1. ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS OF THE COMPANY

Willdan Group, Inc. (“Willdan” or the “Company”) is a provider of professional, technical and consulting services to utilities, private industry, and public agencies at all levels of government. As resources and infrastructures undergo continuous change, the Company helps organizations and their communities evolve and thrive by providing a wide range of technical services for energy solutions and government infrastructure. Through engineering, program management, policy advisory, and software and data management, the Company designs and delivers trusted, comprehensive, innovative, and proven solutions to improve efficiency, resiliency, and sustainability in energy and infrastructure.

The Company’s broad portfolio of services operates within two financial reporting segments: (1) Energy and (2) Engineering and Consulting. The interfaces and synergies between these segments are important elements of the Company’s strategy to design and deliver trusted, comprehensive, innovative, and proven solutions for its customers

The accounting policies followed by the Company are set forth in Part II, Item 8, Note 1, Organization and Operations of the Company, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10‑K for the fiscal year ended December 27, 2019. In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary to fairly state the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been made. All such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the Consolidated Financial Statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and the notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10‑K for the fiscal year ended December 27, 2019. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the full year.

Fiscal Years

The Company operates and reports its annual financial results based on 52 or 53-week periods ending on the Friday closest to December 31. The Company operates and reports its quarterly financial results based on the 13-week period ending on the Friday closest to March 31, June 30 and September 30 and the 13 or 14-week period ending on the Friday closest to December 31, as applicable. Fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017 contained 52 weeks. All references to years in the notes to consolidated financial statements represent fiscal years.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements. Estimates also affect the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Management’s Plans in Response to Covid-19

On January 30, 2020, the spread of a novel strain of coronavirus (“Covid-19”) was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization (“WHO”). On March 11, 2020, WHO characterized the Covid-19 outbreak as a pandemic. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in governmental authorities around the world implementing numerous measures to try to contain the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter-in-place or total lock-down orders and business limitations and shutdowns (subject to exceptions for certain essential operations and businesses). The Covid-19 outbreak and restrictions intended to slow the spread of Covid-19 have caused economic and social disruption on an unprecedented scale. It is unclear how long these restrictions will remain in place and they may remain in place in some form for an extended period of time. Given the uncertainties associated with the duration of the pandemic, the Company cannot reasonably estimate the ultimate impacts of Covid-19 and efforts to limit its spread on its business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows for the foreseeable future or whether the Company’s assumptions used to estimate its future liquidity requirements will be correct.

Health and Safety

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Company has taken and will continue to take temporary precautionary measures intended to help minimize the risk of Covid-19 to its employees, including requiring the majority of its employees to work remotely, suspending non-essential travel and restricting in-person work-related meetings. The Company expects to continue to implement these measures until it has determined that the Covid-19 pandemic is adequately contained for purposes of its business, and may take further actions as government authorities require or recommend or as it determines to be in the best interests of its employees, customers, business partners and third-party service providers.

Financial Position and Results of Operations

The Covid-19 pandemic and efforts to limit its spread negatively impacted the Company’s operations during the three months ended April 3, 2020. In California and New York, the states in which it has historically derived a majority of its revenue, mandatory shutdown orders were issued in March. As such, Covid-19 had only a partial impact on the Company’s operations during its first fiscal quarter of 2020 and it expects the impact to be more significant in its second quarter.

In the Energy segment, the Company has experienced and expects to continue to experience a negative impact on its direct install programs that serve small businesses as a result of restrictions put in place by governmental authorities that have required temporary shutdowns of all “non-essential” businesses. In fiscal 2019, the Company derived approximately 40% of its gross Energy segment revenue from its direct install programs that serve small businesses, and a significant portion of its direct install work on these programs is currently suspended and will remain suspended until Covid-19-related restrictions are lifted. The Company’s other energy programs, which generated approximately 60% of its gross Energy segment revenue in fiscal 2019, are either direct install work for small businesses that have been determined to be “essential” by government authorities or has continued to progress during the pandemic. In addition, some of the Company’s programs in the Energy segment, including certain programs in New York, are considered “essential” under applicable governmental regulations are being accelerated because of their importance to help fight this pandemic

In the Engineering and Consulting segment, the Company’s revenues have been minimally affected. The services in this segment have generally been deemed “essential” by the government and have continued to operate while abiding social distancing measures.

As of May 8, 2020, though some of the Company work has been suspended, none of its contracts have been cancelled.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic and efforts to prevent its spread, the Company began taking a number of steps during the first quarter of fiscal 2020 aimed at preserving liquidity and positioning itself to resume its growth trajectory after work restrictions are lifted. These steps include:

Executing a reduction in workforce, primarily through an unpaid furlough, impacting approximately 300 members of staff. The largest reductions were a result of government-mandated work restrictions impacting the Company’s direct install programs in California and New York;

A temporary freeze on all non-critical spending for travel, capital expenditures, and other discretionary expenses;

A temporary cash wage reduction for salaried employees, ranging from 0% for lower salary bands up to 75% for senior management;

Suspension of cash fees for the Company’s Board of Directors, until such time as the Board of Directors determines;

Implementing a temporary hiring freeze; and

Amending the Company’s credit facility for increased flexibility.

The Company believes that its financial position will allow it to withstand the current economic environment. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2020, the Company enhanced liquidity by minimizing working capital and improving cash collections and, in May 2020, the Company amended its credit facilities to amend certain covenants to increase its financial flexibility. Combined with availability under its credit facilities, the Company believes its enhanced liquidity position provides a cushion against any unforeseen liquidity disruptions. The Company anticipates borrowing additional amounts under its existing credit facility during the second half of fiscal year 2020.

Asset and liability valuation and other estimates used in preparation of financial statements

As of April 3, 2020, the Company did not have any impairment with respect to goodwill or long-lived assets, including intangible assets. Because the full extent of the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak and efforts to slow its spread are unknown at this time, they could, under certain circumstances, cause impairment and result in a non-cash impairment charge being recorded in future periods.

Changes to the estimated future profitability of the business may require that the Company establish an additional valuation allowance against all or some portion of its net deferred tax assets.

Impact on Clients and Subcontractors and Other Risks

The Company primarily works for utilities, municipalities and other public agencies. The Company expects many governmental and other public agencies will have significant budget shortfalls for 2020 and potentially beyond as a result of the economic slowdown from the measures taken to mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic. These potential budget deficits could result in delayed funding for existing contracts with the Company, postponements of new contracts or price concessions. Further, most of the Company’s clients are not committed to purchase any minimum amount of services, as the Company agreements with them are based on a “purchase order” model. As a result, they may discontinue utilizing some or all of the Company’s services with little or no notice.

In addition, the Company relies on subcontractors to complete a substantial portion of our work, especially in its Energy segment. If the Company’s preferred subcontractors suffer significant economic harm and must limit or cease operations or file for bankruptcy as a result of the current economic slowdown, the Company’s subcontractors may not be able to fulfill their contractual obligations satisfactorily and the Company may not have the ability to select its subcontractors of choice for new contracts. If the Company’s subcontractors are not able to fulfill their contractual obligations, it could result in a significant increase in costs for the Company to complete the projects. The ultimate impact of Covid-19 on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations will depend on all of the factors noted above, including other factors that the Company may not be able to forecast at this time. See the risk factor “The Covid-19 pandemic and health and safety measures intended to slow its spread have adversely affected, and may continue to adversely affect, our business, results of operations and financial condition.” under Part II. Item 1A. of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. While the Company expects the impacts of Covid-19 to have an adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations, it is unable to predict the extent of these impacts at this time.