Note 12 - Loan and Credit Agreements

3 Months Ended

Feb. 29, 2024

Notes to Financial Statements

Debt Disclosure [Text Block]

12) Loan and Credit Agreements

Bank Midwest Revolving Lines of Credit and Term Loans

The Company maintains a $5,500,000 revolving line of credit (the “Line of Credit”) with Bank Midwest. On February 29, 2024, the balance of the Line of Credit was $4,880,437 with $619,563 remaining available, as may be limited by the borrowing base calculation. The Line of Credit borrowing base is an amount equal to 75% of accounts receivable balances (discounted for aged receivables), plus 50% of net inventory, less any outstanding loan balance on the Line of Credit. On February 29, 2024, the Line of Credit was not limited by the borrowing base calculation. Any unpaid principal amount borrowed on the Line of Credit accrues 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 6.00% per annum and the current interest rate is 9.25% per annum. The Line of Credit was most recently renewed on March 4, 2024 with a maturity date of  March 30, 2025 and requires monthly interest-only payments. The most recent renewal of the Line of Credit combined the previous Line of Credit and a Reserve Line of Credit and decreased the floating rate by 0.50%.

The Company carries a $2,600,000 term loan with Bank Midwest due October 1, 2037 (the “Term Loan”), and a $350,000 term loan (the “Roof Term Loan”) due on May 15, 2027. The Term Loan interest rate accrues at a fixed rate of 7% based on prime plus 0.75%. 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 $19,648 in 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, stockholders owning more than 20% are required to personally guarantee a portion of the Term Loan, in an amount equal to their stock ownership percentage. The J. Ward McConnell Jr. Living Trust, the estate of the former Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and a stockholder owning more than 20% of the Company’s outstanding stock, is guaranteeing approximately 38% of the Term Loan, for an annual fee of 2% of the personally guaranteed amount. 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. The Term Loan is governed by the terms of a Promissory Note, dated September 28, 2017, entered into between the Company and Bank Midwest.

In connection with the 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 Line of Credit, as set forth in Commercial Guaranties, each dated September 28, 2017.

The Company also entered into the Roof Term Loan of $350,000 with Bank Midwest on May 17, 2022. The Roof Term Loan’s proceeds were used to fix sections of the Armstrong facility’s roof. The Roof Term Loan requires 59 regular payments of $2,972 and an estimated balloon payment of $269,517 on the maturity date of May 15, 2027. Any unpaid principal amount borrowed on the Roof Term Loan accrues interest at a rate of 7.0% per annum. The Roof Term Loan is governed by the terms of a Promissory Note, dated May 17, 2022, entered into between the Company and Bank Midwest and by a Change of Terms Agreement dated March 30, 2023 which fixed the interest rate terms of the original Promissory Note.

To further secure the 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 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 was out of compliance with its debt to worth ratio by fifteen percentage points on the Bank Midwest loans as of November 30, 2023. Bank Midwest issued a waiver forgiving the noncompliance, and in turn waived the event of default. In the March 2024 renewal Bank Midwest dropped the debt to worth ratio requirement going forward. The next measurement date is November 30, 2024 for all covenants except the monthly working capital requirement.

SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans

In June of 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, were due monthly beginning December 18, 2022 (thirty months from the date of the EIDLs) and December 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 subordinate to Bank Midwest’s security interest. 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.

The Company will be required to pay the balance of the EIDL loan associated with the Tools segment upon liquidation of real estate and dissolution of the business. The principal balance of this loan was $159,512 at February 29, 2024. The Company will also be required to pay off the balance of the Bank Midwest Roof Loan in the event the real estate is sold for the Tools segment. The principal balance of this loan at February 29, 2024 is $333,951.

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

	February 29, 2024		November 30, 2023
Bank Midwest loan payable in monthly installments of $19,648 including interest at 7.00%, due October 1, 2037		2,058,862		2,080,718
Bank Midwest loan payable in monthly installments of $2,972 including interest at 7.00%, due May 15, 2027		333,951		336,858
U.S. Small Business Administration loan payable in monthly installments of $731 including interest at 3.75% beginning December 18, 2022, due June 18, 2050		159,530		160,583
U.S. Small Business Administration loan payable in monthly installments of $731 including interest at 3.75% beginning December 18, 2022, due June 18, 2050		159,512		160,599
U.S. Small Business Administration loan payable in monthly installments of $731 including interest at 3.75% beginning December 24, 2022, due June 24, 2050		160,223		160,896
Total term debt	$	2,872,078	$	2,899,654
Less term debt of discontinued operations	$	159,512		160,599
Term debt, continuing operations		2,712,566		2,739,055
Less current portion of term debt		110,986		109,193
Term debt, excluding current portion	$	2,601,580	$	2,629,862

A summary of the minimum maturities of term debt follows for twelve month periods ending February 28, are as follows:

Year	Amount
2025	$	110,986
2026		119,408
2027		127,909
2028		415,898
2029		130,027
2030 and thereafter		1,808,338
	$	2,712,566