeks to sell a substantial number of his shares of our common stock in the future, the market price of our common stock could decline. The perception among investors that these sales may occur could produce the same effect. Due to the limited available public float, certain investors may not be able or willing to invest in the Company’s securities, which could also impact the market price of our common stock.

General Risk Factors

Changes and uncertainties in the economy have harmed and could continue to harm our operating results.

As a result of economic uncertainties primarily caused by inflation and high borrowing interest rates, our operating results, and the economic strength of our customers and suppliers, are increasingly difficult to predict. Sales of our products are affected by many factors, including, among others, general economic conditions, interest rates, inflation, liquidity in the credit markets, unemployment trends, shipping costs, geopolitical events, and other factors. Although we sell our products to customers in a broad range of industries, if economic conditions significantly weaken on a global scale it may cause some of our customers to experience a slowdown, from time to time, which may in turn have an adverse effect on our sales and operating results. Changes and uncertainties in the economy also increase the risk of uncollectible accounts receivable. The pricing we receive from suppliers may also be impacted by general economic conditions. Continued and future changes and uncertainties in the economic climate in the United States and elsewhere could have a similar negative impact on the rate and amounts of purchases by our current and potential customers, create price inflation for our products, or otherwise have a negative impact on our expenses, gross margins and revenues, and could hinder our growth.

If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting or experience material weaknesses in our system of internal controls, we may not be able to report our financial results accurately or timely or detect fraud, which could have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock and our business.

We have from time to time had material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting due to a variety of issues, including, without limitation, significant deficiencies in the process related to the preparation of our financial statements, segregation of duties, sufficient control in the area of financial reporting oversight and review, and appropriate personnel to ensure the complete and proper application of GAAP as it relates to certain routine accounting transactions. Although we believe we are making progress in mitigating these material weaknesses, we may experience material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in the future and may fail to maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting that complies with the applicable reporting. Our failure to address any deficiencies or weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting or to properly maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting could impact our ability to prevent fraud or to issue our financial statements in a timely manner that presents fairly, in accordance with GAAP, our financial condition and results of operations. The existence of any such deficiencies and/or weaknesses, even if cured, may also lead to the loss of investor confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, could harm our business and negatively impact the trading price of our common stock. Such deficiencies or material weaknesses may also subject us to lawsuits, investigations and other penalties.

Item 1B.  Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

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Item 2.  Properties

We have 51 sales offices and seven distribution centers located throughout the United States and in Canada and have 1 additional sales office location in Asia located in the Philippines. In September 2019, Bisco entered into Commercial Lease Agreement (the “Hunter Lease”) with the Glen F. Ceiley and Barbara A. Ceiley Revocable Trust (the “Trust”), which is the grantor trust of Glen Ceiley, our Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board and majority shareholder (the “Trust”), and has a lease term that expires on August 31, 2029. Pursuant to the Hunter Lease, Bisco has leased from the Trust approximately 80,000 square feet of office and warehouse space located at 5065 East Hunter Avenue, Anaheim, California (the “Hunter Property”). The Company moved its corporate headquarters to the Hunter Property in March 2020. The initial base rent for the Hunter Lease is $66,300 per month, which increases by 2.5% annually over the term of the lease. On October 23, 2023, the Company closed escrow on purchase of the Hunter Property from the Trust for a purchase price of $31,000,000. The Hunter Property was purchased with cash, funded by the Company's available cash accounts and liquidated securities. See Note 11 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report for further explanation.

Bisco also leases its Chicago area sales office and distribution center located in Glendale Heights, Illinois under an operating lease agreement (the “Chicago Lease”) from the Trust, which has a term that expires in May 2029. The initial base rent for this lease is $22,600 per month, which increases by 2.5% annually over the term of the lease.

All of our other properties are leased, consisting of sales offices and warehouse space. Leases of sales offices generally have a lease term of three years and leases of warehouse locations usually have a lease term of five to ten years. For additional information regarding our obligations under property leases, see Note 8 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.

Item 3.  Legal Proceedings

From time to time, the Company may be named in claims arising in the ordinary course of business. Currently, we are not a party to any legal proceedings that, in the opinion of our management, would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition.

Item 4.  Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5.  Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Market Information and Holders

The Company’s common stock is quoted on OTC Pink operated by the OTC Markets Group Inc., and previously on the OTC Bulletin Board, under the trading symbol “EACO”; however, the Company’s common stock typically has low trading volumes.

As of August 31, 2023, the Company had no equity compensation plans. The Company did not grant or issue any unregistered shares of common stock during the fiscal 2023. The Company did not repurchase any of its own common stock during fiscal 2023.

As of November 21, 2023, the Company had approximately 220 shareholders of record.

Dividend Policy

The Company has never paid cash dividends on its common stock and does not expect to pay any cash dividends on its common stock in the foreseeable future.

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Item 6. Selected Financial Data

The Company is a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and is not required to provide the information required under this item.

Item 7.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results Of Operations

You should read the following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to our historical consolidated financial information, the following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates, and beliefs. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include those discussed below and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, particularly in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”

Overview

EACO is a holding company primarily comprised of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bisco, and includes Bisco’s wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary, Bisco Industries Limited. Bisco is a distributor of electronic components and fasteners with 51 sales offices and seven distribution centers located throughout North America and one sales office in Asia located in the Philippines. Bisco supplies parts used in the manufacture of products in a broad range of industries, including the aerospace, circuit board, communication, computer, fabrication, instrumentation, industrial equipment and marine industries.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Revenue Recognition

We derive our revenue primarily from product sales. We determine revenue recognition through the following steps: (1) identification of the contract with a customer; (2) identification of the performance obligations in the contract; (3) determination of the transaction price; (4) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (5) recognition of revenue when, or as, we satisfy a performance obligation.

The Company’s performance obligations consist solely of product shipped to customers. Revenue from product sales is recognized upon transfer of control of promised products to customers at a point in time in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for these products. Revenue is recognized net of returns and any taxes collected from customers. We offer industry standard contractual terms in our purchase orders.

Deferred Tax Assets

Our income tax expense, deferred tax assets (“DTAs”) and deferred tax liabilities (“DTLs”) reflect management’s best estimate of current and future taxes to be paid. We are subject to income taxes in the United States. Significant judgments and estimates are required in the determination of the consolidated income tax expense.

Deferred income taxes arise from temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements, which will result in taxable or deductible amounts in the future. In evaluating our ability to recover our DTAs in the jurisdiction from which they arise, we consider all available positive and negative evidence, including scheduled reversals of DTLs, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations. In projecting future taxable income, we begin with historical results adjusted for the results of discontinued operations and incorporate assumptions about the amount of future state, federal, and foreign pretax operating income adjusted for items that do not have tax consequences. The assumptions about future taxable income require the use of significant judgment and are consistent with the plans and estimates we are using to manage the underlying businesses. In evaluating the objective evidence that historical results provide, we consider three years of cumulative operating income.

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Inventory

The Company’s inventory provisions for obsolescence are based upon management’s review of inventories on-hand over their expected future utilization and length of time held by the Company. The Company’s methodology for estimating these adjustments to the cost basis is evaluated for factors that could require changes to the cost basis including significant changes in product demand, market conditions, condition of the inventory or net realizable value. If business or economic conditions change, the Company’s estimates and assumptions may be adjusted as deemed appropriate.

Results of Operations

Comparison of the Fiscal Years Ended August 31, 2023 and 2022

Revenues and Gross Margin (dollars in thousands)

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Revenues consist primarily of sales of component parts and fasteners and also include, to a lesser extent, kitting charges and special order fees, as well as freight charged to customers. The increase in revenues in fiscal 2023 compared to fiscal 2022 was largely due to a higher volume of product sales due to a better economic environment creating higher volume of purchases and additional buying from manufacturers. Revenues have also increased due to added sales employees during fiscal 2023, increasing by 49 employees when comparing to fiscal 2022. We believe that increasing sales headcount leads to the addition of new customers and the ability to sell more products to existing customers. Additionally, revenues and gross margin for fiscal 2023 have increased when compared to fiscal 2022 primarily due to developing better relationships with vendors and customers and also higher inventory stock available and an increased demand for those products.

Selling, General and Administrative Expense (dollars in thousands)

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Selling, general and administrative expense (“SG&A”) consists primarily of payroll and related expenses for the sales and administrative staff, professional fees (including accounting, legal and technology costs and expenses), and advertising costs. SG&A in fiscal 2023 increased from fiscal 2022 largely due to an increase in the number of sales and administrative employees, from 506 employees in fiscal 2022 to 561 employees in fiscal 2023. The increase in SG&A when comparing fiscal 2023 to fiscal 2022 is primarily due to a prior year decrease in payroll taxes as a result of federal tax credits related to the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) of $5.3 million recorded in the first quarter of fiscal year 2022. SG&A as a percent of revenue in the current period increased from the prior year period primarily due to the ERC offset in the prior year and higher payroll expenses in the current year.

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Other Income (Expense), Net (dollars in thousands)

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Other income (expense) includes income or losses on investments in marketable equity securities of other publicly-held domestic corporations, interest income (expense), and other nonoperating activities. The Company’s investment strategy consists of both long and short positions. The Company experienced net realized and unrealized gains from trading securities of approximately $1,284,000 and net realized and unrealized losses of approximately $213,000 in fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022, respectively. The trading securities gains and losses in fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022 were primarily due to timing of sale of investments and general market climate of investment positions at year-end.

Interest and other expense decreased by $142,000, which was primarily due to interest income earned during the period that partially offset the interest expense.

Income Tax Provision (dollars in thousands)

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The provision for income taxes decreased by $290,000 in fiscal 2023 compared to fiscal 2022, which was primarily a result of lower book income in fiscal 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022. The income tax provision as a percentage of pre-tax income decreased by 0.6% in fiscal 2023 compared to fiscal 2022, which was primarily due to a lower blended state tax rate used in fiscal 2023 and also due to the fiscal 2022 tax provision having a larger return to provision and deferred true ups when comparing to fiscal 2023.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of August 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company held approximately $8,558,000 and $17,386,000 of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents, respectively. The Company also held $27,228,000 and $3,925,000 of marketable securities at August 31, 2023 and August 31, 2022, respectively, which could be liquidated, if necessary.

The Company currently has a $15.0 million line of credit agreement with the Bank. On December 4, 2019, the Company entered into a Change in Terms Agreement dated November 27, 2019 with the Bank (the “Amendment”), which modified the Company’s $10.0 million line of credit between the Company and the Bank to increase the maximum amount that may be borrowed thereunder from $10.0 million to $15.0 million. In addition, the Amendment removed the Company’s interest rate options and set the rate at the bank prime rate, but provided that in no event would such interest rate be less than 3.0% per annum..During Q1 2023, the Company entered into a Change in Terms Agreement dated November 5, 2022 with the Bank (the “Amendment”), which extended the maturity date of the line of credit from November 5, 2022 to July 5, 2024. and the Company intends to renew the line of credit beyond maturity. Borrowings are secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries. The amounts outstanding under this line of credit as of August 31, 2023 and August 31, 2022 were zero.

In September 2019, Bisco entered into the Hunter Lease with the Trust, which is the grantor trust of Glen Ceiley, our Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board and the Company’s majority shareholder. Under the Hunter Lease, Bisco leased from the Trust the Hunter Property, which consists of approximately 80,000 square feet of office and warehouse space located at 5065 East Hunter Avenue, Anaheim, California, which serves as the Company’s new corporate headquarters. The Hunter Lease has a term that expires on August 31, 2029. On October 23, 2023, the Company closed escrow on purchase of the Hunter Property from the Trust for a

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purchase price of $31,000,000. The Hunter Property was purchased with cash, funded by the Company's available cash accounts and liquidated securities. See note 11 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report for further explanation.

In July 2019, the Company entered into a Construction Loan with the Bank to borrow up to $5,000,000 for the primary purpose of financing tenant improvements at the Hunter Property. The Construction Loan was a line of credit evidenced by a Promissory Note in the principal amount of up to $5,000,000 with a maturity date of May 15, 2027. The terms of the Construction Loan provide that the Company may only request advances through July 15, 2020, and thereafter, the Construction Loan would convert to a term loan with a fixed rate of 4.6% and entitled to a .25% rate discount if a demand deposit account is held with the Bank. On July 15, 2020, the amount drawn on the Construction Loan and converted to a term loan was $4,807,000. Interest on the Construction Loan is payable monthly (4.35% at August 31, 2023 and 2022). Concurrent with the execution of this Construction Loan, Bisco entered into a commercial security agreement, dated July 12, 2019, with the Bank, pursuant to which Bisco granted the Bank a security interest in substantially all of Bisco’s personal property to secure Bisco’s obligations under the Construction Loan. The outstanding balance of the Construction Loan at August 31, 2023 and August 31, 2022 was $4,584,000 and $4,698,000, respectively.

EACO has also entered into a business loan agreement (and related $100,000 promissory note) with the Bank that is renewed annually in order to obtain a $100,000 letter of credit as security for the Company’s workers’ compensation requirements.

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

During fiscal 2023, the Company provided $13,422,000 in net cash from its operating activities. The current period cash provided by operating activities was primarily due to net income of $21,185,000 and an increase in accrued expenses and in prepaid and other assets. This was partially offset by increases in trade accounts receivable and inventory. Increases in accrued expenses is primarily due to increases in inventory.

During fiscal 2022, the Company provided $16,866,000 in net cash from its operating activities. The current period cash provided by operating activities was primarily due to net income of $21,308,000 and an increase in trade accounts payable and accrued expenses. This was partially offset by increased in trade accounts receivable and inventory. Increases in accounts payable and accrued expenses is primarily due to increases in inventory.

Cash Flows from Investing Activities

Cash used in investing activities was $23,815,000 for fiscal 2023. This was primarily due to the purchase of marketable securities.

Cash used in investing activities was $2,236,000 for fiscal 2022. This was primarily due to the purchase of equipment for offices and distribution centers and the purchase of marketable securities.

Cash Flows from Financing Activities

Cash provided by financing activities for fiscal 2023 was $1,701,000, which was primarily due to an increase in bank overdraft when comparing fiscal 2023 to fiscal 2022. Bank overdraft represents outstanding checks in excess of cash held in our bank account. If the bank account is over drawn, the Company has a nightly sweep feature, which funds the cash account to the line of credit with the Bank. The cash used in financing activities for the prior period is primarily due to a decrease in the bank overdraft balance.

Contractual Financial Obligations

In addition to using cash flow generated from operations, the Company finances its operations through borrowings from banks. These financial obligations are recorded in accordance with accounting rules applicable to the underlying transactions, with the result that debt agreements are recorded as liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets while obligations under operating leases are disclosed in the notes to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

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Item 7A.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

The Company is a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and is not required to provide the information required under this item.

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Item 8.  Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

EACO CORPORATION

Index to Consolidated Financial Statements

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and

Shareholders of EACO Corporation

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of EACO Corporation (the “Company”) as of August 31, 2023 and 2022, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years ended August 31, 2023 and 2022, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of August 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years ended August 31, 2023 and 2022, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s 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 in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the 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 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 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 financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matters

Critical audit matters are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. We determined that there are no critical audit matters.

HASKELL & WHITE LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2022.

Irvine, California

November 22, 2023

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EACO Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands, except share and per share information)

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See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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EACO Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

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See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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EACO Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

(in thousands)

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See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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EACO Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity

For the Years Ended August 31, 2023 and 2022

(in thousands, except share information)

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See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements

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EACO Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in thousands)

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See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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EACO CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

August 31, 2023 and 2022

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