ACME UNITED CORP

1. Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of Acme United Corporation (the “Company”). These adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. However, the financial statements do not include all the disclosures normally required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States or those normally made in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K. Please refer to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 for such disclosures. The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2024 was derived from the audited consolidated balance sheet as of that date. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. The information included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and the financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The Company has evaluated events and transactions subsequent to March 31, 2025 and through the date these condensed consolidated financial statements were issued.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, which requires disaggregated information about a reporting entity’s effective tax rate reconciliation as well as information on income taxes paid. ASU No. 2023-09 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. The guidance is to be applied on a prospective basis with the option to apply the standard retrospectively. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2023-09.

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income – Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses. This ASU requires more detailed information about specified categories of expenses (purchases of inventory, employee compensation, depreciation, intangible asset amortization and depletion) included in certain expense captions presented on the face of the income statement. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2026 and for interim periods beginning after December 15, 2027. The ASU may be applied either prospectively to financial statements issued for reporting periods after the effective date of this ASU or retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this ASU on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

2. Commitment and Contingencies

There are no pending material legal proceedings to which the Company is a party, or, to the actual knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any governmental authority.

3. Revenue from Contracts with Customers

Nature of Goods and Services

The Company recognizes revenue from the sales of a broad line of products that are grouped into two main categories: (a) first aid and medical; and (b) cutting and sharpening. The first aid and medical category includes first aid kits and refills, over-the-counter medications and a variety of medical products. The cutting and sharpening category includes scissors, knives, paper trimmers, pencil sharpeners and other sharpening tools. Revenue recognition is evaluated through the following five steps: (i) identification of the contract or contracts with a customer; (ii) identification of the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determination of the transaction price; (iv) allocation of the transaction price in the contract; and (v) recognition of revenue when or as a performance obligation is satisfied.

When Performance Obligations Are Satisfied

A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer. A contract’s transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation and recognized as revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied. Revenue is generated by the sale of the Company’s products to its customers. Sales contracts (purchase orders) generally have a single performance obligation that is satisfied at a point in time, upon shipment or delivery, depending on the terms of the underlying contract. Revenue is measured based on the consideration specified in the contract. The amount of consideration we receive and revenue we recognize is impacted by incentives ("customer rebates"), including sales rebates, which are generally tied to sales volume levels, in-store promotional allowances, shared media and customer catalog allowances and other cooperative advertising arrangements; freight allowance programs offered to our customers; and allowance for returns and discounts. We generally recognize customer rebate costs as a deduction to gross sales at the time that the associated revenue is recognized.

Significant Payment Terms

Payment terms for each customer are dependent on the agreed upon contractual repayment terms. Payment terms typically are between 30 and 90 days and vary depending on the size of the customer and its risk profile to the Company. Some customers receive discounts for early payment.

Product Returns

The Company accepts product returns in the normal course of business. The Company estimates reserves for returns and the related refunds to customers based on historical experience. Reserves for returned merchandise are included as a component of “Accounts receivable” in the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Practical Expedient Usage and Accounting Policy Elections

For the Company’s contracts that have an original duration of one year or less, the Company uses the practical expedient in ASC 606-10-32-18 applicable to such contracts and does not consider the time value of money in relation to significant financing components. The effect of applying this practical expedient election did not have an impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

Per ASC 606-10-25-18B, the Company has elected to account for shipping and handling activities that occur after the customer has obtained control as a fulfillment activity instead of a performance obligation. Furthermore, shipping and handling activities performed before transfer of control of the product also do not constitute a separate and distinct performance obligation. The effect of applying this practical expedient election did not have an impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

The Company has elected to exclude from the transaction price those amounts which relate to sales and other taxes that are assessed by governmental authorities and that are imposed on and concurrent with a specific revenue-producing transaction and collected by the Company from a customer.

Applying the practical expedient in ASC 340-40-25-4, Other Assets and Deferred Costs, the Company recognizes the incremental costs of obtaining contracts as an expense when incurred. These costs are included in “Selling, general and administrative expenses.”

Disaggregation of Revenues

The following table represents external net sales disaggregated by product category, by segment (amounts in thousands):

For the three months ended March 31, 2025

For the three months ended March 31, 2024

4. Debt and Stockholders’ Equity

Long-term debt consists of (i) borrowings under the Company’s revolving loan agreement with HSBC Bank, N.A.(“HSBC”) and (ii) amounts outstanding under the fixed rate mortgage on the Company’s manufacturing and distribution facilities in Rocky Mount, NC and Vancouver, WA. The revolving loan agreement provides for borrowings of up to $65 million at an interest rate of Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus a margin of +1.75%; interest is payable monthly. The credit facility has an expiration date of May 31, 2026. The Company must pay a facility fee, payable quarterly, in an amount equal to one eighth of one percent (.125%) per annum of the average daily unused portion of the revolving credit line. The facility is intended to provide liquidity for growth, acquisitions, dividends, share repurchases, and other operating activities. Under the revolving loan agreement, the Company is required to maintain a specific ratio of funded debt to EBITDA, a fixed charge coverage ratio and must have annual net income greater than $0, measured as of the end of each fiscal year. As of March 31, 2025, the Company was in compliance with the covenants under the revolving loan agreement as then in effect.

As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Company had outstanding borrowings of$20,457,000 and$17,641,000, excluding deferred financing costs of $29,000 and $35,000 respectively, under the Company’s revolving loan agreement with HSBC.

The Company’s manufacturing and distribution facilities in Rocky Mount, NC and Vancouver, WA were financed by a fixed rate mortgage with HSBC at a fixed interest rate of 3.8%. The Company entered into the agreement on December 1, 2021. Commencing on January 1, 2022, payments of principal and interest are due monthly, with all amounts outstanding due on maturity on December 1, 2031. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, long-term debt related to the mortgage consisted of the following (amounts in ‘000’s):

During the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Company paid approximately$463,000 to optionees who had elected a net cash settlement of certain of their respective options.

5. Segment Information

The Company aligns its businesses into three reportable business segments based on geographical location. This segment structure reflects (i) the manner in which the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”), who is the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, regularly assesses information for decision-making purposes, including the allocation of resources, and (ii) how the Company operates its businesses, assesses performance, and communicates results and strategy, among other items, to the Board and its stockholders.

The Company’s reportable business segments consist of: (1) United States; (2) Canada; and (3) Europe. As described below, the activities of the Company’s Asian operations are closely linked to those of the U.S. operations; accordingly, the Company’s CODM reviews the financial results of both on a consolidated basis, and the results of the Asian operations have been aggregated with the results of the United States operations to form one reportable segment called the “United States segment” or “U.S. segment”. Each reportable segment derives its revenue from the sales of i) first aid and medical products and ii) cutting and sharpening tools to school, home, office, hardware, sporting and industrial markets.

The Company's CODM evaluates the performance of each operating segment based on segment revenues and operating income. Segment revenues are defined as total revenues, excluding inter-segment revenue. Segment operating earnings are defined as segment revenues, less cost of goods sold and operating expenses. Assets are reviewed by the CODM on a consolidated basis and therefore are not presented by reportable business segment.

The following table sets forth certain financial data by segment for thethree months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024:

6. Stock Based Compensation

The Company recognizes share-based compensation at the fair value of the equity instrument on the grant date. Compensation expense is recognized over the required service period, which is generally the vesting period of the equity instrument. Share-based compensation expense was approximately$413,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to approximately$449,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024.

As of March 31, 2025, there was a total of $1,850,026 of unrecognized compensation cost, adjusted for estimated forfeitures, related to non-vested share-based payments granted to the Company’s employees. As of that date, the remaining unamortized expense was expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of approximatelytwo years.

7. Fair Value Measurements

The carrying value of the Company’s bank debt is a reasonable estimate of fair value because of the nature of its payment terms and maturity. The Company’s contingent liability related to the acquisition of Elite First Aid is recorded at its fair value of $500,000 which is recorded in other non-current liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2025.

8. Leases

The Company has operating leases for office and warehouse space and equipment under various arrangements which provide the right to use the underlying asset and require lease payments for the lease term. The Company’s lease portfolio consists of operating leases which expire at various dates through 2029.

Certain of the Company’s lease arrangements contain renewal provisions, exercisable at the Company's option. The Company’s lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.

The Company determines if an arrangement is an operating lease at inception. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet. All other leases are recorded on the balance sheet with right-of-use (“ROU”) assets representing the right to use the underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities representing the obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease.

Operating lease cost was $0.5 million for thethree months ended March 31, 2025, of which $0.1 million was included in cost of goods sold and $0.4 million was included in selling, general and administrative expenses.

Information related to leases (in thousands):

Future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable leases as of March 31, 2025:

9. Other Accrued Liabilities

Other current and non-current accrued liabilities consisted of (in thousands):

10. Intangible Assets and Goodwill

The Company’s intangible assets and goodwill consisted of (in thousands):

The useful lives of the identifiable intangible assets range from 5 years to 15 years.

11. Inventories

Inventories consisted of (in thousands):

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, determined by the first-in, first-out method.

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF

FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS