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Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘10-K’ for 1/31/23

On:  Monday, 4/17/23, at 6:11pm ET   ·   As of:  4/18/23   ·   For:  1/31/23   ·   Accession #:  1654954-23-4860   ·   File #:  0-15535

Previous ‘10-K’:  ‘10-K/A’ on 4/27/22 for 1/31/22   ·   Next & Latest:  ‘10-K’ on 4/11/24 for 1/31/24   ·   23 References:   By:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – Next & Latest ‘10-K’ on 4/11/24 for 1/31/24 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘8-K’ on 2/2/23 for 1/30/23 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘10-Q’ on 9/8/22 for 7/31/22 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘8-K’ on 8/17/22 for 8/15/22 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘8-K’ on 1/6/22 for 1/1/22 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘8-K’ on 10/20/21 for 10/18/21 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘10-Q’ on 9/9/21 for 7/31/21 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘S-8’ on 9/3/21 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘8-K’ on 6/24/21 for 6/18/21 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘8-K’ on 6/21/21 for 6/16/21 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘8-K’ on 2/16/21 for 2/15/21 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘8-K’ on 1/5/21 for 12/30/20 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘8-K’ on 6/30/20 for 6/25/20 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘8-K’ on 1/29/20 for 1/27/20 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘10-Q’ on 9/9/19 for 7/31/19 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘10-K’ on 4/16/19 for 1/31/19 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘8-K’ on 4/28/17 for 4/25/17 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘10-K’ on 4/21/16 for 1/31/16 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘8-K’ on 6/25/15 for 6/19/15 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘10-Q’ on 6/15/15 for 4/30/15 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘8-K’ on 12/8/14 for 12/3/14 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘8-K’ on 2/25/13 for 2/20/13 To:  Lakeland Industries Inc. – ‘8-K’ on 6/29/12 for 6/25/12 

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM  i 10-K

(Mark one)

For the fiscal year ended  i January 31, 2023

OR

For the transition period from _____________ to ______________

Commission File Number:  i 0-15535

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code) ( i 256)  i 350-3873

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

Not Applicable

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐      i No ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes ☐      i No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  i Yes ☒     No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).  i Yes ☒     No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a nonaccelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company”, and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.  i ☒

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act) Yes  i ☐     No ☒

The aggregate market value of voting stock held by non-affiliates as of July 31, 2022 was approximately $ i 102.1 million. As of April 10, 2023, there were outstanding  i 7,325,005 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Security Exchange Act of 1934 are incorporated by reference into Part III (Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14) of this Form 10-K.

LAKELAND INDUSTRIES, INC.

INDEX TO ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions as described from time to time in registration statements, annual reports and other periodic reports and filings of the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, which address the Company’s expectations of sources of capital or which express the Company’s expectation for the future with respect to financial performance or operating strategies, can be identified as forward-looking statements. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Company’s future results will not be materially different from those described herein as “believed,” “anticipated,” “estimated,” “expected,” “may,” “will” or “should” or other similar words which reflect the current views of the Company with respect to future events. We caution readers that these forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. The Company hereby expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which such statement is based.

PART I

Lakeland Industries, Inc. (the “Company” or “Lakeland,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) was incorporated in the State of Delaware in 1986. Our executive office is located at 1525 Perimeter Parkway, Suite 325, Huntsville, AL 35806, and our telephone number is (256) 350-3873. Our website is located at www.lakeland.com. Information contained on our website is not part of this report.

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Overview

We manufacture and sell a comprehensive line of protective clothing and accessories for the industrial and public protective clothing market. All Lakeland products either protect the wearer from something in their environment or protect a product or process from the wearer. Our products must meet minimum performance requirements defined by industry best practice, and/or international or local standards.

Our products are sold globally by our in-house sales teams, our customer service group, and authorized independent sales representatives to a global network of over 1,600 safety and industrial supply distributors. Our authorized distributors supply end users, such as integrated oil, chemical/petrochemical, automobile, transportation, steel, glass, construction, smelting, heavy and light industry, cleanroom, janitorial, pharmaceutical, and high technology electronics manufacturers, as well as scientific, medical laboratories and the utilities industries (electrical, natural gas, and water). In addition, we supply federal, state and local governmental agencies and departments, such as fire and law enforcement, airport crash rescue units, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Internationally, we sell to a mixture of end users directly, and to industrial distributors depending on the particular country and market. Sales are made into more than 50 foreign countries, the majority of which are into China, countries within the European Economic Community (“EEC”), Canada, Chile, Argentina, Russia, Kazakhstan, Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, India, Middle East and countries within Southeast Asia.

The Company has seven revenue generating reportable geographic segments under ASC Topic 280 “Segment Reporting”: USA Operations, Other Foreign, Europe (UK), Mexico, Asia, Canada, and Latin America.

Lakeland regards owning and operating its own manufacturing facilities as a sustainable strategic advantage. We believe that ownership of manufacturing is the keystone to building a resilient supply chain. Having five manufacturing locations in five countries, coupled with sourcing core raw materials from multiple suppliers in various countries, affords Lakeland with manufacturing capabilities and supply chain resilience that cannot be matched by our competitors who use contractors. Owning our manufacturing provides us with the ability to rapidly scale up production to meet emergency demand; shift production between locations in response to geopolitical threats to take advantage of new trade agreements or avoid complications that may arise from trade disputes; and to maintain the highest levels of product quality.

On December 2, 2022, we acquired UK-based Eagle Technical Products Limited (“Eagle”). Eagle is a leading designer and provider of protective apparel to the fire and industrial sectors. Eagle provides differentiated product offerings through its innovative and technical solutions. The acquisition enhances our product portfolio, particularly within fire service protective clothing, and expands our sales presence in the Middle East and Europe.

For purposes of this Form 10-K, (a) FY refers to a fiscal year ended January 31; for example, FY23 refers to the fiscal year ended January 31, 2023 and (b) Q refers to a quarter, for example Q4 FY 23 refers to the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended January 31, 2023.

Business Strategy

Key elements of our strategy include:

Products

The following is a description of our core product offerings:

Firefighting and Heat Protective Apparel

We manufacture an extensive line of UL certified, NFPA compliant, structural firefighter protective apparel (turnout gear) for domestic and foreign fire departments. Our turnout gear is available both in standard stock patterns and custom configurations.

We offer basic firefighter turnout gear in the Attack (A10) and Battalion (B1) styles. Introduced in 2013 are the Battalion (“B2”) style with advanced ergonomic features and the Stealth style, with innovative features new to the fire industry.

We also manufacture each of the above styles in our UL certified, NFPA compliant, Proximity line for Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (“ARFF”) with aluminized shells.

We manufacture full lines of Fire service extrication suits in FR cotton, UL certified, NFPA compliant Wildland firefighting apparel in multiple fabrics and Aluminized Kiln entry/Approach suits to protect industrial workers from extreme heat encountered in foundry’s, boiler rooms, and direct fired ovens.

We manufacture fire suits (turnout gear) at our facilities in China and Mexico. Our Lakeland Fire® brand of firefighting apparel continues to benefit from ongoing research and development investment, as we seek to address the ergonomic needs of stressful occupations.

High-End Chemical Protective Suits

We manufacture and sell heavy duty chemical protective suits and protective apparel from our proprietary CRFR, ChemMax® 3, 4, Interceptor and other fabrics. These suits are worn by individuals on hazardous material teams and within general industry to provide protection from powerful, highly concentrated, toxic and/or potentially lethal chemicals and biological toxins. These suits are useful against toxic wastes at Superfund sites, toxic chemical spills or biological discharges, chemical or biological warfare weapons (such as sarin, anthrax or ricin and mustard gas) and chemicals and petro-chemicals present during the cleaning of refineries and nuclear facilities, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in industrial applications, and protection from infectious diseases such as Avian Flu and Ebola.

We believe that we offer the most complete and cost-effective line of chemical protective garments available on the market today. Garments are certified to both NFPA, CE, ISO, as well as other international standards allowing us to offer products composed of these fabrics all over the world.

Our ChemMAX 3, 4 and Interceptor fabrics are supported by PermaSure®, an app based chemical database and permeation modeler that allows our customers to quickly determine the safe use time for supported Lakeland garments, under specific environmental conditions for over 4,000 chemicals.  This powerful tool allows Lakeland customers to safely minimize the chemical protective clothing cost by not having to default to the most protective garments available because chemical data is not available, or because there is not time to consult with the manufacturer. PermaSure can be used to model response scenarios so that contingency plans for response can be put in place.

Limited Use/Disposable Protective Clothing

We manufacture a complete line of limited use/disposable protective garments, including coveralls, laboratory coats, shirts, pants, hoods, aprons, sleeves, arm guards, caps and smocks. Limited use garments can also be coated or laminated to increase splash protection against harmful inorganic acids, bases and other hazardous liquid and dry chemicals. Limited use garments are made from several different nonwoven fabrics. We use spunbonded polypropylene (SBPP), spunbonded meltblow spunbond (SMS), hydroentangled woodpulp/polyester, and needlepunched fabrics. These fabrics can be used alone or in combination with films of varying composition, and/or topical chemical treatments to make our own trademarked fabrics, like Pyrolon® Plus 2, XT, CRFR, CBFR MicroMax®, MicroMax NS, CleanMax, Safegard®, Zonegard®, and ChemMax® 1, 2, 3, and 4, as well as our patented Interceptor fabric. We incorporate many sewing, heat sealing and taping techniques depending on the level of protection needed in the end use application.

Typical users of these garments include integrated oil/petrochemical refineries, chemical plants, automotive manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, construction companies, coal, gas and oil power generation utilities and telephone utility companies, laboratories, mortuaries and governmental entities. Numerous smaller industries use these garments for specific safety applications unique to their businesses. Additional applications include protection from viruses and bacteria, such as Ebola, AIDS, streptococcus, SARS, hepatitis, and COVID-19 at medical facilities, laboratories, and emergency rescue sites. Clean manufactured and sterilized versions of our MicroMAX NS product, trademarked CleanMax, is used in aseptic laboratories to protect both the wearer and the product from cross contamination.

 Durable Woven Garments

We manufacture and market a line of durable, launderable woven garments that complement our firefighting and heat protective offerings and provide alternatives to our limited use/disposable protective clothing lines. These products provide us access to the much larger woven industrial and health care-related markets. Woven garments are favored by customers for certain applications because of familiarity with and acceptance of these fabrics. These products allow us to supply and satisfy a wider range of our end users’ safety needs.

Our product lines include the following:

We manufacture woven garments at our facilities in China, Mexico and Argentina. We are continuing to relocate our woven protective coveralls and flame-retardant coveralls to our facilities in China, Mexico, Vietnam and India where lower fabric and labor costs allow increased profit margins.

High Visibility Clothing

Lakeland’s High-Visibility Division manufactures and markets a comprehensive line of reflective apparel meeting the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) requirements as well as multiple national standards around the world. The line includes vests, T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, coats, raingear, jumpsuits, hats and gloves.

Fabrics available include solid and mesh fluorescent, polyester, both inherently FR and FR treated fabrics, and Modacrylic materials, which meet the arc flash protective requirements for use by electrical utilities. The mesh modacrylic fabric, with its inherent FR capability, has a strong appeal to utility workers in warmer climates during spring and summer months (heat prostration).

Our High Vis FR/ARC rated rainwear is light-weight, soft, flexible and breathable, providing for a cooler garment. This product is intended for the Gas and Electrical Utility markets. The Lakeland ARC-X FR/PU garment exceeds all of the required ASTM arc flash and flash fire ratings for the Electric and Gas Utility market.

Our vest production occurs in our facilities in Mexico and China. Much of this manufacturing is for custom products. Many corporations and agencies, such as State Departments of Transportation and large electric utilities, develop custom specifications which they feel are more efficient in meeting their specific needs than off-the-shelf product. We can also import significant quantities of product from China and Mexico to meet the demand for items in high volume commodity markets.

In addition to ANSI Reflective items, Lakeland Hi-Visibility manufactures Nomex and FR cotton garments which have reflective trim attached as a part of their design criteria. These garments typically are used in rescue or extrication operations, such as those encountered as a result of vehicular accidents. Garments in this group are not as price sensitive as those in other reflective categories.

 Gloves and Sleeves

We manufacture and sell specially designed glove and sleeve products made from Kevlar®, a cut and heat resistant fiber produced by DuPont, Spectra®, a cut resistant fiber made by Honeywell, and our own patented engineered yarns. These gloves offer a better overall level of protection, lower worker injury rate, and are more cost effective than traditional leather, canvas or coated work gloves. These gloves allow workers to safely handle sharp or jagged unfinished sheet metal, are used primarily in the automotive, glass and metal fabrication industries.

We have patents for our Despro^® and Despro^® Plus products that provide greater cut and abrasion protection to the areas of a glove where injury is most likely to occur. For example, the areas of the thumb, thumb crotch and index fingers are made of heavier yarn than the balance of the glove, providing increased wear protection and longer glove life, reducing overall glove costs. This proprietary manufacturing process allows us to produce our gloves more economically and provide a greater value to the end user.

Quality

All of our manufacturing facilities are ISO 9001 or 9002 certified. ISO standards are internationally recognized manufacturing standards established by the International Organization for Standardization based in Geneva, Switzerland. To obtain ISO registration, our factories were independently audited to test our compliance with the applicable standards and norms. In order to maintain registration, our factories receive regular inspections by an independent certification organization. While ISO certification is advantageous in retaining CE certification of products, we believe that the ISO 9001 and ISO 9002 certifications help make us more competitive in the marketplace, as customers increasingly recognize the standard as an indication of conformity with industry best practices in manufacturing.

As we source more and more of our fabrics internationally and manufacture more products certified to various standards, we have installed laboratories in our China and U.S. facilities. These laboratories are critical for ensuring that our incoming raw materials meet our quality requirements, for research and development of new products or qualification of new fabrics, and evaluation of new products against international standards. We continue to add new capabilities to these facilities to meet the requirements of new products and new standards. 

Marketing and Sales

Domestically, we employ a field sales force, organized in four vertical sales groups (industrial sales, fire service, critical environment, and utilities), to better support customers and enhance marketing. We further leverage our in-house sales team with independent sales representatives to a global network of over 1,600 safety and industrial supply distributors who buy our products for resale and typically maintain inventory at the local level in order to assure quick response times and the ability to serve their customers properly.

Internationally, Lakeland has sales representatives in 21 countries outside of the U.S. and sells products into more than 50 countries. Our sustainable market advantages continue to be our knowledge of global standards, the diversity of our product offering and the fact that we manufacture our own products. We provide our customers with an exceptionally broad product selection, high quality, and excellent customer service.

Competition

We compete on the basis of our product quality, pricing, product availability, responsiveness to customers and manufacturing capability. Our business is highly competitive due to a few competitors who have monopolistic positions in the fabrics that are standards in the industry for disposable and high-end chemical suits. We believe that the barriers to entry in the disposable and reusable garments and gloves industries are relatively low as evidenced the by increasing availability of distributor private label product in the marketplace. We face competition in some of our other product markets from large established companies that have greater financial, research and development, sales and technical resources. Where larger competitors, such as DuPont, Kimberly Clark, Ansell, MSA and Honeywell, offer products that are directly competitive with our products, particularly as part of an established line of products, there can be no assurance that we can successfully compete for sales and customers. Larger competitors outside of our Disposable and Chemical Suit lines also may be able to benefit from economies of scale and technological innovation and may introduce new products that compete with our products.

We are continually seeking sources for our raw materials in or near the various countries where we have manufacturing operations. Not only does this reduce freight costs, but it makes for a more robust supply chain that allows us to respond quickly.

Patents and Trademarks

We own 20 patents and have one patent in the application and approval process with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. We own 56 trademarks and have six trademarks in the application and approval process. Our active U.S. patents expire between 2023 and 2037. Intellectual property rights that apply to our various products include patents, trade secrets, trademarks and, to a lesser extent, copyrights. We maintain an active program to protect our technology, filing for patent and trademark protection in multiple countries where our product may be “knocked off” or where there exist significant sales of our products. Information regarding risks associated with our proprietary technology and our intellectual property rights may be found in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K under the heading “Risk Factors.”

International and Domestic Standards

Globally, standards development continues to challenge Industrial protective clothing manufacturers. The pace of change and adoption of new standards continues to increase as standards for more hazards are added and deficiencies in existing standards are corrected. Complex and changing international standards play to Lakeland’s strengths when compared to most multinationals or smaller manufacturers. Lakeland currently sits on committees and/or works closely with groups involved in writing many international standards such as the American Society for Testing and Materials International (“ASTM”), the National Fire Protection Association (“NFPA”), International Safety Equipment Association (“ISEA”), the European Committee for Standardization (“CEN”), ISO, the China National Standards Board (“GB”) in China, and the Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand (“ASNZ”).

Globally, not only are the standards continuing to change, but the focus of standards activity is shifting. In response to increasing use of certification processes as a technical barrier to trade, standards writing bodies in the U.S. and Europe have both concluded efforts to update and define conformity assessment (ANSI/ISEA 125 and the PPE Regulation respectively) within their own spheres of influence. Unfortunately, these are not “international standards” and can be easily ignored by other countries who wish to impose their own conformity assessment systems on importers. The result is an increasingly dynamic standards environment where not only are the standards changing, but the minimum requirements for conformity with the certification process itself are changing.

A number of developing nations are now becoming active in their own standards development based on existing international standards. However, we believe that the primary goal of their standards writing activity is not focused on worker protection (that is provided for by the use of international standards), rather they are attempting to establish their own certification criteria that will protect their domestic markets or favor specific regional suppliers. This presents a new challenge in that not only are we faced with multiple test methods and standards, but we have the potential for multiple certification processes. While this adds to product development and sales expenses, the additional cost is only incremental. The real challenge is in navigating the certification process itself. This is a significant impediment to entry for companies seeking to expand sales distribution globally.

In many cases products preferred in one market are not acceptable in another and multiple conformity assessments are required for the same standard certification. This is both technically challenging and costly. Lakeland, by virtue of its international manufacturing and sales operations, is in a unique position to capitalize on this complex dynamic.

Government Regulation

We are governed by regulations that affect the manufacture, distribution, marketing and sale of our products, including regulations relating to various environmental, health and safety matters. These regulations differ among and within every country in which we operate. We are not involved in any pending or, to our knowledge, threatened governmental proceedings, which would require curtailment of our operations because of such laws and regulations. Changes in regulations, guidelines, procedural precedents and enforcement take place frequently and can impact the size, growth potential and profitability of products sold in each market. See “- Environmental Matters” for additional discussion of environmental regulations.

Suppliers and Materials

It is our policy, whenever possible, to qualify multiple vendors for our fabrics and bindings. We frequently distribute our purchases among the top two or three suppliers, based on pricing and delivery schedules, in order to keep multiple suppliers qualified and proficient in the manufacture of the raw materials that we require. Materials, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, spunlaced polyester, melt blown polypropylene and their derivatives and laminates, are available from 30 or more major mills. FR fabrics are also available from a number of both domestic and international mills. The accessories used in the production of our disposable garments, such as thread, boxes, snaps and elastics, are obtained from unaffiliated suppliers. We currently use 25 suppliers located in the U.S. and internationally to supply our key fabrics. We have not experienced difficulty in obtaining our requirements for these commodity component items.

Due to the high cost of freight for our nonwoven fabrics, we also seek to find multiple sources that are local to our manufacturing to emergency demand and shift manufacturing between our locations with greater ease.

Human Capital Management

As of January 31, 2023, the Company employed approximately 1,600 people worldwide of which approximately 1,550 were full-time and approximately 50 were part-time, of which approximately 90 were employed in the United States and 1,500 were employed outside of the United States. Approximately 1,300 or 80% of our global workforce is covered by collective bargaining agreements or works councils. Overall, we consider our employee relations to be good. Our culture is important to our success.

Health and Safety The health and safety of our employees is of utmost important to us. We conduct regular self-assessments and audits to ensure compliance with our health and safety guidelines and regulatory requirements. Our ultimate goal is to achieve a level of work-related injuries as close to zero as possible through continuous investment in our safety programs. We provide protective gear (e.g. eye protection, masks and gloves) as required by applicable standards and as appropriate given employee job duties. Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we invested heavily to help ensure the health of our employees. Through the use of education and awareness, provision of necessary PPE, and changes to our manufacturing sites and screening, we strive to make our workplaces a safe place for employees during the workday.

Hiring Practices We recruit the best people for the job without regard to gender, ethnicity or other protected traits and it is our policy to comply fully with all domestic, foreign and local laws relating to discrimination in the workplace.

Diversity and Inclusion Recognizing and respecting our global presence, we strive to maintain a diverse and inclusive workforce everywhere we operate. Almost 50% of our employees worldwide are female and, in the U.S., non-Caucasian employees account for more than 50% of the employee base. Our diversity and inclusion principles are also reflected in our employee training, in particular with respect to our policies against harassment and bullying and the elimination of bias in the workplace.

In addition, to support mental health and emotional well-being, all associates and their dependents worldwide have access to an Employee Assistance Program ("EAP"), at no cost to them. This includes access to visits with mental health care providers through the EAP.

Compensation. Lakeland’s compensation philosophy strives to provide total compensation for all employees at the market median, utilizing base salary, cash incentives and, in some cases, equity grants to achieve this goal. We further strive to provide above-market compensation opportunities for associates who exceed goals and expectations. This approach to compensation is designed to help Lakeland attract, retain and motivate high-performing individuals who foster an innovative culture and drive business results.

Additional information about how we value our associates' well-being, including our Global Human Rights Policy and our Global Workplace Health and Safety Policy, can be found in the Corporate Governance section of our corporate website. Nothing on our website, including our policies, or sections thereof, shall be deemed incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K or incorporated by reference into any of our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Environmental Matters

We are subject to various foreign, federal, state and local environmental protection, chemical control, and health and safety laws and regulations, and we incur costs to comply with those laws. We own and lease real property, and certain environmental laws hold current or previous owners or operators of businesses and real property responsible for contamination on or originating from property, even if they did not know of, or were not responsible for the contamination. The presence of hazardous substances on any of our properties or the failure to meet environmental regulatory requirements could affect our ability to use or to sell the property, or to use the property as collateral for borrowing, and could result in substantial remediation or compliance costs.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1940s. PFAS have been widely used to make products more resistant to heat, oils, grease, chemicals, and water. Therefore, PFAS are found in everyday consumer goods such as food packaging, nonstick cookware, stain resistant fabrics and carpets, some cosmetics, water-repellent clothing, and some firefighting foams. PFAS are now the subject of increasing regulatory attention. Both the EPA and the European Union have proposed draft regulations regarding PFAS, which include restrictions, data gathering and/or phase-out requirements. In the United States, a number of states have also developed regulatory standards, product reporting, and/or phase-out requirements.

Certain fabric components of firefighter turnout gear manufactured by our suppliers contain PFAS to achieve water, oil, or chemical resistance. No manufacturer of firefighter turnout gear is able to meet the current NFPA safety standards without including some PFAS in certain components of turnout gear. Our suppliers have notified us that they add PFAS to their materials to achieve the NFPA performance requirements.  Although the Company has not been named as a party in any lawsuits related to PFAS, firefighters in some states have filed lawsuits related to alleged exposures to PFAS in turnout gear.  In addition, the International Association of Fire Fighters has filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts against the NFPA for imposing criteria that effectively requires the use of PFAS in turnout gear.

Although we have not in the past had any material costs or damages associated with environmental claims or compliance, and we do not currently anticipate any such costs or damages, we cannot guarantee that we will not incur material costs or damages in the future as a result of the discovery of new facts or conditions, acquisition of new properties, the release of hazardous substances, a change in interpretation of existing environmental laws or the adoption of new environmental laws.

Seasonality

Our operations have historically been moderately seasonal, with higher sales generally occurring in March, April and May when scheduled maintenance on nuclear, coal, oil and gas fired utilities, chemical, petrochemical and smelting facilities, and other heavy industrial manufacturing plants occurs, primarily due to moderate spring temperatures and low energy demands. Sales decline during the warmer summer vacation months and gradually increase from Labor Day through the fall  with slight declines again during holidays, such as Christmas and the Chinese New Year. As a result of this seasonality in our sales, we have historically experienced a corresponding seasonality in our working capital, specifically inventories, with peak inventories occurring between December and May, coinciding with lead times required to accommodate the spring maintenance schedules. Certain of our large customers seek sole sourcing to avoid sourcing their requirements from multiple vendors whose prices, delivery times and quality standards differ.

In recent years, due to increased demand by first responders for our chemical suits and fire gear, our growing sales into the southern hemisphere, and our development of non-seasonal products like CleanMAX, our historical seasonal pattern has shifted. While we doubt that we will ever fully eliminate seasonality in our business, we continue our efforts to diminish its impact on revenues, operational results, working capital and cash flow, by focusing on sales into non-seasonal markets like clean rooms, electric utilities and the fire service markets.

Available Information

Our Internet address is www.Lakeland.com. We make the following filings available free of charge on the Investor Relations page on our website as soon as they have been electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"): our annual reports on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, our current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as well as our proxy statement. Information contained on our website is not part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or our other filings with the SEC. The SEC maintains an Internet site at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers like us who file electronically with the SEC.

Information about our Executive Officers

The following is a list of the names and ages of all of our executive officers indicating all positions and offices they hold with us as of April 17, 2023.

Charles D. Roberson has served as our Chief Executive Officer, President and Secretary since February 2020. Previously he served as Chief Operating Officer from July 2018. From 2009 to July 2018, he was our Senior Vice President, International Sales. Mr. Roberson joined our Company in 2004 as Technical Marketing Manager; was instrumental in development of our ChemMAX and Interceptor fabrics and represented Lakeland to various standards writing bodies, and later served as International Sales Manager. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Roberson was employed by Precision Fabrics Group, Inc. as a Market Manager from 1995-2001 and as a Nonwovens Manufacturing Manager from 1991-1995. He began his career as a manufacturing manager for Burlington Industries, Inc. in its Menswear Division from 1985-1991.

 Roger D. Shannon has served as our Chief Financial Officer since February 1, 2023. Mr. Shannon was Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Charah Solutions from June 2019 to October 2022. Mr. Shannon previously served in various roles, including Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President of Finance, Treasurer and Head of Corporate Development at ADTRAN, a publicly traded provider of next-generation networking solutions, from November 2015 to June 2019. Mr. Shannon also served as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer for Steel Technologies and various senior finance roles at the Brown-Forman Corporation, British American Tobacco, and accounting positions at Vulcan Materials Company, Lexmark International and KPMG.

 Steven L. Harvey has been our Executive Vice President for Global Sales and Marketing since January 2021. From 2007 to 2018, Mr. Harvey was Vice-President of Global Sales and Service of Digium, Inc., a provider of telecommunications solutions. From 2003 to 2007, Mr. Harvey was employed by ADTRAN, Inc., a provider of networking and communications equipment as the Vice President of Sales, Enterprise and Competitive Service Providers, as the Vice President of Sales, Competitive Service Providers from 1998 to 2002 and as the Vice President of Sales, Enterprise from 1996 to 1998. Mr. Harvey was also an Executive Vice President of, and held various sales positions for, Data Processing Sciences, and began his career at The Procter & Gamble Company.

Helena An has served as our Chief Operating Officer since April 6, 2023.  Ms. An previously served as our Vice President of Procurement and Asia Manufacturing since 2018.  Ms. An has been with Lakeland for over 25 years in various procurement and manufacturing leadership positions.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

RISK FACTORS

You should carefully consider the following risks before investing in our common stock. These are not the only risks that we may face. If any of the events referred to below actually occur, our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations could suffer. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. You should also refer to the other information in this Form 10-K and in the documents we incorporate by reference into this Form 10-K, including our consolidated financial statements and the related notes.

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

We are subject to risk as a result of our international manufacturing operations.

Because most of our products are manufactured at our facilities located in China, Vietnam, Mexico, Argentina and India, our operations are subject to risk inherent in doing business internationally. Such risks include the adverse effects on operations from corruption, war, international terrorism, civil disturbances, political instability, government activities such as border taxes and renegotiation of treaties, deprivation of contract and property rights and currency valuation changes.

There is inherent risk, based on the complex relationships between China and the U.S., that political, diplomatic, military, or other events could result in business disruptions, including increased regulatory enforcement against companies, tariffs, trade embargoes, and export restrictions. Tariffs increase the cost of our products and the components and raw materials that go into making them. These increased costs adversely impact the gross margin that we earn on our products. Tariffs can also make our products more expensive for customers, which could make our products less competitive and reduce consumer demand. Countries may also adopt other measures, such as controls on imports or exports of goods, technology, or data, that could adversely impact the Company’s operations and supply chain and limit the Company’s ability to offer our products and services as designed. These measures can require us to take various actions, including changing suppliers and restructuring business relationships. Changing our operations in accordance with new or changed trade restrictions can be expensive, time-consuming, disruptive to our operations and distracting to management. Such restrictions can be announced with little or no advance notice, and we may not be able to effectively mitigate all adverse impacts from such measures. Political uncertainty surrounding trade and other international disputes could also have a negative effect on consumer confidence and spending. Any of these events could reduce customer demand, increase the cost of our products and services, or otherwise have a materially adverse impact on our customers’ and suppliers’ businesses and results of operations.

A terrorism attack or other geopolitical crisis could negatively impact our domestic and/or international operations.

Our global operations are susceptible to global events, including acts or threats of war or terrorism, international conflicts, political instability, and natural disasters. The occurrence of any of these events could have an adverse effect on our business results and financial condition.

The impact of the invasion of Ukraine, including economic sanctions or additional war or military conflict, as well as potential responses to them by Russia, could adversely affect the Company’s business, supply chain, suppliers or customers and potentially heighten our risk of cyber-attacks. In addition, the continuation of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia could lead to other disruptions, instability and volatility in global markets and industries that could negatively impact the Company’s operations. It is not possible to predict the broader consequences of this conflict, which could include further sanctions, embargoes, regional instability, geopolitical shifts and adverse effects on macroeconomic conditions, the availability of raw materials, supplies, freight and labor, currency exchange rates and financial markets, all of which could impact the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

Further escalation of specific trade tensions, including those between the U.S. and China, or more broadly in global trade conflicts, could adversely impact the Company's business and operations. The Company's business is also impacted by social, political, and labor conditions in locations in which the Company or its suppliers or customers operate; adverse changes in the availability and cost of capital; monetary policy; interest rates; inflation; recession; commodity prices; currency volatility or exchange control; ability to expatriate earnings; and other laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which the Company or its suppliers or customers operate. For example, changes in local economic condition or outlooks, such as lower economic growth rates in China, Europe, or other key markets, impact the demand or profitability of the Company's products.

Pandemics or disease outbreaks, such as COVID-19, may cause unfavorable economic or market conditions which could impact demand patterns and/or disrupt global supply chains and manufacturing operations.

Collectively, these outcomes could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Pandemics or disease outbreaks such as COVID-19 could result in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect the economies of developed and emerging markets, potentially resulting in an economic downturn that could affect customers’ demand for our products in certain industrial-based end-markets. The spread of pandemics or disease outbreaks may also disrupt the Company’s manufacturing operations, supply chain, or logistics necessary to import, export and deliver products to our customers. During a pandemic or crisis, applicable laws and response directives could, in some circumstances, adversely affect our ability to operate our plants, or to deliver our products in a timely manner. Some laws and directives may also hinder our ability to move certain products across borders. Economic conditions can also influence order patterns. These factors could negatively impact our consolidated results of operations and cash flow. To date, while we have experienced some loss of employee time and reduced core business sales, we have not suffered significant negative effects due to COVID-19, and our manufacturing facilities have been able to operate without shutdown.

We have significant international operations and are subject to the risks of doing business in foreign countries, particularly in China and Vietnam, which could affect our ability to manufacture or sell our products, obtain products from foreign suppliers or control the costs of our products.

We have business operations in approximately 60 foreign countries. In FY23, more than half of our net sales were made by operations outside the United States. Those operations are subject to various political, economic and other risks and uncertainties, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. These risks include the following:

In particular, because a majority of our products are manufactured in China and Vietnam, the possibility of adverse changes in trade or political relations with China or Vietnam, political instability in China or Vietnam, increases in labor costs, the occurrence of prolonged adverse weather conditions or a natural disaster such as an earthquake or typhoon in China or Vietnam, or the outbreak of a pandemic disease in China or Vietnam could severely interfere with the manufacturing and/or shipment of our products and would have a material adverse effect on our operations.

Our business operations may be adversely affected by the current and future political environment in the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”). The government of the PRC has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. Our ability to operate under the PRC may be adversely affected by changes in Chinese laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, import and export tariffs, raw materials, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. Under its current leadership, the government of the PRC has been pursuing economic reform policies that encourage private economic activity and greater economic decentralization. There is no assurance, however, that the government of the PRC will continue to pursue these policies, or that it will not significantly alter these policies from time to time without notice. A change in policies by the PRC government could adversely affect our interests by, among other factors: changes in laws, regulations or the interpretation thereof, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on currency conversion, imports or sources of supplies, or the expropriation or nationalization of private enterprises.

The PRC government exercises significant control over the Chinese economy, including but not limited to controlling capital investments, allocating resources, setting monetary policy, controlling and monitoring foreign exchange rates, implementing and overseeing tax regulations, providing preferential treatment to certain industry segments or companies and issuing necessary licenses to conduct business. In addition, we could face additional risks resulting from changes in the PRC’s data privacy and cybersecurity requirements. Accordingly, any adverse change in the Chinese economy, the PRC legal system or the PRC governmental, economic or other policies could have a material adverse effect on our entities in the PRC and our prospects generally.

We face additional risks in the PRC due to the PRC’s historically limited recognition and enforcement of contractual and intellectual property rights. We may experience difficulty enforcing our intellectual property rights in the PRC. Unauthorized use of our technologies and intellectual property rights by partners or competitors may dilute or undermine the strength of our brands. If we cannot adequately monitor the use of our technologies and products or enforce our intellectual property rights in the PRC or contractual restrictions relating to the use of our intellectual property by Chinese companies, our revenue could be adversely affected.

Our entities are subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investment in the PRC. There are uncertainties regarding the interpretation and enforcement of laws, rules and policies in the PRC. Because many laws and regulations are relatively new, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform. Moreover, the interpretation of statutes and regulations may be subject to government policies reflecting domestic political agendas. Enforcement of existing laws or contracts based on existing law may be uncertain and sporadic. As a result of the foregoing, it may be difficult for us to obtain swift or equitable enforcement of laws ostensibly designed to protect companies like ours, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Any one or more of these risks could have a negative impact on the success of our international operations and, thereby, have a material adverse effect our business, consolidated results of operations and financial condition.

Our results of operations may vary widely from quarter to quarter.

Our quarterly results of operations have varied and are expected to continue to vary in the future. These fluctuations may be caused by many factors, including:

These variations could negatively impact our stock price.

Disruption in our supply chain, manufacturing or distribution operations could adversely affect our business.

Our ability to manufacture, distribute and sell products is critical to our operations. These activities are subject to inherent risks such as natural disasters, power outages, fires or explosions, labor strikes, terrorism, epidemics, pandemics (including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic), import restrictions, regional economic, business, environmental or political events, governmental regulatory requirements or nongovernmental voluntary actions in response to global climate change or other concerns regarding the sustainability of our business, which could disrupt our supply chain and impair our ability to manufacture or sell our products. This interruption, if not mitigated in advance or otherwise effectively managed, could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations, as well as require additional resources to address.

Climate change and other sustainability matters may adversely affect our business and operations. 

There is growing concern that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere may have an adverse impact on global temperatures, weather patterns, and the frequency and severity of extreme weather and natural disasters. We have transition risks related to the transition to a lower-carbon economy and physical risks related to the physical impacts of climate change. Transition risks include increased costs of carbon emission, increased cost to produce products in compliance with future regulations, increased raw materials cost, shifts in customer/consumer values and other legal, regulatory and technological risks. Physical risks include the risk of direct damage to assets or supply chain disruption caused by severe weather events such as floods, storms, wildfires and droughts. In addition, concern over climate change may result in new legal and regulatory requirements to reduce or mitigate the effects of climate change on the environment. Our reputation could be damaged if we do not (or are perceived not to) act responsibly with respect to sustainability matters, which could adversely affect our business.

Because we do not have long-term commitments from many of our customers, we must estimate customer demand, and errors in our estimates could negatively impact our inventory levels and net sales.

Our sales are generally made on the basis of individual purchase orders, which may later be modified or canceled by the customer rather than on long-term commitments. We have historically been required to place firm orders for fabrics and components with our suppliers prior to receiving an order for our products based on our forecasts of customer demands. Our sales process requires us to make multiple demand forecast assumptions, each of which may introduce errors into our estimates, causing excess inventory to accrue or a lack of manufacturing capacity when needed. If we overestimate customer demand, we may allocate resources to manufacturing products that we may not be able to sell when we expect to or at all. As a result, we would have excess inventory, which would negatively impact our financial results. Conversely, if we underestimate customer demand or if insufficient manufacturing capacity is available, we would lose sales opportunities, market share and damage our customer relationships. On occasion, we have been unable to adequately respond to delivery dates required by our customers because of the lead time needed for us to obtain required materials or to send fabrics to our assembly facilities in China, Vietnam, India, and Mexico.

The markets in which we compete are highly competitive, and some of our competitors have greater financial and other resources than we do.

Some of our competitors have greater financial and other resources than we do, and our business could be adversely affected by competitors’ new product innovations, technological advances made to competing products and pricing changes made by us in response to competition from existing or new competitors. We may not be able to compete successfully against current and future competitors, and the competitive pressures faced by us could have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated results of operations and financial condition. In addition, e-business is a rapidly developing area, and the execution of a successful e-business strategy involves significant time, investment and resources.

Five of our competitors, DuPont, Honeywell, Ansell, MSA and Kimberly Clark, have substantially greater financial, marketing and sales resources than we do. In addition, we believe that the barriers to entry in the disposable and reusable garments and gloves markets are relatively low. We cannot assure you that our present competitors or competitors that choose to enter the marketplace in the future will not exert significant competitive pressures.

Our operations are substantially dependent upon key personnel.

Our performance is substantially dependent on the continued services and performance of our senior management and certain other key personnel, including Charles D. Roberson, our Chief Executive Officer, President and Secretary; Roger D. Shannon, our Chief Financial Officer; Steven L. Harvey, our Executive Vice President for Global Sales and Marketing; and, Helena An, our Chief Operating Officer. The loss of services of any of our executive officers or other key employees could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, any future expansion of our business will depend on our ability to identify, attract, hire, train, retain and motivate other highly skilled managerial, marketing, customer service and manufacturing personnel, and our inability to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. 

Technological change could negatively affect sales of our products and our performance.

The rapid development of fabric technology continually affects our apparel applications and may directly impact the performance of our products. We cannot assure you that we will successfully maintain or improve the effectiveness of our existing products, nor can we assure you that we will successfully identify new opportunities or continue to have the needed financial resources to develop new fabric or apparel manufacturing techniques in a timely or cost-effective manner. In addition, products manufactured by others may render our products obsolete or noncompetitive.

Cybersecurity incidents could disrupt business operations, result in the loss of critical and confidential information and adversely impact our reputation and results of operations.

We rely on information technology systems to process, transmit and store electronic information, and to manage or support a variety of business processes and activities. In general, all information technology systems, including those we host or have hosted by third parties, are vulnerable to damage or interruption from fire, flood, power loss, telecommunications failure, human error or malicious acts, break-ins, and other intentional or unintentional events. Our business is also at risk from and may be materially impacted and/or disrupted by information security incidents such as ransomware, malware, viruses, phishing, social engineering, and other security incidents. Such incidents can range from individual attempts to gain unauthorized access to information technology systems through phishing emails to more sophisticated security threats. These events can also result from internal compromises, such as human error or rogue employee or contractor, and can occur on our systems or on the systems of our partners and subcontractors. In addition, the number and frequency of cybersecurity events globally may be heightened during times of geopolitical tension or instability between countries, including, for example, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Security breaches of our systems or security breaches of third parties’ systems on which we rely to process, store, or transmit electronic information, could result in the misappropriation, destruction or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information or personal data, as well as material disruptions to our operations that could impact services.

We employ comprehensive measures to prevent, detect, address and mitigate cybersecurity threats (including access controls, data encryption, vulnerability assessments, management training, continuous monitoring of our IT networks and systems and maintenance of backup and protective systems). However, our security measures may be inadequate to prevent security breaches, and our business operations and reputation could be materially adversely affected by these events and any resulting federal and state fines and penalties, legal claims or proceedings. There are also significant costs associated with a data breach, including investigation costs, remediation and mitigation costs, notification costs, attorneys’ fees, and the potential for reputational harm and lost revenues due to a loss of confidence. We cannot predict the costs to comply with these laws or the costs associated with a potential data breach, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial position and cash flows, and our business reputation. As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant capital and other resources to protect against the threat of security breaches or to mitigate and alleviate problems caused by security incidents. While no cybersecurity attack to date has had a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity, the threat remains.

Data privacy and security laws relating to the handling of personal information are evolving across the world and may be drafted, interpreted or applied in a manner that results in increased costs, legal claims, fines against us, or reputational damage.

As a global organization having access to and processing personal data in the course of our business, we are subject to U.S. and international data privacy, security and data breach notification laws as well as contractual requirements which may govern the collection, use, disclosure and protection of personal data.

For example, in the United States, individual states regulate data breach notification requirements as well as more general privacy and security requirements. Certain of these laws grant individuals various rights with respect to personal information, and we may be required to expend significant resources to comply with these laws. Further, all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories have adopted data breach notification laws that impose, in varying degrees, an obligation to notify affected persons and/or state regulators in the event of a data breach or compromise, including when their personal information has or may have been accessed by an unauthorized person. These laws apply according to the residence of the impacted individual.  Some state breach notification laws may also impose physical and electronic security requirements regarding the safeguarding of personal information. In addition, certain states’ privacy, security, and data breach laws, including, for example, the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) (as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act), include private rights of action that may expose us to private litigation regarding our privacy and security practices and significant damages awards or settlements in civil litigation.

Compliance with the varying data privacy regulations across the United States and around the world may require expenditures and changes in our business models. Failure to comply with these statutory requirements, or even the occurrence of a data breach, can subject us to legal, regulatory, and reputational risks, as well as the financial risks that can accompany regulatory investigations and enforcement actions and private litigation.

Our success depends in part on our proprietary technology, and if we fail to successfully obtain or enforce our intellectual property rights, our competitive position may be harmed.

We rely on our portfolio of issued and pending patent applications in the U.S. and other countries to protect a large part of our intellectual property and our competitive position; however, these patents may be insufficient to protect our intellectual property rights because our patents may be challenged, invalidated, held unenforceable, circumvented, or may not be sufficiently broad to prevent third parties from producing competing products similar in design to our products and foreign patents protections may be more limited than those provided under U.S. patents and intellectual property laws.

We may not be afforded the protection of a patent if our currently pending or future patent filings do not result in the issuance of patents or if we fail to apply for patent protection. We may fail to apply for a patent if our personnel fail to disclose or recognize new patentable ideas or innovations. Remote working can decrease the opportunities for our personnel to collaborate, thereby reducing the opportunities for effective invention disclosures and patent application filings. We may choose not to file a foreign patent application if the limited protections provided by a foreign patent outweigh the costs to obtain it. Our foreign patent portfolio is less extensive than our U.S. portfolio.

Our inability to maintain the proprietary nature of our technology through patents, copyrights or trade secrets would impair our competitive advantages and could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, financial condition and future growth prospects. In particular, a failure to protect our intellectual property rights might allow competitors to copy our technology or create counterfeit or pirated versions of our products, which could adversely affect our reputation, pricing and market share.

Our inability to successfully identify, consummate and integrate current and future acquisitions or to realize anticipated cost savings and other benefits could adversely affect our business.

In the future, subject to capital constraints, we may seek to acquire selected safety product lines or safety-related businesses or other businesses, which will complement our existing products. Our ability to acquire these businesses is dependent upon many factors, including our management’s relationship with the owners of these businesses, many of which are small and closely held by individual stockholders. In addition, we will be competing for acquisition and expansion opportunities with other companies, many of which have greater name recognition, marketing support and financial resources than us, which may result in fewer acquisition opportunities for us, as well as higher acquisition prices. There can be no assurance that we will be able to identify, pursue or acquire any targeted business.

If we are unable to integrate or successfully manage businesses that we have recently acquired or may acquire in the future, we may not realize anticipated cost savings, improved manufacturing efficiencies and increased revenue, which may result in material adverse short and long-term effects on our consolidated operating results, financial condition and liquidity. Even if we are able to integrate the operations of our acquired businesses into our operations, we may not realize the full benefits of the cost savings, revenue enhancements or other benefits that we may have expected at the time of acquisition. In addition, even if we achieve the expected benefits, we may not be able to achieve them within the anticipated time frame, and such benefits may be offset by costs incurred in integrating the acquired companies and increases in other expenses.

Acquisitions involve a number of special risks in addition to those mentioned above, including the diversion of management’s attention to the assimilation of the operations and personnel of the acquired companies, the potential loss of key employees of acquired companies, potential exposure to unknown liabilities, adverse effects on our reported operating results and the amortization or write-down of acquired intangible assets. We cannot assure you that any acquisition by us will or will not occur, that if an acquisition does occur that it will not materially and adversely affect our results of operations or that any such acquisition will be successful in enhancing our business. To the extent that we are unable to manage growth efficiently and effectively or are unable to attract and retain additional qualified management personnel, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

On December 2, 2022, the Company acquired UK-based Eagle Technical Products in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $10.5 million subject to post-closing adjustments and potential future earnout payments. The acquisition enhances Lakeland’s product portfolio, particularly within fire service protective clothing and expands its sales presence in the Middle East and Europe.

Beginning in October 2021, the Company has made a series of strategic investments totaling $5.8 million in Inova Design Solutions Ltd. (doing business as Bodytrak®) (“Bodytrak”) as a step toward entering the Connected Worker Market for “Smart PPE.” Through January 31, 2023, the Company has recognized a total of $0.5 million in losses from its investment in Bodytrak. The Company may incur additional losses.

We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over accounting for foreign currency exchanges and foreign currency translation and remeasurement related to our international subsidiaries and such weakness led to a conclusion that our internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of January 31, 2023. Our ability to remediate the material weakness, our discovery of additional weaknesses, and our inability to achieve and maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, could adversely affect our results of operations, our stock price and investor confidence in our company.

Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires that companies evaluate and report on the effectiveness of their internal control over financial reporting. In addition, we engaged our independent registered public accounting firm to report on its evaluation of those controls. As disclosed in more detail under Item 9A, “Controls and Procedures” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we have identified a material weakness as of January 31, 2023 in our internal control over accounting for foreign currency translation and remeasurement related to our international subsidiaries. Due to the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, we have also concluded our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of January 31, 2023.

Failure to have effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures could impair our ability to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis and could lead to a restatement of our financial statements. For example, the identified material weakness resulted in us recording late adjustments to our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2023. Management, however, has concluded that the material weakness did not result in any misstatements that are material to our consolidated financial statements for any of the periods presented. If, as a result of the ineffectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures, we cannot provide reliable financial statements, our business decision processes may be adversely affected, our business and results of operations could be harmed, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information and our ability to obtain additional financing, or additional financing on favorable terms, could be adversely affected. In addition, failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could result in investigations or sanctions by regulatory authorities.

Our management has taken immediate action to design and implement enhanced preventative and detective controls and begin remediating the material weaknesses, however, certain remedial actions have not started or have only recently been undertaken, and while we expect to continue to implement our remediation plans throughout the fiscal year ended January 31, 2024, we cannot be certain as to when remediation will be fully completed. Additional details regarding the initial remediation efforts are disclosed in more detail under Item 9A, “Controls and Procedures” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Further, we may in the future identify additional internal control deficiencies that could rise to the level of a material weakness or uncover other errors in financial reporting. During the course of our evaluation, we may identify areas requiring improvement and may be required to design additional enhanced processes and controls to address issues identified through this review. There can be no assurance that such remediation efforts will be successful, that our internal control over financial reporting will be effective as a result of these efforts or that any such future deficiencies identified may not be material weaknesses that would be required to be reported in future periods. As such, we cannot assure you that our independent registered public accounting firm will be able to attest that such internal controls are effective when they are required to do so.

If we fail to remediate the material weakness and maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures or internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to rely on the integrity of our financial results, which could result in inaccurate or late reporting of our financial results, as well as delays or the inability to meet our reporting obligations or to comply with SEC rules and regulations. Any of these could result in delisting actions by the Nasdaq Stock Market, investigation and sanctions by regulatory authorities, stockholder investigations and lawsuits, and could adversely affect our business and the trading price of our common stock.

Financial Risks

Our results of operations could be negatively affected by potential fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.

Most of our assembly arrangements with our foreign-based subsidiaries or third-party suppliers require payment to be made in U.S. dollars or the Chinese Renminbi (“RMB”). Any decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar or RMB in relation to foreign currencies could increase the cost of the services provided to us upon contract expirations or supply renegotiations. There can be no assurance that we will be able to increase product prices to offset any such cost increases, and any failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are also exposed to foreign currency exchange rate risks as a result of our sales to customers in foreign countries in the amount of $63.9 million in FY23. Our sales in these countries are usually denominated in the local currency. If the value of the U.S. dollar increases relative to these local currencies, and we are unable to raise our prices proportionally, then our profit margins could decrease because of the exchange rate change.

We are exposed to changes in foreign currency exchange rates as a result of our purchases and sales in other countries. To manage the volatility relating to foreign currency exchange rates, we seek to limit, to the extent possible, our non-US dollar denominated purchases and sales.

In connection with our operations in China, we purchase a significant amount of products from outside of the United States. However, our purchases in China are primarily made in the RMB, the value of which has floated for the last 6 years, therefore we have been exposed to additional foreign exchange rate risk on our Chinese raw material and component purchases.

Our primary risk from foreign currency exchange rate changes is presently related to non-US dollar denominated sales in China, Canada and Europe and, to a smaller extent, in South American countries and in Russia. Our sales to customers in Canada are denominated in Canadian dollars, in Europe in Euros and British pounds, and in China in RMB and U.S. dollars. If the value of the U.S. dollar increases relative to the Canadian dollar, the Pound, the Euro, or the RMB then our net sales could decrease as our products would be more expensive to these international customers because of changes in rate of exchange. We manage the foreign currency risk, when appropriate, through the use of rolling 90-day forward contracts against the Canadian dollar and Euro and through cash flow hedges in the U.S. against the RMB and the Euro. We do not hedge other currencies at this time. In the event that non-U.S. dollar denominated international purchases and sales grow, exposure to volatility in exchange rates could have a material adverse impact on our financial results.

Covenants in our credit facilities may restrict our financial and operating flexibility.

As a result of the Loan Agreement the Company entered into on June 25, 2020, as amended on June 18, 2021 and March 3, 2023, we currently have a $25.0 million revolving credit facility, expiring June 25, 2025. Our credit facility requires, and any future credit facilities may also require, among others that we comply with specified financial covenants relating to fixed charge coverage and investment in acquisitions. Our ability to satisfy these financial covenants can be affected by events beyond our control, and we cannot guarantee that we will meet the requirements of these covenants.

On March 3, 2023, the Company changed the benchmark interest rate in our credit facility from the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”). At January 31, 2023, we did not have any outstanding debt under our credit facility.

We may need additional funds, and if we are unable to obtain these funds, we may not be able to expand or operate our business as planned.

Our operations require significant amounts of cash, and we may be required to seek additional capital, whether from sales of equity or by borrowing money, to fund acquisitions for the future growth and development of our business or to fund our operations and inventory, particularly in the event of a market downturn.

A number of factors could affect our ability to access future debt or equity financing, including:

Even if available, additional financing may be more costly than our current facility and may have adverse consequences. If additional funds are raised through the incurrence of debt, we will incur increased debt servicing costs and may become subject to additional restrictive financial and other covenants. We can give no assurance as to the terms or availability of additional capital. Although management believes it currently has sufficient capital, if we do need additional capital in the future and are unsuccessful, it could reduce our net sales and materially adversely impact our earning capability and financial position.

Adverse developments affecting the financial services industry, including events or concerns involving liquidity, defaults or non-performance by financial institutions or transactional counterparties, could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments that affect financial institutions, transactional counterparties or other companies in the financial services industry or the financial services industry generally, or concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds or other similar risks, have in the past and may in the future lead to market-wide liquidity problems. Most recently, on March 10, 2023, Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”) was closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) as receiver. Similarly, on March 12, 2023, Signature Bank and Silvergate Capital Corp. were each swept into receivership. We do not have any account with SVB, Signature Bank or Silvergate Capital Corp., and we have access to all of our funds. Although we assess our banking and customer relationships as we believe necessary or appropriate, our access to funding sources and other credit arrangements in amounts adequate to finance or capitalize our current and projected future business operations could be significantly impaired by factors that affect us, the financial services industry or economy in general. These factors could include, among others, events such as liquidity constraints or failures, the ability to perform obligations under various types of financial, credit or liquidity agreements or arrangements, disruptions or instability in the financial services industry or financial markets, or concerns or negative expectations about the prospects for companies in the financial services industry.

In addition, investor concerns regarding the U.S. or international financial systems could result in less favorable commercial financing terms, including higher interest rates or costs and tighter financial and operating covenants, or systemic limitations on access to credit and liquidity sources, thereby making it more difficult for us to acquire financing on acceptable terms or at all. Any decline in available funding or access to our cash and liquidity resources could have material adverse impacts on our liquidity and our business, financial condition or results of operations.

If our goodwill, other intangible assets and long-lived assets become impaired, we may be required to record significant charges to earnings.

We review our long-lived assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are required to be assessed for impairment at least annually. Factors that may be considered a change in circumstances, indicating that the carrying amount of our goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets or long-lived assets may not be recoverable, include slower growth rates in our markets, reduced expected future cash flows, increased country risk premiums as a result of political uncertainty and a decline in stock price and market capitalization. We consider available current information when calculating our impairment charge. If there are indicators of impairment, our long-term cash flow forecasts for our operations deteriorate or discount rates increase, we may be required to recognize additional impairment charges in later periods.

Legal and Regulatory Risks

We deal in countries where corruption is an obstacle.

We must comply with American laws such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and Sarbanes-Oxley and also with anticorruption legislation in the U.K. Some of our competitors and customers in foreign jurisdictions may not adhere to such legislation. As a result, we believe that we lose sales orders due to our strict adherence to such regulations.

We are subject to various U.S. and foreign tax laws and any changes in these laws related to the taxation of businesses and resolutions of tax disputes could adversely affect our results of operations.

The U.S. Congress, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (or, OECD) and other government agencies in jurisdictions in which we invest or do business have maintained a focus on issues related to the taxation of multinational companies. The OECD has changed numerous long-standing tax principles through its base erosion and profit shifting (“BEPS”) project which could adversely impact our effective tax rate.

We are subject to regular review and audit by both foreign and domestic tax authorities. While we believe our tax positions will be sustained, the final outcome of tax audits and related litigation may differ materially from the tax amounts recorded in our consolidated financial statements, which could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

We may be subject to product liability claims, and insurance coverage could be inadequate or unavailable to cover these claims.

We manufacture products used for protection from hazardous or potentially lethal substances, such as chemical and biological toxins, fire, viruses and bacteria. The products that we manufacture are typically used in applications and situations that involve high levels of risk of personal injury. Failure to use our products for their intended purposes, failure to use our products properly or the malfunction of our products could result in serious bodily injury or death of the user. In such cases, we may be subject to product liability claims arising from the design, manufacture or sale of our products. If these claims are decided against us, and we are found to be liable, we may be required to pay substantial damages, and our insurance costs may increase significantly as a result. We cannot assure you that our insurance coverage would be sufficient to cover the payment of any potential claim. In addition, we cannot assure you that this or any other insurance coverage will continue to be available or, if available, that we will be able to obtain it at a reasonable cost. Any material uninsured loss could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Environmental laws and regulations may subject us to significant liabilities.

Our U.S. operations, including our manufacturing facilities, are subject to federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations relating to the discharge, storage, treatment, handling, disposal and remediation of certain materials, substances and wastes. Any violation of any of those laws and regulations could cause us to incur substantial liability to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the state environmental agencies in any affected state or to any individuals affected by any such violation. If hazardous substances are released from or located on any of our properties, we could incur substantial costs and damages. Any such liability could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

For example, governmental authorities in the U.S. and in other jurisdictions are increasingly focused on potential contamination resulting from PFAS. Products containing PFAS have been used in manufacturing, industrial, and consumer applications over many decades, including in some of our materials. In 2021, the Biden Administration announced a multi-agency plan to address PFAS contamination, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its PFAS Strategic Roadmap, which identified a comprehensive approach to addressing PFAS.  In August 2022, the U.S. EPA proposed to designate perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), two of the most common PFAS chemicals, as hazardous substances, which could have wide-ranging impacts on companies across various industries, including ours. We may incur costs in connection with any obligations to transition away from the usage of PFAS-containing products, to dispose of PFAS-containing waste or to remediate any PFAS contamination, which could have a negative effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

In addition, some environmental laws impose liability, sometimes without fault, for investigating and/or cleaning up contamination on, or emanating from, properties currently or formerly owned, leased or operated by a person, as well as for damages to property or natural resources and for personal injury arising out of such contamination. Such liability may be joint and several, meaning that we could be held responsible for more than our share of the liability involved, or even the entire liability.

The regulatory environment in which we operate is subject to change, and new regulations and new or existing claims, such as those related to certain PFAS substances could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations or make aspects of our business as currently conducted no longer possible. In addition, we may in the future be subject to claims related to PFAS, including for degradation of natural resources from such PFAS and personal injury or product liability claims as a result of human exposure to such PFAS.

Provisions in our restated certificate of incorporation and by-laws and Delaware law could make a merger, tender offer or proxy contest difficult.

Our restated certificate of incorporation contains classified board provisions, authorized preferred stock that could be utilized to implement various “poison pill” defenses and a stockholder authorized, but as yet unused, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“ESOP”), all of which may have the effect of discouraging a takeover of Lakeland, which is not approved by our board of directors. Further, we are subject to the antitakeover provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which prohibit us from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in the prescribed manner.

Risks Relating to Our Common Stock

The market price of our common stock may fluctuate widely.

The market price of our common stock could be subject to significant fluctuations in response to quarter-to-quarter variations in our operating results, announcements of new products or services by us or our competitors and other events or factors. For example, a shortfall in net sales or net income, or an increase in losses, from levels expected by securities analysts or investors, could have an immediate and significant adverse effect on the market price of our common stock. Volume fluctuations that have particularly affected the market prices of many micro and small capitalization companies have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies. These fluctuations, as well as general economic and market conditions, may adversely affect the market price for our common stock.

In February 2023, the Company declared a quarterly cash dividend. Future quarterly dividends are subject to declaration by the Company’s Board of Directors, and the Company’s share repurchase programs do not obligate it to acquire any specific number of shares. If the Company fails to meet expectations related to future growth, profitability, dividends, share repurchases or other market expectations, the price of the Company’s stock may decline significantly, which could have a material adverse impact on investor confidence and employee retention.

ITEM 1B: UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

Our principal executive office is located at 1525 Perimeter Parkway Suite 325, Huntsville, AL 35806 United States. We own or lease our primary facilities. We own our manufacturing locations in AnQui City, China and Jerez, Mexico. We lease our manufacturing locations in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Noida, India, and Xuan Trung Commune, Vietnam.

We believe that all of our facilities, including the manufacturing facilities, are in good repair and in suitable condition for the purposes for which they are used.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

From time to time, we are a party to litigation arising in the ordinary course of our business. We are not currently a party to any litigation or other legal proceedings that we believe could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

 Not applicable.

PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Our common stock is currently traded on the Nasdaq Market under the symbol “LAKE.” On April 6, 2023 there were 30 registered holders of our shares of common stock. This number of registered holders does not represent the actual number of beneficial owners of our common stock because shares are frequently held in “street name” by securities dealers and others for the benefit of individual owners who have the right to vote their shares.

Dividend Policy

Prior to February 2023, we had not paid any cash dividends on our common stock. On February 1, 2023, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.03 per share that was paid on February 22, 2023, to stockholders of record as of February 15, 2023. The payment and rate of future cash or stock dividends, if any, or stock repurchase programs are subject to the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon our earnings, financial condition, capital or contractual restrictions under our credit facilities and other factors.

Issuer Purchase of Equity Securities

⁽¹⁾ Withholding of 2,581 restricted shares to cover taxes on vested restricted shares during the fourth quarter of FY23.

⁽²⁾ Represents the amount remaining under our share repurchase program as of January 31, 2023.

On February 17, 2021, the Company’s board of directors approved a stock repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to $5 million of its outstanding common stock. On July 6, 2021, the Board of Directors authorized an increase in the Company’s then current stock repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to an additional $5 million of its outstanding common stock. On April 7, 2022, the Board of Directors authorized a new stock repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to $5 million of its outstanding common stock, which became effective upon the completion of the prior share repurchase program. On December 1, 2022, the Board of Directors authorized an increase in the Company’s stock repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to an additional $5 million of its outstanding common stock. The share repurchase program has no expiration date but may be terminated by the Board of Directors at any time.

We do not have any other share repurchase programs.

ITEM 6. [RESERVED]

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

You should read the following summary together with the more detailed business information and consolidated financial statements and related notes that appear elsewhere in this Form 10-K and in the documents that we incorporate by reference into this Form 10-K. This document may contain certain “forward-looking” information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This information involves risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. In this Form 10-K, (a) “FY” means fiscal year; thus for example, FY23 refers to the fiscal year ended January 31, 2023 and (b) “Q” refers to a quarter; thus, for example, Q4 FY23 refers to the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended January 31, 2023.

Overview

We manufacture and sell a comprehensive line of industrial protective clothing and accessories for the industrial and public protective clothing market. Our products are sold globally by our in-house sales teams, our customer service group, and authorized independent sales representatives to a network of over 1,600 global safety and industrial supply distributors. Our authorized distributors supply end users, such as integrated oil, chemical/petrochemical, automobile, steel, glass, construction, smelting, cleanroom, janitorial, pharmaceutical, and high technology electronics manufacturers, as well as scientific, medical laboratories and the utilities industry. In addition, we supply federal, state and local governmental agencies and departments, such as fire and law enforcement, airport crash rescue units, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the Centers for Disease Control. Internationally, we sell to a mixture of end users directly and to industrial distributors depending on the particular country and market. In addition to the United States, sales are made to more than 50 foreign countries, the majority of which were into China, countries within the European Economic Community (“EEC”), Canada, Chile, Argentina, Russia, Kazakhstan, Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, India, Middle East and countries within Southeast Asia.

We had net sales of $112.8 million in FY23 and $118.4 million in FY22.

We have operated facilities in Mexico since 1995 and in China since 1996. Beginning in 1995, we moved the labor intensive sewing operation for our limited use/disposable protective clothing lines to these facilities. Our facilities and capabilities in China and Mexico allow access to a less expensive labor pool than is available in the United States and permit us to purchase certain raw materials at a lower cost than they are available domestically. During FY23, the Company was impacted by tariff costs on certain products imported from China. The Company has been able to pass along a portion of these costs to its customers. We added manufacturing operations in Vietnam and India in fiscal 2019 to offset increasing manufacturing costs in China and further diversify our manufacturing capabilities. Our China operations will continue primarily manufacturing for the Chinese market and other markets where duty advantages exist. Manufacturing expansion is not only necessary to control rising costs, it is also necessary for Lakeland to achieve its growth objectives.

Our net sales attributable to customers outside the United States were $63.9 million and $70.8 million for the fiscal years ended January 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

On December 2, 2022, we acquired UK-based Eagle Technical Products Limited (“Eagle”) in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $10.5 million subject to post-closing adjustments and potential future earnout payments. The acquisition enhances Lakeland’s product portfolio, particularly within fire service protective clothing and expands its sales presence in the Middle East and Europe.  Headquartered in Manchester, UK, Eagle is a leading designer and provider of protective apparel to the fire and industrial sectors. Eagle provides differentiated product offerings through its innovative and technical solutions.

The cost to manufacture and distribute our products is influenced by the cost of raw materials, finished goods, labor, and transportation. During FY23, we have experienced continued inflationary pressure and higher costs as a result of the increasing cost of raw materials, finished goods, labor, transportation, and other administrative costs associated with the normal course of business. The increase in cost of raw materials and finished goods are due in part to a shortage in the availability of certain products, the higher cost of shipping, and inflation. We can only pass elevated costs onto customers in an effort to offset inflationary pressures on a limited basis. Future volatility of general price inflation and the impact of inflation on costs and availability of materials, costs for shipping and warehousing and other operational overhead could adversely affect our financial results.

Impact of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine on Our Business

The current conflict between Russia and Ukraine is creating substantial uncertainty about the role Russia will play in the global economy in the future. Although the length, impact and outcome of the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine is highly unpredictable, this conflict could lead to significant market and other disruptions. The escalation or continuation of this conflict presents heightened risks and has resulted and could continue to result in volatile commodity markets, supply chain disruptions, increased risk of cyber incidents or other disruptions to information systems, heightened risks to employee safety, significant volatility of the Russian ruble, limitations on access to credit markets, increased operating costs (including fuel and other input costs), the frequency and volume of failures to settle securities transactions, inflation, potential for increased volatility in commodity, currency and other financial markets, safety risks, and restrictions on the transfer of funds to and from Russia. We cannot predict how and the extent to which the conflict will affect our customers, operations or business partners or the demand for our products and our global business. Depending on the actions we take or are required to take, the ongoing conflict could also result in loss of cash, assets or impairment charges. Additionally, we may also face negative publicity and reputational risk based on the actions we take or are required to take as a result of the conflict, which could damage our brand image or corporate reputation. We are continually monitoring the potential financial impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on our operations.

Our business in Russia accounted for approximately 2.4% and 2.5% of our consolidated net revenues and 1.9% and 3.0% of our net income for the years ended January 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Our assets in Russia were approximately 2.5% and 2.1% of our consolidated assets at January 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The net book value of our assets in Russia at January 31, 2023 was approximately $3.5 million of which $1.3 million is cash. We currently have not recognized any impairment charges related to the assets of our Russian business. However, the extent, severity, duration and outcome of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and related sanctions could potentially impact the value of our assets in Russia as the conflict continues. Our Russian business is part of our Other Foreign segment.

Our sales into Ukraine were not significant.

COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and continues to have, a significant impact around the world, prompting governments and businesses to take unprecedented measures, such as restrictions on travel and business operations, temporary closures of businesses, and quarantine and shelter-in-place orders. The COVID-19 pandemic has at times significantly curtailed global economic activity and caused significant volatility and disruption in global financial markets. The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken by many countries in response have affected and could in the future materially impact the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

Certain of the Company’s materials suppliers and logistical service providers have experienced disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in supply shortages. Similar disruptions could occur in the future.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Revenue Recognition. Substantially all the Company’s revenue is derived from product sales, which consist of sales of the Company’s personal protective wear products to distributors. The Company considers purchase orders to be a contract with a customer. Contracts with customers are considered to be short-term when the time between order confirmation and satisfaction of the performance obligations is equal to or less than one year, and virtually all of the Company’s contracts are short-term. The Company recognizes revenue for the transfer of promised goods to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods. The Company typically satisfies its performance obligations in contracts with customers upon shipment of the goods. Generally, payment is due from customers within 30 to 90 days of the invoice date, and the contracts do not have significant financing components. The Company elected to account for shipping and handling activities as a fulfillment cost rather than a separate performance obligation. Shipping and handling costs associated with outbound freight are included in operating expenses, and for the years ended in FY23 and FY22 aggregated approximately $3.2 million and $2.9 million, respectively. Taxes collected from customers relating to product sales and remitted to governmental authorities are excluded from revenue.

The transaction price includes estimates of variable consideration, related to rebates, allowances, and discounts that are reductions in revenue. All estimates are based on the Company's historical experience, anticipated performance, and the Company's best judgment at the time the estimate is made. Estimates for variable consideration are reassessed each reporting period and are included in the transaction price to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur upon resolution of uncertainty associated with the variable consideration. All the Company’s contracts have a single performance obligation satisfied at a point in time and the transaction price is stated in the contract, usually as quantity times price per unit.

Inventories. Inventories include freight-in, materials, labor and overhead costs and are stated at the lower of cost (on a first-in, first-out or moving average basis) or net realizable value. Allowances are recorded for slow-moving, obsolete or unusable inventory. We assess our inventory for estimated obsolescence or unmarketable inventory and write down the difference between the cost of inventory and the estimated net realizable value based upon assumptions about future sales and supply on-hand, if necessary. If actual market conditions are less favorable than those projected by management, additional inventory write-downs may be required. In FY23 we recorded approximately $1.3 million in write-downs of inventory and $0.6 million in inventory adjustments in FY22.

Income Taxes. The Company is required to estimate its income taxes in each of the jurisdictions in which it operates as part of preparing the consolidated financial statements. This involves estimating the actual current tax in addition to assessing temporary differences resulting from differing treatments for tax and financial accounting purposes. These differences, together with net operating loss carryforwards and tax credits, are recorded as deferred tax assets or liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. A judgment must then be made of the likelihood that any deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income. A valuation allowance may be required to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. In the event the Company determines that it may not be able to realize all or part of its deferred tax asset in the future, or that new estimates indicate that a previously recorded valuation allowance is no longer required, an adjustment to the deferred tax asset is charged or credited to income in the period of such determination. In FY23 and FY22, we recorded a valuation allowance of approximately $0.4 million and $0.8 million, respectively.

The Company recognizes tax positions that meet a “more likely than not” minimum recognition threshold. If necessary, the Company recognizes interest and penalties associated with tax matters as part of the income tax provision and would include accrued interest and penalties with the related tax liability in the consolidated balance sheets.

Business combinations. In accordance with the accounting guidance for business combinations, the Company uses the acquisition method of accounting to allocate costs of acquired businesses to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values at the dates of acquisition. The excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair value of assets and liabilities is recorded as goodwill. Assigning fair market values to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the date of an acquisition requires knowledge of current market values, the values of assets in use, and often requires the application of judgment regarding estimates and assumptions. While the ultimate responsibility resides with management, for material acquisitions we retain the services of certified valuation specialists to assist with assigning estimated values to certain acquired assets and assumed liabilities, including intangible assets, tangible long-lived assets, and contingent consideration. Acquired intangible assets, excluding goodwill, are valued using certain discounted cash flow methodologies based on future cash flows specific to the type of intangible asset purchased. Several significant assumptions and estimates were involved in the application of these valuation methods, including forecasted sales volumes and prices, royalty rates, costs to produce, tax rates, discount rates, attrition rates and working capital changes.

If the contingent consideration is deemed significant or absent an agreed upon payout amount, the initial measurement of contingent consideration and the corresponding liability is evaluated using the Monte Carlo Method. For this valuation method, management develops projections during the contingent consideration period utilizing various potential pay-out scenarios. Probabilities are applied to each potential scenario and the resulting values are discounted using a rate that considers weighted average cost of capital as well as a specific risk premium associated with the riskiness of the contingent consideration itself, the related projections, and the overall business. Should actual results increase or decrease as compared to the assumption used in our analysis, the fair value of the contingent consideration obligations will increase or decrease, up to the contracted limit, as applicable. Changes in the fair value of the contingent earn-out consideration could cause a material impact and volatility in our operating results.

Refer to Note 1, “Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” and Note 5, “Acquisitions,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on the Company’s business acquisitions.

Net Income Per Share. Basic net income per share is based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding without consideration of common stock equivalents. Diluted net income per share is based on the weighted average number of common shares and common stock equivalents. The diluted net income per share calculation takes into account unvested restricted shares and the shares that may be issued upon exercise of stock options and warrants, reduced by shares that may be repurchased with the funds received from the exercise, based on the average price during the fiscal year.

Significant Balance Sheet Fluctuation January 31, 2023, as Compared to January 31, 2022

Cash decreased by $28.1 million, primarily as a result of $5.5 million of cash used in operations coupled with $5.4 million in share repurchases, $10.5 million for the acquisition of Eagle, $3.1 million in equity investment and $2.0 million in capital improvements.  Operating cash flow changes were driven by an increase in accounts receivable of $2.3 million due to timing of collections, increased sales in Q4 FY23 over Q4 FY22 and the acquisition of Eagle in December FY23.  Excluding inventory acquired from Eagle, inventory increased $9.7 million driven by investment in inventory to reduce the impact on our supply chain of a global slowdown in freight deliveries.

The Company has made strategic investments of $6.1 million in Inova Design Solutions Ltd. (doing business as Bodytrak®) as a groundbreaking step toward entering the Connected Worker Market for “Smart PPE.” Bodytrak’s unique ear-based sensor platform uses precise physiological measurements and cloud-based analytics to automate health, safety and performance monitoring, making it an ideal complement to Lakeland’s portfolio of industrial protective solutions.

Results of Operations

The following tables set forth our external sales by our product lines, and geographic regions and our historical results of continuing operations as a percentage of our net sales from operations, for the years and three-months ended January 31, 2023 and 2022.

Net Sales. Net sales decreased to $112.8 million for the year ended January 31, 2023 compared to $118.4 million for the year ended January 31, 2022, a decrease of $5.6 million. Sales in the U.S. increased $1.4 million or 2.9%, primarily due to increases in sales of fire gear coupled with improvements in direct container sales. Sales to the Asian market decreased by $5.1 million or 17.1% due to the impacts of COVID-19 on demand, including shutdowns in China and the absence of typical year-end stocking ahead of the Chinese New Year due to the country’s “Zero COVID Policy.”  Sales to the European market decreased by $2.0 million or 19.4%, driven by reduced demand across Europe and a stronger dollar impact offset by Eagle sales of $1.3 million in Q4 FY23.  Canada sales increased by $0.9 million or 11.0% due to improvements in the industrial markets. Latin America sales decreased $0.5 million or 4.4% due to weaker local currency, primarily the Argentine peso.  Sales into the Mexican market decreased by $0.4 million or 9.8%, driven by weaker industrial demand at the beginning of FY23.  Sales of our disposable and chemical product line were impacted due to a reduction in COVID-19 demand, primarily in Asia and uneven demand from our industrial markets. Other product lines, such as fire, high performance, and wovens, increased by $8.7 million due to strengthening demand in those markets and the impact of Eagle’s sales during the last two months of our fiscal year.  Sales were affected by customers over-ordering in prior periods, resulting in excess channel inventories and shipping delays with ocean freight carriers.

Gross Profit. Gross profit decreased $5.1 million, or 10.0%, to $45.8 million for the year ended January 31, 2023, from $50.9 million for the year ended January 31, 2022. Gross profit as a percentage of net sales decreased to 40.6% for the year ended January 31, 2023 from 43.0% for the year ended January 31, 2022. Gross profit performance in FY22 benefited from higher volumes including direct container shipments, related factory utilization and an improving product mix with pricing power. Major factors driving the decline in gross margins in FY23, were:

Operating Expense.  Operating expenses increased 15.6% from $34.9 million for the year ended January 31, 2022 to $40.3 million for the year ended January 31, 2023. Operating expenses as a percentage of net sales were 35.7% for the year ended January 31, 2023, as compared to 29.5% for the year ended January 31, 2022.  Operating expenses increased primarily due to increases in currency translation expense of $1.9 million, acquisition costs associated with the Eagle transaction of $0.6 million, restructuring costs of $0.4 million, increased outbound freight of $0.3 million, administrative costs associated with the start-up of the Monterrey, Mexico facility of $0.2 million,  and increases in professional expenses, primarily legal and accounting, to support future initiatives.  

Operating Profit. Operating profit decreased to $5.5 million for the year ended January 31, 2023, from $16.0 million for the year ended January 31, 2022, due to the impacts detailed above. Operating margin decreased to 4.9% for the year ended January 31, 2023, compared to 13.6% for the year ended January 31, 2022.

Interest Expense. Interest expenses was less than $0.1 million for the year ended January 31, 2023 compared to $0.1 million for the year ended January 31, 2022. The Company did not drawdown any of its available line of credit during FY23.

Income Tax Expense. Income tax expense consists of federal, state and foreign income taxes. Income tax expense was $3.6 million and included $0.2 million associated with the GILTI component of the Tax Act of 2017 for the year ended January 31, 2023, as compared to an income tax expense of $4.8 million and included $0.7 million associated with the GILTI component of the Tax Act of 2017 for the year ended January 31, 2022. All international subsidiaries impacted the GILTI component of income tax expense. The Company changed its permanent reinvestment assertions for its Chinese operations during the second quarter due to increased volatility of the Chinese yuan and an updated evaluation of investment strategies. The Company recorded $2.0 million in withholding taxes for a planned repatriation during FY23.

Net Income. Net income decreased to $1.9 million for the year ended January 31, 2023 from $11.4 million for the year ended January 31, 2022.

Fourth Quarter Results

Net sales and net income were $29.0 million and $0.6 million, respectively, for Q4 FY23, as compared to $26.8 million and $0.5 million, respectively, for Q4 FY22.

Factors affecting Q4 FY23 results of operations included:

Liquidity and Capital Resources

At January 31, 2023, cash and cash equivalents were approximately $24.6 million and working capital was approximately $87.0 million. Cash and cash equivalents decreased $28.1 million and working capital decreased $21.6 million from January 31, 2022 reflecting the impact of the Company’s purchase of Eagle, additional investment in Bodytrak and stock repurchases.

Of the Company’s total cash and cash equivalents of $24.6 million as of January 31, 2023, cash held in Latin America of $1.8 million, cash held in Hong Kong of $0.7 million, cash held in the UK of $2.4 million, cash held in Vietnam of $0.8 million, cash held in India of $0.7 million and cash held in Canada of $1.0 million would not be subject to additional US tax in the event such cash was repatriated due to the change in the U.S. tax law as a result of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”). The Company monitors its financial depositories by their credit rating which varies by country. In addition, cash balances in banks in the United States are insured by the FDIC subject to certain limitations. There was approximately $1.3 million total included in the U.S. bank accounts and approximately $23.5 million total in foreign bank accounts as of January 31, 2023, of which $24.1 million was uninsured. These balances could be impacted if one or more of the financial institutions with which the Company deposits its funds fails or is subject to other adverse conditions in the financial or credit markets. To date, the Company has experienced no loss of principal or lack of access to invested cash or cash equivalents; however, we can provide no assurance that access to our invested cash and cash equivalents will not be affected if the financial institutions that hold the Company’s cash and cash equivalents fail. See Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors in this Annual Report on Form 10-K under the caption “Adverse developments affecting the financial services industry, including events or concerns involving liquidity, defaults or non-performance by financial institutions or transactional counterparties, could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.” 

The Company strategically employs an intercompany dividend plan subject to subsidiary profitability, cash requirements and withholding taxes.  During FY23 the Company changed its’ permanent reinvestment assertions for its Chinese operations due to increased volatility of the Chinese yuan and an updated evaluation of investment strategies.  During FY23 the Company’s subsidiaries in Canada, China and Hong Kong declared and paid dividends of $1.0 million, $12.5 million and $2.0 million.  Withholding taxes totaling $2.0 million are included in income tax expense.

Net cash used in operating activities of $5.5 million for the year ended January 31, 2023 was primarily due to an increase in net inventories of $9.7 million and an increase in accounts receivable of $2.3 million due to stronger Q4 FY23 sales, partially offset by non-cash expenses of $3.6 million for deferred taxes, depreciation and amortization, and stock compensation.  Net cash used in investing activities of $16.5 million for the year ended January 31, 2023 includes the $10.5 million Eagle acquisition and reflects the Company’s $3.1 million investment in Bodytrak®.  Purchases of property and equipment were $2.0 million as the Company increased capital expenditures in the year for the ERP project and equipment purchases in Mexico and Vietnam.  Net cash used in financing activities was $5.9 million for the year ended January 31, 2023 primarily due to the purchase of $5.4 million of our common stock.

Net cash provided by operating activities of $12.8 million for the year ended January 31, 2022 was primarily due to net income of $11.4 million, non-cash expenses of $4.3 million for deferred taxes, depreciation and amortization, and stock compensation, and a decrease in accounts receivable due to lower sales activity of $6.7 million offset by an increase in net inventories of $4.4 million and a decrease in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities of $5.2 million due to lower sales volume.  Net cash used in investing activities of $3.6 million for the year ended January 31, 2022 reflects the Company’s $2.8 million investment in Bodytrak® as a groundbreaking step toward entering the Connected Worker Market for “Smart PPE.”  Purchases in property and equipment were $0.8 million as the Company made capital expenditures in the year for the ERP project, leasehold improvements for our new corporate headquarters, and equipment purchases in Mexico and China.  Net cash used in financing activities was $9.8 million for the year ended January 31, 2022 due to the purchase of $9.2 million of our common stock.

On June 25, 2020, we entered into a Loan Agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with Bank of America (“Lender”). The Loan Agreement provides the Company with a secured $12.5 million revolving credit facility, which includes a $5.0 million letter of credit sub-facility. The Company may request from time to time an increase in the revolving credit loan commitment of up to $5.0 million (for a total commitment of up to $17.5 million). Borrowing pursuant to the revolving credit facility is subject to a borrowing base amount calculated as (a) 80% of eligible accounts receivable, as defined, plus (b) 50% of the value of acceptable inventory, as defined, minus (c) certain reserves as the Lender may establish for the amount of estimated exposure, as reasonably determined by the Lender from time to time, under certain interest rate swap contracts. The borrowing base limitation only applies during periods when the Company’s quarterly funded debt to EBITDA ratio, as defined, exceeds 2.00 to 1.00. The credit facility will mature on June 25, 2025. Borrowings under the revolving credit facility bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the sum of the LIBOR Daily Floating Rate (“LIBOR”), plus 125 basis points. LIBOR is subject to a floor of 100 basis points. On March 3, 2023 the Company changed the benchmark interest rate in our credit facility from the LIBOR to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”). All outstanding principal and unpaid accrued interest under the revolving credit facility is due and payable on the maturity date. On a one-time basis, and subject to there not existing an event of default, the Company may elect to convert up to $5.0 million of the then outstanding principal of the revolving credit facility to a term loan facility with an assumed amortization of 15 years and the same interest rate and maturity date as the revolving credit facility. The Loan Agreement provides for an annual unused line of credit commitment fee, payable quarterly, of 0.25%, based on the difference between the total credit line commitment and the average daily amount of credit outstanding under the facility during the preceding quarter.

On June 18, 2021, the Company entered into an Amendment No. 1 to Loan Agreement (the “Amendment”) with the Lender, which modifies certain terms of the Company’s existing Loan Agreement with the Lender. The Amendment increases the credit limit under the Loan Agreement’s senior secured revolving credit facility from $12.5 million to $25.0 million. The Amendment also amends the covenant in the Loan Agreement that restricts acquisitions by the Company or its subsidiaries in order to allow, without the prior consent of the Lender, acquisitions of a business or its assets if there is no default under the Loan Agreement and the aggregate consideration does not exceed $7.5 million for any individual acquisition or $15.0 million on a cumulative basis for all such acquisitions.

The Loan Agreement requires the Company to maintain a Funded Debt to EBITDA (as each such term is defined in the Loan Agreement) ratio of 3.0 to 1.0 or less and a Basic Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (as defined in the Loan Agreement) of at least 1.15 to 1.0. The Loan Agreement also contains customary covenants, including covenants that, among other things, limit or restrict the Company’s and/or the Company’s subsidiaries ability, subject to certain exceptions and qualifications, to incur liens or indebtedness, or merge, consolidate or sell or otherwise transfer assets. The Company was in compliance with all of its debt covenants as of January 31, 2023. As of January 31, 2023, the Company had no borrowings under the Loan Agreement, and there was $25 million of additional available credit under the Loan Agreement.

We believe that our current cash, cash equivalents, borrowing capacity under our Loan Agreement and the cash to be generated from expected product sales will be sufficient to meet our projected operating and investing requirements for at least the next twelve months. However, our liquidity assumptions may prove to be incorrect, and we could utilize our available financial resources sooner than we currently expect.

Stock Repurchase Program. On February 17, 2021, the Company’s board of directors approved a stock repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to $5 million of its outstanding common stock. On July 6, 2021, the Board of Directors authorized an increase in the Company’s stock repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to an additional $5 million of its outstanding common stock.   On April 7, 2022, the Board of Directors authorized a new stock repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to $5 million of its outstanding common stock which became effective upon the completion of the prior share repurchase program.  On December 1, 2022, the Board of Directors authorized an increase in the Company’s stock repurchase program, under which the Company may repurchase up to an additional $5 million of its outstanding common stock.

Shares repurchased in FY23 totaled 390,989 shares at a cost of $5.4 million leaving $5.4 million remaining under the share repurchase program at January 31, 2023. The share repurchase program has no expiration date but may be terminated by the Board of Directors at any time.

On February 1, 2023, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend as part of the initiation of a recurring quarterly dividend program. The initial quarterly dividend of $0.03 per share was paid on February 22, 2023, to stockholders of record as of February 15, 2023.

Capital Expenditures. Our capital expenditures for FY23 of $2.0 million principally relate to our capital purchases for our manufacturing facilities in Vietnam, the enhancement of IT infrastructure, and equipment purchases supporting the new manufacturing facility under development in Monterey, Mexico. We anticipate FY24 capital expenditures to be approximately $3.0 million as we continue to deploy our ERP solution globally, complete the new manufacturing facility in Monterrey, Mexico, and replace existing equipment in the normal course of operations. We expect to fund the capital expenditures from our cash flow from operations.

Recently Adopted and Recently Issued Accounting Standards

No recently issued accounting pronouncements had or are expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

ITEM 7A.  QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

As a smaller reporting company, the Company is not required to provide the information required by this Item and therefore, no disclosure is required under Item 7A for the Company.

ITEM 8.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Index to Consolidated Financial Statements

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of Lakeland Industries, Inc.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Lakeland Industries, Inc.  and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of January 31, 2023 and 2022, the related statements of income, comprehensive income, stockholders' equity, and cash flows, for each of the two years in the period ended January 31, 2023, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the "financial statements"). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of January 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended January 31, 2023, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of January 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated April 17, 2023, expressed an adverse opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

Inventories – Refer to Notes 1 and 2 to the financial statements

Critical Audit Matter Description

The Company’s inventory includes costs to acquire and produce the goods and is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value on a first-in, first-out method (FIFO). The assessment of estimated obsolescence or unmarketable inventory involved judgment and is based upon assumptions about future sales and supply on-hand for certain inventory items. Total inventory of approximately $58 million is in part composed of products which were deemed to be slow moving based on historical inventory turns and sales history. An excess and obsolete adjustment of approximately $4.7 million was recorded by the Company.

Given the significant judgments made by management to evaluate the net realizable value of certain of its inventory products, performing audit procedures to evaluate the reasonableness of management’s assumptions related to those inventory adjustments required a high degree of auditor judgment and an increased extent of effort. 

How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit

Our audit procedures related to valuation of slow moving, excess and obsolete inventory included, among others:

Acquisitions — Eagle Technologies —Intangible Assets & Contingent Consideration — Refer to Notes 1 and 5 to the financial statements

Critical Audit Matter Description

The Company completed the acquisition of Eagle Technologies for $15.1 million (inclusive of estimated contingent consideration) on December 2, 2022. The Company accounted for the acquisition under the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations. Accordingly, the Company allocated the purchase price, on a preliminary basis, to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values. The Company recorded approximately $13.7 million of intangible assets, including $7.6 million of goodwill as of the acquisition date. Additionally, the Company recorded within the account Accrued Earnout Agreement an estimated contingent consideration liability of $3.2 million.

Acquired intangible assets, excluding goodwill, were valued using certain discounted cash flow methods based on future cash flows specific to the type of intangible asset acquired. Several significant assumptions and estimates were involved in the application of these valuation methods, including forecasted revenue growth rates, EBITDA margins and resulting forecasted cash flows as well as royalty rate and discount rate.  Management estimated the fair value of the contingent consideration using the Monte Carlo Method. For this valuation method, management develops projections during the contingent consideration period utilizing various potential pay-out scenarios. Probabilities are applied to each potential scenario and the resulting values are discounted using a rate that considers weighted average cost of capital as well as a specific risk premium associated with the riskiness of the contingent consideration itself, the related projections, and the overall business.

Given the fair value determination of the contingent consideration and intangible assets for Eagle Technologies requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions related to the forecasts of revenue and future cash flows and the selection of the discount rate and royalty rate, performing audit procedures to evaluate the reasonableness of these estimates and assumptions required a high degree of auditor judgment and an increased extent of effort, including the need to involve our fair value specialists.

How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit

Our audit procedures related to the forecasts of future cash flows, the selection of valuation methodologies utilized, the selection of the royalty rate and discount rate for the intangible assets and the selection of the discount rate for the contingent consideration liability included the following, among others:

/s/  i Deloitte & Touche LLP

 i Memphis, Tennessee

April 17, 2023

We have served as the Company's auditor since 2020.

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of Lakeland Industries, Inc.

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Lakeland Industries, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of January 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, because of the effect of the material weakness identified below on the achievement of the objectives of the control criteria, the Company has not maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of January 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended January 31, 2023, of the Company and our report dated April 17, 2023, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.

As described in Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting, management excluded from its assessment the internal control over financial reporting at Eagle Technical Products Limited, which was acquired on December 2, 2022, and whose financial statements constitute 1% and 3% of net and total assets, respectively, 1% of revenues, and 12% of net income of the consolidated financial statement amounts as of and for the year ended January 31, 2023. Accordingly, our audit did not include the internal control over financial reporting at Eagle Technical Products Limited.

Basis for Opinion

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Material Weakness

A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The following material weakness has been identified and included in management's assessment: the Company did not design, implement, and/or consistently operate effective controls over its foreign subsidiary currency translation or remeasurement to ensure the foreign subsidiary’s account balances were accurately stated in the consolidated financial statements. This material weakness was considered in determining the nature, timing, and extent of audit tests applied in our audit of the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended January 31, 2023, of the Company, and this report does not affect our report on such consolidated financial statements.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

Memphis, Tennessee  

April 17, 2023  

Lakeland Industries, Inc. and Subsidiaries

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

For the Years Ended January 31, 2023 and 2022

($000’s) except share information

 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Lakeland Industries, Inc. and Subsidiaries

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)

For the Years Ended January 31, 2023 and 2022

($000)’s

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Lakeland Industries, Inc. and Subsidiaries

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

January 31, 2023 and 2022

($000’s) except share information

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Lakeland Industries, Inc. and Subsidiaries

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

For the Years Ended January 31, 2023 and 2022