Compass Minerals International, Inc. (“CMI”), through its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”), is a leading producer of essential minerals thatfocused on safely delivering where and when it matters to help solve nature’s challenges includingfor customers and communities. The Company’s salt forproducts help keep roadways safe during winter roadway safetyweather and are used in numerous other consumer, industrial and agricultural uses, specialtyapplications. Its plant nutrition minerals thatproducts improve the quality and yield of crops, and specialty chemicals for water treatment and other industrial processes.while supporting sustainable agriculture. The Company’s principal products are salt, consisting of sodium chloride and magnesium chloride;chloride, and plant nutrients, consisting of sulfate of potash (“SOP”), secondary nutrients and micronutrients; and specialty chemicals. The Company also provides records management services to businesses located in the United Kingdom (the “U.K.”). The Company’s production sites are located in the United States (“U.S.”), Canada Brazil and the United Kingdom (“U.K.”). The Company also provides records management services to businesses located in the U.K. Except where otherwise noted, references to North America include only the continental U.S. and Canada, and references to the U.K. include only England, Scotland and Wales. References to “Compass Minerals,” “our,” “us” and “we” refer to CMI and its consolidated subsidiaries.

 

CMI is a holding company with no significant operations other than those of its wholly-owned subsidiaries. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of CMI and its wholly-owned domestic and foreign subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete consolidated financial statements. These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2019,2020, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in its Annual Report on Form 10-K.10-K on February 26, 2021. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation, have been included.

 

The Company experiences a substantial amount of seasonality in its sales, with respect toincluding its deicing salt products.product sales. As a result, Salt segment sales and operating earnings are generally higher in the first and fourth quarters and lower during the second and third quarters of each calendar year. In particular, sales of highway and consumer deicing salt and magnesium chloride products vary based on the severity of the winter conditions in areas where the products are used. Following industry practice in North America and the U.K., the Company seeks to stockpile sufficient quantities of deicing salt throughout the second, third and fourth quarters of the calendar year to meet the estimated requirements for the upcoming winter season. Production of deicing salt can also vary based on the severity or mildness of the preceding winter season. Due to the seasonal nature of the deicing product lines, operating results for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full fiscal year.

On June 23, 2021, the Board of Directors of the Company approved a change in the Company’s fiscal year end from December 31st to September 30th. As a result of this change, the Company will file a Transition Report on Form 10-K for the transition period ending September 30, 2020, respectively.2021.

The Company’s Salt segment products include salt and magnesium chloride for use in road deicing and dust control, food processing, water softeners, and agricultural and industrial applications. Theapplications and the Company’s plant nutritionPlant Nutrition segment products include SOP, secondary nutrients, micronutrients and chemicals for the industrial chemical industry.various grades of SOP. In the U.K., the Company operates a records management business utilizing excavated areas of the Winsford salt mine with one other location in London, England.

The Company accounts for a customer contract when there is approval and commitment from both parties, the rights of the parties and payment terms are identified, the contract has commercial substance and collectability of consideration is probable.

At contract inception, the Company assesses the goods and services it has promised to its customers and identifies a performance obligation for each promise to transfer to the customer a distinct good or service (or bundle of goods or services). Determining whether products and services are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately or aggregated together may require significant judgment.

The Company’s revenues are measured based on consideration specified in the customer contract, net of any sales incentives and amounts collected on behalf of third parties such as sales taxes. In certain cases, the Company’s customer contracts may include promises to transfer multiple products and services to a customer. For multiple-element arrangements, the Company generally allocates the transaction price to each performance obligation in proportion to its stand-alone selling price.

The vast majority of the Company’s revenues are recognized at a point in time when the performance obligations are satisfied based upon transfer of control of the product or service to a customer. To determine when the control of goods is transferred, the Company typically assesses, among other things, the shipping terms of the contract, as shipping is an indicator of transfer of control. Some of the Company’s products are sold when the control of the goods transfers to the customer at the time of shipment. There are also instances when the Company provides shipping services to deliver its products. Shipping and handling costs that occur before the customer obtains control of the goods are deemed to be fulfillment activities and are accounted for as fulfillment costs. The Company recognizes shipping and handling costs that are incurred after the customer obtains control of the goods as fulfillment costs which are accrued at the time of revenue recognition.

The customer contract states the final terms of the sale, including the description, quantity and price of each product or service purchased. Payment is typically due in full within 30 days of delivery. The Company does not adjust the consideration for the effects of a significant financing component if the Company expects, at contract inception, that the period between when the good or service is transferred to the customer and when the customer pays for that good or service will be one year or less.

The Company’s products are generally not sold with a right of return and the Company does not generally provide credits or incentives, which may be required to be accounted for as variable consideration when estimating the amount of revenue to be recognized. The Company uses historical experience to estimate accruals for refunds due to manufacturing or other defects.