Item 1A. Risk Factors
RISK FACTORS
Our business is subject to various risks and uncertainties. Investors should read carefully the following factors as well as the cautionary statements referred to in ‘‘Forward-Looking Statements’’ together with all of the other information in this Form 10-K. If any of the risks and uncertainties described below or elsewhere in this annual report on Form 10-K actually occur, the Company's business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected and/or the trading price of our common stock could decline. We also may not be able to achieve our goals or expectations.
Risks Related to Our Business and Operations, Services, Products and Industries We Serve
There is substantial doubt about the Company ’ s ability to continue as a going concern and this could, among other things, materially and adversely impact our ability to obtain additional financing and the value of our common stock.
Due to the decreases in the Company’s market capitalization, the significant loss in the Renewables segment in 2022, interest rate increases and limitations on accessing capital, there is substantial doubt as to the ability of the Company to continue as a going concern. Furthermore, management may seek additional equity or debt financing, but there can be no assurance that the Company would be able to obtain additional equity or debt financing in amounts sufficient to alleviate the substantial doubt regarding the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
If we cannot continue as a going concern, our stockholders would likely lose most or all of their investment in us and holders of our indebtedness may also suffer material losses on their investments. Reports raising substantial doubt as to a company’s ability to continue as a going concern are generally viewed unfavorably by analysts and investors and could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial position, results of operations and liquidity.
Our cash, cash equivalents and investments could be adversely affected if the financial institutions in which we hold our cash, cash equivalents and investments fail.
We hold our cash and cash equivalents that we use to meet our working capital and operating expense needs in deposit accounts at multiple financial institutions. The balance held in these accounts may exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), standard deposit insurance limit or similar government guarantee schemes. If a financial institution in which we hold such funds fails or is subject to significant adverse conditions in the financial or credit markets, we could be subject to a risk of loss of all or a portion of such uninsured funds or be subject to a delay in accessing all or a portion of such uninsured funds. Any such loss or lack of access to these funds could adversely impact our short-term liquidity and ability to meet our operating expense obligations.
Historically, we have generated annual losses from operations, and we may need additional funding in the future .
Historically, on an annual basis, we have not generated sufficient revenues from operations to self-fund our capital and operating requirements. For the year ended 2022, we had a net loss of $280.3 million, an accumulated deficit as of December 31, 2022 of $487.1 million, and negative working capital of $190.5 million, which includes current maturities of long-term debt. If we are not able to generate sufficient income and cash flows from operations to fund our operations and growth plans, we may seek additional capital from equity and debt placements or corporate arrangements. Additional capital may not be available on terms favorable to us, or at all. If we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience dilution. Debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants or security interests in our assets. If we raise additional funds through collaboration arrangements with third parties, it may be necessary to relinquish some rights to technologies or products. If we are unable to raise adequate funds or generate them from operations, we may have to delay, reduce the scope of, or eliminate some or all of our growth plans or liquidate some or all of our assets.
There is no assurance we will achieve or sustain profitability .
For the year ended December 31, 2022, we had a net loss of $280.3 million. There is no assurance that we will achieve or sustain profitability. If we fail to achieve or sustain profitability, the price of our common stock could fall and our ability to raise additional capital could be adversely affected.
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Acquisitions and strategic investments related to business expansion activities may not be successful and may divert our resources from our existing business activities , n egatively affecting our operating results, cash flows and liquidity and may not enhance shareholder value.
Orbital Infrastructure Group has focused our business on the acquisition and development of energy infrastructure services companies including Front Line Power Construction, LLC, Gibson Technical Services, IMMCO, Inc, Full Moon Telecom, LLC., Coax Fiber Solutions, LLC. and Orbital Solar Services (formerly Reach Construction Group, LLC), and the greenfield development of Orbital Power, Inc. We may not be successful in acquiring energy infrastructure services companies that are commercially viable. We may fail to successfully develop or commercialize such services, solutions and products that we acquire. Research, development and commercialization of such acquired services, solutions and products may disproportionately divert our resources from our other business activities. Acquisitions expose us to operational challenges and risks, including the ability to profitably manage and integrate acquired operations, implement internal controls, procedures, financial reporting and accounting systems into our business. In addition, increased indebtedness, earn-out obligations and cash flow requirements may result in cash flow shortages if anticipated revenue and earnings are not realized or are delayed. Other risks for acquisitions include, among other things, the ability to retain and hire qualified personnel, costs to integrate the business and fund capital needs.
We may not be able to identify suitable acquisitions or investments or may have difficulty obtaining the necessary financing required to complete such acquisitions and investments. We may utilize our common stock, debt instruments, including convertible debt securities, which could dilute the ownership interests of our shareholders. In addition, we may pursue acquisitions our existing shareholders may not agree with.
We cannot assure you that the indemnifications granted to Orbital Infrastructure Group, Inc. by sellers of acquired companies will be sufficient in amount, scope or duration to fully offset potential liabilities from acquired businesses which may have liabilities that we failed, or were unable, to discover during due diligence processes. Any such liabilities could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Acquisitions could result in operating difficulties, dilution and other harmful consequences .
We expect to continue to pursue acquisitions which require integration into our own business model. We expect to continue to evaluate and enter into discussions regarding a wide array of potential strategic transactions focused on energy infrastructure services. These transactions could be material to our financial condition and results of operations. The process of integrating an acquired company, business or technologies may create unforeseen operating difficulties and expenditures. The areas where we face risks include:
implementation or remediation of controls, procedures and policies of the acquired company;
diversion of management time and focus from operating our business to acquisition integration challenges;
coordination of product, engineering and sales and marketing functions;
transition of operations, users and customers into our existing customs;
cultural challenges associated with integrating employees from the acquired company into our organization;
retention of employees from the businesses we acquire;
integration of the acquired company’s accounting, management information, human resource and other administrative systems;
liability for activities of the acquired company before the acquisition, including patent and trademark infringement claims, violations of laws, commercial disputes, tax liabilities and other known and unknown liabilities;
litigation or other claims in connection with the acquired company, including claims from terminated employees, customers, former shareholders, or other third parties;
in the case of foreign acquisitions, the need to integrate operations across different cultures, time zones, and languages and to address the particular economic, currency, political and regulatory risks associated with specific countries;
failure to successfully further develop the acquired technologies; and
other as yet unknown risks that may impact our business.
Our failure to address these risks or other problems encountered in connection with our past or future acquisitions could cause us to fail to realize the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions, incur unanticipated liabilities and harm our business generally.
Future acquisitions could also result in dilutive issuances of our equity securities, the incurrence of debt, contingent liabilities or amortization expenses, write-offs of goodwill, or reductions to our tangible net worth any of which could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Also, the anticipated benefit of many of our acquisitions may not materialize.
We could incur goodwill and intangible asset impairment expenses, which could negatively impact our profitability.
We have goodwill and intangible assets and will continue to as we acquire new businesses. We periodically review the carrying values of goodwill and intangible assets to determine whether such carrying values exceed their fair market values. Adverse changes in financial, competitive and other conditions such as declines in operating performance or other adverse changes in valuation assumptions could adversely affect the estimated fair values of the related assets and impairment to goodwill or intangible assets. See Note 5 in the notes to the audited consolidated financial statements for further details.
We utilize debt to fund our operations and acquisitions strategy, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations or could affect our ability to access capital markets in the future. Our debt may contain restrictive covenants that may prevent Orbital Infrastructure Group from engaging in transactions that might benefit us.
Outstanding debt and related debt service requirements could have significant consequences on our future operations including making it difficult to meet payment and other obligations. Events of default may occur if we fail to comply with the financial and other restrictive covenants included with our debt agreements which could result in an acceleration of our debts becoming due and payable which would negatively impact our ability to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and investments and could impact our ability to obtain additional financing or limiting access to financing with reasonable terms.
We cannot assure that our business will generate future cash flows from operations, or that future borrowings will be available to us in an amount sufficient to enable us to meet our payment obligations and to fund other operational and liquidity needs.
In addition, regulatory changes and/or reforms, such as the phase-out of the London Inter-bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), which is expected to occur by June 30, 2023, could lead to additional volatility in interest rates and other unpredictable effects.
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We have a significant amount of debt, and our significant indebtedness could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to meet our payment obligations under our other debt.
We have a significant amount of debt and debt service requirements. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had approximately $100.5 million of outstanding long-term debt, excluding current maturities and $148.9 million of current maturities including its line of credit. A large amount of the debt includes amounts borrowed during 2021 to finance a portion of the closing consideration paid in connection with our acquisition of Front Line Power Construction, LLC. This level of debt could have significant consequences on our future operations, including:
making it more difficult for us to meet our payment and other obligations under our outstanding debt;
an event of default if we fail to comply with the financial and other restrictive covenants contained in our debt agreements, which event of default could result in an acceleration of our debt maturity and higher default-level interest rates;
reducing the availability of our cash flows to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions or strategic investments, and other general corporate purposes, and limiting our ability to obtain additional financing for these purposes;
subjecting us to the risk of increasing interest expense on variable rate indebtedness;
limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, and increasing our vulnerability to changes in our business, the industries in which we operate and the general economy;
limiting our ability to pursue business opportunities that become available to us; and
placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less debt or are less leveraged.
Any of the above-listed factors could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to meet our payment obligations on our existing indebtedness.
Servicing our debt requires a significant amount of cash, and we may not have sufficient cash flow from our operations to pay our indebtedness.
Our ability to generate cash in order to make scheduled payments on the principal of, to pay interest on or to refinance our indebtedness depends on our future performance, which is subject to economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors beyond our control. In addition, our ability to borrow funds in the future to make payments on our debt will depend on the satisfaction of the covenants in our current credit agreements and those we may enter into in the future. Specifically, we will need to maintain certain financial ratios. Our business may not continue to generate sufficient cash flow from operations in the future and future borrowings may not be available to us under our senior credit facility or from other sources in an amount sufficient to service our indebtedness, to make necessary capital expenditures or to fund our other liquidity needs. If we are unable to generate cash from our operations or through borrowings, we may be required to adopt one or more alternatives, such as selling assets, restructuring debt or obtaining additional equity capital on terms that may be onerous or highly dilutive. Our ability to make payments on our indebtedness or refinance our indebtedness will depend on factors including the state of the capital markets and our financial condition at such time, as well as the terms of our financing agreements. We may not be able to engage in any of these activities or engage in these activities on desirable terms, which could result in a default on our debt obligations.
We may be unable to obtain sufficient bonding capacity to support certain service offerings, and the need for performance and surety bonds could reduce availability of our available working capital resources.
Some of our contracts require performance and payment bonds. If Orbital Infrastructure Group, Inc. is unable to obtain or renew the necessary bonding capacity, we may be precluded from participation in bidding for certain contracts and from certain customers. Such bonding may require Orbital Infrastructure Group to post letters of credit or other collateral in connection with the bonds, which could reduce our available capacity to support other needs. Standard terms in the surety market allow for sureties to issue bonds on a project-by-project basis. Sureties may decline to issue bonds at any time and can require additional collateral as a condition to issuing or renewing any bonds.
Changes to laws, governmental regulations and policies, including among other things, permitting processes and tax incentives, could affect demand for our services. Demand for construction services depends on industry activity and expenditure levels which can be affected by numerous factors. An inability to adjust to such changes could result in decreased demand for our services and adversely affect our operating results, cash flows and liquidity.
Government regulations, climate change initiatives, political and social activism each effect the industries Orbital Infrastructure Group, Inc. serves. Changes in such could result in reduced demand for our services, delays in the timing of construction projects and possible cancellation of current or planned projects. Many of our customers must comply with strict regulatory and environmental requirements along with complex permitting processes. Our energy customers are regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”), among others. Our utility customers are regulated by state public utility commissions. Changes to existing, or implementation of new regulations and policies could have an adverse effect on our customers resulting in reduced demand for our services. We build renewable energy infrastructure including solar and other renewable energy projects for which the development is often dependent upon federal tax credits, existing renewable portfolio standards and other incentives. Changes to those may delay or otherwise negatively affect the demand for our services and solutions.
Our business and operating results are subject to physical risks associated with climate change.
Changes in climate have caused, and are expected to continue to cause, among other things, increasing temperatures, rising sea levels and changes to patterns and intensity of wildfires, hurricanes, floods, other storms and severe weather-related events and natural disasters. These changes have and could continue to significantly impact our future operating results and may have a long-term impact on our business, results of operation, financial condition and cash flows. While we seek to mitigate our risks associated with climate change, we recognize that there are inherent climate-related risks regardless of how and where we conduct our operations. For example, a catastrophic natural disaster could negatively impact any of our projects or office locations and the locations and service regions of our customers. Accordingly, a natural disaster has the potential to disrupt our business as well as the businesses that we serve and may cause us to experience work stoppages, project delays, financial losses and additional costs to resume operations, including increased insurance costs or loss of coverage, legal liability and reputational losses.
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A lack of availability or an increase in the price of fuel, materials or equipment necessary for our business or our customers ’ projects could adversely affect our business.
Pursuant to certain contracts, including fixed price and EPC contracts where we have assumed responsibility for procuring materials for a project, we are exposed to availability issues and price increases for materials that are utilized in connection with our operations, including, among other things, copper, steel and aluminum. In addition, the timing of our customers’ ongoing projects, as well as their capital budgets and decision-making with respect to the timing of the future projects, can be negatively impacted by a lack of availability or an increase in prices of certain materials. Prices and availability could be materially impacted by, among other things, supply chain and other logistical challenges, global trade relationships (e.g., tariffs, sourcing restrictions) and other general market and geopolitical conditions (e.g., inflation). For example, recent logistical challenges in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic and sourcing restrictions have resulted in uncertainty concerning availability and pricing of certain commodities and goods important to our and our customers’ businesses, including renewable energy project components (e.g., solar panels). The lack of availability of necessary materials could result in project delays, some of which could be attributable to us, and an increase in prices of materials could reduce our profitability on projects or negatively impact our customers, which could have an adverse effect on demand for our services or our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Additionally, supply chain and other logistical challenges have negatively impacted suppliers of certain equipment necessary for the performance of our business, including, among other things, new vehicles for our fleet (both on-road and specialty vehicles) and vehicle parts (e.g., tires). Based on the significant worldwide shortage of semiconductors, as well as other factors, vehicle manufacturers are experiencing production delays with respect to vehicles we utilize in our operations. To the extent these production issues worsen or become longer-term in nature, our operations could be negatively impacted.
We are also exposed to increases in energy prices, particularly fuel prices for our fleet of vehicles, which have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and could increase further due to future regulatory, legislative and policy changes that result from, among other things, war in Ukraine and climate change initiatives. Furthermore, some of our fixed price contracts do not allow us to adjust our prices and, as a result, increases in fuel costs could reduce our profitability with respect to such projects. Our ability to utilize certain existing vehicles within our fleet may also be limited by new emissions or other regulations, and, due to lack of production or availability, we may not be able to procure a sufficient number of vehicles meeting any such regulations. To the extent we are unable to utilize a significant portion of our existing fleet, we may be unable to perform services, which could have an adverse effect on our future financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The broader and longer-term implications of these challenges, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the transition to a carbon-neutral economy and otherwise, remains highly uncertain and variable and could negatively impact our overall business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
If our manufacturers, suppliers or our service providers are unable to provide an adequate supply of products and services, our growth could be limited, and our business could be harmed .
We rely on third parties to supply services and materials for our integrated solutions and construction offerings. In order to grow our business to achieve profitability, we may need such business partners to increase, or scale up, production and supply by a significant factor over current levels. There are technical challenges to scaling up capacity that may require the investment of substantial additional funds by our manufacturers or suppliers and hiring and retaining additional management and technical personnel who have the necessary experience. If our manufacturers and suppliers are unable to do so, we may not be able to meet the requirements to grow our business to anticipated levels. We also may represent only a small portion of our supplier’s or manufacturer’s business, and if they become capacity constrained, they may choose to allocate their available resources to other customers that represent a larger portion of their business.
Our global operations are subject to increased risks, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition .
Our ability to manage our business and conduct our operations internationally requires considerable management attention and resources and is subject to a number of risks, including the following:
challenges caused by distance, and cultural differences and by doing business with foreign agencies and governments;
longer payment cycles in some countries;
uncertainty regarding liability for services and content;
credit risk and higher levels of payment fraud;
currency exchange rate fluctuations and our ability to manage these fluctuations;
foreign exchange controls that might prevent us from repatriating cash earned in countries outside the U.S.;
import and export requirements that may prevent us from shipping products or providing services to a particular market and may increase our operating costs;
potentially adverse tax consequences;
higher costs associated with doing business internationally;
political, social and economic instability abroad, terrorist attacks and security concerns in general;
natural disasters, public health issues including impacts from global or national health epidemics and concerns such as the recent coronavirus, and other catastrophic events;
reduced or varied protection for intellectual property rights in some countries; and
different employee/employer relationships and the existence of workers’ councils and labor unions.
In addition, compliance with complex foreign and U.S. laws and regulations that apply to our international operations increases our cost of doing business in international venues and could expose us or our employees to fines and penalties. These numerous and sometimes conflicting laws and regulations include import and export requirements, content requirements, trade restrictions, tax laws, sanctions, internal and disclosure control rules, data privacy requirements, labor relations laws, U.S. laws such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and local laws prohibiting corrupt payments to governmental officials. Violations of these laws and regulations could result in fines, civil and criminal penalties against us, our officers or our employees, prohibitions on the conduct of our business and damage to our reputation. Any such violations could include prohibitions on our ability to offer our products and services in one or more countries and could also materially damage our reputation, our brand, our international expansion efforts, our ability to attract and retain employees, our business and our operating results.
Our revenues depend on key customers and suppliers .
The Company’s major product and service lines in 2022 and 2021 were electric power, telecommunications, and renewables. Revenues could be negatively impacted by customer budgetary spending patterns or changes to their strategic plans.
During 2022, 75% of revenues were derived from four customers, one with 27%, a second with 23%, a third with 15% and a fourth with 10% of total revenues. During 2021, 26% of revenues were derived from two customers, one with 15% and a second with 11%.
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At December 31, 2022, of the gross trade accounts receivable totaling approximately $53.4 million, there were four individual customers that made up approximately 72% of the Company's total trade accounts receivable: one customer with 26%, one customer with 21%, one customer with 14% and one customer with 11%. At December 31, 2021, of the gross trade accounts receivable totaling approximately $50.2 million, there were two individual customers that made up approximately 46% of the Company's total trade accounts receivable: one customer with 30%, and one customer with 16%.
During 2022 the Company had no supplier that made up a concentration of more than 10% of purchases included in cost of revenues and in 2021, the Company had one supplier that made up 12% of purchases included in cost of revenues.
There is no assurance that we will continue to maintain all of our existing key customers or vendors in the future. Should we, for any reason, discontinue our business relationship with any one of these key customers, the impact to our revenue stream would be substantial. For additional information on our concentrations, see Note 15 – Concentrations.
A public health crisis like the novel coronavirus outbreak, or other similar pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of infectious disease, could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations and acquisitions.
Certain of our suppliers and the manufacturers of certain of our products may be adversely impacted by a public health crisis. As a result, we may face delays or difficulty sourcing products and services, which could negatively affect our business and financial results. Even if we are able to find alternate sources for such products and services, they may cost more, which could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition. If we temporarily close our locations for periods of time or if our partners temporarily close, demand for our products and services may be reduced, and our revenues, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
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Unfavorable market conditions, market uncertainty, and/or economic downturns could reduce capital expenditures in the industries we serve.
Demand for our products, solutions and services has been, and will likely continue to be cyclical in nature. We are vulnerable to general downturns in the U.S. economy and those of the countries in which we operate. Unfavorable market conditions, market uncertainty, and/or economic downturns could have a negative effect on demand from our customers and our customers' health. During such times, our customers may not have the ability to fund capital expenditures for infrastructure due to difficulty obtaining financing when there may be limited availability of debt or equity financing. This could result in project cancellations or deferral which could materially adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity.
Demand for alternative energy sources and legislative and regulatory changes, the volatility of oil and gas markets, among others, are beyond our control. Such economic factors can negatively affect our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity.
Our failure to properly manage projects, or project delays, could result in additional costs or claims, which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, cash flows and liquidity.
Certain of our engagements occur over extended time periods and involve large-scale, complex projects. Our ability to manage our client relationship and the project itself, such as the timely deployment of appropriate resources, including third-party contractors and our own personnel will impact the quality of our project performance. Our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity could be adversely affected if we miscalculate the resources or time needed to complete a project with capped or fixed fees, or the resources or time needed to meet contractual milestones.
We perform work under a variety of conditions, including, but not limited to, challenging and hard to reach terrain and difficult site conditions. Performing work under such conditions can result in project delays or cancellations, potentially causing us to incur unanticipated costs, reductions in revenue or the payment of liquidated damages. In addition, some of our contracts require that we assume the risk should actual site conditions vary from those expected. Some of our projects involve challenging engineering, procurement and construction phases, which may occur over extended time periods. We may encounter difficulties in engineering, delays in designs or materials provided by the customer or our vendors and subcontractors, equipment and material delivery delays, permitting delays, weather-related delays, schedule changes, delays from customer failure to timely obtain rights-of-way, delays by subcontractors in completing their portion of projects and governmental, market and political or other factors, some of which are beyond our control and could affect our ability to complete a project as originally scheduled. In some cases, delays and additional costs may be substantial, and/or we may be required to cancel or defer a project and/or compensate the customer for the delay. We may not be able to recover any of such costs. Any such delays, cancellations, errors or other failures to meet customer expectations could result in damage claims substantially in excess of the revenue associated with a project. Delays or cancellations could also negatively affect our reputation or relationships with our customers, which could adversely affect our ability to secure new contracts.
We could also encounter project delays due to opposition, including political and social activism, and such delays could adversely affect our project margins. In addition, some of our agreements require that we share in cost overages or pay liquidated damages if we do not meet project deadlines; therefore, any failure to properly estimate or manage cost, or delays in the completion of projects, could subject us to penalties, which could adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity. Further, any defects or errors, or failures to meet our customers’ expectations, could result in large damage claims against us. Due to the substantial cost of, and potentially long lead-times necessary to acquire certain of the materials and equipment used in our complex projects, damage claims could substantially exceed the amount we can charge for our associated services.
Fixed price contracts include risk that estimated costs are not accurate. We recognize revenue for certain projects using the cost-to-cost method of accounting and variations to assumptions could reduce profitability.
Some of our contracts include fixed price master service and other service arrangements in which the price of our services may be set on a per unit or aggregate basis. Our ability to accurately estimate the costs associated with our products, solutions and services and our ability to execute within those estimates is necessary for the success of those efforts.
For certain projects we recognize revenue over time utilizing the cost-to-cost method of accounting whereby the percentage of revenue to be recognized in a period is measured by the percentage of the costs incurred to date relative to the total estimated costs for the contract. This method relies upon estimates of total estimated costs. Contract revenue and cost estimates are reviewed and revised on an ongoing basis as work progresses with adjustments recognized in the fiscal period in which the changes are made.
Estimates are based upon management’s reasonable assumptions, judgment and experience. There are inherent risks in estimates, including unanticipated delays, technical complications, job conditions, and other factors including management’s assessment of expected variables. Any such adjustments could negatively affect the results of operations, cash flows, and liquidity.
We may fail to adequately recover on claims against project owners, subcontractors or suppliers for payment or performance.
From time to time, we may bring claims against project owners for additional costs that exceed the contract price or for amounts not included in the original contract. We may also present change orders and claims to our subcontractors and suppliers. Failure to properly document the nature of change orders or claims or other reasons that may result in unsuccessful negotiations for settlement could result in reduced profits, cost overruns or project losses.
Our subcontractors and suppliers may fail or be unable to satisfy their obligations to us or other parties, or we may be unable to maintain these relationships, either of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity.
We depend on subcontractors to perform work for some of our projects. There is a risk that we could have disputes with subcontractors arising from, among other things, the quality and timeliness of the work they perform, customer concerns, or our failure to extend existing work orders or issue new work orders under a subcontracting arrangement. Our ability to fulfill our obligations as a prime contractor could be jeopardized if any of our subcontractors fail to perform the agreed-upon services on a timely basis and/or deliver the agreed-upon supplies. In addition, the absence of qualified subcontractors with whom we have satisfactory relationships could adversely affect our ability to perform under some of our contracts, or the quality of the services we provide. Additionally, in some cases, we pay our subcontractors before our customers pay us for the related services. We could experience a material decrease in profitability and liquidity if we pay our subcontractors for work performed for customers that fail to or delay paying us for the related work. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity.
We also rely on suppliers, equipment manufacturers and lessors to obtain or provide the materials and equipment we require to conduct our operations. Any substantial limitation on the availability of suppliers or equipment, including from economic, regulatory or market conditions, could negatively affect our operations. Our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity could be adversely affected if we were unable to acquire sufficient materials or equipment to conduct our operations.
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We include amounts in backlog that may not result in actual revenue or translate into profits.
Our backlog may be subject to cancellation and unexpected adjustments. As such, it is an uncertain indicator of future operating results. OIG’s backlog includes estimated amounts of revenue we expect to realize from future work on uncompleted contracts, revenue from change orders and renewal options, and master service agreements. Some of these may be cancellable on short or no advance notice. Backlog amounts are determined based on contract price, estimates of work to be completed under contracts taking into account historical trends, experience on similar projects and estimates of customer demand based upon communications with our customers. In the past, we have experienced postponements, cancellations and reduction in expected future work due to customers’ changing plans, market volatility, regulatory and other factors. There can be no assurance that actual results will be consistent with the estimates included in our forecasts and as such backlog as of any particular date is an uncertain indicator of future revenue and earnings.
We are a relatively small energy infrastructure services business and face formidable competition .
We are a relatively small company with limited capitalization in comparison to many of our competitors. Because of our size and capitalization, we believe that we have not yet established sufficient market awareness that is essential to our continued growth and success in all of our markets. We face formidable competition in every aspect of our business from other companies, many of whom have greater name recognition, more resources and broader service offerings than ours.
We also expect competition to intensify in the future. Our future success in keeping pace with technological developments and achieving product acceptance depends upon our ability to enhance our current products, solutions, and services and to continue to develop and introduce new product, solutions and service offerings and enhanced performance features and functionality on a timely basis at competitive prices. Our inability, for technological or other reasons, to enhance, develop, introduce or deliver compelling products, solutions, and services in a timely manner, or at all, in response to changing market conditions, technologies or customer expectations, could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and growth prospects. Our ability to compete successfully will depend in large measure on our ability to maintain a technically skilled development and engineering staff and to adapt to technological changes and advances in the industry, including providing for the continued compatibility of our products solutions, and services with evolving industry standards and protocols in a competitive environment.
The industries we serve are highly competitive and subject to rapid technological and regulatory change as well as customer consolidation. Any of these could result in decreased demand for our services, solutions and products which could adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity.
We compete with other companies in most of the markets in which we operate that range from small independent firms serving local markets to larger regional, national and international firms. Some of our customers employ in-house personnel to perform some of the services we provide. Most of our customers’ work is awarded through bid processes, and our project bids may not be successful, which could materially adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity.
Technological advances in the markets we serve could change our customers’ operating models and project requirements. Governmental regulations may also change our customers’ project requirements and our ability to adapt to those changing requirements could reduce the demand for our solutions, services and products.
Our business is subject to operational risk, including from operational and physical hazards that could result in substantial liabilities and negatively affect our financial condition.
Due to the nature of the services we provide and the conditions in which we operate, our business is subject to operational hazards. Though we invest in substantial resources to provide for safety including occupational health and safety programs and by carrying appropriate amounts of insurance coverage, there can be no assurance that we will be able to mitigate all hazards, including electricity, fires, explosions, mechanical failures and weather-related incidents. This could result in significant liability. The risks faced by our personnel can cause personal injuries and loss of life, severe damage to or destruction of property and equipment and other consequential damages which could lead to large damage claims, suspension of operations, government enforcement actions, regulatory penalties, civil litigation or criminal prosecution. These costs could exceed the amount we charge for the associated products, solutions and services.
If serious accidents or fatalities occur, or if our safety records deteriorate, we could be restricted from bidding on certain projects, obtaining new customers or contracts, and contracts could be terminated. Accidents in the course of our business could result in significant liabilities, employee turnover and/or an increase to the costs of our projects.
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We will need to grow our organization and we may encounter difficulties in managing this growth .
As of December 31, 2022, Orbital Infrastructure Group, Inc., together with its consolidated subsidiaries, had 1,490 full-time employees excluding 3 employees at our discontinued operations. We expect to experience growth in the number of our employees and the scope of our operations as we follow our growth strategy. To manage our anticipated future growth, we must continue to implement and improve our managerial, operational and financial systems, expand our facilities and continue to recruit and train additional qualified personnel. Also, management may need to divert a disproportionate amount of its attention away from our day-to-day activities and devote a substantial amount of time to managing these growth activities. Due to our limited resources, we may not be able to effectively manage the expansion of our operations or recruit and train additional qualified personnel, which may result in weaknesses in our infrastructure, give rise to operational mistakes, loss of business opportunities, loss of employees and reduced productivity among remaining employees. The physical expansion of our operations may lead to significant costs and may divert financial resources from other projects, such as the development of new products, solutions and services. If our management is unable to effectively manage our expected growth, our expenses may increase more than expected, our ability to generate or increase our revenue could be reduced and we may not be able to implement our business strategy. Our future financial performance and our ability to commercialize new products, solutions and services and compete effectively will depend, in part, on our ability to effectively manage any future growth.
Our operating results may vary over time and such fluctuations could cause the market price of our common stock to decline .
Our operating results may fluctuate significantly due to a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control. Because revenues for any future period are not predictable with any significant degree of certainty, you should not rely on our past results as an indication of our future performance. If our revenues or operating results fall below the expectations of investors or securities analysts or below any estimates we may provide to the market, the price of our common shares would likely decline substantially. Factors that could cause our operating results and stock price to fluctuate include, among other things:
varying demand for our products, solutions and services due to the financial and operating condition of our customers, and general economic conditions;
inability of our suppliers and subcontractors to meet our demand;
success and timing of new product, solutions and services introductions by us and the performance of those generally;
announcements by us or our competitors regarding products, solutions, services, promotions or other transactions;
costs related to responding to government inquiries related to regulatory compliance;
our ability to control and reduce product, solutions and services costs;
changes in the manner in which we sell products, solutions and services;
volatility in foreign exchange rates, changes in interest rates and/or the availability and cost of financing or other working capital to our customers.
Our operating expenses may increase as we make further expenditures to enhance and expand our operations in order to support additional growth in our business and national stock market reporting and compliance obligations .
In the future, we expect our operations and marketing investments to increase to support our anticipated growth and as a result of our listing on the Nasdaq Stock Market. We have made significant investments in using professional services and expanding our operations. We may make additional investments in personnel and continue to expand our operations to support anticipated growth in our business. In addition, we may determine the need in the future to increase our direct sales force, add distributors and sales representatives to market and sell our products, solutions and services. Such changes to our existing sales model would likely result in higher selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of our revenues. We expect such increased investments could adversely affect operating income in the short term while providing long-term benefit.
Our business depends on a strong brand and failing to maintain and enhance our brand would hurt our ability to expand our base of customers .
We believe that we have not yet established sufficient market awareness in our various markets. Market awareness of our capabilities and products, solutions and services is essential to our continued growth and our success in all of our markets. We expect the brand identity that we acquired with platform companies, Front Line Power Construction, LLC, and Gibson Telecom Services along with developing brand identity with Orbital Solar Services and Orbital Power, Inc. will significantly contribute to the success of our business. Maintaining and enhancing these brands is critical to expanding our base of customers. If we fail to maintain and enhance our brands, or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our business, operating results and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. Maintaining and enhancing our brands will depend largely on our ability to be a technology leader and continue to provide high-quality services, solutions, and products, which we may not do successfully.
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New entrants in our markets may harm our competitive position .
New entrants seeking to gain market share by introducing new technology, services, solutions and products may make it more difficult for us to sell our services, solutions and products and could create increased pricing pressure, reduced profit margins, increased sales and marketing expenses or the loss of market share or expected market share, any of which may significantly harm our business, operating results and financial condition.
Adverse conditions in the global economy and disruption of financial markets may significantly restrict our ability to generate revenues or obtain debt or equity financing .
The global economy continues to experience volatility and uncertainty and governments in many countries continue to evaluate and implement spending cuts designed to reduce budget deficits. These conditions and deficit reduction measures could reduce demand for our products and services, including through reduced government infrastructure projects, which would significantly jeopardize our ability to achieve our sales targets. These conditions could also affect our potential strategic partners, which in turn, could make it more difficult to execute a strategic collaboration. Moreover, volatility and disruption of financial markets could limit our customers’ ability to obtain adequate financing or credit to purchase and pay for our products, solutions and services in a timely manner, or to maintain operations and result in a decrease in sales volume. General concerns about the fundamental soundness of domestic and international economies may also cause customers to reduce purchases. Changes in governmental banking, monetary and fiscal policies to restore liquidity and increase credit availability may not be effective. Economic conditions and market turbulence may also impact our suppliers’ and subcontractors’ ability to supply sufficient resources in a timely manner, which could impair our ability to fulfill sales orders. It is difficult to determine the extent of the economic and financial market problems and the many ways in which they may affect our suppliers, customers, investors and business in general. Continuation or further deterioration of these financial and macroeconomic conditions could significantly harm sales, profitability and results of operations.
Some of our operations and certain suppliers and customers are located in areas subject to natural disasters or other events that could stop us from having our products made or shipped or could result in a substantial delay in our production or development activities .
Many of our operating units and customers are located in and around Houston, Texas and Full Moon Telecom is located in Florida. The risk of hurricanes and other natural disasters in these geographic areas are significant due to the proximity to the coast and their propensity to flood. Despite precautions taken by us and our third-party providers, a natural disaster or other unanticipated problems, at our locations or at third-party providers could cause interruptions to our operations. Any disruption resulting from these events could cause significant delays in our ability to deliver our solutions, services and products until we are able to shift our manufacturing, assembly or testing from the affected contractor(s) to another third-party vendor. We cannot assure you that alternative capacity could be obtained on favorable terms, if at all.
Defects in our solutions could harm our reputation and business .
Our services and solutions are complex and have contained and may contain undetected defects or errors. Defects in our services and solutions may require us to implement design changes or updates.
Any defects or errors in our products, or the perception of such defects or errors, could result in:
expenditure of significant financial and product development resources in efforts to analyze, correct, eliminate or work around errors or defects;
loss of existing or potential customers;
delayed or lost revenue;
delay or failure to attain market acceptance;
negative publicity, which would harm our reputation;
warranty claims against us;
an increase in collection cycles for accounts receivable, which could result in an increase in our provision for doubtful accounts and the risk of costly litigation; and
harm to our results of operations.
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Our contract manufacturers purchase some components, subassemblies and products from a limited number of suppliers. The loss of any of these suppliers may substantially disrupt our ability to obtain orders and fulfill sales.
We rely on third-party components and technology to build and operate our solutions and we rely on our contract manufacturers to obtain the components, subassemblies and products necessary for our services and solutions. Shortages in components that we use in our solutions are possible and our ability to predict the availability of such components is limited. If shortages occur in the future, as they have in the past, our business, operating results and financial condition would be materially adversely affected. Unpredictable price increases of such components due to market demand may occur.
We depend on key personnel and will need to recruit new personnel as our business grows .
As a small company, our future success depends in a large part upon the continued service of key members of our senior management team who are critical to the overall management of Orbital Infrastructure Group, Inc. and our subsidiary companies, as well as the development of our technologies, products, solutions and service offerings, our business culture and our strategic direction. The loss of any of our management or key personnel could seriously harm our business and we do not maintain any key-person life insurance policies on the lives of these critical individuals.
If we are successful in expanding our product and customer base, we will need to add additional key personnel as our business continues to grow. If we cannot attract and retain enough qualified and skilled staff, the growth of the business may be limited. Our ability to provide services to customers and expand our business depends, in part, on our ability to attract and retain staff with professional experiences that are relevant to technology development and other functions the Company performs. Competition for personnel with these skills is intense. We may not be able to recruit or retain the caliber of staff required to carry out essential functions at the pace necessary to sustain or expand our business. Skilled resources in the industries we serve are in high demand, and labor rates may increase in the future, potentially negatively impacting the profitability of our services.
We believe our future success will depend in part on the following:
the continued employment and performance of our senior management;
our ability to retain and motivate our officers and key employees; and
our ability to identify, attract, hire, train, retain and motivate other highly skilled technical, managerial, marketing, sales and customer service personnel.
Our insurance policies may not cover all operating risks and a casualty loss beyond the limits of our coverage could adversely impact our business.
Our business is subject to operating hazards and risks relating to handling, storing, transporting and use of the products, solutions and services we sell. We maintain insurance policies in amounts and with coverage and deductibles that we believe are reasonable and prudent. Nevertheless, our insurance coverage may not be adequate to protect us from all liabilities and expenses that may arise from claims for personal injury or death or property damage arising in the ordinary course of business, and our current levels of insurance may not be maintained or available in the future at economical prices. If a significant liability claim is brought against us that is not adequately covered by insurance, we may have to pay the claim with our own funds, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
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We may become subject to lawsuits, indemnity or other claims, in the ordinary course of our business, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and cash flows.
From time to time, we are subject to various claims, lawsuits and other legal proceedings brought or threatened against us in the ordinary course of our business. These actions and proceedings may seek, among other things, compensation for alleged personal injury, workers’ compensation, employment discrimination and other employment-related damages, breach of contract, property damage, environmental liabilities, liquidated damages, consequential damages, punitive damages and civil penalties or other losses, or injunctive or declaratory relief. We may also be subject to litigation in the normal course of business involving allegations of violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage and hour laws. In addition, we generally indemnify our customers for claims related to the services we provide and actions we take under our contracts, and, in some instances, we may be allocated risk through our contract terms for actions by our joint venture partners, customers or other third parties.
Claimants may seek large damage awards and defending claims can involve significant costs. When appropriate, we establish accruals for litigation and contingencies that we believe to be adequate in light of current information, legal advice and our indemnity insurance coverages. We reassess our potential liability for litigation and contingencies as additional information becomes available and adjust our accruals as necessary. We could experience a reduction in our profitability and liquidity if we do not properly estimate the number of required accruals for litigation or contingencies, or if our insurance coverage proves to be inadequate or becomes unavailable, or if our self-insurance liabilities are higher than expected. The outcome of litigation is difficult to assess or quantify, as plaintiffs may seek recovery of very large or indeterminate amounts and the magnitude of the potential loss may remain unknown for substantial periods of time. Furthermore, because litigation is inherently uncertain, the ultimate resolution of any such claim, lawsuit or proceeding through settlement, mediation, or court judgment could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, claims, lawsuits and proceedings may harm our reputation or divert management’s attention from our business or divert resources away from operating our business and cause us to incur significant expenses, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.
Expanding and evolving data privacy laws and regulations could impact our business and expose us to increased liability.
The California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) created new consumer rights relating to the access to, deletion of, and sharing of personal information that is collected by businesses. Costs to comply with and implement these privacy-related and data protection measures could be significant. In addition, even our inadvertent failure to comply with federal, state, or international privacy-related or data protection laws and regulations could result in proceedings against us by governmental entities or others. Any inability to adequately address privacy concerns, even if unfounded, or to comply with the more complex privacy or data protection laws, regulations and privacy standards, could lead to significant financial penalties, which may result in a material and adverse effect on our results of operations.
We are subject to taxation in multiple jurisdictions. As a result, any adverse development in the tax laws of any of these jurisdictions or any disagreement with our tax positions could have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated financial condition or results of operations. In addition, our annual effective income tax rate can change materially as a result of changes in our mix of U.S. and foreign earnings and other factors, including changes in tax laws and changes made by regulatory authorities.
We are subject to taxation in, and to the tax laws and regulations of, multiple jurisdictions as a result of the global scope of our operations and our corporate and financing structure. We are also subject to transfer pricing laws with respect to our intercompany transactions. Adverse developments in these laws or regulations, or any change in position regarding the application, administration or interpretation thereof, in any applicable jurisdiction, could have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated financial condition or results of our operations. In addition, the tax authorities in any applicable jurisdiction, including the United States, may disagree with the positions we have taken or intend to take regarding the tax treatment or characterization of any of our transactions. If any applicable tax authorities, including U.S. tax authorities, were to successfully challenge the tax treatment or characterization of any of our transactions, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated financial condition or consolidated results of our operations.
Our overall effective income tax rate is equal to our total tax expense as a percentage of total earnings before tax. However, income tax expense and benefits are not recognized on a global basis but rather on a jurisdictional or legal entity basis. Losses in one jurisdiction may not be used to offset profits in other jurisdictions and may cause an increase in our tax rate. Changes in statutory tax rates and laws, as well as ongoing audits by domestic and international authorities, could affect the amount of income taxes and other taxes paid by us. Also, changes in the mix of earnings (or losses) between jurisdictions and assumptions used in the calculation of income taxes, among other factors, could have a significant effect on our overall effective income tax rate.
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A failure of our internal control over financial reporting could materially affect our business.
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. An internal control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements due to inherent limitations in internal control systems. Any failure to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting could limit our ability to report our financial results accurately and timely or to prevent and detect fraud, and could expose us to litigation, harm our reputation, and/or adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property and Technology
Confidentiality agreements with employees and others may not adequately prevent disclosure of our trade secrets and other proprietary information .
We have devoted substantial resources to the development of our proprietary technology and trade secrets. In order to protect our proprietary technology and trade secrets, we rely in part on confidentiality agreements with our key employees, licensees, independent contractors and other advisors. These agreements may not effectively prevent disclosure of our trade secrets and may not provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of our trade secrets. We may have difficulty enforcing our rights to our proprietary technology and trade secrets, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition. In addition, others may independently discover trade secrets and proprietary information and in such cases we could not assert any trade secret rights against such parties. Costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to determine and enforce the scope of our proprietary rights and failure to obtain or maintain trade secret protection could adversely affect our competitive business position.
Cyber risk and the failure to maintain the integrity of our operational or security systems or infrastructure, or those of third parties with which we do business, could have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to an increasing number of various types of information technology vulnerabilities, threats and targeted computer crimes which pose a risk to the security of our systems and networks and the confidentiality, availability and integrity of our data. Disruptions or failures in the physical infrastructure or operating systems that support our businesses and customers, or cyber-attacks or security breaches of our networks or systems, could result in the loss of customers and business opportunities, legal liability, regulatory fines, penalties or intervention, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensatory costs, and additional compliance costs, any of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. While we attempt to mitigate these risks, our systems, networks, products, solutions and services remain potentially vulnerable to advanced and persistent threats. Despite our efforts, our facilities and systems and those of our customers and third-party service providers may be vulnerable to security breaches, theft, misplaced or lost data, programming and/or human errors that could lead to the compromising of sensitive, confidential or personal data or information, improper use of our systems, software solutions or networks, unauthorized access, use, disclosure, modification or destruction of information, defective products, production downtimes and operational disruptions, which in turn could adversely affect our consolidated financial condition and results of operations.
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Risks Related to Regulation and Compliance
Our failure to comply with the regulations of federal, state and local agencies that oversee transportation and safety compliance could reduce our revenue, profitability and liquidity.
OSHA establishes certain employer responsibilities, including maintenance of a workplace free of recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious injury, compliance with standards promulgated by OSHA and various recordkeeping, disclosure and procedural requirements. Various standards, including standards for notices of hazards and safety in excavation and demolition work, may apply to our operations. We incur capital and operating expenditures and other costs in the ordinary course of business in complying with OSHA and other state and local laws and regulations, and could incur penalties and fines in the future from violations of health and safety regulations, including, in extreme cases, criminal sanctions. Our customers could cancel existing contracts and not award future business to us if we were in violation of these regulations.
From time to time, we may receive notice from the Department of Transportation (“DOT”) that our motor carrier operations will be monitored. The failure to monitor and maintain our safety performance could result in suspension or revocation of vehicle registration privileges. Our ability to service our customers could be damaged if we were not able to successfully resolve such issues, which could lead to a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity.
Our operations could affect the environment or cause exposure to hazardous substances. In addition, our properties could have environmental contamination, which could result in material liabilities.
Our operations are subject to various environmental laws and regulations, including those dealing with the handling and disposal of waste products, polychlorinated biphenyls, fuel storage, air quality and the protection of endangered species. Certain of our current and historical construction operations have used hazardous materials and, to the extent that such materials are not properly stored, contained or recycled, they could become hazardous waste. Additionally, some of our contracts require that we assume the environmental risk of site conditions and require that we indemnify our customers for any damages, including environmental damages, incurred in connection with our projects. We may be subject to claims under various environmental laws and regulations, federal and state statutes and/or common law doctrines for toxic torts and other damages, as well as for natural resource damages and the investigation and clean-up of soil, surface water, groundwater, and other media under laws such as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act. Such claims may arise, for example, out of current or former conditions at project sites, current or former properties owned or leased by us, or contaminated sites that have always been owned or operated by third parties. For example, we own and lease facilities at which we store our equipment. Some of these facilities may contain fuel storage tanks. If these tanks were to leak, we could be responsible for the cost of remediation as well as potential fines. Liability may be imposed without regard to fault and may be strict and joint and several, such that we may be held responsible for more than our share of any contamination or other damages, or even for the entire share, and we may be unable to obtain reimbursement from the parties that caused the contamination. The obligations, liabilities, fines and costs or reputational harm associated with these and other events could be material and could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We perform work in underground environments, which could affect the environment. A failure to comply with environmental laws could result in significant liabilities or harm our reputation, and new environmental laws or regulations could adversely affect our business.
Some of the work we perform is in underground environments. If the field location maps supplied to us are not accurate, or if objects are present in the soil that are not indicated on the field location maps, our underground work could strike objects in the soil containing pollutants and result in a rupture and discharge of pollutants. In such a case, we could incur significant costs, including clean-up costs, and we may be liable for significant fines and damages and could suffer reputational harm. Additionally, we sometimes perform directional drilling operations below certain environmentally sensitive terrains and water bodies. Due to the inconsistent nature of terrain and water bodies, it is possible that such directional drilling could cause a surface fracture releasing subsurface materials or drilling fluid. These releases alone or, in combination with releases that may contain contaminants in excess of amounts permitted by law, could potentially expose us to significant clean up and remediation costs, damages, fines and reputational harm, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity.
New environmental laws and regulations, stricter enforcement of existing laws and regulations, the discovery of previously unknown contamination or leaks, or the imposition of new clean-up requirements could require us to incur significant costs or result in new or increased liabilities that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity. We may incur work stoppages to avoid violating these laws and regulations, or we may risk fines or other sanctions if we inadvertently violate these laws and regulations, which could adversely affect our business.
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Compliance with and changes in tax laws could adversely affect our financial results.
We are subject to extensive tax liabilities imposed by multiple jurisdictions, including income taxes, indirect taxes (excise/duty, sales/use, gross receipts, and value-added taxes), payroll taxes, franchise taxes, withholding taxes, and ad valorem taxes. New tax laws, treaties and regulations and changes in existing tax laws, treaties and regulations are continuously being enacted or proposed, and significant changes could result from the change in control of the U.S. Congress in 2023, all of which can result in significant changes to the tax rate on our earnings and have a material impact on our earnings and cash flows from operations. Since future changes to federal and state tax legislation and regulations are unknown, we cannot predict the ultimate impact such changes may have on our business.
In addition, significant judgment is required in determining our worldwide provision for income taxes. In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. We may be audited by tax authorities, and our tax estimates and tax positions could be materially affected by many factors, including the final outcome of tax audits and related litigation, the introduction of new tax accounting standards, legislation, regulations and related interpretations, our global mix of earnings, our ability to realize deferred tax assets and changes in uncertain tax positions. A significant increase in our tax rate can have a material adverse effect on our profitability and liquidity.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
The trading price of our common stock may continue to be volatile, which could result in substantial losses for individual shareholders .
Our common stock trades on the Nasdaq Stock Market. There can be no assurance, however, that the trading market for our common stock will be robust. A limited trading market for our common stock may cause fluctuations in the market value of our common stock to be exaggerated, leading to price volatility in excess of that which would occur in a more active trading market for our common stock. The trading price of our common stock has been volatile and could continue to be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control. During calendar year 2022, our common stock traded at a low of $0.16 and a high of $2.36.
The stock market in general, and the market for energy companies in particular, has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. Public perception and other factors outside of our control may additionally impact the stock price of companies like us that garner a disproportionate degree of public attention, regardless of actual operating performance.
As a result of this volatility, our securities could experience rapid and substantial decreases in price.
Some, but not all, of the factors that may cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate include:
fluctuations in our quarterly or annual financial results or the quarterly or annual financial results of companies perceived to be similar to us or relevant for our business;
changes in estimates of our financial results or recommendations by securities analysts;
failure of our services, products, and technologies to achieve or maintain market acceptance;
changes in market valuations of similar or relevant companies;
success of competitive service offerings or technologies;
changes in our capital structure, such as the issuance of securities or the incurrence of debt;
announcements by us or by our competitors of significant services, contracts, acquisitions or strategic alliances;
regulatory developments in the United States, foreign countries, or both;
litigation;
additions or departures of key personnel;
investors’ general perceptions; and
changes in general economic, industry or market conditions.
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These factors may materially and adversely affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our performance. In addition, the stock market in general and the market for energy infrastructure services companies in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. These broad market and industry factors may seriously harm the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. Additionally, because the trading volume of our stock is not large, there can be a disparity between the bid and the asked price that may not be indicative of the stock’s true value.
In addition, if the market for energy stocks, or the stock market in general, experiences a loss of investor confidence, the trading price of our common stock could decline for reasons unrelated to our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Further, in the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of a particular company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against these companies. If any of the foregoing occurs, it could cause our stock price to fall and may expose us to lawsuits that, even if unsuccessful, could be costly to defend and a distraction to management.
A possible “short squeeze” due to a sudden increase in demand of our common stock that largely exceeds supply may lead to additional price volatility.
In the future investors may purchase shares of our common stock to hedge existing exposure or to speculate on the price of our common stock. Speculation on the price of our common stock may involve long and short exposures. To the extent an aggregate short exposure in our common stock becomes significant, investors with short exposure may have to pay a premium to purchase shares for delivery to share lenders at times if and when the price of our common stock increases significantly, particularly over a short period of time. Those purchases may in turn, dramatically increase the price of our common stock. This is often referred to as a “short squeeze.” A short squeeze could lead to volatile price movements in our common stock that are not directly correlated to our business prospects, financial performance or other traditional measures of value for the Company or its common stock.
Additional stock offerings in the future may dilute then-existing shareholders’ percentage ownership of the Company.
Given our plans and expectations that we will need additional capital in the future, we anticipate that we may need to issue additional shares of common stock or securities convertible or exercisable for shares of common stock, including convertible preferred stock, convertible notes, stock options or warrants. The issuance of additional securities in the future will dilute the percentage ownership and potentially voting power of then current stockholders and could negatively impact the price of our common stock and other securities.
Offers or availability for sale of a substantial number of shares of our common stock may cause the price of our common stock to decline .
Sales of a significant number of shares of our common stock in the public market could harm the market price of our common stock and make it more difficult for us to raise funds through future offerings of common stock.
We have never paid dividends on our common stock and do not expect to pay any in the foreseeable future .
Potential purchasers should not expect to receive a return on their investment in the form of dividends on our common stock. The Company has never paid cash dividends on its common stock and the Company does not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future.
We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. Our payment of any future dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors after taking into account various factors, including but not limited to our financial condition, operating results, cash needs, growth plans and the terms of any credit agreements that we may be a party to at the time. Our ability to pay dividends may be further restricted by the terms of any of our future debt or preferred securities. Accordingly, investors must rely on sales of their own common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize their investment. Investors seeking cash dividends should not purchase shares of our stock.
There is a limited public trading market for our common stock so you may not be able to resell your stock and may not be able to turn your investment into cash .
Our common stock is currently traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the trading symbol ‘‘OIG.’’ Our shares of common stock are thinly traded. Due to the illiquidity, the market price may not accurately reflect our relative value. There can be no assurance that there will be an active market for our shares of common stock either now or in the future. Because our common stock is thinly traded, a large block of shares traded can lead to a dramatic fluctuation in the share price and investors may not be able to liquidate their investment in us at all or at a price that reflects the value of the business.
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Nasdaq may delist our common stock from its exchange which could limit your ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.
On July 19, 2022, Nasdaq notified the Company that the bid price of our common stock had closed at less than $1 per share over the previous 30 consecutive business days, and, as a result, did not comply with Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) (the “Rule”). In accordance with Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), the Company was provided 180 calendar days, or until January 16, 2023, to regain compliance with the Rule.
On January 18, 2023, Nasdaq staff notified the Company it has not regained compliance with the Rule and is not eligible for a second 180-day extension and therefore subject to delisting unless the Company requests an appeal of this determination.
The Company has appealed the staff’s determination to a Nasdaq Panel, which will stay the suspension of the Company’s common stock. The appeal hearing was held on March 9, 2023. On March 22, 2023, the Company received a written decision from the Panel granting its request for continued listing on Nasdaq, subject to the condition that, on May 5, 2023, the Company will have demonstrated compliance with the Bid Price Requirement, as set forth in Listing Rule 5550(a)(2), by evidencing a closing price of $1.00 or more per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive trading days. The Panel noted that the Company should be afforded time to implement its compliance plan in light of the fact that the Company has already initiated the process to complete the reverse split, subject to shareholder approval via a proxy vote, and given the short duration of the exception period requested. The Notice does not have an immediate effect on the listing of our common stock, and our common stock will continue to trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol “OIG.” Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), if during the 180 calendar day period following the date of the Notice (the “Compliance Period”), the closing bid price of our common stock has a closing stock price at or above $1.00 for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days, we would regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement and our common stock would continue to be eligible for listing on the Nasdaq Stock Market, absent noncompliance with any other requirement for continued listing. If we do not regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement by the end of the Compliance Period as extended, the Company’s common stock would be subject to delisting. If this were to happen, we would monitor the closing bid price of our common stock and may, if appropriate, consider implementing available options to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement under the Nasdaq Listing Rules.
On December 28, 2022, the Company received a second notification letter (the “Notice”) from the Listing Qualifications Department of Nasdaq indicating that the Company is not in compliance with the minimum market value of listed securities (“MVLS”) requirement for continued listing set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(2). Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(2) requires listed securities to maintain a minimum MVLS of $35 million and Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(C) provides that a failure to meet the minimum MVLS requirement exists if the deficiency continues for a period of 30 consecutive business days.
In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(C), the Company has 180 calendar days, or until June 26, 2023, to regain compliance. If at any time before June 26, 2023, the Company’s MVLS closes at or above $35 million for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days, Nasdaq will provide written notification that the Company has achieved compliance with the minimum MVLS requirement, and the matter will be resolved.
If the Company does not regain compliance or meet the alternative standards during the compliance period ending June 26, 2023, Nasdaq will provide written notification that the Common Stock will be subject to delisting. The Company would then be entitled to appeal that determination to a Nasdaq hearings panel. There can be no assurance that the Company will regain compliance with the minimum MVLS requirement during the 180-day compliance period.
If our common stock is delisted, our common stock would likely then trade only in the over-the-counter market. If our common stock were to trade on the over-the-counter market, selling our common stock could be more difficult because smaller quantities of shares would likely be bought and sold, transactions could be delayed, and we could face significant material adverse consequences, including: a limited availability of market quotations for our securities; reduced liquidity with respect to our securities; a determination that our shares are a “penny stock,” which will require brokers trading in our securities to adhere to more stringent rules, possibly resulting in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities; a reduced amount of news and analyst coverage for our Company; and a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future. These factors could result in lower prices and larger spreads in the bid and ask prices for our common stock and would substantially impair our ability to raise additional funds and could result in a loss of institutional investor interest and fewer development opportunities for us.
In addition to the foregoing, if our common stock is delisted from Nasdaq and it trades on the over-the-counter market, the application of the “penny stock” rules could adversely affect the market price of our common stock and increase the transaction costs to sell those shares. The SEC has adopted regulations which generally define a “penny stock” as an equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to specific exemptions. If our common stock is delisted from Nasdaq and it trades on the over-the-counter market at a price of less than $5.00 per share, our common stock would be considered a penny stock. The SEC’s penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, before a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from the rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document that provides information about penny stocks and the risks in the penny stock market. The broker-dealer must also provide the customer with current bid and offer quotations for the penny stock, the compensation of the broker-dealer and the salesperson in the transaction, and monthly account statements showing the market value of each penny stock held in the customer’s account. In addition, the penny stock rules generally require that before a transaction in a penny stock occurs, the broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive the purchaser’s agreement to the transaction. If applicable in the future, these rules may restrict the ability of brokers-dealers to sell our common stock and may affect the ability of investors to sell their shares, until our common stock no longer is considered a penny stock.
Risks Relating to Stockholder Rights
Our board of directors has the authority, without stockholder approval, to issue preferred stock with terms that may not be beneficial to existing common stockholders and with the ability to adversely affect stockholder voting power and perpetuate their control.
Although we do not have any preferred stock outstanding presently, our Articles of Incorporation allow us to issue shares of preferred stock without any vote or further action by our stockholders. Our board of directors has the authority to issue preferred stock without further stockholder approval, as well as the authority to fix and determine the relative rights and preferences of preferred stock. As a result, our board of directors could authorize the issuance of a series of preferred stock that would grant to holders the preferred right to our assets upon liquidation, the right to receive dividend payments before dividends are distributed to the holders of common stock or other preferred stockholders and the right to the redemption of the shares, together with a premium, prior to the redemption of our common stock.
Preferred stock could be used to dilute a potential hostile acquirer. Accordingly, any future issuance of preferred stock or any rights to purchase preferred shares may have the effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us. This may delay, defer or prevent a change of control or an unsolicited acquisition proposal. The issuance of preferred stock also could decrease the amount of earnings attributable to and assets available for distribution to, the holders of our common stock and could adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of the holders of our common stock and preferred stock.
Our Articles of Incorporation limit director liability, thereby making it difficult to bring any action against them for breach of fiduciary duty .
Orbital Infrastructure Group, Inc. is a Texas corporation. As permitted by Texas law, the Company’s Articles of Incorporation limits the liability of directors to Orbital Infrastructure Group, Inc. or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of a director’s fiduciary duty, with certain exceptions. These provisions may discourage stockholders from bringing suit against a director for breach of fiduciary duty and may reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation brought by stockholders on behalf of the Company against a director.
Our charter documents may inhibit a takeover that stockholders consider favorable .
Provisions of our Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws may delay or discourage transactions involving an actual or potential change in control of the Company, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares, or transactions that our stockholders might otherwise deem to be in their best interests. These provisions:
provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed by resolution of the board of directors;
provide that all vacancies, including newly created directorships, may, except as otherwise required by law, be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum; and
do not provide for cumulative voting rights.
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