Note 9 - Loan and Credit Agreements

12 Months Ended

Nov. 30, 2021

Notes to Financial Statements

Debt Disclosure [Text Block]

(9) Loan and Credit Agreements

The Company maintains one revolving lines of credit and one term loan with Bank Midwest. The Company also has three term loans with the U.S. Small Business Administration under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.

Bank Midwest Revolving Lines of Credit and Term Loan

The Company maintains a credit facility with Bank Midwest consisting of a $5,000,000 revolving line of credit (the “2017 Line of Credit”) used for working capital purposes, and a $2,600,000 term loan due October 1, 2037 (the “Term Loan”). On November 30, 2021, the balance of the 2017 Line of Credit was $4,074,530 with $925,470 remaining available, as may be limited by the borrowing base calculation. The 2017 Line of Credit borrowing base is an amount equal to 75% of accounts receivable balances (discounted for aged receivables), plus 50% of inventory, less any outstanding loan balance on the 2017 Line of Credit. On November 30, 2021, the Company’s eligible borrowing base exceeded the Company’s 2017 Line of Credit borrowings by $2,257,904. Any unpaid principal amount borrowed on the 2017 Line of Credit accrues interest at a floating rate per annum equal to 1.50% above the Wall Street Journal rate published in the money rates section of the Wall Street Journal. The interest rate floor is set at 4.25% per annum and the current interest rate is 4.75% per annum. The 2017 Line of Credit was most recently renewed on February 11, 2021. The 2017 Line of Credit matures on March 30, 2022 and requires monthly interest-only payments.

The Term Loan accrues interest at a rate of 5.00% for the first sixty months. Thereafter, the Term Loan will accrue interest at a floating rate per annum equal to 0.75% above the Wall Street Journal rate published in the money rates section of the Wall Street Journal. The interest rate floor is set at 4.15% per annum and the interest rate may only be adjusted by Bank Midwest once every five years. Monthly payments of $17,271 for principal and interest are required. The Term Loan is also guaranteed by the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”), which required an upfront guarantee fee of $62,400 and requires an annual fee of 0.5% of the unpaid balance. As part of the USDA guarantee requirements, shareholders owning more than 20% are required to personally guarantee a portion of the Term Loan, in an amount equal to their stock ownership percentage. J. Ward McConnell Jr., the former Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and a shareholder that owned more than 20% of the Company’s outstanding stock, was guaranteeing approximately 38% of the Term Loan, for an annual fee of 2% of the personally guaranteed amount. J. Ward McConnell, Jr. passed away on May 31, 2021, and his shares are currently held in trust. The Company intends for the trust to continue guaranteeing the loan and is continuing to pay the annual fee to the trust. Once shares are distributed there will be no shareholders owning 20% or more of the Company’s outstanding stock and at that time the Company will request the personal guarantee be removed from the loan. The initial guarantee fee will be amortized over the life of the Term Loan, and the annual fees and personally guaranteed amounts are expensed monthly.

On February 13, 2019, the Company opened a $4,000,000 revolving line of credit (the “2019 Line of Credit”) with Bank Midwest in connection with bonding obligations for the Company’s performance of a large modular laboratory construction project. Funds under the 2019 Line of Credit were never disbursed to the Company and in December of 2021 the Irrevocable Letter of Credit was closed in accordance with the closing of the project lien period.

On April 20, 2020, the Company obtained a loan in the amount of $1,242,900 from Bank Midwest in connection with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP Loan”). The PPP Loan accrued interest at a rate per annum equal to 1.00% and was eligible to be used for payroll costs, employee benefits, rent, utilities and mortgage interest. The PPP Loan was unsecured. On November 4, 2020 complete forgiveness was granted from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Each of the 2017 Line of Credit and the Term Loan are governed by the terms of a separate Promissory Note, dated September 28, 2017, entered into between the Company and Bank Midwest. The 2019 Line of Credit is governed by the terms of a Promissory Note, dated February 13, 2019, entered into between the Company and Bank Midwest.

In connection with the 2017 Line of Credit, the Company, Art’s-Way Scientific, Inc. and Ohio Metal Working Products/Art’s-Way Inc. each entered into a Commercial Security Agreement with Bank Midwest, dated September 28, 2017, pursuant to which each granted to Bank Midwest a first priority security interest in certain inventory, equipment, accounts, chattel paper, instruments, letters of credit and other assets to secure the obligations of the Company under the line of credit. Each of Art’s-Way Scientific, Inc. and Ohio Metal Working Products/Art’s-Way Inc. also agreed to guarantee the obligations of the Company pursuant to the 2017 Line of Credit, as set forth in Commercial Guaranties, each dated September 28, 2017. The 2019 Line of Credit is also secured by these existing security documents.

To further secure the 2017 Line of Credit, the Company granted Bank Midwest a mortgage on its Canton, Ohio property held by Ohio Metal Working Products/Art’s-Way Inc. The 2019 Line of Credit is also secured by the mortgage on the Canton, Ohio property. The Term Loan is secured by a mortgage on the Company’s Armstrong, Iowa and Monona, Iowa properties. Each mortgage is governed by the terms of a separate Mortgage, dated September 28, 2017, and each property is also subject to a separate Assignment of Rents, dated September 28, 2017.

If the Company or its subsidiaries (as guarantors pursuant to the Commercial Guaranties) commits an event of default with respect to the promissory notes and fails or is unable to cure that default, Bank Midwest may immediately terminate its obligation, if any, to make additional loans to the Company and may accelerate the Company’s obligations under the promissory notes. Bank Midwest shall also have all other rights and remedies for default provided by the Uniform Commercial Code, as well as any other applicable law and the various loan agreements. In addition, in an event of default, Bank Midwest may foreclose on the mortgaged property.

Compliance with Bank Midwest covenants is measured annually on November 30. The terms of the Bank Midwest loan agreements require the Company to maintain a minimum of $4,000,000 of monthly working capital. Additionally, a maximum debt to worth ratio of 1 to 1 must be maintained, with a minimum of 40% tangible balance sheet equity, with variations subject to mutual agreement. The Company is also required to maintain a minimum debt service coverage ratio of 1.25, with a 0.10 tolerance. The Company also must receive bank approval for purchases or sales of equipment over $100,000 annually and maintain reasonable salaries and owner compensation. The Company received the necessary approvals for purchases of equipment over $100,000 for the twelve months ended November 30, 2021. The Company was out of compliance with its debt to worth ratio by one percentage point on the Bank Midwest loans as of November 30, 2021. Bank Midwest issued a waiver forgiving the noncompliance, and in turn waived the event of default. The next measurement date is November 30, 2022 for all covenants except the monthly working capital requirement.

SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans

On June 18, 2020, and again on June 24, 2020 the Company executed the standard loan documents required for securing loans offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration under its Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) assistance program in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s business. Two loans were executed on June 18, 2020 with principal amounts of $150,000 each, with a third loan being executed on June 24, 2020 with a principal amount of $150,000. Proceeds from these EIDLs are being used for working capital purposes. Interest accrues at the rate of 3.75% per annum and will accrue from the date of inception. Installment payments, including principal and interest, are due monthly beginning June 18, 2022 (twenty-four months from the date of the EIDLs) and June 24, 2022 in the amount of $731 per EIDL. The balance of principal and interest is payable 30 years from the date of the EIDL. The EIDLs are secured by a security interest on all of the Company’s assets. Each EIDL is governed by the terms of a separate Promissory Note, dated either June 18, 2020 or June 24, 2020, as applicable, entered into by the Company or the applicable subsidiary.

On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was enacted, which extended the first due date for repayment of EIDLs made in 2020 from 12 months to 24 months from the date of the note. This act also increased the maximum loan amount from $150,000 to $500,000 per entity. The Company is requesting EIDL increases of $350,000 per entity under this program for a total of $1,050,000 in additional funding.

A summary of the Company’s term debt is as follows:

	November 30, 2021		November 30, 2020
Bank Midwest loan payable in monthly installments of $17,271 including interest at 5.00%, due October 1, 2037	$	2,260,412	$	2,350,593
U.S. Small Business Administration loan payable in monthly installments of $731 including interest at 3.75% beginning June 18, 2022, due June 18, 2050		158,168		152,543
U.S. Small Business Administration loan payable in monthly installments of $731 including interest at 3.75% beginning June 24, 2022, due June 24, 2050		158,181		152,450
U.S. Small Business Administration loan payable in monthly installments of $731 including interest at 3.75% beginning June 18, 2022, due June 18, 2050		158,168		152,543
Total term debt	$	2,734,929	$	2,808,129
Less current portion of term debt		99,462		94,979
Term debt, excluding current portion	$	2,635,467	$	2,713,150

A summary of the minimum maturities of term debt follows for the years ending November 30:

Year	Amount
2022		99,462
2023		108,284
2024		113,444
2025		119,552
2026		125,630
2027 and thereafter		2,168,557
	$	2,734,929