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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Consolidation

These Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of The Andersons, Inc. and its wholly owned and controlled subsidiaries (the “Company”). All intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. Investments in unconsolidated entities in which the Company has significant influence, but not control, are accounted for using the equity method of accounting.

During the third quarter of 2021, substantially all of the assets and liabilities of the Rail business were classified as held-for-sale in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. As discussed further in Note 16, the Company executed a definitive agreement to sell the Rail Leasing business. In conjunction with the sale of the Rail Leasing business, the Company announced its intent to divest the remainder of the Rail business which it successfully sold in the third quarter of 2022.

These transactions effectively constitute the entirety of what has historically been included in the Rail reportable segment. Therefore, the associated operating results, net of income tax, have been classified as discontinued operations in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations for all periods presented. Throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K, with the exception of the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and unless otherwise indicated, amounts and activity are presented on a continuing operations basis.

Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year financial statements to conform to current year classifications. The reclassification relates to the Consolidated Statement of Operations presentation of Asset impairment expense and Equity earnings (losses) in affiliates, net. Asset impairment expense has been reclassified to Operating, administrative and general expenses and Equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates, net has been reclassified to Other income, net.

At the inception of joint venture transactions, we identify entities for which control is achieved through means other than voting rights (“variable interest entities” or “VIEs”) and determine which business enterprise is the primary beneficiary of its operations. A VIE is broadly defined as an entity where either (i) the equity investors as a group, if any, do not have a controlling financial interest, or (ii) the equity investment at risk is insufficient to finance that entity’s activities without additional subordinated financial support. The Company consolidates investments in VIEs when the Company is determined to be the primary beneficiary. This evaluation is based on an enterprise’s ability to direct and influence the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact that entity’s economic performance.

The Company evaluates its interests in VIEs on an ongoing basis and consolidates any VIE in which it has a controlling financial interest and is deemed to be the primary beneficiary. A controlling financial interest has both of the following characteristics: (i) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact its economic performance; and (ii) the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE that could potentially be significant to it or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could be significant to the VIE.

The Company has two VIE's in The Andersons Marathon Holdings LLC ("TAMH") and ELEMENT, LLC. ("ELEMENT"). The Company evaluated its interests in both TAMH and ELEMENT and determined that these entities are a VIE and that the Company is the primary beneficiary of TAMH and ELEMENT. This is due to the fact that the Company has both the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact these entities and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from TAMH and ELEMENT. Therefore, the Company consolidated both TAMH and ELEMENT in its Consolidated Financial Statements.

Use of Estimates and Assumptions

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash and short-term investments with an initial maturity of three months or less. The carrying values of these assets approximate their fair values.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and may bear interest if past due. The allowance for doubtful accounts is the best estimate of the current expected credit losses in existing accounts receivable and is reviewed quarterly. The allowance is based both on specific identification of potentially uncollectible accounts and the application of a consistent policy, based on historical experience, to estimate the allowance necessary for the remaining accounts receivable. For those customers that are thought to be at higher risk, the Company makes assumptions as to collectability based on past history and facts about the current situation. Account balances are charged off against the allowance when it becomes more certain that the receivable will not be recovered. The Company manages its exposure to counterparty credit risk through credit analysis and approvals, credit limits and monitoring procedures.

Commodity Derivatives and Inventories

The Company's operating results can be affected by changes to commodity prices. The Trade and Renewables businesses have established “unhedged” position limits (the amount of a commodity, either owned or contracted for, that does not have an offsetting derivative contract to mitigate the price risk associated with those contracts and inventory). To reduce the exposure to market price risk on commodities owned and forward commodity and ethanol purchase and sale contracts, the Company enters into exchange traded commodity futures and options contracts and over-the-counter forward and option contracts with various counterparties. The forward purchase and sale contracts are for physical delivery of the commodity in a future period. Contracts to purchase commodities from producers generally relate to the current or future crop years for delivery periods quoted by regulated commodity exchanges. Contracts for the sale of commodities to processors or other commercial consumers generally do not extend beyond one year.

The Company accounts for its commodity derivatives at fair value. The estimated fair value of the commodity derivative contracts that require the receipt or posting of cash collateral is recorded on a net basis (offset against cash collateral posted or received, also known as margin deposits) within commodity derivative assets or liabilities. Management determines fair value based on exchange-quoted prices and in the case of its forward purchase and sale contracts, fair value is adjusted for differences in local markets and non-performance risk. While the Company considers certain of its commodity contracts to be effective economic hedges, the Company does not designate or account for its commodity contracts as hedges.

Realized and unrealized gains and losses in the value of commodity contracts (whether due to changes in commodity prices, changes in performance or credit risk, or due to sale, maturity or extinguishment of the commodity contract) and commodity inventories are included in Cost of sales and merchandising revenues in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Additional information about the fair value of the Company's commodity derivatives is presented in Notes 5 and 10 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Readily Marketable Inventories ("RMI"), which are grain and other agricultural commodities, may be acquired under provisionally priced contracts, are stated at their net realizable value, which approximates estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. At times the Company holds a portion of RMI within its facilities for others. Our storage facilities are licensed warehouses and must be bonded and insured for its capacity under license and is obligated to return to the title holder of the RMI an equal quantity and quality. The Company does not have title to the inventory and is only liable for any deficiencies in grade or shortage of quantity that may arise during the storage period. Management has not experienced historical losses with regard to any deficiencies and does not anticipate material losses in the future.

All other inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is determined by the average cost method. Additional information about inventories is presented in Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Derivatives - Master Netting Arrangements

Generally accepted accounting principles permit a party to a master netting arrangement to offset fair value amounts recognized for derivative instruments against the right to reclaim cash collateral or obligation to return cash collateral under the same master netting arrangement. The Company has master netting arrangements for its exchange traded futures and options contracts and certain over-the-counter contracts. When the Company enters into a futures, options or an over-the-counter contract, an initial margin deposit may be required by the counterparty. The amount of the margin deposit varies by commodity. If the market price of a futures, option or an over-the-counter contract moves in a direction that is adverse to the Company's position, an additional margin deposit, called a maintenance margin, is required. The Company nets, by counterparty, its futures and over-the-counter positions against the cash collateral provided or received. The margin deposit assets and liabilities are included in short-term commodity derivative assets or liabilities, as appropriate, in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Additional information about the Company's master netting arrangements is presented in Note 5 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Derivatives - Interest Rate and Foreign Currency Contracts

The Company periodically enters into interest rate contracts to manage interest rate risk on borrowing or financing activities. The Company has long-term interest rate swaps recorded in other assets or other long-term liabilities that expire from 2025 to 2030 and have been designated as cash flow hedges; accordingly, changes in the fair value of the instruments are recognized in Other comprehensive income (loss) in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. While the Company considers all of its derivative positions to be effective economic hedges of specified risks, these interest rate contracts for which hedge accounting is not applied are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets in either other current assets or liabilities (if short-term in nature) or in other assets or other long-term liabilities (if non-current in nature), and changes in fair value are recognized in current earnings as interest expense. Upon termination of a derivative instrument or a change in the hedged item, any remaining fair value recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets is recorded in Interest expense, net consistent with the cash flows associated with the underlying hedged item. Information regarding the nature and terms of the Company's interest rate derivatives is presented in Note 5 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment is recorded at cost. Repairs and maintenance costs are charged to expense as incurred, while betterments that extend useful lives are capitalized. Depreciation is provided over the estimated useful lives of the individual assets, by the straight-line method. Estimated useful lives are generally as follows: land improvements - 16 years; leasehold improvements - the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful life of the improvement, ranging from 3 to 20 years; buildings and storage facilities - 10 to 40 years; and machinery and equipment - 3 to 20 years. The cost of assets retired or otherwise disposed of, and the accumulated depreciation thereon are removed from the accounts, with any gain or loss realized upon sale recorded in Other income, net within the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Additional information regarding the Company's property, plant and equipment is presented in Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Deferred Debt Issue Costs

Costs associated with the issuance of term debt are deferred and recorded net with debt. Costs associated with revolving credit agreements are recorded as a deferred asset. These costs are amortized, as a component of interest expense, over the earlier of the stated term of the debt or the period from the issue date through the first early payoff date without penalty, or the expected payoff date if the loan does not contain a prepayment penalty. Deferred costs associated with the borrowing arrangement with a syndication of banks are amortized over the term of the agreement.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill is subject to an annual impairment test or more often when events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of goodwill may be impaired. A goodwill impairment loss is recognized to the extent the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds the business enterprise value. Additional information about the Company's goodwill and other intangible assets is presented in Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Acquired intangible assets are recorded at cost, less accumulated amortization, if not indefinite lived. In addition, we capitalize the salaries and payroll-related costs of employees and consultants who devote time to the development of internal-use software projects. If a project constitutes an enhancement to previously developed software, we assess whether the enhancement is significant and creates additional functionality to the software, thus qualifying the work incurred for capitalization. Once a project is complete, we estimate the useful life of the internal-use software. Changes in our estimates related to internal-use software would increase or decrease operating expenses or amortization recorded during the period.

Amortization of intangible assets is provided over their estimated useful lives (generally 1 to 10 years) using the straight-line method.

Impairment of Long-lived Assets and Equity Method Investments

Long-lived assets, including intangible assets, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by comparing the carrying amount of the assets to the undiscounted future net cash flows the Company expects to generate with the assets. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the Company recognizes an impairment loss for the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets.

In 2022, the Company's 51% owned ELEMENT plant faced a combination of high corn basis, increased natural gas prices and a rapid decline in Low Carbon Fuel Standards credit values, that negatively impacted operations. The adverse operating conditions led to a failure of a debt covenant during the year, as well as, a forecasted failure of another covenant within the next 12 months. Accordingly, it was deemed that a triggering event occurred as of September 30, 2022 related to the ELEMENT ethanol plant. Management performed a recoverability test of the ELEMENT plant’s long-lived assets as this is the lowest level of identifiable cash flows. The key assumptions used in the recoverability test included input costs (corn, natural gas, etc.), production days, and co-product premiums. Each of these inputs were given probability weightings based on management's assessment regarding the likelihood of the respective forecasts. Using future forecasted cash flows, the ELEMENT asset group passed its recoverability test on an undiscounted cash flow basis by 15% over the carrying value of its assets. Assumptions used in the model did not change materially during the fourth quarter. However, if there are changes to key assumptions in the analysis it is reasonably possible management's estimate that it will recover the carrying amount of these assets could change, even in the near term. See further discussion on ELEMENT developments subsequent to December 31, 2022, in Note 4 of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

The Company reviews its equity method investments to determine whether there has been a decline in the estimated fair value of the investment that is below the Company's carrying value which is other-than-temporary. Other than consideration of past and current performance, these reviews take into account forecasted earnings which are based on management's estimates of future performance.

Provisionally Priced Commodity Contracts

Accounts payable includes certain amounts related to commodity purchases for which, even though the Company has taken ownership and possession of the commodity the final purchase price has not been fully established. If the futures and basis components are unpriced, it is referred to as a delayed price payable. If the futures component has not been established, but the basis has been set, it is referred to as a basis payable. The unpriced portion of these payables will be exposed to changes in the fair value of the underlying commodity based on quoted prices on commodity exchanges (or basis levels). Those payables that are fully priced are not considered derivative instruments.

The Company also enters into contracts with customers for risk management purposes that allow the customers to effectively unprice the futures component of their inventory for a period of time, subjecting the commodities to market fluctuations. The Company records an asset or liability for the market value changes of the commodities over the life of the contracts based on quoted exchange prices. See Note 10 for additional discussion on these instruments.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-based compensation expense for all stock-based compensation awards is based on the estimated grant-date fair value. The Company recognizes these compensation costs on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award, adjusted for revisions to performance expectations. Additional information about the Company's stock compensation plans is presented in Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Per Share Data

We present both basic and diluted earnings per share amounts from continuing operations and discontinued operations attributable to the Company's shareholders. Basic earnings per common share are determined by dividing net earnings attributable to controlling interests by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. In computing diluted earnings per share, average number of common shares outstanding is increased by unvested stock awards and common stock options outstanding with exercise prices lower than the average market price of common shares using the treasury share method.

Revenue Recognition

The Company’s revenue consists of sales from commodity contracts that are accounted for under ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (ASC 815), and sales of other products and services that are accounted for under ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC 606).

Revenue from commodity contracts (ASC 815)

Revenue from commodity contracts primarily relates to forward sales of commodities in the Company’s Trade and Renewables segments, such as corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, ethanol, and corn oil, which are accounted for as derivatives at fair value under ASC 815. These forward sales meet the definition of a derivative under ASC 815 as they have an underlying (e.g. the price of corn), a notional amount (e.g. metric tons), no initial net investment and can be net settled since the commodity is readily convertible to cash. The Company does not apply the normal purchase and normal sale exception available under ASC 815 to these contracts.

Revenue from commodity contracts is recognized in Sales and merchandising revenues for the contractually stated amount when the contracts are settled. Settlement of the commodity contracts generally occurs upon shipment or delivery of the product, when title and risks and rewards of ownership transfers to the customer. Prior to settlement, these forward sales contracts are recognized at fair value with the unrealized gains or losses recorded within Cost of sales and merchandising revenues. Additional information about the fair value of the Company's commodity derivatives is presented in Notes 5 and 10 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

There are certain transactions that allow for pricing to occur after title of the goods has passed to the customer. In these cases, the Company continues to report the goods in inventory until it recognizes the sales revenue once the price has been determined. Direct ship commodity sales (where the Company never takes physical possession of the commodity) are recognized based on the terms of the contract.

Certain of the Company's operations provide for customer billings, deposits or prepayments for product that is stored at the Company's facilities. The sales and gross profit related to these transactions are not recognized until the product is shipped in accordance with the previously stated revenue recognition policy and these amounts are classified in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as a current liability titled “Customer prepayments and deferred revenue”.

Revenue from contracts with customers (ASC 606)

Information regarding our revenue from contracts with customers accounted for under ASC 606 is presented in Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The Company recognizes revenue from these contracts at a point in time when it satisfies a performance obligation by transferring control of a product to a customer, generally when legal title and risks and rewards of ownership transfer to the customer.

Income Taxes

Income tax expense for each period includes current tax expense plus deferred expense, which is related to the change in deferred income tax assets and liabilities. Deferred income taxes are provided for temporary differences between the financial reporting basis and the tax basis of assets and liabilities and are measured using enacted tax rates and laws governing periods in which the differences are expected to reverse. The Company evaluates the realizability of deferred tax assets and provides a valuation allowance for amounts that management does not believe are more likely than not to be recoverable, as applicable.
The annual effective tax rate is determined by Income tax provision (benefit) from continuing operations as a percentage of Income (loss) before income taxes from continuing operations within the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Differences in the effective tax rate and the statutory tax rate may be due to permanent items, tax credits, foreign tax rates and state tax rates in jurisdictions in which the Company operates, or changes in valuation allowances.

The Company records reserves for uncertain tax positions when, despite the belief that tax return positions are fully supportable, it is anticipated that certain tax return positions are likely to be challenged and that the Company may not prevail. These reserves are adjusted for changing facts and circumstances, such as the progress of a tax audit or the lapse of statutes of limitations.

Additional information about the Company’s income taxes is presented in Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Employee Benefit Plans

The Company provides full-time employees hired before January 1, 2003, with postretirement health care benefits. In order to measure the expense and funded status of these employee benefit plans, management makes several estimates and assumptions, including employee turnover rates, anticipated mortality rates and anticipated future healthcare cost trends. These estimates and assumptions are based on the Company's historical experience combined with management's knowledge and understanding of current facts and circumstances. The selection of the discount rate is based on an index given projected plan payouts. Additional information about the Company's employee benefit plans is presented in Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848)

In March 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting, which provides temporary optional expedients and exceptions to U.S. GAAP on contract modifications, hedging relationships, and other transactions affected by reference rate reform to ease entities' financial reporting burdens as the market transitions from the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other interbank offered rates to alternative reference rates. The guidance was effective upon issuance and may be applied prospectively to contract modifications made, hedging relationships entered into, and other transactions affected by reference rate reform, evaluated on or before December 31, 2022, beginning during the reporting period in which the guidance has been elected. In December 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-06, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Deferral of the Sunset Date of Topic 848, which extended the date to December 31, 2024.

As of December 31, 2022, the Company does not have any receivables, hedging relationships, lease agreements, or debt agreements that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued. Therefore, we will not be electing the optional practical expedients associated with this ASU.