Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Long-Term Debt and Lines of Credit

v3.8.0.1
Long-Term Debt and Lines of Credit
3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
Long-Term Debt and Lines of Credit
Long-Term Debt and Lines of Credit

Debt Refinancing 

The Company refinanced its outstanding debt obligations on December 3, 2014 in connection with the Orange-Co acquisition. These credit facilities initially included $125,000,000 in fixed interest rate term loans (“Met Fixed-Rate Term Loans”), $57,500,000 in variable interest rate term loans (“Met Variable-Rate Term Loans”), and a $25,000,000 revolving line of credit (“RLOC”) with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and New England Life Insurance Company (collectively “Met”), and a $70,000,000 working capital line of credit (“WCLC”) with Rabo Agrifinance, Inc. (“Rabo”).

The term loans and RLOC are secured by real property. The security for the term loans and RLOC consists of approximately 38,200 gross acres of citrus groves and 5,762 gross acres of ranch land. The WCLC is collateralized by the Company’s current assets and certain other personal property owned by the Company.

The term loans, collectively, are subject to quarterly principal payments of $2,281,250, and mature November 1, 2029. The Met Fixed-Rate Term Loans bear interest at 4.15% per annum, and the Met Variable-Rate Term Loans bear interest at a rate equal to 90 day LIBOR plus 150 basis points (the “LIBOR spread”). The LIBOR spread is subject to adjustment by the lender on May 1, 2019 and every two years thereafter until maturity. Interest on the term loans is payable quarterly.
The interest rates on the Met Variable-Rate Term Loans were 3.03% per annum and 2.96% per annum as of December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2017, respectively. 
The Company may prepay up to $8,750,000 of the Met Fixed-Rate Term Loan principal annually without penalty, and any such prepayments may be applied to reduce subsequent mandatory principal payments. The maximum annual prepayment was made for calendar year 2015 and remains available to reduce future mandatory principal payments should the Company elect to do so. During the first quarter of fiscal 2018, the company elected not to make its principal payment and utilized its prepayment to satisfy its payment requirement. The Met Variable-Rate Term Loans may be prepaid without penalty.
The RLOC bears interest at a floating rate equal to 90 day LIBOR plus 150 basis points, payable quarterly. The LIBOR spread was adjusted by the lender on May 1, 2017 and is subject to further adjustment every two years thereafter. Outstanding principal, if any, is due at maturity on November 1, 2019. The RLOC is subject to an annual commitment fee of 25 basis points on the unused portion of the line of credit. The RLOC is available for funding general corporate needs. The variable interest rate was 3.03% and 2.96% per annum as of December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2017, respectively. Availability under the RLOC was $25,000,000 as of December 31, 2017.
The WCLC is a revolving credit facility and is available for funding working capital and general corporate requirements. The interest rate on the WCLC is based on the one month LIBOR, plus a spread, which is adjusted quarterly, based on the Company's debt service coverage ratio for the preceding quarter and can vary from 175 to 250 basis points. The rate is currently at LIBOR plus 175 basis points. The variable interest rate was 3.11% per annum and 2.99% per annum as of December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2017, respectively. The WCLC agreement was amended on September 30, 2017, and the primary terms of the amendment were an extension of the maturity to November 1, 2019. There were no changes to the commitment amount or interest rate. Availability under the WCLC was approximately $52,577,000 as of December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2017, respectively.
The WCLC is subject to a quarterly commitment fee on the daily unused availability under the line computed as the commitment amount less the aggregate of the outstanding loans and outstanding letters of credit. The commitment fee is adjusted quarterly based on Alico's debt service coverage ratio for the preceding quarter and can vary from a minimum of 20 basis points to a maximum of 30 basis points. Commitment fees to date have been charged at 20 basis points.
The outstanding balance on the WCLC was approximately $7,123,000 at December 31, 2017. The WCLC agreement provides for Rabo to issue up to $20,000,000 in letters of credit on the Company’s behalf. As of December 31, 2017, there was approximately $10,300,000 in outstanding letters of credit, which correspondingly reduced the Company's availability under the line of credit.

These credit facilities noted above are subject to various covenants including the following financial covenants: (i) minimum debt service coverage ratio of 1.10 to 1.00, (ii) tangible net worth of at least $160,000,000 increased annually by 10% of consolidated net income for the preceding year, or approximately $162,300,000 for the year ending September 30, 2017, (iii) minimum current ratio of 1.50 to 1.00, (iv) debt to total assets ratio not greater than .625 to 1.00, and, solely in the case of the WCLC, (v) a limit on capital expenditures of $30,000,000 per fiscal year. As of December 31, 2017, the Company was in compliance with all of the financial covenants.
The credit facilities also include a Met Life term loan collateralized by real estate owned by Citree (“Met Citree Loan”). This is a $5,000,000 credit facility that bears interest at a fixed rate of 5.28% per annum. An initial advance of $500,000 was made at closing on March 4, 2014. The loan agreement was amended to provide for an interim advance of $2,000,000 on September 17, 2015, and the interest rate was adjusted to 5.30% per annum at the time of the interim advance. The final $2,500,000 advance was funded on April 27, 2016 and the interest rate was adjusted to 5.28%. Principal payments on this term loan commence February 1, 2018 and are payable quarterly thereafter. The loan matures February 2029.

Silver Nip Citrus Debt

There are two fixed-rate term loans, with an original combined balance of $27,550,000, bearing interest at 5.35% per annum (“Pru Loans A & B”). Principal of $290,000 is payable quarterly, together with accrued interest. The Company may prepay up to $5,000,000 of principal without penalty. On February 15, 2015, Silver Nip Citrus made a prepayment of $750,000. The loans are collateralized by real estate in Collier, Hardee, Highlands, Martin, Osceola and Polk Counties, Florida and mature June 1, 2033.
 
Silver Nip Citrus entered into two additional fixed-rate term loans with Prudential to finance the acquisition of a 1,500 acre citrus grove on September 4, 2014. Each loan was in the original amount of $5,500,000. Principal of $55,000 per loan is payable quarterly, together with accrued interest. One loan bears interest at 3.85% per annum (“Pru Loan E”), while the other bears interest at 3.45% per annum (“Pru Loan F”). The interest rate on Pru Loan E is subject to adjustment on September 1, 2019 and every year thereafter until maturity. Both loans are collateralized by real estate in Charlotte County, Florida. Pru Note E matures September 1, 2021, and Pru Note F matures September 1, 2039.

The Silver Nip Citrus credit agreements were amended on December 1, 2016. The primary terms of the amendments were (1) the Company provided a limited $8,000,000 guaranty of the Silver Nip debt, (2) the limited personal guarantees provided by George Brokaw, Remy Trafelet and Clayton Wilson prior to the Company’s merger with Silver Nip Citrus, and also totaling $8,000,000, were released and (3) the consolidated current ratio covenant requirement was reduced from 1.50 to 1.00 to 1.00 to 1:00. Silver Nip Citrus was in compliance with the current ratio covenant as of December 31, 2017, the most recent measurement date.

Other Modifications of Rabo and Prudential Credit Agreements
 
In February 2015, Rabo agreed, subject to certain conditions, that the Company may loan Silver Nip Citrus up to $7,000,000 on a revolving basis for cash management purposes. These advances would be funded from either cash on hand or draws on the Company’s WCLC.

Silver Nip Citrus has provided a $7,000,000 limited guaranty and security agreement granting Rabo a security interest in crops, accounts receivable, inventory and certain other assets.
 
This modification required the amendment of various Prudential and Rabo loan documents and mortgages.

The following table summarizes long-term debt and related deferred financing costs net of accumulated amortization at December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2017:

 
December 31, 2017
 
September 30, 2017
 
Principal
 
Deferred Financing Costs, Net
 
Principal
 
Deferred Financing Costs, Net
 
(in thousands)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Long-term debt, net of current portion:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Met Fixed-Rate Term Loans
$
99,062

 
$
924

 
$
99,062

 
$
954

Met Variable-Rate Term Loans
48,876

 
425

 
49,594

 
439

Met Citree Term Loan
5,000

 
48

 
5,000

 
49

Pru Loans A & B
22,740

 
253

 
23,030

 
258

Pru Loan E
4,840

 
23

 
4,895

 
25

Pru Loan F
4,840

 
42

 
4,895

 
42

 
185,358

 
1,715

 
186,476

 
1,767

Less current portion
4,575

 

 
4,550

 

Long-term debt
$
180,783

 
$
1,715

 
$
181,926

 
$
1,767




The following table summarizes lines of credit and related deferred financing costs net of accumulated amortization at December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2017:

 
December 31, 2017
 
September 30, 2017
 
Principal
 
Deferred Financing Costs, Net
 
Principal
 
Deferred Financing Costs, Net
 
(in thousands)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lines of Credit:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
RLOC
$

 
$
96

 
$

 
$
109

WCLC
7,123

 
104

 

 
153

Lines of Credit
$
7,123

 
$
200

 
$

 
$
262

Future maturities of long-term debt and lines of credit as of December 31, 2017 are as follows:
(in thousands)
 
 
 
Due within one year
$
4,575

Due between one and two years
15,548

Due between two and three years
10,975

Due between three and four years
14,935

Due between four and five years
10,755

Due beyond five years
135,693

 
 
Total future maturities
$
192,481


Interest costs expensed and capitalized were as follows:

(in thousands)
 
 
 
 
Three Months Ended December 31,
 
2017
 
2016
Interest expense
$
2,255

 
$
2,327

Interest capitalized
134

 
63

Total
$
2,389

 
$
2,390