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Oil-Dri Corporation of America
Annual Report 2022

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FY2022 Annual Report · Oil-Dri Corporation of America
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ANNUAL REPORTANNUAL REPORTMARKET SPOTLIGHTCreating Value Through...PET CAREANIMAL HEALTHIn fiscal year 2022, Oil-Dri’s domestic branded and private label lightweight business grew by 16% over the prior year to $77 million, as more consumers embraced the numerous benefits of our value-added products. Oil-Dri continues to exceed the lightweight litter segment sales growth of 8% for the 52-week period ended July 16, 2022, according to third-party research data for retail sales1. Throughout the last 12 months, our unit share of the lightweight segment rose to 43%1, reflecting consumers’ preference for our products which yield the same volume but weigh up to 40% LESS than other competitive traditional scoopable litter products. Our Cat’s Pride® and private label lightweight litter items not only perform well and are easier to  carry, but they also contribute to the Company’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Oil-Dri is proud to manufacture this quality lightweight cat litter that benefits both consumers and the environment.1Based in part on data reported by NielsenIQ through its Scantrack Service for the Cat Litter Category in the 52-week period ended July 16, 2022, for the U.S. xAOC+Pet Supers market. Copyright © 2022 Nielsen.mlanINTERNATIONALThe Amlan team reached key milestones in fiscal year 2022 with the introduction of a new portfolio of mineral-based feed additives specifically designed for the United States and Canada. Internationally, two new products were introduced as natural drug alternatives, Phylox® and NeutraPath®.  As we forge ahead into fiscal year 2023 and celebrate Amlan’s 15TH ANNIVERSARY, we will continue to focus on innovative uses of our mineral technology that help drive profits naturally for our customers. With our growing portfolio, we are committed to providing safe, reliable, and consistent natural feed additives that meet the growing consumer demand for high quality animal protein that is free from antibiotics and harsh chemicals.Dear Stakeholder,I am very proud of our team’s performance during the past fiscal year.  It was a very challenging year from a cost, supply chain, and talent acquisition standpoint.  Despite all of the obstacles, we delivered record net sales, but saw our bottom line fall short of the prior year.  However, the fourth quarter’s top and bottom lines were both strong, giving us enhanced momentum heading into the new fiscal year.OUR STRATEGIES ARE WORKING.  We are Creating Value from Sorbent Minerals in a variety of markets.  We successfully launched our animal health products in the United States providing our new customers a non-antibiotic, natural gut health solution for their animal production businesses.  Our mineral-based feed additives meet the demands for cleaner food while reducing the inputs needed to raise production animals.  They add value by helping to decrease the cost and environmental impact of poultry and livestock production. Our private label lightweight cat litter business continued its exponential growth in the US and Canada.  Our lightweight litter products are great for the consumer, great for the retailer, and great for the environment.  We can load nearly twice as many units on a truck compared to traditional scoopable litter, thereby reducing the number of truckloads required to deliver the product.  This frees up capacity in our retail partners’ distribution centers and reduces the carbon footprint.  As consumers increasingly make the switch from heavy to lightweight cat litter, there will be a considerable reduction in carbon emissions.  We are very excited about the continued expansion of our fluids purification products.  We continue to be the filtration media of choice for edible oils in the United States.  In addition, several renewable diesel plants are scheduled to commence operations in 2023.  These plants rely on Oil-Dri’s filtration products to remove trace metals and phospholipids from various feedstock oils which are then converted into diesel fuel.  We are proud that our products can contribute to this renewable and sustainable source of energy.We are pleased that our margins began to rebound in the fourth quarter, but realize we have a long way to go to get back to historical levels.  Profitability is our major focus as we need to generate the cash necessary to reinvest in our capital assets.  Replacement assets are seeing the same inflation occurring globally, so the cost of replacing equipment, as its useful life comes to an end, is far exceeding the historic depreciated value.We very much appreciate the loyalty and support  of our shareholders and are pleased that we could  reward you by raising our dividend rate for the  19th consecutive year.mlanINTERNATIONALLETTER TO STAKEHOLDERSSUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED        New Products inDANIEL S. JAFFEEPresident & Chief Executive OfficerVisit Our New Websiteof Innovative ProductsFINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Fiscal Years End July 31  
Dollar Amount in Thousands (Except Per Share Data)

2020
8.6%

13.3%

2021
4.8%

7.2%

2022
2.4%

3.7%

 $283,227 

 $304,981

$348,589

 $68,706 

 $65,241 

$62,515

 $18,900 

 $11,113 

$5,674

$91

$83

$75

KEY METRICS

Return on Average Assets

Return on Average Shareholder Equity

INCOME STATEMENT DATA

Net Sales

Gross Profit*

Net Income Attributable to Oil-Dri

$421

$389

$375

$425

$400

$375

$350

$325

$100

$75

$50

$25

$0

2020

2021

2022

2020

2021

2022

NET SALES/TON

GROSS PROFIT*/TON

BALANCE SHEET DATA

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Total Assets

Notes Payable

Working Capital

PER SHARE DATA

Net Income per Basic Common Share

Paid Dividend per Common Share

Book Value per Share

 $40,890 

 $24,591 

$16,298

 $235,882 

 $227,566 

$249,611

 $9,848 

 $8,878 

$32,798

 $62,213 

 $62,952 

$66,166

$2.70

$1.00

$1.61

$1.04

$0.83

$1.08

$20.64

$22.53

$21.72

*Gross profit for fiscal year 2020 has been adjusted for a reclassification of costs between selling, general and administrative expenses and cost of sales. See Note 1 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in our Annual Report 
on form 10-K for the year ended July 31, 2021. 

UNITED STATES 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K 

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
 For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2022 

OR
 ☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 
1934
 For the Transition Period from _____ to _____

Commission File Number 001-12622 

OIL-DRI CORPORATION OF AMERICA 

(Exact name of the registrant as specified in its charter)

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) 

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

Delaware 

36-2048898 

410 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 400 

Chicago, Illinois   

60611-4213 
(Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code (312) 321-1515 

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

Title of Each Class
Common Stock, par value $0.10 per 
share

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of Each Exchange on Which 
Registered

ODC

New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:  None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. 

Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

 Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate  by  check  mark  whether  the  registrant  (1)  has  filed  all  reports  required  to  be  filed  by  Section  13  or  15(d)  of  the 
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to 
file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  

Yes ☒ No ☐

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

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

1

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Large accelerated filer

Accelerated filer

Non-accelerated filer

☐        
☒  
☐

Smaller reporting company ☒
Emerging growth company ☐

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

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). 

 Yes ☐ No ☒

The aggregate market value of Oil-Dri’s Common Stock owned by non-affiliates as of January 31, 2022 was $180,521,731.

Number of shares of each class of Oil-Dri’s capital stock outstanding as of September 30, 2022:
Common Stock – 5,074,630 shares   

Class B Stock – 2,045,415 shares 

Class A Common Stock – 0 shares

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of Oil-Dri’s Proxy Statement for its 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (“Proxy Statement”), which will be filed 
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) not later than November 28, 2022 (120 days after the end of Oil-Dri’s 
fiscal year ended July 31, 2022), are incorporated into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as indicated herein.

2

 
 
 
 
 
 
Item

1

1A.

1B.

2

3

4

5

7

8

9

9A.

9B.

10

11

12

13

14

CONTENTS

PART I

Page

Business      ...................................................................................................................

  Risk Factors   ..............................................................................................................

  Unresolved Staff Comments     ....................................................................................

  Properties     .................................................................................................................

  Legal Proceedings    ....................................................................................................

  Mine Safety Disclosure     ............................................................................................

PART II

Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer 
Purchases of Equity Securities     .................................................................................

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

  Financial Statements and Supplementary Data   ........................................................

  Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting    .....................

  Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, PCAOB ID: 248      .......

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial 
Disclosure   .................................................................................................................

  Controls and Procedures   ..........................................................................................

  Other Information .....................................................................................................

PART III

  Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance    .......................................

  Executive Compensation  ..........................................................................................

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related 
Stockholder Matters    .................................................................................................

  Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence   .........

  Principal Accountant Fees and Services    ..................................................................

3

5

15

27

28

32

32

33

34

45

76

77

79

79

79

80

80

80

81

81

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CONTENTS (CONTINUED)

Item  

Page

PART IV

15

Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedule     .............................................................

  Signatures   .................................................................................................................

  Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts    ...................................................

  Exhibit Index   ............................................................................................................

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

82

88

90

91

Certain  statements  in  this  report,  including  those  under  the  heading  “Management’s  Discussion  and  Analysis  of 
Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and those statements elsewhere in this report and other documents we file with 
the SEC, contain forward-looking statements that are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about 
our future performance, our business, our beliefs and our management’s assumptions. In addition, we, or others on our behalf, 
may make forward-looking statements in press releases or written statements, or in our communications and discussions with 
investors and analysts in the normal course of business through meetings, webcasts, phone calls and conference calls. Words 
such as “expect,” “outlook,” “forecast,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “continue,” “believe,” “seek,” 
“estimate,”  “anticipate,”  “may,”  “assume,”  “foresee,”  “predict,”  “possible,”  “commit,”  “design,”  “strive,”  and  variations  of 
such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, which are made pursuant to the 
safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Such  statements  are  subject  to  certain  risks,  uncertainties  and  assumptions  that  could  cause  actual  results  to  differ 
materially, including those described in Item 1A “Risk Factors” below and other documents we file with the SEC. Should one 
or more of these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may 
vary materially from those anticipated, intended, expected, believed, estimated, projected or planned. Investors are cautioned 
not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Except to the extent 
required  by  law,  we  do  not  have  any  intention  or  obligation  to  update  publicly  any  forward-looking  statements  after  the 
distribution of this report, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise.

TRADEMARK NOTICE

Agsorb,  Ambio,  Amlan,  Calibrin,  Cat’s  Pride,  ConditionAde,  Flo-Fre,  Fresh  &  Light,  Jonny  Cat,  KatKit,  MD-09, 
Metal-X,  Metal-Z,  NeoPrime,  Oil-Dri,  Pel-Unite,  Perform,  Pro  Mound,  Pro's  Choice  Sports  Field  Products,  Pure-Flo,  Rapid 
Dry,  Saular,  Select,  Sorbiam,  Terra-Green,  Ultra-Clear,  Varium  and  Verge,  as  well  as  other  registered  or  common  law  trade 
names, trademarks or service marks appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are the property of Oil-Dri Corporation of 
America or of its subsidiaries.  Fresh Step is a registered trademark of The Clorox Pet Products Company.

4

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 1 – BUSINESS

OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS 

PART I

Except  as  otherwise  indicated  herein  or  as  the  context  otherwise  requires,  references  to  “Oil-Dri,”  the  “Company,” 

“we,” “us” or “our” refer to Oil-Dri Corporation of America and its subsidiaries.

Oil-Dri  is  a  leader  in  developing,  manufacturing  and/or  marketing  sorbent  products.  Our  sorbent  products  are 
principally  produced  from  hydrated  aluminosilicate  minerals,  primarily  consisting  of  calcium  bentonite,  attapulgite  and 
diatomaceous shale, which we refer to collectively as our “clay,” our “minerals,” or “Fuller's Earth.” We surface mine our clay 
on  leased  or  owned  land  near  our  manufacturing  facilities  in  Mississippi,  Georgia,  Illinois  and  California.  We  produce  both 
absorbent and adsorbent products from our clay. Absorbents, like sponges, draw liquids up into their many pores. Examples of 
our absorbent clay products are Cat’s Pride and Jonny Cat branded premium cat litter, as well as other private label cat litters. 
Additional  examples  are  our  Oil-Dri  branded  floor  absorbents,  Amlan  branded  animal  health  and  nutrition  solutions  for 
livestock, and Agsorb and Verge agricultural chemical carriers. Adsorbent products attract impurities in liquids, such as metals 
and surfactants, and form low-level chemical bonds. Examples of our adsorbent products are our Ultra-Clear clarification clays. 
Our Pure-Flo, Supreme, Perform and Select bleaching clay products act as purification media for edible and non-edible oils.  
We also sell nonclay-based products, such as our Oil-Dri synthetic sorbents used for automotive, industrial and marine cleanup 
as well as plastic cat litter box liners. Our principal products are described in more detail below.

Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  was  incorporated  in  1969  in  Delaware  as  the  successor  to  an  Illinois  corporation 
incorporated in 1946 (which was the successor to a partnership that commenced business in 1941). For additional information 
on  recent  business  developments,  see  “Management’s  Discussion  and  Analysis  of  Financial  Condition  and  Results  of 
Operations,” in Part II, Item 7, incorporated herein by reference.

PRINCIPAL PRODUCTS

Agricultural and Horticultural Products

We  produce  a  wide  range  of  granules  and  powders  used  to  enhance  agricultural  and  horticultural  products.  Our 
mineral-based absorbent products serve as carriers for biological and chemical active ingredients, drying agents, and growing 
media.  Our  brands  include:  Agsorb,  an  agricultural  and  horticultural  carrier  and  drying  agent;  Verge,  an  engineered  granule 
used as a carrier and drying agent; and Flo-Fre, a highly absorbent microgranule used as a flowability aid. 

Agsorb and Verge carriers are used in products that are alternatives to liquid sprays. These products are sold for lawn 
and garden and row crop applications. The clay granules absorb active ingredients and are then delivered directly into, or on top 
of the ground, providing a more precise application than liquid sprays. Verge carriers are spherical, uniform-sized granules with 
very  low  dust.  Agsorb  drying  agent  is  blended  into  fertilizer-pesticide  blends  applied  to  absorb  moisture  and  improve 
flowability.  Flo-Fre  microgranules  are  used  by  grain  processors  and  other  large  handlers  of  bulk  products  to  soak  up  excess 
moisture, which prevents caking. These products are sold primarily in the United States by our technical sales force.

Animal Health and Nutrition Solutions

We produce, or use contract processors to produce, Amlan brand name and private label products that support good 
health  and  productivity  of  species  in  livestock  industries.  For  example,  our  products,  including  our  Calibrin,  Varium  and 
NeoPrime products in our international markets, and Sorbiam, Ambio P and Ambio S products to customers in North America, 
provide  a  number  of  solutions  for  swine,  poultry  and  dairy  cattle  livestock  production.  In  addition,  our    MD-09  moisture 
manager product is a feed additive for the reduction of wet droppings in poultry and our Pel-Unite and Pel-Unite Plus products 
are specialized animal feed pellet binders.

Our  animal  health  and  nutrition  products  are  sold  both  directly  and  through  a  network  of  distributors  to  livestock 
producers, feed mill operators, nutritionists and veterinarians in the United States, Latin America, Africa, Mexico, the Middle 
East and Asia. The sales force for our subsidiaries located in China, Mexico and Indonesia also sells these products, as further 
described in Foreign Operations below.

5

 
Bleaching Adsorbent Products

We produce an array of adsorbent products for bleaching, purification and filtration applications that are used around 
the world by edible oil processors, as well as by refiners of jet fuel and other petroleum-based products. Bleaching clays are 
used  by  edible  oil  processors  to  adsorb  soluble  contaminants  that  promote  oxidation  problems.  Our  Pure-Flo  and  Perform 
bleaching clays remove impurities, such as trace metals, chlorophyll and color bodies, in various types of edible oils. Perform 
products provide increased activity for hard-to-bleach oils. Our Select adsorbents are used in a pre-treatment process to remove 
metals and trace soap in vegetable oil processing. Our Select adsorbents can also be used to pre-treat oil in the processing of 
biodiesel.    Metal-X  and  Metal-Z  are  highly  efficient  adsorbents  for  the  renewable  diesel  market.  Our  Ultra-Clear  product  is 
used  as  a  purification  and  filtration  medium  for  jet  fuel  and  other  petroleum-based  products.  These  products  are  sold  in  the 
United States and in international markets by our team of technical sales employees, distributors and sales agents.

Cat Litter Products

We produce two types of mineral-based cat litter products, scoopable and coarse non-clumping litters, both of which 
have  absorbent  and  odor  controlling  characteristics.  Scoopable  litters  have  the  additional  characteristic  of  clumping  when 
exposed to moisture, allowing the consumer to selectively dispose of the used portion of the litter. Scoopable litter products are 
further  differentiated  between  lightweight  and  heavyweight.  Lightweight  scoopable  litters  offer  high  performance  with  the 
added convenience of being lighter to carry and pour.

Branded products. Our scoopable and non-clumping litters are sold under our Cat’s Pride and Jonny Cat brand names. 
Our Cat's Pride litters created the lightweight segment of the scoopable litter market. In addition, we offer our non-clumping 
litter in a pre-packaged, disposable tray under the Cat’s Pride KatKit brand. Moreover, we offer litter box liners under the Cat's 
Pride and Jonny Cat product lines. These products are sold through independent food brokers and by our sales force to major 
grocery, drug, dollar store, mass-merchandiser and pet outlets, as well as through e-commerce.

Private label products. We produce private label scoopable and non-clumping cat litters. Our lightweight scoopable 

litters lead our private label cat litter offerings.

Co-packaged  products.  We  have  a  long-term  supply  arrangement  with  A&M  Products  Manufacturing  Company,  a 
subsidiary of The Clorox Company ("Clorox") (which is material to our business) under which we manufacture branded non-
clumping  litters.  Under  this  co-manufacturing  relationship,  the  marketer  controls  all  aspects  of  sales,  marketing,  and 
distribution,  as  well  as  the  odor  control  formula,  and  we  are  responsible  for  manufacturing.  Under  the  long-term  supply 
agreement with Clorox we have the exclusive right to supply Clorox’s requirements for Fresh Step coarse cat litter up to certain 
levels.

Industrial and Automotive Products

We manufacture and/or sell products made from clay, polypropylene and recycled materials that absorb oil, acid, paint, 
ink, water and other liquids. These products have industrial, automotive, marine and home applications. Our clay-based sorbent 
products, such as Oil-Dri branded and private label floor absorbents, are used for floor maintenance in industrial applications to 
provide a non-slip and non-flammable surface for workers. These floor absorbents are also used in automotive repair facilities, 
car  dealerships  and  other  industrial  applications,  as  well  as  for  home  use  in  garages  and  driveways.  Our  Oil-Dri  branded 
polypropylene-based and recycled products are sold in various forms, such as pads, rolls, socks, booms and spill kits.

Industrial and automotive sorbent products are sold through distribution networks that includes industrial, auto parts, 
safety, sanitary supply, chemical and paper distributors. These products are also sold through environmental service companies, 
mass-merchandisers, catalogs and through e-commerce.

Sports Products

We manufacture and sell both branded and private label sports products. Pro’s Choice Sports Field Products are used 
on baseball, softball, football, cricket, and soccer fields. Pro’s Choice soil conditioners are used in field construction or as top 
dressing  to  improve  drainage,  suppress  dust  and  improve  field  performance.  Pro  Mound  packing  clay  is  used  to  construct 
pitcher’s  mounds,  catcher's  stations  and  batter’s  boxes.  Rapid  Dry  drying  agent  is  used  to  wick  away  excess  water  from  the 
infield. Sports products are used at all levels of play, including professional, college and high school and on municipal fields. 
These products are sold through distributors of sport turf materials as well as to sports field product users.

6

 
BUSINESS SEGMENTS

We have two reportable operating segments for financial reporting derived from the different characteristics of our two 
major customer groups: the Retail and Wholesale Products Group and the Business to Business Products Group. The Retail and 
Wholesale  Products  Group  customers  include  mass  merchandisers,  wholesale  clubs,  drugstore  chains,  pet  specialty  retail 
outlets,  dollar  stores,  retail  grocery  stores,  direct  customers  through  e-commerce,  distributors  of  industrial  cleanup  and 
automotive  products,  environmental  service  companies  and  users  of  sports  field  products  and  sports  turf  materials.  The 
Business  to  Business  Products  Group  customers  include  processors  and  refiners  of  edible  oils,  petroleum-based  oils  and 
biodiesel  fuel;  manufacturers  of  animal  feed  and  agricultural  chemicals;  distributors  of  animal  health  and  nutrition  products. 
Certain financial information on both segments is contained in Note 2 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements 
and is incorporated herein by reference.

FOREIGN OPERATIONS

Our foreign operations are located in Canada, which is included in the Retail and Wholesale Products Group, and the 

United Kingdom, China, Switzerland, Mexico and Indonesia, which are included in the Business to Business Products Group.

Our  wholly-owned  subsidiary,  Oil-Dri  Canada  ULC,  is  a  manufacturer,  distributor  and  marketer  of  branded  and 
private  label  cat  litter  in  the  Canadian  marketplace.  Among  its  leading  brands  are  Saular,  Cat’s  Pride  and  Jonny  Cat.  Our 
Canadian business also manufactures or purchases and sells industrial granule floor absorbents, synthetic polypropylene sorbent 
materials and agricultural chemical carriers.

Our wholly-owned subsidiary, Oil-Dri (U.K.) Limited, is a manufacturer, distributor and marketer of industrial floor 
absorbents,  bleaching  earth  and  cat  litter.  These  products  are  marketed  in  the  United  Kingdom  and  Western  Europe.  Oil-Dri 
(U.K.) Limited also sells synthetic polypropylene sorbent materials and plastic containment products.

Our wholly-owned subsidiary, Amlan Trading (Shenzhen) Company, Ltd., located in Shenzhen, China, is dedicated to 
animal health and provides natural disease management solutions for livestock. This subsidiary sells animal health and nutrition 
products under our Amlan brand name and under private label arrangements. PT Amlan Perdagangan Internasional, another of 
our wholly-owned subsidiaries, is located in Indonesia and also distributes our animal health and nutrition products.

Our  wholly-owned  subsidiary,  Oil-Dri  SARL,  is  a  Swiss  company  that  performs  various  management,  customer 

service and administrative functions for some of the international customers of our domestic operations.

We  own  a  78.4%  interest  in  a  distributor  in  Mexico,  Agromex  Importaciones,  S.A  de  C.V.  This  distributor  sells, 

among other products, our animal health and nutrition products.

Our  foreign  operations  are  subject  to  the  normal  risks  of  doing  business  in  non-U.S.  countries,  such  as  currency 
fluctuations, restrictions on the transfer of funds and import/export duties; however, historically our operating results have not 
been materially impacted by these factors. Incorporated herein by reference are Item 1A. Risk Factors, which describes other 
risks  that  could  impact  our  foreign  operations,  and  Note  2  of  the  Notes  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements,  which 
contains certain financial information about our foreign operations.

CUSTOMERS

Sales to Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (“Walmart”) and its affiliates accounted for approximately 16% and 18% of our total 
net  sales  for  fiscal  years  2022  and  2021,  respectively.  Walmart  is  a  customer  in  our  Retail  and  Wholesale  Products  Group. 
There are no customers in the Business to Business Products Group with sales equal to or greater than 10% of our total sales. 
The degree of margin contribution of our significant customers in the Business to Business Products Group varies, with certain 
customers having a greater effect on our operating results. The loss of any customer other than those described in this paragraph 
would not be expected to have a material adverse effect on our business.

7

COMPETITION

Product performance, price, brand recognition, customer service, technical support, and distribution resources are the 
principal methods of competition in our markets and competition historically has been very vigorous. Advertising, promotion, 
merchandising and packaging also have a significant impact on retail consumer purchasing decisions, which primarily affects 
our Retail and Wholesale Products Group. Most of the principal competitors for our Retail and Wholesale Products Group have 
substantially greater financial resources or market presence than we do and have established brands. These competitors may be 
able  to  spend  more  aggressively  on  advertising  and  promotional  activities,  introduce  competing  products  more  quickly  and 
respond more effectively to changing business and economic conditions than us.

We  have  six  principal  competitors  in  our  Retail  and  Wholesale  Products  Group,  including  one  of  which  is  also  our 
customer. Two of the principal competitors relate to our Industrial and Sports products. The overall cat litter market has grown 
in recent years. The overwhelming majority of all cat litter is mineral based, including both scoopable and coarse non-clumping 
litters.  Cat  litters  based  on  alternative  strata  such  as  paper,  various  agricultural  waste  products  and  silica  gels  have  niche 
positions. Scoopable products have a majority of the cat litter market share followed by coarse non-clumping litters. The market 
share for scoopable cat litter and coarse non-clumping litter share decreased slightly during fiscal year 2022.

There is significant competition to attract cat litter consumers across multi-outlet channels, including grocery, mass-
merchandiser, dollar, pet and drug stores, as well as through e-commerce. Competition for the scoopable litter market has been 
particularly  intense  with  new  product  offerings  and  increased  advertising  and  promotions  by  our  competitors  and  by  us.  We 
provide  our  customers  with  product  innovation,  a  nation-wide  distribution  network  and  strong  customer  service.  Our 
exceptional sales and research and development teams give us a further advantage over smaller and regional manufacturers.

We  have  six  principal  competitors  in  our  Business  to  Business  Products  Group.  Our  bleaching  clay  and  fluid 
purification products are sold in a highly cost competitive global marketplace. Performance is a primary competitive factor for 
these  products.  The  animal  health  portion  of  this  segment  also  operates  in  a  global  marketplace  with  price  and  performance 
competition  from  multi-national  and  local  competitors.  Competition  for  our  crop  protection  products  is  primarily  based  on 
price,  but  competitor  differentiation  also  exists  in  the  ability  to  meet  customer  product  specifications  and  enhancements  in 
engineered granule technologies.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

We develop new products and applications and improve existing products at our research and development center in 
Vernon  Hills,  Illinois.  The  center  includes  a  pilot  plant  that  simulates  the  production  processes  of  our  customers  and  our 
manufacturing plants. In addition, our microbiology lab is within walking distance of our existing research and development 
center  and  is  dedicated  primarily  to  the  development  of  our  animal  health  products.  Our  staff  (and  various  consultants  they 
engage  from  time  to  time)  have  experience  in  disciplines  such  as  biology,  microbiology,  chemistry,  physics,  mathematics, 
geological and earth science, material science, geochemistry, physical catalysis, animal nutrition, and the animal sciences. In 
the past several years, our research efforts have resulted in a number of new sorbent products and processes. The research and 
development  center  produces  prototype  samples  and  tests  new  products  for  customer  trial  and  evaluation.  No  significant 
research and development was customer sponsored, and all research and development costs are expensed in the period in which 
incurred.  See  Note  1  of  the  Notes  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for  further  information  about  research  and 
development expenses.

BACKLOG; SEASONALITY

As of July 31, 2022 and 2021, the value of our backlog of orders were approximately $6,622,000 and $3,729,000 

respectively. Certain customers place orders for a full year of orders with future requested ship dates.  Accordingly, we define 
backlog as purchase orders that we have received from customers and that we have accepted, but that have not shipped by the 
customers’ requested ship dates.  This value was determined by the number of tons on backlog order and the net selling prices.  
In previous periods, we reported backlog values based on the broader definition of backlog as purchase orders that we have 
received from customers and that we have accepted, but that have not yet shipped. We consider our business, taken as a whole, 
to be moderately seasonal; however, business activities of certain customers (such as agricultural chemical manufacturers and 
edible oil producers) are subject to such seasonal factors as crop acreage planted, product formulation cycles and weather 
conditions.

8

EFFECTS OF INFLATION

Inflation  generally  affects  us  by  increasing  the  cost  of  employee  wages  and  benefits,  transportation,  processing 
equipment,  purchased  raw  materials  and  packaging,  energy  and  borrowings  under  our  credit  facility.  See  Item  7 
“Management’s  Discussion  and  Analysis  of  Financial  Condition  and  Results  of  Operations”  for  further  discussion  of  these 
costs.

RESOURCES

Patents

We have obtained or applied for patents for certain of our processes and products sold to customers in both the Retail 
and Wholesale Products Group and the Business to Business Products Group. U.S. patents are currently granted for a term of 20 
years from the date the patent application is filed and durations of patents issued outside of the United States vary from country 
to country. Our patents, particularly our U.S. patents, are highly important to our business and we assert our patent rights and 
vigorously protect our patents from apparent infringement where appropriate, although no single patent is considered material 
to the business as a whole. The risks associated with our patents (and intellectual property, generally), are discussed in Item 1A, 
Risk Factors.

Reserves

We  mine  our  clay  on  leased  or  owned  land  near  our  manufacturing  facilities  in  Mississippi,  Georgia,  Illinois  and 
California;  we  also  have  reserves  in  Nevada,  Oregon  and  Tennessee.  We  estimate  that  our  proven  mineral  reserves  as  of 
July 31, 2022 were approximately 101,393,000 tons in aggregate and our probable reserves were approximately 176,352,000 
tons in aggregate, for a total of 277,745,000 tons of mineral reserves. Based on our rate of consumption during fiscal year 2022, 
and  without  regard  to  any  of  our  reserves  in  Nevada,  Oregon  and  Tennessee,  we  consider  our  proven  and  probable  reserves 
adequate to supply our needs for over 40 years. Although we consider these reserves to be extremely valuable to our business, 
only a small portion of the reserves, those which were acquired in acquisitions, are reflected at cost on our balance sheet.

It is our policy to attempt to maintain a minimum of forty years of proven and probable reserves of each type of clay at 
each location. We have an ongoing program of exploration for additional reserves but we cannot assure that additional reserves 
will continue to become available. Our use of these reserves, and our ability to explore for additional reserves, are subject to 
compliance with existing and future federal and state statutes and regulations regarding mining and environmental compliance. 
During fiscal year 2022, we utilized these reserves to produce substantially all of the sorbent products that we sold.

Proven reserves are those reserves for which (a) quantity is computed from dimensions revealed in outcrops, trenches, 
workings or drill holes; grade and/or quality are computed from results of detailed sampling, and (b) the sites for inspection, 
sampling  and  measurement  are  spaced  so  closely  and  the  geologic  character  is  so  well  defined  that  size,  shape,  depth  and 
mineral  content  of  reserves  are  well  established.  Probable  reserves  are  computed  from  information  similar  to  that  used  for 
proven  reserves,  but  the  sites  for  inspection,  sampling  and  measurement  are  farther  apart  or  are  otherwise  less  adequately 
spaced. The degree of assurance, although lower than that for proven reserves, is high enough to assume continuity between 
points of observation. We use certified professional geologists and mineral specialists who estimate and evaluate existing and 
potential reserves in terms of quality, quantity and availability.

Mining Operations

We have continuously conducted mining operations in Ripley, Mississippi since 1963, in Ochlocknee, Georgia since 
1968, in Blue Mountain, Mississippi since 1989, in Mounds, Illinois since 1998 and in Taft, California since 2002. Our clay is 
surface mined on a year-round basis, using large earth moving scrapers, bulldozers, or excavators and off-road trucks to strip 
off overburden (non-usable material atop desired clay). The desired clay is then loaded into dump trucks and transported to the 
processing facilities. The stripping, mining and hauling of our clay is performed in-house as well as by independent contractors. 
Our current operating mines range in distance from immediately adjacent to approximately 13 miles from the related processing 
plants. Processing facilities are generally accessed from the mining areas by private and public roads and in some instances by 
public  highways.  Each  of  our  processing  facilities  maintains  inventories  of  unprocessed  clay  of  approximately  one  week  of 
production requirements. All key permits have either been obtained by us, or approval is expected to be received in the normal 
course of business.  See Item 2 “Properties” below for additional information regarding our mining properties and operations.

9

The  following  schedule  summarizes  the  net  book  value  of  land  and  other  plant  and  equipment  for  each  of  our 
manufacturing  facilities  as  of  July  31,  2022  (in  thousands).    Of  the  land  and  mineral  rights,  $2,165  relates  to  mineral  rights. 
Mineral  rights  as  of  July  31,  2022  were  $1,205,  $835  and  $125  for  our  properties  in  Illinois,  California,  and  Georgia, 
respectively.

Land & Mineral 
Rights

Plant and
Equipment

Ochlocknee, Georgia  .................... $ 

10,829 

Ripley, Mississippi      ....................... $ 
Mounds, Illinois   ............................ $ 
Blue Mountain, Mississippi   .......... $ 

Taft, California      ............................. $ 

2,893 
1,637 
939 

1,854 

$ 

$ 
$ 
$ 

$ 

33,548 

16,536 
4,882 
8,910 

11,754 

Energy

We primarily used natural gas in the processing kilns to dry our clay products during fiscal year 2022. We monitor gas 
market trends and we may contract for a portion of our anticipated fuel needs using forward purchase contracts to mitigate the 
volatility of our kiln fuel prices. We do not have any forward purchase contracts as of the fiscal year ended July 31, 2022. 

HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCES

Overview

During fiscal year 2022, we had approximately 869 employees, who we refer to as our teammates. 119, 15, and 688 of 
our U.S. teammates work in our corporate functions, research and development and manufacturing, respectively.  In addition, 
47  of  our  teammates  are  employed  by  our  foreign  subsidiaries  in  corporate  and  manufacturing  functions.  We  believe  our 
corporate offices, research and development center and manufacturing facilities are currently adequately staffed but there is no 
guarantee  that,  given  the  current  state  of  the  on-going  novel  coronavirus  pandemic  ("the  coronavirus"  or  "COVID-19")  and 
macro-economic  environment,  that  this  will  always  be  possible.  Approximately  61  of  our  teammates  in  the  U.S.  and 
approximately  13  of  our  teammates  in  Canada  are  represented  by  labor  unions,  with  whom  we  have  entered  into  separate 
collective bargaining agreements. We consider our employee relations to be satisfactory.

Culture

Oil-Dri’s  culture  and  values,  along  with  its  teammates,  are  our  most  valuable  assets.  We  take  pride  in  building  a 
culture  that  emphasizes  high  moral  and  ethical  values  and  conducts  business  with  honesty,  integrity  and  a  passion  for 
excellence.  Our  approach  is  centered  on  collaboration,  communication,  and  transparency,  and  we  believe  in  the  value  of  an 
open and accessible corporate structure. We expect all our teammates to conduct business in an ethical and fair manner using 
our “WE CARE” values framework.

Oil-Dri's culture and the objectives that we focus on in managing our business are based on our “WE CARE” values. 
“WE CARE” is an acronym for remembering our core values, which is the moral standard that we endeavor to apply to our 
teammates,  customers,  vendors,  and  other  stakeholders.  We  continuously  work  to  reinforce  these  values  through  leading  by 
example, training, and rewarding positive behaviors. We use “WE CARE” values as a moral compass to constantly strive for 
continuous  improvement.  These  values  are  embedded  into  everything  we  do  and  are  reflected  in  our  Code  of  Ethics  and 
Business  Conduct,  formal  policies  and  procedures,  annual  training  including  training  on  workplace  harassment,  and  a  strong 
governance structure. Our WE CARE values are also the basis of our formal teammate recognition process.

10

Our  Code  of  Ethics  and  Business  Conduct  details  how  we  act  in  accordance  with  these  fundamental  standards.  The 
first “E” in WE CARE represents Ethics. Oil-Dri’s ethical culture is one of our greatest strengths and areas of emphasis by our 
Board  of  Directors  and  management  team.  Our  CEO  is  frequently  asked  to  speak  on  this  topic  at  local  business  schools, 
including the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern, and Marquette University. Our CEO’s continued messaging to 
all  Oil-Dri  teammates  about  the  importance  of  our  ethical  culture  helps  maintain  a  strong  Tone  at  the  Top  for  our  entire 
organization. 

We  have  codified  our  compliance  and  ethics  requirements  through  the  Code  of  Ethics  and  Business  Conduct,  the 

Human Rights Policy, and the Whistleblower Response Policy.  

Our Compliance Committee meets quarterly and is comprised of members of Oil-Dri leadership as well as the owners 
of our three compliance functions: Trade, Regulatory, and Anti-Corruption. Our Trade compliance function works to make sure 
we are in alignment with all applicable export laws and regulations, and screens all new international customers, distributors 
and/or  agents  against  the  various  restricted  and  denied  party  lists  before  they  can  do  business  with  Oil-Dri.  Our  Regulatory 
compliance team ensures our product registrations meet the complex and multiple requirements of the various countries, as well 
as  U.S.  states,  in  which  we  do  business.  Our  Anti-Corruption  compliance  team  works  with  Human  Resources  to  address 
potential  risks  related  to  compliance  with  anti-corruption  regulations  in  various  jurisdictions,  including  by  ensuring  that 
teammates attest to Oil-Dri’s Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, which was updated in 2021, and that the Company’s Code 
of Ethics and Business Conduct provides appropriate tools and guidance to the Company’s teammates. These two groups also 
work  together  to  make  sure  teammates  understand  the  specific  requirements  around  Conflicts  of  Interest,  including  any 
disclosures where relevant. As part of the focus on addressing potential risks and ensuring a global understanding of the various 
applicable  policies  and  requirements,  we  have  also  translated  our  Code  of  Ethics  and  Business  Conduct  into  Mandarin  and 
Spanish.  Our Board of Directors also annually attests to Oil-Dri’s Code of Ethics and Business Conduct. The Anti-Corruption 
team also conducts a thorough Third-Party Due Diligence process that includes the use of compliance software. Third parties 
are selected for this process based on a risk analysis that includes potential interaction with government officials as well as the 
Corruption  Perception  Index  published  by  Transparency  International  (an  international  non-profit)  of  the  countries  in  which 
they do business.  In addition, distributors and agents agreements include a mandatory anti-corruption regulatory compliance 
section.

Oil-Dri has strong policies and procedures in place for Anti-Corruption and Conflicts of Interest. This includes training 
and  attestation  requirements  where  appropriate.  Oil-Dri  is  committed  to  whistleblower  protection  and  uses  a  third-party 
anonymous hotline where teammates across the globe can reach out via phone or internet with any concerns they may have and 
be ensured of anonymity in reporting if they so desire. The Company has documented and implemented procedures to ensure 
the  protection  of  whistleblowers'  employment  status  as  well  as  protection  from  harassment  in  the  workplace.  Our  Anti-
Corruption training emphasizes the necessity of whistleblower procedures, protection, and zero tolerance for retaliation.  This 
training is given within the first few months of hire to all new teammates in international locations, and to those with sales and/
or  leadership  roles  that  interact  with  customers  and/or  teammates  outside  the  U.S.    Additionally,  Anti-Corruption  training  is 
repeated annually at our Global Sales Meeting for all attending teammates; these are sales teams across the globe as well as all 
Oil-Dri  leadership  personnel.  Sales  teams  that  have  an  international  focus  receive  additional  training  at  this  meeting,  which 
allows for more small group discussion and a chance to ask about individual compliance risks and experiences.  

11

As  individual  hotline  cases  are  investigated,  the  Company's  Compliance  Department  works  with  Human  Resources 
and any other teammates involved in the investigation to ensure confidentiality is maintained and whistleblowers are protected; 
our compliance training emphasizes that this is not only required by law, but clearly fits with our WECARE values.  All cases 
are  investigated  to  conclusion,  with  follow  up  provided,  where  possible,  on  an  anonymous  basis  back  to  the  whistleblower 
through the anonymous third-party hotline. 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 

WE CARE for all. 

Our strength as a company comes from leveraging the uniqueness of all teammates and those in our communities. We 

strive to promote a diverse and inclusive workforce for all. 

Oil-Dri’s success is enhanced by striving for a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities and countries in 
which  we  live  and  work.  We  embrace  all  people,  regardless  of  race,  sex,  gender  identity,  age,  religion,  nationality,  physical 
ability or sexual orientation. Diverse perspectives are encouraged and needed in order help our company achieve its vision and 
continue to grow. We are committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion. That is why we created a Diversity, 
Equity and Inclusion Committee to help us live up to our WE CARE core values. This committee represents a diverse group of 
colleagues  across  locations,  functions  and  communities  who  are  the  Company’s  champions  for  our  diversity,  equity,  and 
inclusion initiatives. The committee strives to bring awareness and understanding of human diversity as a corporate imperative 
by engaging teammates in pertinent conversation, training, and education. As the committee evolves, additional programs will 
be introduced. 

Compensation

We believe our success largely depends upon our continued ability to attract and retain highly skilled teammates. We 
have demonstrated a history of investing in our teammates by providing competitive salaries and bonuses at all levels of the 
Company,  including  a  deferred  compensation  plan  and  executive  deferred  bonuses  for  our  executives,  and  opportunities  for 
equity ownership through our restricted stock program under our long-term incentive plan. We also provide access to training 
and development and an attractive employment package that promotes well-being, including health care, retirement plans, and 
paid  time  off.  We  support  our  employees’  desire  to  save  for  retirement  by  providing  a  401(k)  savings  plan  in  which  we 
contribute 100% of every employee dollar contributed, up to six percent (6%) of earnings and for which employees are fully 
vested  after  two  (2)  years  of  employment.  The  competitive  compensation  and  benefit  package  have  been  key  to  the  strong 
retention of our employees. 

Teammate Health and Wellness 

The success of our business is fundamentally connected to the well-being of our teammates. As such, the health and 
wellness of our teammates is a top priority of ours. We offer robust and generous benefit programs, to those who qualify, which 
include, but are not limited to, health, prescription drug, dental, life insurance and disability insurance. We also offer wellness 
programs, to those who qualify, to help our teammates live healthy lives. Smoking cessation programs are offered to teammates 
at no cost. We also offer gym and weight loss reimbursement in order to encourage a healthy lifestyle. Our employee assistance 
program  provides  face-to-face,  telephonic  and  online  counseling  services  for  a  variety  of  potential  needs  that  our  teammates 
may have. Our commitment to the wellness of our teammates is further evidenced by our paid time off and sick days program, 
which are part of the work/life balance component of our WE CARE values framework.  

Workplace Flexibility

During  fiscal  year  2022,  Oil-Dri  established  a  hybrid  work  environment  for  non-manufacturing  teammates  with  the 
option for some positions to be 100% remote. Oil-Dri offers a wide range of employment opportunities including full and part-
time positions which support our Work/Life Balance values. By providing these flexible work options, among other initiatives, 
we are able to attract and retain diverse talent throughout the Company.

12

Continuous Teammate Development  

We encourage our teammates to reach their potential with continuous learning and improvement. All teammates have 
access to our online training and development library for on-demand courses, webinars, books and podcasts. Teammates may 
attend conferences and programs and/or obtain certifications that relate to their positions at no cost. For teammates looking to 
further  their  education,  we  offer  varying  levels  of  tuition  reimbursement  programs  after  one  year  of  employment.  This  is 
designed to provide financial support to help teammates reach their educational goals, while also providing a way to support 
academic  activities  that  directly  relate  to  the  organization’s  identified  knowledge,  skills,  and  behaviors  which  support  the 
mission, vision, and values of the Company.

Teammate Engagement 

Oil-Dri maintains an open-door policy that encourages conversations between teammates at all levels. Communication 
goes  both  ways  -  ideas  are  shared  and  feedback  is  encouraged.  We  engage  with  teammates  on  a  regular  basis  through 
newsletters,  townhalls,  video  announcements,  meetings,  and  new  hire  luncheons  with  our  CEO.  On  occasion,  anonymous 
online surveys are issued to solicit feedback on various work-related topics. We come together to celebrate work anniversaries, 
birthdays, retirements and other special occasions. 

Safety

We  believe  that  safety  must  be  the  first  and  foremost  consideration  in  the  decisions  made  by  and  on  behalf  of  the 
Company.  We  believe  safety  is  everyone’s  responsibility  -  from  senior  management  to  frontline  workers.  As  part  of  our 
company-wide safety policies, it is expected that all teammates identify safety risks and take action by implementing interim 
controls,  ensuring  that  controls  are  maintained,  and  recommending  permanent  solutions.  Additionally,  as  part  of  our  annual 
budget  and  capital  planning  process,  our  businesses  identify  additional  safety  investments  required  for  training,  education, 
equipment, and processes. We are committed to operating in a manner that protects the health and safety of our workforce and 
our communities and ensures decisions are consistent with a long-term view of sustainability and stewardship. 

Through our corporate safety department, we implemented a safety auditing program for adherence to local, state and 
federal safety standards and regulations including MSHA and OSHA. These audits are conducted annually for global operations 
by  third-party  consultants  enforcing  a  rigorous  assessment  of  regulatory  standards,  internal  procedures  and  program 
performance.  Audit  assessments  and  inspections  are  scored  and  are  currently  indicating  high  levels  of  compliance  in  our 
operations.  The  auditing  program  confirms  the  Company’s  commitment  to  best  management  practices  and  principles.  We 
continually increase the rigor and level of scrutiny to drive continuous improvement in our operations. 

In  response  to  COVID-19,  we  implemented  significant  safety  changes  which  comply  with  government  regulations. 
This  included  work  from  home  arrangements  for  our  teammates  who  can  perform  their  jobs  offsite  and  additional  safety 
measures  (including,  among  other  actions,  the  provision  of  PPE  and  implementation  of  vigorous  cleaning  and  sanitation 
protocols) for teammates continuing critical on-site work.

GOVERNMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION AND COMPLIANCE

We  are  subject  to  a  variety  of  federal,  state,  local  and  foreign  laws  and  regulatory  requirements  relating  to  the 
environment and to health and safety matters. In particular, our mining and manufacturing operations and facilities in Georgia, 
Mississippi, California and Illinois are required to comply with state surface mining and environmental protection statutes as 
well as the workplace safety requirements of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (“MSHA”). These domestic locations 
and our Canadian operations are subject to various federal, state and local statutes, regulations, ordinances, building codes, and 
permitting and licensing requirements which govern the discharge, storage and disposal of materials, water and waste into the 
environment,  maintenance  of  our  locations  or  otherwise  regulate  our  operations.  In  recent  years,  regulation  and  enforcement 
have grown increasingly stringent, a trend that we expect will continue. We endeavor to be in compliance at all times and in all 
material respects with all applicable environmental, health and safety controls and regulations. As a result, compliance with the 
various statutes, regulations, ordinances, codes, and other requirements have required continuing management efforts and the 
expenditures  relating  to  such  compliance  have  varied  over  the  years;  however,  these  expenditures  have  not  had  a  material 
adverse effect on our capital expenditures, earnings, or competitive position. As part of our ongoing environmental compliance 
activities,  we  incur  expenses  in  connection  with  reclaiming  mining  sites.  Historically,  reclamation  expenses  have  not  had  a 
material effect on our cost of sales.

13

In addition to the environmental, health and safety requirements related to our mining and manufacturing operations 
and  facilities,  there  has  been  increased  federal,  state  and  international  regulation  with  respect  to  the  content,  labeling,  use, 
packaging, registration, trade compliance, advertising, and disposal of products that we sell. For example, in the United States, 
some of our operations, products, product claims, labeling and advertising are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, 
the  Consumer  Product  Safety  Commission,  the  Occupational  Safety  and  Health  Administration,  the  Mine  Safety  and  Health 
Administration,  the  Environmental  Protection  Agency  and  the  Federal  Trade  Commission.  Most  states  have  agencies  that 
regulate in parallel to these federal agencies. In addition, our international sales and operations are subject to regulation in each 
of  the  foreign  jurisdictions  in  which  we  manufacture,  distribute  or  sell  our  products.  There  is  increasing  federal  and  state 
regulation with respect to the content, labeling, use, and disposal after use of various products we sell. Throughout the world, 
but particularly in the United States and Europe, there is also increasing government scrutiny and regulation of the food chain 
and products entering or affecting the food chain. We endeavor to be in compliance at all times and in all material respects with 
those regulations and to assist our customers in that compliance.

We  cannot  assure  that,  despite  all  commercially  reasonable  efforts,  we  will  always  be  in  compliance  in  all  material 
respects with all applicable environmental laws and requirements nor can we assure that from time to time enforcement of such 
requirements  will  not  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our  business.  The  imposition  of  more  stringent  standards  or 
requirements  under  such  regulations  could  result  in  increased  expenditures.  Additionally,  we  could  be  required  to  alter  our 
operations in order to comply with any new standards or requirements under environmental laws or regulations. See Item 1A 
“Risk Factors” below for a discussion of the impact of government regulations on our business and other risks to our business.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

This Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and 
any  amendments  to  all  of  the  foregoing  reports,  are  made  available  free  of  charge  on  or  through  the  “Investor  Information” 
section of our website at www.oildri.com as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are electronically filed with or 
furnished  to  the  SEC.  Information  related  to  corporate  governance  at  Oil-Dri,  including  its  Code  of  Ethics  and  Business 
Conduct, information concerning executive officers, directors and Board committees, and transactions in Oil-Dri securities by 
directors and executive officers, is available free of charge on or through the “Investor Information” section of our website at 
www.oildri.com. The information on our website in not included as a part of, nor incorporated by reference into, this Annual 
Report on Form 10-K.

14

ITEM 1A – RISK FACTORS

We  seek  to  identify,  manage  and  mitigate  risks  to  our  business,  but  risk  and  uncertainty  cannot  be  eliminated  or 
necessarily  predicted.  You  should  consider  the  following  factors  carefully,  in  addition  to  other  information  contained  in  this 
Annual Report on Form 10-K, before making an investment decision with respect to our securities. The risks described below 
are not the only risks we face. Our business operations could also be affected by additional factors that are not presently known 
to us or that we currently consider to be immaterial in our operations.

Risks Related to Our Business

Our future growth and financial performance depend in large part on successful new product introductions.

A significant portion of our net sales comes from the sale of products in mature categories, some of which have had, at 
times, experienced little or no volume growth or have had volume declines in recent fiscal years. A significant part of our future 
growth and financial performance will require that we successfully introduce new products or extend existing product offerings 
to  meet  emerging  customer  needs,  technological  trends  and  product  market  opportunities.  We  cannot  be  certain  that  we  will 
achieve  these  goals.  The  development  and  introduction  of  new  products  generally  require  substantial  and  effective  research, 
development and marketing expenditures, some or all of which may be unrecoverable if the new products do not gain market 
acceptance.  New  product  development  itself  is  inherently  risky,  as  research  failures,  competitive  barriers  arising  out  of  the 
intellectual property rights of others, launch and production difficulties, customer rejection and unexpectedly short product life 
cycles as well as other factors and events beyond our control may occur even after substantial effort and expense on our part. 
We may, at times, experience limitations on our ability to conduct plant tests with customers, which may impact our sales. Even 
in  the  case  of  a  successful  launch  of  a  new  product,  the  ultimate  benefit  we  realize  may  be  uncertain  if  the  new  product 
“cannibalizes” sales of our existing products beyond expected levels. See “Government regulation imposes significant costs on 
us, and future regulatory changes (or related customer responses to regulatory changes) could increase those costs or limit our 
ability  to  produce  and  sell  our  products”  for  a  discussion  of  additional  risks  associated  with  new  product  development  and 
launches and “Our business could be adversely affected by a widespread threat to public health” for a discussion of risks and 
events beyond our control that could impact our growth and performance.

We face intense competition in our markets.

Our markets are highly competitive and we expect that both direct and indirect competition will increase in the future. 
Our overall competitive position depends on a number of factors including price, customer service, marketing, advertising and 
trade spending, technical support, product quality and delivery. Some of our competitors, particularly in the sale of cat litter (the 
largest product in our Retail and Wholesale Products Group), have substantially greater financial resources and market presence 
with  established  brands.  The  competition  in  the  future  may,  in  some  cases,  lead  to  price  reductions,  increased  promotional 
spending,  or  loss  of  market  share  or  product  distribution,  any  of  which  could  materially  and  adversely  affect  our  operating 
results and financial condition.

Our periodic results may be volatile.

Our  operating  results  have  varied  on  a  quarterly  basis  during  our  operating  history  and  are  likely  to  fluctuate 
significantly in the future. Our expense levels are based, in part, on our expectations regarding future net sales, and many of our 
expenses are fixed, particularly in the short term. We may be unable to adjust spending in a timely manner to compensate for 
any unexpected revenue shortfall. Any significant shortfall of net sales in relation to our expectations could negatively affect 
our quarterly operating results. Our operating results may be below the expectations of our investors as a result of a variety of 
factors,  many  of  which  are  outside  our  control.  The  Company  has  experienced  growth  in  recent  periods,  which  may  not  be 
sustainable or indicative of future growth. Factors that may affect our quarterly operating results include:

•  fluctuating demand for our products and services, including as a result of changes in the level of pet ownership and 

spending on pets;

•  size and timing of sales of our products and services;
•  the mix of products with varying profitability sold in a given quarter;
•  changes  in  our  operating  costs  including  raw  materials,  energy,  transportation,  packaging,  overburden  removal,  trade 

spending and marketing, wages and other employee-related expenses such as health care costs, and other costs;

•  our ability to anticipate and adapt to rapidly changing conditions;
•  introduction of new products and services by us or our competitors;

15

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  our ability to successfully implement price increases and surcharges, as well as other changes in our pricing policies or 

those of our competitors;

•  variations in purchasing patterns by our customers, including due to weather conditions or other factors outside of our 

control;

•  the ability of major customers and other debtors to meet their obligations to us as they come due;
•  our ability to successfully manage regulatory, intellectual property, tax and legal matters;
•  litigation and regulatory judgments and charges, settlements, or other litigation and regulatory-related costs;
•  the overall tax rate of our business, which may be affected by a number of factors, including the use of tax attributes, the 
financial results of our international subsidiaries and the timing, size and integration of acquisitions we may make from 
time to time;

• the  occurrence  of  a  widespread  outbreak  of  an  illness  or  any  other  communicable  disease,  any  other  public  health 

crisis, natural disaster, force majeure event or other catastrophic or unforeseen events;

•  the incurrence of restructuring, impairment or other charges; and
•  general economic conditions and specific economic conditions in our industry and the industries of our customers.

Additionally, the effects from and the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts may exacerbate these 
factors  and  cause  greater  fluctuations  in  our  operating  results  from  quarter-to-quarter.  To  the  extent  these  factors  slow  or 
change, consumer demand for our products may not be sustained or may reverse, and our results could be adversely affected. 
Accordingly, we believe that quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our operating results are not necessarily meaningful. Investors 
should not rely on the results of one quarter as an indication of our future performance.

Uncertainties  in  economic  conditions  and  their  impact  on  consumer  spending  patterns  could  adversely  impact  our 
business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The United States has from time to time experienced challenging economic conditions, including in connection with 
the COVID-19 pandemic, and the global financial markets have recently undergone and may continue to experience significant 
volatility  and  disruption.  Our  business,  financial  condition  and  results  of  operations  may  be  materially  adversely  affected  by 
changes in consumer confidence, levels of unemployment, inflation, interest rates, tax rates and general uncertainty regarding 
the  overall  future  economic  environment.  The  keeping  of  pets  and  the  purchase  of  pet-related  products  may  constitute 
discretionary  spending  for  some  consumers  and  any  material  decline  in  the  amount  of  consumer  discretionary  spending  may 
reduce overall levels of pet ownership or spending on pets. As a result, a recession or slowdown in the economy may cause a 
decline in demand for our products. If economic conditions result in decreased spending on pets and have a negative impact on 
our  retail  customers  and  suppliers,  our  business,  financial  condition  and  results  of  operations  may  be  materially  adversely 
affected.

Acquisitions involve a number of risks, any of which could cause us not to realize the anticipated benefits.

We intend, from time to time, to strategically explore potential opportunities to expand our operations and reserves 
through  acquisitions.  Identification  of  good  acquisition  candidates  is  difficult  and  highly  competitive.  If  we  are  unable  to 
identify  attractive  acquisition  candidates,  complete  acquisitions,  and  successfully  integrate  the  companies,  businesses  or 
properties that we acquire, our profitability may decline and we could experience a material adverse effect on our business, 
financial condition, or operating results. Acquisitions involve a number of inherent risks, including:

•  uncertainties in assessing the value, strengths, and potential profitability of acquisition candidates, and in identifying the 
extent of all weaknesses, risks, contingent and other liabilities (including environmental, legacy product or mining safety 
liabilities) of those candidates;

•  the potential loss of key customers, management and employees of an acquired business;
•  the ability to achieve identified operating and financial synergies anticipated to result from an acquisition;
•  problems that could arise from the integration of the acquired business, it's management or other unanticipated problems 

or liabilities; and

•  unanticipated  changes in business, industry  or general economic conditions  that affect the assumptions underlying our 

rationale for pursuing the acquisition.

16

 
 
 
Any one or more of these factors could cause us not to realize the benefits we anticipate to result from an acquisition. 
Moreover, acquisition opportunities we pursue could materially affect our liquidity and capital resources and may require us to 
incur indebtedness, seek equity capital or both and there can be no assurances that we can obtain indebtedness or equity capital 
on terms acceptable to the Company. Increased borrowings would correspondingly increase the Company's financial leverage, 
and  could  result  in  lower  credit  ratings  and  increased  future  borrowing  costs.  These  risks  could  also  reduce  the  Company's 
flexibility to respond to changes in its industry or in general economic conditions. In addition, future acquisitions could result in 
our  assuming  more  long-term  liabilities  relative  to  the  value  of  the  acquired  assets  than  we  have  assumed  in  our  previous 
acquisitions.

We depend on a limited number of customers for a large portion of our net sales.

A  limited  number  of  customers  account  for  a  large  percentage  of  our  net  sales,  as  described  in  Item  1  “Business” 
above. The loss of, or a substantial decrease in the volume of, purchases by Walmart, or any of our other top customers could 
harm our sales and profitability. In addition, an adverse change in the terms of our dealings with, or in the financial wherewithal 
or viability of, one or more of our significant customers could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We expect that a significant portion of our net sales will continue to be derived from a small number of customers and 
that the percentage of net sales represented by these customers may increase. As a result, changes in the strategies of our largest 
customers  may  reduce  our  net  sales.  These  strategic  changes  may  include  a  reduction  in  the  number  of  brands  or  variety  of 
products  they  carry  or  a  shift  of  shelf  space  to  private  label  products  or  increased  use  of  global  or  centralized  procurement 
initiatives. Further, the continued impact of COVID-19 may result in a change in demand for or availability of our products as a 
result of customers modifying their restocking, fulfillment, or shipping practices in response to, or recovery from, the global 
pandemic. In addition, our business is based primarily upon individual sales orders placed by customers rather than contracts 
with a fixed duration. Accordingly, most of our customers could reduce their purchasing levels or cease buying products from 
us on relatively short notice. While we do have long-term contracts with certain of our customers, including Clorox, even these 
agreements  are  subject  to  termination  in  certain  circumstances.  In  addition,  the  degree  of  profit  margin  contribution  of  our 
significant customers varies. If a significant customer with a more favorable profit margin was to terminate its relationship with 
us  or  shift  its  mix  of  product  purchases  to  lower-margin  products,  it  would  have  a  disproportionately  adverse  impact  on  our 
results of operations.

Price or trade concessions, or the failure to make them to retain customers, could adversely affect our sales and profitability.

The products we sell are subject to significant price competition and the price may fluctuate for a variety of reasons. 
From time to time, we may need to reduce the prices for some of our products to respond to competitive and customer pressures 
and  to  maintain  market  share.  These  pressures  are  often  exacerbated  during  an  economic  downturn.  Additionally,  we  have, 
from time to time, experienced customer-driven price deductions on our products as a result of delayed shipments of products. 
Any reduction in prices to respond to these pressures would reduce our profit margins. In addition, if our sales volumes fail to 
grow  sufficiently  to  offset  any  reduction  in  margins,  our  results  of  operations  would  suffer.  Because  of  the  competitive 
environment facing many of our customers, particularly our high-volume mass merchandiser customers, these customers have 
increasingly sought to obtain price reductions, deductions, specialized packaging or other concessions from product suppliers. 
These business demands may relate to inventory practices, logistics or other aspects of the customer-supplier relationship. To 
the extent we provide these concessions, our profit margins are reduced. Further, if we are unable to maintain terms that are 
acceptable to our customers, these customers could reduce purchases of our products and increase purchases of products from 
our competitors, which would harm our sales and profitability.

17

 
 
 
 
 
Increases in energy, commodity, transportation, labor and other costs would increase our operating costs, and we may be 
unable to pass all these increases on to our customers in the form of higher prices and surcharges.

If  our  energy,  commodity,  transportation,  labor  and/or  other  costs  increase  disproportionately  to  our  net  sales,  our 
earnings could be significantly reduced. Increases in our operating costs may reduce our profitability if we are unable to pass all 
the increases on to our customers through price increases or surcharges. Sustained price increases, surcharges or price inflation 
(or inflation pressure generally), in turn, may lead to declines in volume, and while we seek to project tradeoffs between price 
increases, surcharges and inflation, on the one hand, and volume, on the other, there can be no assurance that our projections 
will  prove  to  be  accurate.  In  particular,  as  a  result  of  increased  demand  in  trucking  the  United  States  as  well  as  increased 
shipping demand globally, which has impacted overseas vessel deliveries, the Company has experienced significant increases in 
transportation costs, decreases in the availability of shipping, and other global supply chain complexities and could experience 
delays in customer shipments and increased customer deductions for late shipments.  Such increase in transportation costs may 
be further exacerbated by volatile global oil and gas markets. It is possible that significant disruptions could occur if the effects 
of the COVID-19 pandemic and other global factors continue to put pressure on transportation and shipping as a result of an 
imbalance of supply and demand or if there are continued increases in costs that we are unable to recover. The duration and 
magnitude of the increased transportation costs cannot be predicted at this time and there can be no assurances that such costs 
and/or shipping disruptions will not continue to increase.

We  are  subject  to  volatility  in  the  price  and  availability  of  natural  gas,  as  well  as  other  sources  of  energy.  Such 
volatility  could  be  intensified  by  geopolitical  tensions,  including  war  and  terrorism,  as  well  as  other  disruptions  and  market 
reactions to such events. From time to time, we may use forward purchase contracts or financial instruments to moderate the 
volatility  of  a  portion  of  our  energy  costs.  The  success  or  failure  of  any  such  transactions  depends  on  a  number  of  factors, 
including  our  ability  to  anticipate  and  manage  volatility  in  energy  prices,  the  general  demand  for  fuel  by  the  manufacturing 
sector, seasonality and the weather patterns throughout the United States and the world.

The  prices  of  other  commodities  such  as  paper,  plastic  resins,  synthetic  rubber,  lumber,  and  steel  significantly 
influence  the  costs  of  packaging,  replacement  parts  and  equipment  we  use  in  the  manufacture  of  our  products  and  the 
maintenance of our facilities. Similarly, transportation prices impact our cost of packaging and raw materials we purchase, as 
well as our cost to deliver finished products to our customers. We have also experienced increases in prices of non-commodity 
materials we purchase. As a result, increases in the prices of commodities, transportation and other materials may increase our 
cost of sales and present the same types of risks as described above.

Further,  the  Company  has  experienced  an  increasingly  competitive  labor  market,  changes  in  the  availability  of  our 
workers, and labor shortages in our supply chain, which could result in increased costs, such as increased wage rates to attract 
and retain employees, and could negatively affect our ability to efficiently operate our facilities and overall business.

To the extent that we experience increased costs in any of these areas, we may increase our prices, pass the increases 
along to customers, or otherwise take actions to offset the impact. However, competitive pressures and other factors may also 
limit our ability to quickly raise prices in response to increased costs.  Accordingly, we may not be able to offset increased costs 
fully  or  at  all,  and  there  can  be  no  assurances  that  increasing  prices  will  fully  mitigate  the  impact  of  these  increases,  which 
could adversely impact our results.

Our business could be negatively affected by supply, capacity, labor, information technology, logistics and other disruptions 
or the costs incurred to avoid these disruptions.

Supply,  capacity,  information  technology  and  logistics  disruptions  (which  may  be  caused  by  a  variety  of  factors, 
including public health crises such as the COVID-19 outbreak or other outbreaks of diseases or illnesses, weather conditions, 
governmental controls, tariffs, national emergencies, natural or man-made disasters, other force majeure events, abrupt political 
change  or  other  political,  civil  or  social  unrest  or  instability,  mass  or  other  physical  violence  (or  threats  thereof),  including  
terrorist activity and armed conflict, or other similar events) or our failure to mitigate such disruptions could adversely affect 
our ability to manufacture, package or transport our products or require additional resources to maintain or restore our supply 
chain. In addition, labor shortages or an increase in the cost of labor could adversely affect our profit margins and results of 
operations. As a result of the effects of and the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic, there could be continued or renewed 
restrictions  on  our  ability  to  travel  or  disruptions  in  our  supply  chain  or  ability  to  manufacture  our  products,  as  well  as 
temporary closures of our facilities or those of our suppliers or customers, any of which could impact our sales and operating 
results. Some of our products require raw materials and/or packaging that are provided by a limited number of suppliers, or are 
demanded by other industries or are simply not available at times. Problems or delays experienced by these suppliers as a result 
of labor shortages or other events could lead to shortages in our production capacity, which could impact our ability to meet 

18

 
customer demand. In addition, as we grow or experience increased customer demand, our existing suppliers may not be able to 
meet our increasing demand, and we may need to find additional suppliers. We may not be able to secure suppliers who provide 
materials  at,  or  services  to,  the  specification,  quantity  and  quality  levels  that  we  demand  (or  at  all)  or  be  able  to  negotiate 
acceptable  fees  and  terms  of  services  with  any  such  suppliers.  Additionally,  such  disruptions  have  resulted  in  challenges  in 
addressing or backlogs and further backlog could develop in the event of continued disruptions. Disruptions arising from the 
foregoing or other events could adversely impact our results.

Further,  some  of  our  products  are  manufactured  on  equipment  at  or  near  its  capacity  thus  limiting  our  ability  to  sell 
additional  volumes  of  such  products  until  more  capacity  is  obtained.  Additionally,  as  with  all  manufacturing  facilities, 
equipment and infrastructure age and become subject to increasing maintenance and repair and the costs associated with such 
maintenance and repair may be significant. We have experienced increased costs and shortages in repair parts and our ability to 
procure  components  to  repair  equipment  essential  for  our  manufacturing  processes  could  also  be  negatively  impacted  by 
various restrictions or disruptions in supply chains, among other items. In addition, an increase in truck or ocean freight costs 
may reduce our profitability, and a decrease in transportation availability may affect our ability to deliver our products to our 
customers  and  consequently  decrease  customer  satisfaction  and  future  orders.  See  “Increases  in  energy,  commodity,  
transportation, labor and other costs would increase our operating costs, and we may be unable to pass all these increases on 
to our customers in the form of higher prices and surcharges” for additional risks related to increased transportation costs and 
logistics disruptions.

Changes  in  inventory  strategy  by  our  customers  as  well  as  other  external  factors  could  adversely  affect  our  sales  and 
increase our inventory risk.

From time to time, customers in both our Retail and Wholesale Products Group and our Business to Business Products 
Group have changed inventory levels as part of managing their working capital requirements. Any decrease in inventory levels 
by our customers would harm our operating results for the financial periods affected by the reductions. In particular, continued 
consolidation  within  the  retail  industry  could  potentially  reduce  inventory  levels  maintained  by  our  retail  customers,  which 
could adversely affect our results of operations for the financial periods affected by the reductions.

The  value  of  our  inventory  may  decline  as  a  result  of  surplus  inventory,  packaging  changes  driven  by  regulatory 
requirements  or  market  refreshment,  price  reductions  or  obsolescence.  We  must  identify  the  right  product  mix  and  maintain 
sufficient inventory on hand to meet customer orders. Failure to do so could adversely affect our revenue and operating results. 
If  circumstances  change  (for  example,  an  unexpected  shift  in  market  demand,  pricing  or  customer  defaults)  there  could  be  a 
material  impact  on  the  net  realizable  value  of  our  inventory.  We  maintain  an  inventory  valuation  reserve  account  against 
diminution in the value or saleability of our inventory; however, there is no guaranty that these arrangements will be sufficient 
to avoid write-offs in excess of our reserves.

We depend on our mining operations for a majority of our supply of sorbent minerals.

Most of our principal raw materials are sorbent minerals mined by us or independent contractors on land that we own 
or lease. While our mining operations are conducted in surface mines, which do not present many of the risks associated with 
deep underground mining, our mining operations are nevertheless subject to many conditions beyond our control. Our mining 
operations are affected by weather and natural disasters (such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, heavy rains and flooding), 
power  outages,  equipment  failures  and  other  unexpected  maintenance  problems,  variations  in  the  amount  of  rock  and  soil 
overlying our reserves, variations in geological conditions, fires and other accidents, fluctuations in the price or availability of 
supplies, landowner disputes, permit requirements and other matters. Any of these risks could result in significant damage to 
our  mining  properties  or  processing  facilities,  personal  injury  to  our  employees,  environmental  damage,  delays  in  mining  or 
processing, losses or possible legal liability. We cannot predict whether or the extent to which we will suffer the impact of these 
and other conditions in the future.

We may not be successful in acquiring adequate additional reserves in the future.

We  have  an  ongoing  program  of  exploration  for  additional  reserves  on  existing  properties  as  well  as  through  the 
potential  acquisition  of  new  owned  or  leased  properties;  however,  there  can  be  no  assurance  that  our  attempts  to  acquire 
additional reserves in the future will be successful. Our ability to acquire additional reserves in the future could be limited by 
competition  from  other  companies  for  attractive  properties,  the  lack  of  suitable  properties  that  can  be  acquired  on  terms 
acceptable to us or restrictions under our existing or future debt facilities. We may not be able to negotiate new leases or obtain 
mining contracts for properties containing additional reserves or renew our leasehold interests in properties on which operations 
are not commenced during the term of the lease. Also, requirements for environmental compliance may restrict exploration or 
use of lands that might otherwise be utilized as a source of reserves.

19

 
 
 
Failure to effectively utilize or successfully assert intellectual property rights, and the loss or expiration of such rights, could 
materially adversely affect our competitiveness. Infringement of third-party intellectual property rights could result in costly 
litigation and/or the modification or discontinuance of our products.

We  rely  on  intellectual  property  rights  based  on  trademark,  trade  secret,  patent  and  copyright  laws  to  protect  our 
brands, products and packaging for our products. We cannot be certain that these intellectual property rights will be maximized 
or  that  they  can  be  successfully  asserted.  There  is  a  risk  that  we  will  not  be  able  to  obtain  and  perfect  our  own  intellectual 
property rights or, where appropriate, license intellectual property rights necessary to support new product introductions. We 
cannot be certain that these rights, if obtained, will not later be invalidated, circumvented or challenged, and we could incur 
significant  costs  in  connection  with  legal  actions  to  assert  our  intellectual  property  rights  or  to  defend  those  rights  from 
assertions of invalidity. In addition, even if such rights are obtained in the United States or in other countries, the laws of some 
of the other countries in which our products are or may be sold may not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as 
the laws of the United States. If other parties infringe our intellectual property rights, they may dilute the value of our brands in 
the marketplace, which could diminish the value that consumers associate with our brands and harm our sales. Accordingly, we 
have taken and may need to continue to take legal action in the future to protect our patents, trade secrets or know-how or to 
assert them against claimed infringement by others. Any legal action of that type could be costly and time consuming and no 
assurances can be made that any lawsuit will be successful. The failure to perfect or successfully assert our intellectual property 
rights could make us less competitive and could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial 
condition.

In addition, if our products are found to infringe intellectual property rights of others, the owners of those rights could 
bring  legal  actions  against  us  claiming  substantial  damages  for  past  infringement  and  seeking  to  enjoin  manufacturing  and 
marketing of the affected products. If these legal actions are successful, in addition to any potential liability for damages from 
past infringement, we could be required to obtain a license in order to continue to manufacture or market the affected products, 
potentially adding significant costs. Similarly, we have asserted that products sold by our competitors infringe patents owned or 
licensed  by  us.  We  may  not  prevail  in  any  action  brought  against  us  or  we  may  be  unsuccessful  in  securing  any  license  for 
continued use and therefore have to discontinue the marketing and sale of a product. This could make us less competitive and 
could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition.

The  loss  of  any  key  member  of  our  senior  management  team  may  impede  the  implementation  of  our  business  plans  in  a 
timely manner.

The execution of our business plans depends in part upon the continued service of our senior management team, who 
possess unique and extensive industry knowledge and experience. The loss or other unavailability of one or more of the key 
members of our senior management team could adversely impact our ability to manage our operations effectively and/or pursue 
our business strategy. No Company-owned life insurance coverage has been obtained on current team members. 

Environmental, health and safety matters create potential compliance and other liability risks.

Risks Related to Regulatory Compliance

We  are  subject  to  a  variety  of  federal,  state,  local  and  foreign  laws  and  regulatory  requirements  relating  to  the 
environment  and  to  health  and  safety  matters.  For  example,  our  mining  operations  are  subject  to  extensive  governmental 
regulation on matters such as permitting and licensing requirements, workplace safety, plant and wildlife protection, wetlands 
and other environmental protection, reclamation and restoration of mining properties after mining is completed, the discharge, 
storage and disposal of materials in the environment, and the effects that mining has on air or groundwater quality and water 
availability. We believe we have obtained all material permits and licenses required to conduct our present operations. We will, 
however, need additional permits and renewals of permits in the future.

The  expense,  liabilities  and  requirements  associated  with  environmental,  health  and  safety  laws  and  regulations  are 
costly and time-consuming and may delay commencement or continuation of exploration, mining or manufacturing operations. 
We  have  incurred,  and  will  continue  to  incur,  significant  capital  and  operating  expenditures  and  other  costs,  along  with 
management  focus  and  efforts,  in  complying  with  environmental,  health  and  safety  laws  and  regulations.  In  recent  years, 
regulation and enforcement of environmental, health and safety matters has grown increasingly stringent, a trend that we expect 
will continue. Substantial penalties and other costs may be imposed if we violate certain of these laws and regulations even if 
the  violation  was  inadvertent  or  unintentional.  Failure  to  maintain  or  achieve  compliance  with  these  laws  and  regulations  or 
with the permits required for our operations could result in substantial operating costs and capital expenditures, in addition to 

20

 
 
fines and administrative, civil or criminal sanctions, third-party claims for property damage or personal injury, cleanup and site 
restoration costs and liens, the issuance of injunctions to limit or cease operations, the suspension or revocation of permits and 
other  enforcement  measures  that  could  have  the  effect  of  limiting  our  operations  or  otherwise  requiring  a  change  to  our 
operations.  Under  the  “joint  and  several”  liability  principle  of  certain  environmental  laws,  we  may  be  held  liable  for  all 
remediation costs at a particular site and the amount of that liability could be material. In addition, future environmental laws 
and regulations could restrict our ability to expand our facilities or extract our existing reserves or could require us to acquire 
costly equipment or to incur other significant expenses in connection with our business. Furthermore, our reputation could be 
adversely  impacted  by  the  failure  (or  perceived  failure)  to  maintain  high  environmental,  health  and  safety  practices  for 
operations  or  negative  perceptions  of  these  practices  in  our  industry  or  for  our  operations  or  products.  There  can  be  no 
assurance  that  future  events,  including  changes  in  any  environmental  requirements  and  the  costs  associated  with  complying 
with such requirements, will not have a material adverse effect on us.

Government  regulation  imposes  significant  costs  on  us,  and  future  regulatory  changes  (or  related  customer  responses  to 
regulatory changes) could increase those costs or limit our ability to produce and sell our products.

In  addition  to  the  regulatory  matters  described  above,  our  operations  are  subject  to  various  federal,  state,  local  and 
foreign  laws  and  regulations  relating  to  the  mining,  manufacture,  packaging,  labeling,  content,  storage,  distribution  and 
advertising of our products and the conduct of our business operations. For example, in the United States, some of our products, 
product  claims,  labeling  and  advertising  are  regulated  by  the  Food  and  Drug  Administration,  the  Consumer  Product  Safety 
Commission,  the  Occupational  Safety  and  Health  Administration,  the  Mine  Safety  and  Health  Administration,  the 
Environmental  Protection  Agency  and  the  Federal  Trade  Commission.  Most  states  have  agencies  that  regulate  in  parallel  to 
these  federal  agencies.  In  addition,  our  international  sales  and  operations  are  subject  to  regulation  in  each  of  the  foreign 
jurisdictions  in  which  we  manufacture,  distribute  or  sell  our  products.  There  is  increasing  federal  and  state  regulation  with 
respect to the content, labeling, use, and disposal after use of various products we sell. Throughout the world, but particularly in 
the  United  States  and  Europe,  there  is  also  increasing  government  scrutiny  and  regulation  of  the  food  chain  and  products 
entering or affecting the food chain.

If  we  are  found  to  be  out  of  compliance  with  applicable  laws  and  regulations  in  these  or  other  areas,  we  could  be 
subject  to  loss  of  customers  and  to  civil  remedies,  including  fines,  injunctions,  recalls  or  asset  seizures,  as  well  as  potential 
criminal sanctions, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Loss of or failure to obtain necessary 
permits  and  registrations  could  delay  or  prevent  us  from  meeting  product  demand,  introducing  new  products,  building  new 
facilities or acquiring new businesses and could adversely affect operating results. As a result of closures caused by government 
action taken in response to COVID-19, the Company experienced some delays in obtaining such permits and registrations for 
its  products.  While  the  Company  has  taken  steps  to  mitigate  such  delays,  there  can  be  no  assurances  that  there  will  not  be 
further delays as governments and agencies in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Further, if applicable laws or regulations 
are changed or interpreted differently in the future, it may become more difficult or expensive for us to comply. In addition, 
investigations  or  evaluations  of  our  products  by  government  agencies  may  require  us  to  adopt  additional  labeling,  safety 
measures or other precautions, or may effectively limit or eliminate our ability to market and sell these products. Accordingly, 
there can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain or renew required governmental permits and registrations in the future.  
Further,  there  can  be  no  assurance  that  current  or  future  governmental  regulation  or  other  rule-making  (including  proposals 
regarding increased disclosure on climate-related matters) will not have a material adverse effect on our business. Our efforts to 
comply with new requirements and regulations could result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of 
substantial management time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities.

We are also experiencing increasing customer scrutiny of the content and manufacturing of our products, particularly 
our products entering or affecting the food chain, in parallel with the increasing government regulation discussed above. Our 
customers  may  impose  product  specifications,  certifications  or  other  requirements  that  are  different  from,  and  more  onerous 
than, applicable laws and regulations. As a result, the failure of our products to meet these additional requirements may result in 
loss of customers and decreased sales of our products even in the absence of any actual failure to comply with applicable laws 
and regulations. There can be no assurance that future customer requirements concerning the content or manufacturing of our 
products will not have a material adverse effect on our business.

We  face  risks  to  our  domestic  and  international  sales  and  business  operations  due  to  political,  regulatory,  economic  and 
other conditions.

Unstable  economic,  political,  regulatory  and  other  conditions  could  adversely  affect  demand  for  our  products  or 
disrupt our operations in the United States and in international markets.  The international nature of our operations subjects the 
Company to numerous risks, including political, civil and/or instability (including acts of terrorism, civil or social unrest, labor 
unrest, violence in connection with political or social events, and outbreaks of war and pandemics or other disease outbreaks).  

21

 
 
 
 
Both  international  and  domestic  operations  are  also  subject  to  regulatory  requirements  and  issues,  including  with  respect  to 
environmental  matters.  Any  of  these  matters  could  result  in  sudden,  and  potentially  prolonged,  changes  in  domestic  and 
international  demand  for  our  products.  Further,  ongoing  developments  in  the  U.S.  political  climate  have  introduced  greater 
uncertainty with respect to tax policies, trade relations, tariffs and government regulations affecting trade between the U.S. and 
other countries. In particular, it remains uncertain what effects will continue in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, its 
impacts, and the reactions of governmental authorities and others thereto will have on international trade and what impact any 
changes in international trade will have on the economy or on the businesses of the Company and those of its customers and its 
suppliers. In addition to considerations around the U.S. political climate, geopolitical concerns may also impact our business; 
for  instance,  we  have  experienced,  and  expect  to  continue  to  experience,  the  indirect  impacts  of  the  conflict  resulting  from 
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including increases in the cost of raw and packaging materials and commodities (including the 
price of oil), supply chain and logistics challenges and foreign currency volatility, and it is not possible to predict the broader or 
longer-term consequences of this conflict or the sanctions imposed to date. These developments, as well as the risks outlined 
above, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, our international sales and operations are subject to various economic-related risks. Our international sales 
and  operations  are,  among  other  factors,  subject  to  currency  exchange  fluctuations,  fund  transfer  and  trade  restrictions  and 
import/export duties. In some cases, we may have difficulty enforcing agreements and collecting accounts receivable through a 
foreign country’s legal system. Further, an increase in inflation rates could affect the Company’s profitability and cash flows, 
due to higher employment costs, higher operating costs, higher financing costs, and/or higher supplier prices. Inflation may also 
adversely  affect  foreign  exchange  rates.  The  Company  may  be  unable  to  pass  along  such  higher  costs  to  its  customers.  In 
addition, inflation may adversely affect customers’ operations. 

We  may  incur  adverse  safety  events  or  product  liability  claims  that  may  be  costly,  create  adverse  publicity  and  may  add 
further governmental regulation.

If any of the products that we sell cause, or appear to cause, harm to any of our customers or to consumers, we could 
be  exposed  to  product  liability  lawsuits,  heightened  regulatory  scrutiny,  requirements  for  additional  labeling,  withdrawal  of 
products from the market, indemnification obligations, imposition of fines or criminal penalties or other governmental actions. 
Any of these actions could result in material write-offs of inventory, material impairments of intangible assets, goodwill and 
fixed  assets,  material  restructuring  charges  and  other  adverse  impacts  on  our  business  operations.  We  cannot  predict  with 
certainty the eventual outcome of any pending or future litigation, and we could be required to pay substantial judgments or 
settlements  against  us  or  change  our  product  formulations  in  response  to  governmental  action.  Further,  lawsuits  can  be 
expensive  to  defend,  whether  or  not  they  have  merit,  and  the  defense  of  these  actions  may  divert  the  attention  of  our 
management and other resources that would otherwise be engaged in managing our business and our reputation could suffer, 
any of which could harm our business.

Goodwill, long-lived, and other intangible assets recorded as a result of our acquisitions could become impaired.

We review goodwill, long-lived assets, including property, plant and equipment and identifiable amortizing intangible 
assets, for impairment whenever changes in circumstances or events may indicate that the carrying amounts are not recoverable. 
Factors which may cause an impairment of long-lived assets include lower share trading prices and the adverse impact of rising 
costs and additional expenses to mitigate supply chain disruptions, among other factors. In 2022, we recorded a $5.6 million 
loss of goodwill related to the impairment of goodwill at our Retail and Wholesale Products Group reporting unit. We assess all 
existing goodwill at least annually for impairment on a reporting unit basis. The techniques used in our qualitative assessment 
and  goodwill  impairment  tests  incorporate  a  number  of  estimates  and  assumptions  that  are  subject  to  change.  Although  we 
believe  these  estimates  and  assumptions  are  reasonable  and  reflect  market  conditions  forecasted  at  the  assessment  date,  any 
changes to these assumptions and estimates due to market conditions or otherwise may lead to an outcome where impairment 
charges would be required in future periods.

We may be subjected to increased taxes or fluctuating tax rates, which could adversely affect our results of operations and/
or cash flows. 

As a corporation operating in various jurisdictions around the world, we are subject to income and other taxes based 
upon the jurisdictions in which we operate and where our sales and profits are determined to be earned and taxed. Federal, state, 
and  foreign  statutory  tax  rates  and  taxing  regimes  have  been  subject  to  significant  change  and  continue  to  evolve.  Further, 
significant uncertainties exist with respect to the application of the various taxes to the businesses in which we engage, often 
requiring that we make judgments in determining our tax liabilities and worldwide provision for income taxes. 

22

 
 
Our interpretation of current tax laws and their applicability to our business, as well as any changes to existing laws, 
can significantly impact our effective tax rate. In particular, the U.S. as well as jurisdictions around the world are considering or 
have  enacted  changes  in  relevant  tax  regulations  and  interpretations.  Changes  in  income  tax  laws  and  regulations,  or  their 
interpretation, could result in higher or lower income tax rates assessed or changes in the taxability of certain revenues or the 
deductibility of certain expenses, thereby affecting our income tax expense and profitability. In the U.S., various proposals, if 
enacted, could raise the U.S. corporate tax rate and increase the tax on non-U.S. income. Such unfavorable tax legislation could 
create the potential for added volatility in our quarterly provision for income taxes and could have a significant adverse impact 
on  our  future  income  tax  provision  and  tax  rate.  Further,  a  number  of  factors  may  cause  our  effective  tax  rate  to  fluctuate, 
including: changes in tax rates in various jurisdictions, unanticipated changes in the amount of profit in jurisdictions in which 
the statutory tax rates may be higher or lower than the U.S. tax rate, changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and 
liabilities,  adjustments  to  income  taxes  upon  finalization  of  various  tax  returns,  increases  in  expenses  not  deductible  for  tax 
purposes, and changes in available tax credits or our ability to utilize foreign tax credits. We could experience an effective tax 
rate significantly different from that of prior periods or current expectations, which could have an adverse effect on our results 
of operations or cash flows.

We are also subject to potential reviews, examinations, and audits by the Internal Revenue Service and other taxing 
authorities  with  respect  to  taxes  within  and  outside  of  the  U.S.  Although  we  believe  our  tax  estimates  are  reasonable, 
unfavorable  resolution  of  any  tax  audits  and  controversies  could  cause  our  tax  liabilities  to  increase  (including  interest  and 
penalties) and may have a significant adverse impact on our provision for income taxes and tax rate. Our effective tax rate is 
also  influenced  by  the  geography,  timing,  nature,  and  magnitude  of  transactions,  such  as  acquisitions  and  divestitures, 
restructuring activities, and impairment charges.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

We cannot guarantee that that our share repurchases will enhance long-term shareholder value.

Our  Board  of  Directors  has  previously  authorized  a  share  repurchase  program.  Under  these  authorizations,  the 
Company has authority to repurchase both shares of our common stock and our Class B stock. The Company has undertaken 
repurchases  of  common  stock  on  the  open  market  (including  pursuant  to  a  10b5-1  plan)  and  is  also  authorized  to  undertake 
repurchases in private, negotiated transactions. The Company has no obligations to repurchase any specific dollar amount or to 
acquire any specific number of shares. The timing, number and manner of share repurchases is determined by management and 
may depend upon a number of factors, including the trading price, market conditions, and the Company’s liquidity needs and 
management of its spending. Further, the Company’s share repurchases may be limited, suspended or discontinued at any time 
without  prior  notice  (subject  to  the  terms  and  conditions  of  the  repurchase  plan(s)  in  place  at  such  time).  The  existence  of  a 
share repurchase program could cause our stock price to be higher than it would be in the absence of such a program and could 
potentially  reduce  the  market  liquidity  for  our  stock  or  otherwise  affect  stock  price  and  or  volatility.  Additionally,  our  share 
repurchase program could diminish our cash reserves, which may impact our ability to otherwise deploy such cash. There can 
be no assurance that these share repurchases will enhance shareholder value.

Our principal stockholders have the ability to control matters requiring a stockholder vote and could delay, deter or prevent 
a change in control of our company.

Under our Certificate of Incorporation, the holders of our Common Stock are entitled to one vote per share and the 
holders of our Class B Stock are entitled to ten votes per share; the two classes generally vote together without regard to class 
(except that any amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation changing the number of authorized shares or adversely affecting 
the rights of Common Stock or Class B Stock requires the separate approval of the class so affected as well as the approval of 
both classes voting together). As a result, the holders of our Class B Stock exert control over the Company and thus limit the 
ability of other stockholders to influence corporate matters. Beneficial ownership of Common Stock and Class B Stock by the 
Jaffee  Investment  Partnership,  L.P.  and  its  affiliates  (including  Daniel  S.  Jaffee,  our  President,  Chief  Executive  Officer  and 
Chairman of the Board of Directors) provides them with the ability to control the election of our Board of Directors and the 
outcome  of  most  matters  requiring  the  approval  of  our  stockholders,  including  the  amendment  of  certain  provisions  of  our 
Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws, the approval of any equity-based employee compensation plans and the approval of 
fundamental corporate transactions, including mergers and substantial asset sales. Through their concentration of voting power, 
our  principal  stockholders  may  be  able  to  delay,  deter  or  prevent  a  change  in  control  of  our  company  or  other  business 
combinations that might otherwise be beneficial to our other stockholders.

23

 
 
We  are  a  “controlled  company”  within  the  meaning  of  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange  (“NYSE”)  rules  and,  as  a  result, 
qualify for, and intend to rely on, exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements.

We  are  a  “controlled  company”  under  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange  Corporate  Governance  Standards.  As  a 
controlled company, we may from time to time rely on exemptions from certain NYSE corporate governance requirements that 
otherwise would be applicable, including the requirements:

•  that a majority of the board of directors consists of independent directors;
•  that we have a nominating and governance committee comprised entirely of independent directors with a written charter 

addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities; and

•  that we have a compensation committee comprised entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the 

committee’s purpose and responsibilities.

We have previously relied on these exemptions (although we are not currently relying on the first exemption listed above), and 
we  intend  to  continue  to  rely  on  them  in  the  future,  as  applicable.  As  a  result,  you  may  not  have  the  same  benefits  and 
information  available  to  stockholders  of  NYSE-listed  companies  that  are  subject  to  all  of  the  NYSE  corporate  governance 
requirements.

The market price for our Common Stock may be volatile.

The market price of our Common Stock could fluctuate substantially in the future in response to a number of factors, 

including the following:

•  fluctuations in our quarterly operating results or the operating results of our competitors;
•  changes in general conditions in the economy, the financial markets, or the industries in which we operate;
•  announcements  of  significant  acquisitions,  strategic  alliances  or  joint  ventures  by  us,  our  customers,  suppliers  or 

competitors;

•  sales of our common stock by the Company, our officer or directors or unaffiliated third party investors;
• introduction of new products or services;
•  increases in the price of energy sources and other raw materials; and
•  other developments affecting us, our industries, customers or competitors.

In addition, the stock market may experience extreme price and volume fluctuations that have a significant effect on 
the  market  prices  of  securities  issued  by  many  companies,  including  the  Company,  for  reasons  unrelated  to  their  operating 
performance.  These  broad  market  fluctuations  may  materially  adversely  affect  our  Common  Stock  price,  regardless  of  our 
operating  results.  Given  its  relatively  small  public  float,  number  of  stockholders  and  average  daily  trading  volume,  our 
Common Stock may be relatively more susceptible to volatility arising from any of these factors. If we experience significant 
fluctuations  in  our  stock  price,  we  may  be  exposed  to  securities  class  action  lawsuits,  which  could  negatively  affect  our 
business.  There  can  be  no  assurance  that  the  price  of  our  Common  Stock  will  increase  in  the  future  or  be  maintained  at  its 
recent levels.

Future sales of our Common Stock could depress its market price.

Future sales of shares of our Common Stock could adversely affect its prevailing market price. If our officers, directors 
or  significant  stockholders  sell  a  large  number  of  shares,  or  if  we  issue  a  large  number  of  shares,  the  market  price  of  our 
Common Stock could significantly decline. Moreover, the perception in the public market that stockholders might sell shares of 
Common  Stock  could  depress  the  market  for  our  Common  Stock.  Our  Common  Stock’s  relatively  small  public  float  and 
average daily trading volume may make it relatively more susceptible to these risks.

Furthermore,  in  response  to  recent  public  focus  on  dual  class  capital  structures,  certain  stock  index  providers  are 
implementing limitations on the inclusion of dual class share structures in their indices. If these restrictions increase, they may 
impact who buys and holds our stock.

24

 
 
 
 
Future dividends on our common stock may be restricted or eliminated.

Dividends  are  declared  at  the  discretion  of  our  Board  of  Directors,  and  future  dividends  will  depend  on  our  future 
earnings, cash flow, financial requirements and other factors, including market and economic conditions. We are not obligated 
to continue a dividend for any fixed period, and the payment of dividends could be suspended or discontinued at any time at our 
discretion and without prior notice. There can be no assurance that we will continue to pay dividends. The amount and timing 
of any future dividends may vary, and the payment of any dividend does not assure that we will pay dividends in the future.

General Risk Factors

Technology  failures  or  cyber  security  breaches  or  other  unauthorized  access  to  our  information  technology  systems  or 
sensitive or proprietary information could have an adverse effect on the Company's business and operations.

We  rely  on  information  technology  systems  to  process,  transmit,  store,  and  protect  electronic  information.  For 
example, a significant portion of the communications between the Company's personnel, customers, and suppliers depends on 
information  technology  and  we  rely  on  access  to  such  information  systems  for  our  operations.  We  cannot  guarantee  that  the 
security  measures  in  place  will  prevent  disruptions,  failures,  computer  viruses  or  other  malicious  codes,  ransomware, 
unauthorized access attempts, denial of service attacks, phishing, hacking, and other cyber-attacks or other privacy or security 
breaches  in  the  information  technology,  phone  systems  or  other  systems  (whether  due  to  third-party  action,  bugs  or 
vulnerabilities, physical break-ins, employee error, malfeasance or otherwise) of the Company, our customers or third parties, 
which  could  adversely  affect  our  communications  and  business  operations.  Further,  events  such  as  natural  disasters,  fires, 
power outages, systems failures, telecommunications failures, employee error or malfeasance or other catastrophic events could 
similarly cause interruptions, disruptions or shutdowns, or exacerbate the risk of the failures described above. These risks may 
be  increased  as  more  employees  work  from  home.  We  may  not  have  the  resources  or  technical  sophistication  to  anticipate, 
prevent or detect rapidly-evolving types of cyber-attacks and other security risks. Attacks may be targeted at us, our customers 
and suppliers, or others who have entrusted us with information. To date, the Company has not experienced any material impact 
to the business or operations resulting from information or cybersecurity attacks; however, because of the frequently changing 
attack techniques, along with the increased volume and sophistication of the attacks, there is the potential for the Company to 
be adversely impacted. While the Company has policies and procedures in place, including system monitoring and data back-up 
processes to prevent or mitigate the effects of these potential disruptions or breaches, security breaches and other disruptions to 
information technology systems could interfere with our operations. Any failure to maintain, or disruption to, our information 
technology  systems,  whether  as  a  result  of  cybersecurity  attacks  or  otherwise,  could  damage  our  reputation,  subject  the 
Company to legal claims and proceedings, create risks of violations of data privacy laws and regulations, and cause us to incur 
substantial additional costs. There can be no assurance that existing or emerging threats will not have an adverse impact on our 
systems or communications networks and, further, technological enhancements to prevent business interruptions could require 
increased spending. Furthermore, security breaches pose a risk to confidential data and intellectual property, which could result 
in damage to our competitiveness and reputation.

Additionally, in connection with our global operations, we, from time to time, transmit data across national borders to 
conduct our business and, consequently, are subject to a variety of laws and regulations regarding privacy, data protection, and 
data security, including those related to the collection, processing, storage, handling, use, disclosure, transfer, and security of 
personal  data,  including  the  European  Union  General  Data  Protection  Regulation,  Personal  Information  Protection  Law  in 
China and similar regulations in states within the United States and in countries around the world. Our efforts to comply with 
privacy and data protection laws may impose significant costs and challenges that are likely to increase over time.

Our  enterprise  resource  planning  system  (“ERP”)  is  designed  to  accurately  maintain  our  books  and  records  and 
provide information important to the operation of our business. Any potential disruptions with the ERP system could affect our 
ability to process orders, ship product and send invoices. These difficulties could, in turn, negatively impact our financial results 
including  sales,  earnings  and  cash  flow.  Further  development  and  maintenance  of  the  ERP  system  will  continue  to  require 
investment of human and financial resources, which may cause increased costs and other difficulties.

Our business could be adversely affected by a widespread threat to public health.

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic and in response to the 
COVID-19  outbreak  and  as  jurisdictions  have  experienced  resurgences  in  the  spread  of  COVID-19,  countries  and  local 
governments  across  the  world  implemented  “Shelter  in  Place,”  “Safe  at  Home,”  quarantine  or  similar  orders  that  restricted 
workforce  and/or  required  closures  of  “non-essential”  businesses  along  with  restrictions  on  travel.  Such  restrictions  and 

25

 
closures initially disrupted our sales office in China and limited travel by our salesforce and delayed product shipments. The 
COVID-19  pandemic  created  significant  volatility,  uncertainty,  and  economic  disruption.  While  our  facilities  otherwise 
remained operational as essential businesses throughout the pandemic, there can be no assurances that we will not have to close 
facilities or experience other disruption in the future due to concerns over the health and well-being of our employees, or as a 
result of government directives in response to COVID-19 or other public health threats. The spread of a widespread threat to 
public health such as COVID-19 has currently had limited disruption and impact to our third party business partners, suppliers, 
service  providers,  and  customers  but  no  assurances  can  be  made  that  future  threats  to  public  health  will  not  have  a  more 
significant impact on our operations or results.

Public health crises may create significant uncertainty relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and the responses thereto as 
well  as  the  potential  effects  of  the  pandemic  on  our  business  and  could  negatively  affect  our  costs,  customer  orders,  and 
collection of accounts receivable, which may be material. In addition, a public health crisis could result in the deterioration of 
worldwide economic conditions and impact the proper functioning of financial and capital markets, foreign currency exchange 
rates,  and  commodity  and  energy  prices,  as  well  as  demand  for  our  products.  We  may  experience  adverse  impacts  to  our 
business and financial results due to uncertainty regarding the ultimate duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and/or its effects  
and due to any major public health crises that may occur in the future. 

We are subject to various legal and regulatory proceedings, including litigation in the ordinary course of business, which 
may adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In the ordinary course of business, we are subject to various legal and regulatory proceedings, which may include but 
are  not  limited  to  those  involving  antitrust,  tax,  trade,  environmental,  intellectual  property,  data  privacy  and  other  matters, 
including  general  commercial  litigation.  Such  claims  and  litigation  are  frequently  expensive  and  time-consuming  (and  could 
divert management’s attention and resources) to resolve and may result in substantial liability to us, which liability and related 
costs  and  expenses  may  not  be  recoverable  through  insurance  or  any  other  forms  of  reimbursement  and  could  also  result  in 
higher insurance costs. Additionally, the outcome of legal and regulatory proceedings may differ from our expectations because 
the outcomes of these proceedings are often difficult to predict reliably. Various factors and developments can lead to changes 
in our estimates of liabilities. A future adverse ruling, settlement or unfavorable development could result in charges that could 
have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in any particular period.

Failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could have a material adverse effect on our business, 
operating results and stock price.

Section  404  of  the  Sarbanes-Oxley  Act  and  related  SEC  rules  require  that  we  perform  an  annual  management 
assessment  of  the  design  and  effectiveness  of  our  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  and  obtain  an  opinion  from  our 
independent registered public accounting firm on our internal control over financial reporting. Our assessment concluded that 
our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of July 31, 2022 and we obtained from our independent registered 
public  accounting  firm  an  unqualified  opinion  on  our  internal  control  over  financial  reporting;  however,  there  can  be  no 
assurance that we will be able to maintain the adequacy of our internal control over financial reporting, as such standards are 
modified,  supplemented  or  amended  from  time  to  time  in  future  periods.  Further,  as  a  result  of  COVID-19,  a  portion  of  our 
workforce has been and continues to work from home, so new processes, procedures, and controls could be required due to the 
changes in our business environment, which could negatively impact our internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, 
we cannot assure that we will be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial 
reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act. Moreover, effective internal control is necessary for us to 
produce reliable financial reports and is important to help prevent financial fraud. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports 
or prevent fraud, our business and operating results could be harmed, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial 
information, and the trading price of our Common Stock could drop significantly.

Failure  to  maintain  a  level  of  corporate  social  responsibility  could  damage  our  reputation  and  could  adversely  affect  our 
business, financial condition or results of operations.

In  light  of  evolving  expectations  around  corporate  social  responsibility,  our  reputation  or  brand  could  be  adversely 
impacted by a failure (or perceived failure) to maintain a level of corporate responsibility. In today’s environment, an allegation 
or  perception  regarding  quality,  safety,  or  corporate  social  responsibility  can  negatively  impact  our  reputation.  This  may 
include,  without  limitation:  failure  to  maintain  certain  ethical,  social  and  environmental  practices  for  our  operations  and 
activities,  or  failure  to  require  our  suppliers  or  other  third  parties  to  do  so;  our  environmental  impact,  including  our  mining 
operations  and  their  impact  on  the  environment;  the  practices  of  our  employees,  agents,  customers,  suppliers,  or  other  third 
parties (including others in our industry) with respect to any of the foregoing, actual or perceived; the failure to be perceived as 
appropriately  addressing  matters  of  social  responsibility;  consumer  perception  of  statements  made  by  us,  our  employees  and 

26

executives, agents, customers, suppliers, or other third parties (including others in our industry); or our responses to any of the 
foregoing.  Further,  we  may  be  subject  to  rulemaking  regarding  corporate  social  responsibility  and/or  disclosure,  as  public 
awareness  and  focus  on  social  and  environmental  issues  has  led  to  legislative  and  regulatory  efforts  to  impose  increase 
regulations and require further disclosure.  As a result, we may become subject to new or more stringent regulations, legislation 
or other governmental requirements or industry standards and/or an increased demand to meet voluntary criteria related to such 
matters. Increased regulations, including around climate change concerns, could subject us to additional costs and restrictions 
and require us to make certain changes to our manufacturing practices and/or product designs, which could negatively impact 
our business, results of operations, financial condition and competitive position.

ITEM 1B – UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

 None.

27

 
ITEM 2 – PROPERTIES

CLAY RESOURCES AND RESERVES

In 2018, the SEC adopted new rules updating the disclosure requirements for companies with mining operations. The 
new  mining disclosure rules rescind Industry Guide 7 and codify the SEC’s mining property disclosure requirements in new 
subpart  1300  of  Regulation  S-K.  These  rules  became  applicable  to  our  disclosures  on  August  1,  2021.  Regulation  S-K  1300 
requires the disclosure of mineral resources for the first time. However, we have no mineral resource estimates as all mineral 
accumulations  of  economic  interest  and  with  reasonable  prospects  for  eventual  economic  extraction  are  either  currently  on 
production or subject to an economically viable future development plan and are classified as mineral reserves.

As used in this Form 10-K, the terms “mineral resource,” “mineral reserve,” “proven mineral reserve” and “probable 
mineral reserve” are defined and used in accordance with subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K. Under subpart 1300 of Regulation S-
K, mineral resources may not be classified as “mineral reserves” unless the determination has been made by a qualified person 
(as defined under subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K) that the mineral resources can be the basis of an economically viable project. 

The following provides an overview of our mining properties, operations, and reserves. Our real property holdings and 

tons produced for each of the three fiscal years ended July 31, are as follows:

Real Property Holdings

Tons Produced

Land
Owned 

Land
Leased

Land
Unpatented
Claims

(acres)

Total

2022

2021
(thousands of tons)

2020

795 

  3,851 

105 

  2,219 
535 

340 

178 

— 

1,593 

508 

1,331 
— 

— 

— 

1,030 

  1,825 

— 

— 

— 
— 

— 

— 

  5,444 

613 

  3,550 
535 

340 

178 

  8,023 

3,432 

1,030 

  12,485 

61 

418 

55 

298 
0 

0 

0 

832 

65 

383 

50 

283 
0 

0 

0 

65 

379 

55 

257 
0 

0 

0 

781 

756 

California

Georgia

Illinois

Mississippi
Nevada

Oregon

Tennessee

With the exception of our research and development center in Illinois, all properties contain clay mineral reserves or 
are  used  in  the  processing  of  our  clay.  We  mine  sorbent  minerals  primarily  consisting  of  calcium  bentonite,  attapulgite  and 
diatomaceous shale which we refer to in the aggregate as “clay,” “minerals,” or “Fuller’s Earth.” We use certified professional 
geologists  and  mineral  specialists  who  prepared  the  estimated  reserves  of  these  minerals  in  the  table  above.  See  also  Item  1 
“Business”  above  for  further  information  about  our  reserves.  Apart  from  certain  mines  in  Georgia  and  Illinois,  all  mines  in 
Mississippi, Georgia, California and Illinois are currently in active production and collectively produced approximately 832,000 
and 781,000 tons of finished product in fiscal years 2022, and 2021, respectively. Certain of our mines in Georgia are currently 
in  development.  Parcels  of  such  land  are  also  sites  of  manufacturing  facilities  operated  by  us.  In  addition,  we  own 
approximately one acre of land in Laval, Quebec, Canada, which is the site of the processing, packaging and distribution facility 
for  our  Canadian  subsidiary.  While  we  have  reserves  in  Nevada,  Oregon  and  Tennessee  we  are  not  actively  mining  these 
properties.

28

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MINING PROPERTIES

Our  mining  operations  are  conducted  on  both  owned  and  leased  land.  The  Georgia,  Illinois  and  Mississippi  mining 
leases  generally  require  that  we  pay  a  minimum  monthly  rent  to  continue  the  lease  term.  The  rental  payments  are  typically 
applied against a stated royalty related to the number of unprocessed, or in some cases processed, tons of minerals extracted 
from  the  leased  property.  Many  of  our  mining  leases  have  no  stated  expiration  dates.  Some  of  our  leases,  however,  do  have 
expiration  dates  ranging  from  2026  to  2097.  We  would  not  experience  a  material  adverse  effect  from  the  expiration  or 
termination  of  any  of  these  leases.  We  have  a  variety  of  access  arrangements,  some  of  which  are  styled  as  leases,  for 
manufacturing at facilities that are not contiguous with the related mines. We would not experience a material adverse effect 
from the expiration or termination of any of these arrangements.

Certain of our land holdings in California are represented by unpatented mining claims we lease from the Bureau of 
Land Management. These leases generally give us the contractual right to conduct mining or processing activities on the land 
covered  by  the  claims.  The  validity  of  title  to  unpatented  claims,  however,  is  dependent  upon  numerous  factual  matters.  We 
believe  the  unpatented  claims  we  lease  are  in  compliance  with  all  applicable  federal,  state  and  local  mining  laws,  rules  and 
regulations. Future amendments to existing federal mining laws, however, could have a prospective effect on mining operations 
on  federal  lands  and  include,  among  other  changes,  the  imposition  of  royalty  fees  on  the  mining  of  unpatented  claims,  the 
elimination or restructuring of the patent system and an increase in fees for the maintenance of unpatented claims. To the extent 
that future proposals may result in the imposition of royalty fees on unpatented lands, the mining of our unpatented claims may 
become economically unfavorable. We cannot predict the form that any such amendments might take or whether or when such 
amendments might be adopted. In addition, the construction and operation of processing facilities on these sites would require 
the approval of federal, state and local regulatory authorities. See Item 1A “Risk Factors” above for a discussion of other risks 
to our business related to our mining properties.

We  operate  a  number  of  mines  concentrated  near  our  production  facilities  in  California,  Georgia,  Illinois  and 
Mississippi, although we have proven reserves in other states. Based upon the quantitative and qualitative factors applicable, we 
do  not  consider  any  of  our  mines  to  be  individually  material  to  our  business  or  financial  condition.  As  a  result,  we  are  only 
required to disclose summary information related to our mineral reserves. Our mineral reserves as of July 31, 2022, have been 
prepared and certified by Jason Giddens, Corporate Geologist, our Qualified Person (QP) who is employed by us and who is a 
certified professional geologist.  Our summary of proven and probable reserves as of July 31, 2022 is as follows:

Mineral Reserves

California
Georgia
Illinois
Mississippi
Nevada
Oregon
Tennessee

Estimated
Proven
Reserves

Estimated
Probable
Reserves
(thousands of tons)
11,226
22,675
1,596
134,854
2,976
25
3,000
176,352

3,458
33,065
2,384
36,170
23,316
—
3,000
101,393

Total

14,684
55,740
3,980
171,024
26,292
25
6,000
277,745

We estimate that our proven mineral reserves as of July 31, 2022 were approximately 101,393,000 tons in aggregate 
and  our  probable  reserves  were  approximately  176,352,000  tons  in  aggregate,  for  a  total  of  277,745,000  tons  of  mineral 
reserves.  Based  on  our  rate  of  consumption  during  fiscal  year  2022,  and  without  regard  to  any  of  our  reserves  in  Nevada, 
Oregon and Tennessee, we consider our proven and probable reserves adequate to supply our needs for over 40 years. Although 
we  consider  these  reserves  to  be  extremely  valuable  to  our  business,  only  a  small  portion  of  the  reserves,  those  which  were 
acquired in acquisitions, are reflected at cost on our balance sheet.

29

 
 
It is our policy to attempt to maintain a minimum of forty years of proven and probable reserves of each type of clay 
at  each  location.  We  have  an  ongoing  program  of  exploration  for  additional  reserves  but  we  cannot  assure  that  additional 
reserves  will  continue  to  become  available.  Our  use  of  these  reserves,  and  our  ability  to  explore  for  additional  reserves,  are 
subject to compliance with existing and future federal and state statutes and regulations regarding mining and environmental 
compliance. During fiscal year 2022, we utilized these reserves to produce substantially all of the sorbent products that we sold.

Proven reserves means the economically mineable part of a measured resource and can only result from conversion of 
a measured mineral resource. Further, proven reserves are those reserves for which (a) quantity is computed from dimensions 
revealed in outcrops, trenches, workings or drill holes; grade and/or quality are computed from results of detailed sampling, and 
(b) the sites for inspection, sampling and measurement are spaced so closely and the geologic character is so well defined that 
size,  shape,  depth  and  mineral  content  of  reserves  are  well  established.  Probable  reserves  are  computed  from  information 
similar  to  that  used  for  proven  reserves,  but  the  sites  for  inspection,  sampling  and  measurement  are  farther  apart  or  are 
otherwise  less  adequately  spaced.  The  degree  of  assurance,  although  lower  than  that  for  proven  reserves,  is  high  enough  to 
assume continuity between points of observation. We use certified professional geologists and mineral specialists who estimate 
and evaluate existing and potential reserves in terms of quality, quantity and availability.

We have internal controls for reviewing and documenting the information supporting the mineral reserve estimates and 
ensuring the validity of the estimates. Information that is utilized to compile mineral reserves is prepared and certified by our 
QP and is subject to internal review. Refer to Item 1A. “Risk Factors” for discussion of risks associated with our estimates of 
mineral reserves.

MINING AND MANUFACTURING METHODS

Mining and Hauling

We mine clay in open-pit mines in Georgia, Mississippi, Illinois and California. The mining and hauling operations are 
similar throughout the Oil-Dri locations, with the exception of California. The land to be mined is first stripped. The stripping 
process  involves  removing  the  overburden  and  preparing  the  site  to  allow  the  excavators  to  reach  the  desired  clay.  When 
stripping  is  completed,  the  excavators  dig  out  and  load  the  clay  onto  dump  trucks.  The  trucks  haul  the  clay  directly  to  our 
processing plants where it is dumped in a clay yard and segregated by clay type if necessary. Generally, the mine sites are in 
close  proximity  to  the  processing  plants;  however,  the  maximum  distance  the  clay  is  currently  hauled  to  a  plant  is 
approximately 13 miles.

At our California mines, the clay is excavated and hauled to a hopper. An initial crushing and screening operation is 

performed at the mine site before the trucks are loaded for delivery to the processing plant.

Processing

The processing of our clay varies depending on the level of moisture desired in the clay after the drying process. The 

moisture level is referred to as regular volatile moisture (“RVM”) or low volatile moisture (“LVM”).

RVM  Clay:  A  front  end  loader  is  used  to  load  the  clay  from  the  clay  yard  into  the  primary  crusher.  The  primary 
crusher  reduces  the  clay  chunks  to  2.0  inches  in  diameter  or  smaller.  From  the  crusher,  the  clay  is  transported  via  a  belt 
conveyor into the clay shed. A clay shed loader feeds the clay into a disintegrator which reduces the clay to particles 0.5 inches 
in  diameter  or  smaller.  The  clay  then  feeds  directly  into  the  RVM  kiln.  The  RVM  kiln  reduces  the  clay’s  moisture  content. 
From  the  RVM  kiln,  the  clay  moves  through  a  series  of  mills  and  screens  which  further  size  and  separate  the  clay  into  the 
desired particle sizes. The sized clay is then conveyed into storage tanks. The RVM processed clay can then be packaged or 
processed into LVM material.

LVM Clay: RVM clay is fed from storage tanks into the LVM kiln where the moisture content is further reduced. The 

clay then proceeds to a screening circuit which separates the clay into the desired particle sizes.

In addition, certain other products may go through further processing or the application of fragrances and additives. 
For example, certain fluid purification and animal health products are processed into a powder form. We also use a proprietary 
process for our engineered granules to create spherical, uniform-sized granules.

30

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Packaging

Once the clay has been dried to the desired level it will be sized and packaged. Our products have various package 
sizes and types ranging from bags, boxes, pails, and jugs of cat litter to railcars of agricultural products. We also package some 
of our products into bulk (approximately one ton) bags or into bulk trucks. The size and delivery configuration of our finished 
products is determined by customer requirements.

FACILITIES

We operate clay manufacturing and non-clay production facilities on property owned or leased by us as shown on the 

map below:

Oil-Dri Plant Site Locations

31

 
 
Location
Blue Mountain, Mississippi
Chicago, Illinois
Coppet, Switzerland
Jakarta, Indonesia
Jalisco, Mexico
Laval, Quebec, Canada
Mounds, Illinois
Ochlocknee, Georgia
Ripley, Mississippi
Shenzhen, China
Taft, California
Vernon Hills, Illinois
Wisbech, United Kingdom

Owned/Leased
Owned
Leased
Leased
Leased
Leased
Owned
Owned
Owned
Owned
Leased
Owned

Function

Manufacturing and packaging
Principal executive office
Customer service office
Office
Warehouse and office
Non-clay manufacturing and clay and non-clay packaging, sales
Manufacturing and packaging
Manufacturing and packaging
Manufacturing and packaging
Sales office, customer service
Manufacturing and packaging

Owned & Leased Research and development

Leased

Non-clay manufacturing and clay and non-clay packaging, sales, 
customer service

We  have  no  mortgages  on  the  real  property  we  own.  The  leases  for  the  locations  listed  above  expire  as  follows:  
Shenzhen, China in 2024; Vernon Hills, Illinois in 2026; Wisbech, United Kingdom in 2032 and Chicago, Illinois in 2033. The 
leases for the Coppet, Switzerland; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Jalisco, Mexico offices are on a year-to-year basis. We consider that 
our properties are generally in good condition, well maintained and suitable and adequate to carry on our business.

ITEM 3 – LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

For a discussion of contingencies related to legal proceedings, see Note 11 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial 

Statements, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 

ITEM 4 – MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE

Our mining operations are subject to regulation by the Mine Safety and Health Administration under authority of the 
Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, as amended. Information concerning mine safety violations or other regulatory 
matters  required  by  section  1503(a)  of  the  Dodd-Frank  Wall  Street  Reform  and  Consumer  Protection  Act  and  Item  104  of 
Regulation S-K is included in Exhibit 95 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

32

 
 
 
PART II

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

Our  Common  Stock  is  traded  on  the  NYSE  under  the  symbol  ODC.  There  is  no  established  trading  market  for  our 
Class B Stock. There are no shares of Class A Common Stock currently outstanding. See Exhibit 4.1 to this Annual Report on 
Form  10-K  for  a  description  of  our  Common  Stock,  Class  B  Stock  and  Class  A  Common  Stock.  The  number  of  holders  of 
record of Common Stock and Class B Stock on September 30, 2022 were 710 and 24, respectively, as reported by our transfer 
agent. In the last three years, we have not sold any securities which were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933.

Dividends

Our Board of Directors determines the timing and amount of any dividends. Our Board of Directors may change its 
dividend practice at any time. The declaration and payment of future dividends, if any, will depend upon, among other things, 
our future earnings, capital requirements, financial condition, legal requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors that 
our Board of Directors deems relevant. Our Credit Agreement with BMO Harris Bank N.A. (“BMO Harris”) and our Amended 
Note Agreement with Prudential requires that certain minimum net worth and tangible net worth levels are to be maintained. To 
the extent that these balances are not attained, our ability to pay dividends may be impaired. See Note 3 of the Notes to the 
Consolidated Financial Statements for further information about our note agreements.

Issuer Repurchase of Equity Securities

During  the  three  months  ended  July  31,  2022,  we  did  not  sell  any  securities  which  were  not  registered  under  the 

Securities Act of 1933. The following chart summarizes our Common Stock purchases during this period.

ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES 1
(a)

(b)

Total Number of 
Shares Purchased2

Average Price Paid 
per Share

(c)
Total Number of 
Shares Purchased as 
Part of Publicly 
Announced Plans or 
Programs

(d)
Maximum Number 
of Shares that may 
yet be Purchased 
Under Plans or 
Programs3

—

48,064

606

$—

$26.71

$28.27

—

48,064

—

485,196

437,132

436,526

For the Three 
Months Ended July 
31, 2022

May, 1 2022 to       
May 31, 2022

June 1, 2022 to         
June 30, 2022

July 1, 2022 to        
July 31, 2022

1  The  table  summarizes  repurchases  of  (and  remaining  authority  to  repurchase)  shares  of  our  Common  Stock.  Our  Board  of 
Directors  authorized  the  repurchase  of  300,000  shares  of  Class  B  Stock  on  March  21,  2018,  however  there  have  been  no 
repurchases of Class B Stock for the three months ended July 31, 2022, and the authorized Class B Stock is not included in the 
table above. No shares of our Class A Common Stock are currently outstanding. Descriptions of our Common Stock, Class B 
Stock and Class A Common Stock are contained in Exhibit 4.1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 
July 31, 2022. 

2  The 606 shares of Common Stock in July 2022 represent shares surrendered by employees to pay taxes related to restricted 
stock awards.

3 Our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of 250,000 shares on June 14, 2012 and an additional 750,000 shares on 
March  11,  2019.  These  authorizations  do  not  have  a  stated  expiration  date.  The  share  numbers  in  this  column  indicate  the 
number of shares of Common Stock that may yet be repurchased under these authorizations. Repurchases may be made on the 
open  market  (pursuant  to  Rule  10b5-1  plans  or  otherwise)  or  in  negotiated  transactions.  The  timing  and  number  of  shares 
repurchased will be determined by our management.

33

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

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with 
the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  the  related  notes  included  elsewhere  herein.  This  discussion  contains  forward-
looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in 
the  forward-looking  statements.  Factors  that  might  cause  a  difference  include  those  discussed  under  “Forward-Looking 
Statements” and in Item 1A “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

OVERVIEW

We  develop,  mine,  manufacture  and  market  sorbent  products  principally  produced  from  clay  minerals,  primarily 
consisting  of  calcium  bentonite,  attapulgite  and  diatomaceous  shale.  Our  principal  products  include  agricultural  and 
horticultural chemical carriers, animal health and nutrition products, cat litter, fluid purification and filtration bleaching clays, 
industrial  and  automotive  floor  absorbents  and  sports  field  products.  Our  products  are  sold  to  two  primary  customer  groups, 
including  customers  who  resell  our  products  as  originally  produced  to  the  end  consumer  and  other  customers  who  use  our 
products as part of their production process or use them as an ingredient in their final finished product. We have two reportable 
operating  segments  based  on  the  different  characteristics  of  our  two  primary  customer  groups:  the  Retail  and  Wholesale 
Products  Group  and  the  Business  to  Business  Products  Group.  Each  operating  segment  is  discussed  individually  below. 
Additional detailed descriptions of the operating segments are included in Item 1 “Business” above.

As a result of a change in management organization during fiscal year 2022 and as part of our routine assessments of 
our  segments,  our  wholly  owned  subsidiary  located  in  the  United  Kingdom  is  now  included  in  our  Business  to  Business 
Products Group and our co-packaged coarse cat litter is now included in the Retail and Wholesale Products Group. Prior year 
net sales and operating income have also been reclassified to reflect these changes.  The organization change was intended to 
better  serve  our  customers  and  the  segment  information  presented  reflects  the  information  regularly  reviewed  by  our  chief 
operating decision maker.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

OVERVIEW

Consolidated net sales increased approximately $43,608,000 or 14% in fiscal year 2022 compared to fiscal year 2021. 
Consolidated income from operations in fiscal year 2022 decreased compared to fiscal year 2021 by $8,215,000. Additionally, 
fiscal year 2022 experienced lower income tax expense than fiscal year 2021 as further described in Note 5 of the Notes to the 
Consolidated Financial Statements. 

Consolidated net income was $5,674,000, or $0.81 per diluted common share, for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2022, 

a 49% decrease from net income of $11,113,000, or $1.57 per diluted common share, for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021. 
The decrease relates to higher freight, packaging, natural gas, and non-fuel manufacturing costs and also various other rising 
costs as described further below.

Our Consolidated Balance Sheets as of July 31, 2022 and our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for fiscal year 
2022 show a decrease in total cash and cash equivalents from fiscal year-end 2021 driven by higher cost of goods, increased 
capital requirements, and stock repurchases.   Cash reduction as of July 31, 2022 was offset by an additional $25,000,000 in 
loan proceeds.

As  further  discussed  below,  our  consolidated  net  sales  increased  in  the  fiscal  year  2022  compared  to  the  fiscal  year 
2021. Net sales of our industrial and sports products as well as most of our fluids purification products have mostly returned to 
pre-pandemic levels as many businesses and sports have re-opened and air travel has been increasing. However, parts of our 
business continue to be negatively impacted by the pandemic and varying recoveries from and resurgences of the pandemic in 
certain areas. Net sales for our industrial granules in the United Kingdom have increased in fiscal year 2022 as a result of the 
return of demand following the impact of the pandemic (and also certain timing impacts). Net sales of our animal health and 
nutrition  products  have  been  dampened  due  to  COVID-19  in  certain  geographic  areas,  particularly  in  China,  which  has 
continued to impose restrictions and quarantine requirements in response to COVID-19 outbreaks. We have also experienced an 
increase  in  backlog  due,  in  part,  to  supply  chain  disruptions,  shipping  delays  and  constraints  on  the  availability  of  labor 
(including  at  our  suppliers)  amidst  unprecedented  demand  for  our  products.  We  have  put  in  place  measures  to  reduce  the 
backlog that was generated during fiscal year 2022, including hiring additional labor, adding additional work shifts, improving 

34

operating productivity in our plants, upgrading our manufacturing facilities and equipment and increasing our overseas freight 
forwarders.

As discussed below in "Consolidated Results," gross profit has declined in fiscal year 2022 compared to fiscal year 
2021 related to rising costs and supply chain disruptions. We have faced longer lead times for some of our materials purchases, 
which have contributed to an increase in our backlog, but we have been able to avoid significant out of stock issues for most of 
our  materials.  Where  possible,  we  have  found  other  suppliers  to  meet  the  increase  in  customer  demand  for  our  products.  In 
addition, the cost of repair parts has increased but this has not caused any significant disruption to our business. While we have 
experienced a shortage of production labor at certain times during the fiscal year 2022, which has been a contributing factor to 
our increase in backlog, we have been able to hire additional labor and reduce our backlog related to production constraints in 
the third and fourth quarters of fiscal year 2022. We are closely monitoring the continuation, resurgence in certain areas, and 
effects of COVID-19 on all aspects of our business, including how it has impacted and may impact our suppliers and customers 
as well as the effects of the pandemic on economic conditions and the financial markets. In general, we have seen an increase in 
costs,  particularly  as  it  relates  to  commodities  as  the  economy  continues  to  react  to,  and  recover  from,  the  pandemic  and 
demand surpasses supply. We have also seen costs increasing due to inflation. In addition to rising commodity costs and other 
increased  costs  described  below,  several  of  our  suppliers  have  passed  along  non-commodity  price  increases  they  have 
experienced in their own businesses. However, we have not experienced any significant interruptions, and we will continue to 
closely monitor our inventory levels to mitigate the risk of any potential supply interruptions or changes in customer demand. It 
is  possible  that  significant  disruptions  could  occur  if  the  pandemic  and  other  factors  such  as  labor  shortages,  ongoing 
geopolitical tensions, and other strains on the supply chain continue to put pressure on production, transportation, and shipping 
as a result of an imbalance of supply and demand or if there are continued increases in costs that we are unable to recover. The 
impacts of COVID-19 and related economic conditions on our future results are uncertain at this time. The scope, duration, and 
magnitude  of  the  direct  and  indirect  effects  of  COVID-19  continue  to  evolve  (and  in  many  cases,  rapidly)  in  ways  that  are 
difficult  or  impossible  to  anticipate.  In  addition,  although  COVID-19  has  not  materially  impacted  our  net  sales  to  date,  it 
remains  uncertain  whether  and  how  consumers  will  modify  their  purchasing  habits  in  response  to  the  ongoing  COVID-19 
pandemic  and/or  the  lifting  or  relaxing  and/or  re-imposition  of  mandates  as  various  geographies  experience  resurgences  and 
abatement of the pandemic.

The impacts of COVID-19 to our specific operating segments are discussed below.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

FISCAL YEAR 2022 COMPARED TO FISCAL YEAR 2021

CONSOLIDATED RESULTS

Consolidated  net  sales  in  fiscal  year  2022  reached  an  all-time  high  of  $348,589,000,  an  increase  of  $43,608,000  or 
14%, from net sales of $304,981,000 in fiscal year 2021. Net sales increased for both our Retail and Wholesale Products Group 
and Business to Business Products Group due to an increase in sales volume and higher prices instituted in response to rising 
costs. The increase in demand for our products during the fiscal year 2022 has led to an increase in our backlog of orders. We 
have  hired  additional  manufacturing  personnel,  expanded  our  production  shifts,  increased  production  equipment  and  made 
various repairs to equipment in order to reduce our backlog as well as increase our use of alternate modes of transportation. We 
continue  to  analyze  the  constraints  on  our  operations  and  implement  strategies  to  meet  the  increase  in  customer  demand. 
Segment results are discussed further below.

Consolidated gross profit in fiscal year 2022 was $62,515,000, a decrease of $2,726,000, or 4%, from gross profit of 
$65,241,000 in the prior fiscal year. Our gross margin (defined as gross profit as a percentage of net sales) in fiscal year 2022 
decreased to 18% from 21% in fiscal year 2021. Higher freight, packaging, natural gas, and non-fuel manufacturing costs per 
ton drove the decrease in gross profit. We continue to experience high freight costs both domestically and with respect to ocean 
freight. Domestic freight costs per ton, excluding the freight we no longer charge to a significant customer who now picks up its 
own purchases, increased approximately 27% in fiscal year 2022 compared to fiscal year 2021. The increase relates to higher 
transportation rates due to an increase in diesel fuel costs, a national driver shortage, and tight trucking capacity. Ocean freight 
costs have also increased due to rising fuel costs and export fees. In addition, our overall freight costs can vary between periods 
depending on the mix of products sold and the geographic distribution of our customers. Packaging costs per ton for fiscal year 
2022 were approximately 29% higher compared to fiscal year 2021 due to higher commodity costs, particularly as it relates to 
resin and pallet costs. Many of our contracts for packaging purchases are subject to periodic price adjustments, which trail 
changes in underlying commodity prices. The cost of natural gas per ton used to operate kilns that dry our clay was 108% 
higher in fiscal year 2022 compared to fiscal year 2021 due to higher natural gas prices and higher natural gas delivery costs, 
which are being driven by demand surpassing available supply as well as the impact of the ongoing conflict between Russia and 
Ukraine and actions taken in response to such conflict. Non-fuel manufacturing costs per ton also increased during fiscal year 

35

2022 compared to fiscal year 2021 by 11%. The increase in non-fuel manufacturing costs relate to higher repairs, utility costs, 
labor and benefit costs, and costs of purchased materials. In addition to the above, during fiscal year 2022, several suppliers 
started to pass along non-commodity price increases related to cost increases experienced in their own businesses and we expect 
such increases to persist. While we have faced higher costs due to the reasons mentioned above, we continue to strive to restore 
our historical margins utilizing various strategies including reducing costs where possible, increasing sales volume, and 
implementing price increases.

Total  selling,  general  and  administrative  expenses  (SG&A)  were  0.3%  lower  in  fiscal  year  2022  compared  to  fiscal 
year 2021, effectively flat year over year. An increase in compensation expense was offset by lower pension and other costs.  
The discussion of each segment's operating income below describe the changes in selling, general and administrative expenses 
that were allocated to that segment.

The  loss  on  impairment  of  goodwill  of  $5,644,000  is  related  to  our  Retail  and  Wholesale  Products  Group  reporting 
unit. Our goodwill impairment test is based on cash flow considerations and other approaches that require significant judgment 
with  respect  to  volume,  revenue,  expenses  and  allocations.  We  determined  that,  as  a  result  of  lower  share  prices  and  the 
continued adverse impacts of rising costs and additional expenses to prevent supply chain disruptions, and despite improving 
margins,  we  had  a  triggering  event  during  the  third  quarter  of  fiscal  2022  that  necessitated  a  goodwill  impairment  test  and 
resulted in the carrying value of our Retail and Wholesale Products Group reporting unit being higher than its fair value which 
led to the $5,644,000 impairment charge.

Other  income  (expense),  net  in  fiscal  year  2021  included  approximately  $600,000  of  settlement  expense  under  our 
pension plan as further described in Note 8 to the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. No settlement expense was 
incurred in fiscal 2022. In addition, there was  pension income driven by changes in discount rates and census data in fiscal year 
2022.

Tax expense for fiscal year 2022 was $97,000 (effective tax rate of 1.7%) compared to $2,388,000  (effective tax rate 
of 17.7%) in fiscal year 2021. The decrease in tax expense was driven by lower taxable income and additional tax deductions 
allowed for the mining industry.  See Note 5 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information 
about our income taxes.

The  Company  routinely  assesses  its  operating  segments.  In  fiscal  year  2022,  driven  by  a  change  in  its  management 
organization, the Company decided to move its wholly-owned subsidiary in the United Kingdom from the Retail and Wholesale 
Products Group to the Business to Business Products Group.  In addition, the co-packaging coarse cat litter business was moved 
from the Business to Business Products Group to the Retail and Wholesale Products Group.  Prior year net sales and operating 
income have been reclassified to reflect these changes.

36

 
BUSINESS TO BUSINESS PRODUCTS GROUP

Net  sales  of  the  Business  to  Business  Products  Group  for  fiscal  year  2022  were  $113,379,000,  an  increase  of 
$16,241,000,  or  17%,  from  net  sales  of  $97,138,000  in  fiscal  year  2021.  Net  sales  increased  in  all  product  categories  - 
agricultural and horticultural products; fluids and purification products; and animal health products. This growth was the result 
of both price increases and higher demand for our products.  Net sales of fluid purification products increased approximately 
$8,715,000 or 16% in fiscal year 2022 compared with the prior year.  The increase in net sales occurred for a variety of reasons, 
including new customer wins, increased sales to existing customers, increase in air travel in most regions, price increases that 
were  instituted  to  offset  rising  costs,  and  in  some  cases,  timing  of  net  sales.  The  majority  of  this  increase  in  net  sales  was 
concentrated  in  North  America  and  Latin  America.  Revenues  in  Europe  remained  relatively  flat  year  over  year  due  to  the 
impact of currency translation on our selling prices as well as ocean freight shipping delays. Net sales of our agricultural and 
horticultural  chemical  carrier  products  increased  approximately  $4,384,000,  or  17%,  for  fiscal  year  2022  compared  to  fiscal 
year 2021 as a result of continued strong demand for these products as well as price increases. Net sales of our animal health 
and nutrition products increased $3,143,000, or 18%, during fiscal year 2022 compared to the prior year driven by increases in 
North  America  and  Latin  America,  partially  offset  by  decreases  in  Mexico  and  Asia,  (excluding  China  which  had  a  slight 
increase in net sales as discussed below in "Foreign Operations"). The increase in net sales relates to several new customers, a 
new product line in North America, and in general, timing of when sales occur. Furthermore, our business to Latin America has 
benefited from the European Union's ("EU") new antibiotic-free regulation on foreign protein imports, as a large percentage of 
meat is exported from that region to the EU.  Despite the overall increase in net sales, ocean freight delays and the continuation 
of  COVID-19,  particularly  in  China,  which  has  continued  to  impose  restrictions  and  quarantine  requirements  in  response  to 
COVID-19  outbreaks,  impacted  our  animal  health  business  during  fiscal  year  2022.  See  “Foreign  Operations”  below  for  a 
discussion of net sales for our foreign operations that sell our animal health and nutrition products. 

SG&A expenses for the Business to Business Products Group increased approximately 23% or $2,628,844 for fiscal 
year  2022  compared  to  the  prior  fiscal  year.  We  continued  to  invest  in  our  animal  health  business,  which  resulted  in  higher 
costs  due  to  increased  headcount  of  sales  and  leadership  personnel,  increased  travel  costs,  and  increased  marketing  efforts 
associated  with  our  animal  feed  additives.  The  increase  in  SG&A  expenses  in  fiscal  year  2022  also  related  to  an  increase  in 
compensation related to additional headcount and a write off of patent applications.

The  Business  to  Business  Products  Group’s  operating  income  for  fiscal  year  2022  was  $24,344,000,  a  decrease  of 
$1,570,000, or 6%, from operating income of $25,914,000 for fiscal year 2021. The decrease in operating income was driven by 
higher freight, packaging, natural gas, and non-fuel manufacturing costs per ton as discussed in “Consolidated Results” above 
as well as higher SG&A expenses during fiscal year 2022.

RETAIL AND WHOLESALE PRODUCTS GROUP

Net  sales  of  the  Retail  and  Wholesale  Products  Group  for  fiscal  year  2022  were  $235,210,000,  an  increase  of 
$27,367,000, or 13%, from net sales of $207,843,000 in fiscal year 2021 driven by both increases in net sales of our cat litter 
and  our  industrial  and  sports  products.  Total  cat  litter  net  sales  increased  $20,159,000,  or  11%,  compared  to  the  prior  fiscal 
year.  This increase was driven by organic volume growth, expanded distribution, price increases in response to rising costs, 
and  the  reduced  need  for  trade  spending  because  of  higher  demand.  Net  sales  of  branded  scoopable  litter,  private  label 
lightweight and heavyweight litter, and accessories (liners) increased in fiscal year 2022 compared to the prior year.  Sales to e-
commerce distributors were also higher during the fiscal year 2022 compared to fiscal year 2021.  Our co-packaged coarse cat 
litter business experienced an increase of $2,474,300 or 17% in net sales during fiscal year 2022 compared to fiscal year 2021 
primarily due to price increases partially offset by a decrease in volume.  Also included in the Retail and Wholesale Products 
Group's results were increased net sales of our industrial and sports products in fiscal year 2022, compared to fiscal year 2021. 
Net  sales  of  our  industrial  and  sports  products  increased  approximately  $7,208,000  or  23%  in  fiscal  year  2022  compared  to 
fiscal year 2021, due to the continued re-opening of businesses and sports fields in fiscal 2022, as well as new customers and an 
increase in selling price per ton as we continue to respond to rising costs.  

SG&A  expenses  for  the  Retail  and  Wholesale  Products  Group  was  lower  by  approximately  $4,520,089,  or  26%, 
during  fiscal  year  2022  compared  to  fiscal  year  2021  due  to  lower  advertising  costs,  bad  debt  expenses  and  other  selling 
expenses in fiscal year 2022. 

An impairment of goodwill of $5,644,000 was recognized in the third quarter of fiscal 2022 driven by a third quarter 
triggering event due to lower share prices and the continued adverse impacts of rising costs and additional expenses to prevent 
supply chain disruptions.

37

 
The Retail and Wholesale Products Group’s segment operating income for fiscal year 2022 was $6,252,000, a decrease 
of $4,836,000 or 44%, from operating income of $11,088,000 in fiscal year 2021. The decrease in segment operating income 
was  driven  by  the  goodwill  impairment  charge  recorded  in  the  third  quarter  of  fiscal  year  2022  as  well  as  higher  freight, 
packaging, natural gas, and non-fuel manufacturing costs which outpaced the increase in net sales as described in “Consolidated 
Results” above. 

FOREIGN SUBSIDIARIES

Foreign operations include our subsidiary in Canada, which is included in the Retail and Wholesale Products Group, 
and  our  subsidiaries  in  the  United  Kingdom,  China,  Mexico  and  Indonesia,  which  are  included  in  the  Business  to  Business 
Products Group. Net sales by our foreign subsidiaries during fiscal year 2022 were $19,893,000, an increase of $2,487,000, or 
14%, from net sales of $17,406,000 during fiscal year 2021. All of our foreign operations, with the exception of our subsidiary 
in  Mexico,  experienced  an  increase  in  net  sales  during  fiscal  year  2022  compared  to  fiscal  year  2021.  Total  net  sales  of  our 
subsidiary in Canada during fiscal year 2022 increased by $2,237,000, or 23%, compared to fiscal year 2021 driven by higher 
cat  litter  net  sales.  Cat  litter  sales  in  Canada  were  $2,610,000  higher  during  fiscal  year  2022  than  in  fiscal  year  2021.  The 
increase in cat litter sales was mainly driven by a key customer carrying three of our products for the first time as well as price 
increases  instituted  in  response  to  rising  costs.  The  increase  in  cat  litter  sales  was  partially  offset  by  lower  net  sales  of  our 
industrial absorbent granules in fiscal year 2022 compared to fiscal year 2021. Net sales of industrial absorbent granules were 
higher in fiscal year 2021 as companies emerged from the constraints of the pandemic and there was a surge in demand. Net 
sales  of  our  subsidiary  in  the  United  Kingdom  in  fiscal  year  2022  increased  by  $396,000,  or  21%,  compared  to  net  sales  in 
fiscal year 2021. The increase related to timing of net sales and partly due to demand starting to slowly return post pandemic. 
Net sales of our subsidiary in Mexico decreased during fiscal year 2022 compared to fiscal year 2021 by $408,000 or 16%, as 
fiscal  year  2021  included  net  sales  of  products  in  that  region  that  are  no  longer  part  of  our  business  strategy.  Despite  the 
negative impacts of COVID-19 in China, net sales of our subsidiary in China increased $40,000, or 1%, during fiscal year 2022 
compared to fiscal year 2021 due primarily to the addition of a new customer. Net sales by our foreign subsidiaries represented 
6% of our consolidated net sales for both the fiscal years 2022 and 2021. 

For fiscal year 2022, our foreign subsidiaries reported a net loss of $756,000, compared to a net loss of $597,000 in 
fiscal year 2021. The net loss in fiscal year 2022 was primarily driven by unfavorable exchange rates, lower net sales for our 
subsidiary  in  Mexico,  higher  cost  of  sales,  and  higher  SG&A  expenses  by  our  subsidiary  in  China  due  to  increased  sales 
personnel and marketing of our animal feed additives as we continue to invest in our animal health and nutrition products. 

Identifiable  assets  of  our  foreign  subsidiaries  as  of  July  31,  2022  were  $12,989,000  compared  to  $12,572,000  as  of 

July 31, 2021. 

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Our  principal  short  and  long-term  capital  requirements  include:  funding  working  capital  needs;  purchasing  and 
upgrading  equipment,  facilities,  information  systems,  and  real  estate;  supporting  new  product  development;  spending  on 
marketing  and  advertising  costs;  investing  in  infrastructure;  repurchasing  stock;  paying  dividends;  making  pension 
contributions;  and,  from  time  to  time,  business  acquisitions.  During  fiscal  year  2022,  we  principally  funded  these  short  and 
long-term capital requirements using cash from current operations as well as cash generated in the second quarter of fiscal year 
2022 from borrowings under our Series Senior C Notes (described below). 

Cash and cash equivalents totaled $16,298,000 and $24,591,000 as of July 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

We currently anticipate cash flows from operations and our available sources of liquidity will be sufficient to meet our 
cash  requirements.  In  addition,  we  are  actively  monitoring  the  timing  and  collection  of  our  accounts  receivable.  Given  the 
dynamic  nature  of  COVID-19  and  its  effects,  as  well  as  the  current  inflationary  environment  and  impacts  of  supply  chain 
disruption on our business, we will continue to assess our liquidity needs and to actively manage our spending.  

38

 
The following table sets forth certain elements of our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the fiscal year (in 

thousands):

Net cash provided by operating activities    ..................................... $  9,838  $  13,636 

2022

2021

Net cash used in investing activities      .............................................
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities ......................
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents      ....

  (22,810)    (18,830) 
  (11,322) 
217 

(24)   

4,703 

Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents   ................... $  (8,293)  $ (16,299) 

Net cash provided by operating activities

In  addition  to  net  income,  as  adjusted  for  depreciation  and  amortization  and  other  non-cash  operating  activities,  the 

primary sources and uses of operating cash flows for fiscal years 2022 and 2021 were as follows:

Non-cash stock compensation was $210,000 higher for fiscal 2022 compared to fiscal 2021 due to an increase of stock 
awards granted in 2022. See Note 7 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information about stock-
based compensation.

During the third quarter of fiscal 2022, we recorded a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $5,644,000, which left 
no remaining goodwill in the Retail and Wholesale Products Group reporting unit. See Note 1 of the Notes to the Consolidated 
Financial Statements for further information about goodwill.

Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts and cash discounts, were $10,881,000 higher at fiscal year-
end 2022 compared to fiscal year-end 2021 due primarily to higher sales in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 than in the same 
period in fiscal year 2021. The same measure of accounts receivable was $5,808,000 higher at fiscal year-end 2021 compared to 
fiscal year-end 2020 due to higher sales in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2021. Accounts receivable increased in both fiscal 
years 2022 and 2021 due to the increase in net sales in both periods. In addition, the variation in accounts receivable balances 
reflect differences in the level and timing of collections as well as the payment terms provided to various customers. 

Inventories were $12,109,000 higher at fiscal year-end 2022 compared to fiscal year-end 2021 due primarily to rising 
costs and building inventory levels to meet demand and thwart potential supply chain disruptions. Inventories were $518,000 
lower  at  fiscal  year-end  2021  compared  to  fiscal  year-end  2020  due  primarily  to  higher  sales  of  finished  goods  offset  by 
increased packaging costs and a lower obsolescence reserve.  Packaging costs increased due to anticipated sales demand as well 
as an increase in the underlying cost of packaging. The lower obsolescence reserve was attributable to our focus on inventory 
management. See Note 1 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information regarding our inventory.

Prepaid expenses were $1,014,000 higher at fiscal year-end 2022 compared to fiscal year-end 2021 driven primarily by 
higher  prepaid  insurance  costs  due  to  the  rising  cost  of  insurance  and  timing  of  premium  payments.    Prepaid  expenses  were 
$4,067,000  higher  at  fiscal  year  end  2021  compared  to  fiscal  year  2020  due  to  higher  prepayments  of  income  taxes.  This 
increase in fiscal year 2021 was partially offset by lower prepaid advertising costs and insurance. 

Deferred  income  taxes,  less  provision  for  deferred  income  taxes,  were  $1,581,000  higher  at  fiscal  year-end  2022 
compared  to  fiscal  year-end  2021  and  were  $5,196,000  lower  at  fiscal  year-end  2021  compared  to  fiscal  year-end  2020. 
Deferred income taxes were higher at fiscal year-end 2022 due to the election of out of bonus depreciation that the Company 
took  in  fiscal  year  2021.  Deferred  income  taxes  were  lower  at  fiscal  year-end  2021  due  to  certain  pension  and  retirement 
benefits,  accrued  expenses,  and  bonus  depreciation  on  fixed  assets.  See  Note  5  of  the  Notes  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements for further information about income taxes.

Other assets were $2,138,000 higher at fiscal year-end 2022 compared to fiscal year-end 2021 due to an increase in 
operating lease right-of-use lease assets offset by amortization of said right-of-use assets. Other assets were $544,000 lower at 
fiscal year-end 2021 compared to fiscal year-end 2020 due to a reduction in our operating right of use lease asset for expiring 
leases partially offset by higher pre-production costs at certain of our mines. 

Accounts  payable  were  $5,002,000  higher  at  fiscal  year-end  2022  compared  to  fiscal  year-end  2021.  Higher  trade 
payables drove the increase in accounts payable in fiscal year 2022. Accounts payable were $2,411,000 lower at fiscal year-end 
2021 compared to fiscal year-end 2020. Lower trade payables drove the decrease in accounts payable in fiscal year 2021 as well 

39

 
 
 
 
 
 
as income taxes payable being in a prepaid position versus a payable position at the end of the fiscal year 2021. Changes in 
trade accounts payable in all periods are subject to normal fluctuations in the timing of payments, the cost of goods and services 
we purchased, production volume levels and vendor payment terms.

Accrued expenses were $4,703,000 higher at fiscal year-end 2022 compared to fiscal year-end 2021 The increase in 
accrued  expenses  during  the  fiscal  year  2022  is  attributable  to  a  continued  increase  in  freight  costs,  natural  gas  prices  and 
salaries  and  benefits.  These  increases  were  somewhat  lessened  by  lower  accrued  advertising  costs.  Accrued  expenses  were 
$4,097,000  lower  at  fiscal  year-end  2021  compared  to  fiscal  year-end  2020  due  primarily  to  accrued  annual  discretionary 
bonus, 401(k) employer match, advertising costs and an accrual for a legal contingency, which is further described in Note 11 
of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. These increases were partially offset by lower accruals for unvouchered 
freight. 

Deferred compensation balances at fiscal year-end 2022 were $189,000 higher compared to fiscal year-end 2021 and 
fiscal year-end 2021 was $770,000 lower compared to fiscal year-end 2020.  Deferred compensation increased in fiscal 2022 
because of higher deferrals by participants in our deferred compensation plans. Deferred compensation balances were lower at 
fiscal year-end 2021 due to the termination and subsequent pay-out of one of our plans, the Supplemental Executive Retirement 
Plan, as further discussed in Note 9 to the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. 

Pension  and  other  postretirement  liabilities,  net  of  the  adjustment  recorded  in  stockholders'  equity,  were  $1,938,000 
lower at fiscal year-end 2022 compared to fiscal year-end 2021 due to a higher discount rate and change in census data. These 
liabilities  were  $2,652,000  lower  at  fiscal  year-end  2021  compared  to  fiscal  year-end  2020  due  to  reduced  service  expense 
related to the Pension Plan which was frozen in fiscal year 2020 as well as a higher discount rate and change in census data.  
See  Note  8  of  the  Notes  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for  more  information  regarding  our  postretirement  benefit 
plans.

Other  liabilities  were  $2,799,000  lower  at  fiscal  year-end  2022  compared  to  fiscal  year-end  2021.  The  decrease  in 
Other liabilities relates to a payment of payroll taxes deferred by the CARES Act during fiscal 2022, payments made against 
our  operating  lease  liability,  partially  offset  by  an  increase  in  reclamation  liability  due  to  increased  mining  activity.    Other 
liabilities  were  $557,000  lower  at  fiscal  year-end  2021  compared  to  fiscal  year-end  2020.  The  decrease  in  other  liabilities 
relates to a reduction in our operating lease liability, partly offset by an increase in our reclamation liability due to increased 
mining activity and an increase in deferral of employer taxes under the CARES Act as further described in Note 1 of the Notes 
to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Net cash used in investing activities

Cash  used  in  investing  activities  was  $22,810,000  in  fiscal  year  2022  and  cash  used  in  investing  activities  was 
$18,830,000  in  fiscal  year  2021.  Cash  used  in  fiscal  year  2022  related  primarily  to  the  purchases  of  capital  expenditures  at 
levels  comparably  higher  to  fiscal  year  2021.  During  fiscal  year  2022,  we  expanded  our  plant  equipment  and  improved  our 
facilities to support increased demand for our products as well as made improvements to our IT network. Cash used in fiscal 
year 2021 related chiefly to capital expenditures. The increase in our capital expenditures in fiscal year 2021 compared to fiscal 
year 2020 relates to purchases of equipment to support our increased mining and hauling activity.  

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

Cash  provided  in  financing  activities  was  $4,703,000  in  fiscal  year  2022  and  cash  used  in  financing  activities  was 
$11,322,000 in fiscal year 2021. During fiscal year 2022, we issued $25,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of our 3.25% 
Series C Senior Notes, which provided cash for operations. The primary uses of cash used in financing activities in all periods 
were  for  long-term  debt,  dividend  payments,  and  stock  purchases  offset  by  borrowings  as  further  described  in  Note  3  of  the 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Other

Total cash and investment balances held by our foreign subsidiaries as of July 31, 2022 and 2021 were $3,260,000 and 

$3,054,000, respectively. See further discussion in the “Foreign Operations” section above.

On  January  31,  2019,  we  signed  a  fifth  amendment  to  our  credit  agreement  with  BMO  Harris,  which  expires  on 
January 31, 2024. The new agreement provides for a $45,000,000 unsecured revolving credit agreement, including a maximum 
of $10,000,000 for letters of credit. The remaining terms were substantially unchanged from our previous agreement with BMO 
Harris, including the provision that we may select a variable rate based on either BMO Harris’ prime rate or a LIBOR-based 
rate, plus a margin which varies depending on our debt to earnings ratio, or a fixed rate as agreed between us and BMO Harris. 

40

 
 
As of July 31, 2022, the variable rates would have been 5.75% for the BMO Harris’ prime-based rate or 4.04% for the LIBOR-
based rate. The credit agreement contains restrictive covenants that, among other things and under various conditions, limit our 
ability  to incur  additional indebtedness or to dispose of assets. The agreement also requires us to maintain a minimum fixed 
coverage  ratio  and  a  minimum  consolidated  net  worth.  As  of  July  31,  2022  and  2021,  we  were  in  compliance  with  its 
covenants. As of July 31, 2022 and 2021, there were no outstanding borrowings under this credit agreement. See Note 13 of the 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information regarding our debt agreement.

See Note 3 and Note 13 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for information about our outstanding 
notes payable and a discussion of the debt instrument that we entered into on May 15, 2020 pursuant to which, among other 
things, we issued $10,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of our 3.95% Series B Senior Notes due May 15, 2030 and entered 
into an amended note agreement that provides the Company with the ability to request, from time to time until May 15, 2023 
(or  such  earlier  date  as  provided  for  in  the  agreement),  additional  senior  unsecured  notes  of  the  Company  in  an  aggregate 
principal amount of up to $75,000,000 minus the aggregate principal amount of the notes then outstanding and the additional 
notes  that  have  been  accepted  for  purchase.  The  issuance  of  such  additional  notes  is  at  the  discretion  of  the  noteholders  and 
purchasers and on an uncommitted basis.

As of July 31, 2022, we had remaining authority to repurchase 436,526 shares of Common Stock and 273,100 shares 
of Class B Stock under a repurchase plan approved by our Board of Directors (the “Board”). Repurchases may be made on the 
open  market  (pursuant  to  Rule  10b5-1  plans  or  otherwise)  or  in  negotiated  transactions.  The  timing  and  number  of  shares 
repurchased  will  be  determined  by  our  management  pursuant  to  the  repurchase  plan  approved  by  our  Board.  In  fiscal  years 
2021 and 2022 we made repurchases of stock as further discussed in Item 5, Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related 
Stockholders Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

We believe that cash flow from operations, availability under our revolving credit facility, current cash balances and 
our  ability  to  obtain  other  financing,  if  necessary,  will  provide  adequate  cash  funds  for  foreseeable  working  capital  needs, 
capital expenditures at existing facilities, deferred compensation payouts, dividend payments and debt service obligations for at 
least the next 12 months. We spent approximately $4,619,000 less for advertising in fiscal year 2022 compared to fiscal year 
2021.  We  spent  approximately  $1,023,000  less  for  advertising  in  fiscal  year  2021  compared  to  fiscal  year  2020.  We  expect 
advertising expense in fiscal year 2023 to be higher than in fiscal year 2022 and more in line with pre-COVID spending levels. 
Our expenditures for capital were higher in fiscal year 2022 compared to fiscal year 2021 and also higher in fiscal year 2021 
compared to fiscal year 2020. The increased capital expenditures did not dramatically impact our cash position; however our 
cash requirements are subject to change as business conditions warrant and opportunities arise. 

We continually evaluate our liquidity position and anticipated cash needs, as well as the financing options available to 
obtain additional cash reserves. Our ability to fund operations, to make planned capital expenditures, to make scheduled debt 
payments, to contribute to our pension plan and to remain in compliance with all financial covenants under debt agreements, 
including,  but  not  limited  to,  the  current  credit  agreement,  depends  on  our  future  operating  performance,  which,  in  turn,  is 
subject to prevailing economic conditions and to financial, business and other factors. The timing and size of any new business 
ventures or acquisitions that we complete may also impact our cash requirements.

OFF BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS

We do not have any unconsolidated special purpose entities. As of July 31, 2022, we do not have any off-balance sheet 
arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial 
condition,  revenues  or  expenses,  results  of  operations,  liquidity,  capital  expenditures  or  capital  resources  that  are  material  to 
investors.  The  term  “off-balance  sheet  arrangement”  generally  means  any  transaction,  agreement  or  other  contractual 
arrangement  to  which  an  entity  unconsolidated  with  us  is  a  party,  under  which  we  have:  (i)  any  obligation  arising  under  a 
guarantee contract, derivative instrument or variable interest; or (ii) a retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to such 
entity or similar arrangement that serves as credit, liquidity or market risk support for such assets.

41

 
 
 
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

Management’s  discussion  and  analysis  of  the  financial  condition  and  results  of  operations  are  based  upon  our 
Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles 
of  the  United  States  (“U.S.  GAAP”).  We  review  our  financial  reporting  and  disclosure  practices  and  accounting  policies 
annually  to  ensure  that  our  financial  reporting  and  disclosures  provide  accurate  and  transparent  information  relative  to  the 
current  economic  and  business  environment.  We  believe  that,  of  our  significant  accounting  policies  stated  in  Note  1  of  the 
Notes  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements,  the  policies  listed  below  involve  a  higher  degree  of  judgment  and/or 
complexity. The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates 
and  assumptions  that  affect  the  reported  amounts  of  assets  and  liabilities,  as  well  as  the  reported  amounts  of  revenues  and 
expenses  during  the  reporting  period.  Significant  estimates  include  income  taxes,  promotional  programs,  pension  accounting 
and allowance for doubtful accounts. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Income  Taxes.  Our  effective  tax  rate  on  earnings  was  based  on  income,  statutory  tax  rates  and  tax  planning 
opportunities available to us in various jurisdictions in which we operate. Significant judgment was required in determining our 
effective tax rate and in evaluating our tax positions.

We  determine  our  current  and  deferred  taxes  in  accordance  with  Accounting  Standards  Codification  (“ASC”)  740 
Income  Taxes.  The  tax  effect  of  the  expected  reversal  of  tax  differences  was  recorded  at  rates  currently  enacted  for  each 
jurisdiction in which we operate. To the extent that temporary differences will result in future tax benefit, we must estimate the 
timing of their reversal and whether taxable operating income in future periods will be sufficient to fully recognize any deferred 
tax assets.

We maintain valuation allowances where it is likely that all or a portion of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. 
Changes  in  valuation  allowances  from  period  to  period  are  included  in  the  income  tax  provision  in  the  period  of  change.  In 
determining whether a valuation allowance is warranted, we take into account such factors as prior earnings history, expected 
future earnings and other factors that could affect the realization of deferred tax assets.

We recorded valuation allowances of $1,761,000 and $1,362,000 for the amount of the deferred tax benefit related to 
our foreign net operating loss carryforwards as of July 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, because we believe it is unlikely we 
will realize the benefit of these tax attributes in the future.

In addition to valuation allowances, we may provide for uncertain tax positions when such tax positions do not meet 
certain  recognition  thresholds  or  measurement  standards.  Amounts  for  uncertain  tax  positions  are  adjusted  when  new 
information  becomes  available  or  when  positions  are  effectively  settled.  We  did  not  record  a  liability  for  unrecognized  tax 
benefits  at  either  July  31,  2022  or  2021.  See  Note  5  of  the  Notes  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for  further 
discussion.

Trade  Promotions.  We  routinely  commit  to  one-time  or  ongoing  trade  promotion  programs  in  our  Retail  and 
Wholesale  Products  Group.  Promotional  reserves  are  provided  for  sales  incentives  made  directly  to  consumers,  such  as 
coupons,  and  sales  incentives  made  to  customers,  such  as  slotting,  discounts  based  on  sales  volume,  cooperative  marketing 
programs and other arrangements. All such trade promotion costs are netted against sales. Promotional reserves are established 
based on our best estimate of the amounts necessary to settle future and existing claims on products sold as of the balance sheet 
date.  To  estimate  trade  promotion  reserves,  we  rely  on  our  historical  experience  of  trade  spending  patterns  and  that  of  the 
industry,  current  trends  and  forecasted  data.  While  we  believe  our  promotional  reserves  are  reasonable  and  that  appropriate 
judgments have been made, estimated amounts could differ from future obligations. We have accrued liabilities at the end of 
each period for the estimated trade spending programs. We recorded liabilities of approximately $1,180,000 and $1,653,000 for 
trade promotions as of July 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Pension and Postretirement Benefit Costs. We calculate our pension and postretirement health benefit obligations 
and the related effects on results of operations using actuarial models. To measure the expense and obligations, we must make a 
variety of estimates including critical assumptions for the discount rate used to value certain liabilities and the expected return 
on  plan  assets  set  aside  to  fund  these  costs.  We  evaluate  these  critical  assumptions  at  least  annually.  Other  assumptions 
involving  demographic  factors,  such  as  retirement  age,  mortality  and  turnover,  are  evaluated  periodically  and  are  updated  to 
reflect  actual  experience.  As  these  assumptions  change  from  period  to  period,  recorded  pension  and  postretirement  health 
benefit amounts and funding requirements could also change. Actual results in any given year will often differ from actuarial 
assumptions because of economic and other factors.

42

 
 
 
 
The  discount  rate  is  the  rate  assumed  to  measure  the  single  amount  that,  if  invested  at  the  measurement  date  in  a 
portfolio of high-quality debt instruments, would provide the necessary future cash flows to pay the pension benefits when due. 
The  discount  rate  is  subject  to  change  each  year.  We  refer  to  an  applicable  index  and  the  expected  duration  of  the  benefit 
payments to select a discount rate at which we believe the benefits could be effectively settled. The discount rate was the single 
equivalent rate that would yield the same present value as the plan’s expected cash flows discounted with spot rates on a yield 
curve  of  investment-grade  corporate  bonds.  The  yield  curve  used  in  both  fiscal  years  2022  and  2021  was  the  FTSE  Pension 
Discount Curve (formerly called the Citi Pension Discount Curve). Our determination of pension expense or income is based on 
a market-related valuation of plan assets, which is the fair market value. Our expected rate of return on plan assets is determined 
based on asset allocations and historical experience. The expected long-term rate of inflation and risk premiums for the various 
asset categories are based on general historical returns and inflation rates. The target allocation of assets is used to develop a 
composite  rate  of  return  assumption.  See  Note  8  of  the  Notes  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for  additional 
information.

As  further  described  in  Note  8  of  the  Notes  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements,  we  amended  and  froze 
participation  in  our  pension  plan  and  supplemental  executive  retirement  plan  in  the  second  quarter  of  fiscal  year  2020.  The 
amendment  of  these  plans  triggered  a  curtailment,  which  required  a  remeasurement  of  the  plans’  obligations.  Both  of  these 
remeasurements  were  based  on  actuarially  determined  amounts.  In  addition,  we  offered  terminated  participants  with  vested 
benefits who have not yet begun receipt of benefits under the pension plan the opportunity to receive their pension benefits in a 
single payment (the “Lump Sum Option”). We made payments to those participants in the pension plan who elected the Lump 
Sum Option by the May 15, 2020 election deadline. This settlement of the pension plan was completed in fiscal year 2021 when 
we purchased an annuity.

Trade  Receivables.  We  recognize  trade  receivables  when  control  of  finished  products  are  transferred  to  our 
customers. We record an allowance for credit losses based on our expectations and a periodic review of our accounts receivable, 
including  a  review  of  the  overall  aging  of  accounts,  consideration  of  customer  credit  risk  and  analysis  of  facts  and 
circumstances about specific accounts. A customer account is determined to be uncollectible when it is probable that a loss will 
be  incurred  after  we  have  completed  our  internal  collection  procedures,  including  termination  of  shipments,  direct  customer 
contact  and  formal  demand  of  payment.  We  believe  our  allowance  for  doubtful  accounts  is  reasonable;  however,  the 
unanticipated default by a customer with a material trade receivable could occur. We also record an estimated allowance for 
cash  discounts  offered  in  our  payment  terms  to  some  customers.  We  recorded  a  total  allowance  for  credit  losses  and  cash 
discounts of $922,000 and $1,174,000 as of July 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Revenue  Recognition.  We  recognize  revenue  when  performance  obligations  under  the  terms  of  the  contracts  with 
customers are satisfied. Our performance obligation generally consists of the promise to sell finished products to wholesalers, 
distributors and retailers or consumers and our obligations have an original duration of one year or less. Control of the finished 
products  are  transferred  upon  shipment  to,  or  receipt  at,  customers'  locations,  as  determined  by  the  specific  terms  of  the 
contract.  We  have  completed  our  performance  obligation  when  control  is  transferred  and  we  recognize  revenue  accordingly.   
Taxes  collected  from  customers  and  remitted  to  governmental  authorities  are  excluded  from  net  sales.  Sales  returns  are  not 
material nor are warranties and any related obligations.

Inventories.  We  value  inventories  at  the  lower  of  cost  (first-in,  first-out)  or  net  realizable  value.  Inventory  costs 
include  the  cost  of  raw  materials,  packaging  supplies,  labor  and  other  overhead  costs.  We  perform  a  detailed  review  of  our 
inventory  to  determine  if  a  reserve  adjustment  is  necessary,  giving  consideration  to  obsolescence,  inventory  levels,  product 
deterioration and other factors. The review also surveys all of our operating facilities and sales divisions to give consideration to 
historic  and  new  market  trends.  The  inventory  reserve  values  as  of  July  31,  2022  and  2021  were  $842,000  and  $641,000, 
respectively.

Reclamation.  During  the  normal  course  of  our  mining  process  we  remove  overburden  and  perform  on-going 
reclamation activities. As overburden is removed from a mine site, it is hauled to a previously mined site and used to refill older 
sites.  This  process  allows  us  to  continuously  reclaim  older  mine  sites  and  dispose  of  overburden  simultaneously,  therefore 
minimizing the costs associated with the reclamation process. On an annual basis we evaluate our potential reclamation liability 
in  accordance  with  ASC  410,  Asset  Retirement  and  Environmental  Obligations.  As  of  July  31,  2022  and  2021,  we  have 
recorded  an  estimated  net  reclamation  asset  of  $1,799,000  and  $1,152,000,  respectively,  and  a  corresponding  estimated 
reclamation  liability  of  $3,807,000  as  of  July  31,  2022  and  $2,965,000  as  of  July  31,  2021.  These  values  represent  the 
discounted present value of the estimated future mining reclamation costs at the production plants. The reclamation assets are 
depreciated  over  the  estimated  useful  lives  of  the  various  mines.  The  reclamation  liabilities  are  increased  based  on  a  yearly 
accretion charge over the estimated useful lives of the mines.

43

   
Accounting for reclamation obligations requires that we make estimates unique to each mining operation of the future 
costs we will incur to complete the reclamation work required to comply with existing laws and regulations. Actual future costs 
incurred could significantly differ from estimated amounts. Future changes to environmental laws could increase the extent of 
reclamation  work  required.  Any  such  increases  in  future  costs  could  materially  impact  the  amount  incurred  for  reclamation 
costs.

Impairment  of  goodwill,  trademarks  and  other  intangible  assets.  We  review  carrying  values  of  goodwill, 
trademarks and other indefinite-lived intangible assets periodically for possible impairment in accordance ASC 350, Intangibles 
– Goodwill and Other. Our impairment review requires significant judgment with respect to factors such as volume, revenue 
and expenses. Impairment occurs when the carrying value exceeds the fair value. Our impairment analysis is performed in the 
fourth quarter of the fiscal year and may be re-performed during the year when indicators such as unexpected adverse economic 
factors, unanticipated technological changes, competitive activities and acts by governments and courts indicate that an asset 
may become impaired. We determined that, as a result of lower share prices and the continued adverse impacts of rising costs 
and additional expenses to prevent supply chain disruptions, we had a triggering event during the third quarter of fiscal year 
2022  that  necessitated  a  goodwill  impairment  test.  We  performed  a  goodwill  impairment  test  on  our  Retail  and  Wholesale 
Products Group and Business to Business Products Group reporting units and determined that the carrying value of our Retail 
and Wholesale Products Group reporting unit was higher than its fair value. As a result, we recorded goodwill impairment of 
$5,644,000, which left no remaining goodwill in the Retail and Wholesale Products Group reporting unit. We also performed a 
quantitative impairment analysis on the Business to Business Products Group reporting unit and concluded there was excess fair 
value  over  carrying  value,  therefore  no  impairment  was  recorded  on  this  reporting  unit.  We  continue  to  monitor  events, 
circumstances or changes in the business that might imply a reduction in value which could lead to an impairment. In addition, 
although we have not identified any additional triggering events relating to goodwill or our intangibles, the ultimate effects of 
COVID-19 could change this assessment in the future, as outlined under Item 1A, Risk Factors, discussed above.

NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In March 2020, the FASB issued guidance under ASC 848, Reference Rate Reform. This guidance provides optional 
expedients  and  exceptions  to  account  for  debt,  leases,  contracts,  hedging  relationships  and  other  transactions  that  reference 
LIBOR  or  another  reference  rate  if  certain  criteria  are  met.  The  guidance  is  effective  immediately  and  may  be  applied 
prospectively  to contract modifications made and hedging relationships entered into or evaluated on or before December 31, 
2022. We have debt agreements that reference LIBOR and to the extent that those agreements are modified to replace LIBOR 
with another interest rate index, ASC 848 will allow us to account for the modification as a continuation of the existing contract 
without additional analysis. The impact of adopting this requirement is not material to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

In  December  2019,  the  FASB  issued  guidance  under  ASC  740,  Income  Taxes,  which  simplifies  the  accounting  for 
income taxes. The guidance removes several specific exceptions to the general principles in ASC 740 and clarifies and makes 
amendments  to  improve  consistent  application  of  and  simplify  existing  accounting  for  other  areas  in  ASC  740.  We 
implemented  this  guidance  effective  for  our  first  quarter  of  fiscal  year  2022.  The  impact  of  adopting  this  requirement  is  not 
material to our Consolidated Financial Statements. 

In  June  2016,  the  FASB  issued  guidance  under  ASC  326,  Financial  Instruments-Credit  Losses,  which  requires 
companies  to  utilize  an  impairment  model  for  most  financial  assets  measured  at  amortized  cost  and  certain  other  financial 
instruments, which include trade and other receivables, loans and held-to-maturity debt securities, to record an allowance for 
credit risk based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. In addition, this new guidance changes the recognition method 
for credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities, which can occur as a result of market and credit risk, as well as additional 
disclosures. In general, this guidance will require modified retrospective adoption for all outstanding instruments that fall under 
this guidance. Early adoption is permitted, and we adopted this standard for the evaluation of bad debt reserves at July 31, 2022. 
Accordingly, this guidance is effective for our first quarter of fiscal year 2023. The impact of adopting this requirement is not 
material to our Consolidated Financial Statements. 

A summary of all recently adopted and issued accounting standards is contained in Note 1 of Notes to the Consolidated 

Financial Statements.

44

 
 
 
ITEM 8 – FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

OIL-DRI CORPORATION OF AMERICA
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

Current Assets

ASSETS

July 31,

2022

2021

(in thousands)

Cash and cash equivalents    ................................................................................................... $ 
Accounts receivable, less allowance of $922 and $1,174
     in 2022 and 2021, respectively     .......................................................................................

Inventories, net  .....................................................................................................................
Prepaid repairs expense     .......................................................................................................

Prepaid expenses and other assets       .......................................................................................

16,298 

$ 

24,591 

51,683 

35,562 
7,474 

3,664 

40,923 

23,598 
6,088 

6,742 

Total Current Assets     ...........................................................................................

114,681 

101,942 

Property, Plant and Equipment

Buildings and leasehold improvements     ...............................................................................

Machinery and equipment     ...................................................................................................

Office furniture and equipment  ............................................................................................

Vehicles     ...............................................................................................................................

40,294 

165,350 

17,524 

15,470 

Gross depreciable assets   ..................................................................................................

238,638 

Less accumulated depreciation and amortization     ................................................................

(175,374) 

Net depreciable assets    .....................................................................................................

Construction in progress   ......................................................................................................

Land and mineral rights   .......................................................................................................

63,264 

24,496 

20,106 

Total Property, Plant and Equipment, Net    ..........................................................

107,866 

Other Assets

Goodwill     ..............................................................................................................................
Trademarks and patents, net of accumulated amortization 
     of $524 and $385 in 2022 and 2021, respectively    ..........................................................
Customer list, net of accumulated amortization 
    of $7,608 and $7,321 in 2022 and 2021, respectively    .....................................................
Deferred income taxes     .........................................................................................................
Operating lease right-of-use assets     ......................................................................................
Other     ....................................................................................................................................

Total Other Assets   ..............................................................................................

3,618 

1,445 

177 
3,677 
10,601 
7,546 

27,064 

40,181 

162,930 

21,685 

17,543 

242,339 

(178,885) 

63,454 

14,627 

17,859 

95,940 

9,262 

1,743 

464 
2,096 
8,619 
7,500 

29,684 

Total Assets    ................................................................................................................................ $  249,611 

$  227,566 

45

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
OIL-DRI CORPORATION OF AMERICA
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS 
(continued)

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Current Liabilities

Current maturities of notes payable   ..................................................................................... $ 
Accounts payable     .................................................................................................................
Dividends payable  ................................................................................................................
Operating lease liabilities  .....................................................................................................
Accrued expenses     ................................................................................................................

Total Current Liabilities      .....................................................................................

Noncurrent Liabilities

Notes payable, net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $202 and $122 in 2022 and 
2021, respectively    ................................................................................................................
Deferred compensation      ........................................................................................................
Pension and postretirement benefits     ....................................................................................
Long-term operating lease liabilities      ...................................................................................
Other     ....................................................................................................................................

Total Noncurrent Liabilities     ...............................................................................

Total Liabilities    .........................................................................................................................

July 31,

2022

2021

(in thousands)

1,000 
13,401 
1,851 
2,178 
30,085 

48,515 

31,798 
4,559 
798 
9,749 
3,843 

50,747 

99,262 

$ 

1,000 
9,206 
1,865 
2,036 
24,883 

38,990 

7,878 
4,370 
4,922 
8,022 
4,152 

29,344 

68,334 

Stockholders’ Equity

Common Stock, par value $.10 per share, issued 8,686,768 shares in 2022 and 
8,561,311 shares in 2021   .....................................................................................................

868 

856 

Class B Stock, convertible, par value $.10 per share, issued 2,397,056 shares in 2022 
and 2,397,056 shares in 2021   ...............................................................................................
Additional paid-in capital     ....................................................................................................

Retained earnings  .................................................................................................................
Noncontrolling interest
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

240 
52,467 

178,754 
(369) 

Pension and postretirement benefits    .............................................................................

(2,242) 

Cumulative translation adjustment    ...............................................................................

59 

Total Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss   ...............................................

(2,183) 

Less treasury stock, at cost (3,609,938 Common and 351,641 Class B shares in 2022 
and 3,192,702 Common and 346,491 Class B shares in 2021)     ...........................................

(79,428) 

Total Stockholders’ Equity    ......................................................................................................

150,349 

240 
48,271 

180,443 
(307) 

(4,428) 

311 

(4,117) 

(66,154) 

159,232 

Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity     ............................................................................. $  249,611 

$  227,566 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

46

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
OIL-DRI CORPORATION OF AMERICA
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

Year Ended July 31,
2021
2022

(in thousands, except for per 
share data)

Net Sales   ........................................................................................................... $ 

348,589 

$ 

304,981 

Cost of Sales    ....................................................................................................

(286,074) 

(239,740) 

Gross Profit    .....................................................................................................

62,515 

65,241 

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses (1)      ......................................

(52,050) 

(52,205) 

Loss on Impairment of Goodwill   ...................................................................

Income from Operations       ................................................................................

Other Income (Expense)

Interest income      ..........................................................................................

Interest expense   .........................................................................................

Foreign exchange loss     ...............................................................................

Other, net (2)     .............................................................................................

Total Other Income (Expense), Net     ...................................................

Income Before Income Taxes  .........................................................................

Income Tax Expense   .......................................................................................

(5,644) 

4,821 

45 

(1,228) 

(303) 

2,374 

888 

5,709 

(97) 

— 

13,036 

71 

(722) 

(93) 

1,076 

332 

13,368 

(2,388) 

Net Income  ....................................................................................................... $ 

5,612 

$ 

10,980 

Net Loss Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest    ........................................

Net Income Attributable to Oil-Dri     ..............................................................

(62) 

5,674 

(133) 

11,113 

Net Income Per Share

Basic Common     .......................................................................................... $ 

Basic Class B Common    ............................................................................. $ 

Diluted Common     ....................................................................................... $ 

Diluted Class B Common    .......................................................................... $ 

0.83 

0.63 

0.81 

0.62 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

Average Shares Outstanding

Basic Common     ..........................................................................................

Basic Class B Common    .............................................................................

Diluted Basic Common      .............................................................................

Diluted Basic Class B Common     ................................................................

4,987 

1,934 

5,099 

1,962 

1.61 

1.20 

1.57 

1.18 

5,142 

1,926 

5,253 

1,967 

(1) See Note 9 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information about amounts included in this line item.
(2) See Note 8 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information about amounts included in this line item.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

47

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
OIL-DRI CORPORATION OF AMERICA
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

Year Ended July 31,
2021
2022

(in thousands)

Net Income Attributable to Oil-Dri     .............................................................. $ 

5,674 

$ 

11,113 

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss):

Pension and postretirement benefits (net of tax)   .......................................

Cumulative translation adjustment     ............................................................
Other Comprehensive Income     ....................................................................

2,186 

(252) 
1,934 

7,566 

571 
8,137 

Comprehensive Income    .................................................................................. $ 

7,608 

$ 

19,250 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

48

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
OIL-DRI CORPORATION OF AMERICA
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY 

Number of Shares

(in thousands)

Common
& Class B
Stock

Treasury
Stock

Common
& Class B
Stock

Additional
Paid-In
Capital

Retained
Earnings

Treasury
Stock

Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Loss

Non-
Controlling 
Interest

Total
Stockholders’
Equity

Balance, July 31, 2020

10,886,405

 (3,426,046)  $ 

1,089 

$ 

44,993  $  176,579 

$  (62,269)  $ 

(12,254)  $ 

(174)  $ 

147,964 

Net income (loss)

Other comprehensive income

Dividends declared

Purchases of treasury stock

Net issuance of stock under 
long-term incentive plans

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(87,647) 

71,962

(25,500) 

Amortization of restricted stock  

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

7 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

747 

2,531 

11,113 

— 

(7,249) 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(3,130) 

(755) 

— 

— 

8,137 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(133) 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

10,980 

8,137 

(7,249) 

(3,130) 

(1) 

2,531 

Balance, July 31, 2021

10,958,367

 (3,539,193)  $ 

1,096 

$ 

48,271  $  180,443 

$  (66,154)  $ 

(4,117)  $ 

(307)  $ 

159,232 

Net income (loss)

Other comprehensive income

Dividends declared

Purchases of treasury stock

Net issuance of stock under 
long-term incentive plans

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(379,586) 

125,457

(42,800) 

Amortization of restricted stock  

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

12 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

1,455 

2,741 

5,674 

— 

(7,363) 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(11,806) 

(1,468) 

— 

— 

1,934 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(62) 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

5,612 

1,934 

(7,363) 

(11,806) 

(1) 

2,741 

Balance, July 31, 2022

 11,083,824 

 (3,961,579)  $ 

1,108 

$ 

52,467  $  178,754 

$  (79,428)  $ 

(2,183)  $ 

(369)  $ 

150,349 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

49

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
OIL-DRI CORPORATION OF AMERICA
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

Year-Ended July 31,
2021
2022

(in thousands)

Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Net income   ................................................................................................................... $ 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
             Depreciation and amortization    ........................................................................
             Non-cash stock compensation expense      ..........................................................
             Provision for deferred income taxes   ...............................................................
             Provision for bad debts and cash discounts    ....................................................
             Loss on impairment of goodwill    .....................................................................
             Loss on impairment of patent applications    .....................................................
             Loss on the disposals of property, plant and equipment    .................................
             (Increase) decrease in:
                    Accounts receivable   .................................................................................
                    Inventories    ...............................................................................................
                    Prepaid expenses  ......................................................................................
                    Deferred income taxes     .............................................................................
                    Other assets     ..............................................................................................
             Increase (decrease) in:
                    Accounts payable   .....................................................................................
                    Accrued expenses   ....................................................................................
                    Deferred compensation   ............................................................................
                    Pension and postretirement benefits  ........................................................
                    Other liabilities    ........................................................................................
Total Adjustments    ............................................................................................
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities   .................................

Cash Flows from Investing Activities
             Capital expenditures     .......................................................................................
             Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment      ....................................
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities    .........................................

5,612 

$  10,980 

13,474 
2,741 
(2,296) 
(227) 
5,644 
323 
334 

(10,654) 
(12,109) 
(1,014) 
715 
2,138 

5,002 
4,703 
189 
(1,938) 
(2,799) 
4,226 
9,838 

14,177 
2,531 
2,760 
147 
— 
— 
52 

(5,955) 
518 
(4,067) 
2,436 
544 

(2,411) 
(4,097) 
(770) 
(2,652) 
(557) 
2,656 
13,636 

(22,831) 
21 
(22,810) 

(18,839) 
9 
(18,830) 

Cash Flows from Financing Activities
             Proceeds from issuance of notes payable     .......................................................
25,000 
             Principal payments on notes payable   ..............................................................
(1,000) 
        Payment of debt issuance costs     .......................................................................
(114) 
             Dividends paid     ................................................................................................
(7,377) 
             Purchase of treasury stock     ..............................................................................
(11,806) 
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities    .................
4,703 
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents    ...................................
(24) 
Net Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents    ...........................................................
(8,293) 
24,591 
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Year    .....................................................
Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Year      ............................................................... $  16,298 

— 
(1,000) 
— 
(7,192) 
(3,130) 
(11,322) 
217 
(16,299) 
40,890 
$  24,591 

50

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - CONTINUED

Year-Ended July 31,

2022

2021

(in thousands)

Supplemental disclosure:
Other cash flows:

Interest payments, net of amounts capitalized     ................................................ $ 
Income tax (refunds) payments     ...................................................................... $ 

767 
(178) 

Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities
Noncash investing and financing activities:

$ 

4,377 

Capital expenditures accrued, but not paid     ..................................................... $ 

3,558 

Cash dividends declared and accrued, but not paid     ........................................ $ 

1,851 

$ 
$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

400 
6,151 

1,036 

1,926 

1,865 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

51

OIL-DRI CORPORATION OF AMERICA
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

NATURE OF OPERATIONS

We are a leader in developing, manufacturing and/or marketing sorbent products. Our sorbent products are principally 
produced from clay minerals. Our absorbent clay products include cat litter, industrial floor absorbents, agricultural chemical 
carriers and animal feed additives. Our adsorbent products include bleaching clays, which are used for filtration of edible oils 
and for purification of petroleum-based oils. We also sell synthetic sorbents, which are used for industrial cleanup.

PRINCIPLES OF CONSOLIDATION

The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Oil-Dri Corporation of America and its subsidiaries. 

All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated from the Consolidated Financial Statements.

RECLASSIFICATION

Certain amounts in the prior period financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the presentation of the 
current period financial statements. These immaterial reclassifications had no effect on the previously reported net income or 
cash flows.

MANAGEMENT USE OF ESTIMATES

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and 
assumptions  that  affect  the  reported  amounts  of  assets,  liabilities,  and  disclosure  of  contingent  assets  and  liabilities  as  of  the 
date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period as well as the 
related  disclosures.  Estimates  and  assumptions  about  future  events  cannot  be  made  with  certainty,  including  the  potential 
impacts  and  duration  of  COVID-19  and  its  aftermath.  All  of  our  estimates  and  assumptions  are  revised  periodically.  Actual 
results  could  differ  from  these  estimates.  For  more  information  see  Critical  Accounting  Policies  and  Estimates  in  Item  7 
“Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” 

The  effects  of  the  COVID-19  pandemic  continues  to  impact  business  activity  across  industries  in  the  U.S.  and 
worldwide, including, but not limited to, workforce and supply chain disruptions. The Company remains committed to taking 
actions to address the health, safety and welfare of its employees, customers, agents and suppliers. Future developments, such 
as the actions taken by governmental authorities in response to future outbreaks that are highly uncertain and unpredictable, will 
determine the extent to which COVID-19 and its effects continue to impact the Company’s results of operations and financial 
conditions. See the risk factor captioned “Our business could be adversely affected by a widespread threat to public health," in 
Item 1A, Risk Factors, included in Part I of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for an additional discussion of risks related to 
COVID-19.

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

Cash equivalents are highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less.

TRADE RECEIVABLES

We  recognize  trade  receivables  when  control  of  finished  products  are  transferred  to  our  customers.  We  record  an 
allowance for credit losses based on our expectations and a periodic review of our accounts receivable, including a review of 
the  overall  aging  of  accounts,  consideration  of  customer  credit  risk  and  analysis  of  facts  and  circumstances  about  specific 
accounts. A customer account is determined to be uncollectible when it is probable that a loss will be incurred after we have 
completed our internal collection procedures, including termination of shipments, direct customer contact and formal demand of 
payment.  We  retain  outside  collection  agencies  to  facilitate  our  collection  efforts.  Past  due  status  is  determined  based  on 
contractual terms and customer payment history.

52

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
INVENTORIES

The composition of inventories was as follows as of July 31 (in thousands):

Finished goods     ...........................

Packaging     ...................................
Other     ..........................................
Inventories     .................................

2022
$  18,142 

9,515 
7,905 
$  35,562 

2021
$  14,179 

5,084 
4,335 
$  23,598 

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or net realizable value. Inventory costs include the cost of 
raw materials, packaging supplies, labor and other overhead costs. We performed a detailed review of our inventory items to 
determine if an obsolescence reserve adjustment was necessary. The review surveyed all of our operating facilities and sales 
groups  to  ensure  that  both  historical  issues  and  new  market  trends  were  considered.  The  obsolescence  reserve  not  only 
considered specific items, but also took into consideration the overall value of the inventory as of the balance sheet date. We 
recorded inventory obsolescence reserves of approximately $842,000 and $641,000 as of July 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. 
The higher obsolescence reserve is attributed to our focus on inventory management. The other category of inventories includes 
a variety of items including clay, additives, fragrances and other supplies and increased from July 31, 2021 due to increased 
supply  chain  issues.  Finished  goods  inventory  increased  due  to  sales  volume.  Packaging  inventories  increased  from  July  31, 
2021 due to anticipated sales demand as well as an increase in the cost of packaging.

TRANSLATION OF FOREIGN CURRENCIES

Assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries, where the local currency is the functional currency, are translated to U.S. 
Dollars at the exchange rates in effect at period end. Income statement items are translated at the average exchange rate on a 
monthly basis. Resulting translation adjustments are recorded as a separate component of stockholders’ equity.

INTANGIBLES AND GOODWILL

We amortize most of our intangibles on a straight-line basis over periods ranging from 4 to 20 years. Our customer list 
intangible asset is amortized at an accelerated amortization rate in the earlier years to reflect the expected pattern of decline in 
the related benefits over time. Intangible amortization was $490,000 in fiscal year 2022 and $680,000 in fiscal year 2021. Some 
intangible assets were determined to have indefinite lives and are not amortized, specifically one acquired trademark recorded 
at $376,000.

Our estimated intangible amortization expense for the next five fiscal years is as follows (in thousands):

2023    ..................... $  265 

2024    ..................... $  129 
2025    ..................... $  104 
2026    ..................... $  101 
99 
2027    ..................... $ 

The weighted average amortization period of our intangibles subject to amortization is as follows (in years):

Trademarks and patents   ................................................
Customer list   .................................................................
Total intangible assets subject to amortization    .............

Weighted Average 
Amortization Period
12.0
1.3
9.4

We periodically review indefinite-lived intangibles and goodwill to assess for impairment. Our review is based on cash 
flow  considerations  and  other  approaches  that  require  significant  judgment  with  respect  to  volume,  revenue,  expenses  and 
allocations.  Impairment  occurs  when  the  carrying  value  exceeds  the  fair  value.  Much  of  our  goodwill  cannot  be  specifically 
assigned to one of our operating segments because of the shared nature of our production facilities; however, for purposes of 

53

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
our most recent impairment analysis we estimated the goodwill allocation and assigned $0 to the Retail and Wholesale Products 
Group and $3,618,000 to the Business to Business Products Group.

During  the  third  quarter  of  fiscal  2022,  we  determined,  as  a  result  of  lower  share  prices  and  the  continued  adverse 
impacts  of  rising  costs  and  additional  expenses  to  prevent  supply  chain  disruptions,  that  we  had  a  triggering  event  that 
necessitated  a  goodwill  impairment  test.  In  the  third  quarter,  we  performed  a  goodwill  impairment  test  on  our  Retail  and 
Wholesale Products Group and Business to Business Products Group reporting units and determined that the carrying value of 
our  Retail  and  Wholesale  Products  Group  reporting  unit  was  higher  than  its  fair  value.  As  a  result,  we  recorded  goodwill 
impairment of $5,644,000, which left no remaining goodwill in the Retail and Wholesale Products Group reporting unit. We 
performed  our  annual  impairment  testing  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  fiscal  years  2022  and  2021.  There  was  no  additional 
impairment required based on our analysis for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022. We will continue to consider the need to 
re-perform  impairment  testing  throughout  the  year  when  circumstances  such  as  unexpected  adverse  economic  factors, 
unanticipated  technological  changes,  competitive  activities  and  acts  by  governments  and  courts  indicate  that  an  asset  may 
become impaired. In addition, although we have not identified any triggering events relating to goodwill or our intangibles, the 
ultimate effects of COVID-19 could change this assessment in the future, as outlined under Item 1A, Risk Factors, discussed 
above.

OVERBURDEN REMOVAL AND MINING COSTS

We  surface  mine  sorbent  minerals  on  property  that  we  either  own  or  lease  as  part  of  our  overall  operations.  A 
significant part of our overall mining cost is incurred during the process of removing the overburden from the mine site, thus 
exposing the sorbent material used in a majority of our production processes. These stripping costs incurred during production 
are treated as a variable inventory production cost and are included in cost of sales in the period they are incurred. Stripping 
costs included in cost of sales were approximately $2,703,000 and $1,920,000 for fiscal years 2022 and 2021, respectively. Pre-
production  overburden  removal  costs  associated  with  opening  a  new  mine  during  the  development  phase  are  deferred.  Total 
pre-production  costs,  including  the  overburden  removal  costs,  that  were  capitalized  in  fiscal  years  2022  and  2021  were 
$1,279,000  and  $1,810,000  respectively.  Capitalized  development  costs  are  amortized  when  the  sorbent  material  is  removed 
from the mine and used to produce product for sale. At the end of fiscal year 2022, the amount of development costs that are 
being amortized is $2,037,000.  

Additionally, it is our policy to capitalize the purchase cost of land and mineral rights, including associated legal fees, 
survey  fees  and  real  estate  fees.  The  costs  of  obtaining  mineral  rights,  including  legal  fees  and  drilling  expenses,  are  also 
capitalized. The amount of land and mineral rights included in land on the Consolidated Balance Sheets were approximately 
$13,628,000  and  $2,165,000,  respectively,  as  of  July  31,  2022,  and  were  $13,637,000  and  $2,165,000,  respectively,  as  of 
July  31,  2021.  Any  prepaid  royalties  that  may  be  offset  against  future  royalties  due  upon  extraction  of  the  mineral  are  also 
capitalized. Prepaid royalties included in current prepaid expenses and in non-current other assets on the Consolidated Balance 
Sheets were approximately $2,003,000 and $1,605,000 as of July 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. 

RECLAMATION

We  perform  ongoing  reclamation  activities  during  the  normal  course  of  our  overburden  removal.  As  overburden  is 
removed  from  a  mine  site,  it  is  hauled  to  previously  mined  sites  and  is  used  to  refill  older  sites.  This  process  allows  us  to 
continuously reclaim older mine sites and dispose of overburden simultaneously, therefore minimizing the costs associated with 
the reclamation process.

On an annual basis we evaluate our potential reclamation liability in accordance with ASC 410, Asset Retirement and 
Environmental  Obligations.  The  reclamation  assets  are  depreciated  over  the  estimated  useful  lives  of  the  various  mines.  The 
reclamation liabilities are increased based on a yearly accretion charge over the estimated useful lives of the mines.

As  of  July  31,  2022  and  2021,  we  have  recorded  an  estimated  net  reclamation  asset  of  $1,799,000  and  $1,152,000, 
respectively,  and  a  corresponding  estimated  reclamation  liability  of  $3,807,000  as  of  July  31,  2022  and  $2,965,000  as  of 
July  31,  2021.  These  values  represent  the  discounted  present  value  of  the  estimated  future  mining  reclamation  costs  at  the 
production  plants.  Additional  mining  activity  in  fiscal  year  2022  and  disturbance  of  land  accounts  for  the  increase  in  the 
reclamation liability.

54

 
 
 
 
 PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

Property, plant and equipment are generally depreciated using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives 
which are listed below. Depreciation expense was $12,984,000 and $13,497,000 in fiscal years 2022 and 2021, respectively. 
Major  improvements  and  betterments  are  capitalized,  while  maintenance  and  repairs  that  do  not  extend  the  useful  life  of  the 
applicable assets are expensed as incurred. Interest expense may also be capitalized for assets that require a period of time to get 
them ready for their intended use. There was no capitalized interest in fiscal years 2022 and 2021.

Buildings and leasehold improvements    ................

Machinery and equipment

Packaging     .......................................................

Processing    ......................................................
Mining and other    ............................................

Office furniture and equipment    .............................
Vehicles     .................................................................

Years
-

40

-

-
-

-
-

20

25
15

15
15

3

2

2
2

2
2

Property, plant and equipment are carried at cost on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and are reviewed for possible 
impairment on an annual basis or when circumstances indicate impairment that an asset may become impaired. We take into 
consideration  idle  and  underutilized  equipment  and  review  business  plans  for  possible  impairment.  When  impairment  is 
indicated, an impairment charge is recorded for the difference between the carrying value of the asset and its fair market value. 
No impairment was recorded in either fiscal year 2022 or 2021. 

OTHER CURRENT AND NONCURRENT LIABILITIES

On March 27, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act 
(the  “CARES  Act”)  was  signed  into  U.S.  law.  The  CARES  Act  provides  for,  among  other  things,  deferral  of  the  employer 
portion  of  social  security  taxes  incurred  through  the  end  of  calendar  2020.  As  permitted  by  the  CARES  Act,  we  deferred 
approximately $2,300,000 in payroll taxes in calendar year 2020, $1,150,000 was paid in December 2021 and $1,150,000 will 
be  paid  in  December  2022.  The  current  portion  of  the  accrual  for  these  payroll  taxes  is  included  in  Other  within  Accrued 
Expenses  and  the  noncurrent  portion  of  the  accrual,  as  applicable,  is  included  in  Other  within  Noncurrent  Liabilities  on  the 
Consolidated Balance Sheet.

TRADE PROMOTIONS

We  routinely  commit  to  one-time  or  ongoing  trade  promotion  programs,  primarily  in  our  Retail  and  Wholesale 
Products Group. All such costs are netted against sales. We have accrued liabilities at the end of each period for the estimated 
expenses incurred but not yet paid for these programs. Promotional reserves are provided for sales incentives made directly to 
consumers,  such  as  coupons,  and  sales  incentives  made  to  customers,  such  as  slotting,  discounts  based  on  sales  volume, 
cooperative  marketing  programs  and  other  arrangements.  We  use  judgment  for  estimates  to  determine  our  trade  spending 
liabilities. We rely on our historical experience of trade spending patterns and that of the industry, current trends and forecast 
data.

ADVERTISING

Advertising costs for the development of printed materials, television commercials, web-based digital banners, web-
based  social  media  and  sales  videos  are  deferred  and  expensed  upon  the  first  use  of  the  materials,  unless  such  amounts  are 
immaterial. Costs paid for communicating advertising over a period of time, such as television air time, radio commercials and 
print media advertising space, are deferred and expensed on a pro-rata basis. All other advertising costs, including participation 
in industry conventions and shows and market research, are expensed when incurred. All advertising costs are part of selling, 
general and administrative expenses. Advertising expenses were approximately $4,032,000 and $8,651,000 in fiscal years 2022 
and 2021, respectively.

55

 
 
 
 
 
 
FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Non-derivative financial instruments included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets are cash and cash equivalents and 
notes  payable.  These  instruments,  except  for  notes  payable,  were  carried  at  amounts  approximating  fair  value  as  of  July  31, 
2022 and 2021. See Note 4 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding the fair 
value of our financial instruments, including notes payable.

REVENUE RECOGNITION

We recognize revenue when performance obligations under the terms of the contracts with customers are satisfied. Our 
performance obligation generally consists of the promise to sell finished products to wholesalers, distributors and retailers or 
consumers and our obligations have an original duration of one year  or less. Control of the finished products are transferred 
upon shipment to, or receipt at, customers' locations, as determined by the specific terms of the contract. We have completed 
our performance obligation when control is transferred and we recognize revenue accordingly. Taxes collected from customers 
and remitted to governmental authorities are excluded from net sales. Sales returns are not material nor are warranties and any 
related obligations.

We have an unconditional right to consideration under the payment terms specified in the contract upon completion of 
the  performance  obligation.  We  may  require  certain  customers  to  provide  payment  in  advance  of  product  shipment.  We 
recorded a liability for these advance payments of $527,000 and $256,000 as of July 31, 2022 and July 31, 2021, respectively. 
This liability is reported in Other Accrued Expenses on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Revenue recognized during fiscal year 
2022 that was included in the liability for advance payments at the beginning of the year was $151,000.

COST OF SALES

Cost of sales consists of all manufacturing costs, including depreciation and amortization related to assets used in the 
manufacturing  and  distribution  process,  inbound  and  outbound  freight,  inspection  costs,  purchasing  costs  associated  with 
materials and packaging used in the production process and warehouse and distribution costs.

SHIPPING AND HANDLING COSTS

Shipping and handling costs are included in cost of sales and were approximately $48,487,000 and $46,500,000 for 
fiscal  years  2022  and  2021,  respectively.  The  increase  in  fiscal  year  2022  relates  to  the  increase  in  freight  due  to  higher 
transportation rates from tight truck availability offset by freight we no longer incur related to a significant customer who now 
picks up its own purchases.  

 SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

Selling,  general  and  administrative  expenses  include  salaries,  wages  and  benefits  associated  with  staff  outside  the 
manufacturing and distribution functions, all marketing related costs, any miscellaneous trade spending expenses not required 
to  be  included  in  net  sales,  research  and  development  costs,  depreciation  and  amortization  related  to  assets  outside  the 
manufacturing and distribution process and all other non-manufacturing and non-distribution expenses.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Research and development costs of approximately $2,106,000 and $2,539,000 were charged to expense as incurred for 

fiscal years 2022 and 2021, respectively, and are recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses.

PENSION AND POSTRETIREMENT BENEFIT COSTS

We provide a defined benefit pension plan for eligible salaried and hourly employees and we make contributions to 
fund the plan. We also provide a postretirement health benefit plan to domestic salaried employees who qualify under the plan’s 
provisions.  The  postretirement  health  benefit  plan  is  unfunded.  Our  pension  and  postretirement  health  benefit  plans  are 
accounted for using actuarial valuations required by ASC 715, Compensation – Retirement Benefits. The funded status of our 
defined  pension  and  postretirement  health  benefit  plans  are  recognized  on  the  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets.  Changes  in  the 
funded  status  that  arise  during  the  period  but  are  not  recognized  as  components  of  net  periodic  benefit  cost  are  recognized 
within other comprehensive income, net of income tax. In fiscal year 2020 we amended the defined benefit pension plan and the 
plan is now closed to new entrants. See Note 8 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

56

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

We account for stock options and restricted stock issued under our long term incentive plans in accordance with ASC 
718,  Compensation  –  Stock  Compensation.  The  fair  value  of  stock-based  compensation  is  determined  at  the  grant  date.  The 
related compensation expense is recognized over the appropriate vesting period. Forfeitures are recognized as they occur. See 
Note 7 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

INCOME TAXES

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are recorded for the impact of temporary differences between the tax basis of 
assets  and  liabilities  and  the  amounts  recognized  for  financial  reporting  purposes.  Deferred  tax  assets  are  reviewed  and  a 
valuation allowance is established if management believes that it is more likely than not that some portion of our deferred tax 
assets will not be realized. Changes in valuation allowances from period to period are included in the tax provision in the period 
of change.

In  addition  to  existing  valuation  allowances,  we  provide  for  uncertain  tax  positions,  if  necessary,  when  such  tax 
positions do not meet the recognition thresholds or measurement standards prescribed by ASC 740, Income Taxes. Amounts for 
uncertain  tax  positions  are  adjusted  when  new  information  becomes  available  or  when  positions  are  effectively  settled.  We 
recognize interest and penalties accrued related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense.

U.S.  income  tax  expense  and  foreign  withholding  taxes  are  provided  on  remittances  of  foreign  earnings  and  on 
unremitted foreign earnings that are not indefinitely reinvested. Where unremitted foreign earnings are indefinitely reinvested, 
no provision for federal or state tax expense is recorded. When circumstances change and we determine that some or all of the 
undistributed earnings will be remitted in the foreseeable future, a corresponding expense is accrued in the current period. See 
Note 5 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information about income taxes.

NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other: Simplifying the Test for Goodwill 
Impairment (ASC 350). The standard eliminates the requirement to measure the implied fair value of goodwill by assigning the 
fair  value  of  a  reporting  unit  to  all  assets  and  liabilities  within  that  unit  (the  Step  2  test)  from  the  goodwill  impairment  test. 
Instead, if the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to 
that excess, limited by the amount of goodwill in that reporting unit. The guidance is effective for us beginning with the first 
quarter of fiscal year 2023. Early adoption is permitted. We adopted this standard for our goodwill impairment test performed 
on May 1, 2022. See Note 5 for additional information regarding the results of the impairment test performed.

In  December  2019,  the  FASB  issued  guidance  under  ASC  740,  Income  Taxes,  which  simplifies  the  accounting  for 
income taxes. The guidance removes several specific exceptions to the general principles in ASC 740 and clarifies and makes 
amendments  to  improve  consistent  application  of  and  simplify  existing  accounting  for  other  areas  in  ASC  740.  We 
implemented  this  guidance  effective  for  our  first  quarter  of  fiscal  year  2022.  The  impact  of  adopting  this  requirement  is  not 
material to our Consolidated Financial Statements. 

In  June  2016,  the  FASB  issued  guidance  under  ASC  326,  Financial  Instruments-Credit  Losses,  which  requires 
companies  to  utilize  an  impairment  model  for  most  financial  assets  measured  at  amortized  cost  and  certain  other  financial 
instruments, which include trade and other receivables, loans and held-to-maturity debt securities, to record an allowance for 
credit risk based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. In addition, this new guidance changes the recognition method 
for credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities, which can occur as a result of market and credit risk, as well as additional 
disclosures. In general, this guidance will require modified retrospective adoption for all outstanding instruments that fall under 
this guidance. Early adoption is permitted and we adopted this standard for the evaluation of bad debt reserves at July 31, 2022. 
Accordingly, this guidance is effective for our first quarter of fiscal year 2023.  The impact of adopting this requirement is not 
material to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

57

 
 
 
 
 
Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In March 2020, the FASB issued guidance under ASC 848, Reference Rate Reform. This guidance provides optional 
expedients  and  exceptions  to  account  for  debt,  leases,  contracts,  hedging  relationships  and  other  transactions  that  reference 
LIBOR  or  another  reference  rate  if  certain  criteria  are  met.  The  guidance  is  effective  immediately  and  may  be  applied 
prospectively  to contract modifications made and hedging relationships entered into or evaluated on or before December 31, 
2022. We have debt agreements that reference LIBOR and to the extent that those agreements are modified to replace LIBOR 
with another interest rate index, ASC 848 will allow us to account for the modification as a continuation of the existing contract 
without additional analysis. On August 30, 2022 we amended our debt agreements to replace the LIBOR-based reference rate 
with  an  adjusted  term  Secured  Overnight  Financing  Rate  (SOFR).    See  Note  13  for  additional  information  on  the  debt 
amendment subsequent event. 

There have been no other accounting pronouncements issued but not yet adopted by us which are expected to have a 

material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

58

 
NOTE 2 – OPERATING SEGMENTS

As a result of a change in management organization during fiscal year 2022 and as part of our routine assessments of 
our  segments,  our  wholly  owned  subsidiary  located  in  the  United  Kingdom  is  now  included  in  our  Business  to  Business 
Products Group and our co-packaged coarse cat litter is now included in the Retail and Wholesale Products Group. Prior year 
net sales and operating income have also been reclassified to reflect these changes.  The organization change was intended to 
better  serve  our  customers  and  the  segment  information  presented  reflects  the  information  regularly  reviewed  by  our  chief 
operating decision maker.

We have two reportable operating segments: (1) Retail and Wholesale Products Group and (2) Business to Business 
Products  Group.  These  operating  segments  are  managed  separately  and  each  segment's  major  customers  have  different 
characteristics. The Retail and Wholesale Products Group customers include mass merchandisers, wholesale clubs, drugstore 
chains, pet specialty retail outlets, dollar stores, retail grocery stores, distributors of industrial cleanup and automotive products, 
environmental  service  companies,    sports  field  product  users  and  marketers  of  consumer  products.  The  Business  to  Business 
Products  Group  customers  include:  processors  and  refiners  of  edible  oils,  petroleum-based  oils  and  biodiesel  fuel; 
manufacturers of animal feed and agricultural chemicals; and distributors of animal health and nutrition products.

Net sales for our principal products by segment are as follows (in thousands):

Business to Business 
Products Group

Retail and Wholesale 
Products Group

Product

Cat Litter

Industrial and Sports

2022

$ 

$ 

— 

— 

Agricultural and Horticultural

Bleaching Clay and Fluids Purification
Animal Health and Nutrition

30,419 

62,051 
20,909 

Year Ended July 31,
2022
2021

2021

— 

— 

26,035 

53,337 
17,766 

$ 

196,278 

$ 

176,119 

38,932 

31,724 

— 

— 
— 

— 

— 
— 

Net Sales

$ 

113,379 

$ 

97,138 

$ 

235,210 

$ 

207,843 

Net sales and operating income for each segment are provided below. The accounting policies of the segments are the 

same as those described in the Note 1 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

We do not rely on any operating segment asset allocations and we do not consider them meaningful because of the 
shared nature of our production facilities; however, we have estimated the segment asset allocations below for those assets for 
which we can reasonably determine. The unallocated asset category is the remainder of our total assets. The asset allocation is 
estimated and is not a measure used by our chief operating decision maker about allocating resources to the operating segments 
or in assessing their performance. 

The  corporate  expenses  line  in  the  table  below  represents  certain  unallocated  expenses,  including  primarily  salaries, 
wages  and  benefits,  purchased  services,  rent,  utilities  and  depreciation  and  amortization  associated  with  corporate  functions 
such  as  research  and  development,  information  systems,  finance,  legal,  human  resources  and  customer  service.  Corporate 
expenses also include the annual incentive plan bonus accrual. 

July 31,
Assets

2022

2021

(in thousands)

Business to Business Products      .................................................................................... $ 
Retail and Wholesale Products    ....................................................................................
Unallocated assets       ......................................................................................................
Total Assets      ................................................................................................................ $ 

75,644 
125,293 
48,674 
249,611 

$ 

$ 

62,124 
110,167 
55,275 
227,566 

59

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Year Ended July 31,

Net Sales

Income

2022

2021

2022

2021

(in thousands)

Business to Business Products     .........................
Retail and Wholesale Products    .........................

$ 

113,379 
235,210 

$ 

97,138 
207,843 

$ 

24,344 
6,252 

$ 

25,914 
11,088 

Net Sales     ..........................................................
Corporate Expenses    .....................................................................................................

348,589 

304,981 

$ 

$ 

Income from Operations    ...........................................................................................
Total Other Income, Net    ..............................................................................................

Income Before Income Taxes     ...................................................................................
Income Tax Expense     .................................................................................................

Net Income    ................................................................................................................. $ 
Net Loss Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest ................................................... $ 

Net Income Attributable to Oil-Dri   ......................................................................... $ 

(25,775) 

(23,966) 

4,821 
888 

5,709 
(97) 

5,612 
(62) 

5,674 

$ 
$ 

$ 

13,036 
332 

13,368 
(2,388) 

10,980 
(133) 

11,113 

The following is a summary by fiscal year of financial information by geographic region (in thousands):

   Sales to unaffiliated customers by:

      Domestic operations  ................................

      Foreign subsidiaries    ................................

   Sales or transfers between geographic areas:

     Domestic operations  .................................

Foreign subsidiaries     .................................

   Income (Loss) before income taxes:

      Domestic operations  ................................

      Foreign subsidiaries    ................................

   Net Income (Loss) attributable to Oil-Dri:

     Domestic operations  .................................

      Foreign subsidiaries    ................................

   Identifiable assets:

      Domestic operations  ................................

      Foreign subsidiaries    ................................

2022

2021

328,696 

19,893 

6,418 

161 

6,552 

(843) 

6,430 

(756) 

236,622 

12,989 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

287,575 

17,406 

5,347 

112 

14,144 

(776) 

11,710 

(597) 

214,994 

12,572 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

Included within identifiable assets for our foreign subsidiaries is cash held at foreign banks of $3,260 and $3,054 as of July 31, 
2022 and July 31, 2021, respectively.

Sales  to  Walmart,  our  largest  customer,  are  included  in  our  Retail  and  Wholesale  Products  Group.  The  percentage  of 
consolidated net sales and net accounts receivable attributed to Walmart are shown in the table below:

Net sales for the years ended July 31    .................
Net accounts receivable as of July 31     ................

2022
16%
21%

2021
18%
20%

There are no other customers with sales equal to or greater than 10% of our total sales.

60

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTE 3 – DEBT

The composition of notes payable is as follows as of July 31 (in thousands):

Amended and Restated Note Purchase and Private Shelf Agreement. Annual principal 
installments on May 15: $1,000 in each fiscal year 2021 through 2030. Interest is payable 
semi-annually at an annual rate of 3.95%    ..................................................................................
Amended and Restated Note Purchase and Private Shelf Agreement. Annual principal 
installments on Dec 15: $5,000 in each fiscal year 2028 through 2032. Interest is payable 
semi-annually at an annual rate of 3.25%   ...................................................................................
Less current maturities of notes payable     ....................................................................................

Less unamortized debt issuance costs    .........................................................................................
Noncurrent notes payable      ...........................................................................................................

$ 
$ 

2022

2021

$ 

8,000 

$ 

9,000 

25,000 
(1,000) 

(202) 
31,798 

$ 
$ 

— 
(1,000) 

(122) 
7,878 

On May 15, 2020 (the “Effective Date”), we entered into an Amended and Restated Note Purchase and Private Shelf 
Agreement (the “Amended Note Agreement”) with PGIM, Inc. (“Prudential”) and certain existing noteholders and purchasers 
affiliated with Prudential named therein. The Amended Note Agreement amends and restates the Note Agreement between Oil-
Dri, Prudential and certain existing noteholders named therein, dated as of November 12, 2010 (the “Prior Note Agreement”), 
under which our 3.96% Series A Senior Notes (the “Series A Notes”) were previously issued in an original aggregate principal 
amount of $18,500,000.

Pursuant to the Amended Note Agreement, (i) the Series A Notes, in an aggregate principal amount of $3,100,000 as 
of immediately prior to the Effective Date, were paid in full in July 2020 and (ii) we issued $10,000,000 in aggregate principal 
amount  of  our  3.95%  Series  B  Senior  Notes  due  May  15,  2030  (the  “Series  B  Notes”)  and  (iii)  we  issued  $25,000,000  in 
aggregate principal amount of our 3.25% Series C Senior Notes due December 16, 2031 (the “Series C Notes”). In addition, the 
Amended Note Agreement provided us with the ability to request, from time to time until May 15, 2023 (or such earlier date as 
provided  for  in  the  Amended  Note  Agreement),  that  Prudential  affiliate(s)  purchase,  at  Prudential’s  discretion  and  on  an 
uncommitted basis, additional senior unsecured notes of Oil-Dri (the “Shelf Notes,” and collectively with the Series A Notes 
and  Series  B  Notes,  and  Series  C  Notes,  the  “Notes”)  in  an  aggregate  principal  amount  of  up  to  $75,000,000  minus  the 
aggregate principal amount of Notes then outstanding and Shelf Notes that have been accepted for purchase. Interest payable on 
any Shelf Note agreed to be purchased under the Amended Note Agreement will be at a rate determined by Prudential and will 
mature not more than fifteen years after the date of original issue of such Shelf Note.

Like the Prior Note Agreement, the Amended Note Agreement is guaranteed, on an unsecured basis, by certain U.S. 
subsidiaries of Oil-Dri, and contains customary covenants, including but not limited to, limitations on our and certain of our 
subsidiaries’  ability  to  incur  indebtedness,  incur  liens,  engage  in  mergers,  and  sell  or  transfer  assets  and  stock,  as  well  as 
financial  covenants,  including  a  minimum  fixed  charges  coverage  ratio  and  consolidated  debt  ratio  that  remain  the  same  as 
those  contained  in  the  Prior  Note  Agreement.  Upon  the  occurrence  of  certain  events  of  default,  our  obligations  under  the 
Amended Note Agreement may be accelerated. Such events of default include payment defaults, covenant defaults and other 
enumerated defaults.

Effective June 3, 2022, we entered into Amendment No. 2 (the “Amendment”) to the Amended and Restated Note 

Purchase and Private Shelf Agreement (the “Note Agreement”) with PGIM, Inc. (“Prudential”) and certain existing noteholders 
affiliated with Prudential named therein. The Amendment, among other things, revises the definition of Consolidated EBITDA 
(Earnings Before Interest, Depreciation, and Amortization) within the Note Agreement.

The revised definitions of Consolidated EBITDA are relevant to our covenant calculations based on the amended 
definitions noted above. The goodwill impairment recorded in the third quarter was excluded from the quarterly covenant 
calculations based on the amended definitions summarized above.  See Note 1 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial 
Statements for additional information on goodwill impairment.

We have a credit agreement with BMO Harris that expires on January 31, 2024 (the "Credit Agreement"). The 

agreement provides for a $45,000,000 unsecured revolving credit agreement, including a maximum of $10,000,000 for letters 
of credit. Under the credit agreement, we may select a variable rate based on either BMO Harris’ prime rate or a LIBOR-based 
rate, plus a margin which varies depending on our debt to earnings ratio, or a fixed rate as agreed between us and BMO Harris. 
As of July 31, 2022, the variable rates would have been 5.75% for the BMO Harris’ prime-based rate or 4.04% for the LIBOR-
based rate.

61

 
 
 
 
 
 
Effective June 6, 2022, we entered into a modification (the “Modification”) to the credit agreement (the “Credit 
Agreement”) with BMO Harris N.A. The Modification, among other things, revises the definition of Consolidated EBITDA and 
Consolidated EBITR (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, and Rent) within the Credit Agreement.

The revised definitions of Consolidated EBITDA and consolidated EBITR are relevant to our covenant calculations 
based on the amended definitions noted above. The goodwill impairment recorded in the third quarter was excluded from the 
quarterly covenant calculations based on the amended definitions summarized above.  See Note 1 of the Notes to the 
Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on goodwill impairment.

As of July 31, 2022 and 2021, there were no outstanding borrowings under this credit agreement. However, we had 

$964,000 of letters of credit outstanding at July 31, 2022 and 2021 under this agreement.

The credit agreement contains restrictive covenants that, among other things and under various conditions, limit our 
ability  to incur  additional indebtedness or to dispose of assets. The agreement also requires us to maintain a minimum fixed 
coverage ratio, a minimum consolidated net worth and a minimum consolidated debt ratio. Our debt agreements also contain 
provisions such that if we default on one debt agreement, the others will automatically default. If we default on any guaranteed 
debt with a balance greater than $1,000,000, our unsecured revolving credit agreement with BMO Harris will be considered in 
default. If we default on any debt with a balance greater than $5,000,000 we will also be considered in default with the senior 
promissory notes. We were in compliance with all restrictive covenants and limitations as of July 31, 2022.

The  following  is  a  schedule  by  fiscal  year  of  future  principal  maturities  of  notes  payable  as  of  July  31,  2022  (in 

thousands):

2023   ....................... $ 

2024   .......................

2025   .......................

2026   .......................

2027   .......................

1,000 

1,000 

1,000 

1,000 

1,000 

On August 30, 2022, the Company entered into (i) the Sixth Amendment to the Credit Agreement (the “Sixth Amendment”), 
which amends the Credit Agreement, among BMO Harris, the Company and certain domestic subsidiaries of the Company; and 
(ii)  Amendment  No.  3  (the  “Third  Amendment”)  to  the  Amended  Note  Agreement  with  Prudential  and  certain  existing 
noteholders affiliated with Prudential named therein.  See Note 13 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for 
additional information.

NOTE 4 – FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Fair Value

Fair  value  is  defined  as  the  price  that  would  be  received  to  sell  an  asset  or  paid  to  transfer  a  liability  in  an  orderly 
transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The inputs used to measure fair value are prioritized into one 
of  three  categories  based  on  the  lowest  level  of  input  that  is  significant  to  the  fair  value  measurement.  Categories  in  the 
hierarchy are as follows:

Level 1: Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2: Observable market-based inputs for similar assets or liabilities or valuation models whose inputs are observable, 
directly or indirectly.
Level 3: Unobservable inputs.

Cash  equivalents  are  classified  as  Level  1  of  the  fair  value  hierarchy  because  they  are  valued  using  quoted  market 
prices  in  active  markets.  These  cash  instruments  are  primarily  money  market  funds  and  are  included  in  cash  and  cash 
equivalents on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. There were no cash equivalents as of July 31, 2022 and July 31, 2021. 

Accounts receivable and accounts payable balances on the Consolidated Balance Sheets approximate their fair values 

as of July 31, 2022 and 2021 due to the short maturity and nature of those balances.

62

 
 
 
 
 
Notes payable on the Consolidated Balance Sheets are carried at the face amount of future maturities. The estimated 
fair value of notes payable was approximately $31,784,000 as of July 31, 2022 and $10,231,000 as of July 31, 2021. The fair 
value was estimated using the exit price notion of fair value and is classified as Level 2. The increase in fair value is attributable 
to  the  Amended  Note  Agreement  entered  into  in  December  2021.  See  Note  3  of  the  Notes  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements for further information about such debt.

We  apply  fair  value  techniques  on  at  least  an  annual  basis  associated  with:  (1)  valuing  potential  impairment  loss 
related to goodwill, trademarks and other indefinite-lived intangible assets and (2) valuing potential impairment loss related to 
long-lived  assets.  See  Note  1  of  the  Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for  further  information  about  goodwill  and 
other  intangible  assets,  including  the  goodwill  impairment  recorded  during  fiscal  year  2022  at  our  Retail  and  Wholesale 
Products Group.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial  instruments  which  potentially  subject  us  to  concentrations  of  credit  risk  consist  principally  of  cash  and 
accounts receivable. Our cash is held in banks which are covered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; however, our 
cash  balances  are  in  excess  of  the  maximum  amount  that  is  insured.  Concentrations  of  credit  risk  with  respect  to  accounts 
receivable are subject to the financial condition of certain major customers, principally the customer referred to in Note 2 of the 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. We generally do not require collateral to secure customer receivables. 

NOTE 5 – INCOME TAXES

The provision for income tax expense by fiscal year consists of the following (in thousands):

2022

2021

Current

Federal    ............................................................ $  1,681 

$ 

(683) 

Foreign  ............................................................

State    ................................................................

16 

696 

Current Income Tax Total     .........................

2,393 

2 

309 

(372) 

Deferred

Federal    ............................................................

(1,868) 

2,440 

Foreign  ............................................................

State    ................................................................

(41) 

(387) 

(48) 

368 

Deferred Income Tax Total     .......................

(2,296) 

2,760 

Total Income Tax Expense     ............................... $ 

97 

$  2,388 

63

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Principal reasons for variations between the statutory federal rate and the effective rates by fiscal year were as follows:

2022
 21.0 %

2021
 21.0 %

U.S. federal income tax rate     .......................................................................

Depletion deductions allowed for mining    ..................................................
State income tax expense, net of federal tax expense    ................................

Nondeductible officer compensation  ..........................................................
Tax credits   ..................................................................................................

Statutory rate change of foreign subsidiaries      .............................................
Valuation allowance - foreign   .....................................................................

Foreign tax differential   ................................................................................
Prior year income taxes    ...............................................................................

 (20.1) 
 4.5 

 2.4 
 (3.1) 

 — 
 6.9 

 (5.3) 
 (9.5) 

Goodwill impairment     ..................................................................................

 3.1 

 (5.4) 
 5.1 

 4.0 
 (2.5) 

 (0.7) 
 2.5 

 (1.5) 
 (4.0) 

 — 

Other  ............................................................................................................
Effective income tax rate   ..........................................................................

 1.8 
 1.7 %

 (0.8) 
 17.7 %

The  U.S.  effective  tax  rate  for  the  year  ended  July  31,  2022  and  July  31,  2021  were  1.7%  and  17.7%,  respectively, 
based  on  income  before  taxes.  The  items  impacting  the  effective  tax  rate  were  permanent  items  and  the  return  to  provision 
adjustments. The tax impact of the items comprising the permanent adjustments primarily consisted of depletion, stock-based 
compensation and goodwill impairment.

64

 
             
The Consolidated Balance Sheets included the following tax effects of cumulative temporary differences as of July 31 

(in thousands):

2022

2021

Depreciation    ........................................ $ 

Deferred compensation   .......................
Postretirement benefits     ........................

Goodwill  ..............................................
Lease right of use assets    ......................

Lease liabilities   ....................................
Allowance for doubtful accounts     ........

Deferred marketing expenses    ..............
Other assets   .........................................

Other liabilities    ....................................
Accrued expenses    ................................

Tax credits   ...........................................

Amortization       .......................................

Inventories    ...........................................

Depletion     .............................................

Stock-based compensation    ..................
Reclamation  .........................................

Other liabilities - foreign     .....................

Assets

— 

1,499 
209 

62 
— 

3,040 
95 

— 
1 

— 
2,362 

223 

1,046 

366 

— 

1,522 
549 

— 

Other assets – foreign    ..........................

Valuation allowance     ............................

1,761 

(1,761) 

Liabilities
4,356 
$ 

$ 

— 
— 

— 
2,700 

— 
— 

22 
— 

23 
— 

— 

— 

— 

154 

— 
— 

42 

— 

— 

Assets

— 

1,593 
1,296 

— 
— 

2,524 
176 

— 
289 

— 
2,402 

87 

1,028 

351 

— 

1,340 
498 

— 

1,362 

(1,362) 

Liabilities
$ 

5,870 

— 
— 

1,073 
2,160 

— 
— 

133 
— 

— 
— 

— 

— 

— 

166 

— 
— 

86 

— 

— 

Total deferred taxes    .......................... $ 

10,974 

$ 

7,297 

$ 

11,584 

$ 

9,488 

`

Deferred tax liabilities for depreciation decreased due to the election out of bonus depreciation that the Company took 
in fiscal year 2021. Deferred tax assets for post retirement benefits were affected by the freeze of our pension plan as well as the 
Lump  Sum  Option  both  of  which  significantly  reduced  our  pension  liability.  See  Note  8  of  the  Notes  to  the  Consolidated 
Financial  Statements  for  further  information  about  postretirement  benefits.  Deferred  tax  assets  and  liabilities  related  to  lease 
decreased as leases are expiring. Deferred tax assets for accrued expenses reflected a lower accrual for the annual discretionary 
bonus.

We recorded a valuation allowance of $1,761,000 and $1,362,000 as of July 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, for the 
amount of the deferred tax benefit related to our foreign net operating loss carryforwards since we believe it is unlikely we will 
realize the benefit of these tax attributes in the future. As of July 31, 2022, we have total net operating loss carryforwards from 
state jurisdictions of approximately $7,000,000. The carryforward expiration dates vary by state. No valuation allowance has 
been established for these carryforwards since we expect our future profitability will allow us to fully realize these tax benefits.

With the exception of our foreign subsidiary in Canada, none of our foreign subsidiaries have generated any untaxed 

foreign income, therefore we have not provided for any related income taxes for these subsidiaries.

We had no material liability for unrecognized tax benefits based on tax positions related to the current and prior fiscal 
years as of July 31, 2022 and 2021; correspondingly, no related interest and penalties were recognized as income tax expense 
and there were no accruals for such items in either of these fiscal years. 

We are subject to U.S. federal income tax as well as income tax in multiple state and foreign jurisdictions. We have no 
income tax returns under examination as of July 31, 2022 and federal tax returns for fiscal years 2019-2021 remain open for 
examination.  Foreign  and  U.S.  state  jurisdictions  have  statutes  of  limitations  generally  ranging  from  three  to  five  years.  The 
state impact of any federal income tax changes remains subject to examination by various states for a period of up to one year 
after formal notification to the states. There are a limited number of open state and local income tax audits in which no material 

65

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
issues  have  been  preliminarily  identified.  There  are  no  material  open  or  unsettled  foreign  income  tax  audits.  We  believe  our 
accrual for tax liabilities is adequate for all open audit years.

NOTE 6 – ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME

The following table summarizes the changes in accumulated other comprehensive income by component (in 

thousands):

Pension and 
Postretirement 
Health 
Benefits

Cumulative 
Translation 
Adjustment

Total 
Accumulated 
Other 
Comprehensive 
(Loss) Income

(11,994) 

$ 

(260) 

(12,254) 

Balance as of July 31, 2020    ............................... $ 
Other comprehensive income before 
reclassifications, net of tax    ................................
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other 
comprehensive income, net of tax      ....................

Curtailment/Settlement on Pension Plan     ..........
Net current-period other comprehensive 
income, net of tax  ..............................................

Balance as of July 31, 2021    ............................... $ 
Other comprehensive income (loss) before 
reclassifications, net of tax    ................................
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other 
comprehensive income, net of tax      ....................
Net current-period other comprehensive 
income (loss), net of tax  ....................................

6,592  a)

494  b)

480  c)

571 

— 

— 

7,566 

(4,428) 

$ 

571 

311 

$ 

2,081  a)

105  b)

2,186 

(252) 

— 

(252) 

59 

$ 

7,163 

494 

480 

8,137 

(4,117) 

1,829 

105 

1,934 

(2,183) 

Balance as of July 31, 2022

$ 

(2,242) 

$ 

a)  Amounts are net of taxes of $684,000 and $2,095,000 in fiscal years 2022 and 2021, respectively, and are included in Other 

Comprehensive Loss.

b)  Amounts are net of taxes of $34,000 and $156,000 in fiscal years 2022 and 2021, respectively. Amounts are included in the 

components of net periodic benefit cost for the pension and postretirement health plans. 

c)  Amount is net of taxes of $151,000 in fiscal year 2021. Amount is included in the components of net periodic benefit cost 

for the pension and postretirement health plans. 

See  Note  8  of  the  Notes  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for  further  information  about  pension  and  postretirement 
health benefits.

NOTE 7 – STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

The Oil-Dri Corporation of America 2006 Long Term Incentive Plan (as amended, the “2006 Plan”) permits the grant 
of  stock  options,  stock  appreciation  rights,  restricted  stock,  restricted  stock  units,  performance  awards  and  other  stock-based 
and  cash-based  awards.  Our  employees  and  outside  directors  are  eligible  to  receive  grants  under  the  2006  Plan.  The  total 
number of shares of stock subject to grants under the 2006 Plan may not exceed 1,219,500. As of July 31, 2022, there were 
272,475 shares available for future grants under this plan. 

RESTRICTED STOCK

All non-vested restricted stock as of July 31, 2022 was issued under the 2006 Plan with vesting periods generally from 
two to five years. The fair value of restricted stock was determined by the closing market price of our Common Stock on the 
date of grant multiplied by the number of shares granted.

66

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A summary of restricted stock transactions under the plans is shown below.

Non-vested restricted stock outstanding at July 31, 2020    ......

Granted   ............................................................................
Vested    ..............................................................................

Forfeited      ..........................................................................
Non-vested restricted stock outstanding at July 31, 2021    ......

Granted     ..........................................................................
Vested     .............................................................................

Forfeited   .........................................................................
Non-vested restricted stock outstanding at July 31, 2022    .

Number of
Shares
(in thousands)

Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
33.19 

390  $ 

72  $ 
(67)  $ 

(25)  $ 
370  $ 

126  $ 
(71)  $ 

(43)  $ 
382  $ 

35.76 
33.11 

29.58 
33.96 

33.48 
34.64 

34.29 
33.63 

Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term
(Years)
4.0

Unamortized
Expense
(in thousands)
7,784 
$ 

3.3

$ 

7,073 

3.0

$ 

7,064 

Stock-based compensation for restricted stock of $2,083,000 and $1,924,000, net of related tax effect, was recognized 
in  fiscal  years  2022  and  2021,  respectively.  The  total  restricted  stock  compensation  related  tax  benefit  was  $658,000  and 
$607,000 in fiscal years 2022 and 2021, respectively.

NOTE 8 – PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS

The  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  Pension  Plan  (“Pension  Plan”)  is  a  defined  benefit  pension  plan  for  eligible 
salaried and hourly employees. Pension benefits are based on a formula of years of credited service and levels of compensation 
or stated amounts for each year of credited service. On January 9, 2020, we amended the Pension Plan to freeze participation, 
all future benefit accruals and accrual of benefit service, including consideration of compensation increases, effective March 1, 
2020.  Consequently,  the  Pension  Plan  is  closed  to  new  participants  and  current  participants  will  no  longer  earn  additional 
benefits  on  or  after  March  1,  2020.  On  May  4,  2021,  we  purchased  an  annuity  for  $8,530,000  which  decreased  both  our 
projected benefit obligation and the fair value of plan assets and resulted in no change in the funded status of the pension plan. 
The  settlement  expense  related  to  the  annuity  purchase  was  $631,000  and  was  recorded  net  of  tax  in  Other,  net  in  the 
Consolidated Statements of Operations.

A  postretirement  health  benefits  plan  is  also  provided  to  domestic  salaried  employees  who  meet  specific  age, 
participation and length of service requirements at the time of retirement. Eligible employees may elect to continue their health 
care  coverage  under  the  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  Employee  Benefits  Plan  until  the  date  certain  criteria  are  met, 
including attaining the age of Medicare eligibility. We have the right to modify or terminate the postretirement health benefit 
plan at any time.

A 401(k) savings plan is maintained under which we match a portion of employee contributions. This plan is available 
to essentially all domestic employees following a specific number of days of employment. Our contributions to this plan, and to 
similar  plans  maintained  by  our  foreign  subsidiaries,  were  $2,936,000  and  $2,784,000  for  fiscal  years  2022  and  2021, 
respectively. 

67

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Obligations and Funded Status

The following tables provide a reconciliation of changes in the plans’ benefit obligations, asset fair values and funded 

status by fiscal year (in thousands):

Pension Benefits

2022

2021

Postretirement Health 
Benefits

2022

2021

Change in benefit obligation:

Benefit obligation, beginning of year    ..........................................
Service cost   ..................................................................................

$  42,267 
— 

$  57,280 
— 

$ 

Interest cost   ..................................................................................
Actuarial gain  ..............................................................................

Benefits paid    ................................................................................
Settlements    ...................................................................................

Benefit obligation, end of year   .....................................................

Change in plan assets:

Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year    .................................

Actual return on plan assets     .........................................................
Employer contribution      .................................................................

Benefits paid    ................................................................................

Settlements    ...................................................................................

Fair value of plan assets, end of year    ...........................................

1,068 
(8,386) 

(1,208) 
— 

33,741 

40,388 

(4,191) 
— 

(1,208) 

— 

34,989 

1,168 
(6,091) 

(1,603) 
(8,487) 

42,267 

45,334 

5,144 
— 

(1,603) 

(8,487) 

40,388 

$ 

3,125 
123 

58 
(1,155) 

(32) 
— 

3,291 
139 

51 
(313) 

(43) 
— 

2,119 

3,125 

— 

— 
32 

(32) 

— 

— 

— 

— 
43 

(43) 

— 

— 

Funded status, recorded in Consolidated Balance Sheets   ......

$ 

1,248 

$ 

(1,879) 

$ 

(2,119) 

$ 

(3,125) 

See “Cash Flows” below for further information about employer contributions and benefits payments.

The accumulated benefit obligation for the Pension Plan was $33,741,000 and $42,267,000 as of July 31, 2022 and 

July 31, 2021, respectively.

The following table shows amounts recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of July 31 (in thousands):

Pension Benefits

Postretirement Health
Benefits

2022

2021

2022

2021

Deferred income taxes      .................................................................
Other current liabilities     ................................................................
Other noncurrent liabilities     ..........................................................
Accumulated other comprehensive loss – net of tax:

$ 
$ 
$ 

(335) 
— 
1,248 

$ 
$ 
$ 

504 
— 
(1,879) 

Net actuarial loss (gain)  ........................................................

$ 

2,998 

$ 

4,311 

$ 
$ 
$ 

$ 

544 
(73) 
(2,046) 

$ 
$ 
$ 

792 
(82) 
(3,043) 

(756) 

$ 

117 

68

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Benefit Costs and Amortizations

The following table shows the components of the net periodic pension and postretirement health benefit costs by fiscal 

year (in thousands):

Pension Cost

2022

2021

 Postretirement 
Health Benefit Cost
2022

2021

Service cost      ...................................................... $ 
Interest cost      ......................................................
Expected return on plan assets     .........................

—  $ 

1,068 
(2,586) 

$ 

— 
1,168 
(2,816) 

123  $ 
58 
— 

Amortization of:

Prior service income  .................................

Other actuarial loss   ...................................
Settlement cost   .................................................

— 

145 
— 

— 

653 
631 

(6) 

— 
— 

139 
51 
— 

(6) 

3 
— 

Net periodic benefit (income) cost  ................ $ 

(1,373)  $ 

(364)  $ 

175  $ 

187 

Service cost is recorded in Other, net within Other Income (Expense) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. As 

the pension plan is frozen, there was no service cost recorded in fiscal years 2021 or  2022.

The following table shows amounts, net of tax, that are recognized in other comprehensive income by fiscal year (in 

thousands):

Pension Benefits

2022

2021

 Postretirement 
Health Benefits

2022

2021

Net actuarial gain    .....................................................................

$ (1,203)  $ (6,355) 

$ 

(878)  $ 

(237) 

Amortization of:

Prior service income  .........................................................

— 

— 

Amortization of actuarial loss      ..........................................

(110) 

(496) 

5 

— 

5 

(3) 

Curtailment/Settlement  ............................................................

$  —  $ 

(480) 

$  —  $  — 

Total recognized in other comprehensive income    ...............

$ (1,313)  $ (7,331) 

$ 

(873)  $ 

(235) 

Cash Flows

We have funded the Pension Plan based upon actuarially determined contributions that take into account the amount 
deductible  for  income  tax  purposes,  the  normal  cost  and  the  minimum  contribution  required  and  the  maximum  contribution 
allowed under applicable regulations. We made no contributions in fiscal years 2021 or  2022 and we do not expect to make a 
contribution to the Pension Plan in fiscal year 2023.  The postretirement health plan is an unfunded plan. Our policy is to pay 
health insurance premiums and claims from our assets.

The following table shows the estimated future benefit payments by fiscal year (in thousands):

2023     .................. $ 
2024     .................. $ 
2025     .................. $ 
2026     .................. $ 

2027     .................. $ 
2028-32     ............. $ 

Postretirement
Health Benefits
$ 
$ 
$ 
$ 

73 
123 
154 
147 

$ 
$ 

157 
977 

Pension
Benefits

1,226 
1,258 
1,342 
1,476 

1,596 
9,209 

69

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Assumptions

Our pension benefit and postretirement health benefit obligations and the related effects on operations are calculated 
using  actuarial  models.  Critical  assumptions  that  are  important  elements  of  plan  expenses  and  asset/liability  measurements 
include discount rate and expected return on assets for the Pension Plan and health care cost trend for the postretirement health 
plan.  We  evaluate  these  critical  assumptions  at  least  annually.  Other  assumptions  involving  demographic  factors  such  as 
retirement  age,  mortality  and  turnover  are  evaluated  periodically  and  are  updated  to  reflect  our  experience  and  to  meet 
regulatory requirements. Actual results in any given year will often differ from actuarial assumptions because of economic and 
other factors. The assumptions used in the previous calculations by fiscal year were as follows:

Discount rate for net periodic benefit costs    ............................................
Discount rate for year-end obligations   ....................................................
Rate of increase in compensation levels for net periodic benefit costs  ...
Rate of increase in compensation levels for year-end obligations    ..........
Long-term expected rate of return on assets     ...........................................

Pension Benefits
2022
2021
2.14%
2.57%
2.57%
4.05%
—%
—%
—%
—%
6.50%
6.50%

Postretirement Health 
Benefits

2022
2.10%
3.82%
—%
—%
—%

2021
1.63%
2.10%
—%
—%
—%

The discount rate was based on the FTSE Pension Discount Curve to determine separately for the Pension Plan and the 
postretirement  health  plan,  the  single  equivalent  rate  that  would  yield  the  same  present  value  as  the  specific  plan’s  expected 
cash flows.

Our  expected  rate  of  return  on  Pension  Plan  assets  is  determined  by  our  asset  allocation,  our  historical  long-term 
investment  performance,  our  estimate  of  future  long-term  returns  by  asset  class  (using  input  from  our  actuaries,  investment 
managers and investment advisors), and long-term inflation assumptions.

For fiscal year 2022, the medical cost trend assumption used for the postretirement health benefit cost was 8.5%. The 

graded trend rate is expected to decrease to an ultimate rate of 4.9% in fiscal year 2044.

Pension Plan Assets

The investment objective for the Pension Plan assets is to optimize long-term return at a moderate level of risk in order 
to  secure  the  benefit  obligations  to  participants  at  a  reasonable  cost.  To  reach  this  goal,  our  investment  structure  includes 
various  asset  classes,  asset  allocations  and  investment  management  styles  that,  in  total,  have  a  reasonable  likelihood  of 
producing a sufficient level of overall diversification that balances expected return with expected risk over the long-term. The 
Pension Plan does not invest directly in Company stock.

We  measure  and  monitor  the  plan’s  asset  investment  performance  and  the  allocation  of  assets  through  quarterly 
investment  portfolio  reviews.  Investment  performance  is  measured  by  absolute  returns,  returns  relative  to  benchmark  indices 
and any other appropriate basis of comparison. The targeted allocation percentages of plan assets is shown below for fiscal year 
2023 and the actual allocation as of July 31:

Asset Allocation
   Cash and accrued income   ...............
   Fixed income    ..................................
   Equity     .............................................

Target 
fiscal 2023
64%
36%
—%

2022
—%
36%
64%

2021
—%
38%
62%

In anticipation of a termination of the pension plan (See Note 13 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements), 

we adjusted our asset allocation target for fiscal year 2023.

70

 
 
 
 
The following table sets forth by level, within the fair value hierarchy, the Pension Plan's assets carried at fair value (in 

thousands):

Fair Value At July 31, 2022
Quoted
Prices in
Active
Markets for
Identical
Assets
(Level 1)

Significant
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)

Total

   Asset Class
   Cash and cash equivalents(a)
   Equity securities(b):
U.S. companies

International companies

   Equity securities - international mutual funds:
       Developed market(c)
       Emerging markets(d)
   Commodities(e)
   Fixed Income:

 U.S. Treasuries

         Debt securities(f)
        Government sponsored entities(g)
        Multi-strategy bond fund(h)
        Money market fund(i)
   Other(j)
   Total

$ 

51  $ 

51  $ 

— 

15,389 

521 

4,025 
1,517 

1,137 

3,019 

1,656 

1,256 

5,079 

389 

950 

10,387 

521 

923 
1,149 

1,137 

904 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

5,002 

— 

3,102 
368 

— 

2,115 

1,656 

1,256 

5,079 

389 

950 

$ 

34,989  $ 

15,072  $ 

19,917 

71

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fair Value At July 31, 2021
Quoted
Prices in
Active
Markets for
Identical
Assets
(Level 1)

Significant
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)

Total

   Asset Class
   Cash and cash equivalents(a)
   Equity securities(b):
U.S. companies
International companies

   Equity securities - international mutual funds:
       Developed market(c)
       Emerging markets(d)
   Commodities(e)
   Fixed Income:

 U.S. Treasuries
         Debt securities(f)
        Government sponsored entities(g)
        Multi-strategy bond fund(h)
        Money market fund(i)
   Other(j)
   Total

$ 

16  $ 

16  $ 

— 

15,241 
806 

4,290 
806 

10,951 
— 

5,622 

2,389 
829 

1,543 
2,258 

1,730 

8,257 

718 

979 

— 

— 
— 

— 
— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

5,622 

2,389 
829 

1,543 
2,258 

1,730 

8,257 

718 

979 

$ 

40,388  $ 

5,112  $ 

35,276 

(a) Cash and cash equivalents consists of highly liquid investments which are traded in active markets.
(b) This class represents equities traded on regulated exchanges, as well as funds that invest in a portfolio of such stocks.
(c) These mutual funds seek long-term capital growth by investing no less than 80% of their assets in stocks of non- U.S. 

companies that are primarily in developed markets, but also may invest in emerging and less developed markets.

(d) These mutual funds seek to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of stock 

issued by companies located in emerging market countries.

(e) These  investments  seek  attractive  total  return  by  investing  primarily  in  a  diversified  portfolio  of  commodity  futures 

contracts and fixed income investments.

(f) This  class  includes  bonds  and  loans  of  U.S.  and  non-U.S.  corporate  issuers  from  diverse  industries  and  bonds  of 

domestic and foreign municipalities.

(g) This  class  represents  a  beneficial  ownership  interest  in  a  pool  of  single-family  residential  mortgage  loans.  These 
investments are generally not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government, except for securities 
valued at $114,000 in our portfolio as of July 31, 2022 and $176,000 as of July 31, 2021. 

(h) This class invests at least 80% of its net assets in bonds and other fixed income instruments issued by governmental or 
private-sector entities. More than 30% of its net assets are invested in asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities. 
The fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities below investment grade. 

(i) These money market mutual funds seek to provide current income consistent with liquidity and stability of principal by 
investing  in  a  diversified  portfolio  of  high  quality,  short-term,  dollar-denominated  debt  securities.  These  funds  may 
include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government or its agencies, short-term 
securities issued by domestic or foreign banks, domestic and dollar-denominated foreign commercial papers, and other 
short-term corporate obligations and obligations issued or guaranteed by one or more foreign governments.

(j) This  class  includes  funds  that  use  a  number  of  other  strategies,  including  arbitrage,  to  obtain  long-term  positive 
returns.  The  portfolio  of  instruments  may  include  equities,  debt  securities,  real  estate  properties,  warrants,  options, 
swaps, future contracts, forwards or other types of derivative instruments.

72

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTE 9 – DEFERRED COMPENSATION

Oil-Dri's deferred compensation plans permit directors and certain management employees to defer portions of their 
compensation and to earn interest on the deferred amounts. Participants have deferred $680,000 and $1,158,000 into these plans 
in fiscal years 2022 and 2021, respectively. We recorded $218,000 and $187,000 of interest expense associated with these plans 
in  fiscal  years  2022  and  2021,  respectively.  Payments  to  participants  were  $440,000  and  $480,000  in  fiscal  years  2022  and 
2021,  respectively,  and  the  total  liability  recorded  for  deferred  compensation  was  $4,812,000  and  $4,354,000  as  of  July  31, 
2022 and 2021, respectively.

The Oil-Dri Corporation of America Annual Incentive Plan provides certain executives with the opportunity to receive 
a  deferred  executive  bonus  award  if  certain  financial  goals  are  met.  Deferred  executive  bonus  awards  of  $818,000  were 
awarded for fiscal year 2022. No executive bonus was awarded for fiscal year 2021 as financial targets under the provisions of 
the plan were not achieved. These awards will vest and accrue interest over a three-year period.

Our deferred compensation plans are unfunded. We fund these benefits when payments are made, and the timing and 
amount  of  the  payments  are  determined  according  to  the  plans'  provisions  and,  for  certain  plans,  according  to  individual 
employee agreements.

Our SERP, which was terminated in fiscal year 2020, provided certain retired participants in the Pension Plan with the 
amount of benefits that would have been provided under the Pension Plan but for: (1) the limitations on benefits imposed by 
Section  415  of  the  Internal  Revenue  Code  (“Code”),  and/or  (2)  the  limitation  on  compensation  for  purposes  of  calculating 
benefits under the Pension Plan imposed by Section 401(a)(17) of the Code. The SERP liability was actuarially determined at 
the  end  of  each  fiscal  year  using  assumptions  similar  to  those  used  for  the  Pension  Plan,  see  Note  8  of  the  Notes  to  the 
Consolidated  Financial  Statements.  The  SERP  liability  was  $0  as  of  July  31,  2021,  and  we  recorded  expense  related  to  the 
SERP  of  $0  in  fiscal  year  2021.  On  January  9,  2020,  we  amended  the  SERP  to  freeze  participation  and  any  excess  benefit, 
supplemental benefit or additional benefit effective March 1, 2020. Consequently, the SERP was closed to new participants and 
current participants no longer earned additional benefits on or after March 1, 2020. The amendment of the SERP triggered a 
curtailment which required a remeasurement of the SERP's obligation. The remeasurement resulted in a decrease in the SERP 
liability and recognition of a curtailment gain of approximately $1,296,000 in fiscal year 2020, which was recorded in Selling, 
General & Administrative Expenses. Subsequent to the curtailment, the SERP was terminated effective June 30, 2020 and all 
participants were paid in the form of one lump sum in July 2021.

NOTE 10 - ACCRUED EXPENSES

Accrued expenses is as follows (in thousands):

Salaries, Wages, Commissions and Employee Benefits   .
Trade promotions and advertising    ...................................
Freight     .............................................................................
Real Estate Tax   ................................................................
Other   ................................................................................

July 31,
2022

July 31,
2021

13,439  $ 

1,180 
4,022 
1,006 
10,438 
30,085  $ 

10,806 
1,653 
2,845 
1,002 
8,577 
24,883 

$ 

The  increase  in  salaries,  wages,  commissions  and  employee  benefits  relates  primarily  to  the  accrual  of  annual 
discretionary  bonuses  related  to  fiscal  year  2022  that  will  be  paid  during  the  first  quarter  of  fiscal  year  2023  and  a  higher 
discretionary  bonus  accrual  as  of  the  end  of  fiscal  year  2022  when  compared  to  fiscal  year  2021.  The  accrual  for  trade 
promotions and advertising is lower at July 31, 2022 than at July 31, 2021 due to a shift in timing of advertising programs and 
expense.  Freight  rates  increased  during  fiscal  year  2022  resulting  in  a  higher  accrual  at  July  31,  2022  than  at  July  31,  2021. 
Accrued real estate tax at July 31, 2022 is higher than at July 31, 2021 due to the timing of payments. Other accrued expenses 
are higher due to an increase in natural gas costs in fiscal year 2022 that will be paid during the first quarter of fiscal year 2023.

NOTE 11 – OTHER CONTINGENCIES

We are party to various legal actions from time to time that are ordinary in nature and incidental to the operation of our 
business, including ongoing litigation. While it is not possible at this time to determine with certainty the ultimate outcome of 
these or other lawsuits, we believe that none of the pending proceedings will have a material adverse effect on our business, 

73

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
financial  condition,  results  of  operations  or  cash  flows.  In  June  2020,  the  Company  received  notice  from  a  former  service 
provider alleging a breach of contract regarding the payment of a contingency fee. Such party subsequently, in July 2020, filed 
a lawsuit seeking to require the Company to participate in binding mediation regarding this matter. Although we believe this 
claim to be without merit, as of July 31, 2022, we have determined a reasonable estimate of this liability within a range, with no 
amount within that range being a better estimate than any other amount, and have therefore recorded that estimate within Other 
accrued expenses. We believe that any loss related to this matter is unlikely to be material. However, the outcome of this legal 
matter is subject to significant uncertainties. The ability to predict the ultimate outcome of this legal matter involves judgments, 
estimates and inherent uncertainties. The actual outcome could differ materially from management’s estimates. 

NOTE 12 – LEASES

We have operating leases primarily for real estate properties, including corporate headquarters, customer service and 
sales offices, manufacturing and packaging facilities, warehouses, and research and development facilities, as well as for rail 
tracks, railcars and office equipment. Certain of our leases for a shared warehouse and office facility, rail track and railcars have 
options to extend which we are reasonably certain we will exercise and, accordingly, have been considered in the lease term 
used  to  recognize  our  ROU  assets  and  lease  liabilities.  To  determine  the  present  value  of  the  lease  liability,  we  use  an 
incremental  borrowing  rate,  which  is  defined  as  the  rate  of  interest  that  the  Company  would  have  to  pay  to  borrow  (on  a 
collateralized  basis  over  a  similar  term)  an  amount  equal  to  the  lease  payments  in  similar  economic  environments.  Further 
information about our accounting policy for leases is included in Note 1 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

We have no material finance leases, and variable costs for operating leases are immaterial. Operating lease costs are 
included in Cost of Sales or SG&A expenses based on the nature of the lease. The following table summarizes total lease costs 
for our operating leases (in thousands):

For the Twelve Months 
Ended July 31,

For the Twelve Months 
Ended July 31,

2022

2021

Operating Lease Cost

Operating lease cost

$ 

Short-term operating lease cost

2,776  $ 

553   

2,658 

721 

Supplemental cash flow information related to leases was as follows (in thousands):

For the Twelve Months 
Ended July 31,

For the Twelve Months 
Ended July 31,

2022

2021

Other Information

Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease 
liabilities:
  Operating cash flows from operating leases

$ 

2,490  $ 

2,303 

Operating  lease  ROU  assets  and  operating  lease  liabilities  are  separately  presented  on  the  Consolidated  Balance  Sheet, 
excluding leases with an initial term of twelve months or less. Other supplemental balance sheet information related to leases 
was as follows:

Weighted-average remaining lease term - operating leases    .......................

Weighted-average discount rate - operating leases     ....................................

74

For the Twelve Months 
Ended July 31,

For the Twelve Months 
Ended July 31,

2022
7.7 years

3.91%

2021
9.1 years

3.88%

 
The following table summarizes scheduled minimum future lease payments due within twelve months for operating leases with 
terms longer than one year for which cash flows are fixed and determinable as of July 31, 2022 (in thousands):

2023      .......................................... $ 
2024      ..........................................

2025      ..........................................
2026      ..........................................
2027      ..........................................

Thereafter     ..................................
Total    ..........................................

Less: imputed interest    ...............
Net lease obligation   ................... $ 

2,576 
2,046 

1,913 
1,623 
1,214 

4,577 
13,949 

(2,022) 
11,927 

NOTE 13 – SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

On  August  30,  2022,  the  Company  entered  into  (i)  the  Sixth  Amendment  to  the  Credit  Agreement  (the  “Sixth 
Amendment”), which amends the Credit Agreement, among BMO Harris, the Company and certain domestic subsidiaries of the 
Company; and (ii) Amendment No. 3 (the “Third Amendment”) to the Amended Note Agreement with Prudential and certain 
existing noteholders affiliated with Prudential named therein.

The Sixth Amendment amends the Credit Agreement to, among other things to extend the expiration of the agreement 
until  August  20,  2027;  to  replace  the  LIBOR-based  reference  rate  with  an  adjusted  term  Secured  Overnight  Financing  Rate 
("SOFR");  revise  the  method  for  calculating  consolidated  EBITDA  and  consolidated  debt  for  purposes  of  the  Credit 
Agreement; modify certain restrictive covenants, including increasing the unsecured indebtedness basket from $50 million to 
$75 million; and revise the existing financial covenants by replacing the consolidated debt covenant with a covenant to maintain 
a  maximum  debt  to  earnings  ratio,  lowering  the  minimum  fixed  charge  coverage  ratio  level  and  revising  the  method  for 
calculating the fixed charge coverage ratio.

The  Third  Amendment  amends  the  Amended  Note  Agreement  to,  among  other  things,  modify  the  existing  fixed 
charge  coverage  financial  covenant  and  replace  the  existing  consolidated  debt  financial  covenant  with  a  maximum  debt  to 
earnings ratio and effect certain changes consistent with the Sixth Amendment, including modifying the method for calculating 
consolidated EBITDA and the excess leverage fee.

On  September  20,  2022,  subsequent  to  the  end  of  the  fiscal  year,  the  Company's  Board  of  Directors  approved  a 
resolution to terminate the Company's defined benefit pension plan. During the first quarter of fiscal year 2023, the Company 
commenced  the  plan  termination  process  and  expects  to  complete  the  termination  over  a  period  of  eighteen  months.  The 
decision to terminate the Plan follows the 2020 decision to amend and freeze the plan, pursuant to which participation, all future 
benefit accruals and accrual of benefit service, including consideration of compensation increases, were frozen effective March 
1, 2020.

NOTE 14 – RELATED PARTIES

One member of our Board of Directors retired from the role of President and Chief Executive Officer of a customer of 
ours  on  September  28,  2019  and  is  currently  party  to  a  post-employment  consulting  agreement  with  the  customer.  Total  net 
sales to that customer, including sales to subsidiaries of that customer, were $348,827 and $326,692 for fiscal years 2022 and 
2021,  respectively.  There  was  $5,608  of  outstanding  accounts  receivable  due  from  that  customer,  and  its  subsidiaries,  as  of 
July 31, 2022 and $4,256 outstanding accounts receivable as of July 31, 2021. 

One  member  of  our  Board  of  Directors  is  currently  the  President  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  of  a  vendor  of  ours. 
Total payments to this vendor for fees and cost reimbursements were $689,668 and $703,098 for fiscal years 2022 and 2021, 
respectively. There were no outstanding amounts due to that vendor as of July 31, 2022 or July 31, 2021.

75

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as 
such  term  is  defined  in  Exchange  Act  Rules  13a-15f.  Our  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  is  a  process  designed  to 
provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  the  reliability  of  financial  reporting  and  the  preparation  of  financial  statements  for 
external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Under  the  supervision  and  with  the  participation  of  our  management,  including  our  principal  executive  officer  and 
principal  financial  officer,  we  conducted  an  assessment  of  the  effectiveness  of  our  internal  control  over  financial  reporting 
based on the framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013 framework) issued by the Committee Sponsoring 
Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Based on our assessment, our management concluded that our internal 
control over financial reporting was effective as of July 31, 2022.

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

Our  internal  controls  over  financial  reporting  as  of  July  31,  2022  have  been  audited  by  Grant  Thornton  LLP,  an 
independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which appears on the next page of this Annual Report on 
Form 10-K.

76

 
 
 
 
 
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING 
FIRM

Board of Directors and Shareholders
Oil-Dri Corporation of America

Opinions on the financial statements and internal control over financial reporting

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Oil-Dri Corporation of America (a Delaware corporation) 
and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of July 31, 2022 and 2021, and the related consolidated statements of operations, 
comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended July 31, 2022, and 
the related notes and financial statement schedule included under Item 15(a) (collectively referred to as the “financial 
statements”). We also have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of July 31, 2022, based on 
criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations 
of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). 

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the 
Company as of July 31, 2022 and 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the 
period ended July 31, 2022 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also 
in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of July 
31, 2022, based on criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by COSO. 

Basis for opinions
The Company’s management is responsible for these financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over 
financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the 
accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion 
on the Company’s financial statements and an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our 
audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) 
(“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws 
and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the 
audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to 
error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. 
Our audits of the financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the 
financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures 
included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also 
included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the 
overall presentation of the financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an 
understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and 
evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included 
performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a 
reasonable basis for our opinions.

Definition and limitations of internal control over financial reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the 
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally 
accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures 
that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and 
dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit 
preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and 
expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the 
company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or 
disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, 
projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate 
because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

77

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

Goodwill impairment analysis
As described further in Note 1 to the financial statements, during the third quarter of fiscal year 2022, the Company determined 
that a triggering event necessitated a goodwill impairment test. The Company performed a goodwill impairment test on both the 
Retail and Wholesale Products Group and Business to Business Product Groups reporting units and determined that the 
carrying value of the Retail and Wholesale Products Group reporting unit was higher than its fair value. As a result, the 
Company recorded goodwill impairment of $5,644,000 which left no remaining goodwill in the Retail and Wholesale Products 
Group. 

The principal considerations for our determination that the goodwill impairment analysis is a critical audit matter are that the 
significant estimates and assumptions made by management involve subjectivity and judgment in determining the fair value of 
the reporting units using the discounted future cash flows valuation technique. The reporting unit discounted future cash flows 
include certain management assumptions that are complex and have a higher degree of estimation uncertainty. Changes in these 
assumptions could have a significant impact on the results of the impairment analysis. These assumptions include forward-
looking projections related to volume, revenue, and expenses as well as certain allocations between reporting units and 
determination of discount rates. Performing audit procedures to evaluate management’s assumptions required a high degree of 
auditor judgment and an increased extent of effort, including the need to involve valuation specialists. 

Our audit procedures related to the goodwill impairment analysis included the following, among others:

a. We tested the design and operating effectiveness of internal controls relating to management’s goodwill impairment 
test, including the internal controls over the determination of key inputs such as the forecasting of future cash flows 
and determination of the discount rate;

b. We tested the reasonableness of management’s forecasts of future revenues and operating margin by comparing to 

third-party industry projections and historical operating results;

c. We performed sensitivity analysis on the Company’s future revenues, operating margins, and expense allocations to 

evaluate the reasonableness of management’s forecasts; 

d. We utilized a valuation specialist to assist in recalculating the Company’s discounted future cash flows model and in 

evaluating the reasonableness of the significant assumptions including the discount rate; and 

e. We evaluated the competency and objectivity of management’s specialists who assisted with preparing the discounted 

future cash flows analysis. 

/s/ GRANT THORNTON LLP 

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2014.

Chicago, Illinois

October 13, 2022 

78

ITEM 9 – CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL 
DISCLOSURE

None.

ITEM 9A – CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and 
procedures as of the end of the period covered by this Form 10-K. The controls evaluation was conducted under the supervision 
and  with  the  participation  of  management,  including  our  Chief  Executive  Officer  (“CEO”)  and  Chief  Financial  Officer 
(“CFO”). Based upon the controls evaluation, our CEO and CFO have concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by 
this report, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to provide reasonable assurance that information required to 
be disclosed in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified by 
the  SEC,  and  that  such  information  is  accumulated  and  communicated  to  management,  including  the  CEO  and  CFO,  as 
appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting is set forth in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report 

on Form 10-K.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We  have  not  experienced  any  material  impact  to  our  internal  controls  over  financial  reporting  despite  the  fact  that 
many of our employees are working remotely due to COVID-19. We are continually monitoring and assessing the effects of 
COVID-19 on our internal controls to minimize the impact to their design and operating effectiveness.

There  were  no  changes  in  our  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  (as  defined  in  Rule  13a-15(f)  under  the 
Exchange Act) that occurred during the fiscal year ended July 31, 2022 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to 
materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Inherent Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls

Our  management,  including  the  CEO  and  CFO,  do  not  expect  that  our  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  or  our 
internal  control  over  financial  reporting  will  prevent  or  detect  all  errors  and  all  fraud.  A  control  system,  no  matter  how  well 
designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control system’s objectives will be met. 
The  design  of  a  control  system  must  reflect  the  fact  that  there  are  resource  constraints,  and  the  benefits  of  controls  must  be 
considered relative to their costs. Further, because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls 
can provide absolute assurance that misstatements due to error or fraud will not occur or that all control issues and instances of 
fraud,  if  any,  within  the  Company  have  been  detected.  These  inherent  limitations  include  the  realities  that  judgments  in 
decision-making  can  be  faulty  and  that  breakdowns  can  occur  because  of  simple  error  or  mistake.  Controls  can  also  be 
circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by management override of the 
controls. The design of any system of controls is based in part on certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and 
there  can  be  no  assurance  that  any  design  will  succeed  in  achieving  its  stated  goals  under  all  potential  future  conditions. 
Projections of any evaluation of controls effectiveness to future periods are subject to risks. Over time, controls may become 
inadequate because of changes in conditions or deterioration in the degree of compliance with policies or procedures.

ITEM 9B – OTHER INFORMATION

None.

79

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PART III

ITEM 10 – DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The  information  required  by  this  Item  (except  as  set  forth  below)  is  contained  in  Oil-Dri’s  Proxy  Statement  for  its 
2022  annual  meeting  of  stockholders  under  the  captions  “PROPOSALS  -  1.  Election  of  Directors,”  “Executive  Officers,” 
“CORPORATE  GOVERNANCE  MATTERS  -  Director  Nominations,”  “Board  of  Directors  Committee  Membership  and 
Meetings,”  (including  the  “Audit  Committee”  section  thereunder)  and  “Corporate  Governance  Matters”  and  is  incorporated 
herein by this reference.

The Company has adopted a Code of Ethics and Business Conduct (the “Code”) which applies to all of its directors, 
officers  (including  the  Company’s  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  senior  financial  officers)  and  employees.  The  Code  imposes 
significant  responsibilities  on  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  the  senior  financial  officers  of  the  Company.  The  Code,  the 
Company’s  Corporate  Governance  Guidelines  and  the  charter  of  its  Audit  Committee  may  be  viewed  on  the  Company’s 
website at www.oildri.com and are available in print to any person upon request to Investor Relations, Oil-Dri Corporation of 
America,  410  North  Michigan  Avenue,  Suite  400,  Chicago,  Illinois  60611-4213,  telephone  (312)  321-1515  or  e-mail  to 
info@oildri.com. Any amendment to, or waiver of, a provision of the Code which applies to the Company’s Chief Executive 
Officer or senior financial officers and relates to the elements of a “code of ethics” as defined by the SEC will also be posted on 
the  Company’s  website.  As  allowed  by  the  “controlled  company”  exemption  to  certain  NYSE  rules,  the  Company  does  not 
have a nominating/corporate governance committee (as defined by the NYSE rules) and its compensation committee does not 
have a charter.

ITEM 11 – EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The  information  required  by  this  Item  is  contained  in  Oil-Dri’s  Proxy  Statement  for  its  2022  annual  meeting  of 
stockholders  under  the  captions  “Executive  Compensation,”  “CORPORATE  GOVERNANCE  MATTERS  –  Director 
Compensation,” and “Board of Directors Committee Membership and Meetings,” (including the “Compensation Committee” 
thereunder) and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM  12  –  SECURITY  OWNERSHIP  OF  CERTAIN  BENEFICIAL  OWNERS  AND  MANAGEMENT  AND 
RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

Except as set forth herein, the information required by this Item is contained in Oil-Dri’s Proxy Statement for its 2022 
annual meeting of stockholders under the captions “Principal Stockholders” and “Security Ownership of Management” and is 
incorporated herein by reference.

Equity Compensation Plan Information. The following table presents information about compensation plans under 
which our equity securities are authorized for issuance. There are no outstanding stock options as of July 31, 2022. See Note 7 
of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information about these stock-based compensation plans.

Equity Compensation Plan Information As Of July 31, 2022

Number of 
securities to be 
issued upon exercise 
of outstanding 
options (in 
thousands)
(a)

Weighted-average 
exercise price of 
outstanding options
(b)

Number of securities 
remaining available for 
further issuance under 
equity compensation plans 
(excluding securities 
reflected in column (a)) (in 
thousands)
(c)

Plan Category

Equity compensation plans approved by stockholders  ..

—

$—

272

The number of securities remaining in column (c) above includes, in accordance with the terms of the plan, shares that 
were: 1) not vested or exercised in full due to expiration or termination, or 2) tendered or withheld for payment of the exercise 
price or to satisfy tax withholding amounts.

80

 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 13 – CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

The  information  required  by  this  Item  is  contained  in  Oil-Dri’s  Proxy  Statement  for  its  2022  annual  meeting  of 
stockholders  under  the  captions  “CORPORATE  GOVERNANCE  MATTERS  –  Certain  Relationships  and  Related  Party 
Transactions” and “Director Independence” and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 14 – PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

The  information  required  by  this  Item  is  contained  in  Oil-Dri’s  Proxy  Statement  for  its  2022  annual  meeting  of 
stockholders under the caption “Other Matters Relating to the Independent Auditor - Auditor Fees” and is incorporated herein 
by reference.

81

 
 
ITEM 15 – EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE

PART IV

(a)(1)

The following consolidated financial statements are contained herein.

  Consolidated Balance Sheets as of July 31, 2022 and July 31, 2021.

  Consolidated Statements of Operations for the fiscal years ended July 31, 2022 and July 31, 2021.

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the fiscal years ended July 31, 2022 and July 31, 2021.

  Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the fiscal years ended July 31, 2022 and July 31, 2021.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the fiscal years ended July 31, 2022 and July 31, 2021.

  Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

  Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

(a)(2)   The following financial statement schedule is contained herein:

Schedule to Financial Statements, as follows:

Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts, years ended July 31, 2022 and July 31, 2021.

All other schedules are omitted because they are inapplicable, not required under the instructions or the 
information is included in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto.

(a)(3)   The following documents are exhibits to this Report:

Exhibit
No.
3.1

Description

  Certificate  of 

Incorporation  of  Oil-Dri,  as 

amended.

SEC Document Reference
Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  4.1  to  Oil-Dri’s 
Registration  Statement  on  Form  S-8  (Registration  No. 
333-57625), filed on June 24, 1998.

3.2

  By-Laws  of  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America,  as 
Amended and Restated on December 12, 2017.

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3 to Oil-Dri’s (file 
No.  001-12622)  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q  filed 
on March 9, 2018.

4.1

Description of Capital Stock

Filed herewith

10.1

  Memorandum of Agreement #1450 “Fresh Step“®	
dated  as  of  March  12,  2001  between  A&M 
Products Manufacturing Company and Oil-Dri.

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.1  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File  No.  001-12622)  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q 
for the quarter ended October 31, 2020.

82

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit
No.
10.2

10.3

10.4

Description
First Amendment, dated as of December 13, 2002, 
to  Memorandum  of  Agreement  #1450  “Fresh 
Step”®	dated as of March 12, 2001.

SEC Document Reference
Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.2  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File No. 001-12622) Annual Report on Form 10-K for 
the fiscal year ended July 31, 2007.

Second Amendment, dated as of October 15, 2007, 
to  Memorandum  of  Agreement  #1450  “Fresh 
Step”® dated as of March 12, 2001.

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.2  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File  No.  001-12622)  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q 
for the quarter ended October 31, 2020.

Third  Amendment,  dated  as  of  May  27,  2016,  to 
Memorandum of Agreement #1450 “Fresh Step”® 
dated as of March 12, 2001.

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.3  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File  No.  001-12622)  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q 
for the quarter ended October 31, 2020.

10.5

  Exclusive Supply Agreement dated May 19, 1999 
between Church & Dwight Co., Inc. and Oil-Dri.

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.5  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File  No.  001-12622)  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q 
for the quarter ended October 31, 2020.

10.6

10.7

10.8

10.9

  Credit Agreement, dated January 27, 2006 among 
the Company, certain subsidiaries of the Company 
and Harris N.A.

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.1  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File No. 001-12622) Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
on February 1, 2006.

First Amendment, dated as of December 19, 2008 
to Credit Agreement dated as of January 27, 2006.

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.1  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File  No.  001-12622)  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q 
for the quarter ended January 31, 2009.

Second  Amendment,  dated  as  of  December  21, 
2011 to Credit Agreement dated as of January 27, 
2006.

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File No. 001-12622) Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
on December 28, 2011.

Third  Amendment,  dated  as  of  June  21,  2012  to 
Credit Agreement dated as of January 27, 2006.

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.12 to Oil-Dri’s 
(File No. 001-12622) Annual Report on Form 10-K for 
the fiscal year ended July 31, 2012.

10.10

Fourth Amendment, dated as of December 4, 2014 
to Credit Agreement dated as of January 27, 2006.

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.1  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File  No.  001-12622)  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q 
for the quarter ended October 31, 2014.

10.11

Fifth Amendment, dated as of January 31, 2019 to 
Credit Agreement dated as of January 27, 2006.

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.1  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File No. 001-12622) Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
on January 31, 2019.

10.12

Annex  A  to  the  Fifth  Amendment  to  Credit 
Agreement dated as of January 27, 2006.

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.2  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File No. 001-12622) Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
on January 31, 2019.

10.13

$18,500,000  Note  Agreement  dated  as  of 
November 12, 2010 among Oil-Dri Corporation of 
America,  The  Prudential  Insurance  Company  of 
America,  Prudential  Retirement  Insurance  and 
Annuity  Company,  Forethought  Life  Insurance 
Company,  Physicians  Mutual  Insurance  Company 
and BCBSM, Inc. dba Blue Cross and Blue Shield 
of Minnesota.

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.1  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File No. 001-12622) Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
on November 16, 2010.

83

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit
No.

10.14

10.15

10.16

10.17

10.18

10.19

10.20

10.21

10.22

10.23

Description

SEC Document Reference

Amended and Restated Note Purchase and Private 
Shelf  Agreement,  dated  as  of  May  15,  2020, 
among  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America,  PGIM, 
Inc.  and  existing  noteholders  and  purchasers 
named therein.

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.1  to  Oil-Dri's 
(file No. 001-12622) Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
on May 21, 2020.

Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  Deferred 
Compensation  Plan,  as  amended  and  restated 
effective April 1, 2003.*

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  (10)(j)(1)  to  Oil-
Dri’s  (File  No.  001-12622)  Quarterly  Report  on  Form 
10-Q for the quarter ended April 30, 2003.

First Amendment, effective as of January 1, 2007, 
to  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  Deferred 
Compensation  Plan,  as  amended  and  restated 
effective April 1, 2003.*

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.1  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File  No.  001-12622)  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q 
for the quarter ended January 31, 2008.

Second  Amendment,  effective  as  of  January  1, 
2008, to Oil-Dri Corporation of America Deferred 
Compensation  Plan,  as  amended  and  restated 
effective April 1, 2003.*

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.2  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File  No.  001-12622)  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q 
for the quarter ended January 31, 2008.

Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  Annual  Incentive 
Plan (as amended and restated effective January 1, 
2008).*

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.4  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File  No.  001-12622)  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q 
for the quarter ended January 31, 2008.

Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  2005  Deferred 
Compensation  Plan  (as  amended  and  restated 
effective January 1, 2008)*

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.3  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File  No.  001-12622)  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q 
for the quarter ended January 31, 2008.

First Amendment, effective July 1, 2020, to the 
Oil-Dri Corporation of America 2005 Deferred 
Compensation Plan (as amended and restated 
effective January 1, 2008).*

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.24 to Oil Dri's 
(File No. 001-12622) Annual Report on Form 10-K for 
the fiscal year ended July 31, 2020.

Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  2006  Long  Term 
Incentive  Plan  (as  amended  and  restated  effective 
July 28, 2006)*

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Appendix  A  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File  No.  001-12622)  Definitive  Proxy  Statement  on 
Schedule 14A filed on November 3, 2006.

First Amendment, effective as of January 1, 2008, 
to  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  2006  Long 
Term  Incentive  Plan  (as  amended  and  restated 
effective July 28, 2006)*

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.5  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File  No.  001-12622)  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q 
for the quarter ended January 31, 2008.

  Second  Amendment,  effective  as  of  October  15, 
2015,  to  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  2006 
Long Term Incentive Plan (as previously amended 
and restated effective July 28, 2006)*

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Appendix  A  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(File  No.  001-12622)  Definitive  Proxy  Statement  on 
Schedule 14A filed on October 28, 2015.

10.24

Third Amendment to Oil-Dri Corporation of 
America 2006 Long Term Incentive Plan*

Incorporated by reference to Appendix A of Oil-Dri's 
(File No. 001-12622) Definitive Proxy Statement on 
Schedule 14A filed on October 30, 2019

84

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit
No.

10.25

Description

SEC Document Reference

  Form  of  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  2006 
Long Term Incentive Plan Employee Stock Option 
Agreement for Class A Common Stock.*

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.2  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(file No. 001-12622) Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
on December 11, 2006.

10.26

  Form  of  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  2006 
Long Term Incentive Plan Employee Stock Option 
Agreement for Common Stock.*

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.3  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(file No. 001-12622) Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
on December 11, 2006.

10.27

10.28

10.29

10.30

10.31

10.32

10.33

10.34

Form  of  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  2006 
Long Term Incentive Plan Employee Stock Option 
Agreement for Class B Stock.*

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.4  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(file No. 001-12622) Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
on December 11, 2006.

Form  of  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  2006 
Long  Term  Incentive  Plan  Director  Stock  Option 
Agreement for Common Stock.*

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.5  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(file No. 001-12622) Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
on December 11, 2006.

  Form  of  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  2006 
Long  Term  Incentive  Plan  Restricted  Stock 
Agreement for Class A Common Stock.*

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.6  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(file No. 001-12622) Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
on December 11, 2006.

  Form  of  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  2006 
Long  Term  Incentive  Plan  Restricted  Stock 
Agreement for Common Stock.*

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.7  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(file No. 001-12622) Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
on December 11, 2006.

  Form  of  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  2006 
Long  Term  Incentive  Plan  Restricted  Stock 
Agreement for Class B Stock.*

Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.8  to  Oil-Dri’s 
(file No. 001-12622) Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
on December 11, 2006.

  Form of 2018 Restricted Stock Agreement for 
Class B Stock under the Oil-Dri Corporation of 
America 2006 Long Term Incentive Plan.*

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.29 to Oil-Dri's 
(file No. 001-12622) Annual Report on Form 10-K for 
the fiscal year ended July 31, 2018.

Fourth Amendment, dated as of December 4, 
2020, to Memorandum of Agreement #1450 
“Fresh Step”® dated as of March 12, 2001.† 

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to Oil-Dri’s 
(file No. 001-12622) Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q 
for the quarter ended October 31, 2020. 

Amendment No. 1 dated December 16, 2021 to the 
Amended and Restated Note Purchase and Private 
Shelf Agreement among Oil-Dri Corporation of 
America, PGIM, Inc. and existing noteholders and 
purchasers named therein.

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Oil-Dri's 
(file No. 001-12622) Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
on December 17, 2021.

10.35

Oil-Dri BMO - Modification to BMO Harris Bank 
N.A. Credit Agreement.

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Oil-Dri’s 
(file No. 001-12622) Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q 
for the quarter ended April 30, 2022.

10.36

Amendment No. 2 to Amended and Restated Note 
Purchase and Private Shelf Agreement.

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to Oil-Dri’s 
(file No. 001-12622) Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q 
for the quarter ended April 30, 2022.

85

 
 
 
 
10.37

10.38

Sixth Amendment to Credit Agreement dated as of 
August 30, 2022, between Oil-Dri Corporation of 
America and BMO Harris Bank N.A.

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Oil-Dri's 
(file No. 001-12622) Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
on September 6, 2022.

Amendment No. 3 to Amended and Restated Note 
Purchase and Private Shelf Agreement, dated 
August 30, 2022, among Oil-Dri Corporation of 
America, PGIM, Inc. and existing noteholders 
named therein.

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to Oil-Dri's 
(file No. 001-12622) Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
on September 6, 2022.

14.1

Amended and Restated Code of Ethics

Available at Oil-Dri’s website at www.oildri.com or in 
print upon request to Investor Relations, Oil-Dri 
Corporation of America, 410 North Michigan Avenue, 
Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60611-4213, telephone (312) 
321-1515 or e-mail to info@oildri.com.

21.1

Subsidiaries of Oil-Dri Corporation of America

Filed herewith.

23.1

Exhibit
No.

Consent  of 
Accounting Firm

Independent  Registered  Public 

Filed herewith.

Description

SEC Document Reference

31.1

Certifications pursuant to Rule 13a – 14(a).

Filed herewith.

32.1

Certifications  pursuant  to  Section  1350  of  the 
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Furnished herewith.

95

Mine Safety Disclosure

Filed herewith.

101.INS

XBRL Taxonomy Instance Document

The instance document does not appear in the 
Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are 
embedded within the Inline XBRL document.

101.SCH

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

Furnished herewith.

101.CAL

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase 
Document

Furnished herewith.

101.DEF

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase 
Document

Furnished herewith.

104

Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as 
inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)

Furnished herewith

101.LAB

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase 
Document

Furnished herewith.

101.PRE

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation 
Linkbase

Furnished herewith.

86

†

*

Certain portions of this exhibit have been redacted pursuant to Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K. A copy of 
the omitted portions will be furnished supplementally to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon 
request.
Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

87

 Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Oil-Dri has duly caused this 

report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

SIGNATURES

OIL-DRI CORPORATION OF AMERICA
(Registrant)

By 

/s/ Daniel S. Jaffee
Daniel S. Jaffee
President and Chief Executive Officer, Director

Dated: October 13, 2022 

 Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following 

persons on behalf of Oil-Dri and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:

/s/ Daniel S. Jaffee

  October 13, 2022

Daniel S. Jaffee
President and Chief Executive Officer,
 Chairman of the Board of Directors

(Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ Susan M. Kreh

  October 13, 2022

Susan M. Kreh

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial Officer)

/s/ David M. Atkinson

  October 13, 2022

David M. Atkinson

Vice President, Corporate Controller

(Controller)

/s/ Ellen-Blair Chube

October 13, 2022

Ellen-Blair Chube
Director

/s/ Paul M. Hindsley

  October 13, 2022

Paul M. Hindsley
Director

88

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Michael A. Nemeroff

  October 13, 2022

Michael A. Nemeroff
Director

/s/ George C. Roeth

  October 13, 2022

George C. Roeth
Director

/s/ Amy L. Ryan

October 13, 2022

Amy L. Ryan
Director

/s/ Allan H. Selig

  October 13, 2022

Allan H. Selig
Director

/s/ Paul E. Suckow

  October 13, 2022

Paul E. Suckow
Director

/s/ Lawrence E. Washow

  October 13, 2022

Lawrence E. Washow
Director

89

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SCHEDULE II

OIL-DRI CORPORATION OF AMERICA AND SUBSIDIARIES

VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

Year Ended July 
31,

2022
2021
(in thousands)

Allowance for doubtful accounts and cash discounts:

Balance, beginning of year      ........................................... $  1,174  $  1,078 
82 
(Reduction) addition      ....................................................

(237)   

Net recovery      .................................................................
Balance, end of year    ...................................................... $ 

(15)   
14 
922  $  1,174 

Valuation reserve for income taxes:

Balance, beginning of year      ........................................... $  1,362  $  1,029 

Change    ..........................................................................

399 

333 

Balance, end of year    ...................................................... $  1,761  $  1,362 

90

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EXHIBITS

Description

Description of Capital Stock

Subsidiaries of Oil-Dri Corporation of America

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Certifications  by  Daniel  S.  Jaffee,  President  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  Susan  M.  Kreh,  Chief  Financial 
Officer, required by Rule 13a-14(a)

Exhibit 
No.

4.1

21.1

23.1

31.1

32.1

Certifications pursuant to Section 1350 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

95

Mine Safety Disclosure

101.INS

XBRL Instance Document

101.SCH XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

101.CAL XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

101.DEF XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

101.LAB XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase Document

101.PRE XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase

Note:

Stockholders  may  receive  copies  of  the  above  listed  exhibits,  without  fee,  by  written  request  to  Investor 
Relations,  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America,  410  North  Michigan  Avenue,  Suite  400,  Chicago,  Illinois 
60611-4213, telephone (312) 321-1515 or e-mail to info@oildri.com.

91

EXHIBIT 4.1:

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The  following  description  of  our  Common  Stock  is  a  summary  and  does  not  purport  to  be  complete  and  is  subject  to  and 
qualified  in  its  entirety  by  reference  to  both  the  Certificate  of  Incorporation  of  Oil-Dri,  as  amended  (the  "Certificate  of 
Incorporation"),  and  the  By-Laws  of  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America,  as  Amended  and  Restated  (the  "By-laws").  The 
Certificate of Incorporation and the By-laws are each incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Annual Report on Form 10-
K of which this Exhibit 4.1 is a part.

Authorized Shares of Capital Stock

Our authorized capital stock as of July 31, 2022 and 2021 consisted of 15,000,000 shares of Common Stock, 7,000,000 shares 
of Class B Stock and 30,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, each with a par value of $.10 per share. There are no Class 
A Common Stock shares currently outstanding.

Voting Rights

Common Stock is entitled to one vote per share and Class B Stock is entitled to ten votes per share, while Class A Common 
Stock has no voting rights except in accordance with law. 

Dividends

Common Stock is entitled to cash dividends, as and when declared or paid, equal to at least 133.33% on a per share basis of the 
cash dividend paid on Class B Stock. Class A Common Stock is entitled to cash dividends on a per share basis equal to the cash 
dividend  on  Common  Stock.  Additionally,  while  shares  of  Common  Stock,  Class  A  Common  Stock  and  Class  B  Stock  are 
outstanding, the sum of the per share cash dividend paid on shares of Common Stock and Class A Common Stock, must be 
equal to at least 133.33% of the sum of the per share cash dividend paid on Class B Stock and Class A Common Stock.

Shares of Common Stock, Class A Common Stock and Class B Stock are equal in respect of all rights to dividends (other than 
cash as described above) and distributions in the form of stock or other property (including stock dividends and split-ups) in 
each case in the same ratio except in the case of a Special Stock Dividend. A Special Stock Dividend, which can be issued only 
once,  is  either  a  dividend  of  one  share  of  Class  A  Common  Stock  for  each  share  of  Common  Stock  and  Class  B  Stock 
outstanding  or  a  recapitalization,  in  which  half  of  each  outstanding  share  of  Common  Stock  and  Class  B  Stock  would  be 
converted into a half share of Class A Common Stock.

Conversion Rights

Common Stock and Class A Common Stock have no conversion rights. Class B Stock is convertible on a share-by-share basis 
into Common Stock at any time and is subject to mandatory conversion under certain circumstances.

Duration of Class Rights and Powers

At any time when the shares of Class B Stock cease to account for at least 20% of the total of both shares of Common Stock 
and Class B Stock outstanding, or for a period of one year do not account for at least 10% of the total shares of Common Stock, 
Class B Stock and Class A Common Stock outstanding, then any shares of Class B Stock outstanding shall, without any action 
by  the  Board  of  Directors,  automatically  convert  to  shares  of  Common  Stock.  In  addition,  and  the  provisions  for  different 
voting or cash dividend rights for Common Stock and Class B Stock shall thence forth not be in effect.

Liquidation Rights

In  the  event  of  any  liquidation,  dissolution  or  winding  up  of  the  Company,  the  holders  of  all  classes  of  stock  are  entitled  to 
share ratably as a single class in the remaining net assets of the Company. A merger or consolidation of the Company or a sale 
or conveyance of all or any part of the Company's assets will not be deemed a liquidation, dissolution or winding up.

Restrictions on Sale and Transfer

Class B Stock is subject to restrictions that permit the sale or transfer of these shares only to certain permitted transferees.

No Redemption or Preemptive Rights

Holders of common stock have no preemptive, redemption or subscription rights.

EXHIBIT 21.1:

SUBSIDIARIES OF OIL-DRI CORPORATION OF AMERICA

Subsidiary
Agromex Importaciones, S.A. de C.V.
Amlan Trading (Shenzhen) Company, Ltd.

Blue Mountain Production Company
Mounds Management, Inc.
Mounds Production Company, LLC
ODC Acquisition Corp.
Oil-Dri Canada ULC
Oil-Dri Corporation of Georgia
Amlan International
Oil-Dri Production Company
Oil-Dri SARL
Oil-Dri (U.K.) Limited
PT Amlan Perdagangan Internasional
Taft Production Company

State or Country
of Organization
Mexico
China

Mississippi
Delaware
Illinois
Illinois
Canada
Georgia
Nevada
Mississippi
Switzerland
United Kingdom
Indonesia
Delaware

EXHIBIT 23.1:

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We have issued our report dated October 13, 2022, with respect to the consolidated financial statements and internal control 
over  financial  reporting  included  in  the  Annual  Report  of  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  on  Form  10-K  for  the  year  ended 
July 31, 2022. We consent to the incorporation by reference of said report in the Registration Statements of Oil-Dri Corporation 
of America on Forms S-8 (File Nos. 333-139550 and 333-236912).

/s/ GRANT THORNTON LLP 

Chicago, Illinois
October 13, 2022 

EXHIBIT 31.1: 

CERTIFICATIONS PURSUANT TO RULE 13A -14(A) UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS 
AMENDED 
Certification of Principal Executive Officer 
(Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002) 

I, Daniel S. Jaffee, certify that:

1.

I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Oil-Dri Corporation of America (the “registrant”);

2.  Based  on  my  knowledge,  this  report  does  not  contain  any  untrue  statement  of  a  material  fact  or  omit  to  state  a 
material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements 
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.  Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly 
present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, 
and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.  The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls 
and  procedures  (as  defined  in  Exchange  Act  Rules  13a-15(e)  and  15d-15(e))  and  internal  control  over  financial 
reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) for the registrant and have:

a. Designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures,  or  caused  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  to  be 
designed  under  our  supervision,  to  ensure  that  material  information  relating  to  the  registrant,  including  its 
consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period 
in which this report is being prepared;

b.  Designed  such  internal  control  over  financial  reporting,  or  caused  such  internal  control  over  financial 
reporting  to  be  designed  under  our  supervision,  to  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  the  reliability  of 
financial  reporting  and  the  preparation  of  financial  statements  for  external  purposes  in  accordance  with 
generally accepted accounting principles;

c.  Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report 
our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period 
covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

d.  Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred 
during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual 
report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control 
over financial reporting; and

5.  The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer  and  I  have  disclosed,  based  on  our  most  recent  evaluation  of  internal 
control  over  financial  reporting,  to  the  registrant's  auditors  and  the  audit  committee  of  the  registrant's  board  of 
directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a. All  significant  deficiencies  and  material  weaknesses  in  the  design  or  operation  of  internal  control  over 
financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, 
summarize and report financial information; and

b.  Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role 

in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Date:
By:

October 13, 2022
/s/ Daniel S. Jaffee
Daniel S. Jaffee 
President and Chief Executive Officer

 
 
 
EXHIBIT 31.1 (CONTINUED):

Certification of a Principal Financial Officer 
(Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002) 

I, Susan M. Kreh, certify that:

1.

I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Oil-Dri Corporation of America (the “registrant”);

2.  Based  on  my  knowledge,  this  report  does  not  contain  any  untrue  statement  of  a  material  fact  or  omit  to  state  a 
material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements 
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.  Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly 
present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, 
and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.  The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls 
and  procedures  (as  defined  in  Exchange  Act  Rules  13a-15(e)  and  15d-15(e))  and  internal  control  over  financial 
reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a.

b.

c.

d.

Designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures,  or  caused  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  to  be 
designed  under  our  supervision,  to  ensure  that  material  information  relating  to  the  registrant,  including  its 
consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period 
in which this report is being prepared;

Designed  such  internal  control  over  financial  reporting,  or  caused  such  internal  control  over  financial 
reporting  to  be  designed  under  our  supervision,  to  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  the  reliability  of 
financial  reporting  and  the  preparation  of  financial  statements  for  external  purposes  in  accordance  with 
generally accepted accounting principles;

Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report 
our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period 
covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred 
during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual 
report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control 
over financial reporting; and

5.  The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer  and  I  have  disclosed,  based  on  our  most  recent  evaluation  of  internal 
control  over  financial  reporting,  to  the  registrant's  auditors  and  the  audit  committee  of  the  registrant's  board  of 
directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a.

b.

All  significant  deficiencies  and  material  weaknesses  in  the  design  or  operation  of  internal  control  over 
financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, 
summarize and report financial information; and

Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role 
in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Date:
By:

October 13, 2022
/s/ Susan M. Kreh
Susan M. Kreh

Chief Financial Officer

 
 
EXHIBIT 32.1:

CERTIFICATIONS PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350 AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO 
THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002 CERTIFICATION 

Certification 

Pursuant  to  18  U.S.C.  Section  1350,  the  undersigned  officer  of  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  (the  “Company”)  hereby 
certifies that to the best of my knowledge the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended July 31, 2022 (the 
“Report”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d), as applicable, of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
and that the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of 
operation of the Company. 

Dated: October 13, 2022
/s/ Daniel S. Jaffee
Name: Daniel S. Jaffee 
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to Oil-Dri Corporation of America and 
will be retained by Oil-Dri Corporation of America and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon 
request. 

The foregoing certification is being furnished solely pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Section 1350, 
Chapter 63 of Title 18, United States Code) and is not being filed as part of the Report or as a separate disclosure document. 

Certification

Pursuant  to  18  U.S.C.  Section  1350,  the  undersigned  officer  of  Oil-Dri  Corporation  of  America  (the  “Company”)  hereby 
certifies that to the best of my knowledge the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended July 31, 2022 (the 
“Report”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d), as applicable, of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
and that the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of 
operation of the Company. 

Dated: October 13, 2022
/s/ Susan M. Kreh
Name: Susan M. Kreh
Title: Chief Financial Officer 

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to Oil-Dri Corporation of America and 
will be retained by Oil-Dri Corporation of America and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon 
request. 

The foregoing certification is being furnished solely pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Section 1350, 
Chapter 63 of Title 18, United States Code) and is not being filed as part of the Report or as a separate disclosure document. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EXHIBIT 95:

MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE

Under section 1503(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and Item 104 of Regulation S-K, 
each operator of a coal or other mine is required to include certain mine safety information in its periodic reports filed with the 
SEC. The table below includes this mine safety information for each mine facility owned and operated by Oil-Dri Corporation 
of America, or its subsidiaries, for the year ended July 31, 2022. Due to timing and other factors, our data may not agree with 
the mine data retrieval system maintained by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (“MSHA”). The columns in the table 
represent the total number of, and the proposed dollar assessment for, violations, citations and orders issued by MSHA during 
the period upon periodic inspection of our mine facilities in accordance with the referenced sections of the Federal Mine Safety 
and Health Act of 1977, as amended (the “Mine Act”), described as follows:

Section 104 Significant and Substantial Violations:  Total number of violations of mandatory health or safety standards that 
could significantly and substantially contribute to the cause and effect of a coal or other mine safety or health hazard.

Section 104(b) Orders:  Total number of orders issued due to a failure to totally abate, within the time period prescribed by 
MSHA, a violation previously cited under section 104, which results in the issuance of an order requiring the mine operator to 
immediately withdraw all persons from the mine.

Section  104(d)  Citations  and  Orders:    Total  number  of  citations  and  orders  issued  for  unwarrantable  failure  of  the  mine 
operator to comply with mandatory health and safety standards.  The violation could significantly and substantially contribute 
to the cause and effect of a safety and health hazard, but the conditions do not cause imminent danger.

Section 110(b)(2) Flagrant Violations:  Total number of flagrant violations defined as a reckless or repeated failure to make 
reasonable efforts to eliminate a known violation of a mandatory health or safety standard that substantially and proximately 
caused, or reasonably could have been expected to cause, death or serious bodily injury.

Section  107(a)  Imminent  Danger  Orders:    Total  number  of  orders  issued  when  an  imminent  danger  is  identified  which 
requires all persons to be withdrawn from area(s) in the mine until the imminent danger and the conditions that caused it cease 
to exist.

Total Dollar Value of Proposed MSHA Assessments:  Each issuance of a citation or order by MSHA results in the assessment 
of a monetary penalty.  The total dollar value presented includes any contested penalties.

Legal Actions Pending, Initiated or Resolved:  Total number of cases pending legal action before the Federal Mine Safety and 
Health Review Commission as of the last day of the reporting period or the number of such cases initiated or resolved during 
the reporting period.

Section 104 
“Significant 
and 
Substantial” 
Violations
(#)

Section 
104(b)
Orders 
(#)

Section 
104(d)
Citations 
and 
Orders 
(#)

Section 
110(b)(2)
Flagrant 
Violations
(#)

Section 
107(a) 
Imminent 
Danger 
Orders
(#)

 Total Dollar 
Value of 
Proposed 
MSHA 
Assessments 
($)

 Pending 
as of Last 
Day of 
Period
(#)

Initiated 
During 
Period
(#)

 Resolved 
During 
Period
(#)

Legal Actions

2

29

9

5

8

—

—

—

—

—

—

5

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

3,250

175,209

8,091

17,053

10,927

—

1

—

—

—

—

1

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

Mine location

Ochlocknee, 
Georgia
Ripley, 
Mississippi

Mounds, Illinois

Blue Mountain, 
Mississippi

Taft, California

We had no mining-related fatalities at any of our facilities during the twelve months ended July 31, 2022. During this 
period we also received no written notices from MSHA under section 104(e) of the Mine Act of (i) a pattern of violations of 
mandatory  health  or  safety  standards  that  are  of  such  nature  as  could  have  significantly  and  substantially  contributed  to  the 
cause  and  effect  of  coal  or  other  mine  health  or  safety  hazards;  or  (ii)  the  potential  to  have  such  a  pattern.  All  legal  actions 
pending and initiated during the period were contests of proposed penalties.

[This page intentionally left blank] 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

INVESTOR INQUIRIES

Daniel S. Jaffee 
Chairman of the Board, President 
& Chief Executive Officer

Daniel S. Jaffee 
President & Chief Executive  
Officer

Susan M. Kreh 
Chief Financial Officer

Aaron V. Christiansen 
Vice President, Operations

Christopher B. Lamson 
Group Vice President,  
Retail & Wholesale

Laura G. Scheland 
Vice President, Strategic  
Partnerships and General  
Counsel & Secretary

Patrick J. Walsh 
Vice President, 
Human Resources

INDEPENDENT 
REGISTERED PUBLIC 
ACCOUNTING FIRM

Grant Thornton LLP

Lawrence E. Washow 
Vice Chairman of the Board, 
Board Member & Partner,  
Eudora Global, LLC  
Chairman, Aspire Brands, Inc. 
Board Member, Turn Technologies, Inc.

George C. Roeth 
Lead Director of the Board

Ellen-Blair Chube 
Managing Director 
& Client Service Officer, 
William Blair & Company

Paul M. Hindsley 
Managing Director & Partner, 
William Blair & Company

Michael A. Nemeroff 
President & Chief Executive 
Officer, Vedder Price P.C.

Amy L. Ryan 
Founder & Chief Circular 
Economist, ESG Strategies

Allan H. Selig 
Commissioner Emeritus 
of Major League Baseball 
President & Chairman,  
Selig Leasing Company Inc. 
President, AHS Investments, LLC

Paul E. Suckow 
Business Fellow & Adjunct 
Professor, Finance & Economics, 
Villanova University

NYSE: ODC

Please direct all inquiries to:

Leslie A. Garber 
(312) 321-1515 
InvestorRelations@oildri.com

Oil-Dri Corporation of America 
Attention: Investor Relations 
410 North Michigan Avenue 
Suite 400 
Chicago, Illinois 60611-4213 
www.oildri.com

Stockholders with inquiries  
regarding stock transfers, change 
of ownership, change of address 
or dividend payments should  
contact the company’s registrar 
and transfer agent:

Computershare Investor Services 
P.O. Box 43078                                      
Providence, RI 02940-3078 

Courier Delivery: 
150 Royall St., Suite 101  
Canton, MA 02021 
(877) 373-6374

FORWARD-LOOKING 
STATEMENTS

This document contains forward 
looking statements that are based 
on current expectations,  
estimates, forecasts, and  
projections about our future 
performance, our business, our 
beliefs, and our management’s 
assumptions. See page 4 for  
cautionary language regarding 
such statements.

VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING

On Wednesday, December 7, 2022, at 9:30am CT,  
Oil-Dri Corporation of America will hold its 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

Please join our virtual meeting by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/ODC2022

©2022 Oil-Dri Corporation of America

 
410 NORTH MICHIGAN AVENUE, SUITE 400 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60611