Bio-Techne (TECH) 10-K2021 FY Annual report

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS

Certain statements included or incorporated by reference in this Annual Report, in other documents we file with or furnish to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), in our press releases, webcasts, conference calls, materials delivered to shareholders and other communications, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. All statements other than historical factual information are forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding: projections of revenue, expenses, profit, profit margins, pricing, tax rates, tax provisions, cash flows, our liquidity position or other projected financial measures; management’s plans and strategies for future operations, including statements relating to anticipated operating performance, cost reductions, new product and service developments, competitive strengths or market position, acquisitions and the integration thereof, strategic opportunities, dividends and executive compensation; growth, declines and other trends in markets we sell into; new or modified laws, regulations and accounting pronouncements; future regulatory approvals and the timing and conditionality thereof; outstanding claims, legal proceedings, tax audits and assessments and other contingent liabilities; future foreign currency exchange rates and fluctuations in those rates; the potential or anticipated direct or indirect impact of COVID-19 on our business, results of operations and/or financial condition; general economic and capital markets conditions; the anticipated timing of any of the foregoing; assumptions underlying any of the foregoing; and any other statements that address events or developments that Bio-Techne intends or believes will or may occur in the future. Terminology such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “should,” “could,” “intend,” “will,” “plan,” “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “target,” “may,” “possible,” “potential,” “forecast” and “positioned” and similar references to future periods are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements are accompanied by such words. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and assessments made by our management in light of their experience and perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to the risks and uncertainties set forth below and under “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Annual Report.

Forward-looking statements are not guaranties of future performance and actual results may differ materially from the results, developments and business decisions contemplated by our forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of the report, document, press release, webcast, call, materials or other communication in which they are made. Except to the extent required by applicable law, we do not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events and developments or otherwise.

Investment in our securities involves risk and uncertainty and you should carefully consider all information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K prior to making an investment decision regarding our securities. Below is a summary of material risks and uncertainties we face, which are discussed more fully in “Item 1A. Risk Factors”:

Business and Strategic Risks

Acquisition and Investment Risks

Operational Risks

Intellectual Property Risks

Financial and Tax Risks

Legal, Regulatory, Compliance and Reputational Risks 

PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

OVERVIEW

Bio-Techne and its subsidiaries, collectively doing business as Bio-Techne Corporation (Bio-Techne, we, our, us or the Company), develop, manufacture and sell life science reagents, instruments and services for the research, diagnostics and bioprocessing markets worldwide. With our broad product portfolio and application expertise, we sell integral components of scientific investigations into biological processes and molecular diagnostics, revealing the nature, diagnosis, etiology and progression of specific diseases. Our products aid in drug discovery efforts and provide the means for accurate clinical tests and diagnoses.

We manage the business in two operating segments – our Protein Sciences segment and our Diagnostics and Genomics segment. Our Protein Sciences segment is a leading developer and manufacturer of high-quality biological reagents used in all aspects of life science research, diagnostics and cell and gene therapy. This segment also includes proteomic analytical tools, both manual and automated, that offer researchers and pharmaceutical manufacturers efficient and streamlined options for automated western blot and multiplexed ELISA workflow. Our Diagnostics and Genomics segment develops and manufactures diagnostic products, including controls, calibrators, and diagnostic assays for the regulated diagnostics market, exosome-based molecular diagnostic assays, advanced tissue-based in-situ hybridization assays for spatial genomic and tissue biopsy analysis, and genetic and oncology kits for research and clinical applications.    

We are a Minnesota corporation with our global headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We were founded forty-five years ago, in 1976, as Research and Diagnostic Systems, Inc. We became a publicly traded company in 1985 through a merger with Techne Corporation, now Bio-Techne Corporation. Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ under the symbol “TECH.” We operate globally, with offices in many locations throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Today, our product lines extend to over 350,000 products, most of which we manufacture ourselves in multiple locations in North America, as well as the U.K. and China.

Our historical focus was on providing high quality proteins, antibodies and immunoassays to the life science research market and hematology controls to the diagnostics market. Over the last eight years, we have been implementing a disciplined strategy to accelerate growth in part by acquiring businesses and product portfolios that leveraged and diversified our existing product lines, filled portfolio gaps with differentiated high growth businesses, and expanded our geographic scope. From fiscal years 2013 through 2021 we have acquired or made investments in seventeen companies that have expanded the product offerings and geographic footprint of both operating segments. Recognizing the importance of an integrated, global approach to meeting our mission and accomplishing our strategies, we have maintained many of the brands of the companies we have acquired, but unified under a single global brand -- Bio-Techne. 

We are committed to providing the life sciences community with innovative, high-quality scientific tools that allow our customers to make extraordinary discoveries. We intend to build on Bio-Techne’s past accomplishments, high product quality reputation and sound financial position by executing strategies that position us to serve as the standard for biological content in the research market, and to leverage that leadership position to enter the diagnostics and other adjacent markets. Our strategies include:

Continued innovation in core products. Through collaborations with key opinion leaders, participation in scientific discussions and societies, and leveraging our internal talent we expect to be able to convert our continued significant investment in our research and development activities to be first-to-market with quality products that are at the leading edge of life science researchers’ needs.

Market and geographic expansion. We will continue to expand our sales staff and distribution channels globally in order to increase our global presence and make it easier for customers to transact with us. We will also leverage our existing portfolio to expand our product offerings into novel research fields and further into diagnostics and therapeutics markets.

Culture development and talent recruitment and retention. As we continue to grow both organically and through acquisition, we are intentionally fostering an “EPIC” culture based on the ideals of Empowerment, Passion, Innovation and Collaboration.  We strive to recruit, train and retain the most talented staff, who will live out these EPIC ideals and implement our strategies effectively.

Targeted acquisitions and investments. We will continue to leverage our strong balance sheet to gain access to new and differentiated technologies and products that improve our competitiveness in the current market, meet customers’ expanding workflow needs and allow us to enter adjacent markets. 

PROTEIN SCIENCES SEGMENT

Protein Sciences Segment Products and Markets

The Protein Sciences segment is the larger of our two segments, representing about 75% of our net sales in fiscal 2021. It is comprised of two divisions with complementary product offerings serving many of the same customers – the Reagent Solutions division and the Analytical Solutions division.

The Reagent Solutions division consists of specialized proteins, such as cytokines and growth factors, antibodies, small molecules, tissue culture sera and cell selection technologies traditionally used by researchers to further their life science experimental activities and by companies developing next generation diagnostics and therapeutics, including companies developing cell and gene-based therapeutics. Key product brands include R&D Systems, Tocris Biosciences and Novus Biologicals. Our combined chemical and biological reagents portfolio provides high quality tools that customers can use in solving complex biological pathways and glean knowledge that may lead to a more complete understanding of biological processes, and, ultimately, to the development of novel therapeutic strategies to address different pathologies.  With the 2019 acquisitions of Quad Technologies, which has novel Quickgel™ technologies for cell separation and activation, and B-MoGen Technologies, which has a non-viral, transposon-based technology for gene editing called TcBuster, we have expanded our product offerings for the cell and gene therapy market. Through a collaborative marketing venture with two other companies, we have leveraged these and other products we have or are developing to provide a more complete offering for the cell and gene therapy market.

The Analytical Solutions division includes manual and automated protein analysis instruments and immunoassays that are used in quantifying proteins in a variety of biological fluids. Products in this division include traditional manual plate-based immunoassays, fully automated multiplex immunoassays on various instrument platforms, and automated western blotting and isoelectric focusing analysis of complex protein samples. Key product brands include R&D Systems and ProteinSimple. A number of our products have been demonstrated to have the potential to serve as predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets for a variety of human diseases and conditions including cancer, autoimmunity, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, inflammation, neurological disorders, and kidney failure. Immunoassays can also be useful in clinical diagnostics. In fact, we have received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) marketing clearance for a few of our immunoassays for use as in vitro diagnostic devices. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we partnered with Mount Sinai Hospital and its commercial entity, Kantaro Biosciences, to rapidly develop and commercialize an immunoassay kit intended to test for antibodies to COVID-19, which has received regulatory clearance in several jurisdictions, including an Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA.

Protein Sciences Segment Customers and Distribution Methods

Our customers for this segment include researchers in academia, government and industry (chiefly pharmaceutical and biotech companies), as well as diagnostic/companion diagnostic and therapeutic customers, especially customers engaged in the development of cell and gene based therapies. Our biologics line of products in the Analytical Solutions division is used primarily by production and quality control departments at biotech and pharmaceutical companies. We sell our products directly to customers who are primarily located in North America, Europe and China, as well as through a distribution agreement with Fisher Scientific. We also sell through third party distributors in China, Japan, certain eastern European countries and the rest of the world. Our sales are widely distributed, and no single end-user customer accounted for more than 10% of the Protein Sciences segment's net sales during fiscal 2021, 2020 or 2019.

DIAGNOSTICS AND GENOMICS SEGMENT

The Diagnostics and Genomics segment, representing about 25% of our net revenues in fiscal 2021, is focused primarily on the diagnostics market and includes diagnostics reagents, genomics, our Exosome acquisition, and our Asuragen acquisition.

Diagnostics and Genomics Segment Products

The Diagnostic Reagents division consists of regulated products traditionally used as calibrators and controls in the clinical setting. Also included are instrument and process control products for hematology, blood chemistry, blood gases, coagulation controls and reagents used in various diagnostic applications. Often we manufacture these reagents on a custom basis, tailored to a customer's specific diagnostic assay technology. We supply these reagents in various formats including liquid, frozen, or in lyophilized form. Most of these products are sold on an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) basis to instrument manufacturers, with most products being FDA-cleared.

The Genomics division includes products using nucleic acid (RNA or DNA) analysis that can be used for diagnostic or research applications. Key product brands include Advanced Cell Diagnostics, or ACD, Exosome Diagnostics, and Asuragen. ACD products are aimed at tissue biopsy and spatial analysis.  Exosome Diagnostics focuses on exosome-based liquid biopsy techniques that analyze genes or their transcripts. The first commercialized test from Exosome Diagnostics is a urine-based assay for early detection of high-grade prostate cancer used as an aid in deciding the need for an initial biopsy.  Our most recent acquisition is Asuragen, which makes and sells products for genetic carrier screening, oncology diagnostics, molecular controls, and research.

Diagnostics and Genomics Segment Customers and Distribution Methods

The majority of Diagnostic Reagents Division's sales are through OEM agreements, but we sell some of our diagnostics reagents products directly to customers and, in Europe and Asia, also through distributors. The customers for the ACD research products include researchers in academia as well as investigators in pharmaceutical and biotech companies. We sell our products directly to those customers who are primarily located in North America, Europe and China, and through distributors elsewhere. In addition to being useful research tools, our DNA and RNA in situ hybridization assays have diagnostics applications as well, and several are cleared or currently under review by the FDA in partnership with diagnostics instrument manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. In the United States, we offer test services to physicians using our lab-developed non-invasive urine-based assay for prostate cancer detection.  Our diagnostic laboratory is certified under and regulated by the State of Massachusetts pursuant to the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, or CLIA. Customers are physicians prescribing such tests for their patients.  Finally, the Asuragen products are sold primarily to laboratories for use in lab-developed tests or in kit form as regulated diagnostic tests. 

No customers accounted for 10% or more of the reporting segment's consolidated net sales during fiscal years 2021, 2020 or 2019.

MANUFACTURING AND MATERIALS

Our manufacturing operations use a wide variety of raw materials and components, including electronic components, chemicals and biological materials.  No single supplier is material, although for some components that require particular specifications or regulatory or other qualifications there may be a single supplier or a limited number of suppliers that can readily provide such components. We utilize a number of techniques to address potential disruption in and other risks relating to our supply chain, including in certain cases the use of safety stock, alternative materials and qualification of multiple supply sources.  

The majority of our products are shipped within one day of receipt of the customers' orders, other than our instruments and related cartridges, which are typically shipped within one to two weeks of receipt of an order.  There was no significant backlog of orders for our products as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or as of a comparable date for fiscal 2021.  For additional discussion of risks relating to supply chain and manufacturing, refer to “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”  

COMPETITION

Although our segments both generally operate in highly competitive markets, it is difficult to determine our competitive position, either in the aggregate or by segment, since none of our competitors offer all of the same product and service lines or serve all of the same markets as the Company, or any of its segments, does. Because of the range of the products and services we sell, we encounter a wide variety of competitors, including a number of large, global companies or divisions of such companies with substantial capabilities and resources, as well a number of smaller, niche competitors with specialized product offerings.  We have increased competition in a number of our markets as a result of the entry of new companies into certain markets, the entry of competitors based in low-cost manufacturing locations, and increasing consolidation in particular markets. The number of competitors varies by product line. Key competitive factors vary among the Company’s businesses, but include the specific factors noted above with respect to each particular business and typically also include price, quality and safety, performance, delivery speed, application expertise, service and support, technology and innovation, distribution network, breadth of product, service and software offerings and brand name recognition.  We believe our competitive position is strong due to the unique aspects of many of our products and our product quality.   For a discussion of risks related to competition, refer to “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

SEASONALITY OF BUSINESS

Bio-Techne believes there is some seasonality as a result of vacation and academic schedules of its worldwide customer base, particularly for the Protein Sciences segment. A majority of Diagnostics Reagents division products are manufactured in large bulk lots and sold on a schedule set by the customer. Consequently, sales for that segment can be unpredictable, and not necessarily based on seasonality. As a result, we can experience material and sometimes unpredictable fluctuations in our revenue from the Diagnostics and Genomics segment.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Bio-Techne is engaged in continuous research and development in all of our major product lines. We believe that our future success depends, to a large extent, on our ability to keep pace with changing technologies and market needs. In response to the global pandemic that emerged in early 2020, we diverted some of our development resources to new and existing products to meet the needs associated with COVID-19, including a major effort by the development teams in our Protein Sciences Segment to develop a diagnostic immunoassay for testing antibodies to COVID-19. That immunoassay product has thus far had limited sales.  However, there is no assurance that any of the products in the research and development phase can be successfully completed or, if completed, can be successfully introduced into the marketplace.

HUMAN CAPITAL

Through its subsidiaries, Bio-Techne employed approximately 2,600 full-time and part-time employees as of June 30, 2021, of whom approximately 2,000 were employed in the United States and approximately 600 outside the United States. None of the United States employees are unionized. Outside the United States, the Company has government-mandated collective bargaining arrangements or work councils in certain countries. 

Bio-Techne is committed to attracting, developing, engaging and retaining the best people possible from around the world to sustain and grow our leadership position in life sciences tools and diagnostics. Our human capital strategy spans multiple key dimensions, including the following:

Culture and Governance

Our commitment to our people is reflected in our four EPIC values of Empowerment, Passion, Innovation and Collaboration. Those four values (together with their 12 supporting EPIC behaviors) are the backbone for the way we approach the leadership and direction of our work force.  Employees are empowered to realize their potential. Our culture supports and encourages a collaborative approach to working with each other and with our customers. We encourage innovation to continually improve our products, services and processes, and our passion for science and the missions of our customers is our guiding light. 

Our EPIC values are embedded in our culture and practices. By way of example, our performance management system and annual review processes incorporate our EPIC values.  Each employee is measured against the behaviors and attributes that support those values. To further amplify our desired behaviours, we have an annual employee recognition program in which we ask for nominations and recognize winning individuals and teams form across our business who have best demonstrated our EPIC values during the previous year.    

Bio-Techne’s Board of Directors reviews management succession planning annually, and its Executive Compensation Committee reviews the Company’s human capital strategy periodically in connection with significant initiatives and acquisitions, as well as part of its oversight of our executive and equity compensation programs. At the management level, our Vice President of Human Resources, who reports directly to our President and CEO, is responsible for the development and execution of the Company’s human capital strategy.

Engagement; Diversity and Belonging

Our engagement strategy focuses on developing the best workplace and best people leaders to meet our employees’ needs. We believe that strong employee engagement helps enable higher retention and better business performance. We assess our engagement performance through regular consultation with our managers and more formally via an annual engagement survey that assesses our employees’ overall experience.

This feedback informs and shapes our future employee-focused initiatives.  These initiatives in the past have resulted in changes in programs and policies, including expansion of our management and leadership development programs, addition of a parental leave program, expansion of our incentive programs to include annual cash bonuses to all professional employees and above, introduction of flexible working and expanding the breadth of our Diversity & Belonging Council and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).

We believe a diverse workforce and culture of inclusion is essential to drive innovation, fuel growth and help ensure our technologies and products effectively serve a global customer base. The Company’s executive-sponsored Diversity and Belonging initiative is focused on providing a welcoming working environment for all employees, continued education, broadening our candidate pools, and implementing and sustaining programs. Our ERGs, coordinated under the guidance of our executive-sponsored Employee Resource Group Council, offer mentorship, support and engagement to help our employees, including those from underrepresented groups, succeed and thrive. As of June 30, 2021, we had 8 ERGs operating globally. Furthermore, as of June 30, 2021, 50% of our total employee population was female, and 44% of our managerial employees were female.  In the United States, 33% of our total employee population identified as nonwhite and 28% of our managerial employees identified as nonwhite.

Talent Development and Learning and Development

Bio-Techne invests in people development in the belief that growing and promoting employees from within the Company creates a more sustainable organization. High potential and promotable employees are identified through our annual Talent Management program, and are then equipped with a personal development and career advancement plan. These plans involve training and development from internal and external programs, together with mentoring and coaching.

Our global Learning and Development program delivers a wide range of initiatives including a validated suite of compliance training, soft skills, technical skills, business skills, interpersonal skills and career skills. Many of these programs are assigned to individuals specifically, but in addition, there is an expansive menu available to employees in order to accelerate their own development. As a company that regularly acquires other businesses, we believe it is important for employees to be trained in the skills and mindsets that enable them to respond positively to change. This initiative allows individuals to deal with change easily and reduces the need to run large scale change management programs.

Community

The Company believes in giving back and in supporting the local communities in which we live and work. Most sites or departments engage in local charitable causes and activities. In some of our sites, employees are encouraged to give through regular payroll deductions and through the annual campaign week where employee contributions are matched by the Company. United States employees receive a paid day off to participate in local opportunities to give back to the community.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Our success depends in part upon our ability to protect our core technologies and intellectual property. To accomplish this, we rely on a combination of intellectual property rights, including patents, trade secrets and trademarks, as well as customary contractual protections in our terms and conditions and other sales-related documentation.

As of June 30, 2021, we had rights to approximately 350 granted patents and approximately 250 pending patent applications.  In particular, products in the Analytical Solutions and Genomics divisions are protected primarily through pending patent applications and issued patents. In addition, certain of our products are covered by licenses from third parties to supplement our own patent portfolio.  Patent protection, if granted, generally has a life of 20 years from the date of the patent application or patent grant. We cannot provide assurance that any of our pending patent applications will result in the grant of a patent, whether the examination process will require us to narrow our claims, and whether our claims will provide adequate coverage of our competitors' products or services.

In addition to pursuing patents on our products, we also preserve much of our innovation as trade secrets, particularly in the Reagent Solutions division of our Protein Sciences segment. We have taken steps to protect our intellectual property and proprietary technology, in part by entering into confidentiality agreements and intellectual property assignment agreements with our employees, consultants, corporate partners and, when needed, our advisors. See the description of risks associated with the Company's intellectual property in “Item 1A.  Risk Factors.”

We can give no assurance that Bio-Techne's products do not infringe upon patents or proprietary rights owned or claimed by others. Bio-Techne has not conducted a patent infringement study for each of its products. Where we have been contacted by patent holders with certain intellectual property rights, Bio-Techne typically has entered into licensing agreements with patent holders under which it has the exclusive and/or non-exclusive right to use patented technology as well as the right to manufacture and sell certain patented products to the research and/or diagnostics markets.

LAWS AND REGULATIONS

Our operations, and some of the products we offer, are subject to a number of complex laws and regulations governing the production, marketing, handling, transportation and distribution of our products and services.  The following sections describe certain significant regulations pertinent to the Company. These are not the only laws and regulations applicable to the Company’s business.  For a description of risks related to laws and regulations to which we are subject, refer to Item 1.A. Risk Factors.”

Medical Device Regulations 

A number of our products are classified as medical devices and are subject to restrictions under domestic and foreign laws, rules, regulations, self-regulatory codes and orders, including but not limited to the U.S. Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (the “FDCA”).  The FDCA requires these products, when sold in the United States, to be safe and effective for their intended uses and to comply with the regulations administered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”).  The FDA regulates the design, development, testing, manufacture, advertising, labeling, packaging, marketing, distribution, import and export and record keeping for such products.  Many medical device products are also regulated by comparable agencies in non-U.S. countries in which they are produced or sold.

Any medical devices we manufacture and distribute are subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the FDA and certain state and non-U.S. agencies.  As a medical device manufacturer, our manufacturing facilities are subject to inspection on a routine basis by the FDA.  We are required to adhere to the Current Good Manufacturing Practices (“GMP”) requirements, as set forth in the Quality Systems Regulation (“QSR”), which require manufacturers, including third-party manufacturers, to follow stringent design, testing, control, documentation and other quality assurance procedures during all phases of the design and manufacturing process.

We must also comply with post-market surveillance regulations, including medical device reporting, or MDR, requirements which require that we review and report to the FDA any incident in which our products may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury.  We must also report any incident in which our product has malfunctioned if that malfunction would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury it if were to recur.

Labeling and promotional activities are subject to scrutiny by the FDA and, in certain circumstances, by the Federal Trade Commission.  Medical devices approved or cleared by the FDA may not be promoted for unapproved or uncleared uses, otherwise known as “off-label” promotion.  The FDA and other agencies actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses.

In the European Union (“EU”), our products are subject to the medical device laws of the various member states, which are currently based on a Directive of the European Commission.  However, the EU has adopted the In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (the “EU IVDR”), which imposes stricter requirements for the marketing and sale of in vitro diagnostic medical devices, including in the area of clinical evaluation requirements, quality systems and post-market surveillance.  Manufacturers of currently approved in vitro diagnostics medical devices have until May 2022 to meet the EU IVDR.  Complying with EU IVDR, the regulation applicable to the Company, requires material modifications to our quality management systems, additional resources in certain functions, updates to technical files and additional clinical data in some cases, among other changes.

One of our products under our Exosome Diagnostics brand is offered as a test by a certified laboratory under CLIA. Our Asuragen business also maintains a CLIA certification. Consequently, we must comply with state licensing regulations applicable to laboratories regulated under CLIA, governing laboratory practices and procedures.

Other Healthcare Laws

Several of the products sold in our Diagnostics and Genomics segment are subject to various health care related laws regulating fraud and abuse, research and development, pricing and sales and marketing practices, and the privacy and security of health information, including, among others:

For a discussion of risks related to regulation by the FDA and comparable agencies of other countries, and the other regulatory regimes referenced above, please refer to section entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

Data Privacy and Security Laws

As a global organization, we are subject to data privacy and security laws, regulations, and customer-imposed controls in numerous jurisdictions as a result of having access to and processing confidential, personal and/or sensitive data in the course of our business.  In addition to the U.S. HIPAA privacy and security rules mentioned above, which impact some parts of our business, individual states also regulate data breach and security requirements and multiple governmental bodies assert authority over aspects of the protection of personal  privacy.  In particular, a broad privacy law in California, the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), came into effect in January 2020.  The CCPA has some of the same features as the GDPR (discussed below), and has already prompted several other states to follow with similar laws.  The EU General Data Protection Regulation that became effective in May 2018 (“GDPR”) has imposed significantly stricter requirements in how we collect, transmit, process and retain personal data, including, among other things, in certain circumstances a requirement for almost immediate notice of data breaches to supervisory authorities and prompt notice to data subjects with significant fines for non-compliance.  Several other countries such as China and Russia have passed, and other countries are considering passing, laws that require personal data relating to their citizens to be maintained on local servers and impose additional data transfer restrictions.  For a discussion of risks related to improper disclosure of private information particularly as a result of cyber security incidents, please refer to section entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

Environmental Health and Safety Laws

We are also subject to various environmental health and safety laws and regulations both within and outside the U.S. Like other companies in our industry, our manufacturing and research activities involve the use and transportation of substances regulated under environmental health and safety laws including those relating to the transportation of hazardous materials.

Other Laws and Regulations Governing Our Sales, Marketing and Shipping Activities.

We are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and various other similar anti-corruption and anti-bribery acts, which are particularly relevant to our operations in countries where the customers are government entities or are controlled by government officials.  Both we directly, and indirectly through our distributors, must comply with such laws when interacting with those entities.

As Bio-Techne’s businesses also include export and import activities, we are subject to pertinent laws enforced by the U.S. Departments of Commerce, State and Treasury.  Other nations’ governments have implemented similar export/import control and economic sanction regulations, which may affect the Company’s operations or transactions subject to their jurisdictions.

In addition, under U.S. laws and regulations, U.S. companies and their subsidiaries and affiliates outside the United States are prohibited from participating or agreeing to participate in unsanctioned foreign boycotts in connection with certain business activities, including the sale, purchase, transfer, shipping or financing of goods or services within the United States or between the United States and countries outside of the United States. If we, or certain third parties through which we sell or provide goods or services, violate anti-boycott laws and regulations, we may be subject to civil or criminal enforcement action and varying degrees of liability.

We are subject to laws and regulations governing government contracts, and failure to address these laws and regulations or comply with government contracts could harm our business by a reduction in revenue associated with these customers. We have agreements relating to the sale of our products to government entities and, as a result, we are subject to various statutes and regulations that apply to companies doing business with the government. We are also subject to investigation for compliance with the regulations governing government contracts. A failure to comply with these regulations could result in suspension of these contracts, criminal, civil and administrative penalties or debarment.

For a discussion of risks related to the above-referenced regulations, particularly with respect to our international operations, please refer to section entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

INVESTOR INFORMATION

We are subject to the information requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act). Therefore, we file periodic reports, proxy statements, and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC maintains an internet site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically.

Financial and other information about us is available on our web site (https://investors.bio-techne.com/). We make available on our web site copies of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after filing such material electronically or otherwise furnishing it to the SEC.

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

Currently, the names, ages, positions and periods of service of each executive officer of the Company are as follows:

Set forth below is information regarding the business experience of each executive officer. There are no family relationships among any of the officers named, nor is there any arrangement or understanding pursuant to which any person was selected as an officer.

Charles Kummeth has been President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since April 1, 2013. Prior to joining the Company, he served as President of Mass Spectrometry and Chromatography at Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. from September 2011. He was President of that company's Laboratory Consumables Division from 2009 to September 2011. Prior to Thermo Fisher, Mr. Kummeth served in various roles at 3M Corporation, most recently as the Vice President of the company's Medical Division from 2006 to 2008.

James Hippel has been Chief Financial Officer of the Company since April 1, 2014. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Hippel served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Mirion Technologies, Inc., a global company that provided radiation detection and identification products. Prior to Mirion, Mr. Hippel served as Vice President, Finance at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., leading finance operations for its Mass Spectrometry & Chromatography division and its Laboratory Consumables division. In addition, Mr. Hippel's experience includes nine years of progressive financial leadership at Honeywell International, within its Aerospace Segment. Mr. Hippel started his career with KPMG LLP.

David Eansor has been President of the Protein Sciences segment since July 1, 2018. Prior to that, he served as Senior Vice President, Biotechnology Division and as Senior Vice President, Novus Biologicals since the Company completed its acquisition of Novus on July 2, 2014. From January 2013 until the date of the acquisition, Mr. Eansor was the Senior Vice President of Corporate Development of Novus Biologicals. Prior to joining Novus Biologicals, Mr. Eansor was the President of the Bioscience Division of Thermo Fisher Scientific. Mr. Eansor was promoted to Division President in early 2010 after 5 years as President of Thermo Fisher's Life Science Research business.

Kim Kelderman joined Bio-Techne on April 30, 2018 as President, Diagnostics and Genomics. Prior to Bio-Techne, Mr. Kelderman was employed at Thermo Fisher Scientific where he led three different businesses of increasing scale and complexity. For the last three years, Mr. Kelderman managed the Platforms and Content of the Genetic Sciences Division, where he was responsible for the Instrumentation, Software, Consumables and Assays businesses, and brands such as Applied Biosystems and legacy Affymetrix. Before joining Thermo Fisher, Kim served as Senior Segment Leader at Becton Dickinson, managing the global Blood Tubes “Vacutainer” business.

Brenda Furlow joined the Company as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary on August 4, 2014. Prior to joining Bio-Techne, Ms. Furlow served as general counsel to emerging growth technology companies. Ms. Furlow was General Counsel for TomoTherapy, a global, publicly traded company that manufactured and sold radiation therapy equipment, from 2007 to 2011. From 1998 to 2007, Ms. Furlow served as General Counsel for Promega Corporation, a global life sciences company.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

Set forth below are risks and uncertainties we believe are material to our investors. You should refer to the explanation of the qualifications and limitations on forward-looking statements in the section titled Information Relating to Forward-Looking Statements at the beginning of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Economic and Industry Risks

Conditions in the global economy, the particular markets we serve and the financial markets brought about by material global crises may adversely affect our business and financial statements.

Our global operations expose us to risks associated with many types of crises, whether political, social, economic, climate or otherwise.  In particular, given our industry, we have exposure to public health crises, including epidemics and pandemics such as COVID-19. Most recently, COVID-19 has had, and likely will continue to have, an adverse impact on our employees, operations, supply chains, and sales and distribution systems, including as a result of impacts associated with protective health measures that we, other businesses and governments are taking or might have to take again in the future. For example, as the world has grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, many governments issued “stay-at-home” orders which restricted business and personal activities, and many employers required employees to work from home and cease all travel. While many of these travel and activity restrictions have been partially or fully lifted in certain countries where the pandemic has been controlled, they may be reinstituted in the future and jurisdictions may continue to close borders, impose prolonged quarantines and further restrict travel and other activities. 

In the past eighteen months, we have introduced new products or modified existing products to serve the research and healthcare markets as they address the global pandemic through novel diagnostic and therapeutic products. The direct impact of COVID-19 and the preventive and precautionary measures implemented as a result thereof have adversely affected, and are expected to continue to adversely affect, certain elements of our Company (including to a different degree our operations, commercial organizations, supply chains and distribution systems) and the future impact may be material, though the impact on our different businesses and the different elements of our businesses varies (please see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for a discussion of how COVID-19 impacted our results of operations and financial position in fiscal 2021). Without limiting the foregoing, we have experienced and/or may in the future experience:

Any of these developments may adversely affect our business and financial statements.

U.S. and international political, economic, compliance and business factors, including the United Kingdom’s recent withdrawal from the European Union, can negatively impact our operations and financial results.

Changes, potential changes or uncertainties in U.S. social, political, regulatory and economic conditions or laws and policies governing foreign trade, manufacturing, and development and investment in the territories and countries where we or our customers operate, or governing the health care system, can adversely affect our business and financial statements. For example, the current U.S. administration has continued to keep in place many of the significant tariff increases for goods imported into the United States, particularly from China, imposed by the prior administration. Congress and the U.S. administration is also considering significant changes to healthcare in the United States, including government negotiation/regulation of drug prices paid by government programs.

Additionally, the UK’s exit from the European Union at the end of calendar year 2020 has created political and economic uncertainty, particularly in the UK and the EU, and has disrupted the free flow of goods and people between the UK and the EU.  In addition, our business could be negatively affected by new trade agreements between the UK and other countries, including the United States, and by the possible imposition of trade or other regulatory barriers in the UK. Any of these factors have affected and could continue to adversely affect customer demand, our relationships with customers and suppliers, and our business and financial results, particularly since our European headquarters and primary shipping facilities have been located in the UK. Additionally, attracting and retaining qualified employees who are citizens of EU countries to our UK facilities may be more difficult given the uncertainties resulting from the UK's withdrawal.

We engage in business globally, with approximately 46% of our sales revenue in fiscal 2021 coming from outside the U.S. In addition, one of our strategies is to expand geographically, particularly in China, India and in developing countries, both through distribution and through direct operations. This subjects us to a number of risks, including international economic, political, and labor conditions; currency fluctuations; tax laws (including U.S. taxes on foreign subsidiaries); increased financial accounting and reporting burdens and complexities; unexpected changes in, or impositions of, legislative or regulatory requirements; failure of laws to protect intellectual property rights adequately; inadequate local infrastructure and difficulties in managing and staffing international operations; delays resulting from difficulty in obtaining export licenses for certain technology; tariffs, quotas and other trade barriers and restrictions; transportation delays; operating in locations with a higher incidence of corruption and fraudulent business practices; and other factors beyond our control, including terrorism, war, natural disasters, climate change and diseases.

The application of laws and regulations impacting global transactions is often unclear and may at times conflict. Compliance with these laws and regulations may involve significant costs or require changes in our business practices that result in reduced revenue and profitability. Non-compliance could also result in fines, damages, criminal sanctions, prohibited business conduct, and damage to our reputation. We incur additional legal compliance costs associated with our global operations and could become subject to legal penalties in foreign countries if we do not comply with local laws and regulations, which may be substantially different from those in the U.S.

We continue to expand our operations in countries with developing economies, where it may be common to engage in business practices that are prohibited by U.S. regulations applicable to the Company, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Although we implement policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with these laws, there can be no assurance that all of our employees, contractors, and agents, as well as those companies to which we outsource certain aspects of our business operations, including those based in foreign countries where practices which violate such U.S. laws may be customary, will comply with our internal policies. Any such non-compliance, even if prohibited by our internal policies, could have an adverse effect on our business and result in significant fines or penalties.

The healthcare and life sciences industries that we serve face constant pressures and changes in an effort to reduce or increase the predictability of healthcare costs, all of which may adversely affect our business and financial results.

Our Protein Sciences segment products are sold primarily to research scientists at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and at university and government research institutions. In addition to the impacts described above relating to COVID-19, research and development spending by our customers and the availability of government research funding can fluctuate due to changes in available resources, mergers of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, spending priorities, general economic conditions and institutional and governmental budgetary policies. We carry essentially no backlog of orders and changes in the level of orders received and filled daily can cause fluctuations in quarterly revenues and earnings.

Our Genomics and Diagnostics segment products are intended primarily for the medical diagnostics market, which relies largely on government healthcare-related policies and funding. Changes in government reimbursement for certain diagnostic tests or reductions in overall healthcare spending could negatively impact us directly or our customers and, correspondingly, our sales to them. For example, our Exosome Diagnostics business develops and sells novel exosome-based diagnostic tests.  While we received public payer coverage for certain uses, we are currently seeking expanded coverage from public payors as well as coverage decisions regarding reimbursement from additional private payers. However, the process and timeline for obtaining coverage decisions is uncertain and difficult to predict. Further, reimbursement reductions due to changes in policy regarding coverage of tests or other requirements for payment (such as prior authorization, diagnosis code and other claims edits, or a physician or qualified practitioner’s signature on test requisitions) may be implemented from time to time. All of these payor actions and changes may have a material adverse effect on revenue and earnings associated with our diagnostics products. 

Acquisition and Investment Risks

Our inability to consummate acquisitions at our historical rate and at appropriate prices, and to make appropriate investments that support our long-term strategy, could negatively impact our growth rate and stock price.

We routinely explore acquiring other businesses and assets, and have completed seventeen acquisitions and investments in the last nine years.  Our ability to grow revenues, earnings and cash flow at or above our historic rates depends in part upon our ability to identify and successfully acquire and integrate businesses at appropriate prices and realize anticipated synergies, and to make appropriate investments that support our long-term strategy. We may not be able to consummate acquisitions at rates similar to the past, which could adversely impact our growth rate and our stock price. Promising acquisitions and investments are difficult to identify and complete for a number of reasons, including high valuations, competition among prospective buyers or investors, the availability of affordable funding in the capital markets and the need to satisfy applicable closing conditions and obtain applicable antitrust and other regulatory approvals on acceptable terms. Changes in accounting or regulatory requirements or instability in the credit markets could also adversely impact our ability to consummate acquisitions and investments.

Our acquisition of businesses, investments, joint ventures and other strategic relationships, if not properly implemented or integrated, could negatively impact our business and financial statements.

As part of our business strategy we acquire businesses, make investments and enter into joint ventures and other strategic relationships in the ordinary course, and we also from time to time complete more significant transactions. We joined with two partners to establish a collaborative marketing venture, ScaleReady LLC, to address the needs of the rapidly expanding cell and gene therapy market.  While we believe this joint venture provides a competitive advantage in addressing this market, we may have interests that diverge from those of our joint venture partners, and we may not be able to direct or influence the management and operations of the joint venture in the manner we believe is most appropriate, exposing us to additional risk.  More generally, acquisitions, investments, joint ventures and strategic relationships involve a number of additional financial, accounting, managerial, operational, legal, compliance and other risks and challenges, including but not limited to the following, any of which could adversely affect our business and our financial statements:

We may be required to record a significant charge to earnings if our goodwill and other amortizable intangible assets, or other investments become impaired, which could negatively impact our financial statements or stock price.

We are required under generally accepted accounting principles to test goodwill for impairment at least annually and to review our goodwill, amortizable intangible assets, and other assets acquired through merger and acquisition activity, for impairment when events or changes in circumstance indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors that could lead to impairment of goodwill, amortizable intangible assets, and other assets acquired via acquisitions include significant adverse changes in the business climate and actual or projected operating results (affecting our company as a whole or affecting any particular segment) and declines in the financial condition of our business. We may be required in the future to record additional charges to earnings if our goodwill, amortizable intangible assets or other investments become impaired. Any such charge would adversely impact our financial results.

In addition, the Company's expansion strategies include collaborations and investments in joint ventures and companies developing new products related to the Company's business. These strategies carry risks that objectives will not be achieved and future earnings will be adversely affected. For example, the Company has an approximate 2% equity investment in publicly traded ChemoCentryx, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCXI) that is valued at $20.0 million as of June 30, 2021. The ownership of CCXI shares is very concentrated, the share price is highly volatile and there is limited trading of the shares.

Strategic and Operational Risks

Our success will be dependent on recruiting and retaining highly qualified personnel and creating and maintaining a culture that includes the employees joining through acquisition.

Recruiting and retaining qualified scientific, production, sales and marketing, and management personnel are critical to our success. Our anticipated growth and its expected expansion into areas and activities requiring additional expertise will require the addition of new personnel and the development of additional expertise by existing personnel. In general, we have been experiencing turnover at higher rates than usual and have had some difficulties filling certain positions.  In particular, we operate in several geographic locations where competition for talent is strong, making employee retention even more challenging. For example, some of our fastest growing businesses are located in California and Massachusetts, both of which generally have low unemployment and a competitive environment for finding and retaining talent. Our growth by acquisition also creates challenges in retaining employees. As we integrate past and future acquisitions and evolve our corporate culture to incorporate the new workforces, some employees may not find such integration or cultural changes appealing. Finally, as the geographies in which we operate recover from the recent pandemic and we return employees who had been working from home back to our sites, we may not be able to retain people who prefer continuing to work from home. The failure to attract and retain such personnel could adversely affect our business.

Our growth depends in part on the timely development and commercialization of new and enhanced products and services that meet our customers’ needs. Our growth can also be negatively impacted if our customers do not grow as anticipated. 

We generally sell our products and services in industries that are characterized by rapid technological change, frequent new product introductions and new market entrants and competitors. If we do not develop innovative new and enhanced products and services on a timely basis, our offerings will become obsolete over time and our business and financial statements will suffer. Our success will depend on several factors, including our ability to:

If we fail to accurately predict future customer needs and preferences or fail to produce viable technologies, we may invest heavily in research and development of products that do not lead to significant revenue, which would adversely affect our business and financial statements. Even when we successfully innovate and develop new and enhanced products, we often incur substantial costs in doing so, and our profitability may suffer.

We face intense competition, and if we are unable to compete effectively, we may experience decreased demand and decreased market share or need to reduce prices to remain competitive.

We face intense competition across most of our product lines. Competitors include companies ranging from start-up companies, which may be able to more quickly respond to customers' needs, to large multinational companies, which may have greater financial, marketing, operational, and research and development resources than us. In addition, consolidation trends in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostics industries have served to create fewer customer accounts and to concentrate purchasing decisions for some customers, resulting in increased pricing pressure on us. Moreover, customers may believe that consolidated businesses are better able to compete as sole source vendors, and therefore prefer to purchase from such businesses. The entry into the market by manufacturers in China, India and other low-cost manufacturing locations is also creating increased pricing and competitive pressures, particularly in developing markets.  In order to compete effectively, we must retain longstanding relationships with major customers and continue to grow our business by establishing relationships with new customers, continually developing new products and services to maintain and expand our brand recognition and leadership position in various product and service categories and penetrating new markets, including high-growth markets. Our ability to compete can also be impacted by changing customer preferences and requirements (for example increased demand for more environmentally-friendly products and supplier practices).  Our failure to compete effectively and/or pricing pressures resulting from competition may adversely impact our business and financial statements, and our expansion into new markets may result in greater-than-expected risks, liabilities and expenses.

A significant disruption in, or breach of security of, our information technology systems or data, or violation of data privacy laws, could result in damage to our reputation, data integrity and/or subject us to costs, fines, or lawsuits under data privacy or other laws or contractual requirements.

The integrity and protection of our own data, and that of our customers and employees, is critical to our business. We rely on information technology systems, some of which are provided and/or managed by third parties, to process, transmit and store electronic information (including sensitive data such as confidential business information and personally identifiable data relating to employees, customers, other business partners and patients), and to manage or support a variety of critical business processes and activities (such as receiving and fulfilling orders, billing, collecting and making payments, shipping products, providing services and support to customers and fulfilling contractual obligations). These systems, products and services (including those we acquire through business acquisitions) can be damaged, disrupted or shut down due to attacks by computer hackers, computer viruses, ransomware, human error or malfeasance, power outages, hardware failures, telecommunication or utility failures, catastrophes or other unforeseen events, and in any such circumstances our system redundancy and other disaster recovery planning may be ineffective or inadequate. Attacks can also target hardware, software and information installed, stored or transmitted in our products after such products have been purchased and incorporated into third-party products, facilities or infrastructure. Security breaches of systems provided or enabled by us, regardless of whether the breach is attributable to a vulnerability in our products or services, or security breaches of third party systems we rely on to process, store or transmit electronic information, can result in the misappropriation, destruction or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information or personal data belonging to us or to our employees, partners, customers, patients or suppliers. These attacks, breaches, misappropriations and other disruptions and damage can interrupt our operations or the operations of our customers and partners, delay production and shipments, result in theft of our and our customers’ intellectual property and trade secrets, result in disclosure of personally identifiable information, damage customer, patient, business partner and employee relationships and our reputation and result in defective products or services, legal claims and proceedings, liability and penalties under privacy laws and increased costs for security and remediation, in each case resulting in an adverse effect on our business and financial statements.

In addition, our information technology systems require an ongoing commitment of significant resources to maintain and enhance existing systems and develop new systems to keep pace with continuing changes in information processing technology, evolving legal and regulatory standards, evolving customer expectations, changes in the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to data and information systems, and the information technology needs associated with our changing products and services. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully maintain, enhance and upgrade our systems as necessary to effectively address these requirements.

If we are unable to maintain reliable information technology systems and appropriate controls with respect to global data privacy and security requirements and prevent data breaches, we may suffer regulatory consequences in addition to business consequences. As a global organization, we are subject to data privacy and security laws, regulations, and customer-imposed controls in numerous jurisdictions as a result of having access to and processing confidential, personal and/or sensitive data in the course of our business. For example, in the United States, certain of our businesses are subject to HIPAA.  Entities that are found to be in violation of HIPAA as the result of a breach of unsecured patient health information, a complaint about privacy practices or an audit by the HHS, may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative fines and penalties and/or additional reporting and oversight obligations if required to enter into a resolution agreement and corrective action plan with HHS to settle allegations of HIPAA non-compliance. Individual states regulate data breach and security requirements and multiple governmental bodies assert authority over aspects of the protection of personal privacy. Most notably, in the last several years, some states, including California and Virginia, have passed broad privacy legislation that could result in more material impacts as implementing regulations are issued. European laws require us to have an approved legal mechanism to transfer personal data out of Europe.  Failure to comply with the requirements of GDPR and the applicable national data protection laws of the EU member states may result in fines of up to €20 million or up to 4% of the total worldwide annual turnover of the preceding financial year, whichever is higher, and other administrative penalties. Several other countries such as China and Russia have passed, and other countries are considering passing, laws that require personal data relating to their citizens to be maintained on local servers and impose additional data transfer restrictions., Government enforcement actions can be costly and interrupt the regular operation of our business, and data breaches or violations of data privacy laws can result in fines, reputational damage and civil lawsuits, any of which may adversely affect our business, reputation and financial statements.

If we suffer loss to our facilities, supply chains, distribution systems or information technology systems due to catastrophe or other events, our operations could be seriously harmed.

Our facilities, supply chains, distribution systems and information technology systems are subject to catastrophic loss due to fire, flood, earthquake, hurricane, power shortage or outage, public health crisis (including epidemics and pandemics) and the reaction thereto, war, terrorism, riot or other natural or man-made disasters, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. If any of these facilities, supply chains or systems were to experience a catastrophic loss, it could disrupt our operations, delay production and shipments, result in defective products or services, diminish demand, damage customer relationships and our reputation and result in legal exposure and significant repair or replacement expenses. The third-party insurance coverage that we maintain varies from time to time in both type and amount depending on cost, availability and our decisions regarding risk retention, and may be unavailable or insufficient to protect us against such losses.

The manufacture of many of our products is a complex process, and if we directly or indirectly encounter problems manufacturing products, our business and financial statements could suffer.

The manufacture of many of our products is a complex process, due in part to strict regulatory requirements for some of our products. Problems can arise during manufacturing for a variety of reasons, including equipment malfunction, failure to follow specific protocols and procedures, problems with reliable sourcing of raw materials or components, natural disasters and environmental factors, and if not discovered before the product is released to market can result in recalls and product liability exposure. Because of the quality requirements of some of our customers as well as stringent regulations of the FDA and similar agencies regarding the manufacture of certain of our products, alternative manufacturing or sourcing is not always available on a timely basis to replace such production capacity. Any of these manufacturing problems could result in significant adverse impacts to our business and financial statements.

If we cannot adjust our manufacturing capacity or the purchases required for our manufacturing activities to reflect changes in market conditions and customer demand, our business and financial statements may suffer. In addition, our reliance upon sole or limited sources of supply for certain materials, components and services can cause production interruptions, delays and inefficiencies.

We purchase materials, components and equipment from third parties for use in many of our manufacturing operations. Our profitability could be adversely impacted if we are unable to adjust our purchases to reflect changes in customer demand and market fluctuations, including those caused by seasonality or cyclicality. During a market upturn, suppliers from time to time extend lead times, limit supplies or increase prices. If we cannot purchase sufficient products at competitive prices and quality and on a timely enough basis to meet increasing demand, we may not be able to satisfy market demand, product shipments may be delayed, our costs may increase or we may breach our contractual commitments and incur liabilities. Conversely, in order to secure supplies for the production of products, we sometimes enter into noncancelable purchase commitments with vendors, which can impact our ability to adjust our inventory to reflect declining market demands. If demand for our products is less than we expect, we may experience additional excess and obsolete inventories and be forced to incur additional charges and our business and financial statements may suffer.

In addition, some of our businesses purchase certain requirements from sole or limited source suppliers for reasons of quality assurance, regulatory requirements, cost effectiveness, availability or uniqueness of design. If these or other suppliers encounter financial, operating or other difficulties or if our relationship with them changes, we might not be able to quickly establish or qualify replacement sources of supply. The supply chains for our businesses can also be disrupted by supplier capacity constraints, bankruptcy or exiting of the business for other reasons, decreased availability of key raw materials or commodities and external events such as natural disasters, pandemic health issues, war, terrorist actions, governmental actions (such as trade protectionism) and legislative or regulatory changes. Any of these factors can result in production interruptions, delays, extended lead times and inefficiencies. Because we cannot always immediately adapt our production capacity and related cost structures to changing market conditions, at times our manufacturing capacity exceeds or falls short of our production requirements. Any or all of these problems can result in the loss of customers, provide an opportunity for competing products to gain market acceptance and otherwise adversely affect our business and financial statements.

The Company relies heavily on internal manufacturing and related operations to produce, package and distribute its products which, if disrupted, could materially impair our business operations. Our business could be adversely affected by disruptions at our sites. 

The Company's internal quality control, packaging and distribution operations support the majority of the Company's sales. Since certain Company products must comply with FDA regulations and because in all instances, the Company creates value for its customers through the development of high-quality products, any significant decline in quality or disruption of operations for any reason could adversely affect sales and customer relationships, and therefore adversely affect the business. While we have taken certain steps to manage these operational risks, the Company's future sales growth and earnings may be adversely affected by perceived disruption risks or actual disruptions.

We rely upon our manufacturing operations to produce many of the products we sell and our warehouse facilities to store products, pending sale. Any significant disruption of those operations for any reason, such as strikes or other labor unrest, power interruptions, fire, hurricanes or other events beyond our control could adversely affect our sales and customer relationships and therefore adversely affect our business. We have significant operations in California, near major earthquake faults, which make us susceptible to earthquake risk. Although most of our raw materials are available from a number of potential suppliers, our operations also depend upon our ability to obtain raw materials at reasonable prices. If we are unable to obtain the materials we need at a reasonable price, we may not be able to produce certain of our products or we may not be able to produce certain of these products at a marketable price, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

Defects and unanticipated use or inadequate disclosure with respect to our products, or allegations thereof, can adversely affect our business and financial statements.

Certain of our products and services are sold for use in diagnostics.  For those products and services in particular, manufacturing or design defects in, unanticipated use of, safety or quality issues (or the perception of such issues) with respect to, “off label” use of, or inadequate disclosure of risks relating to the use of products and services that we make or sell (including items that we source from third-parties) can lead to personal injury, death, and/or property damage and adversely affect our business and financial statements. These events can lead to recalls or safety alerts, result in the removal of a product or service from the market and result in product liability or similar claims being brought against us. Recalls, removals and product liability and similar claims (regardless of their validity or ultimate outcome) result in significant costs, as well as negative publicity and damage to our reputation that could reduce demand for our products and services. Our business can also be affected by studies of the utilization, safety and efficacy of medical device products and components that are conducted by industry participants, government agencies and others. Any of the above can result in the discontinuation of marketing of such products in one or more countries and give rise to claims for damages from persons who believe they have been injured as a result of product issues, including claims by individuals or groups seeking to represent a class.

Because we rely heavily on third-party package-delivery services, a significant disruption in these services or significant increases in prices may disrupt our ability to ship products, increase our costs and lower our profitability.

Most of our reagent products need to be stored and shipped at certain cold temperatures.  Consequently, we ship a significant portion of our products to our customers by express mail or air delivery through package delivery companies, such as FedEx in the U.S. and DHL in Europe. If one or more of these third-party package-delivery providers were to experience a major work stoppage, preventing our products from being delivered in a timely fashion or causing us to incur additional shipping costs we could not pass on to our customers, our costs could increase and our relationships with certain of our customers could be adversely affected. In addition, if one or more of these third-party package-delivery providers were to increase prices, and we were not able to find comparable alternatives or make adjustments in our delivery network, our profitability could be adversely affected.

Intellectual Property Risks

We are dependent on maintaining our intellectual property rights. If we are unable to adequately protect our intellectual property, or if third parties infringe our intellectual property rights, we may suffer competitive injury or expend significant resources enforcing our rights.

Many of the markets we serve are technology-driven, and as a result intellectual property rights play a significant role in product development and differentiation. We own numerous patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and other intellectual property and licenses to intellectual property owned by others, which in aggregate are important to our business. The intellectual property rights that we obtain, however, are not always sufficiently broad and do not always provide us a significant competitive advantage, and patents may not be issued for pending or future patent applications owned by or licensed to us. In addition, the steps that we and our licensors have taken to maintain and protect our intellectual property do not always prevent it from being challenged, invalidated, circumvented, designed-around or becoming subject to compulsory licensing. In some circumstances, enforcement is not available to us because an infringer has a dominant intellectual property position or for other business reasons. We also rely on nondisclosure and noncompetition agreements with employees, consultants and other parties to protect, in part, trade secrets and other proprietary rights. There can be no assurance that these agreements adequately protect our trade secrets and other proprietary rights and will not be breached, that we will have adequate remedies for any breach, that others will not independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information or that third parties will not otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or other proprietary rights.

These risks are particularly pronounced in countries in which we do business that do not have levels of protection of corporate proprietary information, intellectual property, technology and other assets comparable to the United States. We operate globally, with manufacturing operations in China and the UK, and approximately 46% of our revenue from outside the United States.   The laws, regulations and enforcement mechanisms in other countries may in some cases be less protective of our intellectual property rights. Our failure to obtain or maintain intellectual property rights that convey competitive advantage, adequately protect our intellectual property or detect or prevent circumvention or unauthorized use of such property and the cost of enforcing our intellectual property rights can adversely impact our business and financial statements.

We may be involved in disputes to determine the scope, coverage and validity of others' proprietary rights, or to defend against third-party claims of intellectual property infringement, any of which could be time-intensive and costly and may adversely impact our business.

Our success depends in part on its ability to operate without infringing the proprietary rights of others, and to obtain licenses where necessary or appropriate. We have obtained and continue to negotiate licenses to produce a number of products claimed to be owned by others. Since we have not conducted a patent infringement study for each of our products, it is possible that some of our products may unintentionally infringe patents of third parties.

We have been and may in the future be sued by third parties alleging that we are infringing their intellectual property rights. These lawsuits are expensive, take significant time, and divert management's focus from other business concerns. If we are found to be infringing the intellectual property of others, we could be required to cease certain activities, alter our products or processes or pay licensing fees. This could cause unexpected costs and delays which may have a material adverse effect on us. If we are unable to obtain a required license on acceptable terms, or unable to design around any third party patent, we may be unable to sell some of our products and services, which could result in reduced revenue. In addition, if we do not prevail, a court may find damages or award other remedies in favor of the opposing party in any of these suits, which may adversely affect our earnings.

Financial and Tax Risks

We have entered into and drawn on a revolving credit facility, and we may incur additional debt in the future. The burden of this additional debt could adversely affect us, make us more vulnerable to adverse economic or industry conditions, and prevent us from funding our expansion strategy.

We currently have a Credit Agreement that provides for a revolving credit facility of $600 million, which can be increased by an additional $200 million subject to certain conditions, and a term loan of $250 million. Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest at a variable rate. As of August 20, 2021, the Company had drawn $335 million under the Credit Agreement.

The terms of the Credit Agreement and the burden of the indebtedness incurred thereunder could have negative consequences for us, such as:

The Credit Agreement also contains negative covenants that limit our ability to engage in specified types of transactions. These covenants limit our ability to, among other things, sell, lease or transfer any properties or assets, with certain exceptions; and enter into certain merger, consolidation or other reorganization transactions, with certain exceptions.

A breach of any of these covenants could result in an event of default under our credit facility. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, the lender could elect to declare all amounts outstanding under such facility to be immediately due and payable and terminate all commitments to extend further credit. In addition, the Company would be subject to additional restrictions if an event of default exists under the Credit Agreement, such as a prohibition on the payment of cash dividends.

Our business and financial statements can be adversely affected by foreign currency exchange rates, changes in our tax rates and tax liabilities and assessments (including as a result of changes in tax laws).

International markets contribute a substantial portion of our revenues, and we intend to continue expanding our presence in these regions. The exposure to fluctuations in currency exchange rates takes on different forms. International revenues and costs are subject to the risk that fluctuations in exchange rates could adversely affect our reported revenues and profitability when translated into U.S. dollars for financial reporting purposes. These fluctuations could also adversely affect the demand for products and services provided by us. As a multinational corporation, our businesses occasionally invoice third-party customers in currencies other than the one in which they primarily do business (the "functional currency"). Movements in the invoiced currency relative to the functional currency could adversely impact our cash flows and our results of operations. As our international sales grow, exposure to fluctuations in currency exchange rates could have a larger effect on our financial results. In fiscal 2021, currency translation had an unfavorable effect of $5.2 million on revenues due to the strengthening of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies in which the company sells products and services.

As a global company, we are subject to taxation in numerous countries, states and other jurisdictions. In particular, we are affected by the impact of changes to tax laws or related authoritative interpretations in the United States, including tax reform under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which became effective in late 2017, which included broad and complex changes to the United States tax code.  Interpretations, assumptions and guidance regarding the Tax Act that have been issued subsequently have had a material impact on our effective tax rate, and we anticipate that there may be additional changes to the U.S. tax code under a new Administration.

In preparing our financial statements, we record the amount of tax that is payable in each of the countries, states and other jurisdictions in which we operate. Our future effective tax rate, however, may be lower or higher than experienced in the past due to numerous factors, including a change in the mix of our profitability from country to country, changes in accounting for income taxes and recently enacted and future changes in tax laws in jurisdictions in which we operate. Any of these factors could cause us to experience an effective tax rate significantly different from previous periods or our current expectations, which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and cash flows.

Dividends on our common stock could be reduced or eliminated in the future.

For many years, our Board has declared quarterly dividends ranging from of $0.25 to $0.32 cents per share. In the future, our Board may determine to reduce or eliminate our common stock dividend in order to fund investments for growth, repurchase shares or conserve capital resources.

Legal, Regulatory, Compliance and Reputational Risks 

Our business is subject to extensive regulation; failure to comply with these regulations could adversely affect our business and financial results.  

As referenced in more detail above, we and our customers must comply with a wide array of federal, state, local and international regulations, in such areas as medical device, healthcare, import and export, anticorruption, and privacy. We develop, configure and market our products to meet customer needs created by those regulations. Any significant change in regulations could reduce demand for our products or increase our expenses. For example, many of our instruments are marketed to the pharmaceutical industry for use in discovering and developing drugs and diagnostic products. Changes in the U.S. FDA’s regulation of drug or medical device products could have an adverse effect on the demand for these products.

We have agreements relating to the sale of our products to government entities in the U.S. and elsewhere and, as a result, we are subject to various statutes and regulations that apply to companies doing business with the government (less than 2% of our fiscal 2021 sales were made to the U.S. federal government). The laws governing government contracts differ from the laws governing private contracts and government contracts may contain pricing terms and conditions that are not applicable to private contracts. We are also subject to investigation for compliance with the regulations governing government contracts. A failure to comply with these regulations could result in suspension of these contracts, criminal, civil and administrative penalties or debarment.

We are subject to various local, state, federal, foreign and transnational laws and regulations, which include the operating and security standards of the U.S. FDA, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (the DEA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (the DHHS), and other comparable agencies and, in the future, any changes to such laws and regulations could adversely affect us. In particular, we are subject to laws and regulations concerning current good manufacturing practices. Our subsidiaries may be required to register for permits and/or licenses with, and may be required to comply with the laws and regulations of, the DEA, the FDA, the DHHS, foreign agencies and/or comparable state agencies as well as certain accrediting bodies depending upon the type of operations and location of product distribution, manufacturing and sale. The manufacture, distribution and marketing of many of our products and services, including medical devices and pharma services, are subject to extensive ongoing regulation by the FDA, the DEA, and other equivalent local, state, federal and non-U.S. regulatory authorities. In addition, we are subject to inspections by these regulatory authorities. For example, the EU has adopted the In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (the “EU IVDR”), which imposes stricter requirements for the marketing and sale of in vitro diagnostic medical devices, including in the area of clinical evaluation requirements, quality systems and post-market surveillance.  Manufacturers of currently approved in vitro diagnostics medical devices have until May 2022 to meet the EU IVDR. Complying with EU IVDR, the regulation applicable to the Company, requires material modifications to our quality management systems, additional resources in certain functions, updates to technical files and additional clinical data in some cases, among other changes. Failure by us or by our customers to comply with the requirements of the EU IVDR, or other requirements imposed by these or similar regulatory authorities, including without limitation, remediating any inspectional observations to the satisfaction of these regulatory authorities, could result in warning letters, product recalls or seizures, monetary sanctions, injunctions to halt manufacture and distribution, restrictions on our operations, civil or criminal sanctions, or withdrawal of existing or denial of pending approvals, including those relating to products or facilities. In addition, such a failure could expose us to contractual or product liability claims, contractual claims from our customers, including claims for reimbursement for lost or damaged active pharmaceutical ingredients, as well as ongoing remediation and increased compliance costs, any or all of which could be significant. We are the sole manufacturer of a number of products for many of our customers and a negative regulatory event could impact our customers' ability to provide products to their customers.

We are also subject to a variety of federal, state, local and international laws and regulations that govern, among other things, the importation and exportation of products, the handling, transportation and manufacture of substances that could be classified as hazardous, and our business practices in the U.S. and abroad such as anti-competition laws. Any noncompliance by us with applicable laws and regulations or the failure to maintain, renew or obtain necessary permits and licenses could result in criminal, civil and administrative penalties and could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. 

Significant developments or changes in U.S. laws or policies, including changes in U.S. trade policies and tariffs and the reaction of other countries thereto can have an adverse effect on our business and financial statements.

Significant developments or changes in U.S. laws and policies (including as a result of the new U.S. administration), such as laws and policies governing foreign trade, manufacturing, and development and investment in the territories and countries where we or our customers operate, or governing the health care system and drug prices, can adversely affect our business and financial statements. For example, the previous U.S. administration increased tariffs on certain goods imported into the United States and trade tensions between the United States and China escalated, with each country imposing significant, additional tariffs on a wide range of goods imported from the other country. The U.S. and China could impose other types of restrictions such as limitations on government procurement or technology export restrictions, which could affect our access to markets. These factors have adversely affected, and in the future could further adversely affect, our business and financial statements.

Our business and financial statements can be impaired by improper conduct by any of our employees, agents or business partners.

We cannot provide assurance that our internal controls and compliance systems, including our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, protect us from acts committed by employees, agents or business partners of ours (or of businesses we acquire or partner with) that violate U.S. and/or non-U.S. laws, including the laws governing payments to government officials, bribery, fraud, kickbacks and false claims, pricing, sales and marketing practices, conflicts of interest, competition, employment practices and workplace behavior, export and import compliance, economic and trade sanctions, money laundering and data privacy. In particular, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the UK Bribery Act and similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to government officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business, and we operate in many parts of the world that have experienced governmental corruption to some degree. Any such improper actions or allegations of such acts could damage our reputation and subject us to civil or criminal investigations in the United States and in other jurisdictions and related shareholder lawsuits, could lead to substantial civil and criminal, monetary and non-monetary penalties and could cause us to incur significant legal and investigatory fees. In addition, the government may seek to hold us liable for violations committed by companies in which we invest or that we acquire. We also rely on our suppliers to adhere to our supplier code of conduct, and material violations of such code of conduct could occur that could have a material effect on our business and financial statements.

Certain of our businesses are subject to extensive regulation by the U.S. FDA and by comparable agencies of other countries, as well as laws regulating fraud and abuse in the healthcare industry and the privacy and security of health information. Failure to comply with those regulations could adversely affect our business and financial statements.

Certain of our products are medical devices, diagnostics tests and other products that are subject to regulation by the U.S. FDA or state CLIA regulations, by other federal and state governmental agencies, by comparable agencies of other countries and regions and by regulations governing hazardous materials and drugs-of abuse (or the manufacture and sale of products containing any such materials). The global regulatory environment has become increasingly stringent and unpredictable. Several countries that did not have regulatory requirements for medical devices have established such requirements in recent years, and other countries have expanded, or plan to expand, their existing regulations, including implementation of IVDR regulations in Europe. Failure to meet these requirements adversely impacts our business and financial statements in the applicable geographies.

Government authorities may conclude that our business practices do not comply with current or future statutes, regulations, agency guidance or case law. Failure to obtain required regulatory clearances before marketing our products (or before implementing modifications to or promoting additional indications or uses of our products), other violations of laws or regulations, failure to remediate inspectional observations to the satisfaction of these regulatory authorities, real or perceived efficacy or safety concerns or trends of adverse events with respect to our products (even after obtaining clearance for distribution) and unfavorable or inconsistent clinical data from existing or future clinical trials can lead to FDA Form 483 Inspectional Observations, warning letters, notices to customers, declining sales, loss of customers, loss of market share, remediation and increased compliance costs, recalls, seizures of adulterated or misbranded products, fines, expenses, injunctions, civil penalties, criminal penalties, consent decrees, administrative detentions, refusals to permit importations, partial or total shutdown of production facilities or the implementation of operating restrictions, narrowing of permitted uses for a product, refusal of the government to grant 510(k) clearance, suspension or withdrawal of approvals, pre-market notification rescissions and other adverse effects.  Further, defending against any such actions can be costly and time-consuming and may require significant personnel resources. Therefore, even if we are successful in defending against any such actions brought against us, our business may be impaired. Ensuring that our internal operations and business arrangements with third parties comply with applicable laws and regulations also involves substantial costs.

More specifically, as a healthcare provider, the Company’s Exosome Diagnostics’ ExoDx Prostate business is subject to extensive regulation at the federal, state, and local levels in the U.S. and other countries where it operates. The Company’s failure to meet governmental requirements under these regulations, including those relating to billing practices and financial relationships with physicians, hospitals, and health systems, could lead to civil and criminal penalties, exclusion from participation in Medicare and Medicaid, and possibly prohibitions or restrictions on the use of its laboratories. While the Company believes that it is in material compliance with all statutory and regulatory requirements, there is a risk that government authorities might take a contrary position. Such occurrences, regardless of their outcome, could damage the Company’s reputation and adversely affect important business relationships it has with third parties. 

Failure to comply with privacy and security laws and regulations could result in fines, penalties and damage to the Company’s reputation and have a material adverse effect upon the Company’s business, a risk that has been elevated with the acquisition of Exosome Diagnostics, whose laboratory testing service is a healthcare provider that obtains and uses protected health information.

If the Company does not comply with existing or new laws and regulations related to protecting the privacy and security of personal or health information, it could be subject to monetary fines, civil penalties or criminal sanctions. In the U.S., the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) privacy and security regulations, including the expanded requirements under U.S. Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), establish comprehensive standards with respect to the use and disclosure of protected health information (PHI) by covered entities, in addition to setting standards to protect the confidentiality, integrity and security of PHI. HIPAA restricts the Company’s ability to use or disclose PHI, without patient authorization, for purposes other than payment, treatment or healthcare operations (as defined by HIPAA), except for disclosures for various public policy purposes and other permitted purposes outlined in the privacy regulations. If the laboratory operations for the Company’s business use or disclose PHI improperly under these privacy regulations, they may incur significant fines and other penalties for wrongful use or disclosure of PHI in violation of the privacy and security regulations, including potential civil and criminal fines and penalties.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

There are no unresolved staff comments as of the date of this report.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

The Company owns the facilities that its headquarters and R&D Systems subsidiary occupy in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Minneapolis facilities are utilized by both the Company's Protein Sciences and Diagnostics and Genomics segments.

The Minneapolis complex includes approximately 800,000 square feet of space in several adjoining buildings. Bio-Techne uses approximately 625,000 square feet of the complex for administrative, research, manufacturing, shipping and warehousing activities. The Company is currently leasing the remaining space in the complex as retail and office space. The Company also owns a 54,000 square foot facility in Saint Paul, Minnesota that will be utilized for additional manufacturing capabilities and activities.

The Company also owns a 34,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia. This facility is utilized by the Company’s Protein Sciences segment.

The Company owns a 17,000 square foot facility that its Bio-Techne Europe subsidiary occupies in Abingdon, England. This facility is utilized by the Company's Protein Sciences and Diagnostics and Genomics segments.

The Company owns a 9,000 square foot facility that its Canada subsidiaries occupy in Toronto, Canada. This facility is utilized by the Company's Protein Sciences and Diagnostics and Genomics segments.

The Company owns a 52,700 square foot manufacturing facility in Wallingford, Connecticut. This facility is utilized by the Company's Protein Sciences segment.

The Company leases the following material facilities, all of which are primarily utilized by the Company's Protein Sciences segment with the exception of the locations used by the Company's ProteinSimple and CyVek subsidiaries, which support both the Protein Sciences segment and the Diagnostics & Genomics segment). Certain locations are not named because they were not significant individually or in the aggregate as of the date of this report.

The Company entered into a definitive agreement to lease a 25,000 square foot facility in Dublin, Ireland. Construction is currently underway and once complete, the commencement of the lease will occur. The Company believes the owned and leased properties, inclusive of the leased property in Ireland, are adequate to meet its occupancy needs in the foreseeable future.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

As of August 20, 2021, the Company is not a party to any legal proceedings that, individually or in the aggregate, are reasonably expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED SHAREHOLDER

MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Holders of Common Stock and Dividends Paid

As of August 20, 2021 there were over 55,000 beneficial shareholders of the Company's common stock and over 90 shareholders of record. The Company paid annual cash dividends totaling $49.6 million, $48.9 million, and $48.4 million in fiscal 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively. The Board of Directors periodically considers the payment of cash dividends, and there is no guarantee that the Company will pay comparable cash dividends, or any cash dividends, in the future. 

In connection with the acquisition of Exosome Diagnostics, Inc. on August 1, 2018, the Company entered into a new credit facility that provides for a revolving credit facility of $600 million, which can be increased by an additional $200 million subject to certain conditions, and a term loan of $250 million.  The credit facility is governed by a Credit Agreement dated August 1, 2018 and matures on August 1, 2023.  The Credit Agreement that governs the revolving line of credit contains customary events of default and would prohibit payment of dividends to Company shareholders in the event of a default thereunder.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

During the years ended June 30, 2021 and June 30, 2020, the Company repurchased 120,000 shares of its common stock at an average share price of $359.82 and 279,381 shares at an average share price of $179.37, respectively. During fiscal 2019, the Board implemented a new repurchase plan, which grants management the discretion to mitigate the dilutive effect of stock option exercises by authorizing repurchase of shares up to the amount of stock returned to the corporation through stock option exercises, beginning with those option exercises occurring in fiscal year 2018. As of June 30, 2021, we have authorization of approximately $63 million that may yet be used to purchase additional shares under our current stock repurchase program. 

Stock Performance Graph

The following chart compares the cumulative total shareholder return on the Company's common stock with the S&P Midcap 400 Index and the S&P 400 MidCap Life Sciences Tools and Services Index.  The comparison assumes $100 was invested on the last trading day before July 1, 2016 in the Company's common stock and in each of the foregoing indices and assumes reinvestment of dividends.

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

RESERVED

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL

CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following management discussion and analysis (“MD&A”) provides information that we believe is useful in understanding our operating results, cash flows and financial condition. We provide quantitative information about the material sales drivers including the effect of acquisitions and changes in foreign currency at the corporate and segment level. We also provide quantitative information about discrete tax items and other significant factors we believe are useful for understanding our results. The MD&A should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial information and related notes included in this Form 10-K. This discussion contains various “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and also contains various “Forward-Looking Statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We refer readers to the statements entitled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” located at the end of this MD&A and “Forward-Looking Information and Cautionary Statements” and “Risk Factors” within Items 1 and 1A of this Form 10-K.

OVERVIEW

Bio-Techne develops, manufactures and sells life science reagents, instruments and services for the research and clinical diagnostic markets worldwide. With our deep product portfolio and application expertise, we sell integral components of scientific investigations into biological processes and molecular diagnostics, revealing the nature, diagnosis, etiology and progression of specific diseases. Our products aid in drug discovery efforts and provide the means for accurate clinical tests and diagnoses.

During our fiscal year 2021, we operated with two operating segments – our Protein Sciences segment and our Diagnostics and Genomics segment. Our Protein Sciences segment is a leading developer and manufacturer of high-quality purified proteins and reagent solutions, most notably cytokines and growth factors, antibodies, immunoassays, biologically active small molecule compounds, tissue culture reagents and T-Cell activation technologies. This segment also includes protein analysis solutions that offer researchers efficient and streamlined options for automated western blot and multiplexed ELISA workflow. Our Genomics and Diagnostics segment develops and manufactures diagnostic products, including FDA-regulated controls, calibrators, blood gas and clinical chemistry controls and other reagents for OEM and clinical customers, as well as a portfolio of clinical molecular diagnostic oncology assays, including the ExoDx® Prostate test (EPI) for prostate cancer diagnosis. This segment also manufactures and sells advanced tissue-based in-situ hybridization assays (ISH) for spatial genomics research and clinical use.    

OVERALL RESULTS

Operational Update

For fiscal 2021, consolidated net sales increased 26% as compared to fiscal 2020. Organic growth was 22%, with currency translation and acquisitions having a 3% and 1% impact on revenue respectively. Organic revenue growth was broad based and driven by accelerated momentum of the Company's long-term growth strategy as well as customer site closures in the latter half of fiscal 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

For fiscal 2021, consolidated earnings, including non-controlling interest, decreased 39% compared to fiscal 2020. The decrease in earnings was primarily due to a non-operating loss of approximately $67.9 million on our ChemoCentryx investment, compared to a gain on investment of $137 million in the last fiscal year. After adjusting for acquisition related costs, intangibles amortization, stock-based compensation, restructuring costs, the loss on investment, certain income tax items in both years, and non-controlling interest, adjusted net earnings increased 52% in fiscal 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020. Adjusted earnings growth was driven by volume leverage, operational productivity, and product mix.

For fiscal 2020, consolidated net sales increased 4% as compared to fiscal 2019. Organic growth was 4%, with currency translation and acquisitions having an immaterial impact on revenue. The Company experienced broad-based organic revenue growth in most major geographic regions and end-markets prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This broad-based organic growth was partially offset by the negative impacts associated with the COVID-19 pandemic experienced by the Company in the latter half of fiscal year 2020.

For fiscal 2020, consolidated earnings, including non-controlling interest, increased 139% compared to fiscal 2019. The increase in earnings was primarily due to a non-operating gain of approximately $137 million on our ChemoCentryx investment and a gain of approximately $7 million on the settlement of the escrow balance associated with the Exosome acquisition. After adjusting for acquisition related costs, stock-based compensation, and certain income tax items in both years, adjusted net earnings increased 2% in fiscal 2020 as compared to fiscal 2019. Adjusted earnings growth was driven by volume leverage, which was partially offset by business impacts associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. 

COVID-19 Business Update

The global spread of COVID-19 in the past 18 months has led to unprecedented restrictions on, and disruptions in, business and personal activities, including as a result of preventive and precautionary measures that we, other businesses, our communities and governments have taken and are taking to mitigate the spread of the virus and to manage its impact. While a number of vaccines developed in response to the pandemic appear to be effective in mitigating spread of the disease, we continue to actively monitor the pandemic on a global scale.  We have taken and intend to continue taking steps to identify and mitigate the adverse impacts on, and risks to, our business (including but not limited to our employees, customers, business partners, manufacturing capabilities and capacity, and supply and distribution channels) posed by the spread of COVID-19 and the governmental and community responses thereto.

The Company has responded to the pandemic by leveraging our deep product portfolio and scientific expertise to develop robust COVID-19 product and service offerings providing critical support for both clinical care and therapeutic development. While our sales related to COVID-19 specific products have been modest, fiscal 2021 growth benefited from the reopening of customer sites initially closed in the latter half of fiscal 2021 and our ongoing efforts to utilize our portfolio of products and services to enable solutions for this evolving pandemic.

We are unable to forecast the impact of COVID-19 on future revenue given the uncertainty that some customer sites may close again due to increases in COVID-19 cases occurring in their region and over the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially if current vaccines prove to be ineffective against new strains of the Coronavirus that may develop over time. We anticipate a positive long-term outlook for sales growth resulting from expected future funding increases within life-science research in response to the current pandemic. Similar to current periods, we anticipate the impact on EPS to be similar to that of sales growth.

The Company remains in a strong financial position with sufficient available cash as well as access to additional funding, if necessary, through our long-term debt agreement. We did not experience any material changes to our June 30, 2021 nor our June 30, 2020 Balance Sheet, resulting from COVID-19 for items such as additional reserves or asset impairments resulting from the pandemic.

The Company has remained fully operational as we abided by local COVID-19 safety regulations across the world this past year. As the pandemic has eased, in most locations we will be returning all employees to on site work, although in certain instances we will continue to operate with appropriate safety measures, including staggered shifts, social distancing and hygiene best practices recommended by public health officials.  In addition, the Company has taken and will continue to take additional steps to monitor and strengthen our supply chain to maintain an uninterrupted supply of our critical products and services.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Net Sales

Consolidated organic net sales exclude the impact of companies acquired during the first 12 months post-acquisition and the effect of the change from the prior year in exchange rates used to convert sales in foreign currencies (primarily the euro, British pound sterling, and Chinese yuan) into U.S. dollars.

Consolidated net sales growth was as follows:

Consolidated net sales by segment were as follows (in thousands): 

In fiscal 2021, Protein Sciences segment net sales increased 27% compared to fiscal 2020. Organic growth for the segment was 24% for the fiscal year, with foreign currency translation having a favorable impact of 3%, and acquisitions contributing an immaterial amount. 

Overall segment growth was driven by continued market acceptance of our portfolio of productivity enhancing solutions across end-markets and geographies combined with the reopening of customer sites that were closed in the latter half of fiscal 2020 due to COVID-19. 

In fiscal 2021, Diagnostics and Genomics segment net sales increased 23% compared to fiscal 2020. Organic growth was 18% with acquisitions and foreign currency having a favorable impact of 4% and 1% impact on revenue, respectively.

Overall segment revenue growth was broad based across product lines and geographies.  RNAscope products had an exceptional year in both the Academia and Bio-Pharma end markets, while the Exosome product line also provided year over year growth despite navigating limitations and/or customer avoidance of non-essential medical procedures throughout fiscal 2021 associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.   

In fiscal 2020, Protein Sciences segment net sales increased 2% compared to fiscal 2019. Organic growth for the segment was 3% for the fiscal year, with foreign currency translation having an unfavorable impact of 1%, and acquisitions contributing an immaterial amount. 

Overall segment growth was driven by strong Bio-Pharma sales in North America and strong overall performance in China, which was partially offset by the disruption in research markets due to numerous customer site closures relating to the COVID-19 pandemic that occurred in the second half of fiscal 2020.

In fiscal 2020, Diagnostics and Genomics segment net sales increased 8% compared to fiscal 2019. Organic growth was 8% with acquisitions and foreign currency having an immaterial impact on revenue.

Overall segment revenue growth was driven by strong performance in our ExoDx Prostate Test, RNAscope, hematology, and assay development products lines prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The closure of academic site labs and limitation of non-essential medical procedures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted sales of our RNAscope product line and our ExoDx Prostate Test, respectively, in the latter portion of the fiscal year. These negative sales impacts were partially offset through growth in supplying specialty diagnostic antibodies and other raw materials to COVID-19 testing manufacturers.

Gross Margins

Consolidated gross margins were 68.0%, 65.4%, and 66.3% in fiscal 2021, 2020, and 2019. Consolidated gross margins were positively impacted as a result of broad based revenue growth and cost management. Excluding the impact of acquired inventory sold, amortization of intangibles, and stock compensation expense, adjusted gross margins were 72.2%, 70.3%, and 71.5% in fiscal 2021, 2020, and 2019 respectively. Fiscal 2021 adjusted gross margin was positively impacted by volume leverage and product mix when compared to fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2019.

A reconciliation of the reported consolidated gross margin percentages, adjusted for acquired inventory sold and intangible amortization included in cost of sales, is as follows:

Fluctuations in adjusted gross margins, as a percentage of net sales, have primarily resulted from changes in foreign currency exchange rates and changes in product mix. We expect that, in the future, gross margins will continue to be impacted by the mix of our portfolio growing at different rates as well as future acquisitions.

Management uses adjusted operating results to monitor and evaluate performance of the Company’s two segments. Segment gross margins, as a percentage of net sales, were as follows: 

The changes in the Protein Sciences segment’s gross margin percentage for fiscal 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020 and 2019 was primarily attributable to mix of product sales within the segment. 

The increase in Diagnostics and Genomics in gross margin for fiscal 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020 was primarily due to volume leverage. The increase in Diagnostics and Genomics in gross margin for fiscal 2020 as compared to fiscal 2019 was primarily due to volume leverage, operational productivity, and revenue growth against a similar cost base in recent acquisitions.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased $64.4 million (25%) in fiscal 2021 when compared to fiscal 2020. Selling, general, and administrative expenses increased primarily due to investments made by the Company to support volume growth within each of the segments as well as additional expenses related to the acquisition of Asuragen, Inc.

Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased $3.8 million (1%) in fiscal 2020 when compared to fiscal 2019. Selling, general, and administrative expenses decreased primarily due to a reduction in corporate expenses and a gain resulting from a settlement of amounts held in escrow from the ExosomeDx acquisition between the Company and the former shareholders. These reductions to our selling, general, and administrative expenses were partially offset by an increase in expense within the segments. 

Consolidated selling, general and administrative expenses were composed of the following (in thousands):

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses increased $5.4 million (8%) and $2.8 million (4%) in fiscal 2021 and 2020, respectively, as compared to prior year periods. The increase in research and development expenses in fiscal 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020 was primarily attributable to continued investment in future growth platforms of the Company and recent acquisitions. The increase in research and development expenses in fiscal 2020 as compared to fiscal 2019 was primarily attributable to continued investment in future growth platforms of the Company, recent acquisitions, and the development of new COVID-19 products.

Net Interest Income / (Expense)

Net interest income/(expense) for fiscal 2021, 2020, and 2019 was $(13.5) million, $(18.6) million, and $(21.1) million, respectively. Net interest expense in fiscal 2021 decreased when compared to fiscal 2020 due to a reduction in our average long-term debt, which coincided with a reduction in the notional amount on our variable interest derivative. Net interest expense in fiscal 2020 decreased when compared to fiscal 2019 due to a reduction in our average long-term debt.

Other Non-Operating Expense, Net

Other non-operating expense, net, consists of foreign currency transaction gains and losses, rental income, building expenses related to rental property and the Company's gains and losses on investments as follows (in thousands):

During fiscal 2021, the Company recognized losses of $67.9 million related to changes in fair value associated with changes in the stock price of our ChemoCentryx, Inc. (CCXI) investment.

During fiscal 2020, the Company recognized gains of $137.5 million related to changes in fair value associated with changes in the stock price of our ChemoCentryx, Inc. (CCXI) investment.

During fiscal 2019, the Company recognized losses of $16.1 million related to changes in fair value associated with changes in the stock price of our ChemoCentryx, Inc. (CCXI) investment, which were partially offset by a $3.7 million gain realized upon acquisition from our historical investment in B-MoGen.

Income Taxes

Income taxes for fiscal 2021, 2020, and 2019 were at effective rates of 5.8%, 17.1%, and 14.2%, respectively, of consolidated earnings before income taxes. The change in the effective tax rate was driven by discrete tax items. The Company's discrete tax benefits in fiscal 2021 primarily related to share-based compensation excess tax benefits of $28.1 million. The Company's discrete tax benefits in fiscal 2020 primarily related to share-based compensation excess tax benefits of $17.7 million. The Company's discrete tax benefits in fiscal 2019 primarily related to share-based compensation excess tax benefits of $7.2 million, $3.2 million related to deductible acquisition payments made to employees and third parties, and $2.0 million for tax refunds relating to certain state apportionments.

Net Earnings

Non-GAAP adjusted consolidated net earnings and earnings per share are as follows (in thousands):

Depending on the nature of discrete tax items, our reported tax rate may not be consistent on a period to period basis. The Company independently calculates a non-GAAP adjusted tax rate considering the impact of discrete items and jurisdictional mix of the identified non-GAAP adjustments. The following table summarizes the reported GAAP tax rate and the effective Non-GAAP adjusted tax rate for the periods ended June 30, 2021, 2020, and 2019.

Refer to Note 11 for additional discussion relating to the change in discrete tax items between fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale investments at June 30, 2021 were $231.6 million compared to $270.9 million at June 30, 2020. Included in available-for-sale investments at June 30, 2021 and June 30, 2020 was the fair value of the Company's investment in CCXI of $20.0 million and $87.8 million, respectively.

At June 30, 2021, approximately 12% of the Company's cash and equivalent account balances of $199.1 million were located in the U.S., with the remainder located in primarily in Canada, China, the U.K. and other European countries.

At June 30, 2021, approximately 61% of the Company's available-for-sale investment account balances of $32.5 million were located in the U.S., with the remaining 39% in China.

The Company has either paid U.S. taxes on its undistributed foreign earnings or intends to indefinitely reinvest the undistributed earnings in the foreign operations or expects the earnings will be remitted in a tax neutral transaction. Management of the Company expects to be able to meet its cash and working capital requirements for operations, facility expansion, capital additions, and cash dividends for the foreseeable future, and at least the next 12 months, through currently available funds, including funds available through our line-of-credit and cash generated from operations.

Future acquisition strategies may or may not require additional borrowings under the line-of-credit facility or other outside sources of funding.

Cash Flows From Operating Activities

The Company generated cash from operations of $352.2 million, $205.2 million, and $181.6 million in fiscal 2021, 2020, and 2019 respectively. The increase in cash generated from operating activities in fiscal 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020 was mainly a result of an increase in year over year operating income of $79.9 million and a $29.3 million benefit to operating cash from year-over-year changes in operating assets and liabilities as well as a non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $16.6 million. The increase in cash generated from operating activities in fiscal 2020 as compared to fiscal 2019 was mainly a result of higher GAAP earnings and lower accounts receivable balances in fiscal 2020, which were partially offset by the gain on investments included within earnings.

Cash Flows From Investing Activities

We continue to make investments in our business, including capital expenditures. The Company acquired Eminence Biotechnology and Asuragen, Inc. during fiscal year 2021 for a total of approximately $225.4 million, net of cash acquired. The Company did not make any acquisitions in fiscal 2020. Net cash paid for acquisitions of Quad, Exosome, and B-MoGen was $289.5 million in fiscal 2019.

The Company's net proceeds (outflow) from the purchase, sale and maturity of available-for-sale investments in fiscal 2021, 2020, and 2019 were $26.7 million, $76.9, and ($21.9 million) million, respectively. The decrease in fiscal 2021 compared to fiscal 2020 was driven by the sale of a portion of the CCXI investment in fiscal year 2020, which did not reoccur in fiscal year 2021. The increase in fiscal 2020 compared to fiscal 2019 was driven by the sale of a portion of the Company’s investment in CCXI in fiscal 2020.The Company's investment policy is to place excess cash in certificates of deposit with the objective of obtaining the highest possible return while minimizing risk and keeping the funds accessible.

Capital additions in fiscal year 2021, 2020, and 2019 were $44.3 million, $51.7 million, and $25.4 million. Fiscal 2021 capital expenditures related to investments in new buildings, in particular, the Company's GMP manufacturing facility. Capital additions planned for fiscal 2022 are approximately $68.4 million and are expected to be financed through currently available cash and cash generated from operations. Increase in expected additions in fiscal 2022 is related to increasing capacity to meet expected sales growth across the Company and reduced expenditures in the comparable period, fiscal year 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Cash Flows From Financing Activities

In fiscal 2021, 2020, and 2019, the Company paid cash dividends of $49.6 million, $48.9 million, $48.4 million, respectively. The Board of Directors periodically considers the payment of cash dividends.

The Company received $65.1 million, $71.0 million, $38.0 million, for the exercise of options for 627,000, 743,000, 382,000 shares of common stock in fiscal 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. 

During fiscal 2021, 2020, and 2019, the Company repurchased $43.2 million, $50.1 million, and $15.4 million, respectively, in share repurchases included as a cash outflow within Financing Activities.

During fiscal 2021, 2020, and 2019, the Company drew $256.0 million, $40.0 million, and $580.0 million, respectively, under its revolving line-of-credit facility. Repayments of $271.5 million, $188.5 million, and $413.5 million were made on its line-of-credit in fiscal 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively. 

During fiscal 2021, there were no payments related to contingent consideration classified as financing activities. The Company made $0.3 million in contingent consideration payments, which were classified within operating activities. During fiscal 2020, the Company made $4.4 million ($4 million for Quad and $0.4 million for B-MoGen) in cash payments towards the Quad, Exosome, and B-MoGen contingent consideration liabilities. Of the $4.4 million in total payments, $3.4 million is classified as financing on the statement of cash flows. The remaining $1 million is recorded as operating on the statement of cash flows as it represents the consideration liability that exceeds the amount of the contingent consideration liability recognized at the acquisition date. During fiscal 2019, the Company made no cash payments towards the Quad, Exosome, and B-MoGen contingent consideration liabilities.

During fiscal 2021 and 2020, the Company paid $19.3 million and $3.8 million, respectively, for net share settlements. During fiscal 2019, other financial activities includes payments for net share settlements as well as the final payment of $1.4 million related to Eurocell. This is included as a cash outflow within the other financing activities line of the consolidated statements of cash flows. 

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Management's discussion and analysis of the Company's financial condition and results of operations are based upon the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP). The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable 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.

The Company has identified the policies outlined below as critical to its business operations and an understanding of results of operations. The listing is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all accounting policies; investors should also refer to Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Business Combinations

We allocate the purchase price of acquired businesses to the estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the date of the acquisition. The calculations used to determine the fair value of the long-lived assets acquired, primarily intangible assets, can be complex and require significant judgment. We weigh many factors when completing these estimates including, but not limited to, the nature of the acquired company’s business; its competitive position, strengths, and challenges; its historical financial position and performance; estimated customer retention rates; discount rates; and future plans for the combined entity. We may also engage independent valuation specialists, when necessary, to assist in the fair value calculations for significant acquired long-lived assets.

The fair value of acquired technology is generally the primary asset identified and therefore estimated using the multi-period excess earnings method. The multi-period excess earnings method model estimates revenues and cash flows derived from the primary asset and then deducts portions of the cash flow that can be attributed to supporting assets, such as Trade Names and in-process research and development, that contributed to the generation of the cash flows. The resulting cash flow, which is attributable solely to the primary asset acquired, is then discounted at a rate of return commensurate with the risk of the asset to calculate a present value. The Trade Name is generally calculated using the relief from royalty method, which calculates the cost savings associated with owning rather than licensing the technology. Assumed royalty rates are applied to the projected revenues for the remaining useful life of the technology to estimate the royalty savings. In-process research and development assets are valued using the multi-period excess earnings method when the cash flows from the in-process research and development assets are separately identifiable from the primary asset. In circumstances that Customer Relationship assets are identified that are not the primary asset, they are valued using the distributor model income approach, which isolates revenues and cash flow associated with the sales and distribution function of the entity and attributable to customer-related assets, which are then discounted at a rate of return commensurate with the risk of the asset to calculate a present value.  

We estimate the fair value of liabilities for contingent consideration by discounting to present value the probability weighted contingent payments expected to be made. For potential payments related to financial performance based milestones, projected revenue and/or EBITDA amounts, volatility and discount rates assumptions are included in the estimated amounts. For potential payments related to product development milestones, the fair value is based on the probability of achievement of such milestones. The excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair value of the net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. Goodwill is not amortized, but is subject to impairment testing on at least an annual basis.

We are also required to estimate the useful lives of the acquired intangible assets, which determines the amount of acquisition-related amortization expense we will record in future periods. Each reporting period, we evaluate the remaining useful lives of our amortizable intangibles to determine whether events or circumstances warrant a revision to the remaining period of amortization.

While we use our best estimates and assumptions, our fair value estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. As a result, during the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, we may record adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with the corresponding offset to goodwill. Any adjustments required after the measurement period are recorded in the consolidated statements of earnings.

The judgments required in determining the estimated fair values and expected useful lives assigned to each class of assets and liabilities acquired can significantly affect net income. For example, different classes of assets will have useful lives that differ. Consequently, to the extent a longer-lived asset is ascribed greater value than a shorter-lived asset, net income in a given period may be higher. Additionally, assigning a lower value to amortizable intangibles would result in a higher amount assigned to goodwill. As goodwill is not amortized, this would benefit net income in a given period, although goodwill is subject to annual impairment analysis.

Impairment of Goodwill

Goodwill

Goodwill was $843.1 million as of June 30, 2021, which represented 37.3% of total assets. Goodwill is tested for impairment on an annual basis in the fourth quarter of each year, or more frequently if events occur or circumstances change that could indicate a possible impairment.

To analyze goodwill for impairment, we must assign our goodwill to individual reporting units. Identification of reporting units includes an analysis of the components that comprise each of our operating segments, which considers, among other things, the manner in which we operate our business and the availability of discrete financial information. Components of an operating segment are aggregated to form one reporting unit if the components have similar economic characteristics. We periodically review our reporting units to ensure that they continue to reflect the manner in which we operate our business.

There has been no impairment of goodwill since the adoption of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) ASC 350 guidance for goodwill and other intangibles on July 1, 2002.

2021 Goodwill Impairment Analyses

In completing our 2021 annual goodwill impairment analyses, we elected to perform a quantitative assessment for each of our five reporting units. A quantitative assessment involves comparing the carrying value of the reporting unit, including goodwill, to its estimated fair value. Carrying value is based on the assets and liabilities associated with the operations of the reporting unit, which often requires the allocation of shared or corporate items among reporting units. In accordance with ASU 2017-04, a goodwill impairment charge is recorded for the amount by which the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit. In determining the fair values of our reporting units, we utilized the income approach. The income approach is a valuation technique under which we estimated future cash flows using the reporting unit's financial forecast from the perspective of an unrelated market participant. Using historical trending and internal forecasting techniques, we projected revenue and applied our fixed and variable cost experience rates to the projected revenue to arrive at the future cash flows. A terminal value was then applied to the projected cash flow stream. Future estimated cash flows were discounted to their present value to calculate the estimated fair value. The discount rate used was the value-weighted average of our estimated cost of capital derived using both known and estimated customary market metrics. In determining the estimated fair value of a reporting unit, we were required to estimate a number of factors, including projected operating results, terminal growth rates, economic conditions, anticipated future cash flows, the discount rate and the allocation of shared or corporate items.

Because our 2021 quantitative analyses included all of our reporting units, the summation of our reporting units' fair values, as indicated by our discounted cash flow calculations, were compared to our consolidated fair value, as indicated by our market capitalization, to evaluate the reasonableness of our calculations. This impairment assessment is sensitive to changes in forecasted cash flows, as well as our selected discount rate. Changes in the reporting unit's results, forecast assumptions and estimates could materially affect the estimation of the fair value of the reporting units.

The quantitative assessment completed as of April 1, 2021 indicated that all of the reporting units had a substantial amount of headroom. Accordingly, the Company determined there was no indication of impairment of goodwill in our annual goodwill impairment analysis. Further, no triggering events were identified in the year ended June 30, 2021 that would require an additional goodwill impairment assessment beyond our required annual goodwill impairment assessment.

2020 Goodwill Impairment Analyses

In completing our 2020 annual goodwill impairment analyses, we elected to perform a quantitative assessment for all of our reporting units. A quantitative assessment involves comparing the carrying value of the reporting unit, including goodwill, to its estimated fair value. Carrying value is based on the assets and liabilities associated with the operations of the reporting unit, which often requires the allocation of shared or corporate items among reporting units. In accordance with ASU 2017-04, a goodwill impairment charge is recorded for the amount by which the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit. In determining the fair values of our reporting units, we utilized the income approach. The income approach is a valuation technique under which we estimated future cash flows using the reporting unit's financial forecast from the perspective of an unrelated market participant. Using historical trending and internal forecasting techniques, we projected revenue and applied our fixed and variable cost experience rates to the projected revenue to arrive at the future cash flows. A terminal value was then applied to the projected cash flow stream. Future estimated cash flows were discounted to their present value to calculate the estimated fair value. The discount rate used was the value-weighted average of our estimated cost of capital derived using both known and estimated customary market metrics. In determining the estimated fair value of a reporting unit, we were required to estimate a number of factors, including projected operating results, terminal growth rates, economic conditions, anticipated future cash flows, the discount rate and the allocation of shared or corporate items.

Because our 2020 quantitative analyses included all of our reporting units, the summation of our reporting units' fair values, as indicated by our discounted cash flow calculations, were compared to our consolidated fair value, as indicated by our market capitalization, to evaluate the reasonableness of our calculations. This impairment assessment is sensitive to changes in forecasted cash flows, as well as our selected discount rate. Changes in the reporting unit's results, forecast assumptions and estimates could materially affect the estimation of the fair value of the reporting units.

The quantitative assessment completed as of April 1, 2020 indicated that all of the reporting units had a substantial amount of headroom. Accordingly, the Company determined there was no indication of impairment of goodwill in our annual goodwill impairment analysis. Further, no triggering events were identified in the year ended June 30, 2020 that would require an additional goodwill impairment assessment beyond our required annual goodwill impairment assessment.

2019 Goodwill Impairment Analyses

At the beginning of the quarter ended March 31, 2019, the Company realigned the management of certain business processes between reporting units within the same segment. A goodwill allocation was performed between the impacted reporting units based on the relative fair value of the processes realigned. In conjunction with the realignment, a quantitative goodwill impairment assessment was performed both prior to and subsequent to the realignment. The quantitative impairment assessments performed utilized a consistent process with our fiscal 2021 quantitative goodwill impairment assessment described above. The quantitative assessment indicated that all of the impacted reporting units had substantial headroom both prior to and subsequent to the realignment. This impairment assessment performed was sensitive to changes in forecasted cash flows, as well as our selected discount rate. Changes in the reporting unit's results, forecast assumptions and estimates could materially affect the estimation of the fair value of the reporting units.

In conducting our annual goodwill impairment test as of April 1, 2019, we elected to perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether changes in events or circumstances since our most recent quantitative test for goodwill impairment indicated that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. Based on its annual analysis, the Company determined there was no indication of impairment of goodwill. 

NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

Information regarding the accounting policies adopted during fiscal 2021 and those not yet adopted can be found under caption “Note 1: Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements appear in Item 8 of this report. 

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

None

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

This Annual Report on Form 10-K, including “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Item 7, contains financial measures that have not been calculated in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (GAAP). These non-GAAP measures include:

We provide these measures as additional information regarding our operating results. We use these non-GAAP measures internally to evaluate our performance and in making financial and operational decisions, including with respect to incentive compensation. We believe that our presentation of these measures provides investors with greater transparency with respect to our results of operations and that these measures are useful for period-to-period comparison of results.

Our non-GAAP financial measure of organic growth represents revenue growth excluding revenue from acquisitions within the preceeding 12 months as well as the impact of foreign currency. Excluding these measures provides more useful period-to-period comparison of revenue results as it excludes the impact of foreign currency exchange rates, which can vary significantly from period to period, and revenue from acquisitions that would not be included in the comparable prior period.

Our non-GAAP financial measures for adjusted gross margin, adjusted operating margin, and adjusted net earnings, in total and on a per share basis, exclude stock-based compensation, the costs recognized upon the sale of acquired inventory, amortization of acquisition intangibles, acquisition related expenses inclusive of the changes in fair value of contingent consideration, and other non-recurring items including non-recurring costs and gains. Stock-based compensation is excluded from non-GAAP adjusted net earnings because of the nature of this charge, specifically the varying available valuation methodologies, subjective assumptions, variety of award types, and unpredictability of amount and timing of employer related tax obligations. The Company excludes amortization of purchased intangible assets, purchase accounting adjustments, including costs recognized upon the sale of acquired inventory and acquisition-related expenses inclusive of the changes in fair value contingent consideration, and other non-recurring items including gains or losses on legal settlements and one-time assessments from this measure because they occur as a result of specific events, and are not reflective of our internal investments, the costs of developing, producing, supporting and selling our products, and the other ongoing costs to support our operating structure. Additionally, these amounts can vary significantly from period to period based on current activity.

The Company’s non-GAAP adjusted operating margin and adjusted net earnings, in total and on a per share basis, also excludes stock-based compensation expense, which is inclusive of the employer portion of payroll taxes on those stock awards, restructuring, impairments of equity method investments, gain and losses from investments, and certain adjustments to income tax expense. Impairments of equity investments are excluded as they are not part of our day-to-day operating decisions. Additionally, gains and losses from other investments that are either isolated or cannot be expected to occur again with any predictability are excluded.   Costs related to restructuring activities, including reducing overhead and consolidating facilities, are excluded because we believe they are not indicative of our normal operating costs. The Company independently calculates a non-GAAP adjusted tax rate to be applied to the identified non-GAAP adjustments considering the impact of discrete items on these adjustments and the jurisdictional mix of the adjustments. In addition, the tax impact of other discrete and non-recurring charges which impact our reported GAAP tax rate are adjusted from net earnings. We believe these tax items can significantly affect the period-over-period assessment of operating results and not necessarily reflect costs and/or income associated with historical trends and future results.

The Company periodically reassesses the components of our non-GAAP adjustments for changes in how we evaluate our performance, changes in how we make financial and operational decisions, and considers the use of these measures by our competitors and peers to ensure the adjustments are still relevant and meaningful.

Readers are encouraged to review the reconciliations of the adjusted financial measures used in management's discussion and analysis of the financial condition of the Company to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures provided within the Company's consolidated financial statements.

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES

ABOUT MARKET RISK

The Company operates internationally, and thus is subject to potentially adverse movements in foreign currency exchange rates. Approximately 31% of the Company's consolidated net sales in fiscal 2021 were made in foreign currencies, including  13% in euro, 5% in British pound sterling, 7% in Chinese yuan and the remaining 6% in other currencies. The Company is exposed to market risk primarily from foreign exchange rate fluctuations of the euro, British pound sterling, Chinese yuan and Canadian dollar as compared to the U.S. dollar as the financial position and operating results of the Company's foreign operations are translated into U.S. dollars for consolidation.

Month-end exchange rates between the euro, British pound sterling, Chinese yuan, Canadian dollar and the U.S. dollar, which have not been weighted for actual sales volume in the applicable months in the periods, were as follows:

The Company's exposure to foreign exchange rate fluctuations also arises from trade receivables and intercompany payables denominated in one currency in the financial statements, but receivable or payable in another currency.

The Company does not enter into foreign currency forward contracts to reduce its exposure to foreign currency rate changes on forecasted intercompany sales transactions or on intercompany foreign currency denominated balance sheet positions. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are included in "Other non-operating expense, net" in the Consolidated Statement of Earnings and Comprehensive Income. The effect of translating net assets of foreign subsidiaries into U.S. dollars are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as part of "Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)."

The effects of a hypothetical simultaneous 10% appreciation in the U.S. dollar from June 30, 2021 levels against the euro, British pound sterling, Chinese yuan and Canadian dollar are as follows (in thousands):

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

Bio-Techne Corporation and Subsidiaries
(in thousands, except per share data)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

Bio-Techne Corporation and Subsidiaries
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Bio-Techne Corporation and Subsidiaries
(in thousands) 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

Bio-Techne Corporation and Subsidiaries
(in thousands)