SUMMARY OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION | SUMMARY OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION Nature of Business — Verso’s core business platform is as a producer of graphic papers, specialty papers, packaging papers and pulp. Verso’s products are used primarily in media and marketing applications, including catalogs, magazines, commercial printing applications, such as high-end advertising brochures, annual reports and direct-mail advertising, and specialty applications, such as flexible packaging and label and converting. Verso’s market kraft pulp is used to manufacture printing, writing and specialty paper grades, tissue and other products. Verso operates in the pulp and paper market segments. However, Verso determined that the operating income (loss) of the pulp segment is immaterial for disclosure purposes. Verso’s assets are utilized across segments in an integrated mill system and are not identified by segment or reviewed by management on a segment basis. Verso operates primarily in one geographic location, North America. Sale of Androscoggin Mill and Stevens Point Mill — On November 11, 2019, Verso and Verso Paper entered into a membership interest purchase agreement, or the “Purchase Agreement,” with Pixelle Specialty Solutions LLC, or “Pixelle,” whereby Verso and Verso Paper agreed to sell to Pixelle, or the “Pixelle Sale,” or the “Sale of the Androscoggin/Stevens Point Mills,” all of the outstanding membership interests in Verso Androscoggin, LLC, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Verso and the entity that, as of the closing date of the Pixelle Sale, held all the assets primarily related to Verso’s Androscoggin Mill located in Jay, Maine, and Verso’s Stevens Point Mill located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. As a result of the Pixelle Sale, which was completed on February 10, 2020, the assets and liabilities associated with the sale are not included in Verso’s Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2020 or Verso’s Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations for the three months ended September 30, 2020, and Verso’s Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 only includes the results of operations associated with the Androscoggin and Stevens Point mills through February 9, 2020 (see Note 5). Idle of Duluth Mill and Wisconsin Rapids Mill — On June 9, 2020, Verso announced plans to indefinitely idle its mills in Duluth, Minnesota and Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, while exploring viable and sustainable alternatives for both mills. Those alternatives could include restarting if market conditions improve, marketing for sale or closing permanently one or both mills. Verso’s decision to reduce its production capacity was driven by the accelerated decline in graphic paper demand resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic (see below). The “stay-at-home” and other orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly reduced the use of print advertising in various industries, including retail, sports, entertainment and tourism. The production capacity of the Duluth Mill is approximately 270,000 tons of supercalendered/packaging papers and the production capacity of the Wisconsin Rapids Mill is approximately 540,000 tons of coated and packaging papers. Paper and pulp production ceased at the Duluth Mill on July 1, 2020 and at the Wisconsin Rapids Mill on July 27, 2020. In September 2020, Verso recognized $3 million in severance and benefit costs, included in Costs of products sold, associated with the Duluth Mill. See Note 12 for further information. COVID-19 Pandemic — The outbreak of coronavirus disease, or “COVID-19”, which was declared by the World Health Organization to be a global pandemic, is impacting worldwide economic activity. In an effort to contain and combat the spread of COVID-19, government and health authorities around the world have taken extraordinary and wide-ranging actions, including orders to close all businesses not deemed “essential,” quarantines and “stay-at-home” orders. Although some of these governmental restrictions have since been lifted or scaled back, recent surges of COVID-19 have resulted in the re-imposition of certain restrictions and may lead to other restrictions being re-implemented in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Verso serves as an essential manufacturing business and, as a result, Verso’s mills have continued to be operational during this time in order to meet the ongoing needs of its customers, including those in other essential business sectors, which provide food, medical and hygiene products needed in a global health crisis. The guidelines and orders enacted by federal, state and local governments continue to affect retailers, political campaigns, and sports and entertainment events, driving reduced purchases of printed materials and substantially impacting Verso’s graphic papers business. Verso’s COVID-19 preparedness and response team has been monitoring the pandemic and related events daily and preparing and implementing responses in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the “CDC,” and Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or “OSHA,” recommendations as well as federal, state and local guidelines. While Verso cannot reasonably estimate the full impact of COVID-19 on the business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows, the pandemic will continue to have a negative impact on business and financial results. The full extent to which COVID-19 impacts Verso’s operations will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain, including, among others, the duration of the outbreak, new information that may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the actions taken, especially those by governmental authorities, to contain its spread or treat its impact. Basis of Presentation — This report contains the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of Verso as of December 31, 2019 and September 30, 2020 and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2020. The December 31, 2019 Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but it does not include all disclosures required annually by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or “GAAP.” In Verso’s opinion, the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include all adjustments that are necessary for the fair presentation of Verso’s respective financial condition, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented. Except as disclosed in the notes to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. Intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. The results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented may not necessarily be indicative of full-year results. It is suggested that these financial statements be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto of Verso contained in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. Correction of previously reported amounts — Subsequent to the original issuance of the Company’s 2019 Consolidated Financial Statements, Verso identified two adjustments necessary to correct deferred tax assets associated with property, plant and equipment and pension obligation, on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2019. These errors occurred due to the incorrect measurement of the state deferred tax assets relating to bonus depreciation and the incorrect application of the tax accounting for the minimum pension liability in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Management believes that the impact of these adjustments is immaterial to the previously issued Consolidated Financial Statements, based on an evaluation of both quantitative and qualitative factors. As a result, Verso corrected Deferred tax assets and Retained earnings on the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2019 included in this Form 10-Q, reducing each by $26 million. Additionally, Verso corrected Retained earnings and Total stockholders’ equity as of December 31, 2019 and June 30, 2020, on the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity included in this Form 10-Q to reflect the impact of this matter. There was no impact to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations, the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss), or the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2020, as a result of this matter. The following table presents the as corrected line items in the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2019: December 31, 2019 (Dollars in millions) As Reported As Corrected Deferred tax assets $ 118 $ 92 Total assets $ 1,721 $ 1,695 Retained earnings $ 198 $ 172 Total equity $ 1,013 $ 987 Total liabilities and equity $ 1,721 $ 1,695 As a result of this matter, Verso will correct its Consolidated Financial Statements and related footnotes for the year ended December 31, 2019, when those statements are reproduced on a comparative basis in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2020. In addition to presenting the correct amounts on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2019 as noted above, Verso will present corrected amounts of Net income and Income tax benefit on the Consolidated Statement of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2019, reducing each by $26 million, and the Net income and Deferred taxes on the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the year ended December 31, 2019, reducing each by $26 million. The corrections do not have an effect on net cash provided by operating activities or used in investing or financing activities on the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the year ended December 31, 2019. |