Cadre Holdings, Inc. (CDRE)

Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations of Cadre Holdings, Inc. (D/B/A The Safariland Group) (“Cadre,” “the Company” “we,” “us” and “our”) should be read together with our audited consolidated financial statements together with related notes thereto, included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. A discussion of changes in our financial condition and the results of operations from the year ended December 31, 2023 to December 31, 2022 can be found in Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed on March 12, 2024. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect future plans, estimates, beliefs and expected performance. The forward-looking statements are dependent upon events, risks and uncertainties that may be outside of Cadre’s control. Our actual results may differ significantly from those projected in the forward- looking statements. Factors that might cause future results to differ materially from those projected in the forward- looking statements include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Certain total amounts may not foot due to rounding.

Overview and 2024 Financial Highlights

Cadre is a global leader in the manufacturing and distribution of safety equipment and other related products for the law enforcement, first responder, military and nuclear markets. Our equipment provides critical protection to allow its users to safely and securely perform their duties and protect those around them in hazardous or life-threatening situations. Through our dedication to superior quality, we establish a direct covenant with end users that our products will perform and keep them safe when they are most needed. We sell a wide range of products including body armor, explosive ordnance disposal equipment and duty gear through both direct and indirect channels. In addition, through our owned distribution, we serve as a one-stop shop for first responders providing equipment we manufacture as well as third-party products including uniforms, optics, boots, firearms and ammunition. The majority of our diversified product offering is governed by rigorous safety standards and regulations. Demand for our products is driven by technological advancement as well as recurring modernization and replacement cycles for the equipment to maintain its efficiency, effective performance and regulatory compliance.

We service the ever-changing needs of our end users by investing in research and development for new product innovation and technical advancements that continually raise the standards for safety equipment. Our target end user base includes domestic and international first responders such as state and local law enforcement, fire and rescue, explosive ordnance disposal technicians, emergency medical technicians, fishing and wildlife enforcement and departments of corrections, as well as federal agencies including DoS, DoD, DoI, DoJ, DHS, DoC and numerous foreign government agencies in over 100 countries.

In January 2024, the Company acquired ICOR Technology Inc. (“ICOR”) for $40.4 million.

In February 2024, the Company acquired Alpha Safety Intermediate, LLC (“Alpha Safety”) for $107.1 million.

The following table sets forth a summary of our financial highlights for the periods indicated:

Net sales increased by $85.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to December 31, 2023, primarily as a result of higher demand for armor, duty gear and crowd control products, as well as recent acquisitions, partially offset by a decline in accessories.

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Net income decreased by $2.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily as a result of an increase in selling, general and administrative expenses from acquisitions, acquisition related costs, higher interest expense and lower productivity as a result of the cybersecurity incidents that we reported in 2024, partially offset by favorable pricing and volume.

Secondary Offering

On March 19, 2024, the Company completed a secondary offering in which the Company issued and sold 2,200,000 shares of common stock at a price of $35.00 per share. The Company’s net proceeds from the sale of shares were $72.8 million after underwriter discounts and commissions, fees and expenses of $4.2 million.

On April 1, 2024, the underwriters exercised the full amount of their over-allotment option and purchased an additional 545,719 shares of common stock at a price of $35.00 per share, resulting in net proceeds to the Company of $18.3 million after underwriter discounts and commissions, fees and expenses of $0.8 million.

KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS

Orders backlog

We monitor our orders backlog, which we believe is a forward-looking indicator of potential sales. Our orders backlog for products includes all orders that have been received and are believed to be firm. Due to municipal government procurement rules, in certain cases orders included in backlog are subject to budget appropriation or other contract cancellation clauses. Consequently, our orders backlog may differ from actual future sales. Orders backlog can be helpful to investors in evaluating the performance of our business and identifying trends over time.

The following table presents our orders backlog as of the periods indicated:

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Orders comprising backlog as of a given balance sheet date are typically invoiced in subsequent periods. The majority of our products are generally processed and shipped within one to three weeks of an order being placed, though the fulfillment time for certain products, for example, explosive ordnance disposal equipment, may take three months or longer. Our orders backlog could experience volatility between periods, including as a result of customer order volumes and the speed of our order fulfillment, which in turn may be impacted by the nature of products ordered, the amount of inventory on hand and the necessary manufacturing lead time.

Orders backlog increased by $2.1 million as of December 31, 2024 compared to December 31, 2023, primarily due to an increase of $27.6 million from recent acquisitions, partially offset by reductions of $15.2 million from explosive ordnance disposal products and $8.9 million from armor products, both due to large orders delivered in 2024.

DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN COMPONENTS OF FINANCIAL DATA

Net sales

We recognize revenue when a contract exists with a customer that specifies the goods and services to be provided at an agreed upon sales price and when the performance obligation is satisfied by transferring the goods or service to the customer. The performance obligation is considered satisfied when control transfers, which is generally determined when products are shipped or delivered to the customer but could be delayed until the receipt of customer acceptance, depending on the terms of the contract. The Company also has certain long-term contracts that contain performance obligations that are satisfied over time. The Company invoices the customer once the billing milestone is reached and collects under customary short-term credit terms. For long-term contracts, the Company recognizes revenue using the input method based on costs incurred, as this method is an appropriate measure of progress toward the complete satisfaction of the performance obligation.

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At the time of revenue recognition we also provide for estimated sales returns and miscellaneous claims from customers as reductions to revenues. Charges for shipping and handling fees billed to customers are included in net sales. Taxes collected from customers and remitted to government authorities are reported on a net basis and are excluded from sales. See Note 1 “Significant Accounting Policies — Revenue Recognition” to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We generate sales primarily through our four main sales channels: U.S. state and local agencies, international, U.S. federal agencies, and commercial.

Costs and Expenses

Cost of goods sold. Cost of goods sold includes raw material purchases, manufacturing-related labor costs, contracted labor, project costs, shipping costs, allocated manufacturing overhead, facility costs, depreciation and amortization, and product warranty costs.

Selling, general and administrative. Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expense includes personnel-related costs, professional services, marketing and advertising expense, research and development, depreciation and amortization, and impairment charges.

Restructuring and transaction costs. Restructuring costs consist primarily of termination benefits and relocation of employees, termination of operating leases and other contracts related to consolidating or closing facilities. Transaction costs consist of legal fees and consulting costs related to one-time transactions.

Related party expense. Related party expense primarily consists of rent expense related to distribution locations owned by certain employees and any one-time fees paid to related parties.

Interest expense. Interest expense consists primarily of interest on outstanding debt.

Other (expense) income, net. Other (expense) income, net primarily consists of gains and losses from foreign currency transactions.

Provision for income taxes. A provision or benefit for income tax is calculated for each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. The provision or benefit for income taxes is determined using the asset and liability approach of accounting for income taxes. Under this approach, deferred taxes represent the future tax consequences expected to occur when the reported amounts of assets and liabilities are recovered or paid. The benefit or provision for income taxes represents income taxes paid or payable for the current year plus the change in deferred taxes during the year. Deferred taxes result from differences between the book and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are adjusted for changes in tax rates and tax laws when changes are enacted. Valuation allowances are recorded to reduce deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized. See Note 16 “Income Taxes” in our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

In order to reflect the way our chief operating decision maker reviews and assesses the performance of the business, Cadre has determined that it has two reportable segments — the Product segment, which is comprised of components that manufacture and sell products, and the Distribution segment, which is comprised of our business that serves as a one-stop shop for law enforcement agencies that sells goods produced by the Product segment, as well as other third-party products. Segment information is consistent with how the chief operating decision maker, our chief executive officer, reviews the business, makes investing and resource allocation decisions and assesses operating performance.

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The following table presents data from our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands unless otherwise noted):

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The following table presents segment data for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands):

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Comparison of Year Ended December 31, 2024 to Year Ended December 31, 2023

Net sales. Product segment net sales increased by $86.8 million, or 21.1%, from $410.8 million to $497.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to 2023, primarily due to an increase of $73.3 million as a result of recent acquisitions, $8.2 million from higher demand for duty gear products, $7.5 million from higher North American demand for armor products, and $3.2 million from higher demand for crowd control products, partially offset by a $6.2 million decline in automotive. Distribution segment net sales increased by $3.0 million or 3.0%, from $102.4 million to $105.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to 2023, primarily due to increased agency demand for hard goods. Reconciling items consisting primarily of intercompany eliminations were $35.5 million and $30.7 million for year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

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Cost of goods sold. Product segment cost of goods sold increased by $54.0 million, or 23.1%, from $233.9 million to $287.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to 2023 primarily due to increased volume, increased costs to manufacture product (principally material and labor), and increases from the amortization of inventory step up adjustments related to 2024 acquisitions, partially offset by product mix. Product segment gross profit as a percentage of net sales decreased by 90 basis points to 42.2% in 2024 from 43.1% in 2023 mainly driven by the amortization of inventory step up adjustments related to the recent acquisitions, lower productivity driven by the 2024 cybersecurity incidents, unfavorable mix and inflation, partially offset by favorable pricing. Distribution segment cost of goods sold increased by $3.3 million, or 4.2%, from $78.3 million to $81.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to 2023 primarily due to increased volume, partially offset by costs to acquire products. Distribution segment gross profit as a percentage of net sales decreased by 93 basis points to 22.5% in 2024 from 23.5% in 2023 mainly driven by inflation and unfavorable mix. Reconciling items consisting primarily of intercompany eliminations were $35.4 million and $30.5 million for year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Selling, general and administrative. SG&A increased by $17.8 million, or 12.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to 2023 primarily due to recent acquisitions, employee compensation and related benefits, and professional services.

Restructuring and transaction costs. Restructuring and transaction costs increased by $3.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to 2023 primarily due to costs incurred associated with the ICOR and Alpha Safety acquisitions.

Related party expense. Related party expense increased by $0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to 2023 and primarily consisted of a $1.8 million fee paid to Kanders & Company, Inc., a company controlled by our Chief Executive Officer, in connection with the acquisition of Alpha Safety, as well as a $0.3 million fee paid to Kanders & Company, Inc. in connection with the execution of our debt refinancing for the year ended December 31, 2024, and a $1.0 million fee paid to Kanders & Company, Inc. in connection with the acquisition of ICOR for the year ended December 31, 2023, in each case for financial advisory and other related services.

Interest expense. Interest expense increased by $3.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to 2023 primarily due to the addition of the incremental term loan in 2024.

Other (expense) income, net. Other expense, net was $4.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to Other income, net of $0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates.

Provision for income taxes. Provision for income taxes increased by $3.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to 2023. The effective tax rate was 33.4% for the year ended December 31, 2024 and was higher than the statutory rate due to state taxes, transaction expenses and executive compensation, partially offset by research and development tax credits. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the effective tax rate was 27.0% and was higher than the statutory rate due to state taxes, limitation on executive compensation deduction, and the tax impact of our foreign earnings, partially offset by research and development tax credits.

NON-GAAP MEASURES

This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, which are non-GAAP financial measures that we use to supplement our results presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. EBITDA is defined as net income before depreciation and amortization expense, interest expense and provision for income tax. Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA that excludes restructuring and transaction costs, other general income, other expense (income), net, stock-based compensation expense, stock-based compensation payroll tax expense, long-term incentive plan (“LTIP”) bonus and amortization of inventory step-up as these items do not represent our core operating performance.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are performance measures that we believe are useful to investors and analysts because they illustrate the underlying financial and business trends relating to our core, recurring results of operations and enhance comparability between periods. Adjusted EBITDA is considered by our board of directors and management as an important factor in determining performance-based compensation.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not recognized measures under U.S. GAAP and are not intended to be a substitute for any U.S. GAAP financial measure and, as calculated, may not be comparable to other similarly-titled measures of performance of other

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companies. Investors should exercise caution in comparing our non-GAAP measures to any similarly titled measures used by other companies. These non-GAAP financial measures exclude certain items required by U.S. GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to information reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

The table below presents our EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measures for the periods indicated:

Adjusted EBITDA increased by $19.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to 2023, primarily due to recent acquisitions, partially offset by the impact of the 2024 cybersecurity incidents and an increase in selling, general and administrative expenses.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Liquidity refers to our ability to generate sufficient cash flows to meet the cash requirements of our business operations, including working capital needs, capital expenditures, debt service, acquisitions and other commitments. Our principal sources of liquidity have been cash provided by operating activities, cash on hand and amounts available under our revolving loans.

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For the year ended December 31, 2024, net cash provided from operating activities was $31.8 million and as of December 31, 2024, cash and cash equivalents totaled $124.9 million. We believe that our cash flows from operations and cash on hand, and available borrowing capacity under our existing credit facilities (as described below) will be adequate to meet our liquidity requirements for at least the twelve months following the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our future capital requirements will depend on several factors, including future acquisitions and investments in our manufacturing facilities and equipment. We could be required, or could elect, to seek additional funding through public or private equity or debt financings; however, additional funds may not be available on terms acceptable to us, if at all.

Debt

As of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, we had $223.2 million and $140.1 million in outstanding debt, net of debt discounts and debt issuance costs, respectively, primarily related to the term loan facilities.

2021 Credit Agreement

On August 20, 2021 (the “Closing Date”), the Company refinanced its existing credit facilities and entered into a new credit agreement whereby Safariland, LLC, as borrower (the “Borrower”), the Company and certain domestic subsidiaries of the Borrower, as guarantors (the “Guarantors”), closed on and received funding under a credit agreement (initially entered into on July 23, 2021), pursuant to a First Amendment to Credit Agreement (collectively, the “2021 Credit Agreement”) with PNC Bank, National Association (“PNC”), as administrative agent, and the several lenders from time to time party thereto (together with PNC, the “Lenders”) pursuant to which the Borrower (i) borrowed $200.0 million under a term loan (the “Term Loan”), and (ii) may borrow up to $100.0 million under a revolving credit facility (including up to $15.0 million for letters of credit and up to $10.0 million for swing line loans) (the “Revolving Loan”). Each of the Term Loan and the Revolving Loan mature on July 23, 2026. Commencing December 31, 2021, the New Term Loan requires scheduled quarterly payments in amounts equal to 1.25% per quarter of the original aggregate principal amount of the Term Loan, with the balance due at maturity. The 2021 Credit Agreement is guaranteed, jointly and severally, by the Guarantors and, subject to certain exceptions, secured by a first-priority security interest in substantially all of the assets of the Borrower and the Guarantors pursuant to a Security and Pledge Agreement and a Guaranty and Suretyship Agreement, each dated as of the Closing Date.

There were no amounts outstanding under the Revolving Loan as of December 31, 2024 and 2023. As of December 31, 2024, there were $2.2 million in outstanding letters of credit and $172.8 million of availability.

The Borrower may elect to have the Revolving Loan and Term Loan under the 2021 Credit Agreement bear interest at a base rate or LIBOR, in each case, plus an applicable margin. However, in connection with the market transition away from applicable LIBOR rates to SOFR, on May 31, 2023, the Company, the Borrowers and the Lenders entered into the third amendment to the 2021 Credit Agreement (the “Third Amendment”) pursuant to which the 2021 Credit Agreement was amended to implement the SOFR rates. The applicable interest rates for these borrowings are, at the Company’s option, either (a) a base rate plus an applicable margin between 0.50% and 1.50% or (b) a Term SOFR rate, plus a SOFR adjustment equal to 0.10%, plus an applicable margin equal to 1.50% to 2.50%.

The 2021 Credit Agreement also contains customary representations and warranties, and affirmative and negative covenants, including limitations on additional indebtedness, dividends, and other distributions, entry into new lines of business, use of loan proceeds, capital expenditures, restricted payments, restrictions on liens on the assets of the Borrowers or any Guarantor, transactions with affiliates, amendments to organizational documents, accounting changes, sale and leaseback transactions, dispositions, and mandatory prepayments in connection with certain liquidity events. The 2021 Credit Agreement contains certain restrictive debt covenants, which require us to: (i) maintain a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.25 to 1.00, starting with the quarter ended December 31, 2021, which is to be determined for each quarter end on a trailing four quarter basis and (ii) maintain a quarterly maximum consolidated total net leverage ratio of 3.75 to 1.00 from the quarter ended December 31, 2021 until the quarter ended September 30, 2022, and thereafter 3.50 to 1.00, which is in each case to be determined on a trailing four quarter basis; provided that under certain circumstances and subject to certain limitations, in the event of a material acquisition, we may temporarily increase the consolidated total net leverage ratio by up to 0.50 to 1.00 for four fiscal quarters following such acquisition. The 2021 Credit Agreement contains customary events of default that include, among others, non-payment of principal, interest or fees, violation of covenants, inaccuracy of representations and warranties, failure to make payment on, or defaults with respect to, certain other material indebtedness, bankruptcy and insolvency events, material judgments and change of control provisions. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, and after the expiration of any applicable grace period, payment of any outstanding loans under the 2021 Credit Agreement may be accelerated and the Lenders could foreclose on their security interests in the assets of the Borrowers and the Guarantors.

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In connection with the Borrower’s acquisition of Alpha Safety on February 29, 2024, the Borrower and the Guarantors entered into an Incremental Facility Amendment to the 2021 Credit Agreement, whereby the Lenders made an incremental term loan to the Borrower in the principal amount of $80 million for the purpose of funding the acquisition of Alpha Safety. All other material terms of the 2021 Credit Agreement remained unchanged.

The foregoing description of the 2021 Credit Agreement, as amended, does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to exhibits 10.15, 10.16 and 10.17 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, exhibit 10.1 attached to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, as well as exhibit 10.1 attached to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on March 6, 2024, and are incorporated herein by reference as though fully set forth herein.

Canadian Credit Facility

On October 14, 2021, Med-Eng Holdings ULC and Pacific Safety Products Inc., the Company’s Canadian subsidiaries, as borrowers (the “Canadian Borrowers”), and Safariland, LLC, as guarantor (the “Canadian Guarantor”), closed on a line of credit pursuant to a Loan Agreement (the “Canadian Loan Agreement”) and a Revolving Line of Credit Note (the “Note”) with PNC Bank Canada Branch (“PNC Canada”), as lender pursuant to which the Canadian Borrowers may borrow up to CDN$10.0 million under a revolving line of credit (including up to $3.0 million for letters of credit) (the “Revolving Canadian Loan”). The Revolving Canadian Loan matures on July 23, 2026. The Canadian Loan Agreement is guaranteed by the Canadian Guarantor pursuant to a Guaranty and Suretyship Agreement.

The Canadian Borrowers may elect to have borrowings either in United States dollars or Canadian dollars under the Canadian Loan Agreement, which will bear interest at a base rate or SOFR, in each case, plus an applicable margin, in the case of borrowings in United States dollars, or at a Canadian Prime Rate (as announced from time to time by PNC Canada) or a Canadian deposit offered rate (“CDOR”) as determined from time to time by PNC Canada in accordance with the Canadian Loan Agreement. The applicable margin for these borrowings will range from 0.50% to 1.50% per annum, in the case of base rate borrowings and Canadian Prime Rate borrowings, and 1.50% to 2.50% per annum, in the case of SOFR borrowings and CDOR borrowings. The Canadian Loan Agreement also requires the Canadian Borrowers to pay (i) an unused line fee on the unused portion of the loan commitments in an amount ranging between 0.175% and 0.25% per annum, based upon the level of the Company’s consolidated total net leverage ratio, and (ii) an upfront fee equal to 0.25% of the principal amount of the Note.

There were no amounts outstanding under the Revolving Canadian Loan as of December 31, 2024 and 2023.

The Canadian Loan Agreement also contains customary representations and warranties, and affirmative and negative covenants, including, among others, limitations on additional indebtedness, entry into new lines of business, entry into guarantee agreements, making of any loans or advances to, or investments in, any other person, restrictions on liens on the assets of the Canadian Borrowers and mergers, transfers of assets and acquisitions. The Canadian Loan Agreement and Note also contain customary events of default that include, among others, non-payment of principal, interest or fees, violation of covenants, inaccuracy of representations and warranties, failure to make payment on, or defaults with respect to, certain other material indebtedness, bankruptcy and insolvency events, material judgments and change of control provisions. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, and after the expiration of any applicable grace period, payment of any outstanding loans under the Canadian Loan Agreement may be accelerated. As of March 6, 2025, there were no amounts outstanding under the Revolving Canadian Loan.

The foregoing description of the Canadian Loan Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Canadian Loan Agreement, which is exhibit 10.18 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and is incorporated herein by reference as though fully set forth herein.

2024 Credit Agreement

On December 20, 2024 (the “2024 Credit Agreement Closing Date”), the Company refinanced its existing credit facilities and entered into an Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “2024 Credit Agreement”), whereby Safariland, LLC, as borrower (the “2024 Borrower”), the Company, and certain domestic subsidiaries of the 2024 Borrower, as guarantors (the “2024 Guarantors”), closed on and received funding under the 2024 Credit Agreement with PNC, as administrative agent, swingline lender, and issuing lender, along with several other lenders (collectively, the “2024 Lenders”). The 2024 Credit Agreement amends and restates the 2021 Credit Agreement in its entirety.

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Pursuant to the 2024 Credit Agreement, the 2024 Borrower (i) borrowed $225.0 million under a term loan facility (the “2024 Term Loans”), (ii) may borrow up to $175.0 million under a revolving credit facility (the “2024 Revolving Loan”), including up to $30.0 million for letters of credit and up to $10.0 million for swingline loans, (iii) may borrow up to $115.0 million under a delayed draw term loan A-1 facility (the “DDTL A-1 Facility”) available through June 20, 2025, and (iv) may borrow up to $75.0 million under a delayed draw term loan A-2 facility (the “DDTL A-2 Facility”) available through June 20, 2026. Each of these facilities matures on December 20, 2029. The proceeds of the 2024 Term Loans were used to refinance the outstanding term loans under the 2021 Credit Agreement and to pay fees and expenses incurred in connection with entering into the 2024 Credit Agreement. The 2024 Credit Agreement also permits the 2024 Borrower, subject to certain requirements, to arrange with lenders for an aggregate of $100.0 million (or more if certain leverage ratios are met) of additional revolving and/or term loan commitments (both of which are currently uncommitted).

The 2024 Borrower may elect to have borrowings under the 2024 Credit Agreement bear interest at either (i) a base rate plus an applicable margin ranging from 0.50% to 1.50% per annum or (ii) a term SOFR rate plus an applicable margin ranging from 1.50% to 2.50% per annum, in each case based on the Company’s consolidated total net leverage ratio. The 2024 Borrower is also required to pay a commitment fee on the unused portion of the 2024 Revolving Loan, the DDTL A-1 Facility, and the DDTL A-2 Facility, ranging from 0.175% to 0.25% per annum, based on the Company’s consolidated total net leverage ratio.

The 2024 Term Loans require scheduled quarterly principal payments of 1.25% of the original aggregate principal amount, beginning March 31, 2025, with the balance due at maturity. There were no amounts outstanding under the 2024 Revolving Loan, the DDTL A-1 Facility, or the DDTL A-2 Facility as of December 31, 2024.

The 2024 Credit Agreement is guaranteed, jointly and severally, by the 2024 Guarantors and, subject to certain exceptions, secured by a first-priority security interest in substantially all of the assets of the 2024 Borrower and the 2024 Guarantors pursuant to an Amended and Restated Security and Pledge Agreement and an Amended and Restated Guaranty and Suretyship Agreement, each dated as of the 2024 Credit Agreement Closing Date.

The 2024 Credit Agreement contains customary representations and warranties, and affirmative and negative covenants, including limitations on additional indebtedness, dividends, and other distributions, entry into new lines of business, use of loan proceeds, capital expenditures, restricted payments, restrictions on liens on the assets of the 2024 Borrower or any 2024 Guarantor, transactions with affiliates, amendments to organizational documents, accounting changes, sale and leaseback transactions, dispositions, and mandatory prepayments in connection with certain liquidity events. Additionally, the 2024 Credit Agreement contains certain restrictive debt covenants, which require us to: (i) maintain a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.25 to 1.00, starting with the quarter ended December 31, 2024, which is to be determined for each quarter end on a trailing four quarter basis and (ii) maintain a quarterly maximum consolidated total net leverage ratio of 4.00 to 1.00 from the quarter ended December 31, 2024 until the quarter ended March 31, 2026, and thereafter 3.50 to 1.00, which is in each case to be determined on a trailing four quarter basis; provided that under certain circumstances and subject to certain limitations, in the event of a material acquisition, we may temporarily increase the consolidated total net leverage ratio by up to 0.50 to 1.00 for four fiscal quarters following such acquisition, subject to a maximum consolidated total net leverage ratio of 4.00 to 1.00. Furthermore, the 2024 Credit Agreement also includes customary events of default, including non-payment of principal, interest, or fees, violation of covenants, inaccuracy of representations and warranties, failure to make payments on other material indebtedness, bankruptcy and insolvency events, material judgments, and change of control provisions. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, and after the expiration of any applicable grace period, payment of any outstanding loans under the 2024 Credit Agreement may be accelerated, and the Lenders could foreclose on their security interests in the assets of the Borrower and the Guarantors.

As of December 31, 2024, the Company was in compliance with all applicable covenants under the 2024 Credit Agreement.

The foregoing description of the 2024 Credit Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on December 23, 2024, and is incorporated herein by reference as though fully set forth herein.

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Cash Flows

The following table presents a summary of our cash flows for the periods indicated:

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Net cash provided by operating activities

During the year ended December 31, 2024, net cash provided by operating activities of $31.8 million resulted primarily from net income of $36.1 million, a $16.4 million add back to net income for depreciation and amortization, a $8.4 million add back to net income for stock-based compensation, a $3.9 million add back for amortization of inventory step-up and a $36.4 million deduction from net income from changes in operating assets and liabilities. Changes in operating assets and liabilities were primarily driven by an increase in accounts receivable of $24.9 million and a decrease in accounts payable and other liabilities of $15.6 million, partially offset by a decrease in inventories of $10.0 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, net cash provided by operating activities of $73.2 million resulted primarily from net income of $38.6 million, a $15.7 million add back to net income for depreciation and amortization, a $9.4 million add back to net income for stock-based compensation and a $10.1 million add back to net income from changes in operating assets and liabilities. Changes in operating assets and liabilities were primarily driven by a decrease in accounts receivable of $6.6 million and an increase in accounts payable and other liabilities of $14.0 million, partially offset by an increase in inventories of $10.2 million.

Net cash used in investing activities

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we used $147.4 million of cash in investing activities, primarily consisting of $141.8 million for the acquisition of ICOR and Alpha Safety and $5.7 million for purchases of property and equipment.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, we used $6.5 million of cash in investing activities, primarily consisting of $6.7 million for purchases of property and equipment.

Net cash provided (used in) financing activities

During the year ended December 31, 2024, net cash provided by financing activities of $152.7 million resulted primarily from proceeds from term loans of $129.4 million and proceeds from the secondary offering, including option exercise, of $91.8 million, partially offset by principal payments on term loans of $43.3 million, payments for debt issuance costs of $3.1 million, taxes paid in connection with employee stock transactions of $5.3 million and dividends distributed of $13.9 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, we used $24.7 million of cash in financing activities, primarily consisting principal payments on term loans of $10.0 million, taxes paid in connection with employee stock transactions of $2.7 million and dividends distributed of $12.0 million.

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Contractual Obligations

The following table summarizes our significant contractual obligations as of December 31, 2024 by period:

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We do not engage in off-balance sheet financing arrangements, as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K.

Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or U.S. GAAP. Preparation of the financial statements requires us to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that impact the reported amount of net sales and expenses, assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We consider an accounting judgment, estimate or assumption to be critical when the estimate or assumption is complex in nature or requires a high degree of judgment and when the use of different judgments, estimates and assumptions could have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. While our significant accounting policies are described in more detail in Note 1 of our consolidated financial statements, we believe that the following accounting policies are those most critical to the judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements.

Business Combinations

We allocate the purchase price, including our estimate of contingent consideration, of our acquisitions to the assets and liabilities acquired, including identifiable intangible assets, based on their fair values at the date of acquisition. The fair values are primarily based on third-party valuations using our management assumptions that require significant judgments and estimates. The purchase price allocated to intangibles is based on unobservable factors, including but not limited to, projected revenues, expenses, customer attrition rates, royalty rates, and weighted average cost of capital, among others. The weighted average cost of capital uses a market participant’s cost of equity and after-tax cost of debt and reflects the risks inherent in the cash flows. The unobservable factors we use are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but are subject to estimation uncertainty.

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Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations of Cadre Holdings, Inc. (D/B/A The Safariland Group) (“Cadre,” “the Company” “we,” “us” and “our”) should be read together with our audited consolidated financial statements together with related notes thereto, included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. A discussion of changes in our financial condition and the results of operations from the year ended December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2021 can be found in Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed on March 15, 2022. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect future plans, estimates, beliefs and expected performance. The forward-looking statements are dependent upon events, risks and uncertainties that may be outside of Cadre’s control. Our actual results may differ significantly from those projected in the forward- looking statements. Factors that might cause future results to differ materially from those projected in the forward- looking statements include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Certain total amounts may not foot due to rounding.

Overview and 2023 Financial Highlights

Cadre is a global leader in the manufacturing and distribution of safety equipment. Our equipment provides critical protection to allow its users to safely and securely perform their duties and protect those around them in hazardous or life-threatening situations. Through our dedication to superior quality, we establish a direct covenant with end users that our products will perform and keep them safe when they are most needed. We sell a wide range of products including body armor, explosive ordnance disposal equipment and duty gear through both direct and indirect channels. In addition, through our owned distribution, we serve as a one-stop shop for first responders providing equipment we manufacture as well as third-party products including uniforms, optics, boots, firearms and ammunition. The majority of our diversified product offering is governed by rigorous safety standards and regulations. Demand for our products is driven by technological advancement as well as recurring modernization and replacement cycles for the equipment to maintain its efficiency, effective performance and regulatory compliance.

We service the ever-changing needs of our end users by investing in research and development for new product innovation and technical advancements that continually raise the standards for safety equipment. Our target end user base includes domestic and international first responders such as state and local law enforcement, fire and rescue, explosive ordnance disposal technicians, emergency medical technicians, fishing and wildlife enforcement and departments of corrections, as well as federal agencies including the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Corrections and numerous foreign government agencies in over 100 countries.

In January 2022, the Company acquired Radar Leather Division S.r.l. (“Radar”) for $19.4 million, net of cash acquired.

In May 2022, the Company acquired Cyalume Technologies, Inc., CT SAS Holdings, Inc. and Cyalume Technologies SAS (collectively “Cyalume”) for $36.2 million, net of cash acquired.

In January 2024, the Company acquired ICOR Technology Inc. (“ICOR”) for approximately CDN$52.0 million (approximately $38.8 million), net of cash acquired.

In March 2024, the Company acquired Alpha Safety Intermediate, LLC (“Alpha Safety”) for approximately $106.5 million, net of cash acquired.

The following table sets forth a summary of our financial highlights for the periods indicated:

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Net sales increased by $24.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to December 31, 2022, primarily as a result of higher demand for armor and crowd control products, as well as recent acquisitions, partially offset by a decrease from large international orders for explosive ordnance disposal products fulfilled in the prior year.

Net income increased by $32.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily as a result of an increase in net sales and gross profit margin, accretive impact of recent acquisitions and a decrease in stock compensation expense.

Secondary Offering

On June 9, 2022, the Company completed a secondary offering in which the Company issued and sold 2,250,000 shares of common stock at a price of $23.50 per share. The Company’s net proceeds from the sale of shares were $47.0 million after underwriter discounts and commissions, fees and expenses of $2.7 million, of which $2.0 million was paid to Kanders & Company, Inc., a company controlled by Warren Kanders, our Chief Executive Officer.

On July 14, 2022, the underwriters exercised a portion of their over-allotment option and purchased an additional 300,000 shares of common stock at a price of $23.50 per share, resulting in net proceeds to the Company of $6.6 million after underwriter discounts and commissions, fees and expenses of $0.4 million.

KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS

Orders backlog

We monitor our orders backlog, which we believe is a forward-looking indicator of potential sales. Our orders backlog for products includes all orders that have been received and are believed to be firm. Due to municipal government procurement rules, in certain cases orders included in backlog are subject to budget appropriation or other contract cancellation clauses. Consequently, our orders backlog may differ from actual future sales. Orders backlog can be helpful to investors in evaluating the performance of our business and identifying trends over time.

The following table presents our orders backlog as of the periods indicated:

​

Orders comprising backlog as of a given balance sheet date are typically invoiced in subsequent periods. The majority of our products are generally processed and shipped within one to three weeks of an order being placed, though the fulfillment time for certain products, for example, explosive ordnance disposal equipment, may take three months or longer. Our orders backlog could experience volatility between periods, including as a result of customer order volumes and the speed of our order fulfilment, which in turn may be impacted by the nature of products ordered, the amount of inventory on hand and the necessary manufacturing lead time.

Orders backlog increased by $8.8 million as of December 31, 2023 compared to December 31, 2022, primarily due to $13.6 million from international demand for explosive ordnance disposal products and $1.3 million from international orders for crowd control, partially offset by reductions of $3.6 million from the Distribution segment and $3.0 million from chemiluminescent payloads.

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DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN COMPONENTS OF FINANCIAL DATA

Net sales

We recognize revenue when a contract exists with a customer that specifies the goods and services to be provided at an agreed upon sales price and when the performance obligation is satisfied by transferring the goods or service to the customer. The performance obligation is considered satisfied when control transfers, which is generally determined when products are shipped or delivered to the customer but could be delayed until the receipt of customer acceptance, depending on the terms of the contract. At the time of revenue recognition we also provide for estimated sales returns and miscellaneous claims from customers as reductions to revenues. Charges for shipping and handling fees billed to customers are included in net sales. Taxes collected from customers and remitted to government authorities are reported on a net basis and are excluded from sales. See Note 1 “Significant Accounting Policies — Revenue Recognition” to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We generate sales primarily through our four main sales channels: U.S. state and local agencies, international, U.S. federal agencies, and commercial.

Costs and Expenses

Cost of goods sold. Cost of goods sold includes raw material purchases, manufacturing-related labor costs, contracted labor, shipping, reimbursable research and development costs, allocated manufacturing overhead, facility costs, depreciation and amortization, and product warranty costs.

Selling, general and administrative. Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expense includes personnel-related costs, professional services, marketing and advertising expense, research and development, depreciation and amortization, and impairment charges.

Restructuring and transaction costs. Restructuring costs consist primarily of termination benefits and relocation of employees, termination of operating leases and other contracts related to consolidating or closing facilities. Transaction costs consist of legal fees and consulting costs related to one-time transactions.

Related party expense. Related party expense primarily consists of rent expense related to distribution locations owned by related parties and any one-time transaction fees paid to related parties.

Interest expense. Interest expense consists primarily of interest on outstanding debt.

Other expense, net. Other expense, net primarily consists of gains and losses from foreign currency transactions.

Provision for income taxes. A provision or benefit for income tax is calculated for each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. The provision or benefit for income taxes is determined using the asset and liability approach of accounting for income taxes. Under this approach, deferred taxes represent the future tax consequences expected to occur when the reported amounts of assets and liabilities are recovered or paid. The benefit or provision for income taxes represents income taxes paid or payable for the current year plus the change in deferred taxes during the year. Deferred taxes result from differences between the book and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are adjusted for changes in tax rates and tax laws when changes are enacted. Valuation allowances are recorded to reduce deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized. See Note 15 “Income Taxes” in our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

In order to reflect the way our chief operating decision maker reviews and assesses the performance of the business, Cadre has determined that it has two reportable segments — the Product segment and the Distribution segment. Segment information is consistent with how the chief operating decision maker, our chief executive officer, reviews the business, makes investing and resource allocation decisions and assesses operating performance.

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The following table presents data from our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands unless otherwise noted):

​

The following table presents segment data for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands):

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Comparison of Year Ended December 31, 2023 to Year Ended December 31, 2022

Net sales. Product segment net sales increased by $25.4 million or 6.6%, from $385.4 million to $410.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to 2022, primarily due to $20.4 million from higher demand for armor products, $9.2 million from higher demand for crowd control products, $3.4 million from higher demand for duty gear products and $7.4 million from recent acquisitions, partially offset by a reduction of $13.7 million from large international orders for explosive ordnance disposal products fulfilled in the prior year. Distribution segment net sales increased by $5.3 million or 5.4%, from $97.1 million to $102.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to 2022, primarily due to increased agency demand for hard goods. Reconciling items consisting primarily of intercompany eliminations were $30.7 million and $24.7 million for year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

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Cost of goods sold. Product segment cost of goods sold increased by $3.7 million, or 1.6%, from $230.2 million to $233.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to 2022 primarily due to increased volume and increasing costs to manufacture product (principally material and labor), partially offset by prior year increases from the amortization of inventory step-up adjustments related to 2022 acquisitions, product mix and productivity. Product segment gross profit as a percentage of net sales increased by 280 basis points to 43.1% in 2023 from 40.3% in 2022 mainly driven by favorable pricing, product mix and productivity, partially offset by inflation and pressure from a stronger Mexican peso. Distribution segment cost of goods sold increased by $1.7 million, or 2.2%, from $76.6 million to $78.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to 2022 primarily due to increased volume, partially offset by costs to acquire products. Distribution segment gross profit as a percentage of net sales increased by 240 basis points to 23.5% in 2023 from 21.1% in 2022 mainly driven by favorable product mix within the agency channel. Reconciling items consisting primarily of intercompany eliminations were $30.5 million and $24.7 million for year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Selling, general and administrative. SG&A decreased by $12.6 million, or 8.2%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to 2022 primarily due to a $22.9 million decrease in stock-based compensation expense, partially offset by an increase in employee compensation and related benefits.

Restructuring and transaction costs. Restructuring and transaction costs decreased by $2.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to 2022 primarily due to costs incurred in 2022 associated with acquisitions.

Related party expense. Related party expense remained consistent for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to 2022 and primarily consisted of a $1.0 million transaction fee paid to Kanders & Company, Inc., a company controlled by our Chief Executive Officer, in connection with the acquisition of ICOR for the year ended December 31, 2023 and a $1.0 million transaction fee paid to Kanders & Company, Inc. in connection with the acquisition of Cyalume for the year ended December 31, 2022. We also recorded rent expense relating to distribution warehouses and retail stores that we lease from related parties.

Interest expense. Interest expense decreased by $1.7 million, or 27.0%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to 2022 as a result of a decrease in outstanding borrowings.

Other income (expense), net. Other income, net was $0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to Other expense, net of $1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates.

Provision for income taxes. Provision for income taxes increased by $10.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to 2022. The effective tax rate was 27.0% for the year ended December 31, 2023 and was higher than the statutory rate due to state taxes and executive compensation, partially offset by research and development tax credits. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the effective tax rate was 37.9% and was higher than the statutory rate due to state taxes, executive compensation and the tax impact of our foreign earnings, partially offset by research and development tax credits.

NON-GAAP MEASURES

This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, which are non-GAAP financial measures that we use to supplement our results presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. EBITDA is defined as net income before depreciation and amortization expense, interest expense and provision for income tax. Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA that excludes restructuring and transaction costs, other general income, other (income) expense, net, stock-based compensation expense, stock-based compensation payroll tax expense, long-term incentive plan (“LTIP”) bonus and amortization of inventory step-up as these items do not represent our core operating performance.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are performance measures that we believe are useful to investors and analysts because they illustrate the underlying financial and business trends relating to our core, recurring results of operations and enhance comparability between periods. Adjusted EBITDA is considered by our board of directors and management as an important factor in determining performance-based compensation.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not recognized measures under U.S. GAAP and are not intended to be a substitute for any U.S. GAAP financial measure and, as calculated, may not be comparable to other similarly-titled measures of performance of other companies. Investors should exercise caution in comparing our non-GAAP measures to any similarly titled measures used by other

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companies. These non-GAAP financial measures exclude certain items required by U.S. GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to information reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

The table below presents our EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measures for the periods indicated:

Adjusted EBITDA increased by $10.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to 2022, primarily due to an increase in net sales, an increase in gross profit margin and recent acquisitions.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Liquidity refers to our ability to generate sufficient cash flows to meet the cash requirements of our business operations, including working capital needs, capital expenditures, debt service, acquisitions and other commitments. Our principal sources of liquidity have been cash provided by operating activities, cash on hand and amounts available under our revolving loans.

For the year ended December 31, 2022, net cash provided from operating activities was $73.2 million and as of December 31, 2023, cash and cash equivalents totaled $87.7 million. We believe that our cash flows from operations and cash on hand, and available borrowing capacity under our existing credit facilities (as described below) will be adequate to meet our liquidity requirements for at least the 12 months following the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our future capital requirements will depend on several factors, including future acquisitions and investments in our manufacturing facilities and equipment. We could be required, or could elect, to

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seek additional funding through public or private equity or debt financings; however, additional funds may not be available on terms acceptable to us, if at all.

Debt

As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, we had $140.1 million and $149.7 million in outstanding debt, net of debt discounts and debt issuance costs, respectively, primarily related to the term loan facilities.

2021 Credit Agreement

On August 20, 2021 (the “Closing Date”), the Company refinanced its existing credit facilities and entered into a new credit agreement whereby Safariland, LLC, as borrower (the “Borrower”), the Company and certain domestic subsidiaries of the Borrower, as guarantors (the “Guarantors”), closed on and received funding under a credit agreement (initially entered into on July 23, 2021), pursuant to a First Amendment to Credit Agreement (collectively, the “2021 Credit Agreement”) with PNC Bank, National Association (“PNC”), as administrative agent, and the several lenders from time to time party thereto (together with PNC, the “Lenders”) pursuant to which the Borrower (i) borrowed $200.0 million under a term loan (the “Term Loan”), and (ii) may borrow up to $100.0 million under a revolving credit facility (including up to $15.0 million for letters of credit and up to $10.0 million for swing line loans) (the “Revolving Loan”). Each of the Term Loan and the Revolving Loan mature on July 23, 2026. Commencing December 31, 2021, the New Term Loan requires scheduled quarterly payments in amounts equal to 1.25% per quarter of the original aggregate principal amount of the Term Loan, with the balance due at maturity. The 2021 Credit Agreement is guaranteed, jointly and severally, by the Guarantors and, subject to certain exceptions, secured by a first-priority security interest in substantially all of the assets of the Borrower and the Guarantors pursuant to a Security and Pledge Agreement and a Guaranty and Suretyship Agreement, each dated as of the Closing Date.

There were no amounts outstanding under the Revolving Loan as of December 31, 2023 and 2022. As of December 31, 2023, there were $2.6 million in outstanding letters of credit and $97.4 million of availability.

The Borrower may elect to have the Revolving Loan and Term Loan under the 2021 Credit Agreement bear interest at a base rate or LIBOR, in each case, plus an applicable margin. However, in connection with the market transition away from applicable LIBOR rates to SOFR, on May 31, 2023, the Company, the Borrowers and the Lenders entered into the third amendment to the 2021 Credit Agreement (the “Third Amendment”) pursuant to which the 2021 Credit Agreement was amended to implement the SOFR rates. The applicable interest rates for these borrowings are, at the Company’s option, either (a) a base rate plus an applicable margin between 0.50% and 1.50% or (b) a Term SOFR rate, plus a SOFR adjustment equal to 0.10%, plus an applicable margin equal to 1.50% to 2.50%.

The 2021 Credit Agreement also contains customary representations and warranties, and affirmative and negative covenants, including limitations on additional indebtedness, dividends, and other distributions, entry into new lines of business, use of loan proceeds, capital expenditures, restricted payments, restrictions on liens on the assets of the Borrowers or any Guarantor, transactions with affiliates, amendments to organizational documents, accounting changes, sale and leaseback transactions, dispositions, and mandatory prepayments in connection with certain liquidity events. The 2021 Credit Agreement contains certain restrictive debt covenants, which require us to: (i) maintain a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.25 to 1.00, starting with the quarter ended December 31, 2021, which is to be determined for each quarter end on a trailing four quarter basis and (ii) maintain a quarterly maximum consolidated total net leverage ratio of 3.75 to 1.00 from the quarter ended December 31, 2021 until the quarter ended September 30, 2022, and thereafter 3.50 to 1.00, which is in each case to be determined on a trailing four quarter basis; provided that under certain circumstances and subject to certain limitations, in the event of a material acquisition, we may temporarily increase the consolidated total net leverage ratio by up to 0.50 to 1.00 for four fiscal quarters following such acquisition. The 2021 Credit Agreement contains customary events of default that include, among others, non-payment of principal, interest or fees, violation of covenants, inaccuracy of representations and warranties, failure to make payment on, or defaults with respect to, certain other material indebtedness, bankruptcy and insolvency events, material judgments and change of control provisions. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, and after the expiration of any applicable grace period, payment of any outstanding loans under the 2021 Credit Agreement may be accelerated and the Lenders could foreclose on their security interests in the assets of the Borrowers and the Guarantors. As of March 8, 2024, there were no amounts outstanding under the Revolving Loan.

In connection with the Borrower’s acquisition of Alpha Safety on March 1, 2024, the Borrower and the Guarantors entered into an Incremental Facility Amendment to the 2021 Credit Agreement, whereby the Lenders made an incremental term loan to the Borrower in the principal amount of $80 million for the purpose of funding the acquisition of Alpha Safety. All other material terms of the 2021 Credit Agreement remained unchanged.

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The foregoing description of the 2021 Credit Agreement, as amended, does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to exhibits 10.15, 10.16 and 10.17 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, exhibit 10.1 attached to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, as well as exhibit 10.1 attached to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on March 6, 2024, and are incorporated herein by reference as though fully set forth herein.

Canadian Credit Facility

On October 14, 2021, Med-Eng Holdings ULC and Pacific Safety Products Inc., the Company’s Canadian subsidiaries, as borrowers (the “Canadian Borrowers”), and Safariland, LLC, as guarantor (the “Canadian Guarantor”), closed on a line of credit pursuant to a Loan Agreement (the “Canadian Loan Agreement”) and a Revolving Line of Credit Note (the “Note”) with PNC Bank Canada Branch (“PNC Canada”), as lender pursuant to which the Canadian Borrowers may borrow up to CDN$10.0 million under a revolving line of credit (including up to $3.0 million for letters of credit) (the “Revolving Canadian Loan”). The Revolving Canadian Loan matures on July 23, 2026. The Canadian Loan Agreement is guaranteed by the Canadian Guarantor pursuant to a Guaranty and Suretyship Agreement.

The Canadian Borrowers may elect to have borrowings either in United States dollars or Canadian dollars under the Canadian Loan Agreement, which will bear interest at a base rate or SOFR, in each case, plus an applicable margin, in the case of borrowings in United States dollars, or at a Canadian Prime Rate (as announced from time to time by PNC Canada) or a Canadian deposit offered rate (“CDOR”) as determined from time to time by PNC Canada in accordance with the Canadian Loan Agreement. The applicable margin for these borrowings will range from 0.50% to 1.50% per annum, in the case of base rate borrowings and Canadian Prime Rate borrowings, and 1.50% to 2.50% per annum, in the case of SOFR borrowings and CDOR borrowings. The Canadian Loan Agreement also requires the Canadian Borrowers to pay (i) an unused line fee on the unused portion of the loan commitments in an amount ranging between 0.175% and 0.25% per annum, based upon the level of the Company’s consolidated total net leverage ratio, and (ii) an upfront fee equal to 0.25% of the principal amount of the Note.

There were no amounts outstanding under the Revolving Canadian Loan as of December 31, 2023 and 2022.

The Canadian Loan Agreement also contains customary representations and warranties, and affirmative and negative covenants, including, among others, limitations on additional indebtedness, entry into new lines of business, entry into guarantee agreements, making of any loans or advances to, or investments in, any other person, restrictions on liens on the assets of the Canadian Borrowers and mergers, transfers of assets and acquisitions. The Canadian Loan Agreement and Note also contain customary events of default that include, among others, non-payment of principal, interest or fees, violation of covenants, inaccuracy of representations and warranties, failure to make payment on, or defaults with respect to, certain other material indebtedness, bankruptcy and insolvency events, material judgments and change of control provisions. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, and after the expiration of any applicable grace period, payment of any outstanding loans under the Canadian Loan Agreement may be accelerated. As of March 8, 2024, there were no amounts outstanding under the Revolving Canadian Loan.

The foregoing description of the Canadian Loan Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Canadian Loan Agreement, which is exhibit 10.18 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and is incorporated herein by reference as though fully set forth herein.

Cash Flows

The following table presents a summary of our cash flows for the periods indicated:

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Net cash provided by operating activities

During the year ended December 31, 2023, net cash provided by operating activities of $73.2 million resulted primarily from net income of $38.6 million, a $15.7 million add back to net income for depreciation and amortization, a $9.4 million add back to net income for stock-based compensation and a $10.1 million add back to net income from changes in operating assets and liabilities. Changes in operating assets and liabilities were primarily driven by a decrease in accounts receivable of $6.6 million and an increase in accounts payable and other liabilities of $14.0 million, partially offset by an increase in inventories of $10.2 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2022, net cash provided by operating activities of $46.4 million resulted primarily from net income of $5.8 million, a $31.9 million add back to net income for stock-based compensation, a $15.7 million add back to net income for depreciation and amortization, a $4.3 million add back to net income for amortization of inventory step-up and a $12.6 million deduction to net income from changes in operating assets and liabilities. Changes in operating assets and liabilities were primarily driven by an increase in accounts receivable of $11.5 million, an increase in prepaid expense and other assets of $7.7 million and an increase in accounts payable and other liabilities of $5.5 million.

Net cash used in investing activities

During the year ended December 31, 2023, we used $6.5 million of cash in investing activities, primarily consisting of $6.7 million for purchases of property and equipment.

During the year ended December 31, 2022, we used $59.6 million of cash in investing activities, primarily consisting of $19.4 million for the acquisition of Radar, $36.2 million for the acquisition of Cyalume and $4.5 million for purchases of property and equipment.

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

During the year ended December 31, 2023, we used $24.7 million of cash in financing activities, primarily consisting principal payments on term loans of $10.0 million, taxes paid in connection with employee stock transactions of $2.7 million and dividends distributed of $12.0 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2022, net cash provided by financing activities of $24.5 million resulted primarily from proceeds from the secondary offering of $56.3 million, partially offset by principal payments on term loans of $10.1 million, taxes paid in connection with employee stock transactions of $6.3 million and dividends distributed of $11.5 million.

Contractual Obligations

The following table summarizes our significant contractual obligations as of December 31, 2023 by period:

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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We do not engage in off-balance sheet financing arrangements, as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K.

Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgements and Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or U.S. GAAP. Preparation of the financial statements requires us to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that impact the reported amount of net sales and expenses, assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We consider an accounting judgment, estimate or assumption to be critical when the estimate or assumption is complex in nature or requires a high degree of judgment and when the use of different judgments, estimates and assumptions could have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. While our significant accounting policies are described in more detail in Note 1 of our consolidated financial statements, we believe that the following accounting policies are those most critical to the judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements.

Business Combinations

We allocate the purchase price, including contingent consideration, of our acquisitions to the assets and liabilities acquired, including identifiable intangible assets, based on their fair values at the date of acquisition. The fair values are primarily based on third-party valuations using our management assumptions that require significant judgments and estimates. The purchase price allocated to intangibles is based on unobservable factors, including but not limited to, projected revenues, expenses, customer attrition rates, royalty rates, and weighted average cost of capital, among others. The weighted average cost of capital uses a market participant’s cost of equity and after-tax cost of debt and reflects the risks inherent in the cash flows. The unobservable factors we use are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but are also uncertain and unpredictable, as a result these estimates, and assumptions may require adjustment in the future if actual results differ from our estimates.

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Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations of Cadre Holdings, Inc. (D/B/A The Safariland Group) (“Cadre,” “the Company” “we,” “us” and “our”) should be read together with our audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 in each case together with related notes thereto, included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect future plans, estimates, beliefs and expected performance. The forward-looking statements are dependent upon events, risks and uncertainties that may be outside of Cadre’s control. Our actual results may differ significantly from those projected in the forward- looking statements. Factors that might cause future results to differ materially from those projected in the forward- looking statements include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Certain total amounts may not foot due to rounding.

Overview and 2022 Financial Highlights

Cadre is a global leader in the manufacturing and distribution of safety and survivability equipment for first responders. Our equipment provides critical protection to allow its users to safely and securely perform their duties and protect those around them in hazardous or life-threatening situations. Through our dedication to superior quality, we establish a direct covenant with end users that our products will perform and keep them safe when they are most needed. We sell a wide range of products including body armor, explosive ordnance disposal equipment and duty gear through both direct and indirect channels. In addition, through our owned distribution, we serve as a one-stop shop for first responders providing equipment we manufacture as well as third-party products including uniforms, optics, boots, firearms and ammunition. The majority of our diversified product offering is governed by rigorous safety standards and regulations. Demand for our products is driven by technological advancement as well as recurring modernization and replacement cycles for the equipment to maintain its efficiency, effective performance and regulatory compliance.

We service the ever-changing needs of our end users by investing in research and development for new product innovation and technical advancements that continually raise the standards for safety and survivability equipment in the first responder market. Our target end user base includes domestic and international first responders such as state and local law enforcement, fire and rescue, explosive ordnance disposal technicians, emergency medical technicians (“EMT”), fishing and wildlife enforcement and departments of corrections, as well as federal agencies including the U.S. Department of State (“DoS”), U.S. Department of Defense (“DoD”), U.S. Department of Interior (“DoI”), U.S. Department of Justice (“DoJ”), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”), U.S. Department of Corrections (“DoC”) and numerous foreign government agencies in over 100 countries.

In January 2022, the Company acquired Radar Leather Division S.r.l. (“Radar”) for $19.4 million, net of cash acquired. We recorded an allocation of the purchase price to tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values.

In May 2022, the Company acquired Cyalume Technologies, Inc, CT SAS Holdings, Inc. and Cyalume Technologies SAS (collectively “Cyalume”) for $36.2 million, net of cash acquired. We recorded a preliminary allocation of the purchase price to tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values. These estimates are preliminary and subject to adjustments as we complete our valuation process.

The following table sets forth a summary of our financial highlights for the periods indicated:

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Net sales increased by $30.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to December 31, 2021, primarily as a result of recent acquisitions and agency demand for hard goods through our Distribution segment.

Net income decreased by $6.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily as a result of an increase in stock-based compensation expense, which was partially offset by an increase in net sales, lower interest expense and the loss on extinguishment of debt related to the August 2021 debt refinance.

Initial Public Offering

On November 3, 2021, the Company completed its initial public offering (“IPO”) in which the Company issued and sold 6,900,000 shares of common stock, which included 900,000 shares that were offered and sold pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option, at a public offering price of $13.00 per share. The Company’s net proceeds from the sale of shares in the IPO were $78.6 million after underwriter discounts and commissions, fees and expenses of $11.1 million, of which $2.3 million was paid to Kanders & Company, Inc., a company controlled by Warren B. Kanders, our Chief Executive Officer.

Secondary Offering

On June 9, 2022, the Company completed a secondary offering in which the Company issued and sold 2,250,000 shares of common stock at a price of $23.50 per share. The Company’s net proceeds from the sale of shares were $47.0 million after underwriter discounts and commissions, fees and expenses of $2.7 million, of which $2.0 million was paid to Kanders & Company, Inc., a company controlled by Warren B. Kanders, our Chief Executive Officer.

On July 14, 2022, the underwriters exercised a portion of their over-allotment option and purchased an additional 300,000 shares of common stock at a price of $23.50 per share, resulting in net proceeds to the Company of $6.4 million after underwriter discounts and commissions, fees and expenses of $0.7 million.

COVID-19

The global outbreak of COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization and a national emergency by the U.S., and European governments in March 2020, with governments world-wide implementing safety measures restricting travel and requiring citizen lockdowns and self-confinements for quarantining purposes. During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, this had negatively affected the U.S. and global economies, disrupted global supply chains, and resulted in significant transport restrictions and disruption of global financial markets.

An outbreak of disease or similar public health threat, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, could have, and in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic has had and may continue to have, a significant impact on the global supply chain, with restrictions and limitations on related activities causing disruption and delay, along with increased raw material, storage, and shipping costs. Any of these disruptions and delays may strain domestic and international supply chains, which could negatively affect the flow or availability of certain critical raw materials and finished good products that the Company relies upon. Furthermore, the foregoing impacts may negatively affect our logistical operations, including our fulfillment and shipping functions, which could result in periodic delays in the delivery of our products.

We expect that an outbreak of disease or similar public health threat, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, could have, and in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic may continue to have, an impact on the Company’s sales and profitability in future periods. The duration of these trends and the magnitude of such impacts cannot be precisely estimated at this time, as they are affected by a number of factors (some of which are outside management’s control), including those presented in Item 1A. Risk Factors.

KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS

Orders backlog

We monitor our orders backlog, which we believe is a forward-looking indicator of potential sales. Our orders backlog for products includes all orders that have been received and are believed to be firm. Due to municipal government procurement rules, in certain cases orders included in backlog are subject to budget appropriation or other contract cancellation clauses. Consequently, our

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orders backlog may differ from actual future sales. Orders backlog can be helpful to investors in evaluating the performance of our business and identify trends over time.

The following table presents our orders backlog as of the periods indicated:

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Orders comprising backlog as of a given balance sheet date are typically invoiced in subsequent periods. The majority of our products are generally processed and shipped within one to six weeks of an order being placed, though the fulfillment time for certain products, for example, explosive ordnance disposal equipment, may take three months or longer. Our orders backlog could experience volatility between periods, including as a result of customer order volumes and the speed of our order fulfilment, which in turn may be impacted by the nature of products ordered, the amount of inventory on hand and the necessary manufacturing lead time.

Orders backlog increased by $4.0 million as of December 31, 2022 compared to December 31, 2021, primarily due to $8.9 million from recent acquisitions, $8.6 million due to large government and international orders for less lethal product and $6.4 million from higher demand for armor products, offset partially by reductions of $13.2 million from 2022 shipments of large international contracts for bomb suits, $3.3 million driven by reductions in supplier past dues for ammunition and firearms through our Distribution segment and $2.1 million from 2022 shipments of a large domestic duty gear order.

DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN COMPONENTS OF FINANCIAL DATA

Net sales

We recognize revenue when a contract exists with a customer that specifies the goods and services to be provided at an agreed upon sales price and when the performance obligation is satisfied by transferring the goods or service to the customer. The performance obligation is considered satisfied when control transfers, which is generally determined when products are shipped or delivered to the customer but could be delayed until the receipt of customer acceptance, depending on the terms of the contract. At the time of revenue recognition we also provide for estimated sales returns and miscellaneous claims from customers as reductions to revenues. Charges for shipping and handling fees billed to customers are included in net sales. Taxes collected from customers and remitted to government authorities are reported on a net basis and are excluded from sales. See Note 1 “Significant Accounting Policies — Revenue Recognition” to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We generate sales primarily through our four main sales channels: U.S. state and local agencies, international, U.S. federal agencies, and commercial.

Costs and Expenses

Cost of goods sold. Cost of goods sold includes raw material purchases, manufacturing-related labor costs, contracted labor, shipping, reimbursable research and development costs, allocated manufacturing overhead, facility costs, depreciation and amortization, and product warranty costs.

Selling, general and administrative. Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expense includes personnel-related costs, professional services, marketing and advertising expense, research and development, depreciation and amortization, and impairment charges.

Restructuring and transaction costs. Restructuring costs consist primarily of termination benefits and relocation of employees, termination of operating leases and other contracts related to consolidating or closing facilities. Transaction costs consist of legal fees and consulting costs related to one-time transactions.

Related party expense. Related party expense primarily consists of rent expense related to distribution locations owned by related parties and any one-time transaction fees paid to related parties.

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Other general income. Other general income consists primarily of gains from the disposition of a long-lived assets.

Interest expense. Interest expense consists primarily of interest on outstanding debt.

Loss on extinguishment of debt. Loss on extinguishment of debt consists primarily of recorded losses associated with debt restructuring.

Other expense, net. Other expense, net primarily consists of gains and losses from foreign currency transactions.

Provision for income taxes. A provision or benefit for income tax is calculated for each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. The provision or benefit for income taxes is determined using the asset and liability approach of accounting for income taxes. Under this approach, deferred taxes represent the future tax consequences expected to occur when the reported amounts of assets and liabilities are recovered or paid. The benefit or provision for income taxes represents income taxes paid or payable for the current year plus the change in deferred taxes during the year. Deferred taxes result from differences between the book and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are adjusted for changes in tax rates and tax laws when changes are enacted. Valuation allowances are recorded to reduce deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized. See Note 16 “Income Taxes” in our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

In order to reflect the way our chief operation decision maker reviews and assesses the performance of the business, Cadre has determined that it has two reportable segments — the Product segment and the Distribution segment. Segment information is consistent with how the chief operating decision maker, our chief executive officer, reviews the business, makes investing and resource allocation decisions and assesses operating performance.

The following table presents data from our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands unless otherwise noted):

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The following table presents segment data for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands unless otherwise noted):

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Comparison of Year Ended December 31, 2022 to Year Ended December 31, 2021

Net sales. Product segment net sales increased by $23.2 million or 6.4%, from $362.2 million to $385.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to 2021, primarily due to increases of $29.4 million from recent acquisitions and $11.4 million from higher demand for armor products, partially offset by reductions of $9.3 million from a large contractual armor order fulfilled in the prior year, $4.9 million for crowd control product due to higher demand in the prior year, $3.7 million from large international contractual orders for explosive ordnance disposals and $2.3 million for gun cleaning lubricants (higher prior year sales in support of firearms demand). Distribution segment net sales increased by $7.1 million or 7.8%, from $90.0 million to $97.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to 2021, primarily due to agency demand for hard goods. Reconciling items consisting primarily of intercompany eliminations were $24.7 million and $24.9 million for year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Cost of goods sold. Product segment cost of goods sold increased by $16.3 million, or 7.7%, from $213.9 million to $230.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to 2021 primarily due to increased volume and increasing costs to manufacture product (principally material and labor). Product segment gross profit as a percentage of net sales decreased by 69 basis points to 40.3% in 2022 from 40.9% in 2021 mainly driven by 110 basis points related to amortization of inventory step-up recorded as part of the recent acquisitions, partially offset by favorable pricing net of mix and inflation. Distribution segment cost of goods sold increased by $9.0 million, or 13.3%, from $67.6 million to $76.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to 2021 primarily due to increased volume and costs to acquire products. Distribution segment gross profit as a percentage of net sales decreased 21.1% in 2022 from 24.9% in 2021 mainly driven by unfavorable channel mix with more volume going to agencies versus retail and e-commerce. Reconciling items consisting primarily of intercompany eliminations were $24.7 million and $24.9 million for year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Selling, general and administrative. SG&A increased by $38.3 million, or 33.3%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to 2021 primarily due to increased stock-based compensation expense of $31.9 million in the current year and $6.9 million as a result of acquisitions.

Restructuring and transaction costs. Restructuring and transaction costs increased by $0.9 million, for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to 2021, which primarily consisted of expenses related to the Company’s various acquisition efforts and various initiatives implemented during the current quarter.

Related party expense. Related party expense increased by $0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to 2021, primarily due to a $1.0 million transaction fee paid to Kanders & Company, Inc., a company controlled by our Chief Executive Officer, in connection with the acquisition of Cyalume. We also recorded rent expense relating to distribution warehouses and retail stores that we lease from related parties.

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Other general income. Gains in other general income increased by $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to 2021 due to a gain from the sale of our Daventry, UK facility in the current year.

Interest expense. Interest expense decreased by $10.2 million, or 62.2%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to 2021 as a result of our prior year debt refinancing and debt repayments on our outstanding debt.

Loss on extinguishment of debt. Loss on extinguishment of debt decreased by $15.2 million due to the refinancing of our long-term debt in August 2021.

Other expense, net. Other expense, net increased by $0.2 million, for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to 2021 primarily due to losses on foreign currency transactions.

Provision for income taxes. Income tax provision was $3.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $6.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The effective tax rate was 37.9% for the year ended December 31, 2022 and was higher than the statutory rate due to state taxes, executive compensation and the tax impact of our foreign earnings, partially offset by research and development tax credits. For the year ended December 31, 2021, the effective tax rate was 34.0% and was higher than the statutory rate primarily due to state taxes and executive compensation, partially offset by research and development tax credits.

NON-GAAP MEASURES

This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Conversion Rate, which are non-GAAP measures that we use to supplement our results presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. EBITDA is defined as net income before depreciation and amortization expense, interest expense and provision for income taxes. Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA that excludes restructuring and transaction costs, other general income, loss on extinguishment of debt, other expense, net, stock-based compensation expense, stock-based compensation payroll tax expense, long term incentive plan (“LTIP”) bonus, and amortization of inventory step-up as these items do not represent our core operating performance. We also present Adjusted EBITDA Conversion Rate, which we define as Adjusted EBITDA less capital expenditures divided by Adjusted EBITDA. We use Adjusted EBITDA Conversion Rate as a measurement of the cash generation capacity of our underlying operations, exclusive of impacts relating to our capital structure.

EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Conversion Rate are performance measures that we believe are useful to investors and analysts because they illustrate the underlying financial and business trends relating to our core, recurring results of operations and enhance comparability between periods. Adjusted EBITDA is identical to the financial metric used under our existing credit facilities to measure our covenant compliance and is also considered by our board of directors and management as an important factor in determining performance-based compensation. Adjusted EBITDA Conversion Rate is a liquidity measure that we believe provides investors and analysts with important information about our core, recurring cash generation trends, which are an indication of our ability to make acquisitions, incur additional debt or return capital to investors, after making the capital investments required to support our business operations.

EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Conversion Rate are not recognized measures under U.S. GAAP and are not intended to be a substitute for any U.S. GAAP financial measure and, as calculated, may not be comparable to other similarly-titled measures of performance of other companies. Investors should exercise caution in comparing our non-GAAP measures to any similarly titled measures used by other companies. These non-GAAP measures exclude certain items required by U.S. GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to information reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

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The table below presents our EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Conversion Rate reconciled to the most comparable GAAP measure for the periods indicated:

Adjusted EBITDA increased $4.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to 2021, primarily due to the increase in net sales, partially offset by increases in public company costs and marketing spend.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Liquidity refers to our ability to generate sufficient cash flows to meet the cash requirements of our business operations, including working capital needs, capital expenditures, service debt, acquisitions and other commitments. Our principal sources of liquidity have been cash provided by operating activities, cash on hand and amounts available under our revolving credit facility.

For the year ended December 31, 2022, net cash provided by operating activities was $46.4 million and as of December 31, 2022, cash and cash equivalents were $45.3 million. We believe that our cash flows from operations and cash on hand, and available borrowing capacity under Debt (as described below) will be adequate to meet our liquidity requirements for at least the 12 months following the date

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of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our future capital requirements will depend on several factors, including future acquisitions and investments in our manufacturing facilities and equipment. We could be required, or could elect, to seek additional funding through public or private equity or debt financings; however, additional funds may not be available on terms acceptable to us, if at all.

Debt

As of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, we had $149.7 million and $159.7 million in outstanding debt, net of debt discounts and debt issuance costs, respectively, primarily related to the term loan facilities.

New Credit Agreement

On August 20, 2021 (the “Closing Date”), the Company refinanced its existing credit facilities and entered into a new credit agreement whereby Safariland, LLC, as borrower (the “Borrower”), the Company and certain domestic subsidiaries of the Borrower, as guarantors (the “Guarantors”), closed on and received funding under a credit agreement (initially entered into on July 23, 2021), pursuant to a First Amendment to Credit Agreement (as amended by the Second Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated as of December 14, 2022, collectively, the “New Credit Agreement”) with PNC Bank, National Association (“PNC”), as administrative agent, and the several lenders from time to time party thereto (together with PNC, the “Lenders”) pursuant to which the Borrower (i) borrowed $200.0 million under a term loan (the “Term Loan”), and (ii) may borrow up to $100.0 million under a revolving credit facility (including up to $15.0 million for letters of credit and up to $10.0 million for swing line loans) (the “Revolving Loan”). Each of the Term Loan and the Revolving Loan mature on July 23, 2026. Commencing December 31, 2021, the New Term Loan requires scheduled quarterly payments in amounts equal to 1.25% per quarter of the original aggregate principal amount of the Term Loan, with the balance due at maturity. The New Credit Agreement is guaranteed, jointly and severally, by the Guarantors and, subject to certain exceptions, secured by a first-priority security interest in substantially all of the assets of the Borrower and the Guarantors pursuant to a Security and Pledge Agreement and a Guaranty and Suretyship Agreement, each dated as of the Closing Date.

There were no amounts outstanding under the Revolving Loan as of December 31, 2022 and 2021. As of December 31, 2022, there were $2.4 million in outstanding letters of credit, and $97.6 million of availability.

The Borrower may elect to have the Revolving Loan and Term Loan under the New Credit Agreement bear interest at a base rate or a LIBOR rate, in each case, plus an applicable margin. The applicable margin for these borrowings will range from 0.50% to 1.50% per annum, in the case of base rate borrowings, and 1.50% to 2.50% per annum, in the case of LIBOR borrowings, in each case based upon the level of the Company’s consolidated total net leverage ratio. The New Credit Agreement also requires the Borrower to pay a commitment fee on the unused portion of the loan commitments. Such commitment fee will range between 0.175% and 0.25% per annum, and is also based upon the level of the Company’s consolidated total net leverage ratio.

The New Credit Agreement also contains customary representations and warranties, and affirmative and negative covenants, including limitations on additional indebtedness, dividends, and other distributions, entry into new lines of business, use of loan proceeds, capital expenditures, restricted payments, restrictions on liens on the assets of the Borrowers or any Guarantor, transactions with affiliates, amendments to organizational documents, accounting changes, sale and leaseback transactions, dispositions, and mandatory prepayments in connection with certain liquidity events. The New Credit Agreement contains certain restrictive debt covenants, which require us to: (i) maintain a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.25 to 1.00, starting with the quarter ended December 31, 2021, which is to be determined for each quarter end on a trailing four quarter basis and (ii) maintain a quarterly maximum consolidated total net leverage ratio of 3.75 to 1.00 from the quarter ended December 31, 2021 until the quarter ended September 30, 2022, and thereafter 3.50 to 1.00, which is in each case to be determined on a trailing four quarter basis; provided that under certain circumstances and subject to certain limitations, in the event of a material acquisition, we may temporarily increase the consolidated total net leverage ratio by up to 0.50 to 1.00 for four fiscal quarters following such acquisition. The New Credit Agreement contains customary events of default that include, among others, non-payment of principal, interest or fees, violation of covenants, inaccuracy of representations and warranties, failure to make payment on, or defaults with respect to, certain other material indebtedness, bankruptcy and insolvency events, material judgments and change of control provisions. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, and after the expiration of any applicable grace period, payment of any outstanding loans under the New Credit Agreement may be accelerated and the Lenders could foreclose on their security interests in the assets of the Borrowers and the Guarantors. As of March 10, 2023, there were no amounts outstanding under the Revolving Loan.

The foregoing description of the New Credit Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to exhibits 10.15, 10.16 and 10.17, respectively, to this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Canadian Credit Facility

On October 14, 2021, Med-Eng Holdings ULC and Pacific Safety Products Inc., the Company’s Canadian subsidiaries, as borrowers (the “Canadian Borrowers”), and Safariland, LLC, as guarantor (the “Canadian Guarantor”), closed on a line of credit pursuant to a Loan Agreement (the “Canadian Loan Agreement”) and a Revolving Line of Credit Note (the “Note”) with PNC Bank Canada Branch (“PNC Canada”), as lender pursuant to which the Canadian Borrowers may borrow up to CDN$10.0 million under a revolving line of credit (including up to $3.0 million for letters of credit) (the “Revolving Canadian Loan”). The Revolving Canadian Loan matures on July 23, 2026. The Canadian Loan Agreement is guaranteed by the Canadian Guarantor pursuant to a Guaranty and Suretyship Agreement.

The Canadian Borrowers may elect to have borrowings either in United States dollars or Canadian dollars under the Canadian Loan Agreement, which will bear interest at a base rate or a LIBOR rate, in each case, plus an applicable margin, in the case of borrowings in United States dollars, or at a Canadian Prime Rate (as announced from time to time by PNC Canada) or a Canadian deposit offered rate (“CDOR”) as determined from time to time by PNC Canada in accordance with the Canadian Loan Agreement. The applicable margin for these borrowings will range from 0.50% to 1.50% per annum, in the case of base rate borrowings and Canadian Prime Rate borrowings, and 1.50% to 2.50% per annum, in the case of LIBOR borrowings and CDOR borrowings. The Canadian Loan Agreement also requires the Canadian Borrowers to pay (i) an unused line fee on the unused portion of the loan commitments in an amount ranging between 0.175% and 0.25% per annum, based upon the level of the Company’s consolidated total net leverage ratio, and (ii) an upfront fee equal to 0.25% of the principal amount of the Note.

There were no amounts outstanding under the Revolving Canadian Loan as of December 31, 2022.

The Canadian Loan Agreement also contains customary representations and warranties, and affirmative and negative covenants, including, among others, limitations on additional indebtedness, entry into new lines of business, entry into guarantee agreements, making of any loans or advances to, or investments in, any other person, restrictions on liens on the assets of the Canadian Borrowers and mergers, transfers of assets and acquisitions. The Canadian Loan Agreement and Note also contain customary events of default that include, among others, non-payment of principal, interest or fees, violation of covenants, inaccuracy of representations and warranties, failure to make payment on, or defaults with respect to, certain other material indebtedness, bankruptcy and insolvency events, material judgments and change of control provisions. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, and after the expiration of any applicable grace period, payment of any outstanding loans under the Canadian Loan Agreement may be accelerated. As of March 10, 2023, there were no amounts outstanding under the Revolving Canadian Loan.

The foregoing description of the Canadian Loan Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Canadian Loan Agreement, which is incorporated by reference as exhibit 10.18 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Cash Flows

The following table presents a summary of our cash flows for the periods indicated:

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Net cash provided by operating activities

During the year ended December 31, 2022, net cash provided by operating activities of $46.4 million resulted primarily from net income of $5.8 million, a $31.9 million add back to net income for stock-based compensation, a $15.7 million add back to net income for depreciation and amortization, a $4.3 million add back to net income for amortization of inventory step-up and a $12.6 million deduction to net income from changes in operating assets and liabilities. Changes in operating assets and liabilities were primarily driven by an increase in accounts receivable of $11.5 million, an increase in prepaid expense and other assets of $7.7 million and an increase in accounts payable and other liabilities of $5.5 million.

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During the year ended December 31, 2021, net cash provided by operating activities of $40.1 million resulted primarily from net income of $12.7 million, a $15.2 million add back to net income for loss on extinguishment of debt, a $13.7 million add back to net income for depreciation and amortization, a $3.2 million add back to net income for amortization of original debt issuance discount and debt issuance costs and a $9.7 million deduction to net income from changes in operating assets and liabilities. Changes in operating assets and liabilities were driven by an increase in accounts receivable of $4.6 million, an increase in inventories of $3.2, an increase in prepaid expense and other assets of $4.6 million and an increase in accounts payable and other liabilities of $2.7 million.

Net cash used in investing activities

During the year ended December 31, 2022, we used $59.6 million of cash in investing activities, primarily consisting of $19.4 million for the acquisition of Radar, $36.2 million for the acquisition of Cyalume and $4.5 million for purchases of property and equipment.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we used $2.8 million of cash in investing activities relating to the purchase of property and equipment.

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

During the year ended December 31, 2022, net cash provided by financing activities of $24.5 million resulted primarily from proceeds from the secondary offering of $56.3 million, partially offset by principal payments on term loans of $10.1 million, taxes paid in connection with employee stock transactions of $6.3 million and dividends distributed of $11.5 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we used $6.6 million of cash in financing activities, primarily consisting of proceeds from the revolving credit facility of $258.0 million, proceeds from term loans of $198.7 million, and proceeds from the initial public offering, net of underwriter discounts of $83.4 million, offset by principal payments on the revolving credit facility of $258.6 million, principal payments on term loans of $266.0 million and dividends distributed of $12.7 million.

Contractual Obligations

The following table summarizes our significant contractual obligations as of December 31, 2022 by period:

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We do not engage in off-balance sheet financing arrangements, as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K.

Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgements and Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or U.S. GAAP. Preparation of the financial statements requires us to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that impact the reported amount of net sales and expenses, assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We consider an accounting judgment, estimate or assumption to be critical when the estimate or assumption is complex in nature or requires a high degree of judgment and when the use of different judgments, estimates and assumptions could have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. While our significant accounting policies are described in more detail in Note 1

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of our consolidated financial statements, we believe that the following accounting policies are those most critical to the judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements.

Goodwill

Goodwill is initially recorded at the fair value. Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price of acquisitions over the fair value of the net assets acquired. Goodwill is not subject to any amortization but is tested for impairment annually as of October 31st, and when events or circumstances indicate that the estimated fair value of a reporting unit may no longer exceed its carrying value. If the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to the excess, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit.

In evaluating goodwill for impairment, qualitative factors are considered to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If, through this qualitative assessment, the conclusion is made that it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying value, an impairment test is conducted. This quantitative test is performed by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit, determined by a weighted combination of the discounted cash flow method of the income approach and the market approach, to its carrying value. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. We had three reporting units as of October 31, 2022: Safariland, Med-Eng, and Distribution.

We determine the fair value of reporting units based on a combination of the income approach and market approach, weighted based on the circumstances, as management believes this is the most direct approach to incorporate the specific economic attributes and risk profiles of our reporting units into our valuation model. Under the income approach, the discounted cash flow model determines fair value based on the present value of projected cash flows over a specific projection period and a residual value related to future cash flows beyond the projection period. Both values are discounted using a rate that reflects our best estimate of the weighted average cost of capital of a market participant and is adjusted for appropriate risk factors. We perform sensitivity tests with respect to growth rates and discount rates used in the income approach. Under the market approach, valuation multiples are derived based on a selection of comparable companies and acquisition transactions and applied to projected operating data for each reporting unit to arrive at an indication of fair value.

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Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations of Cadre Holdings, Inc. (D/B/A The Safariland Group) (“Cadre,” “the Company” “we,” “us” and “our”) should be read together with our audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 in each case together with related notes thereto, included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect future plans, estimates, beliefs and expected performance. The forward-looking statements are dependent upon events, risks and uncertainties that may be outside of Cadre’s control. Our actual results may differ significantly from those projected in the forward- looking statements. Factors that might cause future results to differ materially from those projected in the forward- looking statements include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Certain total amounts may not foot due to rounding.

Overview and 2021 Financial Highlights

Cadre is a global leader in the manufacturing and distribution of safety and survivability equipment for first responders. Our equipment provides critical protection to allow its users to safely and securely perform their duties and protect those around them in hazardous or life-threatening situations. Through our dedication to superior quality, we establish a direct covenant with end users that our products will perform and keep them safe when they are most needed. We sell a wide range of products including body armor, explosive ordnance disposal equipment and duty gear through both direct and indirect channels. In addition, through our owned distribution, we serve as a one-stop shop for first responders providing equipment we manufacture as well as third-party products including uniforms, optics, boots, firearms and ammunition. The majority of our diversified product offering is governed by rigorous safety standards and regulations. Demand for our products is driven by technological advancement as well as recurring modernization and replacement cycles for the equipment to maintain its efficiency, effective performance and regulatory compliance.

We service the ever-changing needs of our end users by investing in research and development for new product innovation and technical advancements that continually raise the standards for safety and survivability equipment in the first responder market. Our target end user base includes domestic and international first responders such as state and local law enforcement, fire and rescue, explosive ordnance disposal technicians, emergency medical technicians (“EMT”), fishing and wildlife enforcement and departments of corrections, as well as federal agencies including the U.S. Department of State (“DoS”), U.S. Department of Defense (“DoD”), U.S. Department of Interior (“DoI”), U.S. Department of Justice (“DoJ”), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”), U.S. Department of Corrections (“DoC”) and numerous foreign government agencies in over 100 countries.

The following table sets forth a summary of our financial highlights for the periods indicated:

Net sales increased by $22.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of fulfilling a large international contract for structural armor, an overall increase for explosive ordinance disposal products largely due to international customer refresh cycles, and higher demand for ammunition and firearm products through our Distribution segment.

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Net income decreased by $25.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of a loss on extinguishment of debt incurred from the execution of the New Credit Agreement, an increase in provision for income taxes due to the release of a valuation allowance on a portion of our deferred tax assets in December 2020 and the following non-recurring transactions recognized in the period ended December 31, 2020: a gain on the sale of a long-lived asset and receipt of earn-out stock payments. These were offset by improvements in gross profit due to increased sales, favorable pricing and product mix.

Initial Public Offering

On November 3, 2021, the Company completed its initial public offering (“IPO”) in which the Company issued and sold 6,900,000 shares of common stock, which included 900,000 shares that were offered and sold pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option, at a public offering price of $13.00 per share. The Company’s net proceeds from the sale of shares in the IPO were $78.6 million after underwriter discounts and commissions, fees and expenses of $11.1 million, of which $2.3 million was paid to Kanders & Company, Inc., a company controlled by Warren Kanders, our Chief Executive Officer.

COVID-19

The global outbreak of COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization and a national emergency by the U.S. and European governments in March 2020, with governments world-wide implementing safety measures restricting travel and requiring citizen lockdowns and self-confinements for quarantining purposes. This has negatively affected the U.S. and global economies, disrupted global supply chains, and resulted in significant transport restrictions and disruption of global financial markets.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the global supply chain, with restrictions and limitations on related activities causing disruption and delay, along with increased raw material, storage, and shipping costs. These disruptions and delays have strained domestic and international supply chains, which have affected and could continue to negatively affect the flow or availability of certain critical raw materials and finished good products that the Company relies upon. Furthermore, any negative impacts on our logistical operations, including our fulfillment and shipping functions, could result in periodic delays in the delivery of our products.

KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS

Orders backlog

We monitor our orders backlog, which we believe is a forward-looking indicator of potential sales. Our orders backlog for products includes all orders that have been received and are believed to be firm. Due to municipal government procurement rules, in certain cases orders included in backlog are subject to budget appropriation or other contract cancellation clauses. Consequently, our orders backlog may differ from actual future sales. Orders backlog can be helpful to investors in evaluating the performance of our business and identify trends over time.

The following table presents our orders backlog as of the periods indicated:

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Orders comprising backlog as of a given balance sheet date are typically invoiced in subsequent periods. The majority of our products are generally processed and shipped within one to six weeks of an order being placed, though the fulfillment time for certain products, for example, explosive ordnance disposal equipment, may take three months or longer. Our orders backlog could experience volatility between periods, including as a result of customer order volumes and the speed of our order fulfilment, which in turn may be impacted by the nature of products ordered, the amount of inventory on hand and the necessary manufacturing lead time.

Orders backlog decreased by $18.0 million as of December 31, 2021 compared to December 31, 2020, primarily due to $12.9 million from 2021 shipments of large contractual armor orders, reduction of $4.6 million due to prior year demand of explosive ordnance disposal product, $3.9 million from 2021 shipments of large contractual less lethal orders, and reduction in past dues of $2.6 million from duty gear holsters. This was partially offset by an increase of $5.9 million from the distribution of ammunition and firearms through our company-owned retail locations.

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DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN COMPONENTS OF FINANCIAL DATA

Net sales

We recognize revenue when a contract exists with a customer that specifies the goods and services to be provided at an agreed upon sales price and when the performance obligation is satisfied by transferring the goods or service to the customer. The performance obligation is considered satisfied when control transfers, which is generally determined when products are shipped or delivered to the customer but could be delayed until the receipt of customer acceptance, depending on the terms of the contract. At the time of revenue recognition we also provide for estimated sales returns and miscellaneous claims from customers as reductions to revenues. Charges for shipping and handling fees billed to customers are included in net sales. Taxes collected from customers and remitted to government authorities are reported on a net basis and are excluded from sales. See Note 1 “Significant Accounting Policies — Revenue Recognition” to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We generate sales primarily through our four main sales channels: U.S. state and local agencies, international, U.S. federal agencies, and commercial.

Costs and Expenses

Cost of goods sold. Cost of goods sold includes raw material purchases, manufacturing-related labor costs, contracted labor, shipping, reimbursable research and development costs, allocated manufacturing overhead, facility costs, depreciation and amortization, and product warranty costs.

Selling, general and administrative. Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expense includes personnel-related costs, professional services, marketing and advertising expense, research and development, depreciation and amortization, and impairment charges.

Restructuring and transaction costs. Restructuring costs consist primarily of termination benefits and relocation of employees, termination of operating leases and other contracts related to consolidating or closing facilities. Transaction costs consist of legal fees and consulting costs related to one-time transactions.

Related party expense. Related party expense primarily consists of rent expense related to 5 distribution locations owned by related parties and any one-time transaction fees paid to related parties.

Other general expense (income). Other general expense (income) consists primarily of gains from the disposition of a long-lived asset coupled with earn-out stock payments.

Interest expense. Interest expense consists primarily of interest on outstanding debt.

Loss on extinguishment of debt. Loss on extinguishment of debt consists primarily of recorded losses associated with debt restructuring.

Other (expense) income, net. Other (expense) income, net primarily consists of non-operating gains and losses, such as gains or losses on the sale of equity securities and foreign currency impacts.

(Provision) benefit for income taxes. A provision or benefit for income tax is calculated for each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. The provision or benefit for income taxes is determined using the asset and liability approach of accounting for income taxes. Under this approach, deferred taxes represent the future tax consequences expected to occur when the reported amounts of assets and liabilities are recovered or paid. The benefit or provision for income taxes represents income taxes paid or payable for the current year plus the change in deferred taxes during the year. Deferred taxes result from differences between the book and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are adjusted for changes in tax rates and tax laws when changes are enacted. Valuation allowances are recorded to reduce deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized. See Note 14 “Income Taxes” in our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

In order to reflect the way our chief operation decision maker reviews and assesses the performance of the business, Cadre has determined that it has two reportable segments — the Product segment and the Distribution segment. Segment information is consistent with how the chief operating decision maker, our chief executive officer, reviews the business, makes investing and resource allocation decisions and assesses operating performance.

The following table presents data from our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands unless otherwise noted):

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The following table presents segment data for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands unless otherwise noted):

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Comparison of Year Ended December 31, 2021 to Year Ended December 31, 2020

Net sales. Product segment net sales increased by $18.5 million or 5.4%, from $343.7 million to $362.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to 2020, primarily driven by a $38.8 million increase in the international channel due to shipment timing for customer contracts offset in part by a $15.7 million decrease in the U.S. federal agencies channel due to shipment timing for a customer contract for duty gear holsters and explosive ordnance disposals and a $4.8 million reduction for the U.S. state and local agencies channel due to higher demand for crowd control products in prior year. Distribution segment net sales increased by $5.1 million or 6.0%, from $84.9 million to $90.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to 2020, due to an increase in the U.S. state and local agencies channel as a result of higher market demand for ammunition and firearms products. Reconciling items consisting primarily of intercompany eliminations were ($24.9) million and ($24.0) million for year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Cost of goods sold. Product segment cost of goods sold increased by $2.9 million, or 1.3%, from $211.0 million to $213.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to 2020 primarily due to material and labor costs to manufacture product. Product segment gross profit as a percentage of net sales increased by 2.3% to 40.9% in 2021 from 38.6% in 2020 mainly driven by favorable pricing and product mix. Distribution segment cost of goods sold increased by $2.8 million, or 4.5%, from $64.8 million to $67.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to 2020 primarily due to higher costs to acquire products. Distribution segment gross profit as a percentage of net sales increased by 1.2% to 24.9% in 2021 from 23.7% in 2020 mainly driven by an increase in ammunition and firearms sales and favorable pricing. Reconciling items consisting primarily of intercompany eliminations were ($24.9) million and ($24.1) million for year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Selling, general and administrative. SG&A increased by $8.3 million, or 7.8%, for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to 2020 primarily due to the implementation of a cash-based long-term incentive plan (“LTIP”) and stock-based compensation plan in 2021 and increases in incentive bonus and commissions related to the structural armor order.

Restructuring and transaction costs. Restructuring and transaction costs decreased by $2.4 million, for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to 2020 due to lower transactions costs and consulting fees incurred.

Related party expense. Related party expense decreased by $1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to 2020 primarily due to a $1.0 million transaction fee paid to Kanders & Company, Inc., a company controlled by our Chief Executive Officer in connection with our 2020 debt refinancing.

Other general expense (income). Gains in other general income decreased by $11.0 million, or 100.0%, for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to 2020 due to a gain from Ontario facility asset sale of $6.2 million and earn-out stock payments from Axon Enterprise, Inc. (“Axon”) for $4.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to no activity for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Interest expense. Interest expense decreased by $8.0 million, or 32.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to 2020 primarily due to an interest rate decrease as a result of our recent refinancing and debt repayments on our outstanding debt.

Loss on extinguishment of debt. Loss on extinguishment of debt increased by $15.0 million due to the refinancing of our long-term debt in August 2021.

Other (expense) income, net. Other (expense) income, net decreased by $3.6 million, for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to 2020 primarily due to a $0.7 million loss on foreign currency transactions for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $4.5 million realized gains on the appreciation of Axon stock received in connection with the sale of VieVu, LLC, offset in part by a $2.3 million loss on a stock collar transaction for the year ended December 31, 2020.

(Provision) benefit for income taxes. Income tax provision was $6.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to a tax benefit of $10.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.  The effective tax rate was 34.0% for the year ended December 31, 2021 and was higher than the statutory rate due to state taxes, executive compensation, and the tax impact of our foreign earnings, partially offset by research and development tax credits.  For the year ended December 31, 2020, the effective tax rate was (37.9)% and was lower than the statutory rate primarily due to the release of a valuation allowance on a portion of our deferred tax assets.

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NON-GAAP MEASURES

This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Conversion Rate, which are non-GAAP measures that we use to supplement our results presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. EBITDA is defined as net income before depreciation and amortization expense, interest expense and Provision (benefit) for income tax. Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA that excludes restructuring and transaction costs, other general income, other (expense) income, net, contingent consideration and other, long term incentive plan (“LTIP”) bonus, and goodwill impairment as these items do not represent our core operating performance. We also present Adjusted EBITDA Conversion Rate, which we define as Adjusted EBITDA less capital expenditures divided by Adjusted EBITDA. We use Adjusted EBITDA Conversion Rate as a measurement of the cash generation capacity of our underlying operations, exclusive of impacts relating to our capital structure.

EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Conversion Rate are performance measures that we believe are useful to investors and analysts because they illustrate the underlying financial and business trends relating to our core, recurring results of operations and enhance comparability between periods. Adjusted EBITDA is identical to the financial metric used under our existing credit facilities to measure our covenant compliance and is also considered by our board of directors and management as an important factor in determining performance-based compensation. Adjusted EBITDA Conversion Rate is a liquidity measure that we believe provides investors and analysts with important information about our core, recurring cash generation trends, which are an indication of our ability to make acquisitions, incur additional debt or return capital to investors, after making the capital investments required to support our business operations.

EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Conversion Rate are not recognized measures under U.S. GAAP and are not intended to be a substitute for any U.S. GAAP financial measure and, as calculated, may not be comparable to other similarly-titled measures of performance of other companies. Investors should exercise caution in comparing our non-GAAP measures to any similarly titled measures used by other companies. These non-GAAP measures exclude certain items required by U.S. GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to information reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

The table below presents our EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Conversion Rate reconciled to the most comparable GAAP measure for the periods indicated:

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Adjusted EBITDA increased $13.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to 2020, primarily due to increased sales volume and margin rate increases attributable to favorable pricing and product mix.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Liquidity refers to our ability to generate sufficient cash flows to meet the cash requirements of our business operations, including working capital needs, capital expenditures, service debt, acquisitions and other commitments. Our principal sources of liquidity have been cash provided by operating activities, cash on hand and amounts available under our revolving credit facility.

In November 2021, upon the completion of our IPO, we received net proceeds of $78.6 million after underwriter discounts and commissions, fees and expenses of $11.1 million. We used a portion of the IPO proceeds to repay $38.9 million and $20.5 million, respectively, that were outstanding under our existing Term Loan and Revolving Loan under the New Credit Agreement.

For the year ended December 31, 2021, net cash provided by operating activities was $40.1 million and as of December 31, 2021, cash and cash equivalents were $33.9 million. We believe that our cash flows from operations and cash on hand, and available borrowing capacity under Debt (as described below) will be adequate to meet our liquidity requirements for at least the 12 months following the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our future capital requirements will depend on several factors, including future acquisitions and investments in our manufacturing facilities and equipment. We could be required, or could elect, to seek additional funding through public or private equity or debt financings; however, additional funds may not be available on terms acceptable to us, if at all.

In January 2022, the Company acquired Radar Leather Division S.r.l. ("Radar") for approximately $21.0 million. The purchase accounting for this acquisition is in progress.

Debt

As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we had $159.7 million and $212.8 million in outstanding debt, net of debt discounts and debt issuance costs, respectively, primarily related to the term loan facilities.

New Credit Agreement

On August 20, 2021 (the “Closing Date”), the Company refinanced its existing credit facilities and entered into a new credit agreement whereby Safariland, LLC, as borrower (the “Borrower”), the Company and certain domestic subsidiaries of the Borrower, as guarantors (the “Guarantors”), closed on and received funding under a credit agreement (initially entered into on July 23, 2021), pursuant to a First Amendment to Credit Agreement (collectively, the “New Credit Agreement”) with PNC Bank, National Association (“PNC”), as administrative agent, and the several lenders from time to time party thereto (together with PNC, the “Lenders”) pursuant to which the Borrower (i) borrowed $200.0 million under a term loan (the “Term Loan”), and (ii) may borrow up to $100.0 million under a revolving credit facility (including up to $15.0 million for letters of credit and up to $10.0 million for swing line loans) (the “Revolving Loan”). Each of the Term Loan and the Revolving Loan mature on July 23, 2026. Commencing December 31, 2021, the New Term Loan requires scheduled quarterly payments in amounts equal to 1.25% per quarter of the original aggregate principal amount of the Term Loan, with the balance due at maturity. The New Credit Agreement is guaranteed, jointly and

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severally, by the Guarantors and, subject to certain exceptions, secured by a first-priority security interest in substantially all of the assets of the Borrower and the Guarantors pursuant to a Security and Pledge Agreement (the “Security Agreement”) and a Guaranty and Suretyship Agreement (the “Guaranty Agreement”), each dated as of the Closing Date.

There were no amounts outstanding under any revolving loans as of December 31, 2021 and 2020. As of December 31, 2021, there were $3.0 million in outstanding letters of credit, and $97.0 million of availability.

The Borrower may elect to have the Revolving Loan and Term Loan under the New Credit Agreement bear interest at a base rate or a LIBOR rate, in each case, plus an applicable margin. The applicable margin for these borrowings will range from 0.50% to 1.50% per annum, in the case of base rate borrowings, and 1.50% to 2.50% per annum, in the case of LIBOR borrowings, in each case based upon the level of the Company’s consolidated total net leverage ratio. The New Credit Agreement also requires the Borrower to pay a commitment fee on the unused portion of the loan commitments. Such commitment fee will range between 0.175% and 0.25% per annum, and is also based upon the level of the Company’s consolidated total net leverage ratio.

The New Credit Agreement also contains customary representations and warranties, and affirmative and negative covenants, including limitations on additional indebtedness, dividends, and other distributions, entry into new lines of business, use of loan proceeds, capital expenditures, restricted payments, restrictions on liens on the assets of the Borrowers or any Guarantor, transactions with affiliates, amendments to organizational documents, accounting changes, sale and leaseback transactions, dispositions, and mandatory prepayments in connection with certain liquidity events. The New Credit Agreement contains certain restrictive debt covenants, which require us to: (i) maintain a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.25 to 1.00, starting with the quarter ended December 31, 2021, which is to be determined for each quarter end on a trailing four quarter basis and (ii) maintain a quarterly maximum consolidated total net leverage ratio of 3.75 to 1.00 from the quarter ended December 31, 2021 until the quarter ended September 30, 2022, and thereafter 3.50 to 1.00, which is in each case to be determined on a trailing four quarter basis; provided that under certain circumstances and subject to certain limitations, in the event of a material acquisition, we may temporarily increase the consolidated total net leverage ratio by up to 0.50 to 1.00 for four fiscal quarters following such acquisition. The New Credit Agreement contains customary events of default that include, among others, non-payment of principal, interest or fees, violation of covenants, inaccuracy of representations and warranties, failure to make payment on, or defaults with respect to, certain other material indebtedness, bankruptcy and insolvency events, material judgments and change of control provisions. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, and after the expiration of any applicable grace period, payment of any outstanding loans under the New Credit Agreement may be accelerated and the Lenders could foreclose on their security interests in the assets of the Borrowers and the Guarantors. As of March 7, 2022, there were no amounts outstanding under the Revolving Loan.

The foregoing description of the New Credit Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the New Credit Agreement, which is incorporated by reference as exhibit 10.24 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Canadian Credit Facility

On October 14, 2021, Med-Eng Holdings ULC and Pacific Safety Products Inc., the Company’s Canadian subsidiaries, as borrowers (the “Canadian Borrowers”), and Safariland, LLC, as guarantor (the “Canadian Guarantor”), closed on a line of credit pursuant to a Loan Agreement (the “Canadian Loan Agreement”) and a Revolving Line of Credit Note (the “Note”) with PNC Bank Canada Branch (“PNC Canada”), as lender pursuant to which the Canadian Borrowers may borrow up to CDN$10.0 million under a revolving line of credit (including up to $3.0 million for letters of credit) (the “Revolving Canadian Loan”). The Revolving Canadian Loan matures on July 23, 2026. The Canadian Loan Agreement is guaranteed by Safariland, LLC pursuant to a Guaranty and Suretyship Agreement (the “Canadian Guaranty Agreement”).

The Canadian Borrowers may elect to have borrowings either in United States dollars or Canadian dollars under the Canadian Loan Agreement, which will bear interest at a base rate or a LIBOR rate, in each case, plus an applicable margin, in the case of borrowings in United States dollars, or at a Canadian Prime Rate (as announced from time to time by PNC Canada) or a Canadian deposit offered rate (“CDOR”) as determined from time to time by PNC Canada in accordance with the Canadian Loan Agreement. The applicable margin for these borrowings will range from 0.50% to 1.50% per annum, in the case of base rate borrowings and Canadian Prime Rate borrowings, and 1.50% to 2.50% per annum, in the case of LIBOR borrowings and CDOR borrowings. The Canadian Loan Agreement also requires the Canadian Borrowers to pay (i) an unused line fee on the unused portion of the loan commitments in an amount ranging between 0.175% and 0.25% per annum, based upon the level of the Company’s consolidated total net leverage ratio, and (ii) an upfront fee equal to 0.25% of the principal amount of the Note.

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There were no amounts outstanding under the Revolving Canadian Loan as of December 31, 2021.

The Canadian Loan Agreement also contains customary representations and warranties, and affirmative and negative covenants, including, among others, limitations on additional indebtedness, entry into new lines of business, entry into guarantee agreements, making of any loans or advances to, or investments in, any other person, restrictions on liens on the assets of the Canadian Borrowers and mergers, transfers of assets and acquisitions. The Canadian Loan Agreement and Note also contain customary events of default that include, among others, non-payment of principal, interest or fees, violation of covenants, inaccuracy of representations and warranties, failure to make payment on, or defaults with respect to, certain other material indebtedness, bankruptcy and insolvency events, material judgments and change of control provisions. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, and after the expiration of any applicable grace period, payment of any outstanding loans under the Canadian Loan Agreement may be accelerated. As of March 7, 2022, there were no amounts outstanding under the Revolving Canadian Loan.

The foregoing description of the Canadian Loan Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Canadian Loan Agreement, which is incorporated by reference as exhibit 10.28 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Cash Flows

The following table presents a summary of our cash flows for the periods indicated:

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Net cash provided by operating activities

During the year ended December 31, 2021, net cash provided by operating activities of $40.1 million resulted primarily from net income of $12.7 million, a net add-back of non-cash income statement items of $37.1 million, and a net decrease of $9.7 million from the change in operating assets and liabilities. Included in the non-cash items were $13.7 million in depreciation and amortization, $15.2 million in loss on extinguishment of debt, and an increase in deferred income taxes of $4.8 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, net cash provided by operating activities of $45.4 million resulted primarily from net income of $38.5 million, a net deduction of non-cash income statement items of $10.4 million, and a net increase of $17.4 million from the change in operating assets and liabilities. Included in the non-cash items were $14.7 million in depreciation and amortization, $9.2 million in non-cash consideration received from the sale of business, a decrease in deferred income taxes of $12.2 million and $6.2 million gain on sale of fixed assets.

Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we used $2.8 million of cash in investing activities relating to the purchase of property and equipment.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, cash provided by investing activities totaled $19.8 million, primarily consisting of proceeds from disposition of property and equipment of $12.4 million and proceeds from sale of equity securities of $14.4 million.

Net cash used in financing activities

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we used $6.6 million of cash in financing activities, primarily consisting of proceeds from the revolving credit facility of $258.0 million, proceeds from term loans of $198.7 million, and proceeds from the initial public offering, net of underwriter discounts of $83.4 million, offset by principal payments on the revolving credit facility of $258.6 million, principal payments on term loans of $266.0 million and dividends distributed of $12.7 million.

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During the year ended December 31, 2020, we used $64.9 million of cash in financing activities, primarily consisting of proceeds from the revolving credit facility of $382.1 million, proceeds from term loans of $219.6 million, offset by principal payments on the revolving credit facility of $384.2 million and principal payments on term loans of $276.4 million.

Contractual Obligations

The following table summarizes our significant contractual obligations as of December 31, 2021 by period:

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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We do not engage in off-balance sheet financing arrangements, as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K.

Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgements and Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or U.S. GAAP. Preparation of the financial statements requires us to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that impact the reported amount of net sales and expenses, assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We consider an accounting judgment, estimate or assumption to be critical when the estimate or assumption is complex in nature or requires a high degree of judgment and when the use of different judgments, estimates and assumptions could have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. While our significant accounting policies are described in more detail in Note 1 of our consolidated financial statements, we believe that the following accounting policies are those most critical to the judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements.

Goodwill

Goodwill is initially recorded at the fair value. Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price of acquisitions over the fair value of the net assets acquired. Goodwill is not subject to any amortization but is tested for impairment annually as of October 31st, and when events or circumstances indicate that the estimated fair value of a reporting unit may no longer exceed its carrying value. If the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to the excess, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit.

In evaluating goodwill for impairment, qualitative factors are considered to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If, through this qualitative assessment, the conclusion is made that it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying value, an impairment test is conducted. This quantitative test is performed by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit, determined by a weighted combination of the discounted cash flow method of the income approach and the market approach, to its carrying value. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. We had three reporting units as of October 31, 2021: Safariland, Med-Eng, and Distribution.

We determine the fair value of reporting units based on a combination of the income approach and market approach, weighted based on the circumstances, as management believes this is the most direct approach to incorporate the specific

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economic attributes and risk profiles of our reporting units into our valuation model. Under the income approach, the discounted cash flow model determines fair value based on the present value of projected cash flows over a specific projection period and a residual value related to future cash flows beyond the projection period. Both values are discounted using a rate that reflects our best estimate of the weighted average cost of capital of a market participant and is adjusted for appropriate risk factors. We perform sensitivity tests with respect to growth rates and discount rates used in the income approach. Under the market approach, valuation multiples are derived based on a selection of comparable companies and acquisition transactions and applied to projected operating data for each reporting unit to arrive at an indication of fair value.

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