Note 9 - Debt

3 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2022

Notes to Financial Statements

Debt Disclosure [Text Block]

Note 9 - Debt

Debt totaled $26.3 million and $21.9 million at April 30, 2022 and January 31, 2022, respectively.

Revolving lines - North America. On September 20, 2018, the Company and certain of its U.S. and Canadian subsidiaries (collectively, together with the Company, the “North American Loan Parties”) entered into a Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with PNC Bank, National Association ("PNC"), as administrative agent and lender, providing for a three-year $18 million Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility, subject to a borrowing base including various reserves (the “Senior Credit Facility”).

On   December 18, 2020, the Company entered into the First Amendment and Waiver to the Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (“Amendment and Waiver”) with PNC, which (i) reflected PNC’s waiver of the Company’s failure to maintain a fixed charge coverage ratio ("FCCR") of 1.10 to 1.00 as of   October 31, 2020 on a trailing four quarter basis as required under the Company’s Credit Agreement and (ii) further amended certain future FCCR covenants requirements under the Credit Agreement.  Additionally, the Company was also required to have received, and applied to reduce the outstanding balance under the Credit Agreement, $1.0 million from one of its foreign subsidiaries, Perma-Pipe Middle East FZC, in the U.A.E. The transfer and repayment occurred on   December 17, 2020 and did not cause the Company to incur any additional fees or taxes, nor did it force the Company to change any of its assertions with regards to permanent reinvestment in any of its foreign subsidiaries. The Company incurred additional fees over the remainder of the Amendment and Waiver of approximately $0.1 million. The Amendment and Waiver also eliminated the Company’s ability to make London Inter-Bank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") borrowings and reduced the overall availability by $2.0 million until maturity.

On September 17, 2021, the North American Loan Parties executed an extension of the Credit Agreement with PNC, providing for a new five-year $18 million senior secured revolving credit facility, subject to a borrowing base including various reserves (the “Renewed Senior Credit Facility”). The Company's obligations under the Renewed Senior Credit Facility are currently guaranteed by Perma-Pipe Canada, Inc. Each of the North American Loan Parties other than Perma-Pipe Canada, Inc. is a borrower under the Renewed Senior Credit Facility (collectively, the “Borrowers”).

The Borrowers will use borrowings under the Renewed Senior Credit Facility (i) to fund future capital expenditures; (ii) to fund ongoing working capital needs; and (iii) for other corporate purposes, including potentially additional stock repurchases. Borrowings under the Renewed Senior Credit Facility bears interest at a rate equal to an alternate base rate, LIBOR or a LIBOR successor rate index, plus, in each case, an applicable margin. The applicable margin will be based on an FCCR range. Interest on alternate base rate borrowings will be the alternate base rate as defined in the Renewed Senior Credit Facility plus an applicable margin ranging from 1.00% to 1.50%, based on the FCCR in the most recently reported period. Interest on LIBOR or LIBOR successor rate borrowings will be the LIBOR rate as defined in the Renewed Senior Credit Facility plus an applicable margin ranging from 2.00% to 2.50%, based on the FCCR in the most recently reported period. Additionally, the Borrowers will pay a 0.25% per annum facility fee on the unused portion of the Renewed Senior Credit Facility. 

Subject to certain exceptions, borrowings under the Renewed Senior Credit Facility will be secured by substantially all of the North American Loan Parties’ assets. The Renewed Senior Credit Facility will mature on September 20, 2026. Subject to certain qualifications and exceptions, the Renewed Senior Credit Facility contains covenants that, among other things, restrict the North American Loan Parties’ ability to create liens, merge or consolidate, consummate acquisitions, make investments, dispose of assets, incur debt, and pay dividends and other distributions. In addition, the North American Loan Parties may not make capital expenditures in excess of $5.0 million annually, plus a limited carryover of unused amounts. Further, the North American Loan Parties may not make repurchases of the Company's common stock in excess of $3.0 million. 

The Renewed Senior Credit Facility also contains financial covenants requiring the North American Loan Parties to achieve a ratio of its EBITDA to the sum of scheduled cash principal payments on indebtedness for borrowed money and interest payments on the advances under the Renewed Senior Credit Facility to be not less than 1.10 to 1.00 if for any five consecutive days the undrawn availability is less than $3.0 million or any day in which the undrawn availability is less than $2.0 million. As of April 30, 2022, the calculated ratio was greater than 1.10 to 1.00. In order to cure any future breach of the FCCR covenant by the North American Loan Parties, the Company may repatriate cash from any of its foreign subsidiaries that are otherwise not a party to the Renewed Senior Credit Facility in an amount which, when added to the amount of the Company’s Consolidated EBITDA, would result in pro forma compliance with the covenant. The Company was in compliance with these covenants as of April 30, 2022.

The Renewed Senior Credit Facility contains customary events of default. If an event of default occurs and is continuing, then PNC may terminate all commitments to extend further credit and declare all amounts outstanding under the Renewed Senior Credit Facility due and payable immediately. In addition, if any of the North American Loan Parties or certain of their subsidiaries become the subject of voluntary or involuntary proceedings under any bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law, then any outstanding obligations under the Renewed Senior Credit Facility will automatically become immediately due and payable. Loans outstanding under the Renewed Senior Credit Facility will bear interest at a rate of 2.00% per annum in excess of the otherwise applicable rate (i) while a bankruptcy event of default exists or (ii) upon the lender's request, during the continuance of any other event of default.

As of April 30, 2022, the Company had borrowed an aggregate of $5.2 million at a rate of 4.50% and had $4.9 million available under the Renewed Senior Credit Facility. As of January 31, 2022, the Company had borrowed an aggregate of $0.6 million and had $8.5 million available under the Renewed Senior Credit Facility, before application of a $2.5 million availability block that has subsequently been removed completely based on the Company's financial performance.

Finance obligation - buildings and land. On April 14, 2021, the Company entered into a purchase and sale agreement (the "Purchase and Sale Agreement"). Pursuant to the terms of the Purchase and Sale Agreement, the Company sold its land and buildings in Lebanon, Tennessee (the "Property") for a purchase price of $10.4 million. The transaction generated net cash proceeds of $9.1 million, following the release of the escrowed amount in June 2021 discussed below. The Company used a portion of the proceeds to repay its borrowings under the Senior Credit Facility and the remaining proceeds for strategic investments, and for general corporate needs. Concurrent with the sale of the Property, the Company entered into a fifteen-year lease agreement (the “Lease Agreement”), whereby the Company will lease back the Property at an annual rental rate of approximately $0.8 million, subject to annual rent increases of 2.0%. Under the Lease Agreement, the Company has four consecutive options to extend the term of the lease by five years for each such option. Concurrently with the sale, the Company paid off the approximately $0.9 million mortgage note on the Property to its lender. At closing, $0.4 million was placed in a short-term escrow account to cover certain post-closing contingencies that may arise. The contingencies were resolved in May 2021 and the Company received the escrowed funds in June 2021.

In accordance with ASC Topic 842, "Leases", this transaction was recorded as a failed sale and leaseback as the present value of lease payments exceeded substantially all of the fair value of the underlying asset. The Company utilized an incremental borrowing rate of 8.0% to determine the finance obligation to record for the amounts received and will continue to depreciate the assets. The current portion of the finance obligation of $0.1 million is recognized in current maturities of long-term debt and the long-term portion of $9.3 million is recognized in long-term finance obligation on the Company's consolidated balance sheets as of April 30, 2022. The net carrying amount of the financial liability and remaining assets will be zero at the end of the lease term.

Revolving lines - foreign. The Company also has credit arrangements used by its Middle Eastern subsidiaries in the U.A.E. and Egypt as discussed further below.

The Company has a revolving line for 8.0 million U.A.E. Dirhams (approximately $2.2 million at April 30, 2022) from a bank in the U.A.E. The facility has an interest rate of approximately 4.54% and was originally set to expire in  November 2020, however, the expiration was extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company has submitted final documentation to complete the renewal process, and is awaiting official notification from the bank of the renewal completion. This process is expected to be completed in June 2022.

The Company has a second revolving line for 17.5 million U.A.E. Dirhams (approximately $4.8 million at April 30, 2022) from a bank in the U.A.E. The facility has an interest rate of approximately 4.50% and is set to expire in  January 2023.

The Company has a third credit agreement for project financing with a bank in the U.A.E. for 3.0 million U.A.E. Dirhams (approximately $0.8 million at April 30, 2022). This credit arrangement is in the form of project financing at rates competitive in the U.A.E. The line is secured by the contract for a project being financed by the Company's U.A.E. subsidiary. The facility has an interest rate of approximately 4.50% and is expected to expire in  June 2023 in connection with the completion of the project.

These credit arrangements are in the form of overdraft facilities and project financing at rates competitive in the countries in which the Company operates. The lines are secured by certain equipment, certain assets (such as accounts receivable and inventory), and a guarantee by the Company. Some credit arrangement covenants require a minimum tangible net worth to be maintained, including maintaining certain levels of intercompany subordinated debt. In addition, some of the revolving credit facilities restrict payment of dividends or undertaking of additional debt.

In June 2021, the Company's Egyptian subsidiary entered into a credit arrangement with a bank in Egypt for a revolving line of 100.0 million Egyptian Pounds (approximately $5.4 million at April 30, 2022). This credit arrangement is in the form of project financing at rates competitive in Egypt. The line was secured by certain assets (such as accounts receivable) of the Company's Egyptian subsidiary. Among other covenants, the credit arrangement established a maximum leverage ratio allowable and restricted the Company's Egyptian subsidiary's ability to undertake any additional debt. The facility has an interest rate of approximately 8.00% and is set to expire in August 2022.

In December 2021, the Company entered into a credit arrangement for project financing with a bank in Egypt for 28.2 million Egyptian Pounds (approximately $1.5 million at April 30, 2022). This credit arrangement is in the form of project financing at rates competitive in Egypt. The line is secured by the contract for a project being financed by the Company's Egyptian subsidiary. The facility has an interest rate of approximately 8.00% and is expected to expire in June 2022 in connection with the completion of the project.

The Company’s credit arrangements used by its Middle Eastern subsidiaries renew on an annual basis. The Company guarantees only a portion of the subsidiaries' debt, including foreign debt. As of April 30, 2022, the amount of foreign subsidiary debt guaranteed by the Company was approximately $0.1 million. 

The Company was in compliance with the covenants under the credit arrangements in the U.A.E. and Egypt as of April 30, 2022. On April 30, 2022, interest rates were based on the Emirates Inter Bank Offered Rate plus 3.0% to 3.5% per annum for the U.A.E. credit arrangements, two of which have a minimum interest rate of 4.5% per annum, and based on the stated interest rate in the agreement for the Egypt credit arrangement. Based on these base rates, as of April 30, 2022, the Company's interest rates ranged from 4.50% to 8.0%, with a weighted average rate of 7.63%, and the Company had facility limits totaling $14.9 million under these credit arrangements. As of April 30, 2022, $2.3 million of availability was used to support letters of credit to guarantee amounts committed for inventory purchases and for performance guarantees. Additionally, as of April 30, 2022, the Company had borrowed $6.1 million, and had an additional $6.5 million of borrowing remaining available under the foreign revolving credit arrangements. The foreign revolving lines balances as of April 30, 2022 and January 31, 2022, were included as current maturities of long-term debt in the Company's consolidated balance sheets. 

Mortgages. On July 28, 2016, the Company borrowed CAD 8.0 million (approximately $6.1 million at the prevailing exchange rate on the transaction date) from a bank in Canada under a mortgage note secured by the Company's manufacturing facility located in Alberta, Canada that matures on December 23, 2042. The interest rate is variable, and was 5.05% at April 30, 2022. Principal payments began in January 2018.

On June 19, 2012, the Company borrowed $1.8 million under a mortgage note secured by its manufacturing facility in Lebanon, Tennessee. The proceeds were used for repayment of amounts borrowed. On April 14, 2021, the Company entered into the Purchase and Sale Agreement discussed above. Concurrently with the sale, the Company paid off the approximately $0.9 million remaining on the mortgage note on the Property to its lender.