Quarterlytics / Industrials / Electrical Equipment & Parts / RF Industries, Ltd.

RF Industries, Ltd.

rfil · NASDAQ Industrials
Claim this profile
Ticker rfil
Exchange NASDAQ
Sector Industrials
Industry Electrical Equipment & Parts
Employees 302
← All annual reports
FY2022 Annual Report · RF Industries, Ltd.
Sign in to download
Loading PDF…
Connecting the Next Generation

RF INDUSTRIES
ANNUAL 
REPORT

CORPORATE 2022

1

2

LETTER FROM THE CEO

July 26, 2023

Fellow Shareholders,

2022  was  an  outstanding  year  for  RF  Industries  and  I  am  very 
proud  of  what  our  team  accomplished  in  transforming  our 
company for sustained growth in the years ahead. Even though we 
encountered the challenges of inflation, higher interest rates and 
lingering  supply  chain  disruptions  in  2022,  we  made  significant 
headway in executing our five-year strategy to shift our business to 
a higher margin value proposition while still growing our traditional 
core business that generates strong cash flow. 

Strong  Growth  and  Disciplined  Execution  Delivered  Record 
Performance 

We  delivered  record  annual  sales  of  $85.3  million,  which  was  a 
48%  increase  over  last  year  and  a  high  mark  in  our  company’s 
history.  Our gross profit margin expanded significantly throughout 
the year, with a standout fourth quarter of 31%. Our year-over-year 
adjusted EBITDA also increased 143% to $6.6 million. 

Fully integrating our acquisition of Microlab was a highlight of 2022, 
and it made a strong impact on our annual results by contributing 
$15  million  to  product  sales  in  the  eight  months  following  the 
Importantly,  we  financed  this  acquisition 
transaction  close. 
with  cash  and  low-interest  rate  debt  and  with  no  dilution  to  our 
shareholders. Since acquiring Microlab, we have meaningfully paid 
down  debt  from  our  free  cash  flow.    Managing  capital  well  is  a 
cornerstone  of  our  business  success  and  the  completion  of  this 
acquisition was no exception.

These  are  impressive  numbers  for  one  year.  But  what’s  equally 
impressive  is  that  we’ve  nearly  quadrupled  our  revenue  in  five 
years  –  during  a  global  pandemic,  supply  chain  shortages  and 
turbulent  markets.  Plus,  our  core  cable  assembly  business  has 
grown  organically  for  five  consecutive  years.  These  positive 
results  reflected  the  disciplined  execution  of  our  plan  including 
our  strategic  shift  to  higher  value  products  and  solutions,  our 
focus  on  managing  expenses  in  an  inflationary  environment, 
and  our  commitment  to  balancing  organic  growth  with  strategic 
acquisitions. 

Bolstered  Our  Strong  Customer  Value  Proposition  Through 
Product Expansion 

Our  customers  count  on  us  for  quality  products,  inventory 
availability  and  speed.  We  are  a  highly  reliable  partner,  and  we 
make it easy for our customers to work with us. Our growth plan, 
whether it’s organic growth or through acquisitions, is to provide 
more of the bill of materials of interconnect products for telecom, 
wireless  and  industrial  customer  applications.  The  continued 
expansion of our product offering allows customers to buy more 
from RF Industries across multiple product categories. It also helps 
them reduce complexity and supply chain costs, while procuring 
the products they need to complete jobs quickly. 

Our RF Industries family of products, including coaxial jumpers and 
fiber  optic  jumpers,  is  recognized  for  its  consistent  high  quality, 
and we are committed to innovating new products that meet the 
evolving and mission-critical needs of our customers. Our OptiFlexTM 
hybrid  fiber  solutions,  for  example,  deliver  the  optimal  solutions 
for  wireless  carriers  seeking  to  upgrade  existing  infrastructure 
to  5G  technology.  This  is  just  one  of  many  products  that  have 
technical and intellectual property advantages that go well beyond 
commoditized  solutions.  These  systems  were  developed  by 
Cables Unlimited, one of our two brands that have qualified for the 
coveted Corning Assembly House Connection Gold Program, the 
highest standard for fiber optic cable production. 

Our Microlab acquisition was a big step forward in strengthening 
our  signal  distribution  capabilities  with  proprietary  patented 
technology.    Microlab  gives  us  access  to  distribution  and 
deployment  of  in-building  DAS  (distributed  antenna  systems), 
wireless  base  stations  and  small  cell  networks.  These  product 
lines  will  continue  to  produce  significant  project  opportunities  in 
stadiums and other key applications. Our Schrofftech brand offers 
energy efficient cooling/temperature control and filtration systems 
for telecom shelters, outdoor enclosures and battery/power rooms. 
We also retrofit existing communications equipment infrastructure 
for  capacity  upgrades  and  thermal  efficiencies  through  Direct 
Air Cooling (DAC) systems for wireless base stations and remote 
equipment  shelters,  supporting  our  customers’  green  initiatives 
and energy cost savings programs by eliminating toxic chemicals 
and decreasing air conditioning costs up to 75%.  We are excited 
about  the  state-of-the-art  solutions  these  products  bring  to  the 
marketplace.

Positioned To Deliver Long-Term Growth and Returns 

Our  executive  team  is  passionate  about  driving  growth  and 
creating value for all of our stakeholders. We are a mix of industry 
veterans, who bring valuable experience from larger companies in 
our space, and trusted colleagues who have worked well together 
in the past. We also have a tremendous Board of Directors, who 
are aligned with our strategy and are dedicated to the company’s 
initiatives and our governance agendas. Other than myself, all of 
our  other  five  board  members  are  independent,  and  they  bring 
sophisticated  financial  expertise,  risk  management  and  industry 
experience to the table.  

We will continue to deploy our strong cash flow from operations 
and  capital  resources  prudently  to  fund  growth  initiatives  that 
strengthen  our  competitive  position  and  create  value  for  our 
shareholders.   

At the end of 2022, we had built a healthy $28 million backlog that 
gave  us  some  considerable  visibility  going  into  2023.  As  I  write 

this letter, we have already completed our first half of 2023 during 
which we encountered a continued slowdown in wireless carrier 
spending and some related delays in both customer bookings and 
shipments.    Most  of  the  delayed  shipments  were  related  to  the 
rollout  of  4G  and  5G  technologies  by  wireless  carriers.    As  with 
similar  companies  in  the  wireless  industry,  our  customers  are 
re-thinking  their  capital  expenditure  plans  based  on  persistent 
inflation, higher cost of capital and an economic slowdown.

We have been through these cycles before, most recently during 
the  COVID  pandemic,  when  wireless  carriers  pulled  back  on 
certain infrastructure investments. That said, it does not diminish 
the need for wireless carriers to meet the connectivity and speed 
demands  of  their  customers  with  4G  and  5G  buildouts.  Granted, 
these  delays  are  very  frustrating,  but  we  are  confident  that  the 
carriers  will  resume  their  infrastructure  deployments.  They  are 
already running from behind and their businesses models require 
them  to  stay  on  the  sharp  edge  of  competition  or  lose  valuable 
customers.    We  are  now  slowly  starting  to  see  project-related 
orders flow through and expect them to accelerate in the second 
half of 2023. 

Quarter to quarter, our business has always been lumpy—it’s the 
nature of projects and ordering and fulfillment patterns. Regardless, 
RF Industries serves all Tier-1 wireless carriers, and this presents 
a  significant  opportunity  to  capture  greater  market  share  and  to 
realize our vision of being at the forefront of the wireless industry.

As  mentioned  earlier,  we  are  very  excited  about  the  potential  of 
our higher-value products, such as OptiFlexTM hybrid fiber, Direct 
Air Cooling (DAC) and integrated small cell shrouds for the wireless 
buildout. DAC has broad applications across many industries and 
both Small Cell and DAC products are next-generation technology 
products with compelling value propositions.  

We also will continue to improve margins by reducing redundancies 
during  2023.  The  consolidation  of  our  two  West  Coast  facilities 
into a single San Diego location was completed in early Summer, 
and we are accelerating our plan to consolidate some of our East 
Coast operations in New Jersey. We expect that this will allow us to 
take advantage of economies of scale, reduce overhead costs and 
better serve our East Coast customers. With these moves, we will 
be well positioned to continue providing the high-quality products 
and services our customers expect from us while also improving 
overall profitability.  

Finally,  we  recently  conducted  research  to  understand  more 
about the relationship customers have with our products and the 
relative  importance  of  our  RF  Industries  family  of  brands.  Based 
on  our  findings,  during  fiscal  year  2023,  we  introduced  a  new 
brand  architecture  that  unifies  our  house  of  brands  and  creates 
touch points for our customers to connect each brand to the RFI 
reputation for quality products and service. This will evolve our go-
to-market strategy as we enter new adjacencies and industries.

I am both excited and confident in our ability to continue creating 
value  for  our  shareholders  well  into  the  future,  and  I  would  like 
to  take  this  opportunity  to  thank  our  employees  for  their  hard 
work and dedication. Fiscal `22 was a transformative year for RF 
Industries, and we are just beginning to scratch the surface of what 
is to come. 

Sincerely,

Robert Dawson, President and CEO

“

Our customers count on us for quality products, inventory availability and speed. We 
are a highly reliable partner, and we make it easy for our customers to work with us. 
Our growth plan, whether it’s organic growth or through acquisitions, is to provide 
more  of  the  bill  of  materials  of  interconnect  products  for  telecom,  wireless  and 
industrial customer applications.

Annual Report 2022RF Industries, Ltd. | www.rfindustries.com3

4

FORM 10-K

Annual Report Under Section 13 or 15(d) of
The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022
Commission File Number 0-13301

RF INDUSTRIES, LTD. 
7610 Miramar Road, Bldg. 6000, San Diego, California 92126-4202
(858) 549-6340

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed 
by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold as of the last business day of the 
registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter was approximately $59.9 million.

On January 2, 2023, the Registrant had 10,193,287 outstanding shares of Common Stock, $.01 par value.

Forward-Looking Statements: 

Certain  statements  in  this  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  (this 
“Annual Report”), and other oral and written statements made by 
the Company from time to time are “forward-looking statements” 
within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act 
of 1934, as amended, including those that discuss strategies, goals, 
outlook  or  other  non-historical  matters,  or  projected  revenues, 
income,  returns  or  other  financial  measures.  In  some  cases 
forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such 
as  “may,”  “will,”  “should,”  “except,”  “plan,”  “anticipate,”  “believe,” 
“estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue,” the negative of such 
terms  or  other  comparable  terminology.  These  forward-looking 
statements  are  subject  to  numerous  risks  and  uncertainties  that 
may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained 
in such statements. Among the most important of these risks and 
uncertainties  are  the  ability  of  the  Company  to  meet  customer 
demand  through  pricing  and  product  offerings  and  efficient 
inventory  and  distribution  channel  management,  to  continue  to 

source  our  raw  materials  and  products  from  our  suppliers  and 
manufacturers,  particularly  those  in  Asia,  the  market  demand  for 
our products, which market demand is dependent in large part on 
the state of the telecommunications industry and whether plans to 
develop 4G and 5G networks accelerate as expected, as well as 
our ability to meet any such demand, the effect of future business 
acquisitions  and  dispositions,  the 
impairment 
charges, and competition.

incurrence  of 

Important factors which may cause actual results to differ materially 
from the forward-looking statements are described in the Section 
entitled “Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K, and other risks identified 
from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and 
Exchange  Commission.  The  Company  assumes  no  obligation  to 
update these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results 
or  changes  in  factors  or  assumptions  affecting  such  forward-
looking statements.

PART I

ITEM 1.  BUSINESS

General

RF  Industries,  Ltd.  (together  with  subsidiaries,  the  “Company”, 
“we”,  “us”,  or  “our”)  is  a  national  manufacturer  and  marketer  of 
interconnect  products  and  systems,  including  high-performance 
components  such  as  RF  connectors  and  adapters,  dividers, 
directional  couplers  and  filters,  coaxial  cables,  data  cables,  wire 
harnesses,  fiber  optic  cables,  custom  cabling,  energy-efficient 
cooling  systems  and  integrated  small  cell  enclosures.  Through 
our  manufacturing  and  production  facilities,  we  provide  a  wide 
selection  of  interconnect  products  and  solutions  primarily  to 
telecommunications  carriers  and  equipment  manufacturers, 
wireless  and  network  infrastructure  carriers  and  manufacturers 
and  to  various  original  equipment  manufacturers  (“OEMs”)  in 
several market segments. We also design, engineer, manufacture 
and sell energy-efficient cooling systems and integrated small cell 
solutions and related components.

We operate through two reporting segments: (i) the RF Connector 
and Cable Assembly (“RF Connector”) segment, and (ii) the Custom 
Cabling Manufacturing and Assembly (“Custom Cabling”) segment. 
The  RF  Connector  segment  primarily  designs,  manufactures, 
markets  and  distributes  a  broad  range  of  RF  connector,  adapter, 
coupler,  divider,  and  cable  products,  including  coaxial  passives 
and  cable  assemblies  that  are  used  in  telecommunications  and 
information technology, OEM markets and other end markets. The 
Custom  Cabling  segment  designs,  manufactures,  markets  and 
distributes  custom  copper  and  fiber  cable  assemblies,  complex 
hybrid  fiber  optic  and  power  solution  cables,  electromechanical 
wiring harnesses, wiring harnesses for a broad range of applications 
in a diverse set of end markets, energy-efficient cooling systems 
for  wireless  base  stations  and  remote  equipment  shelters  and 
custom designed, pole-ready 5G small cell integrated enclosures.

Recent Events

On March 1, 2022, we purchased 100% of the issued and outstanding 
membership interests of Microlab/FXR LLC, a New Jersey limited 
liability company (“Microlab”) from Wireless Telecom Group, Inc, a 
New Jersey corporation (the “Seller”) pursuant to the Membership 
Interest  Purchase  Agreement  (the  “Purchase  Agreement”)  dated 
December  16,  2021.  The  consideration  for  the  acquisition  was 
$24,250,000,  subject  to  certain  post-closing  adjustments  as  set 
forth in the Purchase Agreement. The purchase price was paid in 
cash at the closing. The Company funded $17 million of the cash 
purchase price from the funds obtained under a $17 million term 
loan  (the  “Term  Loan”)  with  Bank  of  America,  N.A.  and  paid  the 
remaining amount of the cash purchase price with cash on hand. 
The Term Loan was issued as part of a loan agreement with Bank 
of  America,  N.A.  which  also  provided  the  Company  with  a  $3 
million revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility” and 
together with the Term Loan, the “Credit Facility”).

The primary interest rate for the Revolving Credit Facility is based 
on the Bloomberg Short-Term Bank Yield Index Rate plus a margin 
of 2.00%. The maturity date of the Revolving Credit Facility is March 
1, 2024. The Term Loan may be drawn in one disbursement, at the 
election of the Company. As described above, we drew down the 
entire  amount  of  the  Term  Loan  on  March  1,  2022.  The  primary 
interest  rate  for  Term  Loan  is  3.76%  per  annum.  The  maturity 
date  of  the  Term  Loan  is  March  1,  2027.  Borrowings  under  the 

Revolving Credit Facility are available for general working capital 
purposes  and  Borrowings  under  the  Term  Loan  are  available  for 
the acquisition of Microlab. See, “Item 1. Business—Acquisition of 
Microlab/FXR LLC,” below.

Microlab  designs  and  manufactures  a  wide  selection  of  RF 
components  and  integrated  subsystems  for  signal  conditioning 
and  distribution  in  the  wireless  infrastructure  markets  as  well  as 
for use in medical devices. Microlab products are used in small cell 
deployments,  distributed  antenna  systems,  in-building  wireless 
solutions  and  cellular  base-stations.  Microlab’s  portfolio  includes 
RF  components  for  ultra-wideband  frequency  ranges  deployed 
in  commercial  wireless  networks  utilizing  mid-band  spectrum 
allocations  for  5G  mobile  broadband.  We  believe  Microlab 
components possess unique capabilities in the area of broadband 
frequency coverage, minimal loss and low passive intermodulation 
(“PIM”). Microlab’s high performance components – such as power 
combiners,  directional  couplers,  attenuators,  terminators  and 
filters – are used in broadband applications to support commercial 
in-building  wireless  networks,  public  safety  networks,  rail  and 
transportation deployments, and global positioning system (“GPS”) 
signal distribution. Microlab also produces and sells various other 
products, including a portfolio of GPS digital repeaters and splitters 
for  cellular  timing  synchronization  as  well  as  a  passive  systems 
monitor  for  real-time  diagnostics  of  an  in-building  distributed 
antenna system (“DAS”). We have operated the Microlab business 
at Seller’s facilities in Hanover Township, Parsippany, New Jersey, 
pursuant to a sublease since closing of the acquisition. On October 
19,  2022,  we  entered  into  two  lease  agreements  for  contiguous 
office and production space in Parsippany, New Jersey and will move 
the Microlab operations upon completion of certain improvements 
negotiated  under  the  lease  agreements.  We  expect  Microlab 
to  occupy  this  space  on  or  around  our  second  quarter  of  fiscal 
year 2023. The Microlab acquisition is in line with our previously 
announced  strategy  for  driving  revenue  growth  both  organically 
and through the acquisition of companies that offer access to new 
products that can be sold to a growing customer base, including 
through an extensive distribution channel. Microlab’s products are 
known worldwide for their superior quality and performance and 
are considered the gold standard in RF and microwave distribution 
systems. We believe that there are significant growth opportunities 
in  the  small  cell  and  DAS  markets,  and  that  Microlab’s  products 
will provide the Company with additional scale and opportunity for 
further revenue growth.

Strategy

Our  overall  strategy  is  to  provide  our  customers  with  a  broad 
selection of products, rapid and high-quality service, and custom 
design  capabilities,  all  at  competitive  prices.  Specifically,  our 
strategy is the following:

Provide  rapid  and  flexible  design  and  manufacturing  services. 
Over  the  past  few  years  we  have  focused  our  organization  on 
providing a standardized portfolio, allowing for quick-turn readily 
available  products,  while  having  the  capabilities,  flexible  design 
and manufacturing services to customize our offering to address 
customer specific requirements or applications.

Competitive  pricing.  Our  manufacturing  and  distribution 
arrangements have been designed to lower costs and enable us 
to  offer  prices  on  both  our  standard  and  custom  manufactured 
products  that  are  competitive  with  the  marketplace,  all  while 
keeping quality as a priority.

Annual Report 2022RF Industries, Ltd. | www.rfindustries.com5

6

Leverage  our  manufacturing  and  distribution  capabilities  and 
facilities.  Our  strategy  is  to  operate  our  manufacturing  and 
distribution  locations  to  best  provide  our  customers  with  a 
competitively  priced,  high-quality  product  offering  delivered  with 
a fast turnaround time. As part of this strategy, we utilize a “one-
company”  approach  to  production  and  distribution  locations 
and  allocate  our  resources  based  on  each  location’s  production 
specialization capabilities, its proximity to the shipment destination, 
and  on  other  factors.  Using  this  “one-company”  approach,  our 
goal is to leverage available capacity and shorten delivery times, 
while  potentially  providing  lower  shipping  costs.  We  operate 
manufacturing  and  distribution  locations  in  California,  and  in  the 
Northeastern United States.

Integrate marketing and selling efforts. Our strategy is to integrate 
and  cross-sell  our  various  historical  and  acquired  product  lines. 
We have been integrating our marketing and sales efforts, thereby 
expanding the number and type of products we can offer to our 
existing  client  base,  while  also  using  this  cross-sell  approach  to 
win new customers.

Broad range of immediately available products. Our strategy is to 
provide a high level of availability where we stock a large selection 
of  standard  products  that  are  available  for  immediate  delivery, 
including  availability  from  multiple  distributors.  Additionally,  we 
augment this “on-the-shelf” availability of several cable assembly 
and interconnect products with fast-turn production and assembly 
providing better lead times for our customers.

Targeted focus of product lines. Our strategy is to focus on passive 
products  rather  than  manufacturing  and  selling  operating  or 
active  components  or  products.  Our  product  line  focus  remains 
on  supporting  and  leveraging  our  distribution  channels  with  our 
core passive interconnect and cable assemblies offering, while in 
parallel we continue to expand our portfolio of integrated solutions 
to address key end customer and market applications.

Increase  long-term  relationships  with  customers.  Our  goal  is  to 
establish  long-term  relationships  with  the  customers  who  have 
used us for specialized projects by having our solutions built into 
the  customer’s  product  specifications  and  bills  of  materials.  As 
we  remain  focused  on  maintaining  and  expanding  our  national 
distributor relationships through our dedicated sales and account 
management  teams,  we  have  invested  in  targeted  business 
development efforts to assist in getting more closely aligned with 
the requirements of strategic end customers.

Grow through strategic and targeted acquisitions. We will continue 
to  consider  strategic  acquisitions  of  companies  or  technologies 
that  can  increase  our  customer  penetration  and/  or  diversify  our 
customer  base,  supplement  our  management  team,  expand  our 
product offerings, and/or expand our footprint in relevant market 
segments.

Operations

We currently conduct operations through our six divisions with our 
product areas divided into two reporting segments.

RF Connector and Cable Assembly Segment.

Our RF Connector and Cable Assembly segment (“RF Connector 
segment”)  consists  of  the  RF  Connector  and  Cable  Assembly 
division (“RF Connector division”) that is based at our headquarters 
in  San  Diego,  California  and  recently  expanded  in  New  Jersey 
through  our  acquisition  of  Microlab.  The  RF  Connector  division 
is engaged in the design, manufacture and distribution of coaxial 

connector  solutions  for  companies  that  design,  build,  operate, 
maintain  and  use  a  variety  of  connectivity/communication 
applications.  Coaxial  connector  products  consist  primarily  of 
connectors which, when attached to a coaxial cable, facilitate the 
transmission of analog and digital signals in various frequencies. 
Although most of the connectors are designed to fit standard cable 
products, the RF Connector division also sells custom connectors 
specifically  designed  and  manufactured  to  suit  its  customers’ 
requirements.

The  Microlab  division  is  included  in  the  RF  Connector  segment. 
Microlab was acquired in March 2022, and is based in Parsippany, 
New Jersey. Microlab designs and manufactures high-performance 
RF  and  Microwave  products  enabling  signal  distribution  and 
deployment  of  in-building  DAS  (distributed  antenna  systems), 
wireless  base  stations  and  small  cell  networks.  Manufacturing 
operations are performed at Microlab’s facilities in New Jersey.

The  RF  Connector  division  typically  carries  over  1,500  different 
types of connectors, adapters, tools, and test and measurements 
kits.  This  division’s  RF  connectors  are  used  in  thousands  of 
different  devices,  products  and  types  of  equipment.  Since  the 
RF  Connector  division’s  standard  connectors  can  be  used  in  a 
number of different products and devices, the discontinuation of 
one  product  typically  does  not  make  our  connectors  obsolete. 
Accordingly, most connectors that we carry can be marketed for 
a number of years. Furthermore, because our connector products 
are  not  dependent  on  any  single  line  of  products  or  any  market 
segment,  our  overall  sales  of  connectors  tend  to  fluctuate  less 
when there are material changes or disruption to a single product 
line or market segment.

Cable  assembly  products  manufactured  and  sold  by  the  RF 
Connector division consist of various types of coaxial cables that are 
attached to connectors (usually our connectors) for use in a variety 
of communications applications. Cable assemblies manufactured 
for  the  RF  Connector  division  are  primarily  manufactured  at  our 
San  Diego,  California  facilities  using  state-of-the-art  automation 
equipment  and  are  sold  through  distributors  or  directly  to  major 
OEM  accounts.  Our  cable  assembly  portfolio  consists  of  both 
standard  and  custom  cable  assemblies  designed  for  specific 
customer requirements. We offer a line of cable assemblies with 
over 100,000 cable product combinations.

We  design  our  connectors  at  our  headquarters  in  San  Diego, 
California,  and  Microlab  designs  and  manufactures  a  wide 
selection  of  RF  components  and  integrated  subsystems  for 
signal  conditioning  and  distribution  in  the  wireless  infrastructure 
markets as well as for use in medical devices. However, most of 
the RF connectors are manufactured for us by third-party foreign 
manufacturers located in Asia.

Custom Cabling Manufacturing and Assembly Segment.

The  Custom  Cabling  segment  currently  consists  of  four  wholly-
owned  subsidiaries  –  three  located  in  the  Northeastern  United 
States  and  one  located  in  Southern  California.  Our  plan  is  to 
integrate certain aspects of the manufacturing, sales and marketing 
functions  of  these  divisions  so  as  to  better  address  overlapping 
market opportunities and to more efficiently manufacture, market, 
and ship products to our customers.

The  four  divisions  that  comprise  the  current  Custom  Cabling 
segment consist of the following:

Cables Unlimited, Inc. Cables Unlimited, Inc. (“Cables Unlimited”) 
is  a  custom  cable  manufacturer  located  in  Yaphank,  New  York, 

that  we  acquired  in  2011.  Cables  Unlimited  is  a  Corning  Cable 
Systems CAH ConnectionsSM Gold Program member, authorized to 
manufacture fiber optic products that are backed by Corning Cable 
Systems’ extended warranty. Cables Unlimited designs, develops 
and manufactures custom connectivity solutions for the industrial, 
defense, telecommunications and wireless markets.  The products 
sold  by  Cables  Unlimited  include  custom  and  standard  copper 
and fiber optic cable assemblies, adapters and electromechanical 
wiring harnesses for communications, computer, LAN, automotive 
fiber optic and medical equipment.

Rel-Tech  Electronics,  Inc.  Rel-Tech  Electronics,  Inc.  (“Rel-Tech”) 
was acquired in June 2015. Rel-Tech’s offices and manufacturing 
facilities are located in Milford, Connecticut. Rel-Tech is a designer 
and  manufacturer  of  cable  assemblies  and  wiring  harnesses  for 
blue chip industrial, oilfield, instrumentation, medical and military 
customers. Wire and cable assembly products include custom wire 
harnesses, ribbon cable, electromechanical and kitted assemblies, 
and networking and communications cabling.

C  Enterprises,  Inc.  C  Enterprises,  Inc.  (“C  Enterprises”)  is  a  fiber 
optic and copper cable manufacturer located in Vista, California. 
This subsidiary acquired the business and assets of C Enterprises, 
L.P. on March 15, 2019. C Enterprises is a Corning Cable Systems 
CAH  ConnectionsSM  Gold  Program  member,  authorized 
to 
manufacture fiber optic products that are backed by Corning Cable 
Systems’ extended warranty. C Enterprises designs, develops and 
manufactures  connectivity  solutions  to  telecommunications  and 
data communications distributors.

Schroff  Technologies  International,  Inc.  Schroff  Technologies 
International, Inc. (“Schrofftech”) was acquired in November 2019. 
Schrofftech is a Rhode Island based manufacturer and marketer of 
intelligent thermal cooling control systems, along with pole-ready 
wireless small cell shrouds and enclosures, custom designed for 
plug-and-play  installation.  These  products  are  typically  used  by 
telecommunications companies across the U.S. and Canada.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic 

In  March  2020,  the  World  Health  Organization  (the  “WHO”) 
declared  coronavirus  (“COVID-19”)  a  pandemic  emergency.  The 
COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted regional and global 
economies, disrupted global supply chains, and created significant 
volatility and disruption of financial markets. The global impact of 
the  outbreak  has  been  rapidly  evolving  and  certain  jurisdictions, 
including  those  where  we  or  third  parties  on  which  we  rely 
have  manufacturing  facilities,  have  also  reacted  by  instituting 
quarantines, restrictions on travel, social distancing protocols and 
restrictions  on  types  of  business  that  may  continue  to  operate. 
While  we  have  continued  our  operations  during  the  pandemic, 
the  impact  of  the  COVID-19  pandemic  has  affected  both  our 
operations  and  those  of  our  customers.  Our  operations  in  fiscal 
2021  and  2022  were  negatively  affected  by  partial  shutdowns 
of  our  facilities  (particularly  in  the  Northeast  United  States),  by 
changes  that  we  had  to  make  to  our  operating  methods  and 
procedures, and by a fluctuating workforce as at times, some of our 
employees stayed at home. Many of our customers and vendors 
have likewise had temporary closures of their facilities and have 
otherwise been impacted by changes in their industries. Further, 
recently, our third-party contract manufacturers have been subject 
to various supply chain disruptions. These supply chain disruptions 
have slowed the delivery of products to us. As a result, there has 
been some volatility in the overall demand for our products, and 
certain costs have increased. We have taken measures to protect 

the health and safety of our employees, and we continue to work 
with our customers and vendors to minimize potential disruptions 
in addressing the challenges posed by this global pandemic.

Our third-party contract manufacturers are based in Asia. Recently, 
our  third-party  contract  manufacturers  have  been  subject  to 
various  supply  chain  disruptions.  These  supply  chain  disruptions 
have slowed the delivery of products to us, and have increased the 
price of certain materials due to the significant increase in costs of 
raw materials and shipping costs. Our ability to produce and timely 
deliver  our  products  may  be  materially  impacted  in  the  future  if 
these supply chain disruptions continue and worsen. In addition, 
because of the rising cost, we may be forced to increase the price 
of our products to our customers, or we may have to reduce our 
gross margins on the products that we sell. Because some of our 
custom  manufacturing  contracts  call  for  deliveries  over  a  longer 
period of time, cost increases during the term of these agreements 
at times cannot be passed through to our customers and therefore 
will have to be borne by us.

including 

the  duration  and  spread  of 

The  extent  of  the  impact  of  the  COVID-19  pandemic  on  our 
operational  and  financial  performance  will  depend  on  future 
developments, 
the 
pandemic and related actions taken by domestic and international 
jurisdictions to prevent disease spread, all of which are uncertain 
and  cannot  be  predicted.  While  the  majority  of  the  outbreak 
impacted our performance for the years ended October 31, 2021 
and October 31, 2022, during the periods covered by this report, 
we  generally  saw  a  recovery  to  a  more  normal  environment 
though the operations at all locations were affected intermittently 
as some of our employee schedules were impacted, and as certain 
macro-economic conditions persisted. Because of the impact that 
COVID-19 had on our operations, in May 2020 we applied for and 
received loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) of 
the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, H.R. 748 
(“CARES Act”) totaling approximately $2.8 million (“PPP Loans”). All 
of our PPP Loans have been forgiven and are considered paid in 
full (including applicable interest).

Product Description 

We  produce  a  large  variety  of  interconnect  products  and 
assemblies  that  are  used  in  telecommunications  and  a  range  of 
other industries. The products that we offer and sell consist of the 
following:

Connector and Cable Products

We  design,  manufacture  and  market  a  broad  range  of  coaxial 
connectors,  adapters  and  cable  assemblies 
fornumerous 
applications  in  commercial, industrial, automotive, transportation, 
scientific, aerospace and military markets.

There  are  numerous  applications  for  these  connectors,  some 
of  which  include  digital  applications,  2.5G,  3G,  4G,  5G,  LTE,  Wi-
Fi  and  other  broadband  wireless  infrastructure,  GPS,  mobile 
radio  products,  aircraft,  video  surveillance  systems,  cable 
assemblies and test equipment. Users of our connectors include 
telecommunications  companies,  circuit  board  manufacturers, 
OEMs,  consumer  electronics  manufacturers,  audio  and  video 
product manufacturers and installers, and satellite companies. We 
market over 1,500 types of connectors, adapters, tools, assembly, 
test  and  measurement  kits,  which  range  in  price  from  under  $1 
to  over  $1,000  per  unit.  The  kits  satisfy  a  variety  of  applications 
including, but not limited to, lab operations, site requirements and 
adapter needs.

Annual Report 2022RF Industries, Ltd. | www.rfindustries.com7

8

We also design and sell a variety of connector tools and hand tools 
that  are  assembled  into  kits  used  by  lab  and  field  technicians, 
research and development technicians and engineers. These tools 
are  manufactured  for  us  by  outside  contractors.  Tool  products 
are carried as an accommodation to our customers and have not 
materially contributed to our revenues.

We  market  and  manufacture  cable  assemblies  in  a  variety  of 
sizes  and  combinations  of  RF  coaxial  connectors  and  coaxial 
cabling. Cabling is purchased from a variety of major unaffiliated 
suppliers  and  is  assembled  predominately  with  our  connectors 
as  complete  cable  assemblies.  Coaxial  cable  assemblies  have 
numerous applications including low PIM, Wi-Fi and wireless local 
area  networks,  wide  area  networks,  internet  systems,  cellular 
systems  including  2.5G,  3G,  4G,  5G,  LTE,  DAS  and  Small  Cell 
installations,  TV/dish  network  systems,  test  equipment,  military/
aerospace  (mil-standard  and  COTS  (Commercial  Off–The-Shelf)) 
and  entertainment  systems.  Cable  assemblies  are  manufactured 
to customer requirements.

We  carry  thousands  of  separate  types  of  connectors,  most  of 
which are available in standard sizes and configurations and that 
are also offered by other companies. However, we also have some 
proprietary products, including the CompPro product line, OptiFlex 
cables,  and  the  Schrofftech  telecom  shelter  cooling  and  control 
system products. CompPro is a patented compression technology 
that  offers  advantages  for  a  water-tight,  ruggedized  connection, 
providing  easier  installation,  and  improved  system  reliability  on 
braided cables. CompPro is used by wireless network operators, 
installers  and  distributors  in  North  America  and  other  parts  of 
the  world.  OptiFlex  is  a  hybrid  fiber  optic  and  DC  power  cabling 
solution that we designed and manufactured, and the Schrofftech 
products  are  energy  efficient  cooling/temperature  control  and 
filtration systems for use in telecom shelters, outdoor enclosures 
and battery/power rooms.

Passive RF Products

We design and manufacture high-performance RF and microwave 
high-performance  components  such  as  dividers,  directional 
couplers  and  filters  enabling  signal  distribution  and  deployment 
of  in-building  DAS  (distributed  antenna  systems),  wireless  base 
stations and small cell networks.

Fiber Optic Products

Cables Unlimited is a Corning Cable Systems CAH ConnectionsSM 
Gold Program member that is authorized to manufacture fiber optic 
products  that  are  backed  by  Corning  Cable  Systems’  extended 
warranty.  Through  our  Cables  Unlimited  division,  we  offer  a 
broad range of interconnect products and systems that have the 
ability  to  combine  radio  frequency  and  fiber  optic  interconnect 
components,  with  various  connectors  and  power  cables  through 
customized solutions for these customers. Cables Unlimited also 
manufactures OptiFlex, a custom designed hybrid fiber optic and 
DC  power  cabling  solution  manufactured  for  wireless  service 
providers  engaged  in  upgrading  their  cell  towers.  The  custom 
hybrid cable is significantly lighter and possesses greater flexibility 
than cables previously used for wireless service.

C Enterprises is a Corning Cable Systems CAH ConnectionsSM Gold 
Program member, authorized to manufacture fiber optic products 
that  are  backed  by  Corning  Cable  Systems’  extended  warranty. 
C  Enterprises  designs,  develops  and  manufactures  connectivity 
telecommunications  and  data  communications 
solutions 
distributors.

to 

Other Cabling Products

We  design,  manufacture,  and  sell  cable  assemblies  and  wiring 
harnesses  for  industrial,  oilfield,  instrumentation,  medical,  and 
military  customers.  Wire  and  cable  assembly  products  include 
custom  wire  harnesses,  ribbon  cable,  electromechanical  and 
kitted  assemblies,  networking  and  communications  cabling.  DIN 
and  Mini  DIN  connector  assemblies  include  power  cord,  coaxial, 
Mil-spec and testing.

Telecommunications Thermal Control Systems and Shrouds

We  engineer,  design,  manufacture  and  sell  intelligent  thermal 
control systems for outdoor telecommunications equipment. The 
thermal  control  systems,  which  can  be  controlled  offsite  using 
networked software at the telecommunication company’s own data 
center,  maintain  the  interior  temperature  of  telecommunications 
and  other  networking  equipment.  We  also  design  and  sell 
integrated shrouds and enclosures for small cell deployments that 
reduce installation time and improve aesthetics by eliminating the 
exterior cabling used with current configurations. 

Foreign Sales

Net  sales  to  foreign  customers  accounted  for  $10,335,000 
(or  approximately  12%)  of  our  net  sales,  and  $2,464,000  (or 
approximately  4%)  of  our  net  sales  for  the  fiscal  years  ended 
October  31,  2022  and  2021,  respectively.  The  majority  of  the 
export sales during these periods were to Canada.

We do not own, or directly operate any manufacturing operations 
or sales offices in foreign countries.

Distribution and Marketing

We currently sell our products through independent warehousing 
distributors  and  through  our  in-house  marketing  and  sales 
team.  Sales  through  independent  distributors  accounted  for 
approximately  38%  of  our  net  sales  for  the  fiscal  year  ended 
October  31,  2022.  Our  agreements  with  most  of  the  distributors 
are nonexclusive and generally may be terminated by either party 
upon 30-60 days’ written notice. The Company directly sells certain 
of  its  products  to  large,  national  telecommunication  equipment 
and  solution  providers  who  include  the  Company’s  products  in 
their own product offerings.

Manufacturing

We  contract  with  outside  third  parties  for  the  manufacture  of  a 
significant  portion  of  our  coaxial  connectors.  However,  virtually 
all  of  the  RF  cable  assemblies  sold  during  the  fiscal  year 
ended  October  31,  2022  were  assembled  at  the  International 
Organization for Standardization (“ISO”) approved factories in San 
Diego,  California  and  Parsippany,  New  Jersey.  We  procure  our 
raw cable from manufacturers with ISO approved factories in the 
United  States,  China,  and  Taiwan.  The  Company  primarily  relies 
on  several  third-party  partners  for  the  manufacture  of  its  coaxial 
connectors,  tools  and  other  passive  components  and  receives 
bulk  cable  from  multiple  manufacturing  plants.  Although  we 
do  not  have  manufacturing  contracts  with  these  manufacturers 
for  our  connectors  and  cable  products,  we  do  have  long-term 
purchasing  relationships.  There  are  certain  risks  associated  with 
our  dependence  on  third-party  manufacturers  for  some  of  our 
products.  See  “Risk  Factors”  below.  We  have  in-house  design 
engineers  who  create  the  engineering  drawings  for  fabrication 
and  assembly  of  connectors  and  cable  assemblies.  Accordingly, 
the  third-party  manufacturers  are  not  primarily  responsible  for 
design  work  related  to  the  manufacture  of  our  connectors  and 

cable  assemblies.  Although  our  current  facilities  are  set  up  to 
manufacture  certain  lines  of  products,  manufacturing  of  certain 
products  is  often  shifted  to  other  facilities  to  alleviate  capacity 
limitations  or  to  address  a  customer’s  product  manufacturing 
schedule requirements.

We  manufacture  custom  cable  assemblies,  adapters  and 
electromechanical  wiring  harnesses  and  other  products  through 
Cables Unlimited at its Yaphank, New York manufacturing facility. 
The Yaphank facility is an ISO approved factory. Cables Unlimited 
is a Corning Cable Systems CAH Connections SM Gold Program 
member,  authorized  to  manufacture  fiber  optic  products  and 
assemblies that are backed by Corning Cable Systems’ extended 
warranty.

The  Milford,  Connecticut  facility  of  Rel-Tech  is  an  ISO  approved 
manufacturing facility that is primarily used to manufacture cable 
assemblies, electromechanical assemblies, wiring harnesses and 
other similar products. 

The  Vista,  California  facility  operated  by  C  Enterprises  is  an 
ISO  approved  manufacturing  facility  that  is  primarily  used  to 
manufacture  fiber  optic  and  copper  cable  assemblies  that  are 
backed by Corning Cable Systems’ extended warranty.

The products sold by Schrofftech are designed and manufactured 
at  its  ISO  approved  manufacturing  facility  in  North  Kingstown, 
Rhode Island. Schrofftech’s products are manufactured and tested 
in accordance with the ETL Listing standards.

Microlab  designs  and  manufactures  a  wide  selection  of  RF 
components  and  integrated  subsystems  in  our  design  and 
manufacturing facility in Parsippany, New Jersey. We are currently 
subleasing space and are in the process of building out new space, 
also in Parsippany, New Jersey.

Raw Materials

Connector  materials  are  typically  made  of  commodity  metals 
such as copper, brass and zinc and include small applications of 
precious  materials,  including  silver  and  gold.  The  RF  Connector 
division  purchases  most  of  its  connector  products  from  contract 
manufacturers located in Asia and the United States. We believe 
that  the  raw  materials  used  in  our  products  are  readily  available 
and that we are not currently dependent on any supplier for our 
raw materials. We do not currently have any long-term purchase 
or supply agreements with our connector suppliers. The Custom 
Cabling divisions obtain coaxial connectors from the RF Connector 
division. We believe there are numerous domestic and international 
suppliers of other coaxial connectors that we may utilize for any of 
our cabling products.

The  Cables  Unlimited,  Rel-Tech,  C  Enterprises,  and  Schrofftech 
divisions  purchase  largely  all  of  the  raw  materials  used  in  their 
products  from  sources  located  in  the  United  States.  Fiber  optic 
cables are available from various manufacturers located throughout 
the  United  States,  however,  Cables  Unlimited  purchases  most 
of  its  fiber  optic  cables  from  Corning  Cables  Systems  LLC.  The 
Company believes that the raw materials used by Cables Unlimited 
in its products are readily available and that Cables Unlimited is not 
currently  dependent  on  any  supplier  for  its  raw  materials  except 
where Corning Extended Warranty certification is required. Neither 
Cables Unlimited nor Rel-Tech Electronics currently have any long-
term  purchase  or  supply  agreements  with  their  connector  and 
cable suppliers.

Backlog

As  of  October  31,  2022,  our  estimated  backlog  of  unfilled  firm 

orders  was  approximately  $27.8  million  compared  with  backlog 
of  approximately  $33.3  million  as  of  October  31,  2021.  Orders 
typically  fluctuate  from  quarter  to  quarter  based  on  customer 
demand, general business conditions and, in particular, for project-
based  orders  from  wireless  carrier  customers  for  custom  cable 
assemblies at our Cables Unlimited division. Since purchase orders 
are  submitted  from  customers  based  on  the  estimated  timing  of 
their requirements, our ability to predict orders in future periods or 
trends  in  future  periods  is  limited.  Furthermore,  purchase  orders 
may  be  subject  to  shipment  delays  and  to  cancellation  from 
customers, although we have not historically experienced material 
cancellations of purchase orders.

It is expected that a substantial portion of the backlog will be filled 
within  the  next  12  months.  Most  of  the  orders  that  we  receive, 
particularly  in  the  RF  Connector  and  Cable  Assembly  segment, 
generally  have  short  lead  times.  Therefore,  backlog  may  not  be 
indicative of future demand.

Acquisition of Microlab/FXR LLC 

On December 16, 2021, the Company entered into the Purchase 
Agreement  with  Seller  (Wireless  Telecom  Group,  Inc.),  and  its 
wholly-owned subsidiary Microlab, pursuant to which we purchased 
100%  of  the  issued  and  outstanding  membership  interests  of 
Microlab from the Seller on March 1, 2022. The consideration for 
the  acquisition  was  $24,250,000,  subject  to  certain  post-closing 
adjustments as set forth in the Purchase Agreement. The purchase 
price was paid in cash at the closing. We funded most of the cash 
purchase  price  from  the  funds  obtained  under  the  $17  million 
“Term  Loan”  with  Bank  of  America,  N.A.  and  paid  the  remaining 
amount  of  the  cash  purchase  price  with  $7.3  million  of  cash  on 
hand. The Term Loan was issued as part of a loan agreement with 
Bank of America, N.A. which also provided the Company with the 
$3  million  “Revolving  Credit  Facility”.  Microlab  is  a  New  Jersey 
based company that designs and manufactures high-performance 
RF and microwave products such as dividers, directional couplers 
and  filters  enabling  signal  distribution  and  deployment  of  in-
building DAS (distributed antenna systems), wireless base stations 
and small cell networks.

We obtained representation and warranty insurance to cover any 
breach of Seller’s representations. 

Seller  also  agreed  not  to,  directly  or  indirectly,  (i)  engage  in  any 
activities  that  compete  with  Microlab’s  business  and  (ii)  hire  or 
solicit  any  employee,  independent  contractor,  or  consultant  of 
Microlab’s business for a period of five years from the closing date, 
subject to certain carve-outs.

Human Capital

As  of  October  31,  2022,  we  employed  344  full-time  employees, 
of  whom  76  were  in  accounting,  administration,  sales  and 
management,  255  were 
in  manufacturing,  distribution  and 
assembly, and 13 were engineers engaged in design, engineering 
and  research  and  development.  The  employees  were  based  at 
our  facilities  in  San  Diego,  California  (94  employees),  Yaphank, 
New  York  (65  employees),  Milford,  Connecticut  (52  employees), 
Vista,  California  (73  employees),  Parsippany,  New  Jersey  (45 
employees),  and  North  Kingstown,  Rhode  Island  (15  employees). 
We also occasionally hire part-time employees. We believe that we 
have a good relationship with our employees.

Patents, Trademarks and Licenses

We  own  ten  U.S.  patents  related  to  the  CompPro  Product  Line 
that we acquired in May 2015. The CompPro Product Line utilizes 

Annual Report 2022RF Industries, Ltd. | www.rfindustries.com9

10

a  patented  compression  technology  that  offers  revolutionary 
advantages  for  a  water-tight  connection,  easier  installation,  and 
improved  system  reliability  on  braided  cables.  The  CompPro 
Product Line is used by wireless network operators, installers and 
distributors in North America and other parts of the world.

can be no assurance that we will be able to compete successfully 
against  existing  or  new  competition,  and  the  inability  to  do  so 
may result in price reductions, reduced margins, or loss of market 
share, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business, 
financial condition and results of operations.

Our  Schrofftech  subsidiary  owns  eight  issued  patents  on  its 
proprietary telecom shelter cooling and control system technology 
and its equipment room ventilation controls. Schrofftech has also 
filed  one  pending  patent  application  related  to  ventilation  and 
control equipment and controls. 

The  trademarks  we  own  include  the  “CompPro”  registered 
trademark associated with the compression cable product line and 
the “OptiFlexTM” as a trademark for its hybrid cable wireless tower 
cable solution. Each of our subsidiaries also use various trademarks 
(and  associated  logos  and  trade  names)  in  their  operations, 
although none of these trademarks have been registered.

Because  the  RF  Connectors  division  carries  thousands  of 
separate types of connectors and other products, most of which 
are  available  in  standard  sizes  and  configurations  and  are  also 
offered  by  our  competitors,  we  do  not  believe  that  our  cables 
and connector business or competitive position is dependent on 
patent protection.

Under  agreements  with  Corning  Cables  Systems  LLC,  Cables 
Unlimited and C Enterprises are permitted to advertise that they 
are  Corning  Cables  System  CAH  ConnectionsSM  Gold  Program 
members.

With  the  recent  acquisition  of  Microlab,  two  additional  relevant 
patents  have  been  added  to  our  portfolio  regarding  GPS  signal 
repeaters as well as RF broadband non directional tap couplers. 
Additional filings are also pending for RF system monitoring and 
GPS systems.

Warranties and Terms

We warrant our products to be free from defects in material and 
workmanship  for  varying  warranty  periods,  depending  upon  the 
product.  Products  are  generally  warranted  to  the  dealer  for  one 
year, with the dealer responsible for any additional warranty it may 
make.  The  RF  Connector  products  are  warranted  for  the  useful 
life  of  the  connectors.  Although  we  have  not  experienced  any 
significant warranty claims to date, there can be no assurance that 
we will not be subjected to such claims in the future.

We usually sell to customers on 30-day terms pursuant to invoices 
and do not generally grant extended payment terms. Sales to most 
foreign  customers  are  made  on  cash  terms  at  time  of  shipment. 
Generally, customers may delay, cancel, reduce, or return products 
after shipment subject to a restocking charge.

Under their agreements with Corning Cables Systems LLC, Cables 
Unlimited and C Enterprises are authorized to manufacture optic 
cable  assemblies  that  are  backed  by  Corning  Cables  Systems’ 
extended warranty (referred to as the “Gold Certified Warranty”).

Competition

The  industries  in  which  we  operate  are  highly  competitive,  and 
we compete with thousands of companies that range from large 
multinational corporations, most of which have greater assets and 
financial resources, to local manufacturers. Competition is generally 
based  on  breadth  of  product  offering,  product  innovation,  price, 
quality,  delivery,  performance  and  customer  service.  In  addition, 
rapid  technological  changes  occurring  in  the  communications 
industry could also lead to the entry of new competitors of all sizes 
against whom we may not be able to successfully compete.  There 

Government Regulations

Our products are designed to meet all known existing or proposed 
governmental  regulations.  We  believe  that  we  currently  meet 
existing  standards  for  approvals  by  government  regulatory 
agencies for our principal products.

Our  products  are  Restriction  on  Hazardous  Substances  (“RoHS”) 
compliant.

Environmental Regulations

We  are  subject  to  various  laws  and  governmental  regulations 
concerning  environmental  matters  and  employee  safety  and 
health  matters  in  the  United  States.  Compliance  with  these 
federal, state, and local laws and regulations related to protection 
of  the  environment  and  employee  safety  and  health  has  had  no 
material  effect  on  our  business.  There  were  no  material  capital 
expenditures  for  environmental  projects  in  fiscal  year  2022,  and 
there are no material expenditures planned for such purposes in 
fiscal year 2023.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

Not applicable.

ITEM 2.  DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY

We currently lease our corporate headquarters and RF connector 
and  cable  assembly  manufacturing  facilities 
in  San  Diego, 
California.  At  that  location,  we  lease  three  buildings,  with  a  total 
of  approximately  21,908  square  feet  of  office,  warehouse  and 
manufacturing  space,  that  house  our  corporate  administration, 
sales and marketing, and engineering departments. The buildings 
are also used for production and warehousing by our RF Connector 
segment.  We  recently  entered  into  two  lease  agreements  for 
adjacent  office  and  commercial  lab  space  in  Parsippany,  New 
Jersey, which will be used for the Microlab operations. Additionally, 
we lease spaces in four other locations in the United States that 
house  the  administration  offices  and  manufacturing  facilities  for 
our Custom Cabling segment. The table below shows a summary 
of the square footage of these locations as of October 31, 2022:

Lease Location

Milford, CT

North Kingstown, RI

Parsippany, NJ

Vista, CA

Yaphank, NY

Square Footage

13,750

10,700

23,300

24,014

24,500

ITEM 3.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS  

From time to time, we may become involved in various lawsuits and 
legal proceedings which arise in the ordinary course of business. 
Litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties, and an adverse result 
in these or other matters may arise from time to time that may harm 
our business. As of the date of this report, we are not subject to 
any  proceeding  that  is  not  in  the  ordinary  course  of  business  or 
that is material to the financial condition of our business.

ITEM 4.  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

None.

PART II

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

Market Information. RF Industries, Ltd.’s common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Market and is traded under the “RFIL” trading 
symbol.

Stockholders. As of October 31, 2022, there were 260 holders of our common stock according to the records of our transfer agent, 
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, New York, New York, not including holders who hold their stock in “street name.”

Repurchase of Securities. The following table sets forth information regarding the shares of common stock cancelled, and deemed to 
have been repurchased during the three months ended October 31, 2022 in connection with employee tax withholding for shares of 
restricted stock that vested under our 2020 Equity Incentive Plan.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.  There were no previously unreported sales of equity securities by us that were not registered 
under the Securities Act during fiscal 2022.

Dividend Policy.  Due to the current economic uncertainty, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other financial considerations, our Board 
terminated dividend payments. No assurance can be given if, or when the Board will resume dividend payments. The declaration 
and  amount  of  any  actual  cash  dividend  are  in  the  sole  discretion  of  the  Board  of  Directors  and  are  subject  to  numerous  factors 
that ordinarily affect dividend policy, including the results of our operations and financial position, as well as general economic and 
business conditions. Accordingly, if and when any dividends will be declared in the future will be determined by our Board based on 
the Company’s future operations and on the Board’s decision regarding the use of any future earnings.

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION 

The following table provides information as of October 31, 2022 with respect to the shares of Company common stock that may be 
issued under the Company’s existing equity compensation plans:

(1) The RF Industries, Ltd. 2010 Stock Incentive Plan expired on March 8, 2020.  Accordingly, additional equity incentive awards cannot 
be granted under this plan.

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

Not applicable to a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of SEC Regulation S-K.

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS CRITICAL 
ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

The  consolidated  financial  statements  and  related  disclosures  have  been  prepared  in  accordance  with  U.S.  generally  accepted 
accounting principles (“GAAP”). The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make significant estimates 
and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets 
and liabilities. We evaluate our estimates, including those related to bad debts, inventory reserves and contingencies, on an ongoing 
basis. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be appropriate under 
the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that 
are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue is recorded in an amount that reflects the consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for goods or services 
promised to customers. In accordance with ASC (“Accounting Standards Codification”) 606, we follow a five-step model to: (1) identify 
the contract with our customer; (2) identify our performance obligations in our contract; (3) determine the transaction price for our 
contract; (4) allocate the transaction price to our performance obligations; and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) each performance 

Annual Report 2022RF Industries, Ltd. | www.rfindustries.com11

12

obligation is satisfied. In accordance with this accounting principle, we recognize revenue using the output method at a point in time 
when finished goods have been transferred to the customer and there are no other obligations to customers after the title of the 
goods have transferred. Title of goods are transferred based on shipping terms for each customer – for shipments with terms of FOB 
Shipping Point, title is transferred upon shipment; for shipments with terms of FOB Destination, title is transferred upon delivery.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, with cost determined using the weighted average cost method of 
accounting. Certain items in inventory may be considered obsolete or excess and, as such, we periodically review our inventories 
for excess and slow moving items and makes provisions as necessary to properly reflect inventory value. Because inventories have, 
during the past couple years, represented up to one-fourth of our total assets, any reduction in the value of our inventories would 
require us to take write-offs that would affect our net worth and future earnings. 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

We record our allowance for doubtful accounts based upon our assessment of various factors. We consider historical experience, the 
age of the accounts receivable balance, credit quality of our customers, current economic conditions and other factors that may affect 
a customer’s ability to pay. 

Long-Lived Assets Including Goodwill

We assess property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, which are considered definite-lived assets, for impairment. Definite-
lived assets are reviewed when there is evidence that events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset 
may not be recoverable. We measure recoverability of these assets by comparing the carrying amounts to the future undiscounted 
cash flows the assets are expected to generate. If property and equipment and intangible assets are considered to be impaired, the 
impairment to be recognized equals the amount by which the carrying value of the asset exceeds its fair market value.

We amortize our intangible assets with definite useful lives over their estimated useful lives and reviews these assets for impairment.

We  test  our  goodwill  and  trademarks  and  indefinite-lived  assets  for  impairment  at  least  annually  or  more  frequently  if  events  or 
changes in circumstances indicate these assets may be impaired. These events or circumstances require significant judgment and 
could include a significant change in the business climate, legal factors, operating performance indicators, competition and sale or 
disposition of all or a portion of a division. This analysis requires significant judgments, including estimation of future cash flows, which 
is dependent on internal forecasts, estimation of the long-term rate of growth for our business, estimation of the useful life over which 
cash flows will occur, and determination of our weighted average cost of capital.

Income Taxes

We record a tax provision for the anticipated tax consequences of the reported results of operations. Income taxes are accounted 
for under the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax 
consequences  of  temporary  differences  between  the  financial  reporting  and  tax  bases  of  assets  and  liabilities,  and  for  operating 
losses and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the currently enacted tax rates as of the 
date of the financial statements that apply to taxable income in effect for the years in which those tax assets are expected to be 
realized or settled. We record a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that is believed more likely than not 
to be realized.

We  account  for  uncertain  tax  positions  by  determining  if  it  is  “more  likely  than  not”  that  a  tax  position  will  be  sustained  by  the 
appropriate taxing authorities upon examination based on the technical merits of the position. An uncertain income tax position is not 
recognized if it has less than a 50% likelihood of being sustained. We recognize interest and penalties related to certain uncertain tax 
positions as a component of income tax expense and the accrued interest and penalties are included in deferred and income taxes 
payable in our consolidated balance sheets. See Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Report for more 
information on our accounting for uncertain tax positions.

The calculation of the tax provision involves significant judgment in estimating the impact of uncertainties in the application of GAAP 
and  complex  tax  laws.  Resolution  of  these  uncertainties  in  a  manner  inconsistent  with  management’s  expectations  could  have  a 
material impact on our financial condition and operating results. 

Stock-based Compensation

We use the Black-Scholes model to value our stock option grants. This valuation is affected by our stock price as well as assumptions 
regarding a number of inputs which involve significant judgments and estimates. These inputs include the expected term of employee 
stock options, the expected volatility of the stock price, the risk-free interest rate and expected dividends.

RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

For recently issued accounting pronouncements that may affect us, see Note 1 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

OVERVIEW

During the periods covered by this Annual Report, we marketed a variety of connector products, including connectors and cables, 
standard and custom cable assemblies, wiring harnesses and fiber optic cable products to numerous industries for use in thousands 
of products. We aggregate our operating divisions into segments that have similar economic characteristics and are similar in the 
majority of the following areas: (1) the nature of the product and services; (2) the nature of the production process; (3) the type or class 
of customer for their products and services; (4) the methods used to distribute their products or services; and (5) if applicable, the 
nature of the regulatory environment. We have two reportable segments – the RF Connector and Cable Assembly (“RF Connector”) 
segment and the Custom Cabling Manufacturing and Assembly (“Custom Cabling”) segment – based upon this evaluation.

The  RF  Connector  segment  was  comprised  of  two  divisions  while  the  Custom  Cabling  segment  was  comprised  of  four  divisions. 
The five divisions that met the quantitative thresholds for segment reporting in the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021 were the RF 

Connector and Cable Assembly division, Cables Unlimited, Rel-Tech, C Enterprises, and Schrofftech. Microlab, which the Company 
acquired in the current fiscal year ending October 31, 2022, is part of the RF Connector segment.

Revenues generated from the Custom Cabling segment were from the sale of fiber optics cable, copper cabling, custom patch cord 
assemblies,  and  wiring  harnesses,  which  collectively  accounted  for  63%  of  the  Company’s  total  sales,  and  revenues  from  the  RF 
Connector segment were generated from the sales of RF connector products and cable assemblies and accounted for 37% of total 
sales  for  fiscal  2022.  The  RF  Connector  segment  mostly  sells  standardized  products  regularly  used  by  customers  and,  therefore, 
has a more stable revenue stream when compared to the Custom Cabling segment. The Custom Cabling segment mostly designs, 
manufactures, and sells customized cabling and wireless-related equipment under larger project-based purchase orders. Accordingly, 
the Custom Cabling segment is more dependent upon larger project orders, and its revenues, therefore, may be more volatile than 
the revenues of the RF Connector segment.

The extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operational and financial performance will depend on future developments, 
including the duration and spread of the pandemic and related actions taken by domestic and international jurisdictions to prevent 
disease spread, all of which are uncertain and cannot be predicted. While the majority of the outbreak impacted our performance for 
the years ended October 31, 2021 and October 31, 2020, during the periods covered by this report, we generally saw a recovery to a 
more normal environment though the operations at all locations were affected intermittently as some of our employee schedules were 
impacted, and as certain macro-economic conditions persisted. Because of the impact that COVID-19 had on our operations, in May 
2020 we applied for and received loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic 
Security Act, H.R. 748 (“CARES Act”) totaling approximately $2.8 million (“PPP Loans”). All of our PPP Loans have been forgiven and 
are considered paid in full (including applicable interest).

In  March  2021,  the  Internal  Revenue  Service  (“IRS”)  released  Notice  2021-20,  which  retroactively  eliminated  the  restriction  that 
prevented employers who received a PPP loan from qualifying for the Employee Retention Credit (“ERC”), which is a refundable tax 
credit against certain employment taxes. Upon determination that the employer has complied with all of the conditions required to 
receive the credit, a receivable is recognized and the credit reduces salaries and wages. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021, 
we qualified and filed to claim the ERC and have recorded the credit as a receivable in Other Current Assets. As of October 31, 2022, 
we carried a $1.6 million the ERC receivable in Other Current Assets. In January 2023, we received a refund of $1.2 million related to 
the ERC. 

Financial Condition

The  following  table  presents  certain  key  measures  of  financial  condition  as  of  October  31,  2022  and  2021  (in  thousands,  except 
percentages): 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Historically, we have been able to fund our liquidity and other capital requirements from funds we generated from operations. On March 
1, 2022, we acquired Microlab. The acquisition of Microlab has affected both our liquidity and our capital resources. In order to acquire 
Microlab, we used $7.3 million of our cash on hand to pay a portion of the purchase price, thereby reducing the amount available for 
future acquisitions, for investments in the expansion of our existing businesses and assets, or as a reserve for unanticipated financial 
requirements. In connection with the purchase of Microlab, we entered into the Credit Facility and borrowed the full $17 million amount 
available under the Term Loan. We believe that our remaining and existing assets and the cash we expect to generate from operations 
and from our current backlog of unfulfilled orders, will be sufficient to fund our liquidity needs during the next twelve months from the 
date of this filing based on the following: 

As of October 31, 2022, we had a total of $4.5 million of cash and cash equivalents compared to a total of $13.1 million of cash and 
cash  equivalents  as  of  October  31,  2021.  As  of  October  31,  2022,  we  had  working  capital  of  $26.7  million  and  a  current  ratio  of 
approximately 2.4:1 with current assets of $46.2 million and current liabilities of $19.5 million.

As of October 31, 2022, our backlog was $27.8 million compared to a backlog of $33.3 million as of October 31, 2021. Since purchase 
orders are submitted from customers based on the timing of their requirements, our ability to predict orders in future periods or trends 
in future periods is limited. Furthermore, purchase orders may be subject to shipment delays and to cancellation from customers, 
although we have not historically experienced material cancellations of purchase orders.

As of October 31, 2022, we generated $2.9 million of cash in our operating activities. This net inflow of cash is primarily related to our 
net income of $1.4 million, $1.7 million from depreciation and amortization and increased accrued expenses of $3.1 million, increases 
in right of use asset of $3.4 million, and increased trade accounts receivable of $1.5 million due to timing of collections. The foregoing 
cash provided was primarily offset by increased inventory purchases (which increased our inventory balance by $6.1 million), deferred 
income taxes of $1.4 million, other current assets of $2.9 million and accounts payable of $1.1 million.

As of October 31, 2022, we also spent $2.7 million on capital expenditures, primarily related to lease hold improvements which were 
eligible for reimbursement (noted in other current assets), and $24.4 million on the purchase of Microlab offset by $17 million from the 
Term Loan as noted above which we have also paid $1.4 million down. The cash used in operating activities and the amounts spent on 
capital expenditures were partially offset by $0.1 million of proceeds that we received from the exercise of stock options.

Annual Report 2022RF Industries, Ltd. | www.rfindustries.com13

14

RF INDUSTRIES, LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES

INDEX

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID 596).................................................. 15

Consolidated Balance Sheets

October 31, 2022 and 2021 .................................................................................................................................. 17-18

Consolidated Statements of Operations

Years Ended October 31, 2022 and 2021 .............................................................................................................. 19

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity

Years Ended October 31, 2022 and 2021 ............................................................................................................. 20

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

Years Ended October 31, 2022 and 2021 .............................................................................................................. 21

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements ....................................................................................................22-33

Our goal to expand and grow our business both organically and through acquisitions may require material additional capital equipment. 
In the past, we have purchased all additional equipment, or financed some of our equipment and furnishings requirements through 
leases. Currently, no additional capital equipment purchases have been identified that would require significant additional leasing or 
capital expenditures during the next twelve months. We also believe that based on our current financial condition, our current backlog 
of unfulfilled orders and our anticipated future operations, we would be able to finance our expansion, if necessary.

From time to time, we may undertake acquisitions of other companies or product lines in order to diversify our product and solutions 
offerings  and  customer  base.  Conversely,  we  may  undertake  the  disposition  of  a  division  or  product  line  due  to  changes  in  our 
business  strategy  or  market  conditions.    Acquisitions  may  require  the  outlay  of  cash,  which  may  reduce  our  liquidity  and  capital 
resources while dispositions may increase our cash position, liquidity and capital resources. Since our goal is to continue to expand 
our operations and accelerate our growth through future acquisitions, we may use some of our current capital resources to fund any 
acquisitions we may undertake in the future.

Results of Operations

The following summarizes the key components of our consolidated results of operations for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2022 
and 2021 (in thousands, except percentages):

Net sales for the year ended October 31, 2022 (“fiscal 2022”) increased by $27.8 million (or 48%) to $85.3 million, as compared to net 
sales of $57.4 million for the year ended October 31, 2021 (“fiscal 2021”). The increase was due to the RF Connector segment ($15.5 
million or 99% increase from fiscal 2021), which includes Microlab which we acquired March 2022 (which contributed $14.4 million in 
sales).

Net sales in the Custom Cabling segment increased by $12.3 million, or 29%, to $54.1 million compared to $41.8 million in fiscal 2021. 
The sales increase reflects the increase in project-based business that were primarily related to the sales of hybrid fiber cables used 
in the build out of 4G and 5G networks.

Gross profit for fiscal 2022 increased by $6.8 million (excluding ERC from fiscal 2021, gross profit increased $9.4 million) to $24.5 
million, and gross margins decreased to 28.8% of sales from 30.9% of sales in fiscal 2021 (excluding ERC from fiscal 2021, gross margin 
increased when compared to fiscal 2021, which was 26.4%). The improved gross margin and gross profit, which excluding the impact 
of ERC from fiscal 2021, was primarily a result of higher sales and a better product mix with the acquisition of Microlab.

Engineering expenses increased $1.4 million to $2.9 million for fiscal 2022 compared to $1.5 million in fiscal 2021 (excluding ERC, 
engineering expense would have been $1.8 million). The primary reason for the increase is due to Microlab engineering expenses 
of $1.0 million. Engineering expenses represent costs incurred relating to the ongoing research and development of new products.

Selling and general expenses increased by $7.6 million to $19.4 million (to 22.8% of sales) in fiscal 2022 compared to $11.9 million 
(20.7% of sales) in fiscal 2021 (excluding ERC, selling and general expenses would have been $12.4 million (21.6% of sales)). Microlab 
accounted for $3.3 million of the selling and general expenses and acquisition related expenses and other one-time charges (including 
attorney fees, due diligence, and broker fees) accounted for $1.5 million and additional rent expense of $529,000 (non-cash) related 
to lease accounting for fiscal 2022. Selling and general expenses also increased as a result of the increase in net sales during the 
current fiscal 2022.

Other loss for fiscal 2022 is primarily interest expense of $0.4 million from the term loan and $0.2 million from foreign currency at time 
of collections. In February 2021, all of the $2.8 million of PPP Loans were forgiven and considered paid in full (including applicable 
interest), which debt forgiveness is reflected as “Other Income”.

The provision for income taxes was $0.1 million for an effective tax rate of 8.8% for fiscal 2022 and $1.0 million for an effective tax rate 
of 14.4% for fiscal 2021. The change in effective tax rate for fiscal 2022 and 2021 was primarily driven by the disproportionate impact 
of various permanent book-tax differences with respect to our forecasted book income or loss in each period.

For fiscal 2022, net income was $1.4 million and fully diluted earnings per share was $0.14 per share as compared to net income of 
$6.2 million and fully diluted earnings per share of $0.61 per share for fiscal 2021. For fiscal 2022, the diluted weighted average shares 
outstanding was 10,242,417 as compared to 10,154,239 for fiscal 2021.

Inflation and Rising Costs

The cost to manufacture the Company’s products is influenced by the cost of raw materials and labor. The Company has recently 
experienced higher costs as a result of the increasing cost of labor and the increasing cost of raw materials. The cost of raw materials 
is due in part to a shortage in the availability of certain products, the higher cost of shipping, and inflation. Labor costs have risen 
recently as a result of increases in the minimum wage laws and an increased demand for workers. The Company may, from time 
to  time,  try  to  offset  these  cost  increases  by  increasing  the  prices  of  its  products.  However,  because  the  prices  of  certain  of  the 
Company’s products, particularly those under longer-term manufacturing contracts for communications related products, are fixed 
until the goods are manufactured and delivered, implementing price increases frequently is often not feasible.

Annual Report 2022RF Industries, Ltd. | www.rfindustries.com15

16

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of RF Industries, Ltd.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of RF Industries, Ltd. and Subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of October 
31, 2022 and 2021, and the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the two 
years in the period ended October 31, 2022, and the related consolidated notes (collectively referred to as the consolidated financial 
statements). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the 
Company as of October 31, 2022 and 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the two-year 
period ended October 31, 2022, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for Opinion

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an 
opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements 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 audit 
to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due 
to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial 
reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the 
purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we 
express no such opinion.

Our  audits  included  performing  procedures  to  assess  the  risks  of  material  misstatement  of  the  consolidated  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 consolidated 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 
consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements 
that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) related to accounts or disclosures that 
are material to the consolidated 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 consolidated financial statements, taken as a 
whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or 
on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

Evaluation of Goodwill and Tradename with indefinite life arising from the acquisition of Schroff Technologies International, Inc. 
(“Schrofftech”) (Notes 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements)

Critical Audit Matter

As disclosed in the consolidated financial statements, the Company has goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets of $8.1 million 
and $1.17 million, respectively, as of October 31, 2022. Approximately 13.9% of goodwill and 44.1% of indefinite lived intangibles relate 
to the acquisition of Schrofftech. Goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually at the reporting unit level using either a qualitative 
or quantitative approach. Under the quantitative approach to test for goodwill impairment, the Company compares the fair value of a 
reporting unit to its carrying amount, including goodwill. Generally, the Company estimates the fair value of its reporting units using a 
combination of a discounted cash flows analysis and market-based valuation methodologies. Similarly, the indefinite lived intangible 
assets are not amortized but rather are tested by management for impairment at least annually using a relief from royalty model to 
estimate the fair value as compared to its carrying value.

Significant judgment is exercised by the Company in estimating the fair value of the reporting units for goodwill and the fair value of 
indefinite lived intangible assets, specifically:

•  The fair value estimate of the Schrofftech reporting unit is sensitive to assumptions such as the discount rate, revenue 

growth rates, and the projected cash flow terminal growth rate.

•  The fair value estimates for Schrofftech indefinite lived intangible assets are sensitive to assumptions such as discount 

rates, revenue growth rates, royalty rates and projected cash flow terminal growth rates.

These assumptions are affected by such factors as expected future market or economic conditions. 

Given  these  factors,  auditing  management’s  quantitative  impairment  tests  for  goodwill  and  indefinite  lived  intangible  assets  was 
challenging, subjective, and complex and required a high degree of auditor judgment.

How Our Audit Addressed the Critical Audit Matter

•  Our  audit  procedures  related  to  the  fair  value  of  goodwill  for  the  Schrofftech  Reporting  Unit  and  the  Schrofftech 

indefinite lived intangible assets included the following, among others:

•  We gained an understanding of and evaluated the design and implementation of the Company’s controls that address 

the risk of material misstatement related to potential impairment;

•  We gained an understanding of the process to estimate future cashflows, including methods, data, and significant 
assumptions  used,  in  developing  the  discounted  cashflow  analysis  as  well  as  tested  the  reasonableness  of  the 
underlying data used by the Company in its analyses;

•  We  evaluated  management’s  significant  accounting  policies  related  to  impairment  of  goodwill  and  indefinite  lived 

intangible assets for reasonableness;

•  We evaluated significant judgments made by management, including the identification of reporting units along with a 

separate unit to capture the corporate overhead;

•  We  evaluated  management’s  ability  to  estimate  future  cash  flows,  including  projected  revenues,  by  performing  a 

retrospective review of select Company historical cash flow forecasts;

•  We  evaluated  management’s  projected  revenues  and  cash  flows  by  comparing  the  projections  to  the  underlying 
business strategies and growth plans and performed a sensitivity analysis related to the key inputs to projected cash 
flows, including revenue growth rates, to evaluate the changes in the fair value of the reporting unit that would result 
from changes in assumptions; and

•  With the assistance of our firm’s valuation professionals with specialized skills and knowledge in valuation methods 
and  models,  we  tested  the  Company’s  discounted  cash  flow  models,  including  certain  assumptions  including  the 
terminal value and discount rates.

Acquisition of Microlab/FXR LLC (“Microlab”) (Notes 1 and 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements)

Critical Audit Matter

As  described  in  Note  2  to  the  financial  statements,  on  March  1,  2022,  the  Company  completed  the  acquisition  of  Microlab/FXR, 
LLC  for  a  total  acquisition  price  of  $24.5  million.  The  Company  accounted  for  the  acquisitions  as  business  combinations  under 
Accounting Standards Codification 805, Business Combinations. Under this method, the Company allocated the fair value of purchase 
consideration transferred to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values 
on the date of acquisition, including customer relationships, tradenames, backlog and proprietary technology intangible assets. The 
fair values assigned are based on estimates and assumptions determined by management that were inherently uncertain. Certain 
assumptions are forward-looking and could be affected by future economic and market conditions.

We  identified  the  valuation  of  the  customer  relationships,  tradenames,  backlog  and  proprietary  technology  intangible  assets  as  a 
critical audit matter because of the significant assumptions made by management to determine the fair value for purposes of the 
purchase  price  allocation.  Those  assumptions  included  revenue  growth  rates  and  EBITDA  (together,  the  “forecasts”),  as  well  as 
discount and customer attrition rates and estimates of the costs to continue to develop the technology.

Given  these  factors,  auditing  management’s  quantitative  impairment  tests  for  goodwill  and  indefinite  lived  intangible  assets  was 
challenging, subjective, and complex and required a high degree of auditor judgment.

How Our Audit Addressed the Critical Audit Matter

Our audit procedures related to the acquisition of Microlab included the following, among others:

•  We gained an understanding of and evaluated the design and implementation of the Company’s controls that address 
the risk of material misstatement related to the valuation of intangible assets acquired in a business combination, 
evaluating management’s significant accounting policies related to accounting for business combinations and valuation 
of intangible assets for reasonableness and obtaining documentation prepared by management to understand the 
Company’s accounting for the acquisition of Microlab. This included management’s review of the valuation models, 
the significant underlying assumptions used to develop estimates and the reasonableness of the data used in the 
valuations.

•  We  tested  the  estimated  fair  value  of  the  acquired  customer  relationships,  tradenames,  backlog  and  proprietary 
technology intangible assets. In order to do so, we evaluated (1) whether material intangible assets were properly 
identified, (2) the significant assumptions discussed above that were used in valuing these intangible assets and (3) 
the reasonableness of the underlying data used by the Company in its analyses.

•  We assessed the reasonableness of management’s forecasts of future cash flows by comparing the projections to 
historical results, and internal communications to management and board of directors. Professionals with valuation 
skill and knowledge were used to assist in the evaluation of the (1) valuation methodology and (2) the discount and 
customer  attrition  rates  utilized,  testing  the  mathematical  accuracy  of  the  calculation,  and  developing  a  range  of 
independent estimates and comparing those to the rates selected by management. We also evaluated whether the 
estimated future cash flows were consistent with evidence obtained in other areas of the audit.

/s/ CohnReznick LLP
We  are  uncertain  as  to  the  year  CohnReznick  LLP  became  the  Company’s  auditor  as  1995  is  the  earliest  year  of  which  we  have 
knowledge.
Tysons, Virginia 
January 24, 2022

Annual Report 2022RF Industries, Ltd. | www.rfindustries.com17

18

RF INDUSTRIES, LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
OCTOBER 31, 2022 AND 2021
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

RF INDUSTRIES, LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
OCTOBER 31, 2022 AND 2021
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Annual Report 2022RF Industries, Ltd. | www.rfindustries.com19

20

RF INDUSTRIES, LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
YEARS ENDED OCTOBER 31, 2022 AND 2021
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

RF INDUSTRIES, LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
YEARS ENDED OCTOBER 31, 2022 AND 2021
(In thousands, except share amounts)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Annual Report 2022RF Industries, Ltd. | www.rfindustries.com21

22

RF INDUSTRIES, LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
YEARS ENDED OCTOBER 31, 2022 AND 2021
(In thousands)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

RF INDUSTRIES, LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Note 1 – Business activities and summary of significant accounting policies

Business activities

RF  Industries,  Ltd.,  together  with  its  five  wholly-owned  subsidiaries  (collectively,  hereinafter  the  “Company”,  ”we”,  “us”,  or  “our”), 
primarily engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of interconnect products and systems, including coaxial and specialty 
cables, fiber optic cables and connectors, and electrical and electronic specialty cables. For internal operating and reporting purposes, 
and for marketing purposes, as of the end of the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022, we classified our operations into the following five 
divisions/subsidiaries: (i) The RF Connector and Cable Assembly division designs, manufactures and distributes coaxial connectors 
and cable assemblies that are integrated with coaxial connectors; (ii) Cables Unlimited, Inc., the subsidiary that manufactures custom 
and standard cable assemblies, complex hybrid fiber optic power solution cables, adapters, and electromechanical wiring harnesses 
for  communication,  computer,  LAN,  automotive  and  medical  equipment;  (iii)  Rel-Tech  Electronics,  Inc.,  the  subsidiary  that  designs 
and manufacturers cable assemblies and wiring harnesses for blue chip industrial, oilfield, instrumentation and military customers; 
(iv) C Enterprises, Inc., the subsidiary that designs and manufactures quality connectivity solutions to telecommunications and data 
communications  distributors;  (v)  Schroff  Technologies  International,  Ltd.,  the  subsidiary  that  manufactures  and  markets  intelligent 
thermal control systems used by telecommunications companies across the U.S. and Canada, and shrouds for small cell integration 
and  installation,  and  (vi)  Microlab,  the  subsidiary  that  designs  and  manufactures  high-performance  RF  and  Microwave  products 
enabling signal distribution and deployment of in-building DAS (distributed antenna systems), wireless base stations and small cell 
networks. The Cables Unlimited and C Enterprises divisions are Corning Cables Systems CAH ConnectionsSM Gold Program members 
that are authorized to manufacture fiber optic cable assemblies that are backed by Corning Cables Systems’ extended warranty.

Use of estimates 

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States 
of America (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect certain reported amounts and disclosures. 
Actual results may differ from those estimates.

Principles of consolidation

The  accompanying  consolidated  financial  statements  include  the  accounts  of  RF  Industries,  Ltd.,  Cables  Unlimited,  Inc.  (“Cables 
Unlimited”),  Rel-Tech  Electronics,  Inc.  (“Rel-Tech”),  C  Enterprises,  Inc.  (“C  Enterprises”),  Schroff  Technologies  International,  Ltd. 
(“Schrofftech”), and Microlab/FXR LLC (“Microlab”), wholly-owned subsidiaries of RF Industries, Ltd. All intercompany balances and 
transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. 

Cash equivalents

The Company considers all highly-liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash 
equivalents. 

Revenue recognition

On November 1, 2018, we adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 
606), (“ASC 606”) applying the modified retrospective method. The core principle of ASC 606 is that revenue should be recorded in 
an amount that reflects the consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for goods or services promised to customers. 
Under ASC 606, we follow a five-step model to: (1) identify the contract with our customer; (2) identify our performance obligations 
in our contract; (3) determine the transaction price for our contract; (4) allocate the transaction price to our performance obligations; 
and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) each performance obligation is satisfied. In accordance with this accounting principle, we 
recognize revenue using the output method at a point in time when finished goods have been transferred to the customer and there 
are no other obligations to customers after the title of the goods have transferred. Title of goods are transferred based on shipping 
terms for each customer – for shipments with terms of FOB Shipping Point, title is transferred upon shipment; for shipments with terms 
of FOB Destination, title is transferred upon delivery.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, with cost determined using the weighted average cost of accounting. 
Cost includes materials, labor, and manufacturing overhead related to the purchase and production of inventories. We regularly review 
inventory quantities on hand, future purchase commitments with our suppliers, and the estimated utility of our inventory. If our review 
indicates a reduction in utility below carrying value due to damage, physical deterioration, obsolescence, changes in price levels, 
or other causes, we reduce our inventory to a new cost basis through a charge to cost of sales in the period in which it occurs. The 
determination of market value and the estimated volume of demand used in the lower of cost or market analysis requires significant 
judgment. 

Property and equipment

Equipment, tooling and furniture are recorded at cost and depreciated over their estimated useful lives (generally three to five years) 
using the straight-line method. Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are charged to operations in the period incurred.

Annual Report 2022RF Industries, Ltd. | www.rfindustries.com23

Goodwill

Goodwill is recorded when the purchase price paid for an acquisition exceeds the estimated fair value of the net identified tangible 
and  intangible  assets  acquired.  Goodwill  is  not  amortized,  but  is  subject  to  impairment  analysis  at  least  once  annually,  which  we 
perform  in  October,  or  more  frequently  upon  the  occurrence  of  an  event  or  when  circumstances  indicate  that  a  reporting  unit’s 
carrying amount is greater than its fair value.

We  assess  whether  a  goodwill  impairment  exists  using  both  qualitative  and  quantitative  assessments  at  the  reporting  level.  Our 
qualitative assessment involves determining whether events or circumstances exist that indicate it is more likely than not that the fair 
value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill. If based on this qualitative assessment we determine 
it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, we will not perform a quantitative 
assessment.

Under the amendments of this update, the goodwill impairment test is performed by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with 
its carrying amount. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss should be recognized in an 
amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit.

No instances of goodwill impairment were identified as of October 31, 2022 and 2021. We considered the impact of the COVID-19 
related economic slowdown on our evaluation of goodwill impairment indicators as of October 31, 2022 as well as consideration of 
positive factors including backlog and sell-through subsequent to October 31, 2022. Although no goodwill impairment indicators were 
identified, it is possible that impairments could emerge as the impact of the crisis becomes clearer, and those impairment losses could 
be material.

On June 15, 2011, we completed the acquisition of Cables Unlimited. Goodwill related to this acquisition is included within the Cables 
Unlimited  reporting  unit.  As  of  May  19,  2015,  we  completed  the  acquisition  of  the  CompPro  product  line.  Goodwill  related  to  this 
acquisition is included within the RF Connector and Cable Assembly Division. Effective June 1, 2015, we completed the acquisition 
of Rel-Tech. Goodwill related to this acquisition is included within the Rel-Tech reporting unit. On March 15, 2019, we completed the 
acquisition of C Enterprises; however, no goodwill resulted from this transaction. On November 4, 2019, we completed the acquisition 
of Schrofftech. Goodwill related to this acquisition is included within the Schrofftech reporting unit. On March 1, 2022, we completed 
the acquisition of Microlab. Goodwill related to this acquisition is included within the Microlab reporting unit.

Long-lived assets 

We assess property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, which are considered definite-lived assets for impairment. Definite-
lived assets are reviewed when there is evidence that events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset 
may not be recoverable. We measure recoverability of these assets by comparing the carrying amounts to the future undiscounted 
cash flows the assets are expected to generate. If property and equipment and intangible assets are considered to be impaired, the 
impairment to be recognized equals the amount by which the carrying value of the asset exceeds its fair market value. We have made 
no material adjustments to our long-lived assets in any of the years presented.

We amortize our intangible assets with definite useful lives over their estimated useful lives and review these assets for impairment.

In addition, we test our trademarks and indefinite-lived asset for impairment at least annually or more frequently if events or changes 
in circumstances indicate that these assets may be impaired.

No instances of impairment were identified as of October 31, 2022 or 2021.

Fair value measurement

We measure at fair value certain financial assets and liabilities. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset 
or transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. GAAP specifies a hierarchy of 
valuation techniques based on whether the inputs to those valuation techniques are observable or unobservable. Observable inputs 
reflect market data obtained from independent sources, while unobservable inputs reflect our market assumptions. These two types 
of inputs have created the following fair-value hierarchy:

Level 1 – Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets;

Level 2 – Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in 
markets that are not active, and model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs and significant value drivers 
are observable in active markets; and

Level 3 – Valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value 
drivers are unobservable. 

As of October 31, 2022 and 2021, the carrying amounts reflected in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets for cash and cash 
equivalents, accounts receivable, and accounts payable approximated their carrying value due to their short-term nature.

Intangible assets

Intangible assets consist of the following as of October 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands):

24

Amortization expense was $1,282,000 and $442,000 for the years ended October 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The weighted-
average amortization period for the amortizable intangible assets is 9.48 years.

There was no impairment to trademarks for the years ended October 31, 2022 and 2021.

Estimated amortization expense related to finite-lived intangible assets is as follows (in thousands):

Advertising

We expense the cost of advertising and promotions as incurred. Advertising costs charged to operations were approximately $333,000 
and $314,000 in 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Research and development

Research  and  development  costs  are  expensed  as  incurred.  Our  research  and  development  expenses  relate  to  its  engineering 
activities, which consist of the design and development of new products for specific customers, as well as the design and engineering 
of  new  or  redesigned  products  for  the  industry  in  general.  During  the  years  ended  October  31,  2022  and  2021,  we  recognized 
$2,913,000 and $1,479,000 in engineering expenses, respectively. 

Income taxes

We account for income taxes under the asset and liability method, based on the income tax laws and rates in the jurisdictions in which 
operations are conducted and income is earned. This approach requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the 
expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities. 
Developing  the  provision  (benefit)  for  income  taxes  requires  significant  judgment  and  expertise  in  federal,  international  and  state 
income tax laws, regulations and strategies, including the determination of deferred tax assets and liabilities and, if necessary, any 
valuation allowances that may be required for deferred tax assets. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce 
deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. Management’s judgments and tax strategies are subject to audit by various 
taxing authorities.

Annual Report 2022RF Industries, Ltd. | www.rfindustries.com25

26

We had adopted the provisions of ASC 740-10, which clarifies the accounting for uncertain tax positions. ASC 740-10 requires that 
we  recognize  the  impact  of  a  tax  position  in  the  financial  statements  if  the  position  is  not  more  likely  than  not  to  be  sustained 
upon examination based on the technical merits of the position. We recognize interest and penalties related to certain uncertain tax 
positions as a component of income tax expense and the accrued interest and penalties are included in deferred and income taxes 
payable in our consolidated balance sheets. See Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Report for more 
information on the Company’s accounting for uncertain tax positions.

Stock options

For stock option grants to employees, we recognize compensation expense based on the estimated fair value of the options at the 
date of grant. Stock-based employee compensation expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. 
We issue previously unissued common shares upon the exercise of stock options.

For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2022 and 2021, charges related to stock-based compensation amounted to approximately 
$689,000  and  $769,000,  respectively.  For  the  fiscal  years  ended  October  31,  2022  and  2021,  all  stock-based  compensation  is 
classified in selling and general and engineering expense.

Earnings per share

Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing net income applicable to common stockholders by the weighted average number 
of common shares outstanding during the period. The calculation of diluted earnings per share is similar to that of basic earnings 
per  share,  except  that  the  denominator  is  increased  to  include  the  number  of  additional  common  shares  that  would  have  been 
outstanding if all potentially dilutive common shares, principally those issuable upon the exercise of stock options, were issued and 
the treasury stock method had been applied during the period. The greatest number of shares potentially issuable upon the exercise 
of stock options in any period for the years ended October 31, 2022 and 2021, that were not included in the computation because 
they were anti-dilutive, totaled 508,889 and 386,364, respectively. 

The following table summarizes the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:

Recent accounting standards

Recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted:

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses, which 
requires a financial asset (or a group of financial assets) measured at amortized cost basis to be presented at the net amount expected 
to be collected. The allowance for credit losses is a valuation account that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of the financial 
asset(s) to present the net carrying value at the amount expected to be collected on the financial asset. The guidance is effective 
for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. In November 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-10, Financial Instruments—Credit 
Losses (Topic 326), which pushes back the effective date for public business entities that are smaller reporting companies, as defined 
by the SEC, to fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact the 
adoption of this new standard will have on our consolidated financial statements. 

Recently issued accounting pronouncements adopted:

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other, which simplifies the subsequent measurement of 
goodwill by eliminating Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Under the amendments of this update, the goodwill impairment test 
is performed by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds 
its fair value, an impairment loss should be recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of goodwill 
allocated to that reporting unit. The guidance also still gives entities the option to perform the qualitative assessment for a reporting 
unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. We adopted the standard as of November 1, 2020, the beginning 
of our fiscal 2021, applying this prospectively. The adoption of the standard did not result in an impairment charge as of October 31, 
2022 or October 31, 2021.

In  December  2019,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2019-12,  Income  Taxes  (Topic  740):  Simplifying  the  Accounting  for  Income  Taxes,  which 
simplifies  the  accounting  for  income  taxes  by  removing  certain  exceptions  related  to  the  approach  for  intra-period  tax  allocation, 
the  methodology  for  calculating  income  taxes  in  an  interim  period  and  the  recognition  of  deferred  tax  liabilities  for  outside  basis 
differences. The new ASU also simplifies aspects of the accounting for franchise taxes and enacted changes in tax laws or rates. These 

changes aim to improve the overall usefulness of disclosures to financial statement users and reduce unnecessary costs to companies 
when preparing the disclosures. The guidance was effective for the Company beginning on November 1, 2021 and prescribes different 
transition methods for the various provisions. The adoption of this standard had no material impact on the Company’s consolidated 
financial statements or related disclosures.

Note 2 – Business Acquisition

On  March  1,  2022,  the  Company  completed  its  purchase  (the  “Purchase  Transaction”)  of  100%  of  the  issued  and  outstanding 
membership interests of Microlab, a New Jersey limited liability company, from Wireless Telecom Group, Inc, a New Jersey corporation 
(the “Seller”) pursuant to the Membership Interest Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) dated December 16, 2021, with 
the Seller. The consideration for the Purchase Transaction was $24,250,000, subject to certain post-closing adjustments as set forth in 
the Purchase Agreement. The purchase price was paid in cash at the closing. The Company funded $17 million of the cash purchase 
price from the funds obtained under the Term Loan (as defined in Note 11) and paid the remaining amount of the cash purchase price 
with cash on hand. During the three months ended July 31, 2022, we paid an additional $225,000 in purchase consideration as a 
result of certain post-closing adjustments relating to net working capital.

The  acquisition  was  accounted  for  with  the  acquisition  method  of  accounting.  The  acquired  assets  and  assumed  liabilities  have 
been recorded at their estimated fair values. We determined the estimated fair values with the assistance of appraisals or valuations 
performed by an independent third-party specialist. Microlab designs and manufactures high-performance RF and Microwave products 
enabling signal distribution and deployment of in-building DAS (distributed antenna systems), wireless base stations and small cell 
networks. The Microlab acquisition further diversifies and strengthens the portfolio of products that we offer to the market and allows 
us to provide a more complete solution to our customers in key market segments. All manufacturing operations are performed at 
Microlab’s facilities in New Jersey.

The acquisition closed on March 1, 2022, accordingly, subsequent to March 1, 2022, Microlab’s financial results have been included 
in  the  results  of  the  RF  Connector  and  Cable  Assembly  (“RF  Connector”)  segment  as  well  as  in  the  consolidated  statements  of 
operations. The Company expects the goodwill recorded to be deductible for income tax purposes. Acquired amortizable intangible 
assets are being amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives ranging from one to 15 years. Total costs, as of 
October 31, 2022, related to the acquisition of Microlab were approximately $1.3million and have been expensed as incurred and 
categorized in selling and general expenses.

The following table summarizes the components of the purchase price at fair values at March 1, 2022:

The following table summarizes the allocation of the preliminary purchase price at fair value at March 1, 2022:

The  current  purchase  price  allocation  is  preliminary.  The  primary  areas  of  the  preliminary  purchase  price  allocations  that  are  not 
yet finalized relate to the fair value of certain tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed, and residual goodwill. 
The  Company  expects  to  continue  to  obtain  information  to  assist  in  determining  the  fair  values  of  the  net  assets  acquired  at  the 
acquisition dates during the measurement periods. Any adjustments to the preliminary purchase price allocation identified during the 
measurement period, which will not exceed one year from the acquisition date, will be accounted for prospectively.

 The following unaudited pro forma financial information presents the combined operating results of the Company and Microlab as if 
both acquisitions had occurred as of the beginning of the earliest period presented. Pro forma data is subject to various assumptions 
and estimates and is presented for informational purposes only. This pro forma data does not purport to represent or be indicative of 
the consolidated operating results that would have been reported had the transaction been completed as described herein, and the 
data should not be taken as indicative of future consolidated operating results.

Annual Report 2022RF Industries, Ltd. | www.rfindustries.com27

28

Unaudited pro forma financial information assuming the acquisition of Microlab as of November 1, 2021 is presented in the following 
table:

Note 5 – Other current assets

Other current assets consist of the following (in thousands): 

Note 3 – Concentrations of credit risk 

Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and 
accounts receivable. We maintain our cash and cash equivalents with high-credit quality financial institutions. At October 31, 2022, we 
had cash and cash equivalent balances in excess of federally insured limits in the amount of approximately $3.1 million.

Sales from each customer that were 10% or greater of net sales were as follows:

Pursuant to the CARES Act, eligible employers are able to claim an ERC, which is a refundable tax credit against certain employment 
taxes. If the employer’s employment tax deposits are not sufficient to cover the credit, the employer may get an advance payment 
from the IRS. The period assessed for eligibility of the ERC is on a calendar year basis. As of October 31, 2022, the remaining portion 
of the ERC that we have not yet received is included as other receivables in other current assets.

Note 6 – Accrued expenses and other long-term liabilities

Accrued expenses consist of the following (in thousands):

For the year ended October 31, 2022, a wireless carrier customer accounted for approximately 20% of total sales. The same customer 
had accounts receivable balances that accounted for 14% of the total net accounts receivable balance at October 31, 2022. Another 
distributor customer accounted for less than 10% of total sales and for 19% of the total net accounts receivable. For the year ended 
October 31, 2021, the same wireless carrier accounted for approximately 21% of total sales, and a distributor accounted for 11% of 
total  sales.  These  two  customers’  accounts  receivable  balances  each  accounted  for  approximately  28%  and  8%  of  the  total  net 
accounts receivable balance at October 31, 2021. Although the distributors have been on-going major customers of the Company 
and the wireless carrier is a newer customer to the Company, the written agreements with these customers do not have any minimum 
purchase obligations and they could stop buying our products at any time and for any reason. A reduction, delay, or cancellation of 
orders from these customers or the loss of these customers could significantly reduce our future revenues and profits.

Note 4 – Inventories and major vendors

Inventories, consisting of materials, labor and manufacturing overhead, are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost has 
been determined using the weighted average cost method.  Inventories consist of the following (in thousands): 

One vendor accounted for 27% of inventory purchases during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022, and one vendor accounted for 
26% of inventory purchases for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021. We have arrangements with our vendors to purchase products 
based on purchase orders that we periodically issue.

Accrued receipts represent purchased inventory for which invoices have not been received.

Note 7 – Segment information

We aggregate operating divisions into two reporting segments that have similar economic characteristics primarily in the following 
areas: (1) the nature of the product and services; (2) the nature of the production process; (3) the type or class of customer for their 
products and services; (4) the methods used to distribute their products or services; and (5) if applicable, the nature of the regulatory 
environment.  Based  upon  this  evaluation,  as  of  October  31,  2022,  we  had  two  reportable  segments  –  RF  Connector  and  Cable 
Assembly (“RF Connector”) segment and Custom Cabling Manufacturing and Assembly (“Custom Cabling”) segment.

The RF Connector segment consists of two divisions and the Custom Cabling segment consists of four divisions. The six divisions that 
met the quantitative thresholds for segment reporting are the RF Connector and Cable Assembly division (“RF Connector division”), 
Cables Unlimited, Rel-Tech, C Enterprises, Schrofftech, and Microlab. While each segment has similar products and services, there 
was little overlapping of these services to their customer base. The biggest difference in segments is in the channels of sales: sales 
or product and services for the RF Connector segment were primarily through the distribution channel, while the Custom Cabling 
segment sales were through a combination of distribution and direct to the end customer.

Management identifies segments based on strategic business units that are, in turn, based along market lines. These strategic business 
units  offer  products  and  services  to  different  markets  in  accordance  with  their  customer  base  and  product  usage.  For  segment 
reporting purposes, the RF Connector and Microlab divisions constitutes the RF Connector segment, and the Cables Unlimited, Rel-
Tech, C Enterprises, and Schrofftech divisions constitute the Custom Cabling segment.

As reviewed by our chief operating decision maker, we evaluate the performance of each segment based on income or loss before 
income taxes. We charge depreciation and amortization directly to each division within the segment. Accounts receivable, inventory, 
property  and  equipment,  right  of  use  assets,  goodwill  and  intangible  assets  are  the  only  assets  identified  by  segment.  Except  as 
discussed above, the accounting policies for segment reporting are the same for the Company as a whole.

Annual Report 2022RF Industries, Ltd. | www.rfindustries.com29

30

All of our operations are conducted in the United States; however, we derive a portion of our revenue from export sales. We attribute 
sales to geographic areas based on the location of the customers. The following table presents the sales by geographic area for the 
years ended October 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands):

Our total deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities at October 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows (in thousands):

Net sales, income (loss) before provision (benefit) for income taxes and other related segment information for the years ended October 
31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows (in thousands):

* For the 12 months ended October 31, 2021, other income consists of the $2.8M PPP loans that were forgiven.

Note 8 – Income tax provision

The provision (benefit) for income taxes for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2022 and 2021 consists of the following (in thousands):

Income tax at the federal statutory rate is reconciled to our actual net provision (benefit) for income taxes as follows (in thousands, 
except percentages):

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are recorded for differences between the financial statement and tax basis of the assets 
and liabilities that will result in taxable or deductible amounts in the future based on enacted laws and rates applicable to the periods 
in  which  the  differences  are  expected  to  affect  taxable  income.  Valuation  allowances  are  established  when  necessary  to  reduce 
deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. We have evaluated the available evidence supporting the realization of its 
gross deferred tax assets, including the amount and timing of future taxable income, and has determined it is more likely than not that 
the assets will be realized in future tax years.

The provision (benefit) for income taxes was $0.1 million or 9.2% and $1.0 million or 14.4% of income before income taxes for fiscal 
2022 and 2021, respectively. The fiscal 2022 effective tax rate differed from the statutory federal rate of 21% primarily as a result of 
the tax benefit from research and development tax credits and foreign derived intangible income deduction and the tax expense 
associated with tax accounting method changes.

The Company recognizes the benefit of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in its tax returns in the consolidated financial 
statements when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination by authorities. Recognized tax positions 
are measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement.         

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending balance to total uncertain tax positions in fiscal years ended October 31, 2022 and 2021 
are as follows:

We had gross unrecognized tax benefits of $121,000 and $128,000 attributable to U.S. federal and California research tax credits as of 
October 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. During fiscal 2022, the decrease in our gross unrecognized tax benefit was primarily related 
to statute expirations and adjustments for prior year federal and California research tax credits. The uncertain tax benefit is recorded 
as income taxes payable in our consolidated balance sheet and if recognized in the future would impact our effective tax rate. We 
recognize interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense. We recognized expense of approximately 
$13,000 and $13,000 during the years ended October 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. We believe that an adequate provision has 
been made for any adjustments that may result from tax examinations. However, it is possible that certain changes may occur within 
the next twelve months, but we do not anticipate that our accrual for uncertain tax positions will change by a material amount over 
the next 12-month period.

We are subject to taxation in the United States and state jurisdictions. Our tax years for October 31, 2019 and forward are subject to 
examination by the United States and October 31, 2018 and forward with state tax authorities.

Note 9 – Stock options

Incentive and non-qualified stock option plans

On July 22, 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors adopted the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2020 Plan”). In September 2020, 
the Company’s stockholders approved the 2020 Plan by vote as required by NASDAQ. An aggregate of 1,250,000 shares of common 

Annual Report 2022RF Industries, Ltd. | www.rfindustries.com31

32

stock was set aside and reserved for issuance under the 2020 Plan. As of October 31, 2022, 916,369 shares of common stock were 
remaining for future grants of stock options under the 2020 Plan.

Additional disclosures related to stock option plans 

On January 12, 2021, we granted a total of 33,500 shares of restricted stock and 67,000 incentive stock options to one manager and 
three officers. The shares of restricted stock and incentive stock options vest over four years as follows: (i) one-quarter of the restricted 
shares and options shall vest on January 12, 2022; and (ii) the remaining restricted shares and options shall vest in 12 equal quarterly 
installments over the next three years. All incentive stock options expire ten years from the date of grant.

On  July  16,  2021,  our  Chief  Executive  Officer  was  granted  incentive  stock  options  to  purchase  50,000  shares.  These  options 
immediately vested on the date of grant, and expire ten years from the date of grant.

On January 10, 2022, we granted a total of 39,666 shares of restricted stock and 106,001 incentive stock options to one manager and 
three officers. The shares of restricted stock and incentive stock options vest over four years as follows: (i) one-quarter of the restricted 
shares and options shall vest on January 10, 2023; and (ii) the remaining restricted shares and options shall vest in 12 equal quarterly 
installments over the next three years. All incentive stock options expire ten years from the date of grant.

On May 2, 2022, we granted a total of 39,000 incentive stock options to the following:

•  One employee was granted 12,000 incentive stock options. These options vested with respect to 3,000 shares on the 
date of grant, and the remaining shares vests in equal installments thereafter on each of the next three anniversaries 
of May 2, 2022. The options expire ten years from the date of grant.

•  Three employees were each granted 5,000 incentive stock options. These options will vest in two equal installments 

on the first two anniversaries of May 2, 2022, and expire ten years from the date of grant.

•  Two employees were each granted 6,000 incentive stock options. These options will vest in three equal installments 

on the first three anniversaries of May 2, 2022, and expire ten years from the date of grant.

No other shares or options were granted to Company employees during fiscal 2022.

The fair value of each option granted in 2022 and 2021 was estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model 
with the following assumptions:

Expected volatilities are based on historical volatility of our stock price and other factors. We used the historical method to calculate 
the  expected  life  of  the  2022  and  2021  option  grants.  The  expected  life  represents  the  period  of  time  that  options  granted  are 
expected to be outstanding. The risk-free rate is based on the U.S. Treasury rate with a maturity date corresponding to the options’ 
expected life. The dividend yield is based upon the historical dividend yield.

Additional information regarding all of our outstanding stock options at October 31, 2022 and 2021 and changes in outstanding stock 
options in 2022 and 2021 follows:

Weighted average remaining contractual life of options outstanding as of October 31, 2022: 6.61 years
Weighted average remaining contractual life of options exercisable as of October 31, 2022: 5.91 years
Weighted average remaining contractual life of options vested and expected to vest as of October 31, 2022: 6.62 years
Aggregate intrinsic value of options outstanding at October 31, 2022: $518,000
Aggregate intrinsic value of options exercisable at October 31, 2022: $265,000
Aggregate intrinsic value of options vested and expected to vest at October 31, 2022: $513,000

As  of  October  31,  2022,  $685,000  and  $594,000  of  expense  with  respect  to  nonvested  stock  options  and  restricted  shares, 
respectively,  has  yet  to  be  recognized  but  is  expected  to  be  recognized  over  a  weighted  average  period  of  2.19  and  0.95  years, 
respectively.

Under the compensation policies adopted by the Compensation Committee, directors who also are officers and/or employees of the 
Company do not receive any compensation for serving on the Board. On September 8, 2021, the Board of Directors determined that 
the compensation payable to directors as Board fees for the next year ending with the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders was the 
same as they received in 2021 (i.e., $50,000). In addition, effective September 8, 2021, the Board determined that both Board fees 
and additional chair fees would be paid half in cash and half in restricted stock, and, in light of the additional work required by the 
chairs, revised the chair fees as follows, $25,000 for the Chairman of the Board, $25,000 for the Audit Committee Chair, $20,000 for 
the Compensation Committee Chair, $20,000 for the Strategic Planning and Capital Allocation Chair, and $10,000 for the Nominating 
& Governance Chair. The cash and restricted stock fees vest in four equal quarterly installments commencing on December 8, 2021, 
with the restricted stock portion determined by dividing the amount of the fee by the 20-day average trailing closing price of the 
Company’s common stock from the date of grant ($8.21).

Note 10 – Retirement plan

We have a 401(k) plan available to our employees. For the years ended October 31, 2022 and 2021, we contributed and recognized as 
an expense $488,000 and $413,000, respectively, which amounts represented 3% of eligible employee earnings under the Company’s 
Safe Harbor Non-elective Employer Contribution Plan.

Note 11 – Line of credit and PPP Loan

In February 2022, we entered into an agreement for a revolving line of credit (the “Revolving Credit Facility”) in the amount of $3.0 
million and a $17.0 million term loan (the “Term Loan”, and together with the Revolving Credit Facility, the “Credit Facility”). Amounts 
outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility shall bear interest at a rate of 2.0% plus the Bloomberg Short-Term Bank Yield Index 
Rate (“base interest rate”). The maturity date of the Revolving Credit Facility is March 1, 2024. The Company drew down the entire 
amount of the Term Loan on March 1, 2022. The primary interest rate for Term Loan is 3.76% per annum. The maturity date of the Term 
Loan is March 1, 2027.

Borrowings under the Credit Facility are secured by a security interest in certain assets of the Company and contains certain loan 
covenants. The Credit Facility requires the maintenance of certain financial covenants, including: (i) consolidated debt to EBITDA ratio 
not to exceed 3.00 to 1.00; (ii) consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio of at least 1.25 to 1.00; and (iii) consolidated minimum EBITDA 
of at least $600,000 for the discrete quarter ending January 31, 2022. In addition, the Credit Facility contains customary affirmative 
and negative covenants.

As of October 31, 2022, we have borrowed $15,586,000 under the Term Loan while we have not borrowed any amounts under the 
Revolving Credit Facility.

In May 2020, we applied for and received loans under the PPP of the CARES Act totaling approximately $2.8 million. The funds from 
the PPP Loans were used to retain employees, maintain payroll and benefits, and make lease and utility payments. Without the PPP 
Loans, we would have made material reductions in our workforce (particularly at our New York Facility). As of April 30, 2021, the full 
amount of the PPP Loans has been forgiven and considered paid in full (including applicable interest).

Note 12 – Related party transactions

A portion of our operating leases are leased from K&K Unlimited, a company controlled by Darren Clark, the former owner and current 
President of Cables Unlimited. Cables Unlimited’s monthly rent expense under the lease is $16,000 per month, plus payments of 
all  utilities,  janitorial  expenses,  routine  maintenance  costs,  and  costs  of  insurance  for  Cables  Unlimited’s  business  operations  and 
equipment. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022, we paid a total of $180,000 under the leases.

During fiscal 2022, we paid royalties to Elmec Ltd. (“Elmec”), a European-based company that owns the intellectual property that is 
used in Schrofftech’s products. One third of Elmec is jointly owned by David Therrien and Richard DeFelice, two of the former owners 
and  current  President  and  Vice  President,  respectively,  of  Schrofftech.  For  the  year  ended  October  31,  2022,  we  paid  a  total  of 
$19,000 of royalty payments to Elmec, and have accrued an additional $4,000 as of October 31, 2022. The expenses related to these 
transactions are included in cost of goods sold.

Note 13 – Cash dividend and declared dividends

We did not pay any dividends during fiscal year 2022. Nor did we pay any dividends during fiscal year 2021.

Note 14 – Commitments

We adopted ASU 2016-02 on November 1, 2019, and elected the practical expedient modified retrospective method whereby the lease 
qualification and classification was carried over from the accounting for leases under ASC 840. The lease contracts for the corporate 
headquarters, RF Connector division manufacturing facilities, Cables Unlimited, Rel-Tech, and C Enterprises commenced prior to the 
effective date of November 1, 2019, and were determined to be operating leases. All other new contracts have been assessed for the 
existence of a lease and for the proper classification into operating leases. The rate implicit in the leases was undeterminable and, 
therefore, the discount rate used in all lease contracts is our incremental borrowing rate.

We have operating leases for corporate offices, manufacturing facilities, and certain storage units. Our leases have remaining lease 
terms of one year to five years. A portion of our operating leases are leased from K&K Unlimited, a company controlled by Darren 

Annual Report 2022RF Industries, Ltd. | www.rfindustries.com33

34

Clark, the former owner and current President of Cables Unlimited, to whom we make rent payments totaling $16,000 per month.

We also have other operating leases for certain equipment. The components of our facilities and equipment operating lease expenses 
for the period ended October 31, 2022 were as follows (in thousands):

Other information related to leases was as follows (in thousands):

Future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable leases as of October 31, 2022 were as follows (in thousands): 

As of October 31, 2022, operating lease ROU asset was $13.5 million and operating lease liability totaled $16.9 million, of which $1.9 
million is classified as current. There were no finance leases as of October 31, 2022.

Note 15 – Subsequent event

In January 2023, we received a refund of $1.2 million related to the ERC, of which $1.6 million was in Other Current Assets as of 
October 31, 2022. 

Leadership

DIRECTORS

Mark K. Holdsworth
Chairman
Managing Partner
The Holdsworth Group

Sheryl Cefali
Managing Director
Duff & Phelps

Jason Conhenour
Retired Executive

Gerald Garland
Retired Executive

Kay L. Tidwell
General Counsel and 
Chief Risk Officer
Hudson Pacific Properties Inc.

Robert Dawson
President and
Chief Executive Officer

OFFICERS

Robert Dawson
President and
Chief Executive Officer

Peter Yin
Chief Financial Officer,
Corporate Secretary 
and Treasurer

Ray Bibisi
Chief Operating Officer

Stockholder Information

ANNUAL MEETING

The Annual Meeting of Stockholder of RF Industries is scheduled to be 
held at 11:00 a.m. PDT, Wednesday, September 6, 2023, at RF Industries, 
Ltd., 16868 Via Del Campo Court, Suite 200, San Diego, California 92127.

INVESTOR RELATIONS

Analysts, investors, and stockholders seeking additional information about 
RF Industries are invited to contact:

Peter Yin
Chief Financial Officer
16868 Via Del Campo Court, Suite 200
San Diego, CA 92127
Telephone: 858-549-6340
Email: pyin@rfindustries.com

A copy of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the 
United States Securities and Exchange Commission is available without 
charge on the SEC website, www.sec.gov, or upon request RF Industries, 
Ltd., Via Del Campo Court, Suite 200, San Diego, California 92127

RF Industries on NASDAQ
RF Industries common stock trades on 
the NASDAQ Global Market under the 
symbol RFIL.

Corporate Counsel
DLA Piper LLP (US)
4365 Executive Drive, Suite 1100
San Diego, CA 92121

Transfer Agent and Registrar
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Co.
1 State Street, 30th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Telephone: 212-509-4000
Email: cstmail@continentalstock.com

Independent Public Accounting Firm
CohnReznick LLP
8000 Towers Crescent Drive
Suite 1000
Tysons, VA 22182

Annual Report 2022RF Industries, Ltd. | www.rfindustries.com858.549.6340
800.233.1728

rfi@rfindustries.com

16868 Via Del Campo Court 
Suite 200, San Diego, CA  92127